I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Ezekiel 17-19.

    Recently, psychology has discovered that if a child is abused that child is likely to grow up to be a child abuser. The same thing is true of many other sins. If a parent is a habitual sinner of one type or another, their children are likely to grow up to be even guiltier of the same, or another similar sin. We didn’t need modern psychology to tell us this, people have known this to be true for thousands of years. Furthermore, children are likely to struggle their whole lives with the consequences of their parent’s sins. But through Ezekiel God tells us that it does not have to be that way…that that is not the way He intends for it to be. God offers us the opportunity to find a new heart and a new spirit. If we except the new heart and new spirit God offers us through Christ we can avoid the consequences of living the sinful life of the way we were born to be.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Ezekiel 13-15.

    As I read Ezekiel’s prophecy against false prophets, both men and women, I am convinced that a similar prophecy can be made against many of the popular preachers of our day. I know that we have many who preach something other than Christ’s Gospel. There are those who preach that the gospel is a way to become prosperous. There are those who preach that we can have peace in the Church if we just stop talking about sin. The audience for these preachers know that our society will fall apart around our ears if we do not retain righteousness but they are unwilling to discipline themselves to follow God’s definition of righteousness. Preaching to these people is like putting whitewash on a stone wall that has no foundation, nor mortar between the stones. It will make the wall appear more solid and may even prevent the stones from shifting when someone brushes against it. But when the waters rise and the wall needs to stand against the flood, the water will scour that whitewash and overturn the wall.

    There is a flood coming and a wall built of true righteousness is the only thing which will stand against it. That wall of righteousness must be built on the foundation of Jesus Christ and must be held together by the fear of God. We must be careful not to listen to those who discourage the righteous and encourage the sinner. Even more, we must make sure that we do not join them in their false prophecy. We do sinners no favors by telling them that their sin is not sin. Our society has been proclaiming that sexual sin is not sin for decades. Yet recently a study revealed what those who trust the Bible have known for generations: that those who practice these sins are deeply unhappy and telling them that their sin is not sin does not relieve their unhappiness in the least.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Ezekiel 9-12.

    Today’s passage begins with a continuation of the vision Ezekiel was having at the end of yesterday’s passage. God calls those whom He is going to send to punish the sins of Jerusalem. However, before He sends them out to mete out the judgment, He sends out someone to mark those who will not be punished. Those who grieve over the sins being committed will be so marked. As we go on in the passage we read of those who tell the people of Jerusalem that it is time to plan for a glorious future and those who think God has given them economic opportunity through the misfortune of their fellow man. Do we grieve for the sins being carried out by our fellow man? Do we recognize that others’ misfortunes are a tragedy, not an opportunity for us to get wealthy?
    I have really struggled with writing today’s blog. There is more here than what I have touched upon, but I cannot find the words to express what I see. There is a message to us in the departure of God’s glory from the Temple and then from Jerusalem, but I do not know how to express it. If nothing else, we should give some thought to what it means that the sin in Jerusalem got so bad that God removed His glory from the place He had made the center of His worship on earth.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Ezekiel 5-8.

    Ezekiel prophesied when time had run out for the people of Jerusalem. It was too late for them to turn to God and avoid the coming judgment. Those with wealth and prestige would not be able to protect themselves from the coming destruction. After much thought, I do not believe that we in this country have reached the point which Ezekiel is prophesying about. I believe that there is still time for people to turn from their sins, turn to God, and avoid the coming calamity. I do not believe that they will do so because I see the leaders, spiritual and otherwise, of this country in the second part of today’s passage.

    In the second part of today’s passage, Ezekiel describes a vision he had of four different groups of Jerusalem’s leaders worshiping different idols. The first group is not clearly defined. The first group appears to represent the idolatry of the general populace with the vision of the idol set up in the Temple courtyard. The next group seems to represent political leaders. The third group represents The leaders among the women of Jerusalem. The fourth group represents the religious leaders. When I look at our country today I see similar idol worship. Even among those who should be calling us to worship God I see people who are instead promoting the idols of our society and culture.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Ezekiel 1-4.

    There is great meaning in Ezekiel’s description of the four living beings as well as the rest of his vision, but it rarely inspires me. I know that many people have made great sermons out of it. I have even heard a few which made me want to dig into it and see the inspiring message there. Even then I am inspired while I listen to the preacher, but when I go back to see it for myself, I usually miss it. However, I am always inspired when I read about Ezekiel’s commission. God first tells Ezekiel that he must go to his own people, who will not listen to him. God was not sending him to people who spoke a language which Ezekiel did not understand. God tells him that if that was the case, they would listen to him. No, God was sending Ezekiel to his own people. God repeats that they will not listen because they are obstinate and hard-hearted. However, God tells Ezekiel that He had made him just as obstinate and hard-hearted. Every time I read this I know why I was not called to go to a foreign mission field. God has made me obstinate and hard-hearted. In His instructions to Ezekiel, God made a point which we need to take to heart, especially if we have been called to minister to the obstinate. Before we take God’s message to our designated audience we need to let His words seep down into our hearts. We need to fully internalize them so that they drive our behavior. It is only once God’s words have truly become part of us, have become a touchstone by which we lead our lives, that we are ready to speak them to the obstinate people to whom we have been called.

    As part of His commission to Ezekiel, God called him a watchman. I do not believe that all of us have been called to be hard-hearted and obstinate, but I do believe that we have all been called to be watchmen. When God gives us a message to people it is up to us to deliver it promptly. It is not our responsibility if they fail to listen to the message. It is only our responsibility if we fail to deliver the message. If we fail to deliver God’s message, God will hold us responsible. If we deliver the message, but they fail to respond, we will have saved ourselves. Obviously the best case will be if we deliver God’s message and the people to whom we were sent listen to it and respond to it. That will be cause for rejoicing. But we are only responsible for delivering God’s message, not for what people do with it.