I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I am sorry if my posts are not posted in a timely fashion for the next little while. OK, I have my power back, and I have my Internet back. I was just getting into a new routine and I think I am going to keep some aspects of that new routine. I hope that no one was too disappointed in my posts for the last week or so (or at least no more than they are routinely disappointed by my posts).

     Ezekiel told of the judgment that God was about to bring against Jerusalem. God was bringing the sword against everyone in the land. Destruction was about to come upon Jerusalem. Ezekiel told them that they were receiving this judgment because of the blood they had shed and the idols they had built and worshiped. He tells of how the people have committed idolatry and other sins without even giving a thought to God’s commands. God has reached His limit over their dishonest profit and bloodshed. Notice, the condemnation is not for profit, but for dishonest profit. This is not a condemnation of people because they are rich. It is a condemnation of people who have become rich through dishonesty and corruption. God said that He was going to put the people of Jerusalem in a furnace to separate out the precious metal in their souls from the worthless slag.
     Ezekiel told them that God was condemning them because their political leaders used their power to extract wealth for themselves rather than for the betterment of the people and their religious leaders made no distinction between what was holy and what was defiled. The political leaders destroyed people’s lives for money. The religious leaders covered up for the political leaders by preaching false messages. Even the common people oppressed the poor and robbed from the needy. This sounds much like our world today. Everyone is out for their own interests, from the rich to the poor. The rich and powerful use their political connections to loot from the public treasury. On the other hand, the poor take advantage of natural disasters to loot.
     God told Ezekiel that He looked for someone to rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. Someone to stand in the gap. But He found no one. Will He say the same of us today? Are we willing to work to rebuild the wall of righteousness that has guarded our land? Will we stand in the gap? Will we pray for our neighbors and help the needy? Or are we too busy trying to coerce people to do what we think is right to take the time to DO what is right? Forgive me Lord for my failure to be as faithful as I should. Give me the strength to stand in the gap. Let your wrath fall on me not on those who have not heard your word because I have failed to preach it.

     The whole system under the law of Moses was a dim preview of what was to come. The sacrifices were repeated again and again because they could not provide perfect cleansing from sin. They reminded us again and again of how far we fall short of the righteousness of God. Instead Jesus has offered Himself once for all time as a sacrifice to make perfect those who are being made holy. Through Christ’s sacrifice God writes His Laws in our hearts and on our minds. God promises that He will not remember our sins and transgressions. Now all we have to do is accept that Christ will stand in our place and provide us with the righteousness that we lack. It is our memory of our sins that prevents us from standing before God. Christ has provided us with covering for our sins in the same way that God provided Adam and Eve with clothes made from animal skins after they first sinned. We do not have to stand naked before God, we can stand clothed in Christ’s righteousness.

     My heart is confident in God. I can sing His praises with all of my heart, why don’t I do so more? God will be exalted above the highest heavens and His glory will shine throughout the earth. Human help is useless, only with God’s help will we do mighty things. Let us cry out to the Lord when trouble faces us, He will answer and save us. I want to thank God before all people and sing His praises before all the nations. No matter how dark the day may seem, I know that God’s light shines forth and I will praise Him for His faithfulness. None can stand against those who serve on God’s side.

     A prudent person plans for upcoming dangers. All too often I have taken the path of the simpleton and not planned ahead. God help me to plan for the dangers I foresee ahead.