For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    Everyone does well and is happy when the godly are successful and things are run according to their ideals. On the other hand, everyone flees and/or hides when the wicked are running the government. This provides us a good way to measure our government. The closer its laws (and the enforcement thereof) resembles God’s ideal, the more prosperous its people will be. The farther from God’s ideal the government is, the more wicked it is, the more dangerous things are for the common people.

    The proud will hold us in contempt for following God’s instructions, I will not allow that to cause me to stop. Evil people will try to cause us to sin, but they will fail if we are anchored in God’s word. So, set your anchor by reading His word daily.

    This world is not our home, let us live as transients who are merely passing through. However, let us live among our unbelieving neighbors in such a manner that they give honor to God. Let us submit to those who have authority over us, so long as it does not cause us to violate God’s law. God has given us freedom, but that is no excuse to do evil. God has called us to do good, even when it leads to suffering. We should submit to those with authority over us, even when they mistreat and abuse us. However, if we are in a position of authority over others we should treat them as our equals, because they are.

    Ezekiel’s description of his vision of the Temple has the type of detail which makes it seem like something that will literally happen. Until He gets to this passage where he describes the river of life which he saw flowing out of the Temple. From here to the end of the book, his descriptions seem to include numbers which carry significance, although I do not understand the significance of those numbers. However, there is an aspect of Ezekiel’s description of the river which does convey meaning to me. There flows out of Jerusalem a river which brings life and healing to all whom it touches. That river springs from Jesus Christ. It provides healing and sustenance to those who accept that He is the new High Priest who has sacrificed Himself for our salvation.