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. Well I have power back, but my Internet service is still out, so I need to borrow friends access to post. In addition, I usually compose these on my desktop PC and typing them on my laptop is a different experience. Please bear with me until I get back into my usual routine.

     God gives a prophecy to Ezekiel for him to deliver to the people of Israel. Ezekiel tells the people of Israel that the day of judgement has arrived. No hope remains as God calls them to account for their sins. Disaster after disaster is going to strike them. When the call goes forth for the army to defend the land, no one will answer the call. People will toss aside their wealth because they will be unable to use to get what they truly need. I read this prophecy and think about what is happening in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. There are many people who are in circumstances where money cannot buy what they need because there is none of it to be had where they are. I wonder if this tragedy is God trying to call the people of our nation to Him. Let us pray for our fellow countrymen that they may come to the Lord.
     Then Ezekiel recounts another vision that he received. He was taken to the Temple and shown various idols that the people of Jerusalem had set up in the Temple and the various rituals that they carried out in worship of other gods. Then he sees God call for men to bring destruction and death on the city. God sends one man ahead of the destroyers to mark those who were saddened and burdened by the idolatry. The destroyers are then instructed to kill everyone who does not have the mark of salvation. If God were to carry out such a judgement on our land, would we be among those marked for salvation? Do we weep and sigh for the idolatry our countrymen practice around us? Have we warned them of the consequences of their sins?

     The writer tells us that a high priest is a man chosen to represent others before God. No one becomes high priest just because he desires that honor, he must be called by God for this work. Jesus did not honor Himself by assuming He could become High Priest, rather He was called by God to this role. God qualified Jesus as the perfect High Priest, which made Him the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. The writer tells us that he would like to go into this more, but it is a difficult topic and those he is writing to need someone to teach them the basic things about God’s word again. They should be at the point where they are teaching others, instead they are like infants who need to be fed milk rather than solid food. How often I have been like that! Needing to be reminded of the basic doctrines of faith when I should be exploring more advanced topics and teaching others. Forgive me Lord for my refusal to grow up and serve you as an adult.

     Let us give thanks to the Lord and praise Him. Even though I need to go to someone else’s house to post this blog, still I will praise the Lord because He has restored the electricity to my home. I will sing His praises and tell everyone of His wonderful deeds. I will search for the Lord and continually seek Him. If we search for Him and seek to do His will, He will bless us. I have been blessed.

     Liars hate those that they lie to, no matter what they claim. Those who build others up with undeserved flattery set them up for destruction.