Archive for month: July, 2020

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 14:12-23.  Let’s go!

On verses 12-21:  Here the Lord continues to speak to Ezekiel while Ezekiel is sitting down with the Jewish elders (see Ezekiel 14:1).  The Lord describes four ways that He could discipline a country that is unfaithful to Him: by famine (v13-14), by wild beasts (v15-16), by sword (v17-18), and by plague (v19-20).  The Lord says that in each case not even the righteousness (or moral purity) of some of Israel’s historically most godly men – Noah, Daniel and Job – could save a nation from their sins.

What can we learn from this?

With the exception of only one person, there is no one whose righteousness is so great that they could save an entire nation, or even another individual (see v14, 16, 18, 19) from their sins with their righteousness.  As Psalm 49:7-8 says, “No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him– the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough”.  Who is the one person whose righteousness is enough to save others, even an entire nation?  Jesus Christ.  Jesus’ righteousness was enough to save not just an entire nation, but the entire world.  Are you placing your faith in your own righteousness, or in the righteousness of Jesus to save you from your sins?

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 14:1-23.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-8:  Ezekiel is sitting with the Jewish elders who have apparently come to see him to get some guidance from the Lord (v1).  All of a sudden Ezekiel receives a word from the Lord that actually these elders have set up idols in their hearts.  Thus the Lord questions whether He should answer these elders at all (v2).  The Lord then instructs Ezekiel to speak a message to the elders which would shed light upon their idolatry and encourage them to return to God (v3-11).

Notice that in these verses the following phrase gets repeated almost word for word in verses 3, 4 and 7: “sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face and then goes to a prophet”.  Ezekiel was evidently describing exactly what the elders had done: consult idols before going to him for the Lord’s counsel.

What can we learn from this?

Idolatry is a heart matter.  Idolatry is when a person “sets up” (v3, 4, 7) the idol “in his heart” (v3, 4, 7) and treats it as being more important than the Lord.
Idolatry is a stumbling block to others.  If I set up an idol in my heart, my idolatry will impact every person within my circle of influence and be “a stumbling block to other people”.  More than anyone else, it is my family who is affected when I set up an idol in my heart.  So make it your goal not to set up any idol in your heart, lest those you love the most be affected negatively.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 13:1-23.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-9:  Here God gives Ezekiel a word to speak against the false prophets of Israel, who claim to hear from God but who actually only “prophesy out of their own imagination” (v2) and who “follow their own spirit” (v3) but “have seen nothing” (v3).  God calls their visions false and their divinations (i.e. their attempts to discern God’s will) a lie (v6-7).  Because of their false visions and lying divinations, God says that the false prophets will face two consequences.  First, God is against them (“I am against you” – v8b; “My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations” – v9a). Second, the false prophets will ultimately be cut off from God’s people (“They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel” – v9b).

What can we learn from this?

When you hear what may be presented to you as “a prophetic word”, be careful to test it.  As 1 John 4:1 says, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”  How do you test a prophetic word?  Here are three things you can do:  (1) Test what you hear against the written Word of God, for God will never say anything that contradicts what He has already said in Scripture.  (2) Test what you hear by bouncing it off other believers whose relationship with God you respect.  (3) Test what you hear by asking the Holy Spirit to give you peace about it if it is truly a word from God.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 12:17-28.  Let’s go!

Ezekiel 12:17-20 (NIV) 
17  The word of the LORD came to me:
18  “Son of man, tremble as you eat your food, and shudder in fear as you drink your water.
19  Say to the people of the land: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: They will eat their food in anxiety and drink their water in despair, for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who live there.
20  The inhabited towns will be laid waste and the land will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'”

On verses 17-20:  The Lord gives Ezekiel a message for the people still living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel.  The Lord tells Ezekiel to act out the fear and the trembling that these people will experience because of the coming desolation that they will face.  In this case they“will know that I am the LORD” not by His presence but by His absence from the city.

What can we learn from this?  Sometimes, for those who are especially stubborn and slow to learn, the only way to teach them that they have taken a great blessing for granted is to take the blessing away, at least temporarily.  This is what God did with the people living in Jerusalem and the land of Israel, as He removes His presence and protection from them and allows the people living there to feel the fear and trembling of not having God’s presence and protection in the city.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 12:1-16.  Let’s go!

Ezekiel 12:1-7 (NIV) 
1  The word of the LORD came to me:
2  “Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.
3  “Therefore, son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in the daytime, as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another place. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house.
4  During the daytime, while they watch, bring out your belongings packed for exile. Then in the evening, while they are watching, go out like those who go into exile.
5  While they watch, dig through the wall and take your belongings out through it.
6  Put them on your shoulder as they are watching and carry them out at dusk. Cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.”
7  So I did as I was commanded. During the day I brought out my things packed for exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulders while they watched.

On verses 1-7:  Here God is getting Ezekiel to act out how the Israelites are exiled from their land.  Notice how many times the phrase “while they watch” and variations of it get repeated in these verses.  This shows me that God is a thoughtful communicator who carefully plans out how He will engage His hearers, so as to get the most bang for His effort.