Archive for month: July, 2020

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 7:14-27.  Let’s go!

Ezekiel 7:14-17 (NIV) 
14  Though they blow the trumpet and get everything ready, no one will go into battle, for my wrath is upon the whole crowd.
15  “Outside is the sword, inside are plague and famine; those in the country will die by the sword, and those in the city will be devoured by famine and plague.
16  All who survive and escape will be in the mountains, moaning like doves of the valleys, each because of his sins.
17  Every hand will go limp, and every knee will become as weak as water.
18  They will put on sackcloth and be clothed with terror. Their faces will be covered with shame and their heads will be shaved. 

On verses 14-17:  Though the Israelites may be tempted to put their hope in their own military strength, their military will only disappoint them (v14).  They will be no match for the forces coming against them (v15-18).

What’s the lesson here?  Our own strength is no match for God.  We could never escape God’s wrath by our own strength.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 7:1-13.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-13:  One phrase that gets repeated over and over in this passage is: “I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices” (v3, 4, 8, 9).  Often times we can have an inflated view of ourselves.  The world would make us want to think that we are pretty good people and that God thinks so too.  I just heard one Hollywood celebrity post on social media, “All I’ve ever tried to do was help people”.  Yet a more accurate and impartial assessment of our lives would show that while we are capable of some good and have probably done some good in our lifetime, we are also capable of much evil and have acted in sin, selfishness and pride.  We must remember that God’s standards are not like ours.  His standards absolutely perfect and that is why the Bible’s assessment of our conduct is that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  If God were indeed to judge us according to our conduct, none of us would stand a chance.

God could treat us as our conduct deserves, but praise God that He is much more merciful than that.  For those of us who are humble enough to admit that we are sinners in need of a Saviour and who trust that Jesus is the Saviour we need, God does not treat us as our sins deserve.  Rather He gives us unmerited favour and undeserved grace.  That’s why David would write,

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 6:1-14.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-14:  Why does God tell Ezekiel to speak to the mountains (v1-3)?  That’s because the mountains of Israel were the site where much of the Israelites’ idol worship took place.

Here God gives Ezekiel a message of judgment and destruction on the Israelites as a result of their rampant and persistent idolatry.  God promises that all the high places, incense altars and idols that the Israelites used to worship other gods will be destroyed, and most of the Israelites along with them (v3b-7).  Despite God revealing Himself to the Israelites time and time again, despite all of His faithfulness to them and the warnings He gave about what would happen if they turned to worship other gods, the Israelites obstinately refused to obey God’s commands or heed God’s warnings.  Thus the consequences God warned them about eventually overtook them.

Still there would be a remnant who would realize the error of their ways and whom God would spare (v8-10).

What can we learn from this?  Notice that one phrase that gets repeated over and over is the phrase: “you/they will know that I am the Lord” (v7, 10, 13, and 14).   One day, sooner or later, whether during this lifetime or after, every person will realize who the Lord is.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 5:1-17.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-17:  Here comes another object lesson from Ezekiel, given to catch the attention of the spiritually calloused Israelites.  Ezekiel senses God telling him to shave his head and beard with a sharp sword.  He is to burn one third of the shavings inside the city.  He is to take another third and strike it with the sword, doing this all over the city.  He is also to take the last third of his hair shavings and scatter them to the wind.  All of these actions were to symbolize how, as punishment for their persistent disobedience and idolatry, God would give the Israelites over to famine (possibly symbolized by the fire), military attack (symbolized by the sword), and to wild beasts and disease (symbolized by the wind).   The reference in verse 10 to fathers eating their children and children eating their fathers is talking about how severe the famine would become that the Israelites would resort to cannibalism.

“How could a loving God do this to His own people?” you may ask.  It is worth noting that for centuries God repeatedly and with great clarity warned the Israelites that they should expect such consequences if they continued to disobey Him and persist in rebellion and idolatry.  See, for example, Deuteronomy 28 where Moses warns the people of all the problems they could expect to come upon them if they disobey.