There's No God Like Jehovah!

The time had come on the great kingdom calendar. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel had all proclaimed the word of Lord in their times and warned that this very moment would come, through much lamenting. The book of Daniel seems to pick up where our story left off with king Jehoiakim, back in Kings and Chronicles. God handed over his people to the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, along with many of the prized possessions from the temple. The king instructed his leaders to choose the most noble of Judah and to carry them back to Babylon for training in "language and literature." The description of what was important Babylon itself, sounds the same as what America values today....."young, good-looking, no blemishes, gifted in wisdom, possessing knowledge, quick to understand, ability to serve the king's ambition." The scholars were given new names to symbolize their new ownership, but I think God had that idea first.

Choose your dining company well. There were four young men, among many others, who caused a bit of a scene. You see, the king appointed to them a rich regiment of the finest foods and delicacies of wine during their three years of training. Daniel and his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, asked permission not to defile themselves in this way. They had been taught that to take a meal with someone, was somewhat like a covenant with them. These young men didn't want to eat from the hand of their captor. Because God had brought Daniel into favor with his teachers, they were allowed to eat grains, bread, and fruits....things "grown from sown seed." This is translated as "vegetables" in many of our Bibles. The point is that these four men ate the diet the Lord had led them to partake, and at the end of 10 days they were stronger and healthier than the others. God had honored their commitment to Him, by also making them the wisest among all of the other wizards and magicians in the land. They were exceptional!

"But there is a God in heaven..." Chapter 2 opens with the king and his bad dream. (I wonder if Daniel and his friends often wondered if they were having a bad dream?) The king sent for all of his wise men, wizards, magicians, and astrologers to interpret the dream for him. There was a slight problem though....the king wouldn't tell them his dream! The catch was that if they were so smart they should already know his dream, and because of his already bad mood, he ordered all those who couldn't make known to him these things, killed. They sought Daniel and his companions, as they were the smartest in the land. The captain of the guard allowed Daniel to request of the king, more time. What followed was likely a prayer service like no other the world had seen! Daniel and his friends gathered and prayed for revelation, and God revealed the secret, to Daniel. I love the prayer found in this chapter and have prayed it myself, as praise to Him when opening our prayer time with the Lord.

"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His.

And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings;

he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.

He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him."

Daniel received the word and went. He was brought before the king, and asked if he could tell and interpret the dream. I love Daniel's answer here, "The secret which the king has demanded, [we] cannot declare to the king, but there is a God in heaven Who reveals secrets...." Oh, I just get goosebumps!!! He goes on to explain that the secret dream was not made known to him to save his own life or that of the others, but so that the king could know the thoughts of his own heart. Wow. Now the dream itself is a whole study alone, but the statue was made of different metals and substances representing the different kingdoms in power on the earth over a period of time to come. Daniel basically said that Nebuchadnezzar's time was short, and he'd better bow the knee! The king was so humbled before Daniel that he fell prostrate and offered many great gifts, making him ruler over the whole province of Babylon. Daniel surrounded himself with his faithful companions and served for 16 years in the king's court.

Statue? What statue? ...I don't remember a statue! Now you would think that ol' Nebuchadnezzar would remember his experience with the God of the ages forever, but he did not. This king made a giant golden statue, likely because gold was the color of the "head" portion in his dream all those years ago, and he was making a point here. Anyway, he demanded that all in Babylon bow before it. This thing was massive, standing 90 feet tall! It was important that all of the "important" people lead the way in worship to this monstrosity. Nebuchadnezzar had the party all planned out, telling all the people to gather together for the dedication ceremony, at the sound of the music, the wisest in the land and the most powerful around would bow before his giant golden image, first. (This guy had insecurity issues, for real!) And, the punishment for not bowing was death by fiery furnace.

As before, our captive friends caused a bit of a scene. They did not bow, in fact refused to do so! They knew the punishment, and chose not to defile themselves, regardless. Somebody told on them, and this enraged the king! He gave them another chance to bow, explaining how his party was to work once more, but when the music played, the young men stood. Their answer for their disobedience? "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer to you. The God whom we serve is able to deliver us....but if He does not, let it be known that we will not bow before this statue." 'Nezzar was so angry that he ordered the furnace to be heated 7x more. Indeed, they were tied up and thrown in. Some really cool things happened, not the least of which was the fourth man who was suddenly appeared in the furnace! But, I find it funny that when the king realized they weren't burning, he called them out by name...not mentioning the fourth guy at all. Maybe he didn't want to know Who it was?? Not a hair on their heads was flammable, but the cords that bound them burned away. Praise the Lord!

The theme in the first half of Daniel is that loyalty to God brings victory over one's persecutors. The king seemed to be the dramatic type, threatening that if anyone ever spoke against the God of these men, that he would cut them into pieces and burn their houses to an ash heap. He confessed that there is no God who can deliver like this! Do you think Nebuchadnezzar ever forgot again? Certainly not? Certainly he worshiped the Most High God for the rest of his days, right? Hmmmmm. One thing is for sure: Indeed, there's no God like Jehovah.

Yahweh Shammah

Some of these verses today have been difficult for me to understand. There are many interpretations as Amy pointed out on Tuesday. I think I choose to go with her numbers 2 & 4! Perhaps you were able to grasp the meanings better than I. If so - feel free to jump or "wade" right in!
In Chapter 46 we are given many details relating to offerings, feasts, priests, holy days and various regulations pertaining to the new Temple. The "prince" mentioned here is identified earlier in Ezekiel as the ideal Davidic ruler, or Messiah, whom the Lord would raise up to lead His people(from the Holman Bible Dictionary). Then in Chapter 47:

Soon we'll gather at the river, the beautiful, the beautiful river.

Gather with the saints at the river, that flows from the throne of God.

Ezekiel's vision described in elaborate detail the new Temple and a new Jerusalem. The hymn Shall We Gather at the River immediately came to my mind when I read what God showed Ezekiel in these verses. In this vision, Ezekiel describes the river flowing east (recall Natalie's post from yesterday) from the throne of God in the Temple). It becomes deeper and deeper as it flows through the desert on the way to the Dead Sea. This sea is so salty that nothing can live in it now. But here it will be filled with fresh water and fish, and fishermen will be lining the shores with their nets. It also describes the river banks that were lined with fruit trees on each side. These trees will bear fresh fruit every month for food, and the leaves of the trees will have healing properties. The leaves will be for the healing of the nations. (My, could we ever use those leaves in today's times, but we will have to wait.)

This river also reminded me of the river that ran through the Garden of Eden as well as the river that is described in Revelation 22:1,2. Perhaps this river is a symbol of the life that flows from God and the blessings He pours into our own lives.

The book concludes with detailed descriptions of the land's future boundaries and which portions are allotted to each of the twelve tribes plus a section that will be set apart for a "sacred" district. Don't you just love the description of the walls and gates around the Temple - where each of the twelve tribes have a gate with their name inscribed? But what is the most descriptive portion here is that the city has a new name - no longer "Jerusalem" but Yahweh Shammah which means the Lord is there. What could be a more descriptive name for heaven on earth that that!

We began Ezekiel with words of lamentation, warnings, and prophesies of war and woe. It ends with Ezekiel prophesying to the people of God about hope and assurance. After God's glory has returned to the Temple and to the New Jerusalem, there is hope. Hope in a new place of worship, hope in a return to their land, hope in a new heart. That is what our world definitely needs today - a message of hope . . . a message of assurance. And that is what we can offer everyone through Jesus, the Savior of the World.

From the East

We get a lot of hope from new beginnings don't we? At the new year, people make all kinds of resolutions, always in the hope that the coming year will be better than the last. More diets start on Monday, because, well...it's the beginning of a new week! Hope for change exists with the beginning of something new. Miss Stacey, from Anne of Green Gables, told Anne that "tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it." In case she isn't good enough authority for you, Lamentations 3:22-23 says: "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Each morning starts with one thing: a sunrise. As we start our reading today, we are told of Ezekiel's vision of the greatest daybreak every to come. And it, just like every other sunrise we have ever seen, comes from the east.

The East. God's glory would return to the temple- from the east. Genesis 2:8 tells us that "the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden, and there he put the man he had formed." There the story starts. And, it continues..."After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cheribum and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life." (Genesis 3:23-24) The plot thickens...the place of perfection we were intended for, the place of LIFE- in the east- we have to be separated from it.

The Lord parted the Red Sea with a "strong east wind." The star that guided the wise men to Jesus to worship is called the "eastern star." The wise men came from the east. The Mount of Olives, along with the garden of gethsemane- where Jesus prayed sweat drops of blood the night before he was crucified- is on the eastern side of Jerusalem. (Please also note that in Ezekiel 11:23, as God's glory leaves the city, it stopped over the Mount of Olives.) And, in Revelation, Jesus returns through the "eastern gate." Consistently over and over in scripture, good things- provision and blessing- come to the Israelites from the "east."

In the chapters today we see the hope God offers woven into a beautiful picture of redemption for us, as well as the Israelites. They are being offered a second chance. God re-iterates the law and commandments He gave to Moses. In chapter 43:12 God says; "This is the law of the temple: All the surrounding area on top of the mountain will be most holy. Such is the law of the temple." My Life Application Study Bible says this:

The basic law of God's temple is holiness. In all he does, God is holy, perfect and blameless. There is no trace of evil or sin in him. Just as God is holy, so are we to be holy. People are holy when they are devoted to God and separated from sin. If we do not understand the basic concept of holiness, we will never progress very far in our Christian growth.

All the law, everything commanded to the Israelites was to set them apart- to separate them from sin- to devote them to God. Jesus is our redemption from the east. He came to fulfill the law. The law of holiness. He is the only way we can be made holy. One day, He is going to come again and show his glory to the whole world- from the east. I love that God takes us back to exactly where we started from, and removes the barrier that we caused to be put in place. Only a God as great as He is could write such a perfectly entwined story.

As God commands them to rebuild their lives- he wants one thing to be clear. The temple and it's allotted land was to be the center of the nation. As God rebuilds our lives, he wants them to be centered on the worship of Him. No one "uncircumcised in heart and flesh" would be allowed into the temple. We know that we don't actually have to be circumcised- the New Testament makes that abundantly clear. But, we do need to make sure we are physically and spiritually prepared to worship God. Our LIVES are to be worship, as our bodies are now God's temple. Are you physically and spiritually prepared?

Maybe you're like me and thinking that you have a lot of changing to do. It can be overwhelming at times. The harder I try, sometimes it seems like the longer my list of faults to overcome gets. How many resolutions make it past January, if they make it that long? How many diets make it past Monday? The serpent who twisted the truth in the Garden of Eden wants us to believe the lie that we have to keep dragging the weight of mistakes from yesterday with us as we try and move into today. God offers us freedom from those weights, and a fresh start with new mercies every morning. We, just like the Israelites, have hope coming from the east. May our hope for change be in having Him at the center of our lives. Thank you Lord for returning to this fleshly temple.

Ezekiel’s Temple Vision

In 573 B.C., about fourteen years after Solomon's temple had been destroyed by the Babylonians, Ezekiel was given a vision of the city of Jerusalem and a restored temple. Ezekiel was taken to a “very high mountain,” where he is met by a man “whose appearance was like bronze.

The man said to me, “Son of man, look carefully and listen closely and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the people of Israel everything you see.” 40:4

Why did God spend so much time on describing this temple especially since it has never been built? It must be important. According to the scripture here the temple will include the traditional outer court, the inner court, the main building, adjacent buildings, outer walls, and the altar. Compared to Solomon’s temple this building is very plain and simple in the manner of decor, but is a representative of purity and holiness. The sanctuary part is surrounded by a very high wall that makes a separation between the holy and the common. Of course there are many different views on the meaning of this vision given to Ezekiel. Here are four main ways this vision of the temple has been interpreted according to my NIV study notes:

1. It's the temple that Zerubbabel should have built in 520-515BC and is the actual blueprint that Ezekiel intended. But due to disobedience it was never followed.
2. This is a literal temple to be rebuilt during the millennial reign of Christ
3. This temple is symbolic of the true worship of God by the Christian church right now
4. This temple is symbolic of the future and eternal reign of God when his presence and blessing fill the earth.

In chapter 40 verses 38-43, it describes the places for sacrifices in the temple. Since Christ’s final sacrifice no further sacrifices are needed. This brings up arguments about the temple being literally built, however the people of that time only knew worship with the ceremony of sacrifices. God wanted the people of that time to know and understand his plan for them. This vision has images that they could understand to give hope to those who would choose to live faithfully.

We will read more about the temple vision in these last chapters of Ezekiel. Among all the detail there still remains much mystery which is where we are reminded of who is in charge. It is not enough to simply read God’s word but to seek to understand it while trusting in his sovereignty.

Restoration

We have a puppy who loves to find "treasures" and bring them home. Oftentimes, I will see bones that have been recently dropped in the yard or driveway.  (Our neighbors have cows, some of which have died in the past couple of years, but that's a story for another day!) As the dogs chew the bones, they become brittle and are eventually destroyed or whittled down to essentially nothing.  I could not help but to think of those bones as I read our scriptures for today.  Even if I wanted to (which I don't), there would be no way possible for me to restore the bones, much less give them new life.

As humans, we are visual people, aren't we?  Most of us remember things better if we have seen them. We learn new skills by watching others. We enjoy looking at God's creation. Throughout the book of Ezekiel, God uses visual images of things that humans can understand to convey His message.  God gives Ezekiel an image of a valley of dry bones.  Lifeless, useless, destroyed bones. In a way that only God can do, He then showed Ezekiel how He can bring life to the dead.  As I read how God creates life and gives breath, I thought of Genesis and was reminded of how God created Adam from nothing. What a miraculous event! God is in the business of giving us life and He obviously does what is not humanly possible.

Through these chapters in Ezekiel, we see evidence that God is in the business of restoration.  God restored the broken nation of Israel so that His Holy name would be known among the Israelites AND among the enemy nations.

God restored His people

My dwelling place will be with them.  I will be their God, and they will be my people. (Ezekiel 37:27)

God restored His nation

... they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. (Ezekiel 37:22)

God restored His leadership

My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd.  They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. (Ezekiel 37:24)

God restored His protection

They had been brought out from the nations and now all of them live in safety... I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains... every man's sword will be against his brother.  (Ezekiel 38:8,21)

God restored His provisions

Then those who live in the towns of Israel will go out and use the weapons for fuel... for seven years. (Ezekiel 39:9)

God restored His Promised Land

Men will be regularly employed to cleanse the land. (Ezekiel 39:14)

In these passages, God reveals that He can and does use EVERYTHING in the restoration and cleansing process.  He uses dry bones, broken sticks, mountains, birds of the air, and humans of all influence to accomplish His purpose: "Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind."  (Ezekiel 39:28)  As if all of that is not enough, God then goes even further and promises to fellowship with them and pour out His Spirit on them. (Ezekiel 39:29)

Ezekiel provides us with lessons to learn and evidence of God's faithfulness to his promises and people.  I Peter confirms God's power to restore and provides us with a wonderful promise.  Wherever we are in our walks with the Lord, God will restore us.  Thank you, Lord!

And the God of all grace, 

who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, 

after you have suffered for a little while, 

will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
~ I Peter 5:10

FEED MY FLOCK

God keeps telling Ezekiel to tell His people what He wants them to know in order to enrich their lives and to live for Him. That is also true today. We are to be Ezekiels and spread the word to all. We will be held accountable for those who remain lost that we have not witnessed to.

I believe that God is telling Ezekiel about the end times in these chapters. He tells him in Chapter 34:13;
"And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them
from the countries, and will bring them to their own land,
and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers,
and in all the inhabited places of the country."
In the 40's Israel became a state after years of her people being scattered all over the world. There are now some of each of the twelve tribes living in Israel today. Time is running short, "Feed my Flock." Do you have loved ones who are wondering aimlessly7 through life without knowing our Lord? "Feed my Flock." Are there people in your neighborhood, in your state, in other countries who have not heard God's word? "Feed my Flock."

God tells Ezekiel that David, His servant shall be His shepherd and He will feed His flock. God will make a place of peace as well as a place of safety for His flock. He will cause showers of Blessings to fall upon them. I want to be among God's flock and receive the "showers of Blessings" He has for me, don't you? I want my family and friends there with me sharing in those showers.

God has given us many great promises of things to come. He has also given us instructions on what we are to do until He returns. "If you love me, feed my flock."

Pride...Guard Against It!

This book has been a wild ride so far, has it not?  I cannot tell you how much I have gained from all of the amazing insights you all have given to us from this amazing book.  As we head toward the end of the year and the downward hill slide to the end of our journey together through the Bible, I cannot tell you all how my life has been eternally changed by all of the contributions you have made through this blog.  You all have been such a blessing!!!

Chapters 31 and 32 continue to declare the Lord's judgment against the nation of Egypt and the reason for this judgment is PRIDE.  This particular sin seems to be the foundation or the basis for all other sins and I think this is why the Lord hates it so much because He knows that it is the root of all sin problems.  If we can steer clear of having a pride problem in our lives, the Lord will be before all else in our hearts, and our obedience to Him will reflect in this lack of pride in our hearts.

LACK OF PRIDE = GOD BEFORE ALL ELSE = OBEDIENCE TO HIM IN OUR LIVES = PROPER ROOT SYSTEM!!!

This may seem simple and easy to do, but the problem with Satan and sin is that it is SO sneaky and so deceptive.  If we are not INTENTIONAL about guarding against it and keeping it out of our hearts, it has a way of creeping in and we do not even realize it is building and taking over the condition of our hearts.  For some reason, the Lord has put me in the position of dealing with leaders whose hearts have become full of pride and to have the job of confronting them with this problem.  This is NOT a job that I enjoy in ANY way, but the Lord has put me there very clearly on two separate occasions to try to help and open the eyes to this problem in the hearts of the leaders.  Sad to say, the outcomes were not good and the destruction of this sin came to its full fruition.  It is so devastating and painfu, as is evidenced by history and the fall of the nations about which Ezekiel prophesied.  PLEASE guard against this in your heart and in your life!!!!!

Chapter 33 talks about how God made Ezekiel the watchman for the house of Israel.  Ezekiel is given clear instruction that he is to speak to the Israelites whatever the Lord tells him to say and that he will be innocent of their blood if he is obedient in speaking these words.  Is there something the Lord has told you to say to someone and you have not yet been obedient to this?  SPEAK!!!!  BE OBEDIENT TO THIS INSTRUCTION!!!  You will be blessed for it and you will be free from any guilt for not having spoken.

I just LOVE the Word of God!!!!  It is alive and is endless in its instruction and lessons for our lives.  It is the only offensive weapon we have against Satan.  USE IT!!!!

 

Knowledge ≠ Wisdom

"It has been said that wisdom has two parts: 1. having a lot to say, 2. not saying it." Ever since the fall in the garden, knowledge has been sought after. Knowledge is power, right??? That is exactly what Tyre's king wanted, too. Whatever he personally may have thought of himself, the passage makes it clear that his actions were those of a person seeking such wealth and power as to be his own god, much like Adam and Eve. In both instances knowledge abounded, but the fall was great. Knowledge is a marvelous thing, but it will not keep you from falling.

"Wisdom is like comb given to a man when he is bald." Just as the prophesy was given against Tyre in chapter 28, there was a prophesy for Sidon as well. The reason for this judgment was that Sidon had been a thorn in the side of God's people by scorning them ever since Genesis. Again the Lord promised that onlookers would learn that He is God. The Lord also promised to re-gather His people to their land and to manifest His holiness in them so that all the nations would see it. They would then live in the land that God had promised to His servant Jacob. The Israelites would live there securely, building houses and planting vineyards, when the Lord punished all the nations that had scorned His people. This would teach them that He is God. After the Babylonian Captivity some Israelites returned to live in the Promised Land, but they did not live there in safety. In fact, the Jews have never yet lived safely in their own land. This fulfillment awaits the return of Christ. The prophesy was given, but it was not fully understood until it was too late for a do-over.

"Wisdom whispers, foolishness shouts." There was a long-awaited reckoning between the land of Egypt and the people of God. We are told in chapter 29 that the Lord promised to remove Pharaoh and his people from their land, as a fisherman pulls a crocodile out of the water with hooks. He would remove the river-dragon along with the neighbor nations and allies of Egypt that relied on her. Normally people caught crocodiles by placing hooks in their jaws and then dragging them onto land where they killed them. I find this especially interesting since the Egyptians worshiped the crocodile as a god, Sebek, which they believed protected their nation. (He just thinks of everything, doesn't He??!?!) God went further to say through his prophet, Ezekiel, that Egypt would not be inhabited for 40 years, and other desolated lands would surround her. Her cities would lie waste, and her people would disperse among other nations and live in other countries. Egypt's fate was like a repetition of Israel's in the wilderness. My children and I just studied that Egypt did indeed fall to the Babylonians in about 568 B.C. At the end of 40 years, the Lord promised to gather the Egyptians back to their original land. There the Egyptians would become a lowly kingdom in contrast to the great kingdom that they had been in former centuries. Forty years after Egypt fell to the Babylonians, the Persians, who had by that time defeated the Babylonians, allowed the Egyptians to return to their homeland. Yahweh announced that He would give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar as payment for executing His judgment against Tyre. Nebuchadnezzar would carry off the wealth of Egypt as spoil and plunder because he had labored for the Lord by defeating Tyre. Egypt was a loud braggart for hundreds of years, but her time had come.

"Wisdom will keep you from getting into situations where you need to use it." Had any of the nations surrounding Israel paid attention over the years to "The One True God" whom the Israelites served, things may have been different for them. But, for now, they were the enemy of God and found themselves being warned of doom. It's a funny thing what an ounce of humility can do for one's listening skills! The Lord also promised to open Ezekiel's mouth in the midst of this period of exile. Formerly the Lord had restrained the prophet from speaking (3:6), but he had long since found his voice. The Israelites would be more open to messages from the Lord and more able to assert themselves because their old nemesis had suffered humiliation. The Lord described the conflict between Babylon and Egypt as a conflict between two warriors. Nebuchadnezzar would break Hophra's arms as they battled. Egypt would groan like a wounded soldier. The people would know that Yahweh was God when He put His sword of power into Nebuchadnezzar's arms and strengthened him to defeat Hophra and when the Egyptians dispersed from their land. The place that Egypt had found herself, was in complete subjection to God's wrath.

It is my hope that we would all heed the lessons of the garden and the desert. We are surrounded by knowledge these days (sound familiar?) but wisdom is rare. There are many talking heads that beg for your attention, choose wisely. Listen to the One who loves you now, and Who has loved you from before the foundations of the earth. He has something to say......lean in a little closer.

"Wise men talk because they have something to say, foolish men talk because they have to say something."

Messages Against Foreign Nations

Have you sometimes snickered or been smug at another's misfortune? Who wants to admit to that one?? Not a wise thing to do. Was it caused by anger, hatred, jealousy or PRIDE? Let's not joy over others' misfortunes because sometimes we just might end up seeing something worse happen in our lives.

In Chapters 25-27, Ezekiel is given another prophecy by the Lord. Five nations that surround Judah would not escape God's judgment - from north to south, they would fall. All of these nations were "happy" over the coming destruction of Judah.

Reminder: And what was it God said in Gen. 12:3? That those who cursed Israel would be cursed and those who blessed Israel would be blessed. So, here we go - and it's not a pretty picture:

God's judgment against Ammon - because they rejoiced over the Temple's destruction . . .

God's judgment against Moab - because they scorned Israel as a special people . . .

God's judgment against Edom - because they displayed a "vengeful spirit" . . .

God's judgment against Philistia - because they had been an enemy of God's people for centuries . . . (Remember David and Goliath?)

What does Proverbs 17:5 say?

. . . he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished

And God's judgment against Tyre was because of PRIDE.

I thought the chapters describing Tyre were most interesting. Tyre and Sidon were ancient cities founded long before the Israelites entered the land of Canaan. They were on the Mediterranean coast, north of Israel. Tyre had huge wealth and defenses. It was a large commercial center of sea trade. When David built his palace, he used cedars brought by ship from that area. When the Temple was built in Jerusalem, Solomon depended on materials and craftsmen from Tyre. They were also known for their chief export of royal purple dye. In Chapter 27, which is like a "funeral lament," Tyre was described as a beautiful ship, with oars of oak, decks of pine, sails of embroidered linen from Egypt, with skilled rowers and pilots. It was "perfect" or at least they thought so. But - this ship sank.

What does Proverbs 6:16-17 say . . . a proud look (the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others) - The Amplified Bible - is one of the things that God hates. America has just observed an anniversary that we will never forget - September 11th - we thought we would never be "attacked," yet almost 3,000 people lost their lives in that terrible event. We need to guard ourselves against pride and thinking we are "better" than anyone else.

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Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. Prov. 16:18

Dirty Pots

I really love a good soup. And, with fall in the air (a little bit!) I'm really looking forward to soup season. One of my favorite recipes is for "mexican soup." It's not really mexican, but it's spicy, has corn, beans, rotel and taco seasoning- so it meets American standards for mexican! It's yummy, easy to make, and easy to freeze for later. That, and the fact that you get to add sour cream, cheese and tortilla chips when you eat it makes it top on my list of winter meals. Because it sits and simmers, and occasionally I get distracted and forget to stir it often enough, the bottom sometimes gets charred and stuck to the bottom of my lovely teal Le Cruset pot. No matter how good of a cook you are, I'm sure at some point you have burnt something to the bottom of a pot. So, you know how hard it is to clean. Had I not made the soup in my favorite pot, I might have been tempted to just throw it out rather than go through all the hard work to clean it. Hold that thought in your head a moment.

In chapter 24, God is telling Ezekiel to make soup. It would have been a good soup, because God told him to use the best ingredients, but God also told him to let it get charred, burnt, and stuck to the pot. Again, this was an illustration to the people of Jerusalem what their fate would be. They thought they were the "choice meat" because they had escaped being taken into captivity when the Babylonians invaded the first time. Protected inside the favorite pot, Jerusalem, nothing would touch them. Instead, the pot became their place of destruction, and the entire city became so encrusted with burnt on sin that it would not come clean. Our lives can also become encrusted with sin. When we face tough times, God can use them to burn away unnecessary priorities and diversions. We can choose to look at those tough times as an opportunity to reexamine our lives and figure out what really matters.

Back up to Chapter 23. Remember reading how the nation of Israel split into a northern and southern kingdom? Just so we are clear, Ezekiel is prophesying in the southern kingdom, Judah, which contained Jerusalem. The people of Judah looked down on the kingdom to the north as being much less "holy" than they were- after all, in Judah they were still in David's city, worshiping in the "true" temple. Also, the people of the northern kingdom had intermarried with the Assyrians, and were now called "Samaria." Never mind that in Judah they were sacrificing their children to idols in the morning and then offering sacrifices in the temple in the evening. The two sections of the nation are compared to adulterous sisters, lulled away from their husbands by the youth, strength, power and wealth of the nations around them. Do those sound like anything our culture chases after today? Far from giving Judah more credit for their location and heritage, God actually calls them the worse of the two sisters, stating that she did not learn from the sins of her older sister, who strayed first.

I find it interesting that God gives Ezekiel the analogy of adultery for the nation as he warns them of their impending judgement. Remember back in Leviticus- the punishment for committing adultery was death, for both the man and the woman. God was trying to paint a picture for the Israelites of just how costly their sin was. He also wanted them to have stories and images burned into their brains, so that when the events that Ezekiel predicted came to pass, they would remember what God told them before it happened. It would only serve as further proof that God is God- both for them and for us hundreds of years later.

Interestingly enough, God in flesh had a conversation hundreds of years later with an adulterous woman, from Samaria. Let's listen to part of their conversation, shall we?

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” ⁸ (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.^[a]).....

“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.”

John 4: 7-10, 19-26

Do you think God got tired of the same old argument? For centuries it was handed down...worship here...worship there, we're better than they are...on and on and on! Remember that pot? The one that wouldn't come clean, and how we said that God could use the tough times in our lives to realign our priorities so we would see what was truly of value in our lives? Well, in case you were wondering, here is God giving a Samaritan their answer. They had been so intent on worship in the right place, that they missed who they were supposed to be worshipping! Are we lulled away by strength, power or wealth? Do we think we are "safe" from God's wrath because we are going to the "right" places and doing the "right" things? We need to refocus on the only thing that matters- God himself. Worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Let him burn away the dirt from your pot!

One To Stand In The Gap

Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things;
they do not distinguish between the holy and the common;
they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths,
so that I am profaned among them. Ezekiel 22:26

The ones called to lead the people to right living were no longer fulfilling their God given duties. The part that sticks out the most to me is “they do not distinguish between the holy and the common…” Just how much are we like the world (ungodly)? Is there a distinction between you as a believer and the unbeliever you come across on a daily basis? Our walk with Christ should be our first priority but many times our daily responsibilities get in the way and we may begin to push that relationship time out of our schedule. Our prayer time is our relationship with Christ. That is what I learned this past Sunday from my pastor’s sermon. I bring this point up to say that without the relationship with Christ, anything we do for him is nothing. These Israelites no longer had a relationship. The very leaders were living ungodly lives while still claiming their position as priest or prophet. Their practices had become just some ritual. There was no true worship among them.

The Lord even searched for one to stand in the gap. One who would build up the wall. One whose heart would break for all the injustice. There was not one. The false prophets would tell the people that the Lord said these things were right when it was a lie. This reminds me of a verse from the New Testament.

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires,
they will gather around them a great number of teachers
to say what their itching ears want to hear.
2 Timothy 4:3

I am so thankful for the one who came and stood in the gap for me! The only one who can protect me from the wrath of God is himself, in the form of his son, Jesus Christ. All my sins are covered by his own blood.

Like father, like son?

In Ezekiel chapter 16, we read of the proverb, "Like mother, like daughter."  In chapter 18, I could not help but think of a very similar saying, "Like father, like son." Is that true though?  Not necessarily.  In chapter 18, God clearly tells the Israelites (and us) that we are each held accountable for our own choices and actions.  I imagine there must have been some confusion and questions about this because of previous promises of punishments and blessings for future generations. However, God clearly speaks to each individual in this chapter and sums it up nicely in the last sentence: 

"Repent and live!"

~Ezekiel 18:32

As children of our parents, we were influenced in all areas of our lives.  Some of us still are.  We may have been influenced toward negative behaviors,  positive behaviors, or a combination of both.  Whatever our situations were (and still may be), we have the God-given freedom and responsibility to make our own choices. God also tells us in these chapters, that when we are in sin, we can choose to turn from our sin and we will live.  God reminds us that when this happens "none of the offenses [we have] committed will be remembered" (18:22).  We have a choice of which direction to go.  Will we choose sin or life?

"Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall.

Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, 

and get a new heart and a new spirit."

~ Ezekiel 18:30-31

We often think of this choice in terms of our salvation.  However, it can also be a day-to-day decision for us in certain areas of our lives.  We can also help influence others as spiritual parents and learn from others as spiritual children.  What a blessing God gives us through the opportunity to fellowship, speak truth, and grow with other believers!

God has to discipline and punish us for sin.  Sometimes, He has to bring us to a very painful place for us to want to repent.  In chapter 20, God reminded the elders of the sin the Israelites had committed.  He also reminded that their fellowship with God was broken because of sin:  "I will not let you inquire of me." (20:31).  This is a reminder to me that to be in close fellowship with God, my heart needs to be clean.  I need to turn away from (repent of) my sin and request forgiveness.  This is my choice and my responsibility.  Lord, help me to be aware of sin in my life and consciously choose not to sin.

'"The Lord knows those who are his", and 

"Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."'

~II Timothy 2:19

GOD'S PROMISE

In each chapter Ezekiel starts off with saying, "the Word of the Lord came unto me saying, Son of man." Ezekiel wanted to make sure that the people knew that what he was telling them is not his words but they are the Words of the Lord. He is letting them know not to do what he says but to listen to God's Word. This is just as important today as it was back then. There is several ways for us to get God's Word. First; Pray, ask God to give you wisdom and understanding. Second;Keep in God's Word. Make sure you have a good Bible. All books that says "Bible" on them are not God's Word. Third; Get in a good church. Make sure that the teachers and preacher are teaching from the Word. There are preachers who put their own twist on the Bible instead of what God would have them to say. I am thankful that our Oak Hill pastor preaches the Word.

The people of Israel made many mistakes by following the wrong person. They would get so deep in their sins that they did not want to hear God's messengers. God would remind them of the many blessings that He gave them and yet they would turn from Him and live in sin. It wasn't until things got so bad they couldn't stand it than they would call upon God. Sometimes I can fall into the same pattern. When things are going well I may forget God but then I get in trouble. The first thing I do is to call upon God and He is always there waiting for me to come back to Him.

God's judgment came down on Israel when they would not listen to His warnings. They was put into captivity and became slaves. I see our nation turning away from God and it breaks my heart. We, as Christians, need to stand up before it is to late. We need to let those in charge know that we started out as a Christian nation; we remained strong as a Christian nation; and we will always be a Christian nation. We will not stand for God to be taken off our money, out of our pledge, or out of anything that shows us for what we are, a Christian nation.

God's promise to us is that He will never leave us nor forsake us. As we read the many mistakes Israel made, we should be forewarned not to make the same mistakes.

Be a Grape Cluster!

Okay...here is my post...finally!!!  Let me just say that I am WAY overcommitted at this point in my life and I am having a hard time keeping up with everything!  God is teaching me a lesson in this and that is He does NOT intend for us to be stressed out serving Him.  This is not His design.  He wants us to serve Him well in a few areas rather than okay and stressed out in many areas.  The only good news is that I am still having my time with Him everyday.  I am not letting that be affected by any of this.  Okay...enough about me and the mess I have created...let's get to Ezekiel!

I wonder if Ezekiel felt the same way at times that I am feeling.  Every time he turned around God was asking him to give the Israelites another message and deal with the stress of them being angry and irritated with him for his message.  God also asked Ezekiel to DEMONSTRATE a lot of His messages through visual lessons and that in and of itself probably caused Ezekiel a lot of stress!  It is VERY comforting to me to see that people God used in the Bible experienced the same things as I do.  Are you feeling me on that one?

In Chapter 13, God deals with what the false prophets were doing and the false messages they were declaring.  Oh what a dangerous place this is to be!  How can you recognize a false message?  You have to know what the TRUTH is!  Otherwise you cannot recognize something that is false.  These prophets were receiving messages from their own spirits NOT from the Lord.  They would and will tell people what they want to hear for their own gains and for their own glory.  The EXACT same thing happens today as we all know.  So our job is to know the Truth.  And what does Jesus say about the Truth?  "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32)  Do you know The Truth and know Him well enough to protect you from false prophets?

In Chapter 14, we see how the elders of Israel, the leaders themselves, had set up idols in their hearts.  The idolatry had gotten so bad that even the leaders of God's people were setting up idols in their hearts.  The Hebrew word used in verse 3 for idols is "gillulim" and it literally denotes "dung pellets".  Need I say anymore here?  I think that says it all!  We need to look at OUR hearts and make sure that their is NO idolatry in there.  ANYTHING that puts itself BEFORE the Lord in our hearts is an idol.  Do you have anything in there that needs to be destroyed?

In Chapter 15, is the parable of the useless vine.  The image of a vine portrays God's loving care for the nation as a vinedresser taking care of what He had planted (HCSB Study Bible).  The vinedresser expects the vine to bear much fruit.  The only way we can bear much fruit is to stay connected to the True Vine...Jesus Christ.  In John 15:5 Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches.  The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me."  And what happens if we do NOT bear fruit?  In verse 6 Jesus said, "If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers.  They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned."  So, are you withering?  Are you going to be thrown into the fire?  Stay connected to the True Vine and you will be a beautiful cluster of grapes for Jesus!

Watchmen.

Ezekiel: Watchman. I have already learned so much from this priest/prophet! His message to the people changed, as the time on heaven's eternal clock changed. What began with judgment and doom turned into hope and salvation. Something interesting I thought about when reading about this generation of Israel....Though the people feel the consequences of their forefathers' sin, they are not forsaken! They can choose life! And another thing, how much more should we be watchmen even now?? Shouldn't we share the gospel with everyone we come in contact with? Does it mean that they will listen? Not always. But, our instruction doesn't change: Share the truth with those around you, eternity awaits.

So, God's glory departs the temple. Look at the amazing detail Ezekiel gives on what this looks like! It's so neat to me how God gives such detail on some things in His word, and yet some things are not revealed. Still, even with all these descriptions it's so hard to imagine what the presence of God really looked like to Ezekiel in this experience. I wondered what others thought it looked like, and took the liberty of sharing a few pictures.... Does it look like this? ...or this?? ...or this??? It's impossible to describe with our limited abilities and capabilities, I imagine Ezekiel knew this better than anyone.

Cherubim are angels. Got it. But, I've been told all my life that cherubs are cute little chubby looking babies with wings. You, too? Check out chapter 10! These cherubim are described as having wings and hands that can handle fire, being full of eyes all over their bodies and even on the "wheels" that they ride on??? ....I thought they flew? Maybe they flutter?? They have four faces looking in different directions. Each face was different, one was the face of a cherub, one of a man, one an eagle, and one a lion! How's THAT for a lapel pin on your Sunday suit, or a cute painting on the wall?? I remember studying Revelation with Beth Moore last year. It is fairly agreed among scholars that the four beasts role was to bear up the movable throne of God. If God goes somewhere, His throne goes with Him!!! When He went to the mountain top, the throne went with Him! He is always on the throne, what comfort there is in that thought!

Ezekiel is a strong warning to all of us, that God will not "forever wink" at our sin. Oh, He is merciful and longsuffering, but He hates evil. It cannot exist in His presence, and He will not allow His people to continue in their sin. He wants a relationship with us. Do not mistake his patience for forgetfulness, sister.

"I" love you.

Then They Will Know That I Am the Lord

All ladies love their hairdresser - or if we don't - we will change - and quickly. Well, how about a new "hair do" with a sword?? Cut it all off! But wait - save your hair and here's what you are to do with it. These are the instructions that God gives to Ezekiel in Chapter 5.

Take a sword and cut off your beard and all of your hair - cut it in thirds and then burn one third inside the city; cut up one third and throw all around the city; and scatter the last third to the wind. But wait - save a few strands of hair and put them in your pocket - but then take a few of those hairs and throw into the fire and burn them up. Lesson? One third of the people would be burned up in Jerusalem; one third killed with the sword; and one third scattered in exile. Only a remnant would be saved and only a few of those who were faithful. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

Chapter 6: Ezekiel's prophecy against the Mountains. The beautiful high mountains of Israel had become the "high places" used in idol worship. Exodus 20:3-4 - You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself any graven images. God was preparing to destroy all of these high places - those places of idol worship would be demolished and the bones of the idol worshipers would be scattered around the altars. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

Gold is Trash - Ezek. 7:19 (from www.ClipArt.com )

Chapter 7: The end has come for the people of Judah. Ezekiel here prophesies the complete destruction of this nation. Unheard of disaster is fixing to come on these people. Violence, famine, fire and death - nothing of value would be left. No wealth, no homes, no temple, no gold or silver. All the treasures of gold they had put their trust in would be meaningless. They had made idols of gold and silver and now they were of no use or value to anyone. These idols, made with human hands, could not save them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
Chapter 8: And here is the saddest part to me - Ezekiel now sees a vision from the Lord inside the temple. The Spirit lifted him up between earth and heaven and in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem. How sad and horrible the visions he saw - an idol of jealousy - probably the image of Asherah, the Canaanite goddess of fertility inside the inner court of the temple. Seventy of the Jewish elders were burning incense before painted pictures on the walls of all kinds of crawling things and detestable animals, and then he saw women sitting at the entrance to the north gate weeping before the Babylonian god of spring.
These elders and women thought that the Lord does not see because all of this was done in "secret." What an object lesson for us. What do I do in "secret" that I think God does not see? These verses reminded me of breaking news stories of well known politicians and yes even some religious leaders who have done things in secret that were finally brought to light. Nothing is hidden to our God. What is done in secret shall be brought to light - what is whispered in secret shall be shouted from the rooftops. Then they will know that I am the Lord. Think on these things . . .

Hello Ezekiel.

We meet Ezekiel. A priest turned prophet, he was one of the thousands in the first wave of exiles from Judah to Babylon. His ministry overlaps Jeremiah's, but they prophesied in much different locations and times. While Jeremiah prophesied to the people still living in Judah, Ezekiel was a prophet to the exiles. Ezekiel saw a "vision of God" in chapter 1. Like Isaiah, this was his call to ministry. And also like Isaiah, I think God knew he would need that vision to give him the faith to act on all God would ask him to do.

As we read Chapter 1 of Ezekiel, we see a confusing, beautiful, awe-inspiring description of four living creatures and finally God himself. These descriptions seem very confusing to us, and it helps to keep in mind that Ezekiel is having to use earthly terms and objects to try and describe things that are very much not of this world. We have no real reference point for so much of what Ezekiel is trying to describe. People have debated and debated over what each symbol means, and the bottom line is that we simply have some general idea but nothing nailed down. The description very closely matches John's description of the throne room of God in Revelation- and there are also some similarities to the vision Isaiah saw and even the vision Moses had on Mount Sinai. The consistency of scripture just amazes me! What I take from this is the amazing power and brilliance of God. You can't come face to face with the God of the universe like that and not walk away changed. Ezekiel certainly was!

As we start chapter 2, we see that God gives Ezekiel his Spirit, and commissions him to prophesy to the exiles. When I read stories in the Old Testament of people God places his Spirit in, I am reminded that we as New Testament believers all have that same Spirit. It's easy to look at Ezekiel's ministry and think "there's no way I could do anything like that." And, truth be told, as we get to later chapters and read all God asked him to do, his was not a calling I would have wanted. But, the same Spirit that gave him such power and enabled him to live out the calling God placed on his life lives in us as well. We are just as equipped as Ezekiel was. THAT is amazing!

Even still, in verses 6-10, God tells Ezekiel "do not be afraid" three times in a row. God had just told Ezekiel that many people weren't going to listen to his message. This makes me think about what most often holds me back from doing what I know God would want me to. Specifically, sharing God's message of salvation to someone who needs it. Fear of rejection or ridicule tops the list. Fear of failure is not far behind. Jump ahead to Chapter 3 with me. God lays it out for Ezekiel...he was going to be held accountable for his role as "watchman for the house of Israel." A watchman's job was to stand on the city wall and warn the people of approaching danger. Ezekiel was a spiritual watchman, warning the people of the approaching judgement. If they listened- good. If not- it would go badly for them. Either way, if Ezekiel failed in his job to warn them, he would be held responsible. He wasn't responsible for their decision to listen or not- but he was responsible for giving them the message God had for them. This was a wake up call to me. When God has called me to do something, whether it's a specific task, sharing my faith, speaking the truth to someone...I am held responsible for my decision to obey or not. If I don't obey, and things go badly for that person...I am responsible. There are no excuses. It isn't about losing a friendship or even ridicule, it's about someone's eternal life. Man.

Ezekiel left the presence of God in "bitterness and in the anger of my spirit with the strong hand of the Lord upon me." I'm kind of feeling the same way after penning those last few sentences! He had eaten the scroll as God had commanded and it "tasted as sweet as honey" in his mouth. The scroll he ate contained the judgement that was waiting for the nation of Israel. God's word is sweet to us, isn't it?! But often the realization of the cost of our sins or the sins of others can leave a heavy weight on us. Ezekiel sat among the exiles in Tel Abib for seven days overwhelmed with all God had told him. Seven days was the customary period of mourning for the dead. Ezekiel was mourning for those spiritually dead. I'm asking myself when the last time I was seriously burdened over the sin of the world, or mourned over the spiritual state of people I know. I'm just going to say that my answer isn't really what I would hope it would be. The sweetness of God's word comes from the hope it offers and the revelation of who God is- there is hope for those of us who listen and obey. The bitterness comes from the knowledge of all that people lose when they don't.

God commands Ezekiel to "get up and go." I'm going to just go ahead and tell you that my general reaction to most of chapter four was "whaaattt???" Lay on his side 390 days and then on his other side 40? Eat very small portions of food that you cook over manure? He couldn't go out among the people. His tongue would be stuck to the roof of his mouth unless God specifically gave him something to say. (This was the one piece of this whole deal that I can appreciate the benefits of...could save you from a lot, that's all I'm saying.) All of this God was using to visually portray to the Israelites the fate of Jerusalem. Sometimes we need a picture, right? The bottom line? Sin and it's consequences are ugly, dirty, and confining. Quite the opposite of the glittering jewels Satan tries to entice us with.

So the questions sits in front of all of us, what are we going to do with the Spirit we have been given? Are we going to obey or not? The decision is as cut and dry as that.

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.

Joshua 24:15

And, in case you're wondering if you've got what it takes, remember this:

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity,

but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7

Whatever God is calling you to do, I'm betting that you can get it done with some power, love and self-discipline! Ask God to give you plenty of it and then get up and GO!

Let Us Return to the Lord!

The people of Judah had chosen their own way after many warnings. Here they are in the middle of their consequences (again). They did not believe that those terrible things would really happen to them. God knew they would get to this place. He knew they would not turn to him before they were defeated. Yet He never stopped caring for them. He still had an ultimate plan of salvation.

In every Christian’s life there is a moment just before salvation that they realize that they truly and desperately need a savior. It is a place of brokenness about the life they lead. The saddest thing is when we as Christians choose to return to those old flesh habits and sinful desires. We know better! We have the knowledge of the awesome Savior but choose our selfish ways.

“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD” 3:40

I am not sure who to give credit to for this quote but it is a good one.
“Sin will always take you farther than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay, and cost you more than you intended to pay.”

I believe the people of Judah would agree with this statement. These chapters describe horrible things that happened to them because of their rebellion against the Lord. It was even the spiritual leaders that lead them into sin. We must be very careful to seek the ways of Almighty God through his word. There is NO substitute!

The Funeral of a City

I had the privilege of attending a funeral yesterday.  It may seem strange for me to call it a privilege, but it's an honor for me to be present with and for a friend who has lost a loved one.  I want to give them a big bear hug and let them know that I love them and am standing with them.  A funeral is also a good time for me to reflect on the brevity of life and to remember what my priorities are and should be.

My "Talk Through the Bible" study book states that "Lamentations describes the funeral of a city."  Jeremiah was the likely author of this book and as we know, he had a VERY tough job to do for God.  He also witnessed first-hand the horrific destruction of the city of Jerusalem including the temple.  God had to punish the Israelites and take them through this process.  It was his promised judgement and punishment for sin of His people. 

I have found some interesting facts about the writing itself, but I want to share how one of my study books breaks down the five chapters of Lamentations:

• Chapter 1 - The grief
• Chapter 2 - The cause
• Chapter 3 - The hope
• Chapter 4 - The repentance
• Chapter 5 - The prayer

As I saw this book compared to a funeral and that there are five chapters, I thought about the process of grieving and the five stages of grief that are sometimes recognized during the process.  It's interesting to me how closely they line up with the five chapters of Lamentations:

• Denial - Chapter 1 conveys shock and unbelief of the circumstances
• Anger - Chapter 2 conveys the anger of the Lord (instead of the mourner)
• Bargaining - Chapter 3 transitions from words of devastation to recognition of God's compassion
• Depression - Chapter 4 describes the sad, helpless state of the nation of Israel
• Acceptance - Chapter 5 conveys acknowledgement of their state and a plea to God for restoration

We may not have to experience death of a loved one to go through the grieving process.  We may experience similar feelings and "stages" after a close friend moves away, or we leave one job and start another, or we come home from a much anticipated and wonderful mission trip. OR there may be sin in our life that needs to "die".  We may like it and not want to let it go.  But, God commands obedience and promises that He will give us the strength.  We may need to go through the painful process of grieving for our sin or life changes that need to be made to remove ourselves from a sinful situation or choices.  However, we can trust in God's promises for restoration.

As I read through these passages, I can only imagine the humility and other emotions the Israelites were experiencing.  The translated Hebrew title for this book is "Why...!".  I think that is so fitting.  What a time of reflection and deep soul searching this must have been for them.  As Pastor Chris has just begun a sermon series on prayer at Oak Hill, I am challenged to spend more time just "being" with God.  He desires for us to be in close and constant fellowship with Him.  Through that close relationship with God, He will show us areas of our life that need to be cleansed of sin and he gives us the instructions and strength to deal with that.

We can be honest with God like Jeremiah was:

"See, O Lord, how distressed I am!

I am in torment within,

and in my  heart I am disturbed,

for I have been most rebellious."

~Lamentations 1:20

We can (and should) be humbled before God over our sin:

"My eyes fail from weeping,

I am in torment within,

my heart is poured out on the ground

because my people are destroyed,

because children and infants faint

in the streets of the city."

~Lamentations 2:11

We can have hope by believing in God's promises:

"Yet this I call to mind

and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion;

therefore I will wait for him."

~Lamentations 3:21-24

The last verses of our reading today are so encouraging and uplifting to me.  Even when we don't feel like it or believe it ourselves... He has great love for us! He is good! He is compassionate! He is faithful! "Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love." (3:32)

WE WILL NEVER FORGET

Our God is so amazing. Today on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 did anyone know that today's chapters would be on war and the fall of Babylon. None of us will ever forget that day or what we were doing when we heard the awful news. That day was doubly hard on me. I watched the plane hitting the Twin Towers thinking at first it was a movie. My husband and I talked about it before I left for a class I was taking. Little did I know at that time it would be the last real conversation I would have with him. That night he went into the hospital and passed away two months later.

God had allowed Israel to be attacked in wars when they strayed away from Him. When they cried out to Him, He was always there to help them out. Upon reading these chapters, I can see how much today is like it was then. Our country, like Israel, has been turning away from our God. God allowed our country to face this horrible act. After 9/11 people came together holding hands with strangers as they prayed together crying out to God for help. God let us know that He was in control by the cross made by steel beams found at Ground Zero and by all the miracles we heard from stories of people who should of been there but weren't because something kept them from being there on time.

As I read about Babylon being destroyed. I thought of the Middle East. On that fateful day, they were dancing in the street. The dancing has stopped and has been replaced by fighting, killing and utter chaos. Their governments have toppled and their lives are in shambles.

Will we as a country turn back to God or will we turn our backs on God. How many more attacks will it take? How many more disasters (earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods) will it take for the United States to turn back to our God. We are a Christian nation and it is time for American Citizens who are Christians to stand up for our God.

May each of us take a few moments out of our day to say a silent prayer for those who had family members who died that day. Some of them were Christians and are with our Lord today. Others will never have the chance to accept Him. The terrorist die thinking they are going to heaven but they are going to hell instead so even though what they did was wrong, we need to pray for their families that they will find the truth and accept it and find salvation. I personally find it very hard to pray for these people and I need God's help for me to do this.

Those who forget the past are apt to repeat it. Lord Help Us. We will never forget 9/11/01.

Are you ready to fight?

As I am writing this ladies, it is the eve of the Beth Moore Simulcast at Oak Hill and SO MANY of you have been working AMAZINGLY hard to make this big day a success.  I personally want to thank you for ALL that you have done for this special day, especially to Jaybrena and Terry.  You all simply amaze me and I call myself VERY blessed to have you all as friends and sisters in Christ.  I simply cannot wait to see what God is going to do in the lives of so many women tomorrow during this incredible event.  I hope as you are reading this at some point on Saturday, you will find yourself eternally changed for having gone to the simulcast!  Since I know that all of us will probably be tired :) I am going to keep my post relatively short!

During chapters 49 and 50, we find ourselves in the middle of Jeremiah proclaiming God's judgment on several nations.  These two chapters focus on the nations of Ammon, Edom, Damascus (Syria), Kedar, Hazor, Elam, and Babylon.  As I have been studying the book of Revelation with my high school Bible class, we are constantly amazed at the fact that people are SO BLINDED to believing in this amazing God of ours.  Even when they have SEEN God's judgment happen in the book of Revelation and have actually experienced it for themselves, they still refuse to believe in our Lord!  Chapter 9 of Revelation says this in verses 20-21:

"The rest of the people, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands to stop worshipping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which are not able to see, hear, or walk.  And they did not repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts."
                              

This quote comes after the 6th Trumpet judgment of God and it is utterly terrifying.  But so are the judgements that God is proclaiming against these countries here in the book of Jeremiah and yet we see the that people STILL continue to do these types of wicked things all the way through to the end of time as revealed in the book of Revelation. 

So...what in the world are we to do with this information?  After all, I am not sure how one could think we are NOT getting close to the events revealed at the end of the Bible when we are about to remember that HORRIBLE and TERRIFYING day 10 years ago when people flew large airline jets into buildings killing thousands of innocent people!!!  WE need to be ready as Christians for the fight that we are facing and we need to be equipping our young people for the fight that is only going to get worse in their lifetimes.  It is a battle and we need to be armed and ready!  Would you send your child off to a war and not teach them how to defend themselves and how to fight?  OF COURSE NOT!!!  So why would we do this with the spiritual battles that they (and we) are facing when this battle is not just for lives or land or hate, but this battle is for the very souls of people for all eternity!  ARE YOU READY TO FIGHT????