Today’s Reading:  Ezek 24:1–25:17, Rev 11:15–12:17, Job 36:1–12

Today’s Theme: Man’s vengeance vs God’s victory

Today’s theme looks at the destructiveness and fruitlessness of man’s spite and vengeance contrasted against God’s victory over evil and the establishment of his kingdom. In Job we see that God is not vindictive, spiteful or mean.

Ezekiel 24:1–25:17

Sovereign God

I am the Lord. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; I will not spare; I will not relent; according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord God.”(Ezekiel 24:14, ESV)

God is Sovereign and so can say this in truth

A high price

On that day your mouth will be opened to the fugitive, and you shall speak and be no longer mute. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.”(Ezekiel 24:27, ESV)

What a high price the prophet had to pay to bring the message to the people.

Don’t rejoice in destruction

For thus says the Lord God: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all the malice within your soul against the land of Israel,(Ezekiel 25:6, ESV)

We should never rejoice at the destruction of others, especially Israel

Don’t be vengeful

“Thus says the Lord God: Because Edom acted revengefully against the house of Judah and has grievously offended in taking vengeance on them,(Ezekiel 25:12, ESV)

We should not act vengefully

The flesh

“Thus says the Lord God: Because the Philistines acted revengefully and took vengeance with malice of soul to destroy in never-ending enmity,(Ezekiel 25:15, ESV)

The philistines are like the flesh which is always at war with the spirit

Revelation 11:15–12:17

The kingdom

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”(Revelation 11:15, ESV)

The glorious takeover of the Lord Jesus, is it a sudden takeover or a gradual one through his people? The bible tells us that both are true, we should seek to establish his kingdom but he will come with the final decisive victory.

We should care for the earth

The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”(Revelation 11:18, ESV)

We still have the Edenic mandate of caring for the earth

The blood and the word

And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.(Revelation 12:11, ESV)

Thank you for your precious blood and for the testimony of your word

Job 36:1–12

God is not vindictive

“Behold, God is mighty, and does not despise any; he is mighty in strength of understanding.(Job 36:5, ESV)

God is not vindictive spiteful or mean

Today’s Reading:  Ezek 23:1–49, Rev 11:1–14, Job 35:9–16

Today’s Theme: The Destruction of Lust

Today’s theme is the destruction wrought by sexual and spiritual lust. Our society is plagued by sexual dysfunction through the proliferation of sexualised images and the lack of godly sexual standards, it can only lead to personal and social destruction.

We need to guard against lust in our own lives and beware spiritual lusting after idols and replacements for God.

Ezekiel 23:1–49

Don’t lust after the world

“Oholah played the whore while she was mine, and she lusted after her lovers the Assyrians, warriors(Ezekiel 23:5, ESV)

As God’s redeemed children, we should not be lusting after the world. We should desire and be satisfied in God.

The trap of pornography

And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoring lust. And after she was defiled by them, she turned from them in disgust.(Ezekiel 23:17, ESV)

This was like the drug of pornography as it started with pictures on the wall and ended in self hate. Pray for those bound by this deceptive and destructive addiction.

The superficial nature of lust

and lusted after her lovers there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses.(Ezekiel 23:20, ESV)

This shows the rank baseness of lust and associated spiritual adultery. It is motivated by the most superficial and selfish desire

Lust leads to destruction

and they shall deal with you in hatred and take away all the fruit of your labor and leave you naked and bare, and the nakedness of your whoring shall be uncovered. Your lewdness and your whoring have brought this upon you, because you played the whore with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.(Ezekiel 23:29–30, ESV)

Compromise and lusting after the world will bring destruction

Don’t have double standards

For when they had slaughtered their children in sacrifice to their idols, on the same day they came into my sanctuary to profane it. And behold, this is what they did in my house.(Ezekiel 23:39, ESV)

Compromise and double standards will destroy our children’s lives in the church and in knowing the Lord

Lust is idolatry

And they shall return your lewdness upon you, and you shall bear the penalty for your sinful idolatry, and you shall know that I am the Lord God.”(Ezekiel 23:49, ESV)

This is a bad way to get to know who the Lord is, Lord keep us from idolatry, giving anything or one the worship that only you deserve

Revelation 11:1–14

The victory of God and the prophethood of all believers

And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.(Revelation 11:13, ESV)

This reads like a victory of the Lord as he protects his persecuted church (Jew and Gentile) and as we stand as prophets like the two witnesses.

Job 35:9–16

Mankind, specially created by God

who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’(Job 35:11, ESV)

We are not just advanced animals, we have knowledge the animals do not have

Don’t talk a lot without knowledge

Job opens his mouth in empty talk; he multiplies words without knowledge.”(Job 35:16, ESV)

God says this of job too. See James 1:19

Today’s Reading:  Ezek 21:1–22:31, Rev 10:1–11, Job 35:1–8

Today’s Theme: Bitter and Sweet

Today’s there looks at the bitter and sweet nature of God’s word and our call to sanctification in particular

Ezekiel 21:1–22:31

Judgement by war

Because I will cut off from you both righteous and wicked, therefore my sword shall be drawn from its sheath against all flesh from south to north.(Ezekiel 21:4, ESV)

This is the reality of judgement that comes in war or military conquest

Love the rod

sharpened for slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! (Or shall we rejoice? You have despised the rod, my son, with everything of wood.)(Ezekiel 21:10, ESV)

Lord we need to love the rod of guidance and correction, we don’t want a rebellious attitude to lead me to the sword instead

Things could change at any point

thus says the Lord God: Remove the turban and take off the crown. Things shall not remain as they are. Exalt that which is low, and bring low that which is exalted.(Ezekiel 21:26, ESV)

We must not buy into the false security of things staying the way they are or the apparent linearity of everyday life… at any point personal, national or global crisis can strike for which we must be braced and ready by walking in daily humility before God and man.

The breakdown of society

Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you. You have despised my holy things and profaned my Sabbaths.(Ezekiel 22:7–8, ESV)

These two verses describe complete societal breakdown, children disrespect parents, business is corrupt, there is no social justice and the rights of Christians are challenged… sounds like London.

To consume uncleanness

I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you through the countries, and I will consume your uncleanness out of you.(Ezekiel 22:15, ESV)

Gods purpose in the discipline of his people

Sanctification and holiness

Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.(Ezekiel 22:26, ESV)

We must teach Gods people the truth of sanctification and holiness before God which involves very clear definitions of right and wrong, expedient and useless, helpful and harmful.

This reminds us that Church is a sacred place and enterprise and must remain holy and respectful in its operation.

Intercede

And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.(Ezekiel 22:30, ESV)

We must be intercessors for our wicked city

Revelation 10:1–11

God reveals what he chooses

And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.”(Revelation 10:4, ESV)

We must remember the bible is the truth God has chosen to revel to us, there are still some secrets that we do not know

God, The Eternal, Living Creator

and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay,(Revelation 10:6, ESV)

God is eternal and is alive

God created everything, evolution is a big disrespect

God’s word, bitter and sweet

So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.”(Revelation 10:9, ESV)

This can be our experience with the word of God, Gods word brings me great joy and pleasure but the application of it can bring bitterness to the flesh and toil to the spirit

God’s word is fuel

And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”(Revelation 10:11, ESV)

God’s word is not just for us it is to fuel us to teach and reach others. What has happened to John is a parallel with what happened to Ezekiel

Job 35:1–8

Sinning is pointless

If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?(Job 35:6, ESV)

Sinning is the maddest position we can take before God, It is like when I tell off Josh and he would go to bite or scratch me (when he was younger), it is not going to achieve anything good for him…

Today’s Reading:  Ezek 19:1–20:49, Rev 9:1–21, Job 34:31–37

Today’s Theme: Planted by God

Today’s theme looks at the planting of God. God plants us in the body of Christ (literally in the church community) to be fruitful and flourish. God has planted the restored national Israel with salvation in Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah in mind for the Jewish people.

God strategically plants his people for the sake of his name and glory.

Ezekiel 19:1–20:49

Abundant Water

Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard planted by the water, fruitful and full of branches by reason of abundant water.(Ezekiel 19:10, ESV)

We can be fruitful if there is an abundance of the water of Gods word and Holy Spirit

Where are you planted?

Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.(Ezekiel 19:13, ESV)

Lord in your grace please keep us planted with the abundance of water. Jesus has planted us where he will in the earth and in the church in particular so that we are in the right environment to bare much fruit.

Don’t uproot yourself in ignorance and pride, humbly submit to God’s planting which is designed for your fruitfulness and flourishing.

The best land in the world

On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands.(Ezekiel 20:6, ESV)

This is a bold statement from God that Israel is the best land in the World, also note that God wants the best for his people

Detestable things

And I said to them, Cast away the detestable things your eyes feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.(Ezekiel 20:7, ESV)

What are the detestable things our eyes feast on, these things are connected to idolatry and must be cast down. In todays culture it can be things like vanity, pornography etc

The Sabbaths

Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.(Ezekiel 20:12, ESV)

The plural Sabbaths points to Jewish feasts, It is a privilege to be in Jerusalem today at the start of Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles)

God, uppermost in his own affections

But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out.(Ezekiel 20:14, ESV)

God is rightly uppermost in his own affections

A heart problem

because they rejected my rules and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols.(Ezekiel 20:16, ESV)

Sin and idolatry is a heart problem

God’s motivation

But I withheld my hand and acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out.(Ezekiel 20:22, ESV)

God’s greatest and purest motivation is for the sake of his own name, for the sake of his glory

Gift’s and commands

Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and rules by which they could not have life, and I defiled them through their very gifts in their offering up all their firstborn, that I might devastate them. I did it that they might know that I am the Lord.(Ezekiel 20:25–26, ESV)

God can send judgement through our very gifts and his very commands, Lord keep us in your love

God knows your mind

“What is in your mind shall never happen—the thought, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and stone.’(Ezekiel 20:32, ESV)

God knows our very thoughts and remains in sovereign control

The great narrative

“As I live, declares the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out I will be king over you.(Ezekiel 20:33, ESV)

This is one of the great narratives of the bible, Gods desire and fight to be recognised as the true king

Restored for salvation

And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the country that I swore to give to your fathers.(Ezekiel 20:42, ESV)

One of Gods purposes in restoring the Jews to the land is evangelical. Writing from Israel today, join us in prayer for the salvation of Jewish people over this time of Sukkot.

The burden of leadership

Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not a maker of parables?’ ”(Ezekiel 20:49, ESV)

Seems like Ezekiel was beginning to weary under the Lords mandate and the peoples scorn. With this in mind pray for those God has called to lead

Revelation 9:1–21

Sovereign over death

And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.(Revelation 9:6, ESV)

Nobody can die before Gods appointed time for them

A fallen angel

They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.(Revelation 9:11, ESV)

A great demonic fallen angel, proving there is some level of structure in the devils ranks.

We need regeneration

The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.(Revelation 9:20–21, ESV)

This shows that without the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, no amount of judgement alone can lead man to repentance

Job 34:31–37

Speaking without knowledge

‘Job speaks without knowledge; his words are without insight.’(Job 34:35, ESV)

This was in fact true, Job had no idea about the wager between God and Satan

Today’s Reading:  Ezek 17:1–18:32, Rev 7:9–8:13, Job 34:16–30

Today’s Theme: God’s Full Knowledge

Today’s theme is God’s Full Knowledge. God really does know everything, noting is hidden form his sight, he know everything down to the smallest details. God know everything presently, he doesn’t learn anything. God knows everything at all times and has never not known all that he now knows.

Based on God’s knowledge he teaches with parables, calls man to repentance, warns man of judgement, makes declarations which he will without doubt back up and judges with complete authority. God’s knowledge also informs his love, mercy, patience and means God is not indifferent to man’s suffering.

Because God’s knowledge is full we can trust him and put our faith in him.

Ezekiel 17:1–18:32

The wisdom of parables

“Say now to the rebellious house, Do you not know what these things mean? Tell them, behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took her king and her princes and brought them to him to Babylon.(Ezekiel 17:12, ESV)

God and Jesus both used parables and riddles

Don’t break agreements

But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and a large army. Will he thrive? Can one escape who does such things? Can he break the covenant and yet escape?(Ezekiel 17:15, ESV)

God takes the breaking of agreements seriously as Jesus teaches us that we should make our communication a simple yes or no

Have faith in God

Therefore thus says the Lord God: As I live, surely it is my oath that he despised, and my covenant that he broke. I will return it upon his head.(Ezekiel 17:19, ESV)

Very often our breaking of agreements is a sign of our lack of faith in God

God backs his talk

And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.”(Ezekiel 17:24, ESV)

God has the unique ability to back up anything he says, the figurative use of trees and twigs speak of the remnant of Israel that would be saved and of the nations

The owner of souls

Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.(Ezekiel 18:4, ESV)

This is a bold declaration that only God can make, all souls ultimately belong to him and the decree is that the soul that sins shall die.

Personal responsibility

lends at interest, and takes profit; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon himself.(Ezekiel 18:13, ESV)

My sins are on me and my children’s sins are on them, each man has personal responsibility before God

The curse is broken

withholds his hand from iniquity, takes no interest or profit, obeys my rules, and walks in my statutes; he shall not die for his father’s iniquity; he shall surely live.(Ezekiel 18:17, ESV)

In and through Jesus we live right before God, there is no hereditary curse on us

No excuses

The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.(Ezekiel 18:20, ESV)

This is God himself destroying the bad teaching of hereditary sins and curses on the personal level, this is simply not true, every man is responsible before God for his own life… no excuses

No fatalism

“But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.(Ezekiel 18:21, ESV)

With the Lord there is room for repentance for the wicked man, here ends all ideas of fatalism

God’s desire

Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?(Ezekiel 18:23, ESV)

God wants all men to repent and takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, to understand this we need to understand the difference between the decreed and commanded will of God

Righteousness and responsibility NOW

But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.(Ezekiel 18:24, ESV)

We cannot live on the glory of our past righteousness our responsibility before God is always in the NOW. Also we must note that this is speaking of righteousness in the OT sense and not of regeneration although the same principle still applies and would be evidence of apostasy and false conversion.

God is not unfair

“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?(Ezekiel 18:25, ESV)

This is a common notion today that God is somehow unfair

God is gracious

“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin.(Ezekiel 18:30, ESV)

God is gracious to all people in even allowing us the option to repent at all and the promise that with genuine repentance he will forgive and respond

Make a new heart

Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel?(Ezekiel 18:31, ESV)

It is our responsibility to make a new heart for ourselves. We do this by making God our treasure.

Repent!

For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”(Ezekiel 18:32, ESV)

God’s cry to Israel and to all mankind, Repent! when we repent we bring God pleasure and there is rejoicing in heaven

Revelation 7:9–8:13

The redeemed in Heaven

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,(Revelation 7:9, ESV)

There are the redeemed, the JWs don’t like this verse as it proves all believers will be before the throne of God.

Also note the distinctions made are nations, tribes, people and languages at no point is colour of skin mentioned

Our song

and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”(Revelation 7:10, ESV)

The great song of the redeemed, we know that God saved us

Sanctification, your responsibility

I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.(Revelation 7:14, ESV)

Notice our personal responsibility in sanctification

We will serve

“Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.(Revelation 7:15, ESV)

We will serve the Lord in heaven, not laze around

Our Shepherd

For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”(Revelation 7:17, ESV)

Jesus will remain our shepherd in heaven and God will wipe away all tears from our eyes, what sort of tears will these be… Possibly regret for missed opportunities.

Jesus and the Holy Spirit our intermediaries

Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.(Revelation 8:5, ESV)

This 8th Angel is not a common intermediary for our everyday prayers. This was a specific moment in time seen in a vision by John pointing to a specific moment in time in the future where this ceremony will take place.

The Holy Spirit of God and Jesus are our only intermediary and transport for our prayers before God.

The imagery seems to suggest that the following plagues are the answer to the prayers of the saints

Majestic heavenly animals

Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”(Revelation 8:13, ESV)

You can see where Lewis and Tolkien get some of their talking and majestic animal ideas from

Job 34:16–30

God calls it as it is

who says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’ and to nobles, ‘Wicked man,’(Job 34:18, ESV)

God is no respecter of people and can boldly call a king worthless and nobles wicked

God’s full knowledge

“For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps.(Job 34:21, ESV)

God sees everything, nothing can hide from him, no action, word or thought is hidden from God’s sight and full knowledge. This is a large part of what we mean when we say God is omniscient

The Judge

For God has no need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgment.(Job 34:23, ESV)

When God judges, he does not have to weigh things up and take time to consider like human judges which are just a pale image of him. He knows and therefore judges

God is not indifferent

so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him, and he heard the cry of the afflicted—(Job 34:28, ESV)

God is not indifferent to the suffering of the poor, he judges wicked rulers