Scripture Reading:
Ezekiel 10:1-11:25; Hebrews 6:1-20;
Psalm 105:16-36; Proverbs 27:1-2
And I will give them a singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them.
~God Ezekiel 11:19
~God Ezekiel 11:19
As Ezekiel is lifted over the city, he is taken to the east gate of Jerusalem where twenty-five prominent men of the city are gathered. The Spirit informs Ezekiel that these men are responsible for the wicked advice that is being given to the people of Jerusalem. They have caused the people of Jerusalem to believe that they are living in safety. They are deceived into believing that their idol worship will not be judged by God.
Ezekiel is told that the truth is that the people of Jerusalem will be dragged into captivity or killed. As this is being explained, one of the leaders named Pelatiah dies. Ezekiel falls on his face before the Spirit and asks if all of the people will be killed. At this, God confirms what He always confirms to His prophets that He intends to save Israel in the future.
Establishing His Sovereignty, God promises that one day He will gather the Israelites from the nations to which He has scattered them and give them the land of Israel once again. In that future day, the Israelites will remove the detestable idol worship of their past. They will have a singleness of heart and God will put a new spirit in them. They will have hearts of flesh, rather than hearts of stone. In that day, they will be able to follow and obey God's rules and regulations and they will truly be God's people. This will occur during Christ's millennial reign on earth.
After this beautiful promise, God's Spirit carries Ezekiel back to Babylon and commands him to tell the people in exile what he has seen.
Do you believe Ezekiel's vision about the future? We know that his vision was correct about the destruction of Jerusalem. Do you believe in the future day when Israel will be reunited in obedience to God?
Hebrews 6:1-20
The author admonishes the Hebrews to grow up from needing to hear again that as Christians we must turn away from evil. This is basic. This is fundamental.
Once a person has supposedly accepted the grace of Jesus Christ, been baptized in His name, studied the Word of God, and rested in the hope of heaven, if they then reject God and reveal that they never truly loved Him, there is no hope for that person. They have essentially nailed Jesus to the cross again. Rejecting him once more, they have publicly humiliated the name of God.
Once again, the illustration of a field bearing a good crop represents true faith in God, but a field that renders thorns and thistles is useless and will be burned.
Paul is not accusing the Jewish believers of this, even though he writes about it to them in the book of Hebrews. He encourages them by saying that God sees their hard work and the love that they give to other Christians. Loving others is what will keep them sharp in their faith. They can be confident that they will stay true to the faith because it is given by oath from God. Paul explains that God bound Himself with an oath that He would never change His mind about providing refuge from judgment through the blood of Christ. This promise is an anchor to the soul. This promise leads believers into the inner sanctuary of God's presence. Jesus is the High Priest who has led the way into the inner sanctuary. This is Christ's present role in our lives.
Do you allow Jesus and his promise of eternity spent with God to act as an anchor in your life? This promise will help you stay firm in the storms that come to each of us.
Psalm 105:16-36
It is good to recount our history. God's hand is on all of us throughout our lives. Remembrance is a good thing. This psalm is a remembrance.
Proverbs 27:1-2
This is great advice. Don't brag about tomorrow.
What did you see today?
Blessings,
Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton
I love those verses about God replacing our hearts of stone with living hearts.
ReplyDeleteYes. It is a beautiful promise.
ReplyDelete