Read the Bible in a Year (05SEP19)

DAILY REMINDER – Today, September 5’s Bible reading is Ezekiel 21-22.

NEXT DAY REMINDER – Tomorrow, September 6’s Bible reading is Ezekiel 23-24. May God bless you with the reading of His WORD.

EZEKIEL MOMENT – (05SEP19) “Son of man, are you ready to judge Jerusalem? Are you ready to judge this city of murderers? Publicly denounce her detestable sins, and give her this message from the Sovereign Lord: O city of murderers, doomed and damned—city of idols,^[a] filthy and foul— you are guilty because of the blood you have shed. You are defiled because of the idols you have made. Your day of destruction has come! You have reached the end of your years. I will make you an object of mockery throughout the world. O infamous city, filled with confusion, you will be mocked by people far and near” (Ezekiel 22:2-5). The Lord was once again making a case against Israel. They were in total rebellion and were living worse than their heathen neighbors. Before God judged them, He laid out their sins before them so that they may know exactly what they had done wrong. Here is a list of their sins. Israel:

a.)    Dishonored their parents;

b.)    Oppressed the foreigner;

c.)    Mistreated the orphan and widow;

d.)    Despised what was holy;

e.)    Desecrated the Lord’s Sabbaths;

f.)     Slandered people’s names;

g.)    Killed the innocent;

h.)    Slept with their fathers’ wives;

i.)     Had intercourse during the women’s cycle;

j.)     Slept with their neighbor’s wife;

k.)    Committed incest with their own sister;

l.)     Accepted bribes;

m.)  Charged interest on loans to the poor;

n.)    Prophets gave false visions and lying divinations;

o.)    Priests disrespected what was holy and taught falsehoods;

p.)    Officials committed murder for dishonest gain;

q.)    Practiced extortion;

r.)     Committed robbery;

s.)    Denied justice.

All these things and more were the sins of Israel. God laid them out before His people so that they would know what they were being judged for. They were without excuse because they had the Law of Moses, but they failed to obey it. God looked for someone to stand in the gap for them so that He would not have to destroy them, but as He looked, He was unable to find such a man. What a sad state Israel found herself in.

Before the Lord sends judgment, He sends messengers to warn. Even if He has to make Himself known to the individual or nation personally, He will do so. Israel had plenty of time to change her wicked ways, but she was happy in her sin; therefore, the Lord was left with no other choice but to punish her for all that she had done. He could not allow for His people to defame His name. America has been given time to repent as well. Many judgments that we could have received have been held off because of the remnant interceding on behalf of this nation by STANDING IN THE GAP, and God’s grace and mercy over us. We are unworthy of it, but He gives it to us every day. May we all examine ourselves daily and repent from our sins, so that we may be found worthy to escape whatever judgments may befall this land. May we also continue to stand in the gap and intercede on behalf of our wicked nation so that souls many be saved and turn from their sins before it is too late. Sometimes, the Lord will delay judgment based on the prayer of just one person who will mediate for the rest. Something to ponder….

QUESTION OF THE DAY - (05SEP19)  “Son of man, groan before the people! Groan before them with bitter anguish and a broken heart. When they ask why you are groaning, tell them, ‘I groan because of the terrifying news I have heard. When it comes true, the boldest heart will melt with fear; all strength will disappear. Every spirit will faint; strong knees will become as weak as water. And the Sovereign Lord says: It is coming! It’s on its way!’” (Ezekiel 21:6-7). Ezekiel was told to groan for the judgments that were coming to Israel. These judgments were not to be taken lightly but would be horrific. Who could imagine it being so bad that mothers would cook and eat their own children? Jeremiah wept at the devastation that he witnessed, and Ezekiel was told to show distress for what was coming as well.

In America, we often witness the devastation of other countries being levied by tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes and other acts of God. We have also experienced tragedies in the U.S. with school shootings, surprises of natural disasters, terrorist plots and more. For the most part, we have seen more tragedy abroad as far as numbers go than we have in the United States. It can cause people to be unempathetic if they allow it because it does not affect them personally. Nevertheless, we should lament when others suffer and we should be saddened when we see people leaving this world in possibly a lost state. The prophets of old had a hard task of delivering messages of judgment, but they also were human and felt sorrow over the people’s sinful state. Let us be mindful of those who are suffering as well as pray for those who are lost so that they will turn their hearts to God. Something to ponder….

EZEKIEL MOMENT – (05SEP19) “O you corrupt and wicked prince of Israel, your final day of reckoning is here! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Take off your jeweled crown, for the old order changes. Now the lowly will be exalted, and the mighty will be brought down.  Destruction! Destruction! I will surely destroy the kingdom. And it will not be restored until the one appears who has the right to judge it. Then I will hand it over to him” (Ezekiel 21:25-27). The Lord had given Jeremiah a message to deliver to King Zedekiah to submit to the king of Babylon. If he would do this, he would live, but if he refused, he and his nobles would be taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar. The Lord was giving Zedekiah a way of escape, but he failed to listen and be obedient to the Lord; therefore, the Lord was sending this rebuke to him through Ezekiel. Zedekiah was a corrupt king who was about to lose his crown and kingdom. What he tried to hold on to was going to be snatched away from him, and there was nothing that he would be able to do to prevent the Lord’s judgment from taking place.

One thing that is important to understand about prophecies from the Lord is that they will all line up with each other and His Word. Any prophecy that does not line up with the Word is not a word from the Lord. Not every prophet is given everything, but the parts that the Lord allows for him or her to see will align themselves with what He is telling His other true prophets. The Bible says: “For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears” (1 Corinthians 13:9-10). The Lord’s prophets receive part of the picture, but when the Lord brings it to fulfillment, then the complete picture is revealed. The true prophets of old like Jeremiah and Ezekiel were all in sync with telling Israel to repent, turn from the wicked ways, judgment if they failed to comply, and the promise of restoration. They may have come from different angles, but the message was ultimately the same.

There are a lot of people who claim to hear from God. Yet, one can know if the message is true if it lines up with His Word. Any secret revelations and philosophical views that do not coincide with the Word is not a word from the Lord. Any teachings that do not call the sinner to repentance and restoration is not a word from the Lord. True prophets of the Lord do not prophesy by their own accord, but they do so as the Lord gives them utterance. The Bible says: “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). Something to ponder….