Saturday's Prayer 31AUG24 (Military -Veterans)

Ezekiel Video Series: Chapter 37 pt 1

Ezekiel Series: Chapter 36 (Written Version)

 

Blessed Hope for Israel

 

Ezekiel 36

“Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, ‘Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession”’ (Ezekiel 36:1-2).

            Israel and Judah had been scattered throughout the four winds. The Assyrians captured the ten northern tribes of Israel in 722 B.C.E., and Babylon destroyed Judah in 586 B.C.E. They had been judged by God and found guilty because of their rebellion against Him and sins toward one another. Yet, the Lord was going to restore them and gave a prophetic Word of hope to Ezekiel for the Mountains of Israel, which symbolically mean the people of Israel, regarding their future restoration.

            The Lord had taken notice of Israel’s enemies who gloated over her fall. In the previous chapter, God judged the nation of Edom because of their disdain for their sister nation and the glee and schadenfreude that filled their hearts when Judah fell to the Babylonians. They had harbored an old animosity towards Israel and thought they could benefit from their downfall. However, this was not to be because God had given Israel the land that Edom coveted. Just as the Lord had not allowed Israel to take land from Edom, the Lord was not going to allow Edom to take what belonged to Judah, ultimately His, for He was the owner of all that was theirs. As a result, the very evil they hoped for Judah was going to boomerang onto their own heads. The Bible says: “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, And He turn away His wrath from him” (Proverbs 24:17-20). We are never to take joy in someone else’s suffering because this displeases the Lord and will cause Him to bring judgment upon the one who does this.

“Therefore prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because they ravaged and crushed you from every side so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations and the object of people’s malicious talk and slander, therefore, mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign Lord: This is what the Sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, to the desolate ruins and the deserted towns that have been plundered and ridiculed by the rest of the nations around you—this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my burning zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, for with glee and with malice in their hearts they made my land their own possession so that they might plunder its pastureland’” (Ezekiel 36:3-5).

            Edom had seen that Judah had been plundered of all its wealth. Now, Edom felt that it was entitled to their land and natural resources. Judah was the slander of their lips and the jokes of their laughter. They had not tried to help Judah but only saw what they could benefit from what remained of their devastation. Yet, there was no reason for Edom to take Judah’s land because the Lord had given them a portion of land and had prevented their enemies from taking what was theirs. Unfortunately, they did not acknowledge the Lord’s goodness. Therefore, they were going to reap what they had sown just as Israel and Judah had.

            Although the Lord had to judge Israel, He had not forsaken them. They were still important to Him, and He was still looking out for their best interest. The Bible says: “For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you” (Jeremiah 29:11-12). The Lord was not done with His people nor were they discarded. He had good things in store for them, not because of their goodness but because of His.

“Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I speak in my jealous wrath because you have suffered the scorn of the nations. Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I swear with uplifted hand that the nations around you will also suffer scorn” (Ezekiel 36:6-7).

            The time of judgment would come to an end where the Lord would have pity upon His people. His wrath had been turned from Israel to her enemies who dared to come against His people. Israel was no longer the target of the Most High’s wrath but the other nations who had arrogantly taken pride in their mockery regarding her downfall. They too would know the wrath of God and see that He is Lord over the universe. 

CONT....

Ezekiel Series: Chapter 36 pt 2

Saturday's Prayer 24AUG24

Ezekiel Video Series: Chapter 36 pt 1

Ezekiel Series: Chapter 35 (Written Version)

 

A Prophecy Against Edom

Ezekiel 35

“The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir; prophesy against it and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you and make you a desolate waste. I will turn your towns into ruins and you will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 35:1-4).

            Another prophetic word of warning was given to the prophet Ezekiel, but this time, it was against Edom and the Edomites. The Hebrew word Edom means red and Mount Seir is mentioned forty times in the Old Testament and often represents a place or marker in explaining where something occurred and Edom itself. Mount Seir was a mountainous area northeast of Edom and southeast of Judah, which was a part of the territory that God had given to Esau and his descendants. The Bible says: “The Lord had done the same for the descendants of Esau, who lived in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites from before them. They drove them out and have lived in their place to this day” (Deuteronomy 2:22). Edom had been under the Lord’s protection where He did not even allow Israel to invade them, for Esau, even though he did not receive the special blessing as Jacob had from Issac, had still been blessed within his own right by God. The Bible says: “Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own. You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink” (Deuteronomy 2:5-6).

            If one recalls the story of Esau and Jacob, Jacob conspired with his mother Rebecca to trick Isaac, Jacob’s father, into giving him the blessing that would have normally been given to the eldest son, but had been already preordained by God to be given to Jacob. Esau had previously exchanged or sold his birthright to his brother for food, and now the special blessing was gone too. Yet, the Lord allowed him to have a smaller blessing because he was still a descendant of Abraham and the son of Isaac where the blessings promised passed down throughout their generations. The Bible says: “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2).

            Edom symbolized those who were against God and His people. Why was this? Because they held a longtime hatred and grudge towards Israel. This hostility dated back to the sibling rivalry between Jacob and Esau even though the two brothers had made peace. Esau’s descendants still held a grudge towards Jacob’s descendants as if something was done to them personally. Unfortunately, some grievances can carry over from generation to generation if left unchecked, unconfessed, and unrepentant. Therefore, ask yourself the question: “Who may you be holding a longtime grudge against?” If this applies to you, it is time to let go and forgive them so God can forgive you. The Bible says: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours” (Matthew 6:14-15). Yet, how do you know if you are holding a grudge against someone? Here are a few signs to let you know.

1.     The pain of the offense still irritates you.

2.     The mention of their name upsets you and even knowing someone is friends with them rubs you the wrong way.

3.     You want to see them hurt (opposite of legal justice).

4.     Self-isolation which freezes your place in time due to what is perceived as a hurt done to you.

5.     Getting news of their happiness upsets you.

6.     You take joy in hearing of their misery and/or secretly wish for their downfall.

7.     You do not pray for them but against them.

8.     You try to avoid the person at all costs.

9.     You have no desire for reconciliation.

10.  You constantly remind the person of the offense even when you claim to have forgiven them.

Many people have turned the grudges and offenses in their hearts toward others into idols. Idolatry is not just money, jobs, celebrity worship, cars, houses, or other tangible items. An idol can also be any offense that you will not let go of in your heart that squeezes the Holy Spirit out and reigns supreme. The Bible says: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:30-32). The Holy Spirit is grieved when we do not forgive and allow bitterness to take root in our hearts. Unforgiveness becomes an idol when we allow it to grow roots by watering it, nurturing it, speaking life into, pruning it, and sharing its harvest.

“‘Because you harbored an ancient hostility and delivered the Israelites over to the sword at the time of their calamity, the time their punishment reached its climax, therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will give you over to bloodshed and it will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you” (Ezekiel 35:5-6).

            Jacob had undoubtedly done wrong by deceiving his father Isaac into giving a special blessing. Nevertheless, God had already preestablished His covenant with Abraham that his descendants would be blessed with land, fertility, and peace if they were obedient and followed His ways. The Bible says: “And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you” (Genesis 17:7). Despite Jacob’s trickery, the Lord had preordained the blessings that would flow through Abraham’s seed, upon which a special blessing would be given to Jacob as a recipient of the promise. The Bible says: “The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23). These two nations were at war inside of Rebecca’s womb, but the Lord calmed her anxieties by explaining what was to be in the future for both brothers and their descendants. Unfortunately, Edom was not accepting of what the Lord had preordained and held on to an old hatred and hostility towards Israel, thus thinking they would benefit from Judah’s downfall. Their hatred towards Israel as their sister nation was more than any of the other nations, thus Edom is often symbolized in general terms for all the other nations who had a disdain for Israel as well with them being in the forefront.

            During the time of Moses, after the Israelites’ great exodus, Moses petitioned the king of Edom to allow the Israelites to have safe passage through the King’s Highway during their journey. However, Edom refused and rejected their petition. The Bible says: “But Edom answered: ‘You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword.’ The Israelites replied: “We will go along the main road, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We only want to pass through on foot—nothing else.” Again they answered: “You may not pass through.” Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army. Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory, Israel turned away from them” (Numbers 20:18-21). Unfortunately, during the reign of Jehoshaphat, the Edomites tried to invade Israel, but the Lord thwarted their plans by defeating them with having them turn on one another (2 Chron. 20:22-24).

            Some biblical scholars have debated whether Edom had an actual hand in helping Babylon to destroy Judah, but for certain, there was an attitude of glee regarding its downfall. The Bible says: “Remember, Lord, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. “Tear it down,” they cried, “tear it down to its foundations!” (Psalm 137:7). The Edomites did not attempt to help their sister nation when the Babylonians came against it. Instead, they rejoiced at their fall. However, God was not pleased, and anyone who either came against His people and/or celebrated their downfall because of their hatred and disdain for them would have a similar end. The Bible says: “Because of the violence you did to Jacob, your relative,
you will be covered with shame. You will be destroyed forever. While you stood there doing nothing, strangers carried off Jacob’s wealth. Foreigners entered his gates and threw dice for Jerusalem. You acted like one of them. Don’t gloat over your relative’s misfortune or be happy when the people of Judah are destroyed. Don’t brag so much when they’re in distress” (Obadiah 1:10-12). Even when someone does us wrong, God does not want us to take joy in their suffering. It is not for us to judge and try to execute revenge on them, for that is reserved for the Lord and Him alone. The Apostle Paul wrote: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). When we try to overstep God by doing His job, we are making ourselves into our own gods.

“I will make Mount Seir a desolate waste and cut off from it all who come and go.  I will fill your mountains with the slain; those killed by the sword will fall on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines. I will make you desolate forever; your towns will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 35:7-9).

            Edom had caused the Lord’s wrath to come down on them. First, because they tried to touch God’s chosen people, and second, because they held on to a bitterness that was not theirs to maintain. Even though God’s people had fallen out of favor with Him, it was still not anyone else’s job to execute their vengeance upon them. The psalmist wrote: “When they were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it, wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account, saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!” (Psalm 105:12-15). God was not done with His people, and He had promised to restore them. Sometimes, the very person you have a grudge against will be the one God will use to change nations for His glory. We cannot see what God sees, so your bitterness and anger may be a double-edged sword to block what could be your blessing to elevate theirs. This is why the Lord said to allow the wheat and tares to grow together. The Bible says: “No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn’” (Matthew 13:29-30). God can change hearts and minds. Therefore, God will not allow your bitterness to disrupt His plans for someone’s life. Just as you may want Him to deal with that individual, He wants to deal with YOU.

“‘Because you have said, “These two nations and countries will be ours and we will take possession of them,” even though I the Lord was there, therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will treat you in accordance with the anger and jealousy you showed in your hatred of them and I will make myself known among them when I judge you. Then you will know that I the Lord have heard all the contemptible things you have said against the mountains of Israel. You said, “They have been laid waste and have been given over to us to devour” (Ezekiel 35:10-12).

            Edom made the mistake of thinking that God’s judgment upon Judah gave them entry into taking land that did not belong to them. They thought that they could benefit from Judah’s misfortune and take advantage of their weaknesses. Yet, God was still in covenant with His people even though they had broken covenant with Him. God was not going to allow Edom to prosper at Judah’s expense. Therefore, the same plans they had for Judah were going to fall upon their own heads. They would be destroyed, plundered, and never to be remembered any more as a great nation. This is similar to what many are seeing transpire in the Middle East. The nations surrounding Israel have a hatred and disdain for her. They want to see her totally destroyed where they can take possession of the land. Yet, the Lord is still protecting what is His regardless of what alliances are formed.

            It is important to know and understand that regardless of how much you want someone to pay for an offense, it is up to God to determine if, how, and when a person is judged. Man’s judgment is not always fair, but God is a righteous judge, and He does not do so in accordance with man’s flawed standards. He sees what the person will be and not just what they are. The Bible says: “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Sometimes, we can be blinded by our anger, bitterness, and resentment towards others, but God may be looking at a tool He is going to later use for His glory. This is not to say that your pain is not real, but we must learn to allow God to work on us even during the pain, so we can be agents of healing, minsters of reconciliation, and testimonies of victory instead of victims.

“You boasted against me and spoke against me without restraint, and I heard it. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate. Because you rejoiced when the inheritance of Israel became desolate, that is how I will treat you. You will be desolate, Mount Seir, you and all of Edom. Then they will know that I am the Lord’” (Ezekiel 35:13-15).

            Edom’s ancient anger ended up being their downfall. Even though what took place between Esau and Jacob had nothing to do with them, they were bitter towards something that was never theirs to begin with. How many people are angry at someone for something that was done to someone else and had nothing to do with them personally? How many of you are not talking to someone because of something someone else said about them but had no bearing on you? How many of you are praying for the downfall of your enemies instead of lifting them up in prayer to have a changed heart that God can use? What if the Christians who were being persecuted by Paul prayed for his demise instead of praying for his heart to change? What an asset to the body of Christ that would have been greatly amiss had God not seen something that He could use even in the chief of sinners. The Apostle Paul wrote: “ I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus…because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief…The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me…Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1 Timothy 1:12-17).