Devotional thoughts from Ezekiel

April 10, 2008

Ezekiel 1: God's hand came upon him that day.

Jeremiah's story leads up to the fall of Israel to Babylon.  We leave Jeremiah in Egypt, with the handful of survivors who fled there after the destruction of Jerusalem.  Now, as we turn the page, we find ourselves with the majority who are exiled in Babylon.  The clock has been turned back a bit as we join those taken in the first stage of the exile.  The destruction of Jerusalem is still ten years away.  This particular group of refugees has been settled along the Kebar River, southwest of city of Babylon.  Their beloved Jerusalem is now a distant memory; they will never return.  It seems to them that their connection to the God of Abraham is severed.  Simply put, they have failed the Almighty and the Almighty has kicked them out.  Their religion has focused on the Temple and now they will never see it again.  It's time to move on.  Interestingly, they aren't very far from the place where God first spoke to their ancestor, Abraham in the town of Ur, just to the east of them.  They're about to find out that God is not limited by location and he doesn't need a Temple as a headquarters. This God who spoke to Abraham promising their very existence, is about to speak to them.  A young priest named Ezekiel will take up where Jeremiah left off as God's spokesman to his people.

April 12, 2008

Ezekiel 2: Whether they listen is not your concern.

I don't know what to do with the strange vision of wheels, faces, and wings Ezekiel has as I start reading his book.  I think I'll retreat to my devotional approach for the time being.  Ezekiel's commission is similar to that of Jeremiah.  The Lord warns him that the people he is going to speak to are not likely to listen to his message.  Ezekiel is to proclaim just what he is told to proclaim and then leave the results in the hands of the Lord.  As I find this theme I first found in Jeremiah being repeated here I can't help but think about free will.  Jeremiah had pled with his people to listen and return to God and thus divert the disaster that was promised.  In spite of his faithful proclamation, the bottom line was that people could respond or not.  Now that the catastrophe has come, the Lord raises up a prophet to the exiles, giving him similar instructions.  He's to reach out to these rebellious people while knowing that they will probably not respond.  The Lord tells Ezekiel it is his job to do the preaching and that he has to leave the results in the hands of those who can accept or reject his message.  A couple of things come to mind.  First, I see the absolute value God places on free will.  He won't negate it even for my own good.  Second, I see the amazing love and grace of the Almighty.  Even when he sees that his invitation to mercy is likely to be rejected, he insists on reaching out anyway.   Also, the Lord is quite willing to enlist us to this task.  Our responsibility ends with our obedience to the Lord, for those we minister to, that is where their responsibility begins.

April 15, 2008

Ezekiel 3: Get all these words that I'm giving you inside you.

Ezekiel's vision is intended to prepare him for the ministry God has for him.  At one point in his vision he's given a scroll and told to eat it.  He reports that it tastes like honey.  When the Lord applies the vision he tells Ezekiel that he needs to fully digest the message he has for the exiles.  God's message needs to become part of him to the point that even if people disagree or simply refuse to listen to him that he will have absolute confidence in what he says.  While I don't enjoy arguing religion, I certainly enjoy talking about it.  I love dealing with the finer points of the faith, especially the more difficult to understand passages.  However, there are some things that ought not to be subject to debate.  I've learned that there are a few, very few, absolute basics that need to be swallowed hook, line, and sinker.  They are to become as much a part of me as is my heart and lungs.  It's not that I refuse to discuss them, but that they are at the core of my existence.  Without diving off into the deep end of the pool here, I think I can name them off the top of my head.  First, God is.  Second, Jesus is the Son of God who died for my sins and was resurrected to life.  Third, as I trust in Jesus as my Savior I have the hope of eternal life in him.  These truths not only "taste like honey," they also make me who I am today and for eternity.

April 16, 2008

Ezekiel 3: ...but you won't die.  You'll have saved your life.

As the prophet is commissioned he's told that his job is to warn people.  If they refuse his warning, then they're responsible to God for that refusal.  Ezekiel's job is to issue God's message.  His salvation is contingent on his faithfulness in doing so.  My first reaction to this passage is one of caution.  I read this from a New Testament point of view and immediately respond that my hope of salvation is not in my performance but in my faith in the Savior, Jesus.  Does that, in some way nullify this passage for me today?  Upon reflection, I think not.  Old or New Testament, preacher or listener, the requirement of God is the same: obedience.  The Lord called Ezekiel to preach his message and that is what is required of Ezekiel.  He is called to obedience even as he calls his listeners to obedience.  It's the same for me.  As I understand that Jesus is the Savior of the world I must obey his call to yield my life to him and follow him.  Anything else is disobedience.  So, Ezekiel obeyed by preaching God's message.  His listeners were to obey by forsaking their sin and worshiping the Lord.  I obey by trusting in Jesus as my Lord and Savior and living in a relationship with him.  People may refuse Ezekiel's message, but he'll be saved in his obedience in preaching it anyway.

April 19, 2008

Ezekiel 7: They throw their money into the gutters.

The prophet tells us some of the things he did under God's command to get the attention of people.  Ezekiel is not an easy going guy; he's a rugged, no-holds-barred kind of preacher who makes us think of Elijah or maybe John the Baptist.  This prophet does weird stuff and then preaches hard, crushing sermons.  In one sermon he describes the end of business as usual for those who have turned their backs on God.  He says that the day is coming when people will toss their money aside because it will be meaningless and useless.  I'm reminded of the last power outage we had in our neighborhood.  Somewhere a breaker had thrown and every household in our area was without electricity.  I couldn't help but laugh at myself when, for a fleeting moment, I thought, "Well, I can't do my work; I guess I'll watch some TV till the power comes back on!"  It took me a nanosecond to realize how silly that thought was.  Without electricity that nice TV was nothing but a big paperweight!  Today, as I consider Ezekiel's warning that the money they think is so important is going to be simply thrown away as so much rubbish I'm reminded that a day is coming when all the "stuff" I tend to think matters will be just another piece of trash.  I've got to keep that in mind and discipline myself to major on the majors while minoring on the minors of life!

April 21, 2008

Ezekiel 8: Don't lay a hand on anyone with the mark.

In one of his visions Ezekiel finds himself back in Jerusalem.  The Lord takes him on a tour of the Temple, giving him a spiritual view of what's actually going on there.  The sin is outrageous and disgusting.  Anyone who loves the Lord and worships him would be broken hearted to see their precious Temple desecrated in this way.  Then, Ezekiel sees a man on a mission.  He's to walk the streets of Jerusalem, putting a mark on the foreheads of those who are distressed at the sin of their nation.  All others will be wiped out.  I find it interesting that in Revelation we find the "mark of the beast."  In that case, it is those who refuse the mark who are saved.  Here in Ezekiel, we see the reverse.  It is those with the mark who are spared from the judgment that comes.  Comparing the two "marks" ought to cause some who subscribe to a "Left Behind" brand theology to pause and consider!  I think of the mark of Ezekiel as the "mark of caring."  You see, God cares about people and righteousness and holiness.  He's always on the look out for people who will join him in that concern.  If that fellow with the writing kit passed by my life today I wonder if I would receive that mark.

April 22, 2008

Ezekiel 10: Court and Temple were both filled with the blazing presence of the Glory of God.

Ezekiel encounters those "wheels within wheels" once again, this time as part of a glorious vision of God.  Most of what I'd call the "personal" side of Ezekiel isn't attractive to me.  Under God's direction he does some pretty strange stuff, and some of it must have been down right painful.  On the other side of the coin, though, are encounters like this one with the Glory of God.  I'm not saying I can read his words and come away with an accurate understanding of it all.  These are complex events and I'm sure I wouldn't have done as good a job as he did in his attempt to describe his famous "wheels within wheels" or the sound of cherubim wings or the Voice like thunder or a sky-blue, sapphire colored throne.  I can't grasp it all and I can't help but feel a little jealous (is it okay to be jealous of another man's vision?) of Ezekiel's moment in the presence of God.  Still, I appreciate his taking me by the hand and leading me into this holy place.  Even though I know I'm like a blind man in the presence of a rainbow, I still get just a faint sense of it all.  In this place I am fearfully reverent and I know that there are depths to the Glory of God that I can't hope to comprehend.  I still can't grasp it all, but thanks to Ezekiel I know more than I would otherwise.

April 23, 2008

Ezekiel 11: I'll give you a new heart. I'll put a new spirit in you.

Judah's problem is not poor leadership or powerful enemies.  They aren't ignorant of God's desires for them and they aren't the unwitting victims of circumstance.  They are where they are because they have rebelled against God.  Through their history, time and time again, they have followed a cycle of failure, judgment, repentance, and restoration -- only to have it all start again.  Now many of them have been exiled from the land God gave them.  Back in Jerusalem sin reigns and soon the result of that sin will be the total destruction of their beloved city.  The Lord says he's going to break the cycle by changing their hearts.  The result will be a people who love God and love his ways.  Many Christians can identify with the cycle of failure we see when we journey with these ancient Israelites.  We too have been trapped in a cycle of failure, judgment, repentance, and restoration.  As we read the promise of a "new heart" our spirits respond with longing for that kind of relationship with God.  These words stir us and challenge us to let God have his way in our lives even if that means we need a spiritual "heart transplant."  The result is a healthy spiritual life: "You'll be my people! I'll be your God!"

April 24, 2008

Ezekiel 13: They've said, "No problem, everything's just fine," when things are not at all fine.

Several years ago I was at the hospital visiting with a friend who has having surgery the next morning.  When someone came into the room to go through a pre-surgery checklist, I excused myself and was about to leave.  However, they asked me to stay and help them.  I reluctantly did so (by the way, I still don't recommend that the pastor be present for such an interview).  As they went through the checklist I was amazed at how blunt it was.  Every possible problem was explained.  There was a 3% chance of this and a 5% chance of that.  Really, it was enough to scare a person!  As I reflected on that experience I made a decision to deal with spiritual realities with people in the hospital with the same frankness.  Rather than only focusing on praying for them that everything will be okay, I decided that, when the situation was right, I would find a way to ask them how it is between them and God and offer to help them pray.  I'm not pretending that I always get that done -- for one thing, so many surgeries are now outpatient surgeries and the opportunity for such a conversation isn't there.  Still, I'm reminded that we Christians aren't to always tell people "everything's going to be just fine" when there is a real chance that it isn't going to be fine.  I don't have to scare people to death to offer to pray with them about spiritual needs in their life.  In fact, it may be the most comforting encounter of all.

April 26, 2008

Ezekiel 16: Your beauty went to your head.

This section of Ezekiel isn't uplifting.  It is graphic and weighty.  The sin of Israel is described as adultery.  The prophet is a rough and tough guy and his language is hard and attention getting.  Ezekiel describes Israel as a baby abandoned at birth, destined to die without ever having a chance at life.  Instead, the Lord rescues this pitiful infant and lavishes his love on it.  Then the imagery changes as he describes this rescued one as a grown woman, beautiful and loved by the Lord as a devoted husband loves his wife.  Ezekiel says that Israel, who should have never even existed, became vain and disinterested in the God to whom she owed everything.  Instead of being faithful to the Lord, she became an unfaithful harlot.  Anyone hearing Ezekiel's words would be disgusted with such betrayal and sin.  None of this is intended to be a pretty picture.  Instead, Ezekiel wants us to recoil at what he describes.  Today, I'm reminded that my nation is a blest nation too.  In the early days our chances of survival were small, yet we survived by the grace of God.  Now we are a nation many others watch, and many watch with envy.  And even as Israel began to take God for granted and rebel against him, so have we.  This section of Ezekiel isn't fun to read but it needs to be allowed to speak to us in this day.

April 28, 2008

Ezekiel 17: I, God, made the great tree small and the small tree great.

The prophet pictures the monarchy of Judah as a majestic cedar; a strong, enduring fixture on the landscape.  Then the imagery changes and Judah is seen as a fruitful vine, not as majestic as before, but now under the dominion of Babylon and transplanted there.  Ezekiel says that in rebelling against Babylon this "fruitful vine" will also be uprooted and then allowed to die out.  It seems that this is just another gloom and doom message.  That is just what it is until we reach the final paragraph of the chapter.  The illustration seems to leave us with a destroyed Judah, with no leadership, rejected by God.  Then Ezekiel adds a new dimension to his illustration.  Once again we find ourselves looking at a mighty cedar.  This time, God, personally, takes a cutting from the very crown of the tree.  The great tree will be destroyed, but out of that cutting a new monarchy, a new King, will rise to lead Judah.  This new cedar will be the greatest of all.  Ezekiel has given us a parable of the Messiah.  This Chosen One will rise out of the line of David, but will rule as none of the old line ever ruled.  He will be King of kings, and Lord of lords.

April 29, 2008

Ezekiel 18: The soul that sins is the soul that dies.

A common saying in Ezekiel's day was that "the parents ate green apples and the children got a stomachache."  That saying was being used to describe the current plight of the people of Judah.  Their nation had been defeated and many had been exiled far from home.  They blamed it all on their parents and considered themselves to simply be victims of the failure of others.  Ezekiel says that isn't so.  While it is true that their ancestors failed God, the current generation has plenty of failure of its own.  Ezekiel wants them to understand that when a wicked person turns from their wicked ways that God is gracious and rich in forgiveness.  God, he tells them, doesn't hold a grudge.  On the other hand, if a righteous person abandons that righteousness he stands guilty before God.  Past righteousness doesn't make people immune from current failure and judgment.  The bottom line is that the Lord will "judge each of you according to the way you live."  The spiritual principle here is that it's our current relationship with God that really matters.  What was true in the past may be helpful to me, but it can't condemn me.  Ezekiel's advice is still good today.  He says since it's "right now" that counts, those who are living apart from God and blaming their parents (or someone else) for it need to "turn around...make a clean break" and "live!"

April 30, 2008

Ezekiel 20: I, God, am in the business of making them holy.

Through Ezekiel, the Lord recounts the history of his dealings with the people of Israel.  We find ourselves remembering the Exodus from Egypt and Moses going up on the mountain for an encounter with the Almighty.  A result of that meeting is the Law.  They now have Ten Commandments to live by and soon there is an entire body of Law to go with them.  In the passage before me today the Lord tells their descendants his purpose in all of that.  He did it as a part of his project to make them holy.  From the beginning and down through the centuries the Lord has continued to work to that end.  As he speaks through Ezekiel we find that God's purpose has not been watered down or diverted.  In this passage, the Lord tells them that the whole "Sabbath day" approach was for this purpose, part of his grand plan.  This message is addressed to another generation that insists on resisting the Lord and the result is his rejecting them, erasing many lines that have been drawn, and nearly erasing them from the face of the earth.  What's next?  The answer is obvious: it's God's purpose.  Their failure doesn't change his purpose for them.  In new ways and with a new generation the Lord will return to the "business of making them holy."  As he said to their ancestors, "Be holy because I am holy."  I'm reminded today of just how committed God is to this business of holiness.  As one of his people, I want to cooperate with his purposes for me and for the entire human race. 

May 6, 2008

Ezekiel 22: They can't tell the difference between sacred and secular.

It was a horrible time for the people of Jerusalem.  There was threatening war, a devastating drought, and a collapse of civil authority.  Down at the Temple the priests followed the same God-ignoring pattern, treating sacred things as common.  The Almighty complains that they profaned him by trying to "pull me down to their level."  I like to sing "What a Friend we have in Jesus" and feel humbled and honored at the thought that the Lord is willing to be my Friend.  However, I can't help but think that the "friendship" model only works to a certain extent.  This Friend is the King of Kings.  He is holy and eternal.  My relationship with him starts with my bowing before him.  It is he to takes my hand and gives me permission to stand in his presence.  If I call him "Friend" it is only by his permission.  The priests of Ezekiel's day, in their desperation, treated the holy as common.  Today, in my blessings and comfort, I don't want to make the same mistake.

June 3, 2008

Ezekiel 22: I looked for someone to...stand in the gap to protect this land.

The Lord is on the look out for people who will take a stand for righteousness.  The reason he seeks such people is not so churches can build nicer buildings or even so that more people will attend their services.  God knows it is "repent or perish."  When a nation stubbornly disregards righteousness and persists in following a God-ignoring road that nation is in serious jeopardy.  We're not talking about such a nation getting a slap on the wrist for being "bad."  This is life and death we're talking about.  The Lord says that when he sees a nation on this road that he desperately seeks people who will stand up for what is right.  He doesn't want to destroy that nation - he wants to redeem it and make its people into a people his very own.  With that in mind, he looks everywhere for some key person in some key situation who will declare their loyalty to himself and his ways.  In Ezekiel's day that person was never found.  I may not be able to influence nations for righteousness, but maybe I can influence someone.  With that in mind I step into the gap to take a stand for God.

June 4, 2008

Ezekiel 24: I wanted to clean you up, but you wouldn't let me.

I don't like this portion of Ezekiel.  He graphically describes people's betrayal of God as adultery.  The picture is ugly and the images are "R" rated.  Not only that, but Ezekiel offers them no hope.  God, he says, is done with them.  Even if the sexual content of this passage didn't earn an "R" the violence Ezekiel says is coming would.  Again, this is not a warm, fuzzy passage!  The Lord doesn't want it to be this way.  Even after his people committed spiritual adultery with other gods and nations he reached out to them.  The problem was that they wanted none of it.  No matter what God did or said, they refused to respond.  They turned their backs on God and acted in ways intended to send him the message that they didn't want anything to do with him.  It could have been different.  His plan was to clean them up, to make them into a holy people, his very own.  In fact, that is still his plan.  However, that will come in a different generation.  For now, he is finished with them and he is going to clean the place up by getting rid of them.  Their children and grandchildren will get another chance, not them.  The Lord won't force us to come to him.  We can break his heart and we can make him angry, but he'll never force us to do the right thing even when it is for our own good.  I may not be able to solve the needs of my life but I do have the final say as to whether or not God will be allowed to do so.  If I agree, he will go to work, cleaning up the mess I have made.  If I refuse, there's a very real danger than he'll let me continue down the path I insist on traveling and in so doing, will arrive at the destination I have persisted in reaching.

June 5, 2008

Ezekiel 24: Get dressed as usual and go about your work -- none of the usual funeral rituals.

The final part of Ezekiel 24 is one of the most painful passages one can read.  The Lord tells his prophet that his wife is about to die but as an object lesson for the people he is not to publicly mourn her death.  By the time of this event Ezekiel is well known for his messages of God's anger with his people.  He is also known for "acting out" some event as an object lesson.  When his wife dies and Ezekiel just goes on with his preaching everyone knows there's an object lesson in it.  They gather round this broken man and ask him why he isn't mourning the loss of the love of his life.  It is then that he warns them that even as his beloved has been taken from him their beloved city and Temple are going to be taken and, even as he has not gone through a mourning process their enemies won't give them even a moment to mourn the loss of it all.  I can hardly imagine what it was like for Ezekiel that day as God's message had to take precedence over his personal loss.  Earlier in his ministry the Lord had promised to stiffen Ezekiel that he could face all the rejection that was coming, so maybe that's in play here.  Another thing I can hardly imagine is how God could love these hard people so much as to keep reaching out to them, calling them to himself in such drastic ways.  Finally, I don't think Ezekiel's situation can be viewed as typical of God's servants.  On one hand, I am reminded of what it means to be fully surrendered to the Lord; that it can take us to places we never would go otherwise.  On the other hand, I remember that this is a very unique situation in the Bible and can't be viewed as how the Lord usually deals with us.  Of course, the Lord asks noting of Ezekiel that he doesn't require of himself.  Even as God's Only Begotten Son dies on the cross, he will have to turn his back on him.

June 7, 2008

Ezekiel 28: They'll live in safety. They'll build houses.

For the next year or so after the unmourned death of his wife, the prophet Ezekiel turns his attention to the nations associated with Israel.  God is displeased with them too and therefore judgment is coming to the whole region.  The nation of Tyre, especially, is a target of Ezekiel's condemnation.  As Ezekiel finishes up with Tyre and Sidon, and just before he turns his attention to the juggernaut that is Egypt, there's a short paragraph concerning Israel.   In an almost off hand way the Lord describes a renewed Israel that shines like a jewel among the nations, living in safety even as all the nations around are in turmoil.  I think that if this paragraph was elsewhere that it wouldn't get my attention.  However, being here, surrounded by words of condemnation and judgment I find it very uplifting; something to hold on to.  I also think this is a reflection of life.  We know that each life has its share of trouble: days of pain and hurt and betrayal.  In the darkness a tiny light shines like a beacon.  This passage may not shine like John 3:16, but in this setting, its light seems brighter than it would have otherwise.  And in the darkness of life, I want to keep my eyes open for that small light shining in the dark place giving me something to hold on to. 

June 9, 2008

Ezekiel 29: I'll give you, Ezekiel, bold and confident words to speak.

A turn around is coming.  For some time now Israel had heard nothing but condemnation from God's prophet, Ezekiel.  According to him things are going to get worse before they get better.  Now, we see that things will, indeed, get better.  The same man who has condemned their sin and the sins of the nations associated with them is going to be given a different word of the Lord.  His words will bring hope and deliverance.  His messages will reconnect them with God, himself.  What powerful words they were going to be!  These are not the empty promises of a politician.  This is God's man speaking God's word to them.  When the Lord gets involved words take on an additional element of power.  As a preacher I am both encouraged and challenged here.  I'm encouraged that, as old fashioned as it might seem, that God can communicate to people through a weak vessel like me and that as I preach God can "stir up fresh hope" and usher in "deliverance" in people's lives.  I am challenged to live close enough to the Lord that he can direct me in that endeavor; to trust him and cooperate with him in what he wants to say to those who are listening.

June 10, 2008

Ezekiel 31: Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt, that pompous old goat....

This portion of Ezekiel contains page after page of condemning prophecies concerning Egypt.  Ezekiel says that just as a world power of previous generations, Assyria fell like a big tree so will Egypt.  This is a double edged prophecy because Israel has looked to their previous enslavers for help against Babylon.  Therefore, the prophecy is not only directed to Egypt but to Israel as well.  The nation Israel turns to (rather than turning to God in repentance) will shatter before them.  Ezekiel calls the Pharaoh a "pompous old goat," acting as though he is important and powerful but is, in reality, reigning over a dying, powerless country that won't be able to protect itself much less protect Israel.  My devotional thought from all of this is a simple one.  I need to be careful that I don't lean on a "splintered reed" in my life either.  My hope is not in the U.S. economy or some political figure or in anything else.  I hope for better things for this nation, but I know that all these "securities" can all come crashing down at any time.  Christ is my hope, my strong rock and in him I find security.

June 11, 2008

Ezekiel 33: You, son of man, are the watchman.

Ezekiel's job, the Lord says, is that of a watchman.  He's to cry out, warning people of impending danger.  If he does that, he has done his job.  If he fails, then part of the blame for the loss is his own.  We see that Ezekiel has done his job.  We have page after page of his warnings which were given, sometimes, at considerable personal cost.  Had he failed in doing his part the story would be considerably different, in fact, I doubt we would have a book of Ezekiel at all because God would have sought out another spokesman and it would be his name that would appear as the title of a book of the Bible. It could be that Ezekiel wasn't God's first choice, that he started by calling someone who is unknown to us today.  Then, we realize that there is the record of massive failure here that we do know about.  The failure is that of those who heard the warning and rejected it.  Ezekiel is God's watchman for Israel and we're impressed by his faithfulness to that task.  I pray not only that the Lord will raise up a watchman for my nation but that we will listen to his cry before its too late.

June 12, 2008

Ezekiel 33: I take no pleasure from the death of the wicked.

I love this insight into the heart of the Lord.  We Christians are sometimes guilty of making the Lord out to be angry and vengeful.  Here I am, reading a book of the Bible that is full of words of condemnation and judgment and finding as compassionate a word as I could ever find.  God hates sin but he loves the sinner.  For the Lord to blink at sin -- to call it something less than what it is -- would be for him to deny his own nature.  Rather than do that, he does everything he can to call us from our sin and to remake us into a clean people.  If God's remedy for sin was to wipe out the sinners, well, I wouldn't be writing this and you wouldn't be reading it.  In Ezekiel's day he called sinners to repentance.  Today, through Jesus Christ, he does the same thing.  The thing that brings pleasure to God is not punishing sinners.  Instead, it's rescuing us from death to life.  With God on our side like that, we have every reason to trust him and surrender to him.

June 14, 2008

Ezekiel 33: None of his sins will be kept on the books.

Since Ezekiel's mission throughout most of his ministry is to warn people of pending destruction, and since he is about as rough and tumble a guy as you'll ever meet, his messages are generally not especially uplifting.  He's like a doctor with a poor bedside manner: he isn't especially interested in dressing things up but for the good of his patient he tells it like it is.  Still, as I journey through the book of Ezekiel, I find plenty of sunshine along with his gruffness.  At one point he tells people that they can't rely on past goodness to cover current sin.  If even the most pious of person turns from God's ways to sin he or she will be judged not for their past, but their current life.  However, there's good news in flip side of that situation.  If a person who is living a sinful life hears Ezekiel's hard message and decides to pay attention and straighten up there's a real possibility of life.  God will gladly give him a second chance.  Now that's a message for any day.  The Lord loves it when sinners turn to him.  He doesn't hold our past against us and is more than willing to forgive sins and transform lives.  That's good news for every one of us who has made bad choices and wishes life had a rewind button.  We can't go back but by God's grace we can go forward.  If a person turns to God, Ezekiel tells us, "He'll live."

June 16, 2008

Ezekiel 33: They love to hear you talk, but nothing comes out of it.

They've gotten used to Ezekiel.  For years he has preached his sermons and acted out various illustrations for them.  His words are seldom encouraging, in fact, they are down right condemning.  Beyond that all his approaches to basically the same sermon have become to them like well worn clothes: nothing to get excited about, but comfortable.  These days, it isn't unusual for folks to show up at Ezekiel's house on a summer evening just to see what Ezekiel has up his sleeve today.  They aren't interested in responding to his message but they do find his rants somewhat entertaining.  As a Sunday preacher I have to say that this passage is chilling to me.  The folks at my church have also heard my sermons for a long time now.  Sometimes I fear that they're so used to me that, as it was in Ezekiel's day, "they love to hear you talk, but nothing comes out of it."  It's interesting how small things become big things as I think about stuff like this.  For instance, a couple of weeks ago I suggested folks take a particular course of action.  Yesterday I was handed something someone had done as a direct result of that sermon.  I can't tell you how encouraging that is to me.  It is also humbling.  I am flattered that anyone would come to my church and listen to me preach my sermons week after week.  I'm encouraged that some folks actually take what I say to heart and literally respond by doing something they wouldn't have done otherwise.  I'm humbled that I have the opportunity to touch lives each week in this way, realizing that in myself I have nothing to offer.  If anything "comes out of it" it will take cooperation with God by both preacher and listeners.

June 17, 2008

Ezekiel 34: From now on, I myself am the shepherd.

Sometimes people wander away from the faith as innocent victims rather than guilty rebels.  In this passage Ezekiel expresses the Lord's condemnation of the religious leaders who have utterly failed to minister to the people of God.  These leaders, Ezekiel says, are like predatory shepherds who care only for themselves and use the sheep to their own ends.  Here in America we know all about predatory clergy as disgusting stories of immoral and predatory behavior have rocked the Church.  Sometimes it is clear that the secular media loves to pick on Christianity, but in this case the actions and the cover up needs to be exposed to light.  How many people have grown up with a distrust of God and the Church because of the failure of these awful shepherds?  Ezekiel describes the flock as "scattered," "exposed" and "vulnerable."  He tells us that the Lord will judge these predatory shepherds and then, he will turn his attention to the broken ones.  He, personally, will be their shepherd.  "I will bring them back" he promises.  I fear that sometimes we "church people" are too hard on those who are living self destructive lives.  Each one has a story that, yes, may include personal failure (the Lord says he's "stepping in and judging between one sheep and another").  However, some folks have had plenty of help in messing up their lives.  Much of the blame may go to some authority figure like a parent, teacher, and, sadly, even a pastor who failed them either intentionally or by neglect. 

June 19, 2008

Ezekiel 36: I'll...replace it with a heart that's God-willed, not self-willed.

I've always felt that this is the mountain top of the book of Ezekiel.  Things are going to change in a glorious day to come.  Through the centuries the Lord has sent gifted leaders to Israel.  He has given them the Law upon which to build their civilization and a beautiful Temple in which to worship.  He has given them a land of their own and has been with them through their many ups and downs.  Still, failure has dominated them.  They have tossed all their advantages aside and have paid a terrible price for doing so.  Ezekiel says that things are going to change.  The change won't come because some new national leader leads them back to God.  It won't come by God's restating his laws to them, and it won't come simply because they try harder to please the Lord.  The change will be at the core of their lives.  The Lord says he is going to give them a new heart.   Under this new arraignment self-centered living will give way to God-centered living.  Their very affections will be transformed.  The result will be a people fully connected to God.  I love this portion of scripture because I believe the message is not only for these ancient Israelites, but for God's people today.  For every Christian who battles inner battles, who struggles with living wholly for God, this is a wonderful word of hope.  The Lord is not only in the sin forgiving business -- he's in the heart transforming business as well.  We find hope for a deeper, heart changing work of God in this passage.  Throughout the years Christians have read this message and come away with a prayer on their lips: "Lord, do that for me - do it in me - today."

June 21, 2008

Ezekiel 36: I, God, rebuilt ruins and replant empty waste places.

In this "new heart" passage Ezekiel envisions God's people repenting of their rebellion and mourning over the results of it.  He sees them walking through a devastated Jerusalem and confessing it was their sins that brought it all to pass.  In the face of such repentance, Ezekiel has an encouraging word: God specializes in taking messed up things and restoring them to "better than new" condition.  Once the Lord is given a chance, he'll turn these weed patches into a "Garden of Eden."  No doubt, these are encouraging words to the people of Ezekiel's day.  They are also uplifting words for us too.  In a more literal sense, we look forward to a "new heaven and a new earth" that has been promised by God.  What sin has destroyed the Lord will redeem -- and that redeemed world will be vastly superior to what we see now.  In a spiritual sense, this passage describes what the Lord accomplishes in the human heart.  Sin destroys lives, making a wreck out of what was once wonderfully promising.  When I cooperate with God, opening my life up to him he goes to work.  In my life he "rebuilds ruins and replants empty waste places."  He's God, and he does stuff like that.  As Ezekiel puts it, "I, God, said so, and I'll do it."

June 23, 2008

Ezekiel 37: Dry bones, listen to the message of God.

Ezekiel speaks to people who think they've gone too far, have said "no" to God, have just plain messed up once too often.  They think they are like dinosaur bones some archeologist might dig up in the desert someday: interesting, but dry and lifeless.  The truth is that they are right.  They have been written off because of their rejection of God.  To picture themselves as "dry bones" is not an overreaction, it is a valid realization.  Their only hope is the only hope they have ever had: they must turn back to God.  In his vision Ezekiel is asked, "Can these bones live?"  His answer is right on: "Lord, you know."  The restoration of Israel is up to the Lord.  They are on the verge of being written off of the pages of history.  The only possibility of their not becoming dry fossils is to respond to the mercy of God and depend on him to breathe life back into them.  All of that is true of my life too.  It is only when I accept two facts that I have hope.  Fact one: my sins have made me spiritually into a pile of dry bones.  Fact two: my only hope is in God's mercy and forgiveness.  The only route out of this mess is for me to accept the title, "dry bones" and then listen to God's message that alone can change my dry bones situation.

June 24, 2008

Ezekiel 39: I'll use them to demonstrate my holiness with all the nations watching.

The prophet has encouraging words for the broken people of God.  The Lord will breathe life back into their dry bones and the nation will be brought back from the destruction that has come.  It is at this point that Ezekiel turns his attention to the "distant future" and the mysterious "Gog and Magog."  From what I can tell, the more down to earth commentators think that Ezekiel's original audience knew just who he was talking about and that this prophecy is much like those given against Egypt, Tyre, Sidon, and other nations in the region.  Taken at face value, then, Ezekiel is prophesying that in a more distant future, after the restoration of Israel, another regional power will come against God's people.  When that happens, the Lord will move to defend them and will destroy the invaders.  However, there are two things that get the attention of many.  First, this nation from "the north" isn't clearly identified in history.  Second, "Magog" is mentioned in a similarly vague way in Genesis and then Gog and Magog make a major appearance in the book of Revelation as part of the wind up of history.  If we conclude that the "distant future" Ezekiel is talking about is still in our future we find ourselves out swimming in the deeper waters of prophecy.  I hate to disappoint you, but I'm not ready to go there.  I think it is more likely that Ezekiel was talking about a nation well known to him and his listeners and that the distant future wasn't "book of Revelation distant."  I think that when John wrote Revelation that he was reminded of Ezekiel's words: an attack on God's people by a coalition of enemy forces.  He used that reference to describe the scene of the final battle.  To me, the key to the whole passage is God's promise to defend his people at to "demonstrate his holiness" to the world.  That concept plugs into both the Ezekiel and the Revelation prophecies.  It also plugs into my life: that when everything seems to be against me that the Lord knows how to rescue his people.  Rather than getting all mystic about this passage, I'd rather find here yet another promise of God's faithfulness even in the most difficult of circumstances.

June 25, 2008

Ezekiel 43: Draw a picture...

As a casual reader, one of the bewildering portions of Ezekiel has been, to me, all the measuring that takes place in the final chapters of the book.  In his vision Ezekiel crawls all over the Temple measuring every nook and cranny, carefully making note of every inch.  If I thought about it at all I thought maybe these were the plans for the promised rebuilding of the Temple.  However, I don't think that's the actual intent.  The Lord tells Ezekiel, "Draw a picture so they can see the design and meaning and live by its design and intent."  Concerning the Temple the prophet is told, "Everything around it becomes holy ground."  God had called the people of Israel to be his own, holy nation.  All the laws, rituals, and even the construction of the Temple had the purpose of helping to bring that to pass.  In this case Ezekiel is to rediscover the power of the architecture of that place of worship.  Ezekiel's vision of the Temple is to remind his people of how far they have fallen from the holiness to which they were called.  It is also intended to give them hope and call them back to God.  Ezekiel is going to go right on with his vision, talking about the rituals and the work of the priests and the feasts, all with that same intent.  However, I'm still thinking about the purpose of sacred space.  The Temple was not just built to be a functional place of worship.  It was to call people to holiness -- a place set apart for the worship of a God set apart by a people set apart.  The layout and the furnishings were not just for practical use.  Just looking at the building was to create longing for holiness.  I don't know that I'm deep enough to fully grasp this, but I'm reminded today that as I read of Ezekiel with his tape measure that there's more going on than just the drawing of blueprints.

June 26, 2008

Ezekiel 48: The name of the city will be Yahweh-Shammah: "God-is-There."

In his vision Ezekiel continues measuring the Temple and the land surrounding it.  He sees a stream flowing out of the Temple that increases in size, giving life to all it touches.  The prophet measures out divisions in the land and finds that there is a place for all the people of Israel; no one is excluded.  Ezekiel sees that there are gates named after each tribe, providing abundant entrance to all who will come.  He then concludes that the Holy City will be christened with a new name: "Yahweh-Shammah."  In that, he understands that people far and near will conclude the same thing, that heaven has come to earth and that God is now with us.  After journeying through Ezekiel for some time now and hearing his pain-filled sermons I find this passage to be a welcoming place to land: a flowing river, green trees, and the Holy City with space for all who will come to the Presence of God.  That's God's intent for Israel and it's his intent for all Creation.  If you think about it, the book of Revelation follows the same pattern: war, suffering, hard times giving way to eternity as the Lord intended it in the first place.   For Ezekiel a vision of God's intentions is all about the restoration of Israel and the Temple.  The Revelator paints a broader picture, but that River is still there and his rebuilt Jerusalem comes down out of heaven.  For both, the end result is "Yahweh-Shammah."  I join both of these godly men in looking forward to that day.