Short Reflection from Ezekiel 17-32

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (LRAU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[4:05 pm, 09/07/2022] S.R: 𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟟:𝟚𝟜

"All the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will perform it."

This is a parable. It's really not about trees. It's about people. Human beings are much more above and more worthy than plants or animals.

In the book of Daniel, God also said about establishing kings and kingdoms and also destroying them. However, this happens very slowly from our perspective. It takes time for nations to prosper and to decline, but surely it shall. The Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans had their time. It doesn't happen in a day.

If we are godly and lowly now we may still be lowly and be oppressed all our life time and even in the few generations of our offspring, but then God shall fulfill it at the right time.

The ungodly who are exalted now may still remain exalted throughout their lifetime and even a few generations after them, but they shall be gone.

The delight of the godly is [primarily] the Lord, not even of his exaltation or the downfall of the wicked. May we delight in God, not just in His doings. In other words: May we love the Giver, not just the Gifts.

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟠:𝟚𝟛

“"Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked," declares the Lord GOD, "rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?"”

That's why every sinner is alive till now. That's why every sinning Christian is still alive. God wants people to repent. And in the repentance of people, God is more glorified.

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟡:𝟝

"When she saw, as she waited, That her hope was lost, She took another of her cubs And made him a young lion."

The pain of the mother of the fate of her wayward child. Judah with its ungodly king.

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟘:𝟛

""Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Do you come to inquire of Me? As I live," declares the Lord GOD, "I will not be inquired of by you."'"

The Lord withdrew Himself from His people because of their abominable lifestyle. Our sins will hinder our prayers to be answered by God. We do need to confess our sins before God.

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟙:𝟜

"Because I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore My sword will go forth from its sheath against all flesh from south to north."

Sometimes, the Lord protects the righteous and punishes the wicked in times of judgment. Sometimes, He just let both the righteous and the wicked perish but remember that shall be the mercy of the Lord for the righteous. Because sometimes early death is better than horrible life, yet God decides that, not us.

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟚:𝟚𝟡-𝟛𝟘

"The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery, and they have wronged the poor and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice.  I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one."

Striving for justice, kindness to people and even animals around us, and generosity to all the poor and needy are expected of God's people.

I wish to develop these virtues in me, more and more. And of course, we develop by practicing them. Scriptures have commanded, and have given a lot of examples too.

To be gracious. To be generous. To be compassionate. Oh!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟛:𝟜

"Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister. And they became Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is Oholah and Jerusalem is Oholibah."

God, using this parable to demonstrate how much He loved His chosen people in spite of their sins. He wanted them to turn away from vain things and come back to Him.

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟜:𝟙𝟞-𝟙𝟟

"Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you the desire of your eyes with a blow; but you shall not mourn and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not come. Groan silently; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban and put your shoes on your feet, and do not cover your mustache and do not eat the bread of men."

God expects and requires Ezekiel to fear/love Him more than he loves his wife. It was so of Abraham concerning his son.

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟝:𝟞-𝟟

"For thus says the Lord GOD, "Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all the scorn of your soul against the land of Israel, therefore, behold, I have stretched out My hand against you and I will give you for spoil to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and make you perish from the lands; I will destroy you. Thus you will know that I am the LORD." Moab."

God punished the Israelites because of their sins. The Lord let them be captured by enemies. And here, God is judging the other nations for rejoicing in the suffering of His people.

Don't rejoice in the fall of the godly people. Be fearful. Tremble. The Lord doesn't have pleasure, even in the death of the wicked.

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟞:𝟚-𝟛

"Son of man, because Tyre has said concerning Jerusalem, 'Aha, the gateway of the peoples is broken; it has opened to me. I shall be filled, now that she is laid waste,'  therefore thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves."

Who among us is not guilty of schadenfreude? Who among us is free from envy, jealousy, and slandering? God is not happy with such. Let's keep working on our sanctification!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟟:𝟚-𝟛

""And you, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre; and say to Tyre, who dwells at the entrance to the sea, merchant of the peoples to many coastlands, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, " "O Tyre, you have said, 'I am perfect in beauty.'"

Tyre was proud and God had to humble her. God hates the proud!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟠:𝟙𝟟

"Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you."

This passage is well compared to Lucifer because of its denunciation. No matter who the real identity is, it's clear that Tyre had the incomparable privilege that he misused it and wanted more. Let's learn to be grateful, gracious, and humble!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟡:𝟙𝟡

"Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. And he will carry off her wealth and capture her spoil and seize her plunder; and it will be wages for his army.’"

Was there a king as great as Nebuchadnezzar? Yet, we used to name Alexander, Napoleon, Genghis Khan for comparison. Maybe time to be more biblical and name Nebuchadnezzar often in our conversation for a comparison! 😎

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟛𝟘:𝟝-𝟞

"‘Ethiopia, Put, Lud, all Arabia, Libya and the people of the land that is in league will fall with them by the sword.’ 'Thus says the LORD, "Indeed, those who support Egypt will fall And the pride of her power will come down; From Migdol to Syene They will fall within her by the sword," Declares the Lord GOD."

When a person suffers his companions suffer too. In World War 2, the axis power suffered along with the Nazis.

More so here. Egypt and its allies who were haughty, wicked, and idolatrous had to fall!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟛𝟙:𝟛

"'Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon With beautiful branches and forest shade, And very high, And its top was among the clouds."

The happenings around us must be lessons for us just as Ezekiel asked Egypt to look at Assyria.

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟛𝟚:𝟙𝟙

"For thus says the Lord GOD, ‘The sword of the king of Babylon will come upon you.’"

My favorite person in the Bible whose salvation is doubtful is King Nebuchadnezzar. If I were to be an ungodly guy, I would choose the life of him. 😂😎 See! He rules over all!

Short Reflection from Ezekiel 1-16

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (LRAU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[9:03 pm, 01/07/2022] S.R: 𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟙:𝟚𝟠

"As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking."

Indeed, the most appropriate response to the glory of God is to fall down and worship God.

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟚:𝟞-𝟟

"And you, son of man, neither fear them nor fear their words, though thistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions; neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house. But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious."

No matter what, God's minister must do his work, irrespective of the response of the people!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟛:𝟞-𝟟

"nor to many peoples of unintelligible speech or difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. But I have sent you to them who should listen to you; yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, since they are not willing to listen to Me. Surely the whole house of Israel is stubborn and obstinate."

I've some church attendees/members who are like this. They look like anyone outside, but inside their hearts/minds are locked, refusing to listen, think, and receive the instructions of God.

Still, God told Ezekiel to do his duties of proclamation. And so must I irrespective of people's response.

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟜:𝟙𝟝

"Then He said to me, 'See, I will give you cow's dung in place of human dung over which you will prepare your bread.'"

God has the habit of asking his minister to do things unthinkable. After all, He is the lawgiver. Abraham to a child sacrifice. Peter to eat unclean animals. Aaron to spit on the face of his daughter.

What has God asked of us?

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟝:𝟙𝟛

''Thus My anger will be spent and I will satisfy My wrath on them, and I will be appeased; then they will know that I, the LORD, have spoken in My zeal when I have spent My wrath upon them."

The Scriptures teach the appeasement of God's anger, the satisfaction of God's wrath. Which actually was when Jesus died on the cross.

The modern hymn "In Christ alone" captures that phrase.

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟞:𝟙𝟚-𝟙𝟛

"He who is far off will die by the plague, and he who is near will fall by the sword, and he who remains and is besieged will die by the famine. Thus will I spend My wrath on them. Then you will know that I am the LORD, when their slain are among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, under every green tree and under every leafy oak--the places where they offered soothing aroma to all their idols."

I wish these things happen soon even in our time that people will know that God is alive!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟟:𝟜

'For My eye will have no pity on you, nor will I spare you, but I will bring your ways upon you, and your abominations will be among you; then you will know that I am the LORD!'

People love to quote Jer. 29:11 as a magical wish verse for one another without the knowledge of its context. One can quote this verse too by the same standard.

However, these two verses aren't magical blessings or curses. It's the God of these verses who will bring into effect to those who listen and doesn't listen to Him!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟠:𝟙𝟝

"He said to me, ‘Do you see this, son of man? Yet you will see still greater abominations than these.’"

God sees and takes account of everything.  He sees far more wicked things than we have ever known, seen, or imagined!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟡:𝟡-𝟙𝟘

“Then He said to me, "The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great, and the land is filled with blood and the city is full of perversion; for they say, 'The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see!' But as for Me, My eye will have no pity nor will I spare, but I will bring their conduct upon their heads."”

Even if the world has become so wicked, God is still on the throne and requires His people to live differently!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟘:𝟙

"Then I looked, and behold, in the expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim something like a sapphire stone, in appearance resembling a throne, appeared above them."

God's throne is above all!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟙:𝟙𝟟

“Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries among which you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel."'”

Remember the greatness of God in His promise to gather the scattered people among the nations. He can really do smaller things much easier than this!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟚:𝟚𝟠

"Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "None of My words will be delayed any longer. Whatever word I speak will be performed,"' declares the Lord GOD."

Remember this verse about the promise and warning of God: it shall surely come to pass!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟛:𝟚𝟛

"therefore, you women will no longer see false visions or practice divination, and I will deliver My people out of your hand. Thus you will know that I am the LORD."

"I will deliver," God is a deliverer!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟜:𝟙𝟡-𝟚𝟘

“"Or if I should send a plague against that country and pour out My wrath in blood on it to cut off man and beast from it, even though Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not deliver either their son or their daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness."”

How cool is it that God mentioned the names of Noah, Daniel, and Job! These guys should be our heroes.

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟝:𝟟-𝟠

"‘and I set My face against them. Though they have come out of the fire, yet the fire will consume them. Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I set My face against them. Thus I will make the land desolate, because they have acted unfaithfully,’ declares the Lord GOD."

A stern warning. God hates the unfaithful!

 

𝔼𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟞:𝟜𝟚

"So I will calm My fury against you and My jealousy will depart from you, and I will be pacified and angry no more."

Notice the following words: calm, depart, pacified, no more.

God is using the language of humans to express the seriousness of reality. We see the pain, anger, justice, patience, and goodness of God.

Short Reflection from Lamentations 1-5

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (OVU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[10:34 pm, 09/03/2022] S.R: 𝕃𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝟙:𝟙𝟞

"For these things I weep; My eyes run down with water; Because far from me is a comforter, One who restores my soul. My children are desolate Because the enemy has prevailed."

A godly man weeps over the sins of the people. Wicked people curse upon those whom they think are wicked!

If we are righteous and godly like Jeremiah, we will weep for sinners.

 

𝕃𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝟚:𝟙𝟞

"All your enemies Have opened their mouths wide against you; They hiss and gnash their teeth. They say, ‘We have swallowed her up! Surely this is the day for which we waited; We have reached it, we have seen it.’"

This is what happens to a Christian who keeps sinning because the way of a transgressor is hard (Prov.13:15) because God disciplines whom He loves, and I love that God disciplines me whenever I go astray.

You must be so wicked to hate God. You must be a hell-bound sinner if you get angry with God when He disciplines you. I may hate the pain and the instrument God uses to discipline me but not God.

 

𝕃𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝟛:𝟙𝟠

"So I say, 'My strength has perished, And so has my hope from the LORD.'"

Was there a time you ever felt or said like this? I had. But it didn't end like this for Jeremiah nor for me. This chapter has 66 verses. This is just v18. 😉

In v21, he would recall God and have hope again. And by v55-56 he would call on God and the Lord answered him.

The Christian life is up and down from our perspective. But in the grand scheme of God, we are being sanctified more and more as the day goes by.

 

𝕃𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝟜:𝟙𝟟

"Yet our eyes failed, Looking for help was useless; In our watching we have watched For a nation that could not save."

Jeremiah's lamentation like this gives hope to the disappointed ones. That disappointment is both for the wicked and even the people of God. And that God shall be the solution soon or later

 

𝕃𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝟝:𝟚𝟙

"Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old"

Notice the theology of Jeremiah. Restoration is primarily to God. Only then the physical restoration would happen!

Short Reflection from Jeremiah 37-52

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (OVU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟛𝟟:𝟙𝟝

"Then the officials were angry at Jeremiah and beat him, and they put him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, which they had made into the prison."

Would I have the patience, endurance, and love of Jeremiah? He was treated badly by His own people whom he dearly loved and prayed for, and he still loved them and suffered with them till the end.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟛𝟠:𝟙𝟡

"Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, ‘I dread the Jews who have gone over to the Chaldeans, for they may give me over into their hand and they will abuse me.’"

Zedekiah had decided to take care of his life. Perhaps, he thought he was so ungodly to be favored by God in this situation. Still, God was reaching out to Him. Indeed, no one is too far from God as long as there's a breath of life.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟛𝟡:𝟙𝟞-𝟙𝟟

“Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Behold, I am about to bring My words on this city for disaster and not for prosperity; and they will take place before you on that day. But I will deliver you on that day," declares the LORD, "and you will not be given into the hand of the men whom you dread."’”

He was the one who rescued Jeremiah from the well. Now, Jeremiah has good news for him.

On the flip side, I see kindness (especially to a godly man) has rewards.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟜𝟘:𝟞

"Then Jeremiah went to Mizpah to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam and stayed with him among the people who were left in the land."

He chose to dwell among the poorest of the poor. He's not after a better lifestyle.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟜𝟙:𝟙𝟝

"But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to the sons of Ammon."

Oh! Such a wicked man and still he escaped. Yet, he shall not escape the justice of God.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟜𝟚:𝟞

"Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us when we listen to the voice of the LORD our God."

They thought God would be on their side and so they acted very faithfully but when they found out God was against them, they weren't willing to listen to Jeremiah. I have met a lot of people like this, and perhaps, I might be just one of them too in some areas!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟜𝟛:𝟟

"and they entered the land of Egypt (for they did not obey the voice of the LORD) and went in as far as Tahpanhes."

Again and again to Egypt. What is my spiritual Egypt that I go back to again and again in difficult times? Sometimes, I think I know, but then, not fully convinced too.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟜𝟜:𝟙𝟞

"As for the message that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we are not going to listen to you!"

There are people who take pleasure in doing the very opposite of what God said just like these people. They shall perish!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟜𝟝:𝟛

'You said, "Ah, woe is me! For the LORD has added sorrow to my pain; I am weary with my groaning and have found no rest."'

I can identify with Baruch many times!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟜𝟞:𝟚𝟠

“"O Jacob My servant, do not fear," declares the LORD, "For I am with you. For I will make a full end of all the nations Where I have driven you, Yet I will not make a full end of you; But I will correct you properly And by no means leave you unpunished."”

Trouble, destruction, judgment, punishment has to come for the dwellers of the earth for all have sinned against God and one another, but there will be mercy for those called by God and responded to Him. This has been the message from pages of the Bible.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟜𝟟:𝟞-𝟟

"Ah, sword of the LORD, How long will you not be quiet? Withdraw into your sheath; Be at rest and stay still. How can it be quiet, When the LORD has given it an order? Against Ashkelon and against the seacoast-- There He has assigned it."

People always blame the instrument of destruction without knowing the one who let it happen. Even in America, they are blaming guns. Or in India the terrorist, etc. God is behind the scene.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟜𝟠:𝟜𝟚

"Moab will be destroyed from being a people Because he has become arrogant toward the LORD."

God hates the proud!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟜𝟡:𝟙𝟞

"As for the terror of you, The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, O you who live in the clefts of the rock, Who occupy the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as an eagle's, I will bring you down from there," declares the LORD."

No matter how high the wicked climb up the ladder God shall cause him to fall down!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟝𝟘:𝟚𝟛

"How the hammer of the whole earth Has been cut off and broken! How Babylon has become An object of horror among the nations!"

Who's the hammer of God? Babylon. Genghis Khan is said to have said that he is the punishment of God upon those lands he invaded!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟝𝟙:𝟚𝟚-𝟚𝟛

"And with you I shatter man and woman, And with you I shatter old man and youth, And with you I shatter young man and virgin, And with you I shatter the shepherd and his flock, And with you I shatter the farmer and his team, And with you I shatter governors and prefects."

Before, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was God's hammer to crush the nations. Now Cyrus of Persia is God's hammer to crush Babylon.

What about the people of God? Well, they aren't meant to be a hammer to crush but to be blessings to the nations.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟝𝟚:𝟙𝟙

"Then he blinded the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon and put him in prison until the day of his death."

Zedekiah knew he could be respected or abused. He feared to be abused and would do everything to avoid it. Jeremiah told him the only way to escape was to surrender. He refused and got what he feared most!