Ezekiel 11

WEEK  5                                           Ezekiel 11

SATURDAY  Reflections

As God prepares to leave the temple, the leaders of Jerusalem tell the people everything is okay. They tell them they are safe and they should go about their business. They say it is going to be secure for years. It isn't going to be. The leaders lied, or what is scarier is they may believe the lie themselves. What is coming on them is exactly what they fear. They don't see that their own actions have brought it upon them. 

 

The people back in Judah believe the people in exile have lost their rights to the lands which belonged to their families. God makes it clear that the ones who seem to have lost their family's heritage will get it back. The ones God is going to bless are the ones who seem to have lost everything. Once again, God is going to bless the ones who are downtrodden and outcast.

 

God is promising to bring a people back to Him whose hearts He has changed. 

Eze 11:1-25
(1)  Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the LORD'S house, which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.
(2)  Then said he unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city:
(3)  Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.
(4)  Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.
(5)  And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.
(6)  Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.
(7)  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron: but I will bring you forth out of the midst of it.
(8)  Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you, saith the Lord GOD.
(9)  And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.
(10)  Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
(11)  This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; but I will judge you in the border of Israel:
(12)  And ye shall know that I am the LORD: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you.
(13)  And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?
(14)  Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
(15)  Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession.
(16)  Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.
(17)  Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
(18)  And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.
(19)  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
(20)  That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
(21)  But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.
(22)  Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
(23)  And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.
(24)  Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.
(25)  Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the LORD had shewed me.

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Hosea 14

WEEK 5                                          Hosea 14

FRIDAY  Reflections

Now ends the book of Hosea, not with more judgment but with a cry to return to God. As the chapter ends, they and we are reminded that wise people understand the things Hosea has discussed, and wise people will serve God. The transgressor's only option is failure.

Let us be wise and choose God and His ways.

Hos 14:1-9
(1)  O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
(2)  Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
(3)  Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
(4)  I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
(5)  I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
(6)  His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
(7)  They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.
(8)  Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.
(9)  Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.

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2 Corinthians 1

WEEK  5                                          2 Corinthians 1

THURSDAY  Reflections

As this first chapter ends, Paul explains his reason for not stopping by Corinth another time like he had planned. The reason was that he did not want the meeting to come off as if he were trying to dominate their faith. Yes, they were messing up and doing wrong, but at this time, Paul felt stopping by and setting them straight would not ultimately be to their benefit. His hope was that they could work together to overcome their problems.

 

I learn from this that at times the right thing to do is not to confront an issue head-on. Yes, there is a time for direct confrontation, and Paul does this from time to time, but as we see here, not always. Sometimes we have to let people work out their issues without us being domineering and ruining the relationship. We are brothers and sisters in Christ, friends, not rivals, family, not employees. 

2Co 1:1-24
(1)  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:
(2)  Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
(3)  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
(4)  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
(5)  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
(6)  And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
(7)  And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
(8)  For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
(9)  But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
(10)  Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;
(11)  Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.
(12)  For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
(13)  For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end;
(14)  As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.
(15)  And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit;
(16)  And to pass by you into Macedonia, and to come again out of Macedonia unto you, and of you to be brought on my way toward Judaea.
(17)  When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay?
(18)  But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay.
(19)  For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.
(20)  For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
(21)  Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
(22)  Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
(23)  Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth.
(24)  Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

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Psalm 99

WEEK   5                                        Psalm 99

WEDNESDAY  Reflections

We understand that things are not fair, but we want them to be. Inside us is this idea that things should be right. This is because God put it there. The problem, of course, is too often people see fairness and justice only from their perspective. They blame others because of lack of opportunities and rightly so, but then they don't use the other opportunities God has given. Others look at their hard work but forget the benefits which help them get there and refuse to recognize it or to reward those who did help. 

God established justice and equity (fairness). He will make all things right. He is the one we need to look to when it comes to being fair, not our own thoughts because, as I pointed out, we can be prejudice. 

Psa 99:1-9
(1)  The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.
(2)  The LORD is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people.
(3)  Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.
(4)  The king's strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob.
(5)  Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.
(6)  Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.
(7)  He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them.
(8)  Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.
(9)  Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.

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Hosea 13

WEEK  5                                            Hosea 13

TUESDAY  Reflections

God reminds Israel again of who he is. God is the only God they need to know because he is the only one who has saved them. He saved them from Egypt, and He provided for them. He gave them a king when they asked for one for all the wrong reasons. He also will not save them from the destruction of their nation that they have brought on themselves, but God will use it to bring them to salvation.

Hos 13:1-16
(1)  When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died.
(2)  And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.
(3)  Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.
(4)  Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.
(5)  I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.
(6)  According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me.
(7)  Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them:
(8)  I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.
(9)  O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.
(10)  I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?
(11)  I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.
(12)  The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is hid.
(13)  The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he is an unwise son; for he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children.
(14)  I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
(15)  Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the wind of the LORD shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels.
(16)  Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.

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