February 11, 2023
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Ezekiel? Here’s today’s reading:
Ezekiel 33 (NIV)
Renewal of Ezekiel’s Call as Watchman
1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, 3 and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people,..........Continue Reading
11Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’
As we read the old testament it can get daunting with death and destruction but you have to find all the hope and restoration that is filtered among it like this reminder of the justness of God. God is a God of love, mercy, and forgiveness but like any good parent He needs to guide, direct, and discipline as well.
Ezekiel 32
I am so glad that our righteousness is not based on our behavior but on the sacrifice Jesus made for us to have access to the forgiveness of God through faith and have His righteousness upon us. I also don’t believe under the New Covenant that we are accountable for others as this passage describes. Jesus nor any of the New Testament writers ever expressed this concept of us being a watchman and therefore people’s blood being on our hands. But that is not to say that we shouldn’t live a life consistent with our faith and continue in that and not turn away, especially not justifying that disobedience on past obedience. We should also look to share the good news of Jesus and not be shy to warn people of the coming judgement on them if they don’t believe. And how good it is to know that God does not rejoice in the death of the wicked and He does desire that all people are saved. It is only our choices that keep us from Him.
Ezekiel 33
Ezekiel 34
Come and listen to the words of our Lord. My people come before you ,as they usually do, sitting before you But do not put your words in to practice. They speak devotion but their hearts are still filled with Greed for unjust gain.
The same thing going on today where people say one thing but hearts are not following the word in our actions. We sing songs of praise and worship but we are not holding those words in our hearts and carrying them in our everyday life.
It is interesting to think about the “fairness” of God with regard to the gospel. It is true that it is not “fair” that a man can repent at the end of his life and be redeemed in the end from all the bad that he has done, but we are all like the prodigal son. When a man turns to wickedness, he turns away from the Lord. When a man turns away from wickedness towards what is right, he is turning towards the Lord; he is repenting. Thank God that He is not “fair” but instead offers His Son’s righteousness to all who believe.
“Yet the children of your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ But it is their way which is not fair! 18 When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. 19 But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. 20 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways.”
Ezekiel 33