Ezekiel 4
An illustration of siege of Jerusalem verse 1- 3
You also – son of man – take a TILE – and lay it before you
and portray upon it the city – even Jerusalem
and lay siege against it – and build a fort against it
and cast a mount against it
set the camp also against it
and set battering rams against it round about
MOREOVER take you to you an IRON PAN
and set it for a wall of iron between you and the city
and set your face against it
and it shall be besieged
and you shall lay siege against it
THIS is a sign to the house of Israel
An illustration of sins of Judah and Israel verse 4- 6
Lie you also upon your LEFT SIDE
and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it
according to the number of the days that you
shall lie upon it you shall bear their iniquity
For I have laid on you the years of their iniquity
according to the number of the days
three hundred and ninety days
so shall you bear
the iniquity of the house of Israel
When you have accomplished them
lie again on your RIGHT SIDE
and you shall bear the iniquity
of the house of Judah forty days
I have appointed you each day for a year
An illustration of tying up Ezekiel verse 7- 8
THEREFORE you shall set your face
toward the siege of Jerusalem
and your arm shall be uncovered
and you shall prophesy against it
BEHOLD – I will lay bands on you
and you shall not turn you from one side to another
till you have ended the days of your siege
An illustration of measured eating verse 9- 13
Take you also to you WHEAT – BARLEY – BEANS
LENTILS – MILLET – FITCHES
and put them in one vessel
make you bread thereof according
to the number of the days
that you shall lie upon your side
three hundred and ninety days
shall you eat thereof
And your meat which you shall eat shall be by weight
twenty shekels a day from the time to time shall you eat it
You shall drink also water by measure
the sixth part of an hin
from time to time shall you drink
You shall eat it as barley cakes
and you shall bake it with dung
that comes out of man in their sight
AND the LORD said
Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their
defiled bread among the Gentiles
whither I will drive them
Ezekiel prays regarding human dung cooking verse 14
THEN said I – Ah Lord GOD
BEHOLD – my soul has not been polluted
from my youth up even till now have I not
eaten of that which dies of itself
or is torn in pieces
neither came there abominable flesh
into my mouth
LORD answers prayer of Ezekiel verse 15
THEN said HE to me
LO – I have given you cow’s dung for man’s dung
and you shall prepare your bread therewith
LORD comments on siege of Jerusalem verse 16- 17
MOREOVER HE said to me
Son of man – BEHOLD
I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem
and they shall eat bread by weight
and with care
And they shall drink water by measure
and with astonishment
that they may want bread and water
and be astonished one with another
and consume away for their iniquity
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 3 Moreover take you unto you an iron pan, and set it for a wall of iron between you and the city: and set your face against it, and it shall be besieged, and you shall lay siege against it. This shall be a sign to the house of Israel. (226 “sign” [’owth] means token, miracle, omens, mark, proof, ensign, signal or warning.)
DEVOTION: The LORD uses object lessons to teach HIS people the truth of what is going on around them. Here we find that he had Ezekiel paint on a tile a scene of the siege of Jerusalem. HE wanted the people to understand that there was no rescue for the city. It was going into captivity for their sins.
HE stated that they were a rebellious house. They were given warning after warning to turn from the sin and start worshiping the LORD alone. They didn’t want to listen. They didn’t want captivity but they thought there had to be another way that the LORD would deal with them. They were wrong.
This second object lesson was a wall of iron to show that the LORD was not going to let anyone escape from the city. They were all going into captivity. There were some who tried to sneak out of the city but the Babylonian army caught them. God had judged them because of their disobedience.
In HIS judgment HE wanted them to understand that HIS hedge of protection was taken away and a wall to keep them in was erected to allow them to be captured.
The LORD continues to use object lessons today to teach us truths in HIS word. We are likened to sheep that have a tendency to wander from their shepherd. Our shepherd is Jesus Christ. HE wants us to walk close to HIM at all times but we are also very stubborn and rebellious.
Our chastening comes in many forms. Some countries are taken over by armies of other countries. It seems that our country is going to self-destruct.
Slowly but surely laws are being passed to take God out of every aspect of our lives. God’s standards which are found in HIS Word are being not only questioned but declared illegal in some of the states of our nations. It is sad that some are not even allowed to state their personal Biblical opinion without a reaction from the news media.
No matter what we need to learn that if we neglect the teachings of the Word of God there will be consequences. These consequences not only affect us as individuals but also our nation. Rebellion brings judgment of the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Learn the standard the LORD wants for a nation and fight to keep that standard legal.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 7 Therefore you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, and your arm shall be uncovered, and you shall prophesy against it. (5012 “prophesy” [naba’] means to behave like a prophet, under influence of divine spirit, to deliver a prophetic message, by a divine power, or to speak.)
DEVOTION: When I was young and into my first years of ministry we would be taught or teach with pictures on a board. It was a good way to teach children the truth of the Word of God. Today we would use a computer.
Here we have an example of the LORD giving us word pictures through the prophet of what HE was going to do to Israel and Judah. HE wanted the people to know that the Babylonians were not going to give up on their siege on Jerusalem. HE wanted them to realize that captivity was going to happen not just to the 10 tribes but to the other 2 as well.
All of the children of Israel were going to be judged for their sins. HE was longsuffering but judgment had to come in time because of their disobedience to HIM. There were no good kings in Israel and a few good kings in Judah before they were given the prophets of judgment.
HE had warned but few were listening to the warnings. HE uses signs to help them understand that HE was serious. They needed to repent and turn in a direction that was pleasing to HIM but this didn’t happen.
Today we find nations that think that they are under the protection of God because they have laws on the books that honor the LORD. The problem is that the laws are changing and a nation that doesn’t honor the LORD will be judged by the LORD. HE is longsuffering but HE is also HOLY.
Judgment is coming on our world because the Bible says it was going to happen. Those who claim to be followers of the LORD but who are not genuine believers are living their life as if God was not still in control of the universe. HE is!!! If we are depending on the longsuffering of God to last through our lifetime we might be wrong.
Our country of America is moving further and further from the LORD. Our political leaders don’t want us witnessing in public. They don’t want the Bible to be in the schools of our country. They would prefer that we not speak in public about Jesus Christ even as we celebrate Christmas and Easter.
We need more true prophets of God speaking the truth in our streets and in our churches. Ezekiel had a hard job to do but he was willing to do it no matter what others thought.
Are we willing to serve the LORD no matter what others think of us? It was not easy on the Old Testament prophets. It was not easy on Jesus Christ. It was not easy on the disciples in the first century.
CHALLENGE: Are we looking for easy or for genuine service to the LORD? Speak the truth in love to those who are willing to listen.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 14 Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! Behold, my soul hath not been polluted: for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn in pieces; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth. (5271 “youth” [na’uwr] means, childhood, early life, or adolescence.)
DEVOTION: This chapter has many object lessons for the people of Jerusalem. He was to portray Jerusalem on a tile. He was to use an iron pan to illustrate a wall around Jerusalem. Next he was to lie on his left side for three hundred and ninety days. Then he was to lie on his right side for forty days.
Finally the LORD ordered his diet. HE ordered his amount of bread. HE ordered his amount of meat. Also, HE ordered his amount of water. They were famine amounts.
Lastly, HE told Ezekiel to cook his food on a fire that used human dung for burning fuel. To this Ezekiel objected because it would cause defilement.
Peter had a similar objection when the LORD was trying to teach him a lesson regarding the Gentiles. The LORD replied to this request with an answer that Ezekiel could use cow manure.
Ezekiel was concerned with staying pure as a priest. He didn’t want to do anything that would cause his position in be compromised. The LORD was trying to get a point across to Israel regarding their personal habits. HE was using Ezekiel to get HIS point across.
When the LORD wants to get our attention or the attention of the people around us, HE can use some unusual means. We should look around us for some object lessons the LORD is trying to use to get our attention.
Are we listening to HIS instructions? Secondly, are we able to say with Ezekiel that since we have followed Christ, we have done no abominable things or allowed abominable people to influence us away from the LORD?
It is great for those who have followed Christ from the early years of their lives and have grown in the LORD each year. Most of us have not followed that pattern in our lives. One of the problems in today’s church is that follow-up after becoming a follower of the LORD has been almost nonexistent. That should change.
The Israelite children were taught how they should live. Our children need to have good examples to follow. Can we start again NOW? YES! Let it be our goal to train children in the ways of the LORD from before they are born [reading to them while they are still in the womb] until they leave our houses.
Even after they leave our houses, we can give them instruction when they ask for it.
Also, we have an opportunity to train our grandchildren in the ways of the LORD. Each grandparent who is a believer needs to influence their grandchildren for good in the ways of the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Parents and grandparents are training the next generation. Train them well in the ways of the LORD!! Give them good examples to follow.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 13
drive children of Israel among Gentiles
Lord – Adonai (Owner, Master) verse 14
GOD – Jehovah verse 14
Lord GOD verse 14
I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem verse 16
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Gentiles verse 13
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Iniquity verse 4- 6, 17
Polluted verse 14
Abominable flesh verse 14
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Prophecy verse 7
Not polluted verse 14
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Son of man = Ezekiel verse 1- 17
Take a tile – lay siege against it –
build a fort – cast a mount
against it
Take and iron pan – besiege
Sign against house of Israel
Told to lie on left side
lay iniquity of house of Israel
you shall bear their iniquity
for 190 days
lay on right side for house of Judah
forty days
God has appointed each day for a year
days of siege
Eat bread for 390 days
Meat shall eat by weight – twenty shekels
a day
Drink water by measure
Eat barley cakes baked with dung
Eat defiled bread among the Gentiles
Says to LORD God – my soul has not been
polluted, neither came there
abominable flesh into my mouth
LORD says to him – I have given you cow’s
dung for man’s dung – you shall
prepare your bread therewith
People in Jerusalem will eat bread by weight
and with care and they shall drink
water by measure and with astonishment
People shall consume away for their iniquity
Jerusalem verse 1, 7, 16
House of Israel verse 3- 5, 13
House of Judah verse 6
Children of Israel verse 13
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
4:4–8 Some interpreters take these verses as beginning a new section of separate symbolic actions of the prophet. Since they relate the chronology of the siege described in vv. 1–3, they are more likely an extension and further clarification of the first symbolic act depicting the siege of Jerusalem. Ezekiel was instructed to lie on his left side for 390 days (vv. 4–5), then on his right side for forty days (v. 6) to suggest the length of the time of iniquity of Israel and Judah. God also told him to turn his face toward the siege with “bared arm,” perhaps shaking his fist as a prophecy against the city (v. 7). (Cooper, L. E. (1994). Ezekiel (Vol. 17, p. 94). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
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1–7 Ezekiel began his first major judgment oracle with an introductory formula he often used throughout the book: “The word of the Lord came to me” (v.1). God interrupted Ezekiel’s muteness to announce judgment on Judah’s mountains, hills, ravines, and valleys (vv.2–3). Ezekiel set his face against these four geographical features of the land, for it was in them that the pagans normally established their religious shrines (cf. 2 Kings 23:10). Syncretistic Canaanite religion—with its perverted emphasis on sex, war, cults of the dead, snake worship, and idolatry—preferred high places and groves of trees for its place of worship. Manasseh, king of Judah (695–642 b.c.), had led in the resurgence of these pagan cults that had engulfed the people by Ezekiel’s day.
The Lord pronounced judgment on the heathen shrines and their cultic practices that had been adopted by his people. He would remove the temptation facing his people by destroying all the “high places,” “altars,” “incense altars” (vv.3–4), and “idols” (v.6), thus eliminating their pagan practices. These shrines would become desecrated by the scattering of bones of the dead around them (v.5). The “scattering of bones” is a phrase used for judgment in which uncleanness and shame are conveyed (cf. Pss 53:5; 141:7). The bones would be those of the Israelites who had become engrossed in these pagan practices (v.7; cf. 2 Kings 23:20; Jer 8:1–2). The Lord was faithful to his promise in Leviticus 26:30: “I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bones on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you.” God refused to allow anything to take his rightful place (cf. Exod 20:1–3). Through this discipline Judah would know that he was the only God (v.7; of: v.14) (Alexander, R. H. (1986). Ezekiel. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (Vol. 6, pp. 774–775). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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4:4–8. This is the most difficult sign in the book to interpret, partly because of the ambiguity of the text and partly because of a textual problem.
God told Ezekiel to lie on his left side and put the sin of the house of Israel on himself. If Ezekiel prostrated himself with his head toward Jerusalem (cf. Dan. 6:10), he was facing north when he lay on his left side (and south when he lay on his right side, Ezek. 4:6). His facing north, which represented Israel, the Northern Kingdom, was to be for 390 days. Ezekiel did not remain in this position 24 hours a day, because the very next sign (vv. 9–17) includes some other actions Ezekiel was to do in that time. He probably remained in this position for a portion of each day. (Dyer, C. H. (1985). Ezekiel. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1235). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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But it does not say that the Prophet should be in that position day and night during that allotted time. The fact that he was to prepare food to eat during these days excludes this extreme view. The Prophet no doubt carried out the divine command as he understood it, and thereby gave the people a sign concerning their iniquity and the deserved punishment. But what do the 390 days of Israel and 40 days of Judah mean? The text shows that the days here mean years.* The 390 and 40 days make 430 days. This reminds us of Exodus 12:40–41. where the sojourning of the children of Israel who dwelt in Egypt is given as 430 years. The 40 years of Judah recall the years of wandering in the wilderness. The 390 days apply to the period of Israel’s unfaithfulness, which lead up to their punishment. These 390 years must be reckoned from Jeroboam, who was the first King of the house of Israel by divine appointment as revealed through Ahijah, the Prophet (1 Kings 11:31). The 40 years of Judah, for which Ezekiel was to lie upon his right side for 40 days must mean the 40 years of Solomon’s reign. Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the vile goddess of the Zidonians. Judah worshipped besides Ashtoreth, Chemosh, the god of the Moabites and Milcom, the god of Ammon (1 Kings 11:33). Thus the captives were reminded by the Prophet’s painful position of the shameful history of the long years of apostasy of their nation. But more than that. The Lord said expressly to Ezekiel: “I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity … so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.” By consulting other passages in the Old Testament, especially in Exodus and Leviticus,* it will be found that the phrase “bear their iniquity” always means to endure the punishment due to sin or iniquity. Ezekiel’s sign therefore pictured the actual results in punishment, which was now to fall upon the people for their sins. The 390 years and the 40 years therefore must be primarily applied to the period of their punishment. The Prophet, therefore, had put upon him suffering typical of the nation’s punishment. He is in this a blessed type of the great Sin-bearer, who bore our sins in His own body on the tree. Of Him it is written, “He shall bear their iniquities.” And the believing remnant of Israel in a future day, looking upon Him, whom they pierced, will yet confess “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and with His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). (Gaebelein, A. C. (1918). The prophet Ezekiel: an analytical exposition (pp. 38–40). New York: Publication Office “Our Hope.”)
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It is not easy to understand the exact meaning of the times recorded here. J. N. Darby says, “It is certain that these days do not refer to the duration of the kingdom of Israel apart from Judah, nor to that of Judah, because the kingdom of Israel lasted only about 254 years, while that of Judah continued about 134 years after the fall of Samaria.” He suggests, therefore, that “the longer period mentioned is reckoned from the separation of the ten tribes under Rehoboam, counting the years as those of Israel, because from that moment Israel had a separate existence and comprised the great body of the nation; while Judah was everything during the reign of Solomon, which lasted forty years. After his reign Judah would be comprised in the general name of Israel according to Ezekiel’s usual habit, although on certain occasions he distinguishes them on account of the position of Zedekiah and of God’s future dealings” (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, p. 413, new ed.). This is perhaps as good an explanation as any of the day-for-a-year periods during which Ezekiel was to lie first on one side and then on the other, as the people of the captivity looked on. He was to be their sign, telling of God’s long-drawn-out patience to their fathers and intimating that this day of His mercy was now coming rapidly to a close. The hand of Jehovah was to be upon him, enabling him to fulfil these weary vigils, which otherwise would have been almost impossible for flesh and blood. (Ironside, H. A. (1949). Expository notes on Ezekiel, the prophet. (p. 30). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers)
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Ver. 7. Therefore thou shalt set thy face toward the siege at Jerusalem, &c.] All the while he was lying either on the left side or the right, his face was to be directed to the siege of Jerusalem, portrayed upon the tile, and to all the preparations made for that purpose, to shew that all had reference to that, and that it would certainly be; for, as the prophet represented the Chaldean army, the directing and setting his face to the siege shews their resolution and inflexibleness, that they were determined upon taking the city, and nothing should divert them from it: and thine arm shall be uncovered; which was usual in fighting in those times and countries; for, wearing long garments, they were obliged to turn them up on the arm, or lay them aside, that they might more expeditiously handle their weapons, and engage with the enemy; in this form the soldiers in Trajan’s column are figured fighting; and it is related that the Africans used to fight with their arms uncovered; thus Scanderbeg in later times used to fight the Turks. The design of the phrase is to shew how ready, diligent, and expeditious, the Chaldeans would be in carrying on the siege. The Targum renders it, “thou shalt strengthen thine arm;” and so do the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions: and thou shall prophesy against it; meaning not so much by words, if at all, but by these actions, gestures, and habit; for they all foretold what would certainly come to pass. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 6, p. 21). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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4:7 The arm . . . uncovered, used in connection with God’s command that Ezekiel set his face toward the siege (see 4:3), most likely refers to the siege as a set and certain event (see Is. 52:10, and the modern idiom of “rolling up one’s sleeves”). As horrible as it was, the siege ultimately showed God’s faithfulness to His covenant established in the days of Moses: that idolatry and disobedience would bring curses, which would include being conquered, captured, and removed from the land (Deut. 28:15–68). (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version (Eze 4:7). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
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IV. He was ordered to prosecute the siege with vigour (v. 7): Thou shalt set thy face towards the siege of Jerusalem, as wholly intent upon it and resolved to carry it; so the Chaldeans would be, and neither bribed nor forced to withdraw from it. Nebuchadnezzar’s indignation at Zedekiah’s treachery in breaking his league with him made him very furious in pushing on this siege, that he might chastise the insolence of that faithless prince and people; and his army promised themselves a rich booty of that pompous city; so that both set their faces against it, for they were very resolute. Nor were they less active and industrious, exerting themselves to the utmost in all the operations of the siege, which the prophet was to represent by the uncovering of his arm, or, as some read it, the stretching out of his arm, as it were to deal blows about without mercy. When God is about to do some great work he is said to make bare his arm, Isa. 52:10. In short, The Chaldeans will go about their business, and go on in it, as men in earnest, who resolve to go through with it. Now, 1. This is intended to be a sign to the house of Israel (v. 3), both to those in Babylon, who were eye-witnesses of what the prophet did, and to those also who remained in their own land, who would hear the report of it. The prophet was dumb and could not speak (ch. 3:26); but as his silence had a voice, and upbraided the people with their deafness, so even then God left not himself without witness, but ordered him to make signs, as dumb men are accustomed to do, and as Zacharias did when he was dumb, and by them to make known his mind (that is, the mind of God) to the people. And thus likewise the people were upbraided with their stupidity and dulness, that they were not capable of being taught as men of sense are, by words, but must be taught as children are, by pictures, or as deaf men are, by signs. Or, perhaps, they are hereby upbraided with their malice against the prophet. Had he spoken in words at length what was signified by these figures, they would have entangled him in his talk, would have indicted him for treasonable expressions, for they knew how to make a man an offender for a word (Isa. 29:21), to avoid which he is ordered to make use of signs. Or the prophet made use of signs for the same reason that Christ made use of parables, that hearing they might hear and not understand, and seeing they might see and not perceive, Mt. 13:14, 15. They would not understand what was plain, and therefore shall be taught by that which is difficult; and herein the Lord was righteous. 2. Thus the prophet prophesies against Jerusalem (v. 7); and there were those who not only understood it so, but were the more affected with it by its being so represented, for images to the eye commonly make deeper impressions upon the mind than words can, and for this reason sacraments are instituted to represent divine things, that we might see and believe, might see and be affected with those things; and we may expect this benefit by them, and a blessing to go along with them, while (as the prophet here) we make use only of such signs as God himself has expressly appointed, which, we must conclude, are the fittest. Note, The power of imagination, if it be rightly used, and kept under the direction and correction of reason and faith, may be of good use to kindle and excite pious and devout affections, as it was here to Ezekiel and his attendants. “Methinks I see so and so, myself dying, time expiring, the world on fire, the dead rising, the great tribunal set, and the like, may have an exceedingly good influence upon us: for fancy is like fire, a good servant, but a bad master.” 3. This whole transaction has that in it which the prophet might, with a good colour of reason, have hesitated at and excepted against, and yet, in obedience to God’s command, and in execution of his office, he did it according to order. (1.) It seemed childish and ludicrous, and beneath his gravity, and there were those that would ridicule him for it; but he knew the divine appointment put honour enough upon that which otherwise seemed mean to save his reputation in the doing of it. (2.) It was toilsome and tiresome to do as he did; but our ease as well as our credit must be sacrificed to our duty, and we must never call God’s service in any instance of it a hard service. (3.) It could not but be very much against the grain with him to appear thus against Jerusalem, the city of God, the holy city, to act as an enemy against a place to which he was so good a friend; but he is a prophet, and must follow his instructions, not his affections, and must plainly preach the ruin of a sinful place, though its welfare is what he passionately desires and earnestly prays for. 4. All this that the prophet sets before the children of his people concerning the destruction of Jerusalem is designed to bring them to repentance, by showing them sin, the provoking cause of this destruction, sin the ruin of that once flourishing city, than which surely nothing could be more effectual to make them hate sin and turn from it; while he thus in lively colours describes the calamity with a great deal of pain and uneasiness to himself, he is bearing the iniquity of Israel and Judah. “Look here” (says he) “and see what work sin makes, what an evil and bitter thing it is to depart form God; this comes of sin, your sins and the sin of your fathers; let that therefore be the daily matter of your sorrow and shame now in your captivity, that you may make your peace with God and he may return in mercy to you.” But observe, It is a day of punishment for a year of sin: I have appointed thee each day for a year. The siege is a calamity of 390 days, in which God reckons for the iniquity of 390 years; justly therefore d they acknowledge that God had punished them less than their iniquity deserved, Ezra 9:13. But let impenitent sinners know that, though now God is long-suffering towards them, in the other world there is an everlasting punishment. When God laid bands upon the prophet, it was to show them how they were bound with the cords of their own transgression (Lam. 1:14), and therefore they were now holden in the cords of affliction. But we may well think of the prophet’s case with compassion, when God laid upon him the bands of duty, as he does on all his ministers (1 Co. 9:16, Necessity is laid upon me, and woe unto me if I preach not the gospel); and yet men laid upon him bonds of restraint (ch. 3:25); but under both it is satisfaction enough that they are serving the interests of God’s kingdom among men. (Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 1346). Peabody: Hendrickson.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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NO OTHER PERSON
There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Acts 4:12
The New Testament says that the most important question that we must face is that of Jesus Christ; for, it tells us, our life in this world here and now, the whole meaning of death, and indeed our life throughout eternity depends entirely and solely upon our answer to this question: “Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” The New Testament does not hesitate to say that. Listen to the apostle Peter saying it unequivocally in one of his first recorded sermons: “There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12)—this name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now that is a dogmatic assertion, I agree, but there is no more dogmatic book in the world than the New Testament. It never comes and says, “You have read many other books and been interested in their theories—now read me and see what you make of me. Perhaps you will find me more interesting than the others.” No; rather, it makes a definite pronouncement. Here, it tells us, is the only way for men and women to know God and to be reconciled to Him. Here is the only way whereby they can be delivered from the thralldom and the serfdom of life in this world and from its sin and its evil. Here is the only way whereby they can be delivered forever from the fear of death and the grave. And here, says the New Testament, is the one and only way in which men and women can avoid spending eternity in a state of misery and wretchedness and torment. That is its statement, nothing less. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life ; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36). It is one or the other; everything is dependent upon this person.
A Thought to Ponder: There is no more dogmatic book in the world than the New Testament. (From The Heart of the Gospel, pp. 12-13, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Waiting
“Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?” (Mark 13:4)
Within a week of His approaching death, Christ sat down with His disciples to talk of the future. He would be leaving, terrible persecution would come, but He would return. Purposefully, no date was given. Their curiosity was no doubt great, but Christ had other charges for them. Instead, Christ focused on other issues, and His instructions apply to us just as surely as to the disciples.
Whether things are going well or not, we must not be misled into a false sense of security. The disciples were looking at the beautiful and serene temple and grounds, but Christ predicted unprecedented destruction. “There shall not be left one stone upon another” (v. 2).
Nor should we allow ourselves to be deceived by false prophets (vv. 5-6). Scripture gives ample information to allow us to identify and shun these “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” But to our shame, false teachings permeate our churches and television airwaves.
Furthermore, when natural calamities and world turmoil cascade in on us (vv. 7-8), we must not be frozen with fear. These things must come (v. 7). Persecution must come also (vv. 9-12). We must not allow ourselves to be intimidated in our witness or tripped up by bitterness.
Instead, we must “endure” and remain loyal to Him (v. 13). We must be at work to spread the gospel to all nations (v. 10) in spite of the opposition. And, “take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is” (v. 33).
As the events in the Middle East escalate and take on a character that could lead to the sort of conflagration Jesus prophesied, let us commit ourselves to the attitude of heart and life He commanded. (JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Philosopher John Gray started his 2007 book “Black Mass” with this declaration: “Modern politics is a chapter in the history of religion.” Now, Gray is an atheist, but he realized that so much of modern politics is an attempt to re-inspire a world originally inspired by religion, especially Christianity.
Gray specifically pointed to the political “utopian projects,” like Marxism and Nazism, that came with an eschatological promise of a perfected world, just like Christian theology.
But even beyond Marx and Hitler, Gray considered any political project that aspired to “an all-encompassing transformation of human life,” including the Enlightenment belief in progress, to be a “secular reincarnation of early Christian beliefs.”
Today, secular political discourse includes not only utopian substitutes of the New Heaven and New Earth, but also secular versions of the Apocalypse. Just consider the tenor of our current debates around climate change and the environment.
For example, the new book by Bill McKibben, entitled “Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?” comes across like a “Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God” for climate-change activists. The excerpt just published in Rolling Stone magazine brings to mind certain visions that Jesus gave John on the island of Patmos.
In McKibben’s first scenario, the oceans warm to the point that by 2100, “it stops oxygen production by phyto-plankton by disrupting the process of photosynthesis’” which, he says, would likely result in the “mass mortality of animals and humans.”
The boiling seas scenario is just one of his apocalyptic horsemen. Others ways that world could end by rising temperatures include melting glaciers and permafrost that unleash “Spanish flu virus, smallpox, and bubonic plague buried in Siberia and Alaska.”
Of course, no apocalyptic scenario is complete without earthquakes and famine, so McKibben tells us that as “ice sheets melt, they take [the] weight off [the] land, and that can trigger earthquakes.” In addition, the added weight of the new seawater starts to bend the Earth’s crust. ‘That will give you a massive increase in volcanic activity. It’ll activate faults to create earthquakes, submarine landslides, tsunamis, the whole lot.’”
Meanwhile back on land, increasing global temperatures could bring to a halt all the gains in agricultural productivity we’ve had since the end of World War II. Even if crop yields aren’t affected that much by all the catastrophe, climate change could still affect our ability to transport what we’re still able to grow.
Now it may sound like I’m mocking McKibben, but I’m not. At least not entirely. While many of his scenarios are far-fetched, and filled with the sort of “mights,” “mays,” and “could haves” we’ve be hearing for a very long time, no one, least of all Christians, should be indifferent to the human impact on the environment.
Still, I’m struck by how often secular, scientific garb is adorned with pseudo-religious appeal.
Throughout “Falter,” McKibben uses the language of sin and punishment, judgment and condemnation. The sins are against “nature” or “the planet” instead of God, but the argument is the same: “Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever.” (BreakPoint)
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When we speak of abiding, it is usually in some legalistic sense; a law-abiding citizen; one who abides by the rules. In John’s discourse, the word means so much more than toeing the line. The Greek translates it as “to continue, to stay in a relationship, to remain, to be consistent.” When we abide in Christ, we remain consistent in our relationship with HIM. We believe HIS truth, we obey HIS Spirit, and we stay steadfast in our love for HIM and for His children. (p. 166)
McCarthy wrote that abiding does not mean striving or struggling but simply trusting Christ to provide the necessary power. (p. 166-7)
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Most of us find ourselves to be sprinters in life rather than marathon runners. (p. 167)
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But we understand. We know that when we give our hearts to Christ, He gives us hearts for others. We can then love in a way that would never have been possible without Him. (p. 170)
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In other words, if you are Christian, here is the test: love the people you know – really love them. That’s what real Christians do. Anything else is simply playing religious games. (p. 171) (Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World by Dr. David Jeremiah)
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The people pledge their allegiance to Joshua’s leadership.
INSIGHT
The genius of God’s moral code is that everything He requires of us is for our own good. When we violate His code of life, we suffer harmful consequences.
Joshua’s success is dependent upon not deviating from God’s Law. God instructs Joshua to meditate on the Law day and night so “that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it” (1:8). When Joshua does according “to all that is written in it,” then “[he] will make your way prosperous, and then [he] will have good success.”
Anything less than obedience to God is not only disappointing to Him-it is self-destructive. There is more than one reason for faithfulness to His Word. (Quiet Walk)
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