EZEKIEL 27:1 - 28:26
TYRE: The Mistress of the Mediterranean with an insatiable desire for THINGS. (27:27) All those who bought and sold, called the "kings of the earth" in Rev 18, will wail and mourn over her loss.
THE PRINCE OF TYRE (28:1-10): Verses 2 and 9 say that this is a "MAN". He makes the claims of deity: himself on the throne of his heart, human wisdom and understanding, riches, arrogance and conceit. This is the Spirit of Tyre (antichristian world-spirit) that Ezekiel is dealing with. NOTE: A majority of the church world now looks on this and on Isaiah 14 as explaining the origin of Satan. NOTE: These two portions of Scripture (Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 12) are the ONLY ones that have been used and twisted to make it look like the devil was once a holy angel. God's throne and God's holiness did not NEED to be guarded by anyone or anything. LUCIFER is not even a name in the Bible. It is used in the Catholic Bible for the Hebrew word "heylel" which means "shining one". Sometimes I think people want a devil who "fell" into sin so they won't feel so bad when they do it!
BUT WHAT IF GOD CREATED SATAN JUST LIKE HE IS? God is sovereign and responsible for all things. He is in charge of the universe - - - not Satan, not man. If God did NOT create Satan, and did NOT intend for Satan to offer opposition, then He is not in control and cannot determine the outcomes. When God created light, He also created darkness. When He created day, He also created night. God is in control, and nothing happens that He does not have in His plan and He knows how this will all end. So, why did God put opposition and resistance in the world? So WHY? (1) Opposition and testing builds spiritual muscle and strengthens our faith. (2) Opposition gives us the opportunity to share Jesus' victory.
THE KING OF TYRE: ADAM IN EDEN: (28:11-19) This is just a glimpse of Man's heart, one that is "desperately wicked and deceitful" (Jer 17:9). "The anointed cherub that covered" was originally the OX, one of the four living creatures (Ezek 1). Adam was God's covering for the earth! Iniquity was found in Adam, tho he had walked up and down in Eden with God. He tried to OWN what God gave him to have STEWARDSHIP over. Adam's heart was lift up and he corrupted his wisdom. Adam was cast out of the garden and brought down to the curse of the dust. He defiled his sanctuary (himself) and corrupted his walk with God.
ZIDON: The 7th nation to be destroyed for following the footsteps of Tyre and mocking Jerusalem. It was the headquarters for the idolatrous and filthy worship of Baal, Ashtaroth and Tammuz. They shall know that God is in charge of the nations.
RESPONSE: The real issue is now and always has been: WHO IS IN CHARGE? Has God lost control of His creation? Has He relinquished control of it? If He is in control, then why am I responsible for what I DON'T DO? That's what Romans is all about - why we are all without excuse. The fear of God is so that I always know that my actions have consequences and I am accountable. Obviously God does not tolerate opposition to His plan, and we should be warned about NOT living to please God.
HEBREWS 11:17-31
CONTINUITY AND CHARACTERISTICS OF FAITH: (Being "in faith" is being "in rest".) Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses were all pushing ahead for the same goal: being found in "God's Rest", the obedience of faith, even if it meant suffering - because their faith was defined as the "substance and evidence of the unseen world". Visible things are also temporal, passing away, and lack "substance". These generations all lived as if God were presence and visible. They had all obtained the "Life lived by faith" (Heb 10:38; Hab 2:4). They trusted God in this life and in the resurrected life beyond the grave. Faith transcends death! We have ALREADY been resurrected (a "better resurrection"); and we shall never die! (John 11:26; 1 Cor 15:22;2 Cor 5:8) That is their secret. The visible, temporal things in life became IRRELEVANT. Another secret to faith is that it demands perseverance in the midst of unbelieving people. God must be our focus all the time. Faith is a distinction that sets us apart. Rahab stood out among the unbelieving Jericho-ites, and lived by faith. Faith takes courage and perseverance! Moses' testimony specifically tells us that our worst day with Jesus, is STILL BETTER than our best day without Him! The REAL POINT being made here is this: this list of people and the IMPOSSIBLE deed they performed, based on an INVISIBLE reality and INAUDIBLE commands - are PROOF that our faith is indeed based on "SUBSTANCE AND EVIDENCE". The spirit realm really exists and has authority over the natural realm, and outlives it.
RESPONSE: My biggest opposition comes from my own feelings. My ugly feelings come from my perception of truth. When I keep my focus on the goodness and greatness of God, my thoughts protect me and keep me "girded with truth" (Eph 6:14). When I think I have to "be good" in order to be considered righteous and "in fellowship with God", my confidence with God fails me and I start thinking dark thoughts about myself. It is "work" to walk in faith - not "works" - but the labour of staying in God's rest (Heb 4:11). When I feel myself slipping (like Hebrews says - discouragement, carelessness, apathy, drifting, not caring), then I quickly raise my hands and my voice and begin pressing toward God. My righteousness comes from Jesus! It is entirely by grace! If I mix grace and works, there is no place for faith to work! My life is centered ALL on the grace of God. vSometimes I surprise people at Wal-Mart! I surprise them in my kitchen! I continuously reach and grab for what's INVISIBLE and draw it to me because I am confident that those things are also PERMANENT and ETERNAL! If I look at myself and my circumstances, I won't have what it takes for the "better" things of Hebrews. Thank God that what God has provided is all "ETERNAL".
PSALM 111:1-10
This is one of the "Deuteronomy" Psalms, making it about "Living by faith in the Rest (the Land) of God". I love this last section of Psalms, because it tells me how to think and what to say so I can rest, and believe and behave by faith. This Psalm demonstrates how to "delight ourselves in the Lord". We speak of His excellence, His splendor, His magnificence, His covenant-keeping faithfulness, the "works of His hands", the fact that nothing God does will pass away. He is the eternal One.
PROVERBS 27:15-16
An argumentative, criticizing wife can't be avoided. In fact, she can't be hidden either.
RESPONSE: I think a wife who is always criticizing her family members is probably in a lot of emotional pain and has issues with trust. This can only be healed by trusting Jesus - which comes from training your own emotions that it is the right things to do, and it is the beneficial thing to do. This is done through speaking out loud to your own heart - dwelling on God's goodness and God's greatness. He is faithful and He knows our hearts. We can't hide from Him.
