One Year Bible - November 9

EZEKIEL 20:1-49                                                                                                           

LAST WORDS: (Chap 20-23 - Last prophesies before the FALL): The Land is the Land of the Spirit, the Land of the Presence of God, the place of being in the Rest of God by faith.  (See Heb 3 and 4) To walk and talk with God any time we want. To feel His love, His strength, His mercy. And Ezekiel's people have thrown it all away. They rebelled and were idolatrous in Egypt. They rebelled in the desert, not keeping the commands or the Sabbath. The new generation was warned not to do like their fathers, but rebelled anyway, even in the Land. They did not keep the Law or the sabbath, and they became idolaters.  Now they are being scattered to the nations, where they will be WEANED from their sin. The rebels will be purged out, the others "bound" by covenant to God.  Judah will be destroyed by the fires of judgment because it is polluted. The elders hardened their hearts and told Ezekiel they couldn't understand him!  With that excuse, they avoided applying the message to themselves.

RE-GATHERED: Re-gathered, to return with Ezra and Nehemiah.  But ultimately, the re-gathering with the new heart and new spirit will happen ONLY WITH JESUS and the "everlasting covenant".

RESPONSE:   Sometimes I think I have to be hit over the head with a board before I "get it" . I can rationalize sin and justify bad behavior sometimes, and get deceived about what I'm doing. But God is faithful, and He doesn't let it go on long.  This is why it is a good idea to repent immediately because then we don't have a chance to think up a good excuse.   Also, when we delay repentance, we begin hardening our hearts. Then it takes a "hard hit" to get our attention!  We don't want sin to become habitual.  We can no longer sin with impunity, or do whatever we want any more.  We cannot act like ordinary people or go our own way.  Sin is not the same in us as it is with those who belong to the devil (2 John 3:8-10).  We will be corrected.  We are bound to God and He is bound to us.  He is our Father.

HEBREWS 9:11-28                                                                                                         
FIVE "ETERNAL'S" OF HEBREWS (exclusively):  (5:9) Eternal Salvation: Jesus was the slain Lamb in eternity and salvation was all worked out before the foundations of the earth (Rev 13:8; 1Pet 1:20; Eph 1:4, et al). That makes salvation "eternal".  Jesus' work on the cross is called "perfect" ("complete") in Hebrews 5.  Nothing more can be added to it. (6:2) Eternal judgment: For the believer, judgment has been made against Jesus on our behalf.  It is just as eternal as our salvation.  Our "works" now get judged, mostly as we go along, fleshly works burning and redemptive works bringing rewards both now and later.  These "works" are the result or evidence of salvation, not the means.  (9:12) Eternal redemption: By His Blood, Jesus made redemption for us once for all. There is no longer any need for sacrifice for our salvation.  My husband puts it like this: We owe a huge sin-debt.  Every year, the OT priests made an interest payment, but never were able to pay anything on the debt itself. Jesus picked up all the I.O.U.'s!  The debt is gone.  Jesus assumed the loss in Himself.  (9:14) Eternal Spirit:  We all know that the Holy Spirit, being God, is eternal.  The point being made here is that the Holy Spirit eternally "purges our conscience from dead works".  He removes the guilt. We go free.  God does not deal with us as guilty sinners anymore!  (9:15) Eternal inheritance: Our inheritance is NOT HEAVEN!  Heaven isn't even our reward.  It is our HOME. Our inheritance is "the Land" - which Hebrews has shown is "God's Rest by faith".  It is our call to live in God's Presence for all eternity (which is NOW).  We inherit because Jesus died, not because we have died!

"BETTER SACRIFICE": (9:23)  The OT tabernacle with its sacrificial system was just a "figure": a corresponding illustration of something invisible.  This is why Moses was cautioned to make it exactly the way God showed him.  The tabernacle was a visible representation of heaven itself!  Jesus, as our High Priest, BY HIMSELF, went once into the Holy of Holies in heaven, and placed His blood on the heavenly mercy seat for all time.  He "put away sin" - He cancelled it, disannulled it, brought it to nothing "by the sacrifice of Himself".  The "end of the world" (9:26) refers to the end of Judaism, the Temple and its rituals.  Jesus has come!  The effects of His sacrifice is eternal, making it "better" than that of bulls and goats.  Jesus was the last sacrifice.  All God's wrath was wrung out on Jesus as He hung dying on the Cross.  IT IS FINISHED!

RESPONSE:  Some people like to think that Hebrews is primarily about the "Five Warnings" against apostasy. I believe Hebrews is about the "Five Eternal's" that are found only in Hebews.  (There is another in Heb 13:20 that is found elsewhere).  I don't believe that salvation is what is at stake here in Hebrews!  It is "the Land", which chapters 3 and 4 tell us is "God's Rest" that comes as we live by faith.  Living by faith means to release the outcomes to God.  Living by faith means to place our confidence in the "eternals" of Hebrews. Ask yourself: Is Moses in heaven?  I believe so, as evidenced by his appearance on the Mount of Transfiguration (Luk 9:30).  Did he enter the Land? No. Is he still "saved"?  Of course he is. Can you be saved, but miss out on something important? I believe that's what Hebrews is all about - don't forfeit God's Rest, that comes with a life of faith.  Keep the context in mind: Hebrews is the first in the series of NT books "all about faith".  God's Rest (in this life) can be forfeited by unbelief, by "drifting away" (excuses), by fear, by ignorance.  Living in God's Presence is "better" because our inheritance is a life of freedom instead of bondage, joy for sorrow, peace for anxiety and fear, confidence in Jesus' righteousness on our behalf, knowing we are loved and blessed by God.

PSALM 107:1-43                                                                                                                

Speaking of "the Land",  here we are at the beginning of the "Deuteronomy Psalms" (107-150).  On the threshold of the Land, you would think there would be some warfare instructions, but instead, we find in Deuteronomy the word, "Remember".  In a time with no writing tablets, no television or radio, "remembering" was done orally.  We must "remember" out loud - especially today when there is too much information coming at us. Remember what?  Psa 107 says to remember how God led us to Himself, dealt with us in our spiritual growth, humbled us so we'd depend on Him, and how He protected us, to dwell in His Presence beginning right now.  Remember, this is not speaking of entering heaven - but of entering and living in God's Presence NOW, by our walk of faith.

As we come into God's Presence every moment of every day, "the sacrifice of praise" is our entrance fee - it opens our own hearts, not God's (His is already open).  Then, four times (v. 6, 13, 19, 28) it says that when they cried out to God, God delivered them from their troubles.  Did they (we) deserve it? NO!  Did they (we) work for it?  NO! Does it say that they (we) regretted their sin? NO!  But they did turn toward God when they "cried".  True repentance is when we turn from being self-sufficient and learn to lean on and depend on God. 

V. 9 says "He satisfies the longing soul, fills the hunger soul with goodness." HOW? We learn to eat and drink from Him thru our WORDS:  we praise Him "for His goodness and for His wonderful works."  V. 17 tells us that all unbelief is foolishness.  It is considered rebellion against God's eternal purpose for us (v. 11) to reflect Himself in the earth in order to glorify God. When we behave like fools, God allows us to come to the end of ourselves - all the while luring us toward Him. "God's goodness leads us to repentance." (Rom 2:4)

PROVERBS 27:11                                                                                                          
Children who pursue God are a credit to their parents and to their upbringing.

RESPONSE: Isn't it something that as parents, we like to take credit for our children doing things we are proud of. When they do foolish things, then we make excuses for ourselves, letting the children take the full blame for their bad behavior.  I am glad that God does not cast me off when I "screw up".