EZEKIEL 24:1 - 26:21
MARK THE DATE: "The delight of Ezekiel's eyes" was obviously his wife, just as Jerusalem and the Temple were the delight of Judah's eyes. Both were taken in one overwhelming blow on the same day. Ezekiel was wounded by the stoke of God and not allowed any outward expression of grief, and now he must finish his ministry in a state of hidden grief. The people were not allowed to mourn or grieve for Jerusalem. The sorrow is too great for words - Ezekiel would be stupefied dumb for almost three years during the siege. The date was exactly set and Ezekiel made a note of it because now it was personal. What remained of the city was killed or taken captive. The great loss of the temple and the nation is too deep for tears.
JUDGMENT AGAINST THE GLOATING NATIONS (Chap 25-32): "The nations" represent the mind of the flesh, the self-life, the world-spirit that is antichristian (Rom 8:7; James 4:4). These prophesies were given two years after the siege was over and Jerusalem was destroyed. Seven nations were singled out for condemnation for delighting in Jerusalem's demise. The books of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel all have similar lists. One day, the Lord will gather His people from all these nations, His glory will be over all and He will be there in the midst of His creation.
AMMON: They are descendants of Lot, and therefore represent a MIXTURE of our flesh and the spirit. The carnal mind and world-spirit lords it over us and wants the adulation and commitment that is meant for God. It is seductive because of its appearance of power and its ability to intimidate us. .
MOAB: Incestuous descendants of Lot. They accused Judah of being no different than a pagan (sound familiar?). Haughtiness and secret delight in someone else's misfortune is unseemly. Because of their contempt they would be turned over along with the Ammonites to marauders.
EDOM: They are descendants of Esau, who represents the FLESH, and are related closer to Israel than the other two nations. David had conquered and almost annihilated them, and so they took advantage of this situation to avenge themselves.
PHILISTIA: Our perpetual enemy - the flesh. They, too, were motivated by revenge. Consider the damage that bitterness and vengefulness can produce in our hearts. The acid of resentment brought judgment on themselves. Vengeance is idolatry, taking the place of God.
TYRE: Tyre and Sidon were two chief cities of Phoenicia. During the reign of David and Solomon, Israel had a good relationship with these cities, who in fact, contributed to the building of the Temple. By the time of Ezekiel, Tyre was selling Jews for slaves and mocked the fall of Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre for 13 years and finally subjugated it. Tyre represents the arrogance and pride, and materialistic greed of demonic influence. God judged Tyre because Tyre took financial advantage of the situation.
RESPONSE: 1 Peter 4:15-16, "But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf." We are not to render evil for evil. In fact, in Matt 5:39 Jesus said, "But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." We leave judgment in the hands of God.
This is because the OT figures of our enemies does not represent people, but THE FLESH. We "revenge all disobedience" (2 Cor 10:6) of our natural minds. We don't tolerate any opposition to the Spirit. Any antichristian thoughts, ideas, attitudes, reasonings, opinions, affections, intentions, etc. etc. must be avenged. God will help us by His Spirit and by His Word, and by circumstances of life. Every circumstance becomes an opportunity to deny the flesh, thus avenging ourselves.
HEBREWS 11:1-16
WHAT EXACTLY IS FAITH? The context of Hebrews is how faith works in difficult situations. Faith directs our response to Truth. Faith is rightly resting on Truth. What we really believe, determines what we do, and how and why we do it. Hebrews 11 tells us that faith is the "substance" and the "evidence" of invisible Realities. The physical realm is a "shadow" of the spiritual realm and has no true substance. The visible realm is external, temporary, corruptible, shakable, changing. The invisible, spiritual realm of Grace and Truth is internal, eternal, unchanging, unshakable, and incorruptible. Faith is NOT a subjective attitude, but an objective, decisive commitment based on Truth. It is confidence in the Reality of our Invisible God. Faith is NOT "non-doubting", but is a demonstration that the invisible is our reality, and everything visible is a shadow and is temporary. Being "in faith" is what it means to "Rest". It is living life in the awareness of those invisible realities - God and what God has promised. True faith possesses, it does not "claim" anything! Faith holds fast to God as if He were visible and Present, obeying Him and then leaving the outcomes to God.
"RESTING" BY BEING "IN FAITH": Chapter 11 is where "the tire meets the road". It explains exactly what is so much "better" about living by faith. In Chap 11 there are three (3) "better"s: 11:16 "better country"; 11:35 "better resurrection"; 11:40 "better thing". They all point to the same thing: resting in the Presence of God both here and after the resurrection. We can go through anything when we know that God is with us, and that God will ultimately triumph. The ultimate reality that our faith rests on is the resurrection of Jesus and our own resurrection. The reason we have victory over suffering, over rejection, over death, over hostility, even over martyrdom, is because our faith rests on the resurrection! Even in Heb 11:35, where some elderly women raised dead sons from the dead, that was only a temporary resurrection. Those sons still died at some point. The "better resurrection" refers to being resurrected into the immediate, manifested presence of God at the Throne of heaven. Being "in faith" , believing that God is Present, gives rest. Feeling disconnected from God, alienated from God, brings UNrest.
THE LIST....... What I find interesting about the list of "faith heroes" in Hebrews 11, is that being "in faith" does not guarantee that I won't suffer! Or die! Or be on the bottom of the pile! In fact, being "in faith" almost guarantees that we will suffer all kinds of hostility, precisely because we don't attach undue importance to visible things, and because we live as if the Unseen God were Present (which He is, in fact). But just look at what our faith is resting upon: the Reality of God, and that fact that God keeps His promises - a foundational promise being that of the "better resurrection".
A "GOOD REPORT": Hebrews 11:2; 4; 39-40 lets us know that all the OT saints "were assured of God's promises, embraced them, and called themselves strangers and pilgrims" on the earth because of their faith in the "better resurrection" - life beyond this temporal, visible life. The words "good report" are just one word in the original language: "martureo" or "martus", from which we get the word "martyr." It means "bear witness to". Here GOD is the one giving testimony: that faith always triumphs because of the resurrection! Faith triumphs over suffering, over ridicule, over rejection, over death, over every circumstance - whether we, by faith, bring order or righteousness to a situation, or whether we are martyred for our stand. Either way is a victory! The whole chapter is "a good report" about "the just living by faith" (10:38-39)!
RESPONSE: Our faith is based on Truth, on the reality of the invisible world. Wouldn't you rather base your life on what is really real - than on something that won't even be here in a few years? Everything we can see is passing away! But not the "better" things and the "eternal" things of Hebrews. If we continue to live by rules, by external religion, by self-interest and self-preservation, we forfeit all the "better things". My mother used to say, "if it won't matter in 100 years, it doesn't matter." That's because most of what we are so involved in, won't be here in 100 years! It is "passing away", just like Hebrews says. So we must "live by faith" and enter into "God's Rest" so that we can also receive "a good report". Let my life testify of the sufficiency of Jesus Christ. Because He is enough for me, any external loss becomes irrelevant.
PSALM 110:1-7
PROVERBS 27:14
Exaggerated praise and flattery bring a curse back on the person who utters them, in that people despise him for uttering them.
RESPONSE: I think it is fitting that our first glimpse of Melchizedek shows him serving (Gen 14:18-19). Being a king is not about privilege, but about responsibility. This is why it is important to blend the two ministries: priest and king. To be a king without priesthood would make us tyrants. And, to "rule" (which really means "to shepherd") without being "in the womb of the morning" - or in God's Presence, leads to self-interest. God must always be the center of our lives and of everything we do.
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