Ezekiel

Ezekiel 6 and Psalm 44

In Ezekiel 6, God tells Ezekiel to set his face toward the mountains. The significance of the mountains is likely the high places of idol worship in Israel. The following is a description from The Bible Knowledge Commentary:

High places were in Canaan before Israel arrived, and God commanded Israel to destroy them (Num. 33:52). …After the temple in Jerusalem was completed, worshiping at high places was once again discouraged. Most high places remaining in the land were dedicated to false gods (1 Kings 11:7–10). 1

Ezekiel’s actions and condemnation would surely ring clear in the minds of the exiles as they remembered the rampant idolatry that occurred in the land prior to its destruction and judgment.
In Ezekiel 6:13-14, the pronouncement of Ezekiel 6:17 is repeated. The Bible Knowledge Commentary describes these verses:

The imagery in verses 1–7 was repeated here as God promised He would slay the people … among … their altars, on every high hill and … under every spreading tree and every leafy oak. Often on the high places where altars were built were luxuriant trees, which represented growth and possibly fertility (cf. Hosea 4:13). The “oak” (’ēlâh) was the terebinth tree. It is a deciduous tree common to Palestine and grows to a height of 35–40 feet. The Elah Valley, where David slew Goliath, probably received its name because of the abundance of these trees (1 Sam. 17:2, 19).

God had given Israel a land luxurious with “spreading” trees and “leafy” oaks, but the people corrupted His gift, using these displays of His bounty as places to offer fragrant incense to all their idols. Therefore God would reduce their rich land to rubble—a desolate waste from the desert to Diblah. (Dyer, 2)

These current times are full of idolatry. From greed to covetousness to the prosperity gospel, my generation is seeking for a god in all of the wrong places while vehemently denying the true God.

Psalm 44 is definitely a change from many of the previous Psalms which have been filled with hope or testimonies of God’s faithfulness. Ps. 44 instead appears to be a question of why God appears to ignore those who are trying to follow Him. I found some helpful insight from D. A. Carson’s For the Lord of God Volume Two:

At least two hints toward the end of the psalm, though they do not provide “solutions,” invite the reader to reflect on the direction taken by later biblical writers. (1) Sometimes God’s apparent sleep, his withdrawal (44:23ff.), is not overt wrath poured out on our sin, but his own timing. He refuses to be hurried, and his “unfailing love” (44:26) will triumph in the end. The ebbs and flows of Christian history support the same stance: they do not always correspond with differing degrees of loyalty or different methods. As one commentator (F. D. Kidner) has finely put it, “Although its picture of the sleeping Lord may seem naive to us, it was acted out in the New Testament, to teach a lesson which we still find relevant: cf. verse 23 with Mark 4:38.” (2) More stunningly, the psalmist says it is “for your sake [that] we face death all day long” (44:22, italics added). That point is not fully developed until Paul quotes the verse (Rom. 8:36ff.). But already it embraces the notion that some suffering is not the result of our sin but simply the result of being faithful to God in a world at war with him. In such cases suffering is not a sign of defeat but a badge of fidelity and fellowship, even of victory: we are “more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37). 3

1 Dyer, Charles H. “Ezekiel.” The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Vol. 1. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985. 1238. Print.

3 Carson, D. A. For the Love of God: a Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God’s Word. Vol. 2. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1998. Print.

Ezekiel 5 and Psalms 42-43

In Ezekiel 5, Ezekiel is again commanded to provide a physical illustration to the exiles of what is going to happen to Jerusalem. Remembering back a few days, the exiles did not or would not believe in the judgment against Jerusalem. In this case, Ezekiel shaves off all of his hair and beard and uses portions of it to demonstrate the various aspects of the judgment against Jerusalem. Ezekiel 5:12 provides the summary of the judgment: one third will die within the city from the siege, a third will die by the sword in the final breakout, and a third will be scattered into Exile.

The pronoun “I” is repeated throughout Ezekiel 5:8-17 and emphasizes the unstoppable hand of God’s wrath. Ezekiel 5:13 says that His wrath will eventually subside and His anger will cease. God’s wrath is not fully resolved until the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. (Rom. 3:20-26).

Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 are songs for the downcast heart. The phrase, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God…” is repeated three times in Ps. 42:5, Ps. 42:11, and Ps. 43:5. It may sound simplistic, but the solution to a downcast heart or depression, is hope in God. He is the source of joy and the antidote to depression.

Another relevant phrase  in Psalms 43:3 is, “Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me;” When confusion and fear step into my life, it is the truth and light of the Word of God that I need most in my life. Truth dispels darkness as light does. Fear grows in the absence of truth. Fear tells me God doesn’t care and I am all alone. Truth reminds me of His promises and gives hope for His presence and love.

I close with a beloved verse in Ps. 42:1, “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.” Just as a deer needs fresh water so my soul needs the living water from the Word of God to sustain my spiritual life.

Matthew Henry explains this verse effectively:

When he (David) was debarred from his outward opportunities of waiting on God, when he was banished to the land of Jordan, a great way off from the courts of God’s house. Note, sometimes God teaches us effectually to know the worth of mercies by the want of them, and whets our appetite for the means of grace by cutting us short in those means. We are apt to loathe that manna, when we have plenty of it, which will be very precious to us if ever we come to know the scarcity of it. 1

1 Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994. Print.

Ezekiel 4 and Psalm 40-41

Ezekiel 4 was an interesting read this morning. God commands Ezekiel to do several difficult things to demonstrate to the captives in Babylon that in fact, His judgment on Jerusalem is coming. D. A. Carson explains the setting:

In general terms the exiles in Babylon respond to Ezekiel the same way that the Jews in Jerusalem respond to Jeremiah: they don’t believe him. In fact, the exiles doubtless have added incentive to maintain their false hopes. As long as Jerusalem stands, they can nurture the hope that God will rescue them and bring them back home. If Jerusalem falls, there will be no “home” to which to return. One can imagine how desperately negative and even impossible Ezekiel’s warnings sound to them. But Ezekiel does not flinch. 1

The first task for Ezekiel (Ezekiel 4:4-8) is to lie on his side facing north for 390 days to symbolize the judgment against the northern tribes for 390 years, then for 40 days to symbolize the 40 years of judgment against Judah. After that (Ezekiel 4:9-17), he is commanded to make bread each day from beans, lentils, etc. cooked over cow dung (to symbolize the seige conditions in Jerusalem) and eat a meager amount and drink a small amount of water.

What amazes me is the faithful obedience of this prophet. These are not easy tasks and certainly not pleasant things that God instructs Ezekiel to do. I am sure he is also feeling the pain of exile and separation from home. Yet he is faithful to God and obedient to His commands.

Psalm 40:1 – There are several things to note in verse 1:

  1. The psalmist expresses that he had to be patient
  2. The psalmist acknowledges that his pray was a cry
  3. The Lord hears the prayer/cry and inclined to the psalmist

The result of deliverance by God should always result in a testimory of His deliverance Ps. 40:3. We praise Him because of what He has done for us and because of Who He is which is revealed to us.

Ps. 40:4 – we are often faced with the choice of trusting God or turning to something else when the pressure is turned higher. This verse tells us that the choice which results in blessing is trusting God.

Ps. 40:5 – repeats the result of God’s work in my life – a testimony of praise from my mouth and my life. Again this is repeated in Ps. 40:9.

One question that I am asking myself today is whether Ps. 40:8 is truly my heart, I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart… Does my love for God trump every other desire in my heart today so that in fact, I delight in doing whatever God asks of me? Especially in light of my reading of Ezekiel 4 where God tells the prophet to do some very difficult things (from a human perspective), can I delight in God’s will whether it is easy or hard? The answer lies in the answer to the question of whether God’s law is in my heart.

Ps. 40:11 is another great promise to cling to – God will not restrain His mercy from me and His enduring love and faithfulness will always preserve me! Ps. 40:17 recognizes that I am poor and I am needy but The Lord thinks about me – even with all that He is doing, He thinks of me! He is indeed my help and He is my deliverer!

Psalm 41 is a reminder to me that even though I am needy, I must remember those around me who are also needy. When the Holy Spirit impresses someone else’s needs on my heart, I should and must be responsive.

1 Carson, D. A. For the Love of God: a Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God’s Word. Vol. 2. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1998. Print.

Ezekiel 3 and Psalm 39

Ezekiel 3 is a little bit more difficult for me to reflect on this morning. The Spirit show Ezekiel that he is to eat the scroll of the Word of God. Even though its message is bitter, it tastes sweet as honeycomb to Ezekiel. Regardless of God’s message, His word is sweet to me and my soul.

Ezekiel 3:16-21 is the section on the watchman. Just like Ezekiel, we have the tremendous responsibility to share the message of God. We have been given the gospel and we must share it with others. We have no greater responsibility than that. Ezekiel 33 also discusses the watchman.

Psalm 39:4 is a reflective thought that we should carry with us often. O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! If I was able to really grasp the understanding of the brevity of my life, my actions would more closely align with God’s plan for my life.

Ps. 39:7 summarizes my heart this morning. My hope is in you.

Ezekiel 2 and Psalm 38

Ezekiel 2 is a relatively short chapter. My first read through it seemed a bit vanilla until I took a look at D. A. Carson’s For the Love of God Volume 2:

…success is not measured by how many people Ezekiel wins to his perspective, but by the faithfulness with which he declares God’s words. 1

How often do I approach my life with a goal of being faithful no matter what the outcome is. I realized yesterday that there are areas in my life where I need to make changes with regard to this principle. Ezekiel 2:7 says:

… you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear …

Psalm 38 seems to be a song of mourning for the psalmist’s sins. It echoes a repentant heart and pleas for God’s mercy and forgiveness as well as protection from the author’s enemies. Ps. 38:9-10 recognizes that God is not unaware of my grief and sorrow. Ps. 38:15 reminds me of yesterday’s reading where the psalmist reiterates the need for patience in the life of a believer as he/she waits for God to heal and rescue. But in spite of the recognition of the need for patience, the psalmist still cries out to God for relief and immediate intervention in Ps. 38:21-22.

That is how I feel this morning. I want to wait patiently for The Lord, but my heart longs for His intervention and rescue. I believe that is a very human perspective to God’s work in my life.

1 Carson, D. A. For the Love of God: a Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God’s Word. Vol. 2. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1998. Print.

Ezekiel 1 and Psalm 37

This morning I began a new book, Ezekiel. Ezekiel 1 begins with the author sharing his vision of the four creatures. The description was so strange that I went online to see if I could find any artistic renditions. This one is on Pinterest and is of one of the four creatures. Another one was a rendition of the vision of the wheel.

I love the devotional book by D. A. Carson, For the Love of God Volume Two. I will quote from it occasionally in this journal. He gives a very helpful introduction on the book of Ezekiel:

EZEKIEL WAS JEREMIAH’S contemporary. Though he was born into a priestly family, Ezekiel was removed from the temple. In March, 597 B.C., he, young King Jehoiachin, the Queen Mother, the aristocracy, and many of the leading priests and craftsmen were transported seven hundred miles to Babylon. The young king was in prison or under house arrest for thirty-seven years. The exilic community, impoverished and cut off from Jerusalem and the temple, dreamed nostalgically of home and begged God to rescue them. They could not conceive that in another decade Jerusalem would be utterly destroyed. On the banks of the Kebar River—probably an irrigation canal swinging in a loop southwest from the Euphrates—the exiles tried to settle. And here, according to Ezekiel 1, when he was thirty years old and in the fifth year of his exile (i.e., about 593, still six years before the destruction of Jerusalem), Ezekiel received an extraordinary vision. 1

Ezekiel 1:28 closes with,

“…Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.”

I would assume that it is very difficult to describe the glory of the Lord with human words and images. But I believe we would definitely know it when we saw it. Today we only experience shadows of His glory but someday, we will be able to experience the fullness of His glory. I imagine it will be more that the greatest visual scenery we have every experienced here on earth.

The heading for Psalm 37 in my Bible is, “He Will Not Forsake His Saints”. How timely for me today to read that! This psalm is rich in promises and encouragement for those who may be down-hearted. Probably the most familiar verse is Ps. 37:4. However, we cannot claim the second part of the verse without realizing the first part. Delighting in the Lord is a lifelong pursuit. It is more than a simple confession – it is a life consuming passion and drive and it affects what happens in the second half of the verse. When our delight is in the Lord, the desires of our heart line up with His will and purpose. Having noted all that, it is a wonderful promise to cling to!

Ps. 37:5 uses the word “Commit” as a apropos description of the action required. It goes “hand in hand” with the second verb in the verse, “trust”. Our responsibility is to trust God and commit our actions and will to Him.

Ps. 37:7, Ps. 37:9, and Ps.37:34 encourage the reader to be patient and still. God’s actions are not predicated on the timetable that I choose.

Ps. 37:17-19, Ps. 37:25-26, and Ps. 37:28 speak about the sustaining power of God in the life of the believer. I find words like, “upholds”, “abundance”, “lending generously”, “blessing”, and “preserved forever”.

1 Carson, D. A. For the Love of God: a Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God’s Word. Vol. 2. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1998. Print.