Take Two: Ezekiel 47-48, Proverbs 15

As we hit these last two chapters, a couple of features should stand out. First, no one was forgotten. God made provision for every tribe. Second, the restoration of blessing was complete. With the allotment of land, there was also the restoration of production fo the land…and even new life for all those who fed off of the water which flowed from the restored Temple (an obvious spiritual allusion is present). Third, the centerpiece of this restored land was the Temple of God. It was large and beautiful…but it was the center of everything. Fourth, there was provision for the prince (civil ruler) right next to the Temple, but God’s Temple was still the centerpiece. Finally, the name of the city was “Yahweh shammah, The LORD is there.” (What made the city significant was not the architecture, but the presence of the Lord.)

As we conclude this final book of the Bible in our Take Two Challenge, perhaps the summary from the Holman Concise Bible Commentary is most fitting:

Theological and Ethical Significance.

Ezekiel was the priestly prophet of judgment and hope. His message to the exiles in Babylon still speaks to hurting, broken people in need of a God-given second chance. Jerusalem’s destruction and its people’s deportation to Babylon caused some to question God’s ability to save and His commitment to His covenants. Ezekiel interpreted these events in light of God’s character.

Ezekiel’s strange, opening vision pictures God as without equal, perfect in holiness and power. Such a God would not abide with unrepentant people. Jerusalem fell not because God was unable to save it but because God abandoned His people to their chosen fate.

But judgment was only part of Ezekiel’s picture of God. Even in exile, far from home, God was accessible to the prophet. God’s faithfulness was Ezekiel’s hope. God is the caring Shepherd of His people (Ezek. 34). God is the only hope for new life for the dead bones of the nation Israel (Ezek. 37).

Christians can learn responsibility from Ezekiel. Like Ezekiel, believers are to empathize with the hurt of those around them (3:15). Like Ezekiel, Christians are “watchmen,” responsible for warning neighbors of sin’s consequences (3:16–21). Ezekiel 34 warns believers not to seek their own interests at others’ expense. Rather, Christians are to model God’s love and care in their actions. Believers are to share the good news that God is still the Giver of new life and second chances to those who turn to Him in repentance and faith.

Proverbs 15:5 is the takeaway today. “A fool rejects his father’s discipline, but he who regards reproof is sensible.”

Check back tomorrow to see where we landed in the Gospels….New Study format beginning tomorrow!!!

Take Two: Ezekiel 45-46, Proverbs 14

These two chapters prescribe practices related to worship in the Temple. Notice the portion of the land which was consecrated to God, and to the priests, the Levites, and the prince (45:1-8). This was a perpetual ordinance. What I thought “curious” was the requirement that a portion of the land be set aside for the Lord first. (It struck me how difficult of an argument this would be today…among those who would argue that God doesn’t need land or a Temple. They would say that God resides in our hearts and that He does not delight in land or buildings or the like. Truth is…it was no different in this biblical era…yet God required it of the people. Perhaps the “worship” aspect of this is seen in the sacrifice of the heart itself…not in the actual gift/consecrated portion.)

WIthin the Temple complex there were to be prescribed offerings. The offerings were not optional nor mitigated by circumstance. The requirement of the prince’s offerings was as a representative and responsible party for the people. The emphasis is on their responsibility as leaders of the people. RESPONSIBILITY.

These leaders were also required to deal justly with the people and to insure that fairness and equity were experienced throughout the culture…as observed in the standards fo measure (45:10-12).

APPLIED: God is glorified in both what we set aside for Him (in our hearts, our sacrifice, our homes, our possessions, our time, our land) and in how we deal with others as bearers of His Name. His Name is on the line in all of our dealings…no matter how seemingly secular or insignificant.

Proverbs 14:9 is the takeaway today. “Fools mock at sin, but among the upright is good will.”

Take Two: Ezekiel 44, Proverbs 13

A couple of features from this chapter stand out. FIrst, the (perfectly good) gate to the East was shut and to remain shut because it is the gate used by God when His presence reentered the Temple. [Now God does not need a gate...nor did He use it (since it was shut); however, the command to keep it shut and to not allow the prince (ruler/governor/civil authorities) to use it...is a statement of reverence and worship.] By EXCLUSION, God’s people would remember and worship the Lord. The prince could eat in the place and could enter the space, but he had to do so from the porch and not from the gate. [Now I know that this doesn't make sense to "logical and rational" people...but they struggle with the "why" of many of the things of faith. And...such is the nature of faith. We do what we do because God is God and said so.

The gate was set apart (sanctified) by exclusion and so was the Temple (v.9). No one who was uncircumcised of flesh or heart could enter. [NOTE: Both physical sanctification and spiritual sanctification are mentioned here. It should interest us that there is no separation accepted. One could not be physically circumcised (flesh) and not "heart" circumcised (spirit) or vice-versa. Both went hand-in-hand. The idea that a person could be outwardly religious but not inwardly devoted to God is a foreign idea and is never acceptable to God. At the same time...the idea that a person could be inwardly set apart for God and not outwardly observant of the physical manifestations of the faith...is just as foreign.

• An unbaptized believer begs the question....How?
• A believer who does not worship through giving tithes and offerings begs the same question...How?
• A believer who does not pray begs the question...How?
• A believer who does not devote time alone with God daily...begs the question...How?

There is an exclusion of who can minister before God. The descendents of Zadok were permitted but the other Levites were not...since they had been unfaithful in the past. As such, they were permitted only to minister in other parts of the Temple...not as priests before the Lord (vv.10-14). This was a perpetual consequence of sin.

FInally, vv.28-31 were significant verses to me. A priest was not to have any inheritance. He was to live abandoned to God and to live by the offerings given to God. He was to serve God with His whole heart and to rely on God for his physical needs.

(This is a HARD word...and is often abused. Some would cite it as cause that a pastor should never have outside employment or concern himself with retirement. At the same time, some would focus on the responsibility of the people of God to perpetually care for their pastors. Others...would declare the provision expired since it is OT and there is no office of priest. (As for me...I will simply ponder and process...for the implications are great. THOUGH...I'd love to hear how you read it.).

Proverbs 13:4 is the takeaway today. "The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the soul of the diligent is made fat." [My take...The man who says he desires more of God but does nothing to get there...is famished, but the man who desires and seeks with His heart (Scripture reading, prayer, service, mediation...spiritual discipline) is fulfilled to abundance.]

Take Two: Ezekiel 43, Proverbs 12

In this chapter, we open with the presence of God returning to the Temple. The same God had been pictured previously as leaving His people…and now He returns. In the new Temple, where God’s people would come into His presence, there would be a consecrated altar (vv.13-17) on which sacrifices would be made to God. This is the first act of worship/response to God to be done.

Notice in vv. 18-27, the first sacrifice on the altar was an offering for sin. The sin offering, offered by the prescribed priest, was to be offered for 7 days consecutively. After which, the burnt offerings and other offerings could be observed.

Two observations: As yesterday, these details are given so that they would be observed and carried out precisely as given (v.11). God demanded exact obedience in this. Second, the first thing that must occur before other elements of worship is the settling of the sin debt. Before the praise offering, the burnt offerings, the fellowship offerings, or anything else…there had/has to be a recognition of the problem of sin and the sacrifice to settle its corresponding debt. This was to be done for each of the first seven days.

APPLIED: In our lives, these two observations are also critical. We are to observe the commands of God exactly as they are given. Furthermore, we are to settle our sin debt before any other element of worship can be given.

Perhaps this is the greatest issue for us as the church today. We desire to experience God but we don’t wish to repent. We want to ADD God-stuff to our lives but we are not willing to first forsake that which is unholy. There is no revival or renewal without repentance. There is no power in worship without repentance. There is no effectiveness in ministry without repentance. There is no hope…without repentance.

Proverbs 12:1 is the takeaway today. “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.”

Take Two: Ezekiel 40-42, Proverbs 11

In this section of Ezekiel, we see a vision of the prophet being shown the Temple…the new Temple.

Bear in mind, that in CHs 8-10, Ezekiel saw the glory fo God depart from the Temple. Now, twenty years later, a vision is given of God’s glory returning and here in the new Temple, God will meet with and be forever present with His people.

In these three chapters, we find a lot of specificity of dimensions, construction, and adornment. These details are all significant since Ezekiel was instructed to see, hear, observe, and tell all that he observed ( v. 40:4).

OBSERVATION: The attention to detail is what struck me today. God did not say to get an idea and repeat what you think is best. He stated that the prophet was to observe carefully every detail and instruct according to every detail…period.

Some think God is light on details. We can come to worship but if we don’t really spend time in repentant preparation…no big deal. We can sing but if we don’t want to, we don’t have to. [Wait...preaching point alert: Imagine going to your relative's birthday party and sitting across from them when the cake came out and everyone started to sing. You, however, just looked at your relative in the eyes and refused to sing. You weren't feeling it. You didn't like the melody...whatever. What message did you send to your relative? "I'm here and that should be enough. I don't feel like singing but you know I am happy you lived another year." In a similar way, what message do we send when we appear before God to worship Him...and others sing...and we simply stare?] (Now if you’re short on details…then you might say, “Well God doesn’t care if I sing and He wouldn’t want me to be embarrassed if I got a little ‘pitchy’ with my voice…so it’s cool.  Says who?)

Here is how significant the details are. When the priests ate the food allotted to them through the offering, they ate it before the Lord. They had to change clothes to do so. If they left the room to go back where the people were, they had to change back into other clothes because what they did and where they were (before the Lord) was Holy!

What made the place Holy was the presence of the Lord. What made the Temple significant was the presence fo the Lord. What prevented His presence was unholiness (or, if you’ll allow me, a refusal to keep the details.) When the instructions were not adhered to in detail, God left the building.

APPLIED: Now we do not worship a God who resides in buildings, but in our hearts. Yet, He directs us to worship together and to treat Him as Holy. Do we? He directs us to worship Him with our whole heart at all times. Do we? OR, do we essentially go to His “worship party” and refuse to sing because we aren’t feeling it? Do we go about our work and refuse to be holy because we aren’t “feeling it?” Is His presence and power in our midst so insignificant that we would abandon all of the details and only observe what we “feel like observing?”

Proverbs 11:4 is the takeaway today. “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.”

Take Two (three): Ezekiel 38-39, Proverbs 10

Had to take two chapters of Ezekiel today because they go together. The passage deals with a future time when there will be an uprising of the nations against an unsuspecting Israel/Judah. Though they do not expect an attack, God is their Defender. The enemy forces will be so numerous that their weapons will serve as fuel for the fire for 7 years (39:9). The death of the enemy will be so overwhelming, it will take 7 months to gather all of their bodies for burial (39:12).

God will accomplish this in a supernatural way (38:19-23), and the end result will be the trust of His people and the awe of the nations…God will exalt Himself as the Protector of all Israel (38:16, 39:21).

The events of this battle will kick off a time of great blessing and protection of God’s people. He will again be restored to the center of Israel’s worship and He will be exalted in all the world (39:25-29).

A couple of observations:

1. As believers, we serve a God to be feared…by us and by others. God is not a benevolent grandfather who let’s his kids eat ice cream all day and hides secrets from their parents. He is Love, Justice, Righteousness, Holiness, Truth, Purity, Sinless, Protector, Redeemer, Lord, and Master over all. He is to be feared.

2. While God is to be feared, His grace should leave us in awe. As Righteous and Holy, His character demands our death; yet, He stood in our place in Christ and absorbed His wrath Himself and extended forgiveness to us that we might be saved.

3. He is never to be underestimated. While we cannot even protect ourselves, God stands and protects us even when we are unsuspecting…He is God.

Worship Him!

All hail the Power of Jesus’ Name, let angels prostrate fall. Bring forth the royal diadem and crown Him, Lord of all. Bring forth the royal diadem and crown Him, Lord of all!

And at His Name, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!

Proverbs 10:3 is the takeaway today. “The Lord will not allow the righteous to hunger, but He will reject the craving of the wicked.”

Take Two: Ezekiel 37, Proverbs 9

This chapter in Ezekiel has been a popular passage, especially for messages on revival, for many years. The reason is because it has two dynamic themes: God can do the impossible in causing the dead to live again, and God WILL do the seemingly impossible by reuniting His people and ruling over them as a united kingdom.

The people had lost hope that they would ever be revived. They saw their situation as desperate and they had no inclination that God would intervene. Though they called out to Him, they thought that their errors were too great. The same God who had scattered and brought low His people in judgment, was able to draw them together and revive them to new and abundant life.

The second theme was near to the hearts of God’s people as a special hope. Their knowledge of the stories of a united kingdom were distant memories of another time. They had only known a divided and fallen kingdom. God’s prophesy that He would bring the people together was a complete reversal of the consequences of their own sins and a restoration to the promise of God. It seemed incredible and it was a message that inspired hope…not in themselves but in God.

What were the people to do to experience this great hope? The people had to come to realize that they were NOTHING (vv.11-12). They could not revive themselves so they must rely wholly on God for the revival. The people could not rejoin themselves together with the other kingdom. This uniting was a work of God (vv.19-22). The people’s role…YIELD.

When will this happen? Ultimately it is fulfilled in the millennial Kingdom when Christ, son of David, rules and reigns over all the earth (vv.24-27). At the same time, God brings “types” of revivals among His people in the church today. God brings new life when people realize that they are undone without Him and yield to Him as Lord. God brings unity when people yield to Him as Lord and pursue righteousness. No revival and no real unity is possible as a manufactured outcome. It is not possible. You cannot compromise enough, cast enough vision, excommunicate enough…nothing. All you can do is repent and cry out to God to do a supernatural work among you. But, when you do…the promises are AMAZING!

Proverbs 9:1 is the takeaway today. “Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn out her seven pillars…” [The Wisdom of God is already established. It is not being developed. It is established on the perfect and exalted foundation and shall not be shaken or moved. Wise living is the embracing of God's wisdom as it IS, not as we might try to define it to be.]

Take Two: Ezekiel 36, Proverbs 8

This chapter is a prophesy of restoration of Israel to prominence and blessing…for a reversal of the destruction and desolation that has been the theme to this point. God promises to restore the people and the land…for His Name’s sake (vv.22,32). Stated differently, God’s restoration is according to His own purpose…not in response to the repentance or worthiness of His people. He will restore the Land as a testimony before the nations that have mocked the people and their God (vv.23-24).

The restorative work of God with be all-encompassing. He will purify the people (vv.25-27), restore them to the land (v.28), restore the land to great production (blessing) (v.35), and multiply the people in the land (v.37). All of this, by His grace and for His Name’s sake and not in response to the worthiness of the people.

REFLECTION: God’s motivation is always for the greatness of His Name. He is God…alone. He will always bring down rivals to Himself and will exalt Himself before all creation. He is God! (BTW: When that seems to us to be self-serving…we must recognize that the greatness of His Name should be our passion. When it is not, it is because we are desirous for the greatness of our own name…which is idolatry).

God’s renewal of His people…like the salvation of all people points only to His gracious motivation and the greatness of His Name. We are utterly inept and He is overwhelmingly gracious.

Proverbs 8:17 is the takeaway. [Wisdom personified speaking], “I love those who love me; and those who diligently seek me will find me.”

Take Two: Ezekiel 35, Proverbs 7

The prophesy against Mt. Seir (Edom) here serves as an object lesson to all of the nations and to God’s people. God declared that He would destroy Edom because Edom desired to destroy Israel/Judah and take the land for their own possession…and this in spite of  the fact that God was PRESENT among His people there (vv.1-4, 10-11).

Their contempt against the people of God was actually a contempt for GOD HIMSELF…in that they set themselves against the people/possession of God. As such, they would reap the judgment of God and the judgment would serve as a warning to the nations and an encouragement to the people of God. SAME THING TODAY.

OBSERVATIONS:

Two things stand out to me: First, the Edomites were a people of bloodshed (v.6) and God gave them over to be consumed by this sin. [NOTE: Sin always takes you further than you wanted to go...and while it may look like a way of achieving your goal...it actually is the means by which you will experience your downfall.]

Second, God took personally the animosity against His people. We tend to think that our actions against others are simply that…but our actions against others are actually actions against God. He is the recipient of our animosity. He is the victimized party. This is why David cried out in Psalm 51, “Against You…have I sinned.” This is after an adulterous relationship with a woman and killing her husband to hide it. David had violated so many people and the TRUST of the people He led as a Nation…yet he declared God to be the victim of his sin.

Sins such as covetousness are sins against God. They are statements of affirmation that God does not provide us what we desire/need. Sins of adultery are sins against God in the breaking/denial of covenant before Him. Sins of theft are sins against God in taking for ourselves what we declare God cannot adequately provide. (and so forth).

When we see God as He is…and see ourselves as we are…then we see sin as it is…an afront against a Holy and Righteous God who loves, provides, and secures.

Proverbs 7:11 is the takeaway today. “She is boisterous and rebellious, her feet do not remain at home.” [Temptation is loud, proud, and unfaithful. And the end of those captivated by it...is utter destruction, regret, and shame.]

Take Two: Ezekiel 34, Proverbs 6

This chapter is reminiscent of CHs 13-14, where false prophets and idolatrous elders are condemned. In essence, the charge is levied against the shepherds (spiritual and political leaders) that they have used people to accomplish their own goals and have failed to fulfill their responsibility to serve the people they led.

Specific allegations of neglect are mentioned in vv.1-6. These acts of neglect left the sheep/people vulnerable to temptation and attack. The UNMET needs meant that the enemy could MEET the needs and gain sway in the lives of the people.

NOTE: God has always intended that the church be a Body that met the needs of the Body. While it is true that the church should influence the community and be a lighthouse of hope, the commmand to minister to the physical needs of people rests primarily (if not exclusively) within the Body. We do see Jesus ministering to others outside fo the Body…as part of the testimony that the Kingdom is at hand; however, the specific command to care for “one another” and the needs that exists is within the context of the Body.

APPLIED: Leadership is daunting. It is overwhelming to consider that a leader’s actions can have such far-reaching implications as those spoken of here…but it is true. The responsibility of leadership is unparalleled. This is not a reason to resist leadership, but it does mean that a leader must be diligent.

Speaking as a pastor/shepherd (a familiar NT image), I considered this text form a pastoral/bishop/elder view. How does a pastor/bishop/elder do what is spoken of in this passage? Certainly…the obvious would be to fatten oneself at the expense of others. If a pastor takes from those he cares for by manipulation, deceit, or abuse….he certainly is guilty of what has happened here. But I think that the implication is more broad and more applicable (since most can identify abuse when they see it).

One of the great “abuses” is to neglect to feed the sheep. This is physical but I think it is primarily spiritual (not that you can separate the two completely). If a pastor does not teach all that God is and all that He does and all that this requires…then he has lef tthe sheep vulnerable. If a pastor functions with evil motives he is an abuser. [Caution: it is foolish for a person to go about assigning motives to another. I get told often that someone thinks they know what I am up to...and amazingly, they are not even in the ballpark. If they could look inside themselves for a moment...they'd see that their conclusion is drawn out of a well of a sinful and wicked heart.]

To refuse to feed, to function with evil motives…these are abuses through neglect. A third is also prominent and stems from pride…the act of leading from earthly/physical/ non God-centered “wisdom.” [Honestly...this is the one most "smart" men are overly prone toward. They have been successful or they are respected as successful; therefore, they lead from their strength rather than from their weakness.] These leaders say things like…”God gave us discernment and wisdom so we would act reasonably.” REASONABLY? That is a code word for acting based on evidence and not on faith. FAITHFUL is a better motivation. It cites that it is most “reasonable” to trust the God who can raise the dead, move mountains, feed 2 million people daily in the widerness, kick the devil’s teeth in, and speak calm to a storm. Faithful men seek God and, when and only when He speaks, they act with full allegiance to Him and His command. Reasonable men…look at history and projections and their experience and trends…then act according to their own opinions…often before God has ever spoken.

[For the record...I have done both and fight against the latter more often than I like to admit.] It takes courage to say NO…until God says YES. It takes courage to echo God’s YES, when everyone around you says NO. But…isn’t that what it means to live by FAITH?

God cursed the evil shepherds/leaders and declared that He would raise up a new Shepherd, Himself, and would lead the people as a master Shepherd. He would do this through His Servant David (descendent of David)…and through him…would feed His sheep and pasture His flock (v.23-24).

Proverbs 6:24 is the takeaway today. Reproofs and discipline “…keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.” [Both instruction and self-discipline/application are necessary to provide victory over temptation and sin.Just good preaching won't do it. It takes application/obedience as well.]