20191115 Part of our daily reading in the One Year Bible
Ezekiel was prophesying about the coming judgement. He spoke to Israel of the laziness of leaning on the work of others and not living it ourselves.
““Or suppose I were to pour out my fury by sending an epidemic into the land, and the disease killed people and animals alike. As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, they wouldn’t be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved by their righteousness.”
Ezekiel 14:19-20 NLT
““What a sick heart you have, says the Sovereign Lord, to do such things as these, acting like a shameless prostitute.
So you are the opposite of other prostitutes. You pay your lovers instead of their paying you!
They will burn your homes and punish you in front of many women. I will stop your prostitution and end your payments to your many lovers.”
Ezekiel 16:30, 34, 41 NLT
This is rough. But reminds me of the entire book of Judges. Over and over again, we read – Judges 3:7 “So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God, and served the Baals and Asherahs.”
This is also a reminder that each of us is accountable for our own actions. But its also a reminder truly, of the power of Jesus. His power to cover, to forgive, His righteousness so much higher than ours. Don’t get me wrong, we still need individual acceptance of this gift, but our “choice” saves only us as we come to the altar that is Jesus Christ. And He is the only choice saves everyone that receives Him.
“He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven (Not like Noah, David, etc). Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.”
Hebrews 7:26-28 NLT
So dont read this, and think, we are all doomed. But in Jesus, we are all redeemed!
“Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord? Who can ever praise him enough? There is joy for those who deal justly with others and always do what is right.”
Psalms 106:1-3 NLT
Why? Because:
“Like our ancestors, we have sinned. We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly! Our ancestors in Egypt were not impressed by the Lord’s miraculous deeds. They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them. Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea. Even so, he saved them— to defend the honor of his name and to demonstrate his mighty power. He commanded the Red Sea to dry up. He led Israel across the sea as if it were a desert. So he rescued them from their enemies and redeemed them from their foes. Then the water returned and covered their enemies; not one of them survived. Then his people believed his promises. Then they sang his praise.”
Psalms 106:6-12 NLT
Rough reading today, but man, God is good and looking out for us! Jesus is taking all who come through the waters, and that is a surety. These words may hurt somewhat but, “Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.” Proverbs 27:6 NLT
Jesus never hides truth from us. It’s never just sunshine and roses. But it will be.
Robert Bigouette