Bible Reading Plan

Author: Jon Green

Ezekiel 24
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Jerusalem as a Cooking Pot
24 In the ninth year, in the tenth month on the tenth day, the word of the Lord came to me: ²“Son of man, record this date, this very date, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. ³Tell this rebellious people a parable and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Put on the cooking pot; put it on
    and pour water into it.
⁴Put into it the pieces of meat,
    all the choice pieces—the leg and the shoulder.
Fill it with the best of these bones;
⁵    take the pick of the flock.
Pile wood beneath it for the bones;
    bring it to a boil
    and cook the bones in it.
⁶“‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Woe to the city of bloodshed,
    to the pot now encrusted,
    whose deposit will not go away!
Take the meat out piece by piece
    in whatever order it comes.
⁷“‘For the blood she shed is in her midst:
    She poured it on the bare rock;
she did not pour it on the ground,
    where the dust would cover it.
⁸To stir up wrath and take revenge
    I put her blood on the bare rock,
    so that it would not be covered.
⁹“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Woe to the city of bloodshed!
    I, too, will pile the wood high.
¹⁰So heap on the wood
    and kindle the fire.
Cook the meat well,
    mixing in the spices;
    and let the bones be charred.
¹¹Then set the empty pot on the coals
    till it becomes hot and its copper glows,
so that its impurities may be melted
    and its deposit burned away.
¹²It has frustrated all efforts;
    its heavy deposit has not been removed,
    not even by fire.
¹³“‘Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.
¹⁴“‘I the Lord have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will not have pity, nor will I relent. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
Ezekiel’s Wife Dies
¹⁵The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁶“Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears. ¹⁷Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover your mustache and beard or eat the customary food of mourners.”
¹⁸So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.
¹⁹Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things have to do with us? Why are you acting like this?”
²⁰So I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: ²¹Say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary—the stronghold in which you take pride, the delight of your eyes,the object of your affection. The sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword. ²²And you will do as I have done. You will not cover your mustache and beard or eat the customary food of mourners. ²³You will keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep but will waste away because of your sins and groan among yourselves. ²⁴Ezekiel will be a sign to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’
²⁵“And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes, their heart’s desire, and their sons and daughters as well— ²⁶on that day a fugitive will come to tell you the news.²⁷At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.”

Go Deeper

This chapter includes the final prophecy of doom against Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar’s armies have surrounded Jerusalem and complete defeat is imminent. Ezekiel had warned of this doom for over four years, and in this chapter, he uses a parable of a cooking pot as the final warning. Jerusalem was accustomed to being in a “pot” of protection, but Ezekiel is explaining to the people that God’s judgment would turn this pot into their destruction. To understand context, in the process of cooking meat impurities rise to the surface and are scraped off and dumped out. If they are not removed, it ruins the meal and it must be thrown away. Jerusalem’s sins could no longer be hidden and therefore the contents of the pot had to be dumped.
In verses 9-14 Ezekiel describes cooking the meat until the bones are charred and setting the “empty pot” on the coals until all the “impurities may be melted and its deposit burned away.” He is letting the people know that total destruction of the pot was necessary to make it clean again. The very pot itself would be melted after all its people were killed. In other words, God had tried and tried and tried to cleanse His people and this place, but He had enough and it was time for Him “to act.” (v. 13-14). He had no more pity, would not hold back, and would not relent. Judgment had finally come. This date of destruction was so marked and important that it later became a day of fasting and commemoration of the fall of this holy city. (Zechariah 8:19).
The second half of this chapter includes a personal loss for Ezekiel with an incredibly difficult command from God. God was taking Ezekiel’s wife, the “desire of his eyes,” and Ezekiel was not allowed to publicly show grief or mourning. Commentaries explain that this is the only time in scripture that God commanded such a non-reaction. So why would God ask this of Ezekiel? We see the answer in verses 20-24. Ezekiel’s obedience to God’s difficult command gave him the authority with which to answer the people’s question of how they should respond to the destruction of Jerusalem. They were to respond as he did to tragedy, as Ezekiel understood that the shock of what was happening would likely prevent normal mourning and expressions of grief.
As one commentator described, “They would experience a grief which is beyond tears, a despondency which could not be expressed with outward acts…only a quiet moan.” Verse 24 reiterates that the purpose of God’s plans is always to reveal Himself and His sovereignty. While Ezekiel’s tragedy was undeserved, the people of Jerusalem should not have been surprised by the destruction surrounding them. Yet Ezekiel was obedient and willing to provide them with an example.
How often do we take the Lord’s protection for granted? How often do we forget He is Holy, sovereign, and to be feared? Let today’s reading remind us to heed any warnings the Lord may be giving us to take Him at His word and obey with expediency.

Questions

If God’s plan is always to reveal Himself, how do you see God in His plans for you?
Is there any warning God has been giving you that you need to heed?
Spend time in prayer or reflection in such a way that you are reminded of the loving character of God that is to be feared.

A Quote

“To do great things for the Lord requires great sacrifice. In order to faithfully serve God, it cost Ezekiel his wife. In order to redeem mankind from its sin, God sacrificed His own Son.” – Drew Boswell

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October 11, 2023
Ezekiel 23
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Two Adulterous Sisters
23 The word of the Lord came to me: ²“Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother. ³They became prostitutes in Egypt,engaging in prostitution from their youth. In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed. ⁴The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
⁵“Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors ⁶clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen.⁷She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after. ⁸She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her.
⁹“Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, the Assyrians, for whom she lusted. ¹⁰They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women, and punishment was inflicted on her.
¹¹“Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister. ¹²She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors in full dress, mounted horsemen, all handsome young men. ¹³I saw that she too defiled herself; both of them went the same way.
¹⁴“But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall, figures of Chaldeans portrayed in red, ¹⁵with belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea. ¹⁶As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. ¹⁷Then the Babylonianscame to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust. ¹⁸When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her naked body, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister. ¹⁹Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. ²⁰There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. ²¹So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled.
²²“Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stir up your lovers against you, those you turned away from in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side— ²³the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, the men of Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, handsome young men, all of them governors and commanders, chariot officers and men of high rank, all mounted on horses. ²⁴They will come against you with weapons, chariots and wagons and with a throng of people; they will take up positions against you on every side with large and small shields and with helmets. I will turn you over to them for punishment, and they will punish you according to their standards. ²⁵I will direct my jealous anger against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and your ears, and those of you who are left will fall by the sword. They will take away your sons and daughters, and those of you who are left will be consumed by fire. ²⁶They will also strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry. ²⁷So I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you began in Egypt. You will not look on these things with longing or remember Egypt anymore.
²⁸“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to deliver you into the hands of those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust.²⁹They will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for. They will leave you stark naked, and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your lewdness and promiscuity ³⁰have brought this on you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. ³¹You have gone the way of your sister; so I will put her cup into your hand.
³²“This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“You will drink your sister’s cup,
    a cup large and deep;
it will bring scorn and derision,
    for it holds so much.
³³You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,
    the cup of ruin and desolation,
    the cup of your sister Samaria.
³⁴You will drink it and drain it dry
    and chew on its pieces—
    and you will tear your breasts.
I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.
³⁵“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you have forgottenme and turned your back on me, you must bear the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution.”
³⁶The Lord said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront them with their detestable practices, ³⁷for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food for them. ³⁸They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary and desecrated my Sabbaths. ³⁹On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated it. That is what they did in my house.
⁴⁰“They even sent messengers for men who came from far away, and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, applied eye makeup and put on your jewelry. ⁴¹You sat on an elegant couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed the incense and olive oil that belonged to me.
⁴²“The noise of a carefree crowd was around her; drunkards were brought from the desert along with men from the rabble, and they put bracelets on the wrists of the woman and her sister and beautiful crowns on their heads.⁴³Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, ‘Now let them use her as a prostitute, for that is all she is.’ ⁴⁴And they slept with her. As men sleep with a prostitute, so they slept with those lewd women, Oholah and Oholibah.⁴⁵But righteous judges will sentence them to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood, because they are adulterous and blood is on their hands.
⁴⁶“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Bring a mob against them and give them over to terror and plunder. ⁴⁷The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses.
⁴⁸“So I will put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you. ⁴⁹You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.”

Go Deeper

If you felt uncomfortable after reading this chapter, that’s the point. God (through Ezekiel) is using detailed imagery to help portray just how drastic a situation is. To avoid any misunderstanding, God states it clearly that in this story of the two promiscuous sisters, Oholah is Samaria (the capital of Israel) and Oholibah is Jerusalem (the capital of Judah). This story depicts the relationship between Yahweh and His people who have been unfaithful.
We see an overall theme of Israel’s unfaithfulness from the start. They engaged in this type of sinful behavior first with Egypt (as previously noted in Ezekiel 20) and now with the Assyrians. They lusted after their gods, power and protection, ultimately rejecting God and choosing the path of sin. Because Israel gave herself to Assyrian idols and morals, God allowed them to be conquered by them. Ultimately their lovers became their destroyers, which is exactly how sin works—what seems enticing at first, will lead to destruction.
The shocking part is that Judah, referenced as the “younger sister”, sees what happens to Israel and decides to do the same thing with Babylon. This chapter even says that she “carried her prostitution even still further” (v. 14). Again, the same fate for Judah was that the Lord allowed for them to be taken into captivity and captured by the very nation that they idolized and devoted themselves to. We can see here that for those who continue to walk in sin and disobedience, the natural consequence is distance from God.
When the Lord refers to Judah’s punishment, He mentions that they will “drink the cup of ruin and isolation…they will drink it and drain it dry” (v. 32-24). This is referring to the full cup of the Lord’s wrath. They would drink it and drain it and suffer the full penalty of their sin. Thankfully, this is not our same fate for those who have trusted in Jesus!
We see this same language used when Jesus is praying in the Garden of Gethsemane before he is about to be arrested (Matthew 26). He asks for the Lord to “let this cup pass”, referring to the suffering He was about to endure for our sake. When Jesus died on the cross, He took the full cup of God’s wrath and bore the punishment that we deserved. Let’s remind ourselves of that today, fixing our eyes on the cross and all that entails, and giving thanks to Jesus for being the propitiation for our sins.

Questions

What does this chapter reveal about how God feels towards sin?
Why do you think that Judah did not learn from Israel’s sins?
What stirs in your heart today as you are reminded of what Jesus endured on your behalf?

Keep Digging

Oholah and Oholibah have specific meanings to their names and are used strategically. You can read more about them here.

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October 10, 2023
Ezekiel 22
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22 The word of the Lord came to me:
²“Son of man, will you judge her? Will you judge this city of bloodshed?Then confront her with all her detestable practices ³and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You city that brings on herself doom by shedding blood in her midst and defiles herself by making idols, ⁴you have become guilty because of the blood you have shed and have become defiled by the idols you have made. You have brought your days to a close, and the end of your years has come. Therefore I will make you an object of scorn to the nations and a laughingstock to all the countries. ⁵Those who are near and those who are far away will mock you, you infamous city, full of turmoil.
⁶“‘See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood. ⁷In you they have treated father and mother with contempt; in you they have oppressed the foreigner and mistreated the fatherless and the widow. ⁸You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths.⁹In you are slanderers who are bent on shedding blood; in you are those who eat at the mountain shrines and commit lewd acts. ¹⁰In you are those who dishonor their father’s bed; in you are those who violate women during their period, when they are ceremonially unclean. ¹¹In you one man commits a detestable offense with his neighbor’s wife, another shamefully defiles his daughter-in-law, and another violates his sister, his own father’s daughter.¹²In you are people who accept bribes to shed blood; you take interest and make a profit from the poor. You extort unjust gain from your neighbors. And you have forgotten me, declares the Sovereign Lord.
¹³“‘I will surely strike my hands together at the unjust gain you have made and at the blood you have shed in your midst. ¹⁴Will your courage endure or your hands be strong in the day I deal with you? I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it. ¹⁵I will disperse you among the nations and scatter you through the countries; and I will put an end to your uncleanness. ¹⁶When you have been defiled in the eyes of the nations, you will know that I am the Lord.’”
¹⁷Then the word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁸“Son of man, the people of Israel have become dross to me; all of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace. They are but the dross of silver. ¹⁹Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you have all become dross, I will gather you into Jerusalem. ²⁰As silver, copper, iron, lead and tin are gathered into a furnace to be melted with a fiery blast, so will I gather you in my anger and my wrath and put you inside the city and melt you. ²¹I will gather you and I will blow on you with my fiery wrath, and you will be melted inside her. ²²As silver is melted in a furnace, so you will be melted inside her, and you will know that I the Lord have poured out my wrath on you.’”
²³Again the word of the Lord came to me: ²⁴“Son of man, say to the land, ‘You are a land that has not been cleansed or rained on in the day of wrath.’²⁵There is a conspiracy of her princes within her like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows within her. ²⁶Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profanedamong them. ²⁷Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain. ²⁸Her prophets whitewashthese deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken. ²⁹The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner, denying them justice.
³⁰“I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one. ³¹So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

Go Deeper

We tend to be a forgetful people. We forget birthdays and anniversaries, names and faces, and chores we’re supposed to do. If you forget things, you’re not alone—you’re in good company with every other human being on the planet.
Sometimes our forgetfulness comes at a low cost and can be fixed with a quick apology or explanation. If you forget to take out the trash, it’s not a big deal—you can bring it out next time they come to pick it up. If you forget a name, you can simply admit it and ask for grace. But other times our forgetfulness comes at a high price with significant consequences. For God’s people in Ezekiel 22, their forgetfulness came at an extremely high cost.
Ezekiel 22:12b says, “And you have forgotten me, declares the Sovereign Lord.” This forgetfulness led them to all kinds of wicked sin. They shed innocent blood and created and worshipped idols. They used their power to take advantage of the weak and vulnerable. They violated women with all kinds of sexual sin and dishonored their God-given authorities. They extorted unjust gain and accepted bribes. They forgot everything God told them and desired for them.
Their sin cost them dearly. The Lord saw them as dross that was wiped away in the refinement of silver, like impurities that lack value. So would God’s people be removed from the blessings of God. They would face judgment and separation and God would ‘disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries’ (v. 15). God would consume them with His fiery anger. Their forgetfulness cost them everything.
What if they remembered God’s love for them? What if they remembered to keep His commandments and chose to obey the Lord instead of walking away from Him? Have you forgotten what the Lord has done for you? Have you forgotten about your sin and the cost it incurred? Our sin came at the highest cost possible: the death of God’s only Son, Jesus Christ. As God’s Church, let’s be men and women who remember the Lord.

Questions

How do you remember the love of the Lord? How does your time reading the Bible remind you of His love for you?
Think back over the last 24 hours. What are some small ways you’ve forgotten God’s love for you?
Thank the Lord that because of His love and the work He did through His Son Jesus, followers of Christ don’t need to fear removal as if you’re dross.

Keep Digging

To understand more about dross, as referenced in Ezekiel 22, read this fascinating article on GotQuestions.org: What is the Meaning of Dross in the Bible?

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October 9, 2023
Ezekiel 21
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Babylon as God’s Sword of Judgment
21 The word of the Lord came to me: ²“Son of man, set your face againstJerusalem and preach against the sanctuary. Prophesy against the land of Israel ³and say to her: ‘This is what the Lord says: I am against you. I will draw my sword from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked. ⁴Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north. ⁵Then all people will know that I the Lord have drawn my sword from its sheath; it will not return again.’
⁶“Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief. ⁷And when they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt with fear and every hand go limp; every spirit will become faint and every leg will be wet with urine.’ It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
⁸The word of the Lord came to me: ⁹“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord says:
“‘A sword, a sword,
    sharpened and polished—
¹⁰sharpened for the slaughter,
    polished to flash like lightning!
“‘Shall we rejoice in the scepter of my royal son? The sword despises every such stick.
¹¹“‘The sword is appointed to be polished,
    to be grasped with the hand;
it is sharpened and polished,
    made ready for the hand of the slayer.
¹²Cry out and wail, son of man,
    for it is against my people;
    it is against all the princes of Israel.
They are thrown to the sword
    along with my people.
Therefore beat your breast.
¹³“‘Testing will surely come. And what if even the scepter, which the sword despises, does not continue? declares the Sovereign Lord.’
¹⁴“So then, son of man, prophesy
    and strike your hands together.
Let the sword strike twice,
    even three times.
It is a sword for slaughter—
    a sword for great slaughter,
    closing in on them from every side.
¹⁵So that hearts may melt with fear
    and the fallen be many,
I have stationed the sword for slaughter
    at all their gates.
Look! It is forged to strike like lightning,
    it is grasped for slaughter.
¹⁶Slash to the right, you sword,
    then to the left,
    wherever your blade is turned.
¹⁷I too will strike my hands together,
    and my wrath will subside.
I the Lord have spoken.”
¹⁸The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁹“Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same country. Make a signpost where the road branches off to the city. ²⁰Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites and another against Judah and fortified Jerusalem. ²¹For the king of Babylon will stop at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He will cast lots with arrows, he will consult his idols, he will examine the liver. ²²Into his right hand will come the lot for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to give the command to slaughter, to sound the battle cry, to set battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp and to erect siege works. ²³It will seem like a false omen to those who have sworn allegiance to him, but he will remind them of their guilt and take them captive.
²⁴“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you people have brought to mind your guilt by your open rebellion, revealing your sins in all that you do—because you have done this, you will be taken captive.
²⁵“‘You profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose time of punishment has reached its climax, ²⁶this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Take off the turban, remove the crown. It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low. ²⁷A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! The crown will not be restored until he to whom it rightfully belongs shall come; to him I will give it.’
²⁸“And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lordsays about the Ammonites and their insults:
“‘A sword, a sword,
    drawn for the slaughter,
polished to consume
    and to flash like lightning!
²⁹Despite false visions concerning you
    and lying divinations about you,
it will be laid on the necks
    of the wicked who are to be slain,
whose day has come,
    whose time of punishment has reached its climax.
³⁰“‘Let the sword return to its sheath.
    In the place where you were created,
in the land of your ancestry,
    I will judge you.
³¹I will pour out my wrath on you
    and breathe out my fiery anger against you;
I will deliver you into the hands of brutal men,
    men skilled in destruction.
³²You will be fuel for the fire,
    your blood will be shed in your land,
you will be remembered no more;
    for I the Lord have spoken.’”

Go Deeper

God continues the message of judgment in Ezekiel 21 consisting of the song of the sword, the model of the map, and Ammon’s fate. God is going to cut off both the righteous and the wicked and Ezekiel is to mourn this. (v. 4). God says to Ezekiel, “As for you, son of man, groan; with breaking heart and bitter grief, groan before their eyes…because of the news that it is coming. Every heart will melt, and all hands will be feeble; every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming, and it will be fulfilled” (v. 6-7). The reason for grief and broken hearts is because people have not repented of sin. God tells Ezekiel to grieve this news and to go tell people about it.
Ezekiel is asked by the Lord to perform a public demonstration as a warning to the people. Since the parable of the devouring fire wasn’t hitting home, Ezekiel acted out the coming judgment now with a sword. God tells Ezekiel, “So then, son of man, prophesy and strike your hands together. Let the sword strike twice, even three times. It is a sword for slaughter—a sword for great slaughter, closing in on them from every side” (v. 14). God was going to use wicked Babylon to draw His sword against the people. Destruction was coming and Ezekiel needed to get people’s attention!
Ezekiel also makes a representation of a highway with a fork in the road. The road was coming out of Babylon and there were two options: a road that leads to Rabbah (the capital of the Ammonites) and the other to Jerusalem (the capital of the Israelites). It says, “For the king of Babylon will stop at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He will cast lots with arrows, he will consult his idols, he will examine the liver” (v. 21). There was a pagan practice called divination that was used to discover hidden knowledge through supernatural means. King Nebuchadnezzar was using divination and being directed by evil spirits to choose which path to take.
It turned out that Jerusalem was the winner and was going to be destroyed first. The Lord of course was sovereign over this divination and controlled the outcome. God’s people were going to experience the consequences of their sins. However, the Ammonites were next. Their sin had not been overlooked by God. God says concerning the Ammonites, “Despite false visions concerning you and lying divinations about you, it will be laid on the necks of the wicked who are to be slain, whose day has come, whose time of punishment has reached its climax” (v. 29). This was going to be the end for the Ammonites.
Like Ezekiel, we are surrounded every day by people who are headed towards eternal destruction. Are we broken hearted over those who do not know God in our city? Are we grieved that there are billions of people around the world who have never heard of Jesus and will experience eternal separation from Him? There was an urgency to the message of Ezekiel, and likewise there is an urgency to the message of the gospel for us. Would we live with the urgency of eternity today, warning people of God’s judgment towards sin and the freedom from it found in Christ alone.

Questions

What stands out to you about this passage?
What does this chapter teach you about the character of God?
Who is someone you can share the gospel with this week?

Keep Digging

Interested in learning more about the practice of divination referenced in today’s chapter? Check out this article from GotQuestions.org!

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October 7, 2023
Ezekiel 20
Read Ezekiel 20

Rebellious Israel Purged
20 In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and they sat down in front of me.
²Then the word of the Lord came to me: ³“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign Lord.’
⁴“Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their ancestors ⁵and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore with uplifted hand to the descendants of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, “I am the Lord your God.” ⁶On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. ⁷And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”
⁸“‘But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt. ⁹But for the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt. I did it to keep my name from being profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites. ¹⁰Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. ¹¹I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live. ¹²Also I gave them my Sabbathsas a sign between us, so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.
¹³“‘Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the wilderness. ¹⁴But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. ¹⁵Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands— ¹⁶because they rejected my laws and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts were devoted to their idols. ¹⁷Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them or put an end to them in the wilderness. ¹⁸I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the statutes of your parents or keep their laws or defile yourselves with their idols. ¹⁹I am the Lord your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. ²⁰Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.”
²¹“‘But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws, of which I said, “The person who obeys them will live by them,” and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness. ²²But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. ²³Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatterthem through the countries, ²⁴because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes lusted after their parents’ idols. ²⁵So I gave them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live; ²⁶I defiled them through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.’
²⁷“Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In this also your ancestorsblasphemed me by being unfaithful to me: ²⁸When I brought them into the land I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that aroused my anger, presented their fragrant incense and poured out their drink offerings.²⁹Then I said to them: What is this high place you go to?’” (It is called Bamah to this day.)
Rebellious Israel Renewed
³⁰“Therefore say to the Israelites: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images? ³¹When you offer your gifts—the sacrifice of your children in the fire—you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, you Israelites? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will not let you inquire of me.
³²“‘You say, “We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.” But what you have in mind will never happen.³³As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. ³⁴I will bring you from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. ³⁵I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment upon you. ³⁶As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord. ³⁷I will take note of you as you pass under my rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. ³⁸I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
³⁹“‘As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols. ⁴⁰For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord, there in the land all the people of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings and your choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices. ⁴¹I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy through you in the sight of the nations.⁴²Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors.⁴³There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done. ⁴⁴You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
Prophecy Against the South
⁴⁵The word of the Lord came to me: ⁴⁶“Son of man, set your face towardthe south; preach against the south and prophesy against the forest of the southland. ⁴⁷Say to the southern forest: ‘Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to set fire to you, and it will consume all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north will be scorched by it.⁴⁸Everyone will see that I the Lord have kindled it; it will not be quenched.’”
⁴⁹Then I said, “Sovereign Lord, they are saying of me, ‘Isn’t he just telling parables?’”

Go Deeper

Ezekiel 20 starts off with the elders of Israel coming to Ezekiel, ready to inquire of the Lord once again. What happens next is a long, winding recounting of Israel’s history. The word of the Lord comes to Ezekiel and he walks them through the pattern of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God, dating back to the time when they left slavery in Exodus up to the present day. They’re reminded of the oath and covenants God had established with them and how Israel’s tendency of creating and worshiping idols of their own creation had led to their impending judgment.
As the chapter goes on, it reaches a tipping point. God promises that he will restore Israel (v. 33-36) and that there will be some (but not all) who return back to their land in Israel (v. 38). But God also makes it really clear that this continued unfaithfulness cannot continue. David Guzik in the Enduring Word commentary describes it this way:
“God called His people to a decision point. If they wanted to serve their idols, then they might as well make up their minds and do it. Let them become Babylonians in every regard now that they were in Babylon. What God did not want from Israel was a divided heart. When they brought Yahweh worship from hearts also given to idols, it profaned God and His name.”
This passage can help us today as we live here on earth, all while being citizens of another kingdom (Philippians 3:20). Will we worship and surrender to God alone, or will we assimilate into culture and become just like everyone else? In this modern-day Babylon we find ourselves in, we must remember that there is a distinct call on our lives to live differently.
This passage ends with a parable of judgment directed towards Judah, the southern kingdom (v. 45-48). Based on Ezekiel’s plea at the end of the chapter (v. 49), it seems as though the elders of Israel were quick to dismiss Ezekiel’s message because they claimed it was hard to hear or understand. As we read it today, it’s a helpful reminder to us to ask God each day for ears to hear and eyes to see what it is that He has for us each day.

Questions

What stuck out to you the most as you read through this chapter? Why?
Why is it helpful to look back at the past? What point was God trying to make through Ezekiel?
How can you ensure you have ears to hear as you go about your day today?

By the Way

Ezekiel points to the times the Israelites rebelled against God in the wilderness in verse 13. While this happened multiple times, perhaps the most well known is the story of the golden calf in Exodus 32.

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October 6, 2023
Ezekiel 19
Read Ezekiel 19

A Lament Over Israel’s Princes
19 “Take up a lament concerning the princes of Israel ²and say:
“‘What a lioness was your mother
    among the lions!
She lay down among them
    and reared her cubs.
³She brought up one of her cubs,
    and he became a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
    and he became a man-eater.
⁴The nations heard about him,
    and he was trapped in their pit.
They led him with hooks
    to the land of Egypt.
⁵“‘When she saw her hope unfulfilled,
    her expectation gone,
she took another of her cubs
    and made him a strong lion.
⁶He prowled among the lions,
    for he was now a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
    and he became a man-eater.
⁷He broke down their strongholds
    and devastated their towns.
The land and all who were in it
    were terrified by his roaring.
⁸Then the nations came against him,
    those from regions round about.
They spread their net for him,
    and he was trapped in their pit.
⁹With hooks they pulled him into a cage
    and brought him to the king of Babylon.
They put him in prison,
    so his roar was heard no longer
    on the mountains of Israel.
¹⁰“‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard
    planted by the water;
it was fruitful and full of branches
    because of abundant water.
¹¹Its branches were strong,
    fit for a ruler’s scepter.
It towered high
    above the thick foliage,
conspicuous for its height
    and for its many branches.
¹²But it was uprooted in fury
    and thrown to the ground.
The east wind made it shrivel,
    it was stripped of its fruit;
its strong branches withered
    and fire consumed them.
¹³Now it is planted in the desert,
    in a dry and thirsty land.
¹⁴Fire spread from one of its main branches
    and consumed its fruit.
No strong branch is left on it
    fit for a ruler’s scepter.’
“This is a lament and is to be used as a lament.”

Go Deeper

This chapter of Ezekiel is dedicated to lamenting the princes of Israel. They were called princes, not kings, to diminish their rule and detail their lack of leadership. This is the first out of five laments in the book of Ezekiel. God through Ezekiel is expressing great sorrow, or grief, over the sins of the leaders of Israel. This chapter is essentially an allegory for what went wrong with the tribe of Judah. In verses 1-9, Ezekiel uses the image of a lion and her cubs to depict the Davidic line, and in verses 10-14, Ezekiel uses the image of a vine to depict Israel’s final strong branch or kings. The illustration of a lion and her cubs show what has happened to Judah. The lioness is Judah, and the cubs are Judah’s kings. A lot of the context for this passage comes from 2 Kings, and the wicked kings who lead the nation into exile. Israel was a mighty and powerful nation under King David but a majority of the kings following him had become idolatrous and corrupt in their ruling.
Describing Israel’s king, verse 4 says, “The nations heard about him, and he was trapped in their pit. They led him with hooks to the land of Egypt.” This is referring to King Jehoahaz who ruled in 609 BC for three months before he was exiled to Egypt (2 Kings 23). There is another depiction of a king in verse 9 which says, “With hooks they pulled him into a cage and brought him to the king of Babylon. They put him in prison, so his roar was heard no longer on the mountains of Israel.” This is in reference to King Jehoiachin who was carried off into Babylon in 597 BC (2 Kings 24).
There is a second imagery Ezekiel uses of a vine which was once healthy but now has been burned in a fire. The vine is Judah, and the fire is symbolic of God’s wrath and judgment. The stems are no longer, and its strong branches were torn off and dried up (v. 13). The chapter ends saying, “fire has gone out from the stem of its shoots, has consumed its fruit, so that there remains in it no strong stem, no scepter for ruling” (v. 14). The Davidic line was cut off with Zedekiah being Israel’s last king. This verse references a promise made to Judah at the end of Genesis.
In Genesis 49, Jacob blesses his sons and gives a noteworthy blessing over Judah. Jacob refers to Judah as a lion saying that Judah will be victorious over its enemies. It says, “You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son.” (v. 9). Jacob also says, “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his” (v. 10). A scepter was a staff that symbolized absolute authority over a nation or tribe. When Jacob says that the scepter will not depart from Judah, he is referencing one descendant that would come from the line of Judah, whose throne will be established forever: Jesus Christ.
Before Jesus was crucified, Roman soldiers mocked Him, placed a crown of thorns on His head and gave Him a staff as a royal scepter. They beat Him with the scepter chanting “Hail, king of the Jews!” (Matthew 27:29). The scepter, a symbol of worldly authority, was used to beat the One who holds all authority in Heaven and on Earth. The scepter in the hands of earthly kings will perish, but the scepter the Messiah holds will remain forever. The scepter will not ever depart from the lion of Judah, Jesus Christ. This ancient prophecy will be fulfilled when Jesus Christ, in all His glory, returns with all the angels and the saints. Revelation 19:15 says “He will rule [the nations] with an iron scepter” as a righteous judge. The King of Kings from the line of Judah will one day come, and every nation will bow down and worship Him.

Questions

What stuck out to you on your first read through this chapter? Why?
What does this passage teach you about God? What does it teach you about humanity?
How does this passage ultimately point towards Jesus?

Listen Here

Take five minutes today to listen to the song “King of Kings” to be reminded of the Gospel today.

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October 5, 2023
Ezekiel 18
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The One Who Sins Will Die
18 The word of the Lord came to me: ²“What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:
“‘The parents eat sour grapes,
    and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
³“As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. ⁴For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die.
⁵“Suppose there is a righteous man
    who does what is just and right.
⁶He does not eat at the mountain shrines
    or look to the idols of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife
    or have sexual relations with a woman during her period.
⁷He does not oppress anyone,
    but returns what he took in pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
    but gives his food to the hungry
    and provides clothing for the naked.
⁸He does not lend to them at interest
    or take a profit from them.
He withholds his hand from doing wrong
    and judges fairly between two parties.
⁹He follows my decrees
    and faithfully keeps my laws.
That man is righteous;
    he will surely live,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
¹⁰“Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things ¹¹(though the father has done none of them):
“He eats at the mountain shrines.
He defiles his neighbor’s wife.
¹²He oppresses the poor and needy.
He commits robbery.
He does not return what he took in pledge.
He looks to the idols.
He does detestable things.
¹³He lends at interest and takes a profit.
Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.
¹⁴“But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things:
¹⁵“He does not eat at the mountain shrines
    or look to the idols of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife.
¹⁶He does not oppress anyone
    or require a pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
    but gives his food to the hungry
    and provides clothing for the naked.
¹⁷He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor
    and takes no interest or profit from them.
He keeps my laws and follows my decrees.
He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live. ¹⁸But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.
¹⁹“Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. ²⁰The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.
²¹“But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. ²²None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. ²³Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
²⁴“But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.
²⁵“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? ²⁶If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. ²⁷But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. ²⁸Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die. ²⁹Yet the Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?
³⁰“Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. ³¹Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? ³²For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!

Go Deeper

Chapter 18 has the goal of recorrecting a common misconception of the people. It goes into detail debunking their view of a false proverb that says, “the parents eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge” meaning the parent’s sin affects the child’s righteousness. God sets the record straight: we belong to Him. Children might inherit the sins of their parents and be affected by their choices, but they are not defined and punished for their parents actions. The consequences of our sins can have a greater effect on those around us, but we are not labeled by the sins of others.
This belief likely comes from Exodus 20:5 which reads, “For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.” Throughout the Old Testament, we read stories of generations being affected by a single person’s actions. But what this passage and many others show is that our sins have consequences on others. Nobody sins in a vacuum, our actions affect more than just ourselves.
What God is helping us to see here is that despite this, He looks at the individual. To us, this might not seem like a crazy concept, but for a communal, family driven culture, it was harder to separate the individual from the group in the way our modern culture is accustomed to. In fact, if we go to verse 6 of Exodus 6 we see that the sentence wasn’t over yet. God continues with, “but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
The point that is repeated constantly throughout this chapter is clarification on His character: we belong to Him and our salvation is found in Him. “Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit… For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!” God makes it clear here that He has always been after our hearts. He desires us to turn and live! There is no bondage from our past, we have been made new in Him. Even in the Old Covenant He is still the same. It’s not about our deeds or perfection, nearness to Him is and always has been the goal.

Questions

Read Romans 5:12-19. How does it talk about Adam and Jesus being the exception to verse 20?
Reread verse 29. Do you find yourself having a double standard? Are there aspects of our character that we project onto God’s character?
How do we view this chapter in light of Jesus?

Keep Digging

Check out this article from GotQuestions.org on generational curses for further commentary of how we look at this in a modern context.

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October 4, 2023
Ezekiel 17
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Two Eagles and a Vine
17 The word of the Lord came to me: ²“Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell it to the Israelites as a parable. ³Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: A great eagle with powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied colors came to Lebanon. Taking hold of the top of a cedar, ⁴he broke off its topmost shoot and carried it away to a land of merchants, where he planted it in a city of traders.
⁵“‘He took one of the seedlings of the land and put it in fertile soil. He planted it like a willow by abundant water, ⁶and it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out leafy boughs.
⁷“‘But there was another great eagle with powerful wings and full plumage. The vine now sent out its roots toward him from the plot where it was planted and stretched out its branches to him for water. ⁸It had been planted in good soil by abundant water so that it would produce branches, bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’
⁹“Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will it thrive? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it withers? All its new growth will wither. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by the roots. ¹⁰It has been planted, but will it thrive? Will it not wither completely when the east wind strikes it—wither away in the plot where it grew?’”
¹¹Then the word of the Lord came to me: ¹²“Say to this rebellious people, ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Say to them: ‘The king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and carried off her king and her nobles, bringing them back with him to Babylon. ¹³Then he took a member of the royal family and made a treaty with him, putting him under oath. He also carried away the leading men of the land, ¹⁴so that the kingdom would be brought low, unable to rise again, surviving only by keeping his treaty. ¹⁵But the king rebelledagainst him by sending his envoys to Egypt to get horses and a large army.Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the treaty and yet escape?
¹⁶“‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, he shall die in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose treaty he broke. ¹⁷Pharaoh with his mighty army and great horde will be of no help to him in war, when ramps are built and siege works erected to destroy many lives. ¹⁸He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Because he had given his hand in pledge and yet did all these things, he shall not escape.
¹⁹“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, I will repay him for despising my oath and breaking my covenant. ²⁰I will spread my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment on him there because he was unfaithful to me. ²¹All his choice troops will fall by the sword, and the survivors will be scattered to the winds. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken.
²²“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. ²³On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches. ²⁴All the trees of the forest will know that I the Lord bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.
“‘I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.’”

Go Deeper

God gave us a prophetic parable to understand in Ezekiel 17. The cedar tree of Lebanon refers to Jerusalem and the southern kingdom of Judah. King Nebuchadrezzar, in his second siege of Jerusalem, is the great eagle. God, in His purposes, put Zedekiah as king of Judah. Sadly, King Zedekiah was unwilling to heed the warnings and words of God through Ezekiel and traded his faith and trust in the covenant of Yahweh for an unholy alliance with Egypt. Zedekiah’s chosen rejection of God’s offered protection, provision, and covenant as King, even in submission to Nebuchadrezzar, led to the overthrow of the Judah some five years later.
We all have a similar choice to make daily as well. Conflicts in families or the workplace, financial problems, addictions, temptation and trials of all kinds can overwhelm us. When we find ourselves in these circumstances, do we choose to fervently seek God, His word, and His strength, or do we turn to our own thoughts, ways, and limited strength? Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” We must choose the promise and thoughts of God during our trials and watch His faithfulness and power work as we trust Him. Our faith will become like the cedar tree that is known for its endurance remaining evergreen with deepening roots.
In the most important and final prophecy in this parable, God allowed the “eagle” to take from the top of the cedar. The top shoots of the cedar tree represent the royal lineage of kings in the nation of Judah. Notice that the eagle takes the shoots from the top of the cedar trees until verse 22 where God takes the shoot Himself. This represents the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, whom God will offer to the entire world. God loudly proclaims in this verse His sovereignty over the world beyond the kingdom of Judah, and He proclaims the same today over our world and individual lives. First, we must ask Christ to be our personal savior. Through His blood on the cross, we are forgiven of all sin now and forever. We can walk daily with God deepening our faith so that we may become a “cedar of Lebanon” with deep roots in Christ. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Let us all choose to become a beautiful stately cedar in Christ who offers forgiveness, hope, and an enduring future of eternity with God in heaven.

Questions

What mistake did Zedekiah make that affected the entire kingdom of Judah? How can you prevent a similar mistake in your own life?
Why and how are God’s thoughts and ways better than your own?
What is significant in verse 22 about God taking the shoot of the cedar?

A Quote

Matthew Henry, an 18th century theologian and writer, says, “The unbelief of man shall not make the promise of God of none effect. The parable of a tree is here presented in the promise and appears only applicable to Jesus, Son of David, and Messiah of God.”

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October 3, 2023
Ezekiel 16
Read Ezekiel 16

Jerusalem as an Adulterous Wife
16 The word of the Lord came to me: ²“Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her detestable practices ³and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lordsays to Jerusalem: Your ancestry and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. ⁴On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. ⁵No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.
⁶“‘Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!” ⁷I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, yet you were stark naked.
⁸“‘Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenantwith you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.
⁹“‘I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you. ¹⁰I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put sandals of fine leather on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments. ¹¹I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck, ¹²and I put a ring on your nose,earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. ¹³So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oil and the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen. ¹⁴And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord.
¹⁵“‘But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his. ¹⁶You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places, where you carried on your prostitution. You went to him, and he possessed your beauty. ¹⁷You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, the jewelry made of my gold and silver, and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with them. ¹⁸And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense before them. ¹⁹Also the food I provided for you—the flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat—you offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what happened, declares the Sovereign Lord.
²⁰“‘And you took your sons and daughters whom you bore to me and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough?²¹You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols. ²²In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, kicking about in your blood.
²³“‘Woe! Woe to you, declares the Sovereign Lord. In addition to all your other wickedness, ²⁴you built a mound for yourself and made a lofty shrinein every public square. ²⁵At every street corner you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, spreading your legs with increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by. ²⁶You engaged in prostitution with the Egyptians,your neighbors with large genitals, and aroused my anger with your increasing promiscuity. ²⁷So I stretched out my hand against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were shocked by your lewd conduct. ²⁸You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians too, because you were insatiable; and even after that, you still were not satisfied. ²⁹Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia, a land of merchants, but even with this you were not satisfied.
³⁰“‘I am filled with fury against you, declares the Sovereign Lord, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute! ³¹When you built your mounds at every street corner and made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were unlike a prostitute, because you scorned payment.
³²“‘You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband! ³³All prostitutes receive gifts, but you give gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors. ³⁴So in your prostitution you are the opposite of others; no one runs after you for your favors. You are the very opposite, for you give payment and none is given to you.
³⁵“‘Therefore, you prostitute, hear the word of the Lord! ³⁶This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you poured out your lust and exposed your naked body in your promiscuity with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols, and because you gave them your children’s blood,³⁷therefore I am going to gather all your lovers, with whom you found pleasure, those you loved as well as those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and will strip you in front of them, and they will see you stark naked. ³⁸I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood; I will bring on you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger. ³⁹Then I will deliver you into the hands of your lovers, and they will tear down your mounds and destroy your lofty shrines. They will strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry and leave you stark naked. ⁴⁰They will bring a mob against you, who will stone you and hack you to pieces with their swords. ⁴¹They will burn downyour houses and inflict punishment on you in the sight of many women. I will put a stop to your prostitution, and you will no longer pay your lovers.⁴²Then my wrath against you will subside and my jealous anger will turn away from you; I will be calm and no longer angry.
⁴³“‘Because you did not remember the days of your youth but enraged me with all these things, I will surely bring down on your head what you have done, declares the Sovereign Lord. Did you not add lewdness to all your other detestable practices?
⁴⁴“‘Everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb about you: “Like mother, like daughter.” ⁴⁵You are a true daughter of your mother, who despised her husband and her children; and you are a true sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. ⁴⁶Your older sister was Samaria, who lived to the north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you with her daughters, was Sodom. ⁴⁷You not only followed their ways and copied their detestable practices, but in all your ways you soon became more depraved than they. ⁴⁸As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done.
⁴⁹“‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.⁵⁰They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen. ⁵¹Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done. ⁵²Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous than you. So then, be ashamed and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.
⁵³“‘However, I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them, ⁵⁴so that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all you have done in giving them comfort. ⁵⁵And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before; and you and your daughters will return to what you were before. ⁵⁶You would not even mention your sister Sodom in the day of your pride, ⁵⁷before your wickedness was uncovered. Even so, you are now scorned by the daughters of Edom and all her neighbors and the daughters of the Philistines—all those around you who despise you. ⁵⁸You will bear the consequences of your lewdness and your detestable practices, declares the Lord.
⁵⁹“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant. ⁶⁰Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. ⁶¹Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, both those who are older than you and those who are younger. I will give them to you as daughters, but not on the basis of my covenant with you. ⁶²So I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord. ⁶³Then, when I make atonement for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

Go Deeper

Chapter 16 is the longest single allegory in the Bible, metaphorically talking about God’s relationship with Jerusalem. Throughout this extended metaphor, we see the way God directly pursues His people amidst them actively turning away from Him.
There are 19 verbs that describe this personified relationship, but the general idea is this: The Isrealites were lost and rejected, but God noticed them. Deuteronomy 7 tells us that this had nothing to do with us, but was because of His love for us that “He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers.” The Lord brought them into a covenant and provided for them, they even flourished during King David and some of Solomon’s years. This changes in verse 15 when the story shifts from being taken care of by God to trusting in themselves. (1 Corinthians 4:7). They abused His blessings, turned to the things of this world, and exalted themselves. Yet they were not satisfied.
It’s important to note that the purpose of this extended metaphor is the message as a whole and to not get lost in the thick of the individual details. One important theme of this metaphor is the idea of taking what has been given as a gift and making an idol out of it.
Rather than turning back to God, their idolatry led them deeper into sin, costing them more than gaining. Tara-Leigh Cobble of The Bible Recap says, “Idolatry always demands more, making us needier, more frantic, and insecure.” What is clearly on display isn’t just their actions but their heart. Amidst excess, we can easily forget who it belongs to. And when we think that it is of our own doing, we lavish in the things given to us, forgetting the poor and needy. God mentions in verse 49 that this is what was wrong with Sodom- the city completely destroyed in Genesis 19.
When we forget the source of all that has been given to us, rather than being faithful stewards of what has been given to us, we become entitled and greedy. God makes it clear that His wrath will be upon them, but He doesn’t end the story there. God promises to restore Jerusalem and promises an everlasting covenant. This new covenant, one that will atone for all we have done (v. 63) is because of Jesus! How cool is it to see this promised future throughout the whole story of the Bible!

Questions

How does the poetic repetition emphasize a contrast between what God did for the people compared to what they did to Him?
Read Job 41:11 in response to verse 49. How does this influence the way we treat our resources?
What does this teach you about God’s character?

By the Way

The marriage covenant described here is in reference to the covenant confirmed in Exodus 24:7-8 at Mount Sinai.

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October 2, 2023
Rest Day

Rest Day

Today is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence.

Watch This

Ezekiel is both prophetic and, at times, apocalyptic literature. Some times these can instances of apocalyptic writings can be difficult to understand.
To learn more about how to read these books, check out this video from The Bible Project!

Worship With Us

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October 1, 2023