Ezekiel 46

Read Ezekiel 46

The people who first received Ezekiel's great vision of a future temple were Jews who were in exile. They had heard of the destruction of the Lord's sanctuary in Jerusalem. Their liturgical communion with God according to the the biblical system given to them in the Torah was not available to them or to any of the Jews anymore. The Babylonians had reduced to rubble the only facility authorized by God for the various offerings that were part of the regular rhythm of Hebrew worship.

Ezekiel's description of a renewed pattern of devotion would have been great news for those who wished to follow the Lord's instruction. For others who may have had no intention of observing Jehovah's statutes, it was entirely irrelevant. The picture that the prophet saw was not an absolute prediction of what would happen in the Promised Land, but was a commandment for those who might soon be granted the privilege of going home. Only then could they build up the great holy area and celebrate again their rest on the seventh day and their calendar of festivals given to the Jews so long ago. Of course they would also need a righteous prince and faithful priests and Levites. If the men who held those positions of trust were as rebellious as those who were in charge prior to the deportation, there could be no era of glory in the land that God had given to Israel.

Ezekiel described what the religious life would have been like for a godly people. The worthy prince would come in and go out of the sacred spaces according to the Word of God. His subjects would have the privilege of being the king's servants. His descendants would receive what was due to them by God's instruction, and the citizens of the nation would live in safety. “The prince shall not take any of the inheritance of the people.”

It must have sounded like the best of all dreams to those Jews who were truly desiring to obey the Lord, but we must happily proclaim that we already have something far superior to what Ezekiel describes. Our Sabbath day has been changed to mark the victory of Jesus over death. Our Prince of Peace does not have to offer ceremonial sacrifices to His God. His cross was the end to a system of worship that could never truly take away sin. We have no desire to go back to the old annual cycle of festivals, nor are we waiting for a future year of liberty, since we are already free in Christ. We who are servants of the Lord are also counted as His sons, and we are all joint heirs with the Son of God. We are able to commune with the Lord in ways that were utterly unimaginable for the ancient Jews. Why would we ever want to go back to the old days of waiting for a Messiah?

Our priest has so fully saved both Jews and Gentiles through His own life and death. Jesus is our perfect holiness and our eternal life. To return to even the very best mountaintop cathedral of the Old Testament era is completely unthinkable. We who are in Christ have become the temple of the Holy Spirit, and our King is perfectly righteous and alive forevermore.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

God of Grace, we long for the fullness of Sabbath rest that has been won for us through the work of Jesus Christ. His offering of Himself for us will be a testimony in Your Kingdom forever. We thank You for this great Prince, the Captain of our salvation. Will we actually be able to see Him in the temple above? We know that we will, for You have assured us that we will see Him as He is. We will fall before Him with the great joy of heavenly worship. O Father, we do not understand the things of heaven as we ought. We do know that we are the property of Your Son, and are a part of Your glorious inheritance in the saints. We humbly ask that You would take us, one day, to be with You, for the glory of Your holy Name.

Ezekiel 45

Read Ezekiel 45

The Lord's extended vision for a renewed Promise Land for the eventual return of exiles included more than just the temple. “You shall set apart for the Lord a portion of the land as a holy district.” The previous details were for the center of this larger territory. The full plan included sections for the priests, the Levites, and for the gatherings of “the whole house of Israel.”

There would also be a sizable property for “the prince” who would have the responsibility to maintain the life of worship within the new Israel. Any king would need to be a man of great faithfulness. “My princes shall no more oppress My people.”

At the center of Ezekiel 45, God spoke directly to the leaders who had performed so poorly during the closing years of Judah's monarchy prior to the exile. “Enough, O princes of Israel! Put away violence and oppression, and execute justice and righteousness. Cease your evictions of My people.”

In the absence of a righteous ruler, what hope could there be that the general populace would live according to God's standards for honest commerce? “You shall have just balances, a just ephah, and a just bath.” The prospects for moral success from such a call to honest governance and ethical business conduct must be considered in light of Ezekiel's earlier prophesy (Ezekiel 36:26-27) regarding a coming future era of great inner renewal. “I will give you a new heart.” True personal transformation could never come by the Law. A faithful worshiping community would only exist through the gracious operations of the Holy Spirit.

A truly successful Prince for God's kingdom would do more for Jehovah's people than merely announcing God's statutes. Ezekiel's anticipated ideal leader might have been able to provide the people with all that was necessary to keep the calender of appointed Hebrew festivals, but only a far better monarch could give all God's people what they would need for resurrection life.

The New Testament assures us that we have a great Son of David who is God's provision for all of our deepest needs. While we still face present moments of deprivation as we wait for the future fullness of His final glorious reign, we can live as His children even now. The King who died for our sins and who rose again from the dead will surely accomplish what no other ruler could have ever achieved. Jesus will work within us a new life that will be consistent with His own glorious holiness.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Lord God, we long for Immanuel’s land, for You have a place for us there. Your Son went ahead to prepare that new home for us. How extensive is Your great land! There is room there for Your beloved children. The priesthood of all believers is laboring here below by Your grace. Today we face oppression, even from those who should be godly leaders in our midst. Here people lie to us and cheat us. Here we worry about the danger that our money will run out. We may spend our treasures in foolish ways with little awareness of our purpose in life. We long for Your courts above. We will thank You forever for our perfect atonement in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. There we will not be plagued by evil people around us or from the remaining sin within us. We wait, O Lord, for Your deliverance, and we love You and one another in the strength of our eternal hope.

Monday Morning Clarity - 1 Chronicles 2:50-55

Certain men in the record of the tribe of Judah were associated with specific places and with the extended families (clans) that lived there. Most modern lives seem to be less rooted than that.

Which way of life is most consistent with human flourishing? Modern autonomy or traditional lives with particular places where we live with our extended families? Do we have a biblical theology of place and extended family that would help us to resist the pull of autonomy in the world and the church today?

The Chronicler rightly believed in Jerusalem as the most holy place in the world in his day. With the coming of Jesus and His death and resurrection, we have moved from that old view of a centralized, worldwide holy place to one person who is our Temple--Jesus! He calls us to all the Nazareths of the world, where we live out the message that alone can bring abundant life to a dying world.

Two points that are central to any biblical theology of place and clan:

1. Reject any primary dedication to any place above Jesus. False prophets have sent the church out fighting for holy lands and forgetting the calling of God to the Nazareths of the world.

2. With a healthy primary dedication to Jesus, embrace a secondary dedication to the place where you are and to the people of the resurrected Christ in that location.

Sermon Notes

Sermon Audio

Romania Trip

Thank you for your prayers.

Here is the plan as we know it now.
I will update this with any additions or changes that may take place

Thursday, June 8, Leaving from Boston

Friday, June 9, Arrival in Bucharest on Lufthansa 1418 at 12:45 PM
Friday evening, June 9, Greeting Zion Presbyterian Church in Bucharest

Saturday afternoon, June 10, Travel from Bucharest to Alexandria
Saturday evening, June 10, Evangelistic Ministry in Alexandria

Sunday, June 11, Worship Services in Alexandria, morning and evening
Sunday evening, June 11, very late arrival back in Bucharest

Monday, June 12, Travel from Bucharest to Suceava, Plan to stop along the way to greet Marian Paduret in Bacau and Costin Suster in Roman.

Tuesday, June 13, Evening conference on the Lord's Prayer in Marginea

Wednesday, June 14, Travel from Suceava to Bucharest. Plan to look at an area where Hongkey may wish to establish a center for the Christian transformation of Romania.

Thursday, June 15, Evening conference on the Lord's Prayer in Bucharest

Friday, June 16, Departure from Bucharest on Lufthansa 1419 at 1:55 PM

Praying for Heidi

Update from 6/14/2017 prayer email:

Heidi has reached 37 weeks. This is a milestone for her -- birth can come at any time (July 4th is the due date). Jennie has twice-weekly visits to monitor progress and the umbilical cord. One reason so many children with Trisomy 18 do not survive birth is that there is typically only one artery in the umbilical cord. Any type of stress would necessarily lead to an emergency c-section at this point.

Heidi is extremely active right now, waking Jennie up many times in the night. Jennie has one desire -- to hold her child while living. With all the activity that seems like a reasonable desire. The matter of the umbilical cord is the primary concern. So please be in prayer for that specifically.

Original Post: 5/28/2017

Please print out this message below or pick it up at church and pray for Heidi and her parents. Steve Leavitt writes:

My sister, Ruthie, organized a baby shower for Jennie and Andrew yesterday. Part of the time was spent in prayer. Ruthie shared the following list of areas to pray for.

We know that Heidi, who has been diagnosed with Trisomy 18, is in the palm of the Father’s hand.

Specific Prayer Requests for Heidi

• Her growth
• Umbilical cord function
• Her heart, brain, lungs development
• For her cleft lip and palate
• Full-term delivery - that Heidi will do well
• For Heidi's heart to remain strong in delivery
• That she'll be able to breathe on her own
• Treatments needed after birth
• Her wonderful doctors - pediatrician, neonatologist, and pediatric cardiologist
• The nurses who will care for her
• Her care at the hospital
• Feeding- that she'll be able to feed orally

Specific Prayer Requests for Jennie and Andrew

• Peace
• Trust
• Wisdom
• Strength
• Financial provision
• Jennie’s doctors - obstetrician and perinatologist
• Tenacity
• Testimony
• Amniotic fluid level
• Delivery
• Decisions for Heidi's care before and after birth

Ezekiel 44

Read Ezekiel 44

God had a special place at “the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces east” that was reserved for the coming of the next reigning descendant of David. “This gate shall remain shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered by it.” Jehovah had come in through that gate to fill the entire holy structure with His glorious presence. “Only the prince may sit in it to eat bread before the Lord.”

The other sacred regulations listed by the prophet were generally in line with the Old Covenant system. Foreigners were still not allowed into God's house. The priesthood, even more restricted than under the Law, was limited to the sons of Zadok. All of the distinctions between clean and unclean remained of critical importance to any who would be faithful to God. Holy garments, appointed feasts, and rules concerning marriage and land reinforced the truth that the message of the Almighty in that era was first for the Jews. Secondarily, their communal life and writings would prepare the whole world for the future New Covenant about which Jeremiah had written. (Jeremiah 31:31)

Ezekiel 44 had a distinct prophet, Ezekiel, a particular line of priests, the sons of Zadok, and a special king, “the prince.” The Lord Himself was different from these three prominent servants. God's Word to His suffering children revealed an idealized Old Testament picture. Faithful exiles had something to yearn for concerning their days under the sun. Of course, they would fail in their own efforts toward holiness, just as their fathers before them. Nonetheless the revelation in these concluding chapters of Ezekiel was for the exiles of the house of Israel long before it was of any use to the Gentiles. Ezekiel's vision provided an goal of what Jewish life with God ought to have been in their lifetime.

We who have fled to the Son of God have found a better answer to the problems of sin and death than even the most glorious vision of an old ceremonial life. Jehovah has come in person, and He is Jesus, the Son of God. He is also simultaneously our Prophet, Priest, and King. Jesus has made all foods clean (Mark 7:19), and has become for us “the Guarantor of a better covenant.” (Hebrews 7:22) Not only that, He has done what no hero of the Hebrew Scriptures could ever do, conquering death for us and inaugurating a new resurrection community of faith. “Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him.” (Hebrews 7:25) Even Gentiles have found a permanent and safe way into the presence of God through this one Jewish Messiah.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Great Lord, You are the God of Heaven and Earth. Your Son has entered into the eternal sanctuary. We who believe in Him repent of all known sin. We want to be numbered among the Israel that is above. We receive Your Word with joy, and turn away from every foolish desire, thought, saying, action, and inclination. We draw near to You through Jesus Christ. We want to minister to You one day in Your holy sanctuary. Father, we understand that You are preparing us for that day even now. We are assured that our labor in Your Son is not in vain. Forgive us when we have made foolish choices. We have missed many opportunities to suffer for You and to serve You. We are so thankful that with You there is abundant forgiveness.

Ezekiel 43

Read Ezekiel 43

Earlier in Ezekiel the glory of God had departed from the temple in Jerusalem as a sign of the Lord's judgment upon His people. After the destruction of that earlier sanctuary, though, the prophet received another vision that would bring great joy to the Jewish exiles. He saw the same manifestation of the Almighty as he had seen earlier, but now “the glory of the Lord entered the temple” once again. Ezekiel heard the voice of God addressing him: “Son of man, this is the place of My throne.” As always, the Lord's sanctuary was where God chose to abide with His people. “I will dwell in their midst forever.”

Ezekiel was instructed to “describe to the house of Israel the temple” as he had seen it in this great revelation. The purpose of God's people receiving this oracle was startling: “... that they may be ashamed of their iniquities.” The Lord's detailed plan for a perfect Old Testament place of worship was intended to humble them and to bring them to repentance.

The temple told a story that would find its fulfillment in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as our atonement before God. The “measurement of the altar” in the Old Testament house of the Lord may mean little to us. We are not interested in the ritual killing of animals or in the various detailed sacrificial gifts that were to be presented to God through an authorized priesthood in ancient days. We have instead been captivated by the fulfillment of the entire Old Testament system of worship in the death and resurrection of the Son of God.

When we hear the preaching of Jesus and learn about the coming resurrection temple of the Holy Spirit, we recognize a clear call to true repentance and continued growth in holiness. (Acts 2:38) We look far beyond this dying world to the heavenly sanctuary. We know that the blood of animals could never have purified the way for us to live at peace with Jehovah in heaven. (Hebrews 9:23-28) Christ has made it safe for us to be with our God. We are happy to fill our worship services with contemplation of Him. His death has brought us life and His resurrection has become our assurance that we are citizens of a kingdom that will never end.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Glorious God, fill Your church with Your presence. Here below we have a taste of Your greatness. We are hungry for more of Your glory. We long to be in that place where You will dwell with Your people forever. No longer will our defiling sin give us trouble. All of our evil will be utterly put away. We are ashamed of our horrible iniquities. Even before the return of Your Son, when our bodies rest in the grave, our sin will be utterly removed from our eternal souls. Grant that our perfected spirits will one day be brought to dwell in our resurrected bodies forever. May we enjoy Your kingdom in that day with purified spirits in resurrection splendor. May we walk all around it, and contemplate the glory of it in all of its greatness. Thank You for the blood of Your Son, by which we have been granted such a glorious expectation. Surely our sin has been atoned for. Send Your Son to us. Fill the temple of Your living church even now, as we wait for the fulfillment of Your most excellent promises. We are acceptable in the Beloved. What a wonderful hope we have!

Ezekiel 42

Read Ezekiel 42

What has the Lord given to the faithful in Ezekiel's extended vision of a great worship space that has never been built? Is it symbolic of the New Testament temple of the Holy Spirit? If so, why is it so detailed, leaving the reader with the reasonable thought that this facility should be built?

The revelation contained in these chapters came from God and was surely for the benefit of His children in the days of Ezekiel. These chapters are also for the church in every era as we make good use of every Word of God preserved for us in the Old and New Testaments.

As we continue Ezekiel's tour into the outer court toward the perimeter wall, we are given the dimensions and orientations of the “chambers” and “galleries” that the prophet beheld. We are told the number of stories in the structure, and the “thickness of the wall of the court.” We hear of dedicated rooms for sacrificial activities that were reserved for the Levitical priests.

Finally, the angel leading the tour measures the entire area. It is a perfect square, 500 cubits (about 830 feet) on every side with “a wall around it.” The purpose of that dividing line between the inside and the outside tells us so much about the sacred life of Old Testament religion—to “make a separation between the holy and the common.”

While this amazing center of Old Covenant devotion has never been built, it was set before the exiles as a goal and a present spiritual help. The Lord was not finished with the Jews. He had a future for them.

For those New Testament believers who, like the Jews during the exile, may be discouraged with the providence of the Almighty, we have a healthy yearning that goes far beyond the construction of even the most glorious cathedral. Jesus is our temple, and He is greater than anything that people could ever build. As we read from the four gospels in our covenant assemblies all over the world, we should meditate on the reality of our reigning Messiah, rather than on the most sacred place in a rebuilt Jerusalem. We have a wonderful home in Christ that no one can ever take away from us.

Even now, the old distinctions between Jew and Gentile have largely been eclipsed by a new dividing line between the church and the world. What about the former ways of God who set the Jews apart from all the other people groups on the face of the earth? Jesus Himself has become “our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” (Ephesians 2:14) Jews and Gentiles have been brought together through faith in Christ, who is not only the King of the Jews, but also the King and Head of the church.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

O God of Grace, when we are brought to Your heavenly temple, where will we will live, and how will we serve You there? We know that we will be as priests forever. Even now we are among the priesthood of all who believe. What will it be like for us to be in the secure company of holy men and angels? In Your house there are many mansions. Each chamber must be like a great estate in its holiness and glory. We look forward to the provision of holy garments for our life with you. We have already been clothed with the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. May that gift bring us confidence and humble boldness in Your service today. We thank You for the great blessings You have so richly bestowed upon us.

Monday Morning Clarity - 1 Chronicles 2:42-50

Caleb, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, was one man in the royal tribe of Israel, but he had many children of a number of mothers who were his wives and concubines. This kind of family complexity was never endorsed by God as his highest plan for family life (See Genesis 2 and Matthew 19:3-15). Nonetheless, the Lord used all kinds of less than ideal events (remember the story of Judah and Tamar) to build up the tribe that would lead to the Messiah. Our relationship with Jesus, the Savior of the world, who is our perfect husband, is our glory.

Beloved, be loved by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and then love all image bearers of our king, even though they may be the brothers of another mother.

Finally, be sanctified by God's Word and Spirit, dedicating yourself to holy living in marriage and singleness by the grace that He supplies.

Sermon Notes
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Ezekiel 41

Read Ezekiel 41

Our visionary journey through the ideal Old Testament temple left off at the end of Ezekiel 40 at the entrance to the holy building itself where God would meet with His people. It was now time to learn about the space beyond the foyer. The angelic guide continued his work of measurement inside the main worship area and even beyond into the “Most Holy Place.”

The beauty and order of the temple interior were described so that the prophet could pass all these details on to the Jewish exiles who would soon hear Ezekiel's revelation. Particularly noteworthy were the carved artistry of alternating palm trees and cherubim. The heavenly creatures each contained two faces, one human and the second a young lion. These decorations were reminiscent of the original tabernacle and of Solomon's edifice that had been destroyed by the Babylonians fourteen years earlier. They were pictures that told the story to those who approached that they were coming near to a divine world beyond the curtain where God promised to dwell.

It would be a very natural desire for a reader from any era to want to join the tour and to take in the wonder of this great building. As New Testament believers we must remind ourselves, though, that it would be a step backward for us to construct such a facility since we already have something far better than what Ezekiel saw that day.

The perfect Son of God is our temple. We are united with Him and have the boldness that comes from our approved access to the Almighty (Ephesians 3:12). Earlier generations could only worship in fear and keep their distance from the Holy of Holies. Through the death of our Savior, the dividing curtain that once kept us at a safe distance has been torn in two from top to bottom (Mark 15:38).

We may now approach the Lord together as His people, knowing that our Mediator has purified the way for us to be in the presence of our God. Why would we want to return to an Old Testament structure, even an ideal one, that was preparatory for the coming of our Messiah? The Lord is risen indeed! It is our great privilege to participate in heavenly worship through our union with Jesus.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Father God, we want to worship You forever and ever. How can we dwell with You? We will have to be changed in our deepest nature. All sin will be utterly removed from us. The faults of our old hearts that distract us now in public worship and private devotion will be completely erased. The clamor of human weakness and depravity will be very far from our new life. Teach us to contemplate our heavenly home even now. We will see things there that we have never seen before. We look forward to experiencing that glory without any concern that our joy will ever be taken away. Grant this holy desire, together with the forgiveness of all our trespasses.

Ezekiel 40

Read Ezekiel 40

Fourteen years after the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, God had a special message for the Jews who were living in exile. The Lord brought Ezekiel to Jerusalem in a vision and showed him a new city with a glorious temple on the top of “a very high mountain.” The Almighty instructed the prophet to pay careful attention to everything he saw and heard. “Look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I show you.” The prophet was told to “declare all that you see to the house of Israel.”

A good diagram or artist's rendition of this multiple chapter revelation is most helpful in following Ezekiel's words. The first installment of the picture is full of amazing details about the wall around the outside of the temple area, the outer court, the gates, the inner court, the many windows, the decorative palm trees, and the various stairways. This sacred space where God would meet with His people was to be a working holy place with accommodations for the Old Testament sacrificial system and for the “the sons of Zadok” who alone were to perform certain priestly duties.

At the end of Ezekiel 40 an angel led the prophet to the altar “in front of the temple.” Future chapters will give us more details about the interior spaces of that central structure as well as the surrounding region on the other side of the walls.

We can already gather several important lessons about the Lord and His people from these observations delivered during an ancient time of Jewish captivity. The God who would reveal these amazing details is a God of knowledge, order, and gracious communication. He knew that His children needed a goal to inspire their hearts which would be appropriate for their time and place. Though this precise temple was never built, it functioned like the Lord's announcement of divine blessings for obedience at the end of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. The unfaithfulness of the returning Israelites would prevent the realization of those rewards for His chosen nation, but we should not conclude that the unveiling of such great goals was without purpose.

As we walk through the mountaintop vision with Ezekiel, we remember that we are to be a holy priesthood of believers who have been chosen as worshipers of the only true and living God. Christ alone has fully accomplished all the duties of a perfectly devoted man. He has also become our high priest, offering His own body and blood for us as a sacrifice to cancel our guilt. Even now He lives forever to make intercession for us.

We do not expect anyone to build Ezekiel's ideal Old Testament temple. Instead we have been promised a land far greater than what God's faithful prophet saw. In the great resurrection world there will be “no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:22)

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

O Lord God, show us Your resurrection temple. Grant that we will be able to explore its courts. Delight us with the company of angels and holy men. What a blessing to be in Your house! Let us see the gates of Your kingdom. Cause us to appreciate all the impressive rooms, and to rightly anticipate the wonder of everything in Your holy place. What must it be like to be in a land of such beauty that the finest sights of earth would seem like nothing compared to the glory of even the pavement intended for the feet of the redeemed? We long to experience it all from every vantage point. How we praise You, O Lord! What a pleasure it will be to live in the new world won for us through the blood and righteousness of Christ! He is our great High Priest forever. We are overcome by the glory of this thought: We will be with Him one day, and we will see Him as He is!

Ezekiel 39

Read Ezekiel 39

The Lord is greater than all the impressive powers throughout this fading world. Ezekiel's prophecy against “Gog” is an emotionally gripping expression of the judgment of Jehovah that will come upon arrogant rulers. God is not intimidated by the “hordes” of various people groups “from the uttermost parts of the north” that would assault His beloved children. “I will send fire on Magog and on those who dwell securely in the coastlands, and they shall know that I am the Lord.”

Ezekiel's graphic imagery communicated to the Old Testament hearers the coming of a great military reversal in Israel's favor. “They will seize the spoil of those who despoiled them, and plunder those who plundered them.” The wooden weapons left behind by slaughtered enemy forces would provide fuel for Jewish homes “for seven years.” It would take “seven months” to bury the dead from the camp of their defeated adversaries. The wild beasts and birds would be instructed to come to a feast that would rid the land of the repulsive remains from the soldiers and their horses who would lose their lives in the battle of the ages. (See also Revelation 19:17-21.)

Why would the Almighty bring to the Jews in the days of Ezekiel these descriptive accounts of such overwhelming victory? The Lord's people needed to remember that He was in charge and that He would surely win. “I will set my glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see My judgment that I have executed.”

Though Israel was suffering at the hands of tormentors during Ezekiel's years of ministry, the Lord's people had been sent by God “into captivity for their iniquity.” Jehovah's larger purpose was to “have mercy on the whole house of Israel” for the glory of His own holy Name. God's promise remained: “I will not hide My face anymore from them, when I pour out My Spirit upon the house of Israel.”

Ezekiel used words and concepts that communicated best to the hearts of his immediate audience. The New Testament assures us that the ultimate victorious return of Jesus, not only for the Jews, but for all who trust in Him, will be the greatest fulfillment of these ancient oracles. Why else would the book of Revelation use Ezekiel's visions so prominently in the final chapters of the Bible?

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Lord of Hosts, what will the strong nations of the world do when You come against them with Your almighty power? No assault against Your holy mountain will ever be successful. Your Name will be exalted there forever. We long for that place and that time when it will be so clear that You are our All in all. The coming judgment of the earth will be a frightening and devastating event. We are thankful that we know only small tastes of this horror, and are grateful that we will never experience that eternal curse. Though we have dealt treacherously with You and Your people to our shame, Your Son has taken the full weight of Your wrath for our sin. You will vindicate Your holiness in bringing great blessing upon us, for on the cross Your Son has already faced the penalty that we deserved.

Monday Morning Clarity - 1 Chronicles 2:25-41

The line of Jarahmeel of the tribe of Judah covers at least 21 generations that span more than 700 years! The names entered into this biblical record take us from Jarahmeel (May God have pity!) to Elishama (God has heard!). Amazing! And how comforting to us as we pray.

Along the way from Jerahmeel to Elishama there are brief notes about providences that are surprising to man but well-known to God and even planned by Him for His own purposes in building up the tribe of Judah.

We can use this record of the history of God's chosen people to meditate on the grandeur of our Triune God--His knowledge, wisdom, power, and love.

We should also openly receive our fully God and fully man Savior every day. He was outnumbered, misunderstood, and greatly despised for us. His line certainly seemed to come an abrupt and fruitless end at the cross. Yet Isaiah 53:10 assures us, that though He was cut off from the land of the living, "He shall see His offspring." Yes, and we who find our worth and belonging in Him shall see His face!

Sermon Notes

Ezekiel 38

Read Ezekiel 38

In an extended oracle about final judgment, Ezekiel began by mentioning three places not particularly familiar to us today: Magog, Meshech, and Tubal. Named after their founding ancestors, these names were first referenced in Genesis 10:2, “The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.” Our best guess is that these lands were in Asia Minor, which is modern-day Turkey. We have no clear understanding of who “Gog, of the land of Magog” was, is, or will be. The name “Gog” means “mountain.” This “chief prince” set himself up as a towering figure over many people groups, but the Lord reminded His people that only Jehovah could ever truly be the King over all.

Gog and his host of allied nations would one day be judged by the real King of kings. The places noted so long ago in Ezekiel 38 include the current nations of Ethiopia, Libya, Iran, and even Russia. If the armies of all those surrounding people groups were not enough to frighten Israel, the Almighty also spoke of a far larger alliance under Gog. “The uttermost parts of the north” comprised of “many peoples” would be under this one leader. In addition, other trading partners would be associated with Gog. A fair summary of these verses would rightly conclude that every power from everywhere all over the earth would turn against the chosen people of God who would be residing “in the land that is restored from war.”

Fear would be a very understandable reaction to such an impressive alliance of nations. As always, the Lord's Word was given to produce a better response than terror brought on by well-armed adversaries. Jehovah always calls His children to faith.

God was well aware of this host of enemies. The plan of the Almighty would be accomplished through them. “In the latter days I will bring” all these nations “against My land, that the nations may know Me, when through you, O Gog, I vindicate My holiness before their eyes.” The Lord would bring overwhelming trouble upon His covenant people, not to destroy His elect, but to deliver His ultimate sanction against those who had persecuted His children. “On that day, the day that Gog shall come against the land of Israel, declares the Lord God, My wrath will be roused in My anger.”

During the years of Judah's exile in Babylon, Ezekiel looked forward to a time that Peter called “the last days” that would begin with the resurrection of Christ (Acts 2:17 and 2 Peter 3:3). The New Covenant era will one day reach a grand finale. On that day “the mountains shall be thrown down” against Gog and all who are in league with him. (See also Revelation 20:8.) The return of the Lord of the church at a time known only to the Almighty will then bring about the prophesy contained in Ezekiel 38:23, “So I will show My greatness and My holiness and make Myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

O God of Glory, what will become of this present world in the Day of Your Son’s return? There is no hope in the strength of men. When You go out against those who have persecuted Your people, they will not be able to survive. All the evil schemes of powerful people will come to nothing. We will be so perfectly secure in Your Son in that Day! No one will be able to answer You when You bring Your just judgments upon the world. You will vindicate Your holiness before the eyes of all men. Though many presume that Your Son will never come in judgment, You have promised His return and have spoken clearly about the sword that is coming against the earth. In His first coming, Your Son did not come to judge the world, but to save it. One day He will return again to judge both the living and the dead. 

Ezekiel 37

Read Ezekiel 37

God made great promises to Israel through Ezekiel. How would His Word be fulfilled? The Lord showed two visions to His prophet that were full of meaning.

In the first of these revelations, Ezekiel was brought to a valley filled with “very dry bones.” The Lord of Hosts commanded His ambassador to “prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord.”

The Almighty would accomplish great miracles not only through the ministry of His representatives but also through the work of His Holy Spirit who would bring the dead to life. The Lord would certainly bring regeneration to those who were spiritually dead, yet the Lord had a far more extensive gift in view. “I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O My people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel.”

The God of Israel has provided multiple levels of fulfillment for this good promise over these many centuries, but New Testament believers look for a very literal completion of what God revealed to Ezekiel so long ago. As Paul wrote in Romans 8:11, “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

In light of the New Testament story, the Lord's dramatic picture of dead bones coming back to life insists on a general resurrection from the dead at just the right time. Christ's empty tomb was the crucial beginning of an entire new era of blessing for all those united to Jesus. His death has paid our debt, and His immortal life has secured our highest hopes.

The second vision given to Ezekiel, joining the “stick of Ephraim” and the “stick of Judah” into one stick with “one king over them all,” prepared the Old Testament faithful to look for the unity of the kingdom of God beyond the former divisions that separated the tribe of Judah from the rest of the people of Israel. There would be a future day when they would all be one nation under Jehovah, with one new “David” as their King and Shepherd. This togetherness would extend to a life of perfect holiness for all who would be a part of the “everlasting covenant” of the Almighty. “They shall walk in my rules.”

How could such a heaven on earth come to God's family? Only by His power and grace. “I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel.”

Many hints of a glorious future were granted to God's people in the ancient oracles spoken through Moses and the prophets. None surpassed these two great visions granted to Ezekiel during a devastating time in the history of the Jews. The Lord would overturn death by the miracle of everlasting life. Through the Word of God and the reign of a perfect “David,” a unity of faith and obedience would come to all who have faith in Jesus.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Great Lord and King, You have displayed to us the reality of our destiny in the vision of prophets, in the words of the Scriptures, and especially in Jesus Christ our Lord. Only You could create the world. Only You could bring spiritual life to souls that were dead in sin. Only You can bring physical resurrection to bodies that have been resting in the graves for centuries. Only You can bring immortal souls together again with new bodies that will live forever. This You have promised to do, and this You will do. In that day there will be one people of God. This community of redemption will be gathered together in Jesus Christ. We shall rejoice in Him in the new Jerusalem. We thank You for this best of all promises. Your Son will be King over us. We will be imitators of You in that holy place. We will be participants in an everlasting covenant of peace. Your sanctuary will be in our midst forevermore.

Ezekiel 36

Read Ezekiel 36

The Lord announced through Ezekiel that He intended to bring both material and spiritual blessings upon Israel. God would send His great gifts to those who had “defiled” the Promised Land with “their words and their deeds.” Why would He give riches to people who had turned against Him?

First, the Lord would challenge the arrogance of the nations. Jehovah's covenant people had “become the talk and evil gossip” of those all around them. God would surely express His “jealous wrath” against those who imagined that they could abuse His children without any consequences.

A second reason for this powerful display of grace was even more important. “I had concern for My holy Name.” It is right for the Lord to glorify Himself as the one true and living God. As He said through Ezekiel, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of My holy Name.”

How would the Lord vindicate Himself before the watching world? He would not only gather His beloved ones back to their homeland, but that He would grant them life in their souls. “I will give you a new heart, and a new Spirit I will put within you.” Their old “heart of stone” would be removed, and they would “loathe” themselves for their former “abominations.” One day they would gladly hear and obey the Word of God.

Jehovah has worked mightily in the centuries since these ancient words were first proclaimed. Many captives from the Old Testament community were brought back to “the mountains of Israel.” The life described in Ezekiel 36 has surely been tasted by Jews and Gentiles who have come to faith in Christ. Yet any fulfillment of these beautiful descriptions of happy fellowship between the Lord and His people have only been partial here on this present earth. We look for far greater attainments in the age to come.

Without the blood of Christ, we who have sinned against the Lord could never have received even the beginnings of this wonderful future. Because of the obedience of Jesus and His death for us on the cross, a great day of abundance will surely be granted to all who have “fled for refuge” to the Son of God. (Hebrews 6:18)

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Glorious Lord, Your Word is perfect. As we wait for the great blessings you have promised, we should hear Your voice with reverence and joy. Grant especially that all of Your ministers would not only hear Your Word, but also that they would rightly preach it and obey it. Grant that Your children will be doers of the Word rather than imitators of the world. Help us to walk in Your ways in the days to come. Fill us with Your Spirit so that we will turn away from sin. Cause us to believe in Your power and Your love. Why should we not do the things that Christ has commanded? We will follow You by the strength of Your Spirit. Bring us growth in holiness and godliness with contentment, which is great gain.

Monday morning clarity - 1 Chronicles 2:21-24

Here's a new feature: On Monday mornings I'll give my briefest summary of what I would want to pass on to the church from yesterday's message.

1 Chronicles 2:21-24, Jeremiah 8:22-9:3, Amos 1:1

Hezron to Gilead:

   Too much mixing with the world in Gilead?

   Will you be taken over by it?

Hezron to Tekoa:

   What can we say?

   Amos was sent forth from there to call the family of God home to the Lord.

So:

Resist post-modern redefinitions of what you are worth, such as

   Identity politics, and

   Brand marketing groupie over-identification.

They would only use you as their possession.

Instead:

You have an interesting natural family heritage over many generations. Celebrate it!

   But there is much more...

You are adopted into the household of a loving God through faith in Jesus. He made you for His best purposes and saved you at the price of His own blood. The plans of the Almighty will certainly come to pass because of Jesus, your rock-bottom identity.

There is a balm in Gilead

   to make the wounded whole.

There is a balm in Gilead

   to heal the sin-sick soul.

More extensive sermon notes

Sermon Audio

Sunday School Audio on Thy will be done...

Ezekiel 35

Read Ezekiel 35

“Son of Man, set your face against Mount Seir.” Mount Seir was identified with the nation of Edom and the person of Esau, Jacob's brother. The two sons of Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Esau, once shared the same womb. At one point during her pregnancy, Rebekah experienced so much tumult within her body that she called upon the Lord for some explanation. Genesis 25:23 gives us God's answer to the woman who carried these twins: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”

Old Testament symbolism, with the aid of Amos 9:11-12 as quoted in Acts 15:16-17, helps us to see that “Jacob” also means God's entire covenant community. Esau, on the other hand, stands definitively in contrast to the elect. He was a representative for all Gentiles during The Old Testament era and for what the New Testament calls the “world” in the period after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Ezekiel 35 the Lord spoke clear words of indictment against the Edomites. They had rejoiced when the Lord disciplined His chosen people, imagining that the Promised Land would be their own property now that the Babylonians had destroyed Jerusalem and killed so many descendants of Jacob. Their own day of suffering was very near. “Because you did not hate bloodshed, therefore blood shall pursue you.” God would execute His wrath upon the descendants of Esau. “You magnified yourselves against Me with your mouth, and multiplied your words against Me; I heard it.... I will make you desolate.”

The Lord would come against Edom during the time of Ezekiel and beyond, but what about the various nations and powerful individuals that would persecute the followers of Jesus Christ in future centuries? The world may imagine that it has authority over the church, but the Almighty will one day show forth His power and glory through the destruction of the arrogant. Jesus will silence every proud foe who stands against His kingdom.

Because of the certainty of the coming judgment of God, we must not allow ourselves to be overly impressed with the proud boasts of the wicked. We are called to love our enemies, and can do so with the confidence that the Lord will indeed come again in glory. He will defend us from all who would unjustly seek to destroy us.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Our Father, Your love for Your people is perfect. You make a distinction between Jacob and Esau. You will defend Your people. If Esau rejoices over the trials of Your beloved Jacob, it will not go well for Esau. There can be no peace for those who determine to persecute Your church. You will come in power at just the right time. Even when we feel desolate and abandoned, You will rescue us. Show us how to trust in You every day.

Ezekiel 34

Read Ezekiel 34

“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel.” The kings and other leaders of God's people were supposed to watch over the nation and care for the weak. Those in authority had instead used their positions of trust in order to enrich themselves at the expense of the “sheep.” The Lord intended to take action “against the shepherds.” They would have to answer for what they had done. God said, “I will rescue My sheep.”

The Lord promised to search for His children and to bring them back “from all the places where they have been scattered.” While Jehovah would raise up “my servant David” as the “one shepherd” for Israel, He also said, “I Myself will be the shepherd of My sheep.” God would come in person but He would somehow be the long-expected “David” who would be the eternal King over all His elect.

Not only would Israel's leaders have to answer for their abuses, all of the stronger individuals among the people would be called to task for their mistreatment of those among them who were in greatest need. The Lord promised to “judge between sheep and sheep.”

The coming of the final King of Israel would be accompanied by a new arrangement that Jehovah called “a covenant of peace.” While the land would have “showers of blessing” yielding “renowned plantations,” the touch of God's mercy would be more than an increase in productive agricultural assets. The nation would truly serve God's special new “David.” They would have a greater peace than they had ever known. “They shall dwell securely and none shall make them afraid.”

While some Jews and many Gentiles have had a taste of the goodness of this new life since the coming of Christ, prophesies such as those contained in Ezekiel demand a far greater fulfillment. One day the Son of Man will come again in glory, and He will rightly separate the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:31). When His judgment is completed, the two groups will never again live in the same realm. Only then will the glorious land be everything that the resurrected Christ has won for His entire beloved family.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Lord of the Harvest, You sent Jesus Christ to be both Son of Man and Son of God. He is the Good Shepherd of the sheep. False teachers have scattered Your people. They are greedy imposters who have fed themselves and not the sheep. Your Son is gathering many through His Word. His sheep hear His voice and they know Him and they follow Him. He is the One who seeks the lost. He brings back the wandering ones. Send Your servant, the Son of David, to be our Prince forever. Bring down showers of blessing upon us, and provide everything that we need that we may live for Your glory. Take away the reproach of Your people, and keep us as Your sheep forever.

Ezekiel 33

Read Ezekiel 33

“You, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel.” Ezekiel was to be an authoritative spokesman of Almighty God. If the Lord told him to deliver a message to someone and Ezekiel refused to do so, “that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.” Jehovah insisted that His messengers be faithful.

God also demanded that His people submit to what they heard from His ambassadors. “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” It was the responsibility of the chosen people to trust in the Lord for their righteousness and to live as His faithful servants. Instead they insisted that God was being unjust with them. God's reply to their critique: “O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways.”

Soon after the destruction of the city of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, Ezekiel received an account of what had taken place from a “fugitive” who had made his way to the place where the prophet lived in exile. “The city has been struck down.” By the time this man arrived God had opened the prophet's mouth after a long time of being mute. (Ezekiel 3:26)

Ezekiel then delivered God's rebuke concerning two areas of sin. First, those back in the Promised Land were trusting in themselves to be able to get back everything that the Lord had taken away from them. They imagined that they could regain the land because there were so many of them. Second, the exiles were approaching the prophetic oracles as a form of entertainment. They enjoyed listening to the prophet, but they would not obey the Lord. Both of these significant failings were a denial of their relationship with God. He alone could restore them to the land, and they needed to hear the message of His prophet as it truly was—a directive from heaven.

Jesus came as the fulfillment of everything that Israel was supposed to be. He loved and served His Father. His cross was the ultimate victory of devoted obedience. He calls us who have received all His benefits to follow Him in all our affections, words, and actions.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Our Father, the ministers of the Word in Your churches have an important job as watchmen. They have received the truth from the Scriptures, and they must warn us all to turn from our evil ways. You have no pleasure in the death of the wicked. There is hope for anyone today in Jesus Christ. We will not trust in our own righteousness, but will turn away from the path of sin and flee to Your Son again for life. You are just in Your judgments, and have satisfied the demands of Your Law through the cross of Christ. There is evil all around us and sin within us. Grant us help from heaven through the honest proclamation of the gospel. Teach us to sincerely repent and believe every day.