Ezekiel 38-39  Ezekiel is given another prophesy about the future of Israel.  It speaks of a day when Israel has been restored to their land and living securely.. and the army from the north comes against them. Gog, Persia, Ethiopia, Put and Gomer.. will come.. "like a storm... a cloud covering the land".  This great army will come with evil intent against Israel.. but this is all according to God's plan. 

"It will come about in the last days that I shall bring you against My land, in order that the nations may know Me when I shall be sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog.." ( v16)

God will move in such power that the "fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all the creeping things that creep on the earth, and all the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My Presence; the mountains also will be thrown down, the steep pathways will collapse, and every wall will fall to the ground." (v20) 

This is God's plan...  " and I shall magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the Lord." (v23)

God will come against the invaders in such a way that they will be destroyed and it will take Israel's people seven months to bury all of the bodies so the land can be cleansed.  "And I shall set My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgement which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them." 

After this, Israel will finally be restored.. "then they will know that I am the Lord their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then gathered them again to their own land; and I will leave none of them there any longer. And I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Lord God." ( 39:28-29)

Father in heaven, we want to know You.. magnify You and give all glory and honor to Your Holy Name.  To think of this awesome day that is yet to come, makes us realize that You are far greater than what we think.. Your plans are so vast and immeasurable, as You have reminded us.. Your thoughts are not our thoughts and Your ways are not our ways.. we are so much smaller and weaker and blinder than we like to think.. We pray for Israel, even today, but realize that You are not finished with what You have in store for them.  May they see Your glory and turn back to You and may all the nations know Your greatness before it is too late. Even so, Come Lord Jesus. Amen. 

 Ezekiel 37:15-28  After the vision in the valley of dry bones, Ezekiel is given another Word from the Lord. He was told to take a stick and write on it the name of "Judah" and another stick on which he was to write the name of Joseph, for the tribe of Ephraim or Israel.  Then he was to join the two sticks together in his hand.  These two sticks would become one.. a sign that the two kingdoms, Judah and Israel, would become one nation.. joined together by the Lord.  "And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations, and they will no longer be divided into two kingdoms." 

Brought out of exile and joined together, the nation would become.. forever.. the people of God.  He would deliver them from their idols and abominations, and from all their transgressions.. and He would "cleanse them."

Verses 24-28 describe the future kingdom with David ruling as their "prince forever".  The future would bring a "covenant of peace" where the Lord would set His "sanctuary in their midst forever."  There is coming a day, the Lord promised His people, when His "dwelling place" would be with them and they will know Him.. "I will be their God, and they will be My people. And the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever." 

Father in heaven, we look ahead to that great day, when the Son returns and sets up His glorious Kingdom. We will delight to see Israel restored, cleansed, and sanctified!  We are thankful that even now, this is what You do for all who call on the Name of Jesus Christ, our Savior.. You restore us, cleanse us, and sanctify us by Your Spirit.. to the glory of Your Holy Name.  You are our only source of life and our living hope. Thank You for such mercy and kindness, poured out on us by Your grace and unfailing love. May we receive Your peace, Your joy, and Your steadfast love and may we persevere in faith and hope through the power of our Lord Jesus, in whom we live. Amen. 

 Ezekiel 37  One of the most well-known prophecies in the Bible is found here in verses 1- 14  The Lord takes Ezekiel into the valley filled with dry bones and asks him this question, "Son of man, can these bones live?"  Ezekiel wisely answers, " O Lord God, Thou knowest." 

God tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones.. and as he does, the bones come together.. in just the right places; sinew and flesh grows on them and skin covers them.  Finally, the Lord tells Ezekiel to "prophesy to the breath..  Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life." Ezekiel prophesied as he was told and watched as "an exceedingly great army" came to life! 

This vision was an illustration of what God will do for His people.. they were in exile, they felt as if all hope was lost... they said "Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished."  But, God said, " Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.. "

We sing a praise song that flows from this vision.. "You turn graves into gardens.. You turn bones into armies.. You turn seas into highways.. You're the only one who can!" ( Song by Brandon Lake and Elevation worship)  We also sing Lauren Daigle's song, "Dry Bones".. "As we call out to dry bones, come alive, come alive; we call out to dead hearts, come alive, come alive; up out of the ashes, let us see an army rise... we call out to dry bones, come alive.  So breathe, oh, breath of God.. Now breathe, oh breath of God, now breathe.. "  Songs that remind us of the Only God who can resurrect the dead.. bring life out of ashes and dead bones.. We serve a powerful God... unlimited in all He desires to do in and for His people .. not only Israel.. but all who will call upon His Name!

Father in heaven, O Holy God, breathe upon us Your breath of Life.. fill us, raise us up from all that ties us down and dries us up.. Breathe on us, Spirit of God, that we will not lose hope.. but know that You are the Lord and that nothing is impossible for You!  Thank You for giving us Life as You put Your Spirit within us!  We sing praises to Your Name and rejoice in the Majesty and Wonder of our Great God and of Your Son, who died for us and who rose again from the grave.. so that we might also be raised up to eternal life with You . Hallelujah !  Amen and amen!

 Ezekiel 35-36 The land of Seir.. Edom, the dwelling place of Esau's descendants, bordered Israel on the south and east.. (modern day Jordan.)  The Lord pronounced judgement against them because they worked against Israel.. " Because you have had everlasting enmity and have delivered the sons of Israel to the power of the sword.."  They were people who were given over to bloodshed  and anger and arrogance.  (Things have not changed  much in the Middle East)... God vowed to make Edom desolate, saying that all the nations would rejoice at their fall.  And through that... they would come to know that the God of Israel is the Lord of all. 

Israel suffered for her own sinfulness.. her idolatry and wickedness.. but God would not forsake His people forever. His promise then.. and His promise now.. is restoration.. " But you, O mountains of Israel, you will put forth your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel; for they will soon come. For behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you will be cultivated and sown." ( 36:8-9)

The Lord makes it clear that Israel has not earned or deserved this restoration promise.. but that He will renew Israel for the sake of His Holy Name. " And I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst."   For His own sake, God would cleanse Israel from their "filthiness" and all their idols. 

More than that, God promised something completely new.. " Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people , and I will be your God." ( v26-28)

There is a brighter day ahead for Israel.. a day when "This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate, and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited."  The Lord will increase the house of Israel.. "like a flock".. and then "they will know that I am the Lord."

Father we know that Your plan is perfect and You are faithful to complete this work that You have begun. We look forward with hope and joy for that day when there will be a new city.. a new nation.. a new heaven and earth.  We rejoice in the promise that Christ is coming back and He will reign in perfect righteousness and justice.. and we will all know Him and every knee will bow before Him.  Even so, our hearts have been changed by Your Spirit and our tongues choose to praise His holy Name now. Help us to persevere, to stay faithful and true, pure and steadfast in the Name of Jesus, by Your might and for the honor of Your holy Name. Amen.

 Ezekiel 34  In verses 1-10 the Lord brings a word against the "shepherds of Israel".  It is a powerful indictment against those who failed to lead Israel as they were commanded to do. "Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?" 

I can't read this without thinking of the last words that Jesus spoke to Peter...  "Simon, son of John, do you love Me... Tend my lambs.. Shepherd My sheep.. Tend My sheep.. " ( John 21:15-17)

The shepherds of Israel.. the religious leaders and the political leaders failed to feed anyone but themselves.. "You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock. "  It is the same indictment that Jesus spoke to the Pharisees in His time.. they took pride in their selves, but never helped the people whom they were supposed to serve.  "Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost: but with force and with severity you have dominated them." ( verse 4)

The flock.. Israel were scattered and lost and there was" no one to search or seek for them."(v6)   The Lord told Ezekiel to proclaim that He was against these fat shepherds.. and that He Himself would "search for My sheep and seek them out.. "  And this is what Jesus said, ".. the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." ( Luke 19:10)  

The shepherds of Israel failed but the Lord, our Good Shepherd will never fail! This is what He promised in Ezekiel 34:14-16 "I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel.  There they will lie down in good pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest, declares the Lord.  I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgement." 

Ezekiel is given a beautiful glimpse of the Messiah.. "Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God and My servant David will be prince among them; I the Lord, have spoken." (v23-24) 

That time is coming.. when the people of God will know the "showers of blessing" that He has promised.. "Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them." (v27)

What a wonderful Word Ezekiel was given!  It must have filled his heart with joy.. as ours are filled with the Truth of our Good Shepherd.. who told us.. " ( John 10:27-28) 

Father in heaven, our Mighty Shepherd.. who declares us Your sheep, the sheep of Your pasture.. our God, hallowed be Your Name. Thank You for the promises to bring us to Your blessed Kingdom.. where we will find rest forever in Your care. Father, remove those, who even now, are like the fat shepherds.. who feed themselves and help no one.. who do not know You or love You.. who do not feed Your flock or tend Your lambs.  Restore Your flock, restore Israel.. and bring the lost and scattered back to Your Truth. Bring us fully into Your Presence that we might know You, our God and King.. Jesus, our Shepherd who has called us by name.. we praise You!  Thank You gracious Father. Amen! 

 Ezekiel 33:1-20 The Lord tells Ezekiel that he has been appointed "a watchman for the house of Israel".  The duty of a watchman is to warn the people of the coming battle.... "If I bring a sword upon the land and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman; and he sees the sword coming upon the land, and he blows the trumpet and warns the people then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood is on his own head."  The responsibility of those who hear the warning, is to heed the warning. 

However, if the watchman fails to sound the trumpet and give the warning.. then the blood of those who are taken will be on that watchman. 

Ezekiel was given the ministry of warning Israel of their wickedness, "O wicked man, you shall surely die.. " If that man turns from his sin then all is well.. if not, it is on his own head.  But, if Ezekiel failed to give the warning.. then he would take the responsibility on his own head. 

The warning that Ezekiel gave was very clear, " As I live! declares the Lord God, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then do you die, O house of Israel?"

The next verses are so powerful.. the Lord tells us that we cannot count on our past righteousness to save us from our present sinfulness...the penalty of sin is death...  But.. if we turn from sin and "practice justice and righteousness".. if we restore a pledge, pay back what we stole, walk by the Word of life.. we will live. In the end the Lord says, " I will judge each of you according to your ways."  

Verses 21-33 Refugees arrived that day from Jerusalem, which had fallen.  They still felt as though they deserved to possess the land.. but the Lord spoke to them sternly.. "You eat meat with the blood in it, lift up your eyes to your idols as you shed blood. Should you possess the land?  You rely on your sword, you commit abominations, and each of you defiles his neighbor's wife. Should you possess the land?" 

The Lord does not accept their arguments.. He does not accept ours either.. our excuses or explanations.. our selfish and prideful thinking does not hold water with Him!  Israel saw with their own eyes what happens to a land that does not heed the warnings that God sends..  They came to hear what Ezekiel said, but they still  did not turn from their "lustful desires" and their hearts continues to seek their own gain.  ".. for they hear your words; but they do not practice them.." the Lord tells Ezekiel.   

James echoed this in his epistle, " But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves." ( James 1:22) 

Oh gracious Father, You are  God.. who has given us warning after warning that we must turn back.. turn back to You and know that You alone are the Lord and that You will judge every sin.  You call us to Yourself.. to find the righteousness that You require in the Son, who came to restore us to Yourself.  You call us to be hearers and doers of Your Word. You have given to us Your Spirit to help us to hear and to do Your good pleasure. Thank You for giving us the warnings... for the watchmen that You commissioned who recorded Your Words of life that we might find salvation from our sins.   May our hearts seek You always and may we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 

 Ezekiel 29-32  Over a period of about 2 years, Ezekiel prophesied about the fate of Egypt.  Pharaoh had considered himself a god and had boasted that the Nile was his.. that he had made it himself.  As with the other nations, Egypt was filled with pride about its power and wealth.  But God, never allows any nation to continue in their wickedness.. but works to reveal to them that He alone is Lord.  

Egypt would become desolate. Darkness would fall.. the sword would come against them, and Nebuchadnezzar would be given her wealth.  Pharaoh would watch as judgement came upon his nation and then as Assyria would also be brought down. He had thought himself indestructible but would find himself in the same situation as every other "uncircumcised"  person.. brought down to the "nether world with those who go down to the pit." (32:18)

32:18-32 gives a stark picture of the death of those who are "uncircumcised" .. those who rejected the Lord God...  "They have gone down, they lie still, the uncircumcised, slain by the sword."  The strong.. the powerful.. the heroes.. the kings and princes.. the chiefs.. and Pharaoh also.. those who "instilled terror in the land of the living... "  would bear their disgrace.. would find "punishment for their iniquity rested on their bones"... would be ashamed.. as they went down to the pit. 

This is the reality for every human being.. as the writer of Hebrews wrote, " And insomuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after that comes judgement." ( 9:27)  Paul wrote about this in Romans 1.. " For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness... " God is not impressed with wealth, power, status, or strength.. Pharaoh was no different than any of us.. he had a choice.. to worship God or himself.. and he chose himself.  For that, he was judged and has "gone down" into the pit. 

Ezekiel's messages are definitely not easy to read.. they are not full of  joy and gladness.. but a necessary truth.. God sees each and every heart.. and He alone will judge every one of us.  We need to remember this.. to think about those who are walking in darkness around us.. those who call themselves strong or powerful.. those who think they are heroes or princes.. but don't know Jesus. They are headed into that same pit.. and their only hope is Jesus Christ.  Oh how they need to hear the Good News!

Father in heaven, You are God alone and there is no other.  We have no other hope except in Your salvation, provided by the blood of Jesus Christ who was slain for us, that we might be forgiven our iniquities and cleansed from all unrighteousness. Thank You for such a great salvation.  We pray for those in our lives.. our families and friends.. our neighbors and even strangers.. that they might hear the Word of the Lord and turn from their pride and sin.. and come to call upon the Name of Jesus Christ and be saved.  Send forth workers into this harvest field we pray. In Jesus' name amen.