In The Lamb’s Book of Life

In Ezekiel 25, the Lord calls Ezekiel to prophesy against the Amorites, Moabites, Edomites and Philistines. The Amorites and Moabites were descendants of Abraham’s nephew Lot. The Edomites were descendants of Abraham’s grandson Esau. The Philistines were Judah’s neighbors to the south but they were not good neighbors.

Ezekiel 26-28 is a prophecy against Tyre and Sidon. Tyre and Sidon were cities located to the north of Jerusalem on the Mediterranean Sea coast. They were highly successful and wealthy tradesmen, but also were the epitome of pride and arrogance.

“Say to the Ammonites, hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God: because you said ‘aha’ against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity, indeed, therefore, I will deliver you as a possession to the men of the East, and they shall set their encampments among you and make their dwellings among you; they shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk. ...Then you shall know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 25:3-5

The Ammonites celebrated the destruction of God’s holy place. God judged them specifically for rejoicing during the downfall of Judah. Ezekiel 25:6-7 says that they clapped their hands, stamped their feet, and rejoiced in heart with all their disdain for the land of Israel. Therefore, God promised to give them as plunder to the nations. They would know that He is the Lord.

In Ezekiel 25:8-11, the Lord charged Moab with celebrating the demise of Judah. So, He said, “I will execute judgments upon Moab, and they shall know that I am the Lord.”

In Ezekiel 25:12-14, the Lord promised to take vengeance on the Edomites for their vengeance against Judah. They collaborated with Judah’s enemies. They would know that He is the Lord.

In Ezekiel 25:15-17, the Lord promised to destroy the Philistines for taking vengeance on Judah with a spiteful heart and with old hatred. The Philistines would know that He is the Lord.

Ezekiel 26-28 are three chapters of prophecies against Tyre and Sidon. They were sister cities. In Ezekiel 26:1-2, Tyre rejoiced in Jerusalem’s downfall. They assumed that Jerusalem would be turned over to them and they would inherit Jerusalem’s treasures. That did not happen!

In Ezekiel 26:3-6, the Lord promised to bring many nations against Tyre and “make her like the top of a rock.” “A place for spreading nets in the midst of the sea!” Then, they would know that He is the Lord.

In Ezekiel 26:7-14, Ezekiel prophesied of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon coming against Tyre with his mighty army to plunder their riches and merchandise. His army would break down their defenses and destroy their pleasant houses. He would put an end to their songs. Their city would never be rebuilt.

In Ezekiel 26:17-18, the Lord called for lamentations for Tyre because she whose seafaring men were strong and famous would be gone. In Ezekiel 26:21, the Lord prophesied saying, “I will make you a terror, and you shall be no more; though you are sought for, you will never be found again, says the Lord God.”

In Ezekiel 27:3-24, Tyre had boasted saying, “I am perfect in beauty.” Tyre had been built with the finest woods. Their ships had the finest linen from Egypt for their sails. They had famous people from other locations for their oarsmen, for building their ships, and for fighting their battles. They had precious metals like iron and gold. They had horses, steeds and mules in abundance. They had ivory, ebony, emeralds, rubies, coral and finely embroidered clothing. They had the best of grains, honey, sugarcane, spices, cooking oil and wine. They had flocks and herds for meat. They had healing balms. They had the finest clothing in the world. They were loaded with luxuries. Like the last days empire of Babylon that is described in Revelation 18.

In Ezekiel 27:30-36, the merchants of the earth weep for Tyre with bitterness of heart and bitter wailing, saying, “You satisfied many people; you enriched the kings of the earth with your many luxury goods and your merchandise. But you are broken by the seas in the depths of the waters.” “You will become a horror and be no more forever.”

In Ezekiel 28:1-8, the Lord describes the mindset of the prince of Tyre. He says, “I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods, in the midst of the seas.” But the Lord says to him, “You are a man, and not a god, though you set your heart as the heart of a god.” God promised to bring the most terrible of nations against Tyre because Tyre’s heart was lifted up because of their riches... “because you have set your heart as the heart of a god.” They would throw her into a Pit.

In Ezekiel 28:11-12, the Lord describes the king of Tyre as the anointed cherub who fell due to iniquity. In other words, the king of Tyre was an embodiment of Satan. He loved to appear as perfect, full of wisdom and beauty, but sin was in his heart.

God describes the fallen cherub who is embodied in the King of Tyre...

“You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones.” Ezekiel 28:13-16

In Ezekiel 28:17-19, the devil’s “heart was lifted up because of... beauty.” He corrupted wisdom for the sake of splendor. So, God cast him to the ground. He brought fire and it devoured him. “You have become a horror and shall be no more forever.”

In Ezekiel 28:20-23, the Lord called Ezekiel, the son of man, to set his face toward Sidon, and prophesy against her. The Lord promised to execute judgments in her and be hallowed in her. Sidon was a sister city to Tyre. She would experience pestilence and bloodshed in her streets and come to know that God alone is Lord.

“And there shall no longer be a pricking brier or a painful thorn for the house of Israel from among all who are around them, who despise them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord God. Thus says the Lord God: when I have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered and am hallowed in them in the sight of the Gentiles, then they will dwell in their own land which I gave to My servant Jacob. And they will dwell safely there, build houses, and plant vineyards; yes, they will dwell securely, when I execute judgments on all those around them who despise them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God.” Ezekiel 28:24-26

The Lord promised to restore the Promised Land to His people after a season of correction in Babylon. No longer would Israel’s neighbors be like briars and thorns around about them. They will enjoy safety, houses, vineyards and respect once again.

While all these judgments came to pass on the lands mentioned in Ezekiel’s prophecies, we know that the one behind the pride and arrogance of rich rulers still exists. In the Book of Revelation, Jesus Christ reveals to God’s servants what shall come to pass in the future. The nations who join with the antichrist shall lose the war against Christ.

“And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Revelation 20:10

“If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.” Revelation 14:9-10

What will the hyphen on your tombstone represent? The hyphen is that little line between the date you were born and the day you die. Will it represent a life of love for God and for neighbor, or for fame and fortune?

Revelation 20:10 says, “Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” How does one’s name appear in the Lamb’s book of life? The answer is by believing in, following and professing that He, Jesus Christ, is Lord and Savior.

Signs

In Ezekiel 23, the Lord compares those who abandon Him to harlots. They prefer the favor of ungodly peers more than desire the favor of the lover of their souls.

“The Word of the Lord came again to me, saying: ‘Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. They committed harlotry in Egypt... Their names: Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister; they were Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah.’” Ezekiel 23:1-4

Oholah means “her tent,” representing the northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria), while Oholibah means “My tent is in her,” representing the southern kingdom of Judah (Jerusalem). These symbolic names describe how both kingdoms were unfaithful to God. Oholah signifies Israel’s self-made places of worship, while Oholibah refers to Jerusalem, which housed God’s temple but was still idolatrous and unfaithful.

“Oholah played the harlot even though she was Mine; and she lusted for her lovers, the neighboring Assyrians.” “Therefore, I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, for whom she lusted. ...They executed judgment on her.” Ezekiel 23:5, 9-10

The ones who lured her from God, turned on her and destroyed her. Kind of like hunters who set out an animal’s favorite food not because they love the animal but because they want to kill it and devour it’s goods.

“Now although her sister Oholibah saw this, she became more corrupt in her lust than she, and in her harlotry more corrupt than her sister’s harlotry.” “She increased her harlotry; she looked at men portrayed on the wall images of Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion... As soon as her eyes saw them, she lusted for them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. Then the Babylonians came to her, into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their immorality; so, she was defiled by them and alienated herself from them.” Ezekiel 23:11, 14, 16-17

Oholibah (Jerusalem) followed in her sister’s ways even though she saw that her sister’s ending was not a happy one. Those who lure people from God are defiled and by their nature seek to defile others, especially the one who is holy to the Lord. Gaining a defiler’s favor is no favor, but a death trap. After joining herself to the Chaldeans, and after being defiled by them, she alienated herself from them. Now, she had loneliness.

“Then I alienated Myself from her, as I had alienated Myself from her sister.” Ezekiel 23:18

Sin alienates us from God. The only way back to God is via repentance of unfaithfulness to Him and via sincerely asking Him for His forgiveness with a view to be faithful to Him going forward.

“I will delegate judgment to them, and they shall judge you according to their judgments. I will set My jealousy against you, and they shall deal furiously with you...” “For thus says the Lord God: surely I will deliver you into the hand of those you hate, into the hand of those from whom you alienated yourself. They will deal hatefully with you, take away all you have worked for, and leave you naked and bare...” Ezekiel 23:24-25, 28-29

They didn’t want to hear or accept God’s judgments. They told God’s messengers not to judge them. So, God handed them over to people who hated them. Their new masters judged them with cruelty. They robbed them of everything including their self-respect.

“You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore, I will put her cup in your hand. Thus says the Lord God: you shall drink of your sister’s cup, the deep and wide one; you shall be laughed to scorn and held in derision; it contains much. You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, the cup of horror and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria.” Ezekiel 23:31-33

God gave to Samaria and to Jerusalem a cup filled with scorn, derision, drunkenness, sorrow, horror and desolation. This is the cup of God’s wrath against sin. It is the cup that Jesus drank in the garden of Gethsemane. After Jesus submitted to drinking God’s cup of wrath for our sins, He experienced captivity, insults, torture, crucifixion, and finally death. He did this for our salvation that we might saved from the eternal torments which unforgiven sinners experience.

“Therefore, thus says the Lord God: because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, therefore you shall bear the penalty of your lewdness and your harlotry.” Ezekiel 23:35

It is a terrible decision to forget God and cast Him behind one’s back. Those who do so must bear the consequences of their bad choices.

“The Lord also said to me: ‘Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations.” “After they had slain their children for their idols, on the same day they came into My sanctuary to profane it; and indeed, thus they have done in the midst of My house.” Ezekiel 23:36, 39

Ezekiel was to judge the abdominal acts of his people including how they sacrificed their children to idols and then, came into God’s house as though nothing was wrong.

“Then you shall know that I am the Lord God.” Ezekiel 23:49

The Lord’s goal was to bring His erring child back into fellowship with Him.

In Ezekiel 24:1-14, the Lord compares the city of Jerusalem to a cooking pot and the people in it to meat for cooking. He called them scum.

“Then set the pot empty on the coals, that it may become hot and its bronze may burn, that its filthiness may be melted in it, that its scum may be consumed.” “I, the Lord, have spoken it; it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not hold back, nor will I spare, nor will I relent; according to your ways and according to your deeds they will judge you, says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 24:11, 14

In Ezekiel 24:15-27, the Lord told Ezekiel that he was a sign to the people of things to come. The Lord told him that his wife would die, but he was not to grieve for her. Then, she died that evening, and Ezekiel did just as the Lord told him to do. People said to Ezekiel, “Will you not tell us what these things signify to us, that you behave so?” He told the people that he was sign to them of things to come for them.

The Apostle Paul spoke of being a sign to people. In 1 Corinthians 4:9-13, he wrote, “For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.”

It isn’t that the Lord does not love His beloved prophets and apostles, but as He says in Luke 10:3, He sends us “out as lambs among wolves.” A lamb amidst a pack of wolves is not a pretty sight. To get a preview of what happens we need look no farther than what happened to Jesus on Good Friday. Nevertheless, may the Lord help us to be His signs so that people see Christ in us and turn to Him for salvation. And in the end, those of us who serve the Lord faithfully, speaking what He speaks, we shall enjoy pleasures forevermore at His right hand.

Our Father Hallowed Be Thy Name

Jesus taught His disciples to pray that God’s Name be hallowed. To hallow is to set something apart as being above all others. To treat it as holy! The first commandment is to love God with all one’s substance. When somebody deeply loves another, he or she treats that person’s name as very precious. Like music to their ears!

In Ezekiel 19:1, the Lord calls Ezekiel to take up a lament for the princes of his people. In fact, large portions of the books of the prophets are laments. They lament for the way people who are called by God’s Name have profaned His Name. Has the Holy Spirit ever blessed you to lament over the ways in which God is mistreated? I thank the Lord for lamentations. Nothing gets better until we lament over the ways in which we have grieved God, ask Him to forgive us, and ask Him to help us love Him as we should.

In this article, I will highlight some of the ways in which God’s Name is not hallowed. May the Heavenly Father grant you grace and peace through His Son Jesus Christ to listen to His voice speaking through His holy Word.

One passage particularly caught my attention in this prophecy. In Ezekiel 22:19-22, the Lord said to those who were profaning His Name, “I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. ...I will leave you there and melt you. As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, so shall you be melted in its midst; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have poured out My fury on you.” This sounds like a nuclear holocaust, or worse, hell. Which is what we deserve when we treat our Creator and Redeemer as trash. In such a case, we are the trash, not He.

“Moreover, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, and say: ‘What is your mother? A lioness: she lay down among the lions; among the young lions she nourished her cubs. She brought up one of her cubs, and he became a young lion; he learned to catch prey, and he devoured men. The nations also heard of him; he was trapped in their pit, and they brought him with chains to the land of Egypt.” Ezekiel 19:1-4

The princes in this passage refer to the sons of King Josiah. Josiah was a godly king, but his sons did not hallow God’s Name. They defiled His Name by the evil deeds that they committed.

God refers to Judah as a lioness, but this is not a compliment. She is destructive. The young lion she brought up refers to King Jehoahaz, In 609 BC, the King of Egypt took him captive to Egypt.

“When she saw that she waited, that her hope was lost, she took another of her cubs and made him a young lion. He roved among the lions and became a young lion; he learned to catch prey; he devoured men. He knew their desolate places and laid waste their cities; the land with its fullness was desolated by the noise of his roaring. Then the nations set against him from the provinces on every side and spread their net over him; he was trapped in their pit. They put him in a cage with chains and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him in nets, that his voice should no longer be heard on the mountains of Israel.” Ezekiel 19:5-9

Lioness Judah replaced her captive lion cub with another cub. The second cub refers to King Jehoiakim. Jehoiakim threw a scroll of Jeremiah’s prophecies into his fireplace. God gathered the nations against Jehoiakim under the leadership of the King of Babylon. They threw him out of Judah. He died while being carried into captivity and was buried with the burial of an ass.

“She has no strong branch—a scepter for ruling. This is a lamentation and has become a lamentation.” Ezekial 19:14

Thus, lioness Judah had no more cubs, no more princely sons from the line of King Josiah to reign over her. That is, until Jesus Christ, who descended from King Josiah’s family tree was born. Jesus Christ reigns in righteousness. He committed no sin. He gave His life for people. Praise the Lord.

“Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Then make known to them the abominations of their fathers.” Ezekiel 20:4

The Lord called Ezekiel to judge his people’s behavior and to make known to them how abominable their ways were to God. If someone didn’t do it, they would never realize how far from God they had fallen.

“I gave them My statutes and showed them My judgments... I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statutes; they despised My judgments. ...Their heart went after their idols. Nevertheless My eye spared them from destruction. I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.” Ezekiel 20:11-13, 16-17

God revealed to Israel His statues and judgments. He did not do this at that time for any other nation. He also gave them Sabbath Days where they could rest from their work. He provided enough supplies during six days of work for them to rest on the seventh so that they could enjoy a day with Him once a week. But they despised God’s Name, His Word and His rest day. They judged themselves unworthy of His presence and clung to material things which could not satisfy.

“I am the Lord your God: walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.” Ezekiel 20:19-20

The Lord God Almighty Creator and Sustainer of the universe commanded them to walk inside of the lines of His commandments and to judge as He judges, but they ignored Him. The Sabbath Day was a sign, like a marriage ring between them, but they cast it off, and no longer observed it.

“Therefore, I also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live; and I pronounced them unclean because of their ritual gifts, in that they caused all their firstborn to pass through the fire, that I might make them desolate and that they might know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 20:25-26

So, God let them be ruled by the laws of the sinful world, and to be judged by the sinful world. If they didn’t do particular sins, and be proud of it, they were judged by those around them as unholy and worthless. They were even expected to burn their firstborn children in fires to idols.

“I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face. Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you, says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 20:35-36

The wilderness here refers to captivity in Babylon. This is where God brought them to their senses and made them to acknowledge and forsake their previous sinful ways.

“I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 20:38

Praise God for purging rebellion against Him out of us!

“I will accept you as a sweet aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered; and I will be hallowed in you before the Gentiles. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I raised My hand in an oath to give to your fathers. And there you shall remember your ways and all your doings with which you were defiled; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight because of all the evils that you have committed. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have dealt with you for My Name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways nor according to your corrupt doings, O house of Israel, says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 20:41-44

God promised to return them to the land of Israel after their captivity in Babylon, but when He did, they would return with a heart to hallow His Name. They would loathe themselves for the way that they had mistreated God previously, and they would KNOW hat HE IS GOD.

“Then I said, ‘Ah, Lord God! They say of me, ‘Does he not speak parables?’” Ezekiel 20:49

God refers to Ezekiel as the son of man in various passages. Here, he says that he is known by the people as one who speaks parables. The pre-incarnate Christ was speaking through Ezekiel. Prophecy is a good thing. Prophecy is Christ being embodied in people both by word and deed.

“Sigh, therefore, son of man, with a breaking heart, and sigh with bitterness before their eyes. And it shall be when they say to you, ‘Why are you sighing?’ that you shall answer, ‘Because of the news; when it comes, every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming and shall be brought to pass,’ says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 21:6-7

Yes, we should sigh when people are not hallowing the Name of God, because life will not end well for them or for us who are among them. News will come that will melt our hearts, make us faint, and weaken our knees. God will bring it to pass.

“The king of Babylon stands at the parting of the road... he will bring their iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.” Ezekiel 21:21, 23

The King of Babylon could have taken his mighty army and attacked another nation not Israel, but because they had been defiling the Name of God, God compelled him to come against Israel so that they would realize their sins against God and repent.

“Exalt the humble and humble the exalted. Overthrown, overthrown, I will make it overthrown! It shall be no longer, until He comes whose right it is, and I will give it to Him.” Ezekiel 21:26-27

The Lord is well able to humble those who refuse to be humbled, and overthrow those who assume no one can overthrow them. The One to whom all glory is due is Christ. He is the King who reigns in righteousness. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Him one day as king. His Name shall be honored. We shall hallow the Name of God.

“You have caused your days to draw near and have come to the end of your years.” Ezekiel 22:4

Isreal had no one to blame but themselves for all the tribulation that came to them.

In what ways were the princes of Israel, King Josiah’s sons, lion cubs...

“Look, the princes of Israel: each one has used his power to shed blood in you. ...They have made light of father and mother ...they have oppressed the stranger ...they have mistreated the fatherless and the widow. ...despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths. ...slandered ...shed blood ...committed lewdness ...uncovered their fathers’ nakedness ...violated women ...committed abominations with neighbor’s wife ...lewdly defiled daughter-in-law ...violated sister ... took bribes to shed blood ...took usury ...profited from your neighbors by extortion ...have forgotten Me, says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 22:6-12

Thus, God will judge them...

“Behold, therefore, I beat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst. Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong, in the days when I shall deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and will do it. I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries, and remove your filthiness completely from you. You shall defile yourself in the sight of the nations; then you shall know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 22:13-16

“The Word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; they are all bronze, tin, iron, and lead, in the midst of a furnace; they have become dross from silver. Therefore thus says the Lord God: because you have all become dross, therefore behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. As men gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the midst of a furnace, to blow fire on it, to melt it; so, I will gather you in My anger and in My fury, and I will leave you there and melt you. Yes, I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst. As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, so shall you be melted in its midst; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have poured out My fury on you.” Ezekiel 22:17-22

The Lord also judged Judah’s false prophets as roaring lions and as devourers of people.

“And the Word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, say to her: you are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation. The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured people; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain. ...seeing false visions, and divining lies for them, saying, thus says the Lord God, when the Lor had not spoken. The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger. So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Therefore, I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads, says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 22:23-31

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Prophet of God who stood in the gap for Israel and for us Gentiles. He lived a perfect life and then, gave His life as a ransom for us all. Thus, we should hallow His Name and proclaim His Name to all nations.

Accountability and Victory over Sin

Do you know any common sayings that are misattributed to the Bible?

“’God helps those who help themselves’ is probably the most often quoted phrase that is not found in the Bible. This saying is usually attributed to Ben Franklin, quoted in Poor Richard’s Almanac in 1757. It originated from Algernon Sydney in 1698 in an article titled Discourses Concerning Government.”

“The Bible teaches the opposite. God helps the helpless! Isaiah 25:4 declares, ‘For You have been a defense for the helpless, a defense for the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat...’ Romans 5:6 tells us, ‘For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.’” [1]

In terms of salvation, we are all utterly helpless. Romans 3:23 says that we all have sinned. Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death. We need someone else to save us. Thankfully, God is the helper of the helpless. Romans 5:8, says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “He [God] made Him [Christ] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [Christ].” God provided His own dear Son to save us from our sin because we cannot save ourselves from our sin. On our own, we lose this battle every time. We must abide in Christ to live a Christ-like life.

In Matthew 5:21-44, Jesus used “You heard it said, but I say” statements six times to urge His listeners to go beyond minimum requirements of the law to embrace a higher standard of righteousness. On the topic of murder, He spoke against anger. On the topic of adultery, He spoke against lust. On the topic of divorce, He spoke against adultery. On the topic of false vows, He spoke for one’s “yes” to mean “yes” and one’s “no” to mean “no.” On the topic of retaliation, He spoke for not retaliating. On the topic of love, He spoke of loving and praying for one’s enemies. Harboring anger, lust, guile and unforgiveness is unhealthy. [2]

In Ezekiel 8:1-3, God wanted people to stop repeating a particular proverb...

“The Word of the Lord came to me again, saying, what do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?’ As I live, says the Lord God, you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel.”

This ancient proverb was used to blame a previous generation for the suffering of the current one. It was used by the Israelites to avoid personal responsibility for their own exile. The Lord emphasizes individual accountability for one's own sins.

“Sour grapes represents the sinful actions and poor choices of the fathers. The teeth set on edge represents the unpleasant, negative consequences and suffering experienced by the children as a result of those past actions.” [3]

A long time ago, I attended a seminar entitled, “Breaking Curses and Releasing Blessings.” The leaders provided the attendees a list of sins that carry curses according to the Law of Moses. We, the attendees, were urged to consider if any of these sins were practiced by our ancestors, and if so, to verbally denounce the sins, and verbally declare that our generational curses were broken in the Name of Jesus. In one sense, I found this helpful because it helped me to realize that one of my ancestors did palm reading, others looked to horoscopes and still others believed in lucky charms and were superstitious, but if any teaching shifts the blame of my sin or our false beliefs onto another, it contradicts what God says to me in Ezekiel 18.

The Lord says in Ezekiel 18:4-5...

“Behold, all souls are Mine. The soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins shall die. But if a man is just and does what is lawful and right...he is just. He shall surely live, says the Lord God.”

The Lord says in Ezekiel 18:10-13...

“If he begets a son who is a robber or a shedder of blood, who does any of these things and does none of those duties, but has eaten on the mountains or defiled his neighbor’s wife; if he has oppressed the poor and needy, robbed by violence, not restored the pledge, lifted his eyes to the idols, or committed abomination; if he has exacted usury or taken increase—shall he then live? He shall not live! If he has done any of these abominations, he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.”

The Lord says in Ezekiel 18:14, 17...

“If, however, he begets a son who sees all the sins which his father has done and considers but does not do likewise. ...He shall not die for the iniquity of his father; he shall surely live!”

The Lord says in Ezekiel 18:21-23...

“If a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? says the Lord God, and not that he should turn from his ways and live?”

The Lord says in Ezekiel 18:24...

“But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.”

The Lord’s holds each individual accountable for his or her own sin. Each individual needs to turn to our Savior Jesus Christ and ask Him for forgiveness and salvation.

The Lord says in Ezekiel 18:30-32...

“Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies, says the Lord God. Therefore turn and live!”

The key to victory over sin is to receive a new heart from God. Surrender your current heart to Christ and ask Him to give you a new one that has an appetite for Him. By abiding in Christ we do not abide in sin.

In 2 Corinthians 3:5-6, Paul wrote, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God...” Zechariah 4:6 says, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

For positive and lasting change, we need the Spirit of God to come into us and fill us with the wonderful presence of God. In Christ, there is hope of glory!


[1] GotQuestions.Org
[2] Edited from Google sources on Matthew 5:21-44
[3] Google sources on Ezekiel 18:2

Overcoming The Desolating Abomination

Exodus 34:14 says, “The Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God!” He reserves the right to be the sole object of worship.

God’s jealousy is protective and purifying not meant to harm but to draw people back to Him.

While human jealousy is often driven by selfish desire and insecurity, God’s jealousy is rooted in His love for His creation. He is jealous for what is good for us and is disappointed when we turn to other “lovers.”

The Lord promises to visit the iniquity of those who hate Him, while faithfully loving those who love Him. God desires covenantal relationships between lovers to be unbroken. [1]

“I will make the land desolate, because they have persisted in unfaithfulness, says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 15:8

Why did God desolate Israel’s land in the days of Ezekiel? Because they were unfaithful to Him.

In Ezekiel chapter 16, the Lord claims Jerusalem and Samaria as His daughters. Jerusalem symbolizes the tribes of Benjamin and Judah. Jerusalem was their capital city. Samaria symbolizes the tribes of Asher, Dan, Ephraim, Gad, Issachar, Manasseh, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon, and Zebulun. Samaria was their capital city. Israel divided into two nations during the reign of King Rehoboam. Rehoboam was the son of Solomon and grandson of David.

“Again the Word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations.’” Ezekiel 16:1-2

God needed someone to convict the people of Jerusalem of their unfaithfulness to Him. God’s Word to Ezekiel, the son of man, was to cause Jerusalem to know her abominations.

In the Gospels, Jesus often referred to Himself as the Son of man. He was clearly associating Himself with the prophet Ezekiel. The phrase “son of man” emphasizes the humanness of Ezekiel and of Jesus. Both were made of flesh and blood just like anyone of us. It was God’s Spirit in them that set them apart.

In John 16:8-10, Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit is the One who convicts the world of its sin, of its need for faith in God and of the final end of evil.

The Lord tasked Ezekiel to help Jerusalem know her abominations. The original Bible’s Hebrew and Greek words translated as “abomination” denote something “disgusting” or “loathsome.” What did God find disgusting about Jerusalem? The answer is her unfaithfulness to Him.

An “abomination that makes desolate” is referred to in Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11. Jesus refers to it in Matthew 24:15, Mark 13:14 and Luke 21:20. Revelation 13:11-17 speaks of a beast that deceives people into worshipping an image of a false god. He forces people to receive a mark on their right hand and forehead. His mark becomes the only acceptable form of currency for buying and selling. He kills those who will not worship the image he sets up. The abandonment of faithfulness to God is the abomination that makes desolate. Very desolate! People lose their entire eternity in paradise with God because of it.

God gave the Apostle John a vision in Revelation 14:9-11. He wrote, “Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.’”

So, should prophets like Ezekiel be considered spiritual dinosaurs that no longer need to exist? “No!” Both in the Gospels and in the Book of Revelation, the Lord is saying the prophetic calling to make people know abomination still exists. People need to know that unfaithfulness to God is still an abomination to Him, and it results in eternal desolation.

In Ezekiel 16, the Lord compares Jerusalem to a discarded baby left naked in a field. The blood from her time of birthing had not been washed away. God finds her, washes her, and clothes her. In Ezekiel 16:5, He says, “No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you yourself were loathed on the day you were born.”

In Ezekiel 16:6, the Lord to her, “Live!” And in Ezekiel 16:7, God says to Jerusalem, “I made you thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful...”

In Ezekiel 16:8, the Lord said to Jerusalem, “I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine, says the Lord God.”

In Ezekiel 16:9-14, God robed in her royal apparel and bedecked her with a nose jewel, earrings, bracelets and a beautiful crown. He provided healthy foods for her. She became exceedingly beautiful and succeeded to royalty. Her fame went out among the nations because her beauty was perfect through God’s splendor which He bestowed on her.

“But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it.” “Moreover, you took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore to Me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your acts of harlotry a small matter, that you have slain My children and offered them up to them by causing them to pass through the fire? And in all your abominations and acts of harlotry you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, struggling in your blood.” Ezekiel 16:15, 20-22

When Jerusalem began to think of herself more highly than she thought of God, she became exceedingly evil. She had the Word of God but turned from it. She did more evil than those who never knew God. She even sacrificed her children in fiery deaths to images that she created. She wanted to hurt God in every way. Her rebellion was destroying both her and her children.

“Behold, therefore, I stretched out My hand against you, diminished your allotment, and gave you up to the will of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior.” “How degenerate is your heart! says the Lord God, seeing you do all these things, the deeds of a brazen harlot. You are the opposite of other women in your harlotry, because no one solicited you to be a harlot. In that you gave payment but no payment was given you, therefore you are the opposite.” Ezekiel 16:27, 30, 34

As Creator of the universe and Chief Law enforcer, God had to judge His beloved daughter...

“I will judge you as women who break wedlock or shed blood are judged; I will bring blood upon you in fury and jealousy. I will also give you into their hand, and they shall throw down your shrines and break down your high places. They shall also strip you of your clothes, take your beautiful jewelry, and leave you naked and bare.” Ezekiel 16:38-39

He brought against Jerusalem an enemy army that was happy to execute judgments against her. According to Ezekiel 16:41, these tribulations helped her to ceased playing the harlot.

The Lord spoke to Jerusalem about her sister Samaria. He said...

“Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore, I took them away as I saw fit.” Ezekiel 16:48-50

In Ezekiel 16:53, the Lord speaks of bringing Jerusalem and Samaria back from their time of captivity. This is an allusion to humanity being brought back by Christ into paradise. In Ezekiel 16:60, the Lord says, “Nevertheless, I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.” In Ezekiel 16:63, the Lord promised to “provide an atonement for all she has done.” That atonement was in His Son, Jesus Christ.

In Christ, God can be Just. He still judges sin as evil, but He also provides His own dear Son, who never sinned, to pay the penalty for Jerusalem’s sin, Samaria’s sin and for our sin.

1 John 2:2 says of Jesus Christ, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 4:10 says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

Thus, faith in God’s Son Jesus Christ is the only way to victory over the world. 1 John 5:5 says, “Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”


[1] Derived from various resources referenced by Google under the question: “Is God a jealous God?”

Why Do Tribulations Come

The Lord brought His Word to Ezekiel so he could in turn bring it to his people. Before the Lord sent him to them, He told them that they would not listen to him.

“Now the Word of the Lord came to me, saying: ‘Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house.’” Ezekiel 12:1-2

They didn’t need glasses or hearing aids. What they needed was a heart for the Lord.

The Lord called Ezekiel to dramatically act out what was going to happen to them.

“Son of man, prepare your belongings for captivity, and go into captivity by day in their sight. You shall go from your place into captivity to another place in their sight. It may be that they will consider, though they are a rebellious house. By day you shall bring out your belongings in their sight, as though going into captivity; and at evening you shall go in their sight, like those who go into captivity. ...I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.” Ezekiel 12:3-4, 6

Governmental transportation departments place signs along roadsides to help motorists navigate. Has anyone ever cursed a road sign for its helpful information? Perhaps, someone cursed those signs with undesirable speed limits on them. Is that why we don’t like signs from God? They remind us that we are going to fast? They tell us to slow down? They tell us that we are going the wrong way? Well, these signs are God’s attempts to save us from destruction.

“In the morning the Word of the Lord came to me, saying...” Ezekiel 12:8

Praise God! Blessed is the person to whom Lord brings His Word!

“Son of man has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’ Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: this burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are among them.’ Say, ‘I am a sign to you. As I have done, so shall it be done to them; they shall be carried away into captivity.’” Ezekiel 12:9-11

Are we willing to be signs for God? To lend our faces and voices to Him so that He can direct souls to the heavenly Promised Land? Ezekiel’s people did not want to be exiles in Babylon, but they needed to be humbled so that they would turn back to the Lord. If they refused to humble themselves, they would perish in their sins, and that would be dramatically worse for them.

“Then they shall know that I am the Lord when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. But I will spare a few of their men from the sword, from famine, and from pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the Gentiles wherever they go. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 12:15-16

They had tasted the goodness of the Lord and turned from Him to idols. They should have all perished, but the Lord spared some of them to testify to what He done for them. If we alone from our family members are walking with the Lord, we should not be arrogant, but humble. The Lord graciously spared us to testify of His grace, mercy and love.

Another sign...

“Moreover the Word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and anxiety. And say to the people of the land, thus says the Lord God to the inhabitants... that they shall eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water with dread... because of the violence of all those who dwell in it. ...the land shall become desolate; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 12:17-20

Food and water are vital to our existence, but these basic necessities become scare when violent people rule over others. We must let God’s Word speak as it is without twisting it to halt the slide of societies into violence and decadence.

The Lord brings His judgments to pass so that people know that HE is the LORD.

“I am the Lord. I speak, and the Word which I speak will come to pass; it will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the Word and perform it, says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 12:25

God watches over His Word to ensure that it comes to pass in due season.

“And the Word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, hear the Word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God: woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! You have not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the Lord. ...You say, the Lord says but I have not spoken. ...Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you, says the Lord God. Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace.” Ezekiel 13:1-3, 5, 7-8, 10

Have you ever seen a movie where the villains turn a directional sign around so it points in the wrong direction? That is what false prophets do. They turn the signs around. If God is saying to prepare for tribulation, they say, “Take a chill pill! Everything is fine.” Thus, no one stops to pray, to read God’s Word or to help with the work of communicating His Word to the wider community around them. There is a fire. It is called hell. Prophets of God are compelled by God’s love to be signs to those around them both by what we do and don’t do, by what we say and by what we don’t say.

“I will cause a stormy wind to break forth in My fury; and there shall be a flooding rain in My anger, and great hailstones in fury to consume it. ... Then you shall know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 13:13-14

God allows tribulations to come as a sign to people that something is wrong. He rained down fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah. He brought great winds and hailstones on Israel due to their sins. This same judgment appears in Revelation 16:21. “And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.”

“Likewise, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; prophesy against them. ‘Will you profane Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die, and keeping people alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies? Therefore, thus says the Lord God: behold, I am against your magic charms by which you hunt souls there like birds. I will tear them from your arms, and let the souls go, the souls you hunt like birds. ‘Because with lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and you have strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn from his wicked way to save his life. Therefore, you shall no longer envision futility nor practice divination; for I will deliver My people out of your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’” Ezekiel 13:17, 19-20, 22-23

In the Gospels, Jesus often referred to Himself as the Son of Man, thus He expressed solidarity with the prophet Ezekiel. Jesus did not affirm the use of charms to hunt for souls as a hunter hunts for birds. The women of Israel were prophesying for barley and bread. They strengthened those who did wrong and grieved the hearts of those who did right. God promised to deliver His people from them.

“Now some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. And the Word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them? ...They are all estranged from Me by their idols. Thus says the Lord God: repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.’” Ezekiel 14:1-3, 5-6

The elders of the land must have felt that they had sufficiently covered up their sins. They came and sat with Ezekiel, but the Lord revealed to Ezekiel that they were idolators. Ezekiel was to seek their stumbling into iniquity so that all people would see that they were not who they projected themselves to be. False prophets and elders need to be exposed for the good of God’s people who they are leading.

“That the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me, nor be profaned anymore with all their transgressions, but that they may be My people and I may be their God, says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 14:11

The Lord wants to keep His people close to Him. Resting under the shadow of the wing of the Almighty is the safest place to be. To be distant from the Lord to satisfy those who don’t want Him in their life is not a safe place to be.

“Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut-off man and beast from it. Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness, says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 14:13-14

No one can ride into heaven on the merits of other human beings. No one should pray to saints or to Mary. There is one Mediator between God and man. His Name is Jesus Christ. Jesus is One who sacrificed Himself for our sins. Jesus is the One who resurrected from the dead on the third day to show His power over death. False prophets are forever pointing to someone other than Messiah to save people. The spirit of falsehood in them gravitates away from the truth that there is no other name given among men by which we must be saved than the Name of Jesus. (See Revelation 19:10, 1 Timothy 2:5, 1 John 2:2; Acts 4:12)

“For thus says the Lord God: how much more it shall be when I send My four severe judgments on Jerusalem—the sword and famine and wild beasts and pestilence—to cut off man and beast from it? Yet behold, there shall be left in it a remnant who will be brought out, both sons and daughters; surely they will come out to you, and you will see their ways and their doings. Then you will be comforted concerning the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, all that I have brought upon it. And they will comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have done nothing without cause that I have done in it, says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 14:21-23

Praise God for keeping a remnant from the destruction! He keep a remnant alive and He transforms their ways and doings.

Why do tribulations come? To save some from perishing. Noah turned from the multitude to follow the Lord. Daniel would not eat the king of Babylon’s sumptuous cuisine. He preferred to eat vegetables, drink water and to remain close with God. Job lost all his worldly treasures, but still blessed the name of the Lord, and the Lord blessed him. Such people shine for the Lord like stars in the night.

Daniel 12:3 says, “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.”

Turned From Idols To The Living God

In Ezekiel 8:1-4, The Lord shows Ezekiel a heavenly vision of Himself in His glory, then, the Lord carries Ezekiel by the Spirit from Babylon to Jerusalem into the inner court of the house of the Lord. There, the Spirit shows Ezekiel an image of jealousy that provokes God to jealousy. Ezekiel also sees the four cherubim once again that he saw previously in Ezekiel 1:4-6, 10.

In Isaiah 6:1-3, Isaiah sees seraphim at the on-start of his prophetic ministry to Israel. In Revelation 4:6-8, John the Apostle sees four winged creatures at the on-start of his prophetic ministry. What do they cry? They cry, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” In Exodus 25:18-22, the Ark of the Covenant box (with the ten commandments inside of it) has two winged cherubim on its lid. The point here is that when God brings His Word to bear on the world, His holy angels are present and actively involved.

The fact that angels are involved with prophetic ministry is good news for the prophet because anyone who speaks truth in an age of lies becomes a target of the devil and his minions.

I like what Elisha told his servant when an enemy army came to capture him. In 2 Kings 6:16-18, Elisha said, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then, Elisha prayed, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and “he saw that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” Then, “Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, ‘Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.’ And He [the Lord] struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.”

To speak the words of Bible prophecy to the nations is a ministry that requires confidence in the power of the Lord God Almighty. This ministry requires assurance that God is holy, and that He desires holiness from us whom He created in His likeness.

In Ezekiel 8:5-6, the image of jealousy is the first abomination that the Lord shows Ezekiel.

Then, in Ezekiel 8:7-11, the Lord reveals to Ezekiel greater abominations. Seventy elders of the people have portrayed idols on the walls of the sanctuary.

In Ezekiel 8:12, the Lord told Ezekiel what these elders were saying to one another. They say, “The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.”

In Ezekiel 8:13-14, the Lord reveals to Ezekiel “women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz.” Some commentators think Tammuz refers to Adonis a Greek god and others think it was Osiris an Egyptian idol. In any case, the women are more emotionally involved with idols than with worshipping the living God, the One who created and sustains the universe.

In Ezekiel 8:15-16, The Lord reveals to Ezekiel 25 men in the inner court of the Lord’s house with their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, worshiping the sun.

In Ezekiel 8:17, On top of everything else, the Lord revealed to Ezekiel, “they have filled the land with violence.”

What was the Lord going to do about all this?

“Therefore I also will act in fury. My eye will not spare nor will I have pity; and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.” Ezekiel 8:18

In Ezekiel 9:1-19, the Lord calls for six axe-man to prepare to slay the idolators of Jerusalem. He calls one of them, who has an inkhorn, to proceed them. He is to place a mark on the foreheads of the people in Jerusalem “who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.” These will be spared but the rest killed.

The six angelic men carry out their orders. Seeing people die, Ezekiel falls on his face and cries out, and said, “Ah, Lord God! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?” The Lord replied, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see!’”

“And I looked, and there in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubim, there appeared something like a sapphire stone, having the appearance of the likeness of a throne. Then He spoke to the man clothed with linen, and said, ‘Go in among the wheels, under the cherub, fill your hands with coals of fire from among the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.’ And he went in as I watched.” “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim.” “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give wicked counsel in this city.” “Now it happened, while I was prophesying, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then I fell on my face and cried with a loud voice, and said, “Ah, Lord God! Will You make a complete end of the remnant of Israel?” Ezekiel 10:1-2, 6, 11:2, 13

God orders one of the six men who brought judgment on Jerusalem to take fiery coals and spread them out over the city. In Revelation 8:3-5, an angel is ordered to take fire from the heavenly altar of incense and throw it to earth. It causes noises, thundering, lightening and earthquakes on the earth. Revelation 8:3 says that this fire is mingled with the prayers of the saints. So, in these passages, God is bringing these judgments down on evildoers in answer to the prayers of His holy people.

Ezekiel expressed concern that no one would survive God’s jealous wrath against idols. The Lord responded...

“Although I have cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet I shall be a little sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.” Ezekiel 11:16

The Lord promised to preserve a remnant of His people. They would not have a temple in the foreign lands of their captivity, but His presence would be a sanctuary for them.

“I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.” Ezekiel 11:17

When the season of captivity was over, the Lord promised to restore them to their land.

“They will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there. Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose hearts follow the desire for their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their deeds on their own heads, says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 11:18-21

When the Lord brings judgments on the world, He replaces evil with Himself.

I am so glad that the Lord doesn’t give up on us people. He loves us. He wants us to know how to love as He loves! To do right as He does right! To enjoy walking in fellowship with Him!

“So I spoke to those in captivity of all the things the Lord had shown me.” Ezekiel 11:25

I pray that any idol-images in our places of worship will be removed. God is a jealous God. Think about it! Do we have any competitors with God in our houses of worship during Christmas Day and Resurrection Day services? Why would any church speak of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny during these days on which we celebrate our Messiah’s redemptive work to save us from sin and hell. Why do churches celebrate the festival of the dead (Halloween) like many pagan cultures do? To me, these are signs of a lack of jealous love for God. May the Lord open our eyes as He did for Ezekiel. May He help us to do as the Thessalonian Christians did in 1 Thessalonians 1:9... “they turned from idols to the living God.”

Why Do Nations Fall and Rise

Why do nations fall and rise? Simply put, they are not God. God allots to nations of people opportunities to be blessings to others or to be curses. People have freewill. What do we do with that which God provides?

People can tell lies and deceive or tell the truth and be helpful. People can take or refuse bribes. People can give or withhold justice. People can embezzle or safeguard funds entrusted to them. People can promote harmony or foment division. People can pursue beneficial or destructive agendas. People can save or destroy lives.

What can individuals do to influence their communities to do good?

God’s answer is to listen to Him and to speak for Him. Throughout the Bible, God’s prophets learn insights from God and reveal these revelations to others. The prophets, apostles and Jesus all spoke words from God to kings, authority figures and common people. Whether people listened to them or not, they never stopped pursuing a more perfect way for their communities.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 says, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”

Some people may seem to be “above the law.” Not so! It will be worse for them if they escape justice on earth and meet God without knowing Him here below. That’s the worst possible scenario! In Revelation 3:19, Jesus declares, “Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline. So, be earnest and repent.” William Barclay wrote, “Jesus’ great love was expressed in His rebuke. It is, in fact God’s final punishment to leave a person alone.”

The Lord was merciful to Israel via Ezekiel. He prophesied for God to them.

“Now the Word of the Lord came to me, saying: ‘Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, and say, O mountains of Israel, hear the Word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains, to the hills, to the ravines, and to the valleys: Indeed I, even I, will bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places. And I will lay the corpses of the children of Israel before their idols, and I will scatter your bones all around your altars. The slain shall fall in your midst, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’” Ezekiel 6:1-3, 5, 7

Ezekiel’s community had given themselves over to worshipping idols that they made with their own hands. They did this idolatry on the mountains around Israel. So, the Lord called Ezekiel to speak His Word against those mountains so that those mountains would become places of the dead so that people would know that the Creator of heaven and earth alone is God.

Jesus alluded to this prophecy when He told His disciples in Mark 11:22-24 about faith to bring mountains down. He had just come out of Jerusalem where the religious leaders rejected Him. Why would they reject God’s Messiah? The answer is that they thought of themselves as the gods of religion. The religious leaders needed someone with a personal relationship with God... someone with faith in God’s power to bring them down from their high perches.

Just as Jesus had twelve disciples who followed Him and listened to Him, the Lord told Ezekiel that He had a remnant of followers in His day...

“Yet I will leave a remnant, so that you may have some who escape the sword among the nations, when you are scattered through the countries. Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations where they are carried captive, because I was crushed by their adulterous heart which has departed from Me... they will loathe themselves for the evils which they committed in all their abominations. And they shall know that I am the Lord; I have not said in vain that I would bring this calamity upon them.” Ezekiel 6:8-10

Romans 2:4 says that God is rich in kindness, forbearance and patience. His lovingkindness leads some among an idolatrous people to see their horribleness towards Him and to loathe their behavior, and to come to the place where they KNOW that He is God.

“Thus says the Lord God: Pound your fists and stamp your feet, and say, ‘Alas, for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! For they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.’” Ezekiel 6:11

I found this verse interesting because recently I have been praying that God would stomp His feet and cause some of the mighty perpetrators of evil in the USA to fall from their high perches of power so that goodwill and brotherly love in Christ can prevail in our nation. I have also been praying for my neighborhood community to come together in Christ. Only Christ empowers people to work together as one for the good of everyone.

“Now the end has come upon you, and I will send My anger against you. I will judge you according to your ways, ...then you shall know that I am the Lord!” Ezekiel 7:3-4

The worst possible scenario for anyone is to be judged according to our ways. We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. We justly deserve to be condemned. Therefore, we should all repent of our sins and turn to God in Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. We need Him to fill us with His Holy Spirit so that by HIS power, we can live a new life.

“They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be like refuse; their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord; they will not satisfy their souls, nor fill their stomachs, because it became their stumbling block of iniquity.” “I will turn My face from them...” Ezekiel 7:19, 22

The bottom line of the ledger is not gold, but God’s face... His favor! Gold is used for paving roads in heaven. Something to walk on! What all nations need to do is to seek God’s favor.

“Therefore I will bring the worst of the Gentiles, and they will possess their houses; I will cause the pomp of the strong to cease, and their holy places shall be defiled. Destruction comes; they will seek peace, but there shall be none. Disaster will come upon disaster, and rumor will be upon rumor. Then they will seek a vision from a prophet; but the law will perish from the priest, and counsel from the elders.” “...I will do to them according to their way, and according to what they deserve I will judge them; then they shall know that I am the Lord!” Ezekiel 7:24-27

Sadly, if a nation or community refuses to listen to God and continues to pursue evil deeds, they will be brought down very low. Then, in their humbled position will look for prophets, law givers and wise counselors, and not find them. It will take time to recover from the consequences of their evil ways, but they can recover if they pursue the Lord and ask Him for His forgiveness.

Ephesians 6:12 says, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

This verse reminds us that our battles are not always physical or visible. There are dark spiritual forces at work to keep people from seeing and acting upon the truth.

2 Corinthians 4:4 says, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the Gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

Let us pray for our communities to have the blinders removed from their eyes so they can see Jesus and want to be like Him.

Please Father Help Us Come Together in Christ

“Now it came to pass in the 30th year, in the 4th month, on the 5th day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.” Ezekiel 1:1

The 30th year either refers to the thirty years since the Babylonian empire began to rule the known world, or the 30th year of Ezekiel’s life, or both. Priests usually commenced their office after their 30th birthday.

“In the fourth year of Zedekiah’s reign (Jeremiah 51:59), Jeremiah sent by Seraiah a message to the captives (Jeremiah 29:1-32) to submit themselves to God and lay aside their flattering hopes of a speedy restoration. This communication [Ezekiel’s prophecy] was in the next year.” (Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary)

Ezekiel was among the northern captive tribes by the Chebar River. The Chebar river flows into the Euphrates near Carchemish, 200 miles north of Babylon. The ten northern tribes of Israel had been carried to this location by two Assyrian kings. (See 2 Kings 17:6; 1 Chronicles 5:26)

“On the 5th day of the month, which was in the 5th year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, the Word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was upon him there.” Ezekiel 1:2-3

King Jehoiachin’s captivity was the first carrying away of Jewish captives to Babylon. Among that first group was Daniel. Ezekiel was among the second wave of captives to be carried away. The third and final carrying away happened when Jerusalem was totally destroyed.

In Ezekiel 1:4-28, Ezekiel sees a divine vision of four winged creatures flying. They fly side by side. They go where the Spirit leads them. Each has two intersecting wheels. The wheels have eyes all round their rims. Each had the face of a man. Each had the face of a lion on the right side. Each had the face of an ox on the left side. Each had the face of an eagle.

“The four living creatures of the cherubim answer by contrast to the four world monarchies represented by four beasts, Assyria, Persia, Greece, and Rome (Daniel 7:1-28). The early church fathers identified them with the four Gospels: Matthew the lion, Mark the ox, Luke the man, John the eagle.” (Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary)

If you think about it, this makes sense because the ruling empires of the world want to project themselves as the answer to solving the world’s problems, but they are false gods. The four Gospel point to Jesus Christ as the Savior and Lord of the world, which He is, and in due season this truth shall be manifest for all people to see.

The Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary notes, “The ox is selected as chief of the tame animals, the lion among the wild, the eagle among birds, and man the head of all, in his ideal, realized by the Lord Jesus.”

Revelation 4:6-8 also speak of these four living creatures. They are “full of eyes and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” They honor God.

In Revelation 6:6, the four living creatures are involved in announcing the judgment of God, “And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, ‘A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see you hurt not the oil and the wine.”

In Ezekiel 1:26-28, Ezekiel sees the glorious and beautiful appearance of One sitting on a throne above these four living creatures. His appearance is like fire with a rainbow about Him. His “appearance was of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.” Ezekiel said, “So, when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.”

“And He said to me, ‘Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak to you.’ Then the Spirit entered me when He spoke to me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him who spoke to me. And He said to me: ‘Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. For they are impudent and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, thus says the Lord God. As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know that a prophet has been among them.” Ezekiel 2:1-5

The Holy Spirit empowered Ezekiel to hear God’s voice and understand Him. The Lord detailed the task before him. He was speak to a rebellious nation that stepped over God’s boundary lines. Whether they listened to him or not, people would know that he was a prophet.

“And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, though they are a rebellious house. You shall speak My Words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” Ezekiel 2:6-8

Ezekiel was commanded not to fear them though they were like thorns and scorpions stab and poison their victims. Ezekiel was to listen to God and not be like them. He was to eat what God gave him to eat, namely, the Word of God.

“Now when I looked, there was a hand stretched out to me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. Then He spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe. Moreover He said to me, ‘Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.’ So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll. And He said to me, ‘Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.’ So, I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness.” Ezekiel 2:9-10, 3:1-3

In this vision from God, Ezekiel literally eats the Word of God, and although it is a message of lamentations and woes, it tastes sweet in his mouth like honey. God’s judgments mean that He is destroying the old regime of tyranny and corruption to raise up a better new community.

“Then He said to me: ‘Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My Words to them. For you are not sent to a people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, but to the house of Israel, not to many people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, had I sent you to them, they would have listened to you. But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me; for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted. Behold, I have made your face strong against their faces, and your forehead strong against their foreheads. Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.” Ezekiel 3:4-9

I found the word above to be true in my experience. For all the evil I heard about life in atheistic and idolatrous countries, I found among them people who were eager to hear the Word of God. While in China, I had hearers who would pedal their bikes for miles to come and join a Bible study with me. Our meetings seldom lasted less than three hours, but the time seemed to fly by because of their delight in God’s Word. On the other hand, I have seen in multiple locations where “Christians” do not want too much Bible or talk about Jesus when they come together.

“Moreover He said to me: ‘Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears. And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell them, thus says the Lord God, whether they hear, or whether they refuse.’” Ezekiel 3:10-11

Nevertheless someone must listen to God and must speak for God to warn them. It is a task that demands self-denial and self-sacrifice.

“So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me. Then I came to the captives at Tel Abib, who dwelt by the River Chebar; and I sat where they sat and remained there astonished among them seven days.” Ezekiel 3:14-15

In Revelation 10:10-11, John was given a similar prophecy as Ezekiel by the Lord. He wrote, “I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.’” Receiving a Word from God is sweet, but the way rebellious people respond to it is a bitter experience.

In Ezekiel 3:16-21, the Lord tells Ezekiel his role among His people is to be as a watchman. He is to warn the wicked of death, and if he does, he will not be held accountable for their blood, but if he fails to warn them, he will be. And if a righteous man ceases to do right, Ezekiel is to warn that man to turn back to the Lord. The Lord will deliver from death the souls of those who listen to Ezekiel and turn to the Lord.

In Ezekiel 3:22-4:17, the Lord directs Ezekiel to meet with him in the plain. Ezekiel sees the glory of the Lord there. Then, the Lord tells Ezekiel to shut himself up in his house, and to be bound with ropes, and not to speak until the Lord opens his mouth. When he opens his mouth, he is to say, “Thus says the Lord God, He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse.” It is though he is reenacting the captivity experience for them, and asking them, “Are you going to listen to God or not?”

In Ezekiel 4:1-17, the Lord has Ezekiel reenact the siege of Babylon against Jerusalem. He lays on one side for 390 days, one day for each year that the northern ten tribes rebelled against God. Then, he lays on the other side for 40 days, one day for each year that the southern two tribes rebelled against God. During this reenactment, the Lord gives Ezekiel a precise menu of what to eat and how much of it. He also tells Ezekiel how much water he will be allowed to drink each day. These rationed amounts symbolize how the people will have small rations of food and water during Jerusalem’s last days before the city is destroyed.

In Ezekiel 5:1-17, the Lord tells Ezekiel to cut his head and beard hair, then to take the clippings and weigh them. He is to divide the hairs into three equal amounts, then, burn a third of them, strike a third of them with a sword and scatter a third of the hairs to the wind. He is to retain a small number of the hairs in his garment, and then, burn some of those in fire as well. He is demonstrating for his listeners what God will do to their nation because they have rejected His Word to them.

Ezekiel 5:11-12, the Lord says, “Surely, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations, therefore I will also diminish you. My eye will not spare, nor will I have any pity. A third of you shall die of the pestilence and be consumed with famine in your midst; and third shall fall by the sword all around you; and I will scatter another third to all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.”

How’s your community? Are neighbors communicating, working, praying, and studying the Bible together. Have you gathered together to get to know each other, and problem solve together? Are you divided? Are powerful and corrupt leaders taking advantage of you? I have been daily asking our Abba Father to send forth His angels to help us win the battle for the soul of our neighborhood, our nation and world. “Please Father, help us come together in Christ!”

Bitterness Turned Sweet

In Lamentations 3:15, 19, Jeremah wrote, “He has filled me with bitterness, He has made me drink wormwood.” “Remember my affliction and roaming, the wormwood and the gall.” 

Why is the prophet Jeremiah experiencing such bitterness? Why is he drinking wormwood? Why is he afflicted? Why is he restless and roaming about? Why does he want the Lord to remember the wormwood and gall that he is drinking?

“The Lord said, it is because they have forsaken My Law which I set before them. They have not obeyed My voice, nor walked according to it.” Instead, they have walked according to the dictates of their own hearts and after the Baals [idols], which their fathers taught them, therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.” Jeremiah 9:13-15

Jeremiah’s people had disconnected themselves from the Lord, and lived as though He didn’t exist. They falsely assumed that their Creator’s thoughts about them did not matter. Jeremiah is experiencing the same affliction and bitterness that his nation’s people are experiencing.

Gall and wormwood are very bitter. Gall was the poppy from which came the juice called opium. Morphine, codeine, and other alkaloids are extracted from opium. Wormwood was a green shrub which was used to produce very bitter medicine. Wormwood is an antiseptic and antispasmodic used to treat indigestion and fever.

Wormwood and gall were mixed in sour wine (vinegar) to give to those who were dying to numb their pain. During the crucifixion, Jesus Christ was offered a drink of vinegar mixed with gall and myrrh. He refused it, choosing rather to bear the full pain of sin’s consequences.

The judgments of God on sin in Jeremiah are reflected in the Book of Revelation. In Revelation 17:4, wormwood symbolizes abominations in the cup of Prostitute Babylon. Wormwood is the demonic brew that people drink because they have forsaken the Lord and gone their own way.

What does Jeremiah do to ease the pain of his affliction and bitterness?

In Lamentations 3:21-24, Jeremiah says, “This I recall to my mind therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I hope in Him!”

Jeremiah has hope because God is merciful, compassionate and faithful. The Lord is the portion who satisfies his soul. He survives because the Lord is his helper. The Lord’s grace and love outweighs bitterness and pain.

In Lamentations 3:25-26, 28, 31-33, amidst his trials, Jeremiah declares, “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Let him sit alone and keep silent because God has laid it on him. For the Lord will not cast off forever. Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. For He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.”

In other words, don’t panic. Don’t frantically try to resolve your trials! Rest in the Lord! Wait patiently on Him! Be silent before Him! Let the Lord’s compassion and the multitude of His mercies come to you and lift you up. The Lord delights in blessing His children. When we wait on Him, He comes through for us.

In Lamentations 3:40-41, Jeremiah looks beyond himself and says to those around him, “Let us search out and examine our ways and turn back to the Lord. Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven.” Yes, do it. Take stock of what you have been doing, where it has landed you, and agree that you need the Lord’s help. Like a flower that turns its face toward the sun to absorb its rays, turn to the Lord and absorb all His mercy and compassion for you.

Psalm 139:16 says, “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book, they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” So many books have been written about high achievers, whether they achieved great good or great evil, but what about us? Here, the Lord tells us that He wrote about us even before we were born. He is interested in us. He knows all about us. The Creator and Sustainer of the whole universe wrote about us and knows our story.

In Exodus 15:23-25, “Then they came to Marah, but they could not drink its waters because they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah (bitter). The people grumbled at Moses, saying, ‘What are we going to drink?’ Then he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree, which he threw into the waters, and the waters became sweet.” That tree reminds me of the cross of Jesus Christ. He took on the bitterness of sin’s consequences, ensured that our sins were forgiven by God, and afterwards conquered death by resurrecting from the dead. He did not have to do this, but He wanted to turn our bitterness into sweetness. He had mercy and compassion on us.

The Lord is fully able to turn the page on whatever unpleasant experience we are going through at the moment. In Psalm 30:11-12, David testified, “You have turned my mourning into dancing for me. You have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.”

The Lord does miracles! He turns mourners into dancers. He replaces the sackcloth of the repentant sinners with garments of praise. At first, we had nothing to say, but now we are singing and cannot keep silent. We are lifting our hands and giving thanks to our merciful and compassionate Savior and Redeemer. He gave us the victory once again! Praise the Lord!

Averting National and Personal Disaster

What happened? It was the summer of 587 BC when the Babylonians conquered the beautiful city of Jerusalem. The Book of Lamentations is an eyewitness account of what it looks and feels like to be conquered by invading enemy army.

Jeremiah saw people weeping bitterly. They were displaced from their homes. “Her persecutors overtook her.” “Her adversaries have become the head.” “She had no comforter.” “All her people sigh. They seek bread.” [1] Their enemies gleefully rejoiced, saying, “We have swallowed her up. Certainly, this is the day that we looked for. We have found it. We have seen it.” [2] The sound of music stopped. [3] “Young children and the infants swooned in the streets of the city.” [4] Lifeless bodies of virgin girls and boys were strewn about the streets like discarded trash. [5] “The young children ask bread, and no one breaks it for them.” [6] “The young men carry millstones. The children stumbled under loads of wood.” [7] “Women ate their children.” [8] Orphans and widows were everywhere. [9] Women were raped. [10] Lifeless prophets and priests littered the floor of God’s house. [11] Slain without pity by Babylonian swords! Fair skinned Nazarites were now as black as coal. Their skin barely covered their bones. [12] Princes were hung up by their hands. Elders were dishonored. [13] Inheritances and houses were forfeited to foreigners. [14] City officials sat on the ground silently. Their heads were covered in dust. [15]

In Lamentations 1:8, 16, Jeremiah lamented, “Jerusalem has sinned gravely therefore she has become vile.” “For these things I weep; my eye, my eye overflows with water; because the comforter, who should restore my life, is far from me. My children are desolate because the enemy prevailed.”

In Lamentations 1:18, Jeremiah gave voice to the realization that needed to happen long before this destruction began. He confessed, “The Lord is righteous, for I rebelled against His commandment.”

In Lamentations 1:19, he expressed the shock of betrayal the people were feeling, saying, “I called for my lovers, but they deceived me.”

In Lamentations 1:20, he returns to expressing the people’s grief to the Lord, “See, O Lord, that I am in distress; my soul is troubled; my heart is overturned within me, for I have been very rebellious. Outside the sword bereaves, at home it is like death.”

In Lamentations 2:9, there are no local leaders left to lead them, “Her king and her princes are among the nations. The Law is no more, and her prophets find no vision from the Lord.”

Their religious leaders failed to address the main point of religion which is to deal with the issue of sin and its forgiveness and having a personal daily right relationship with the Lord.

Lamentations 2:14 says, “Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions. They have not uncovered your iniquity, to bring back your captives, but have envisioned for you false prophecies and delusions.”

Sin is the root of all evils. It needs to be dealt with by the one true God.

The cross of Jesus Christ has a double meaning. The cross means that sin is so bad that only God’s perfectly sinless Son could be sacrificed to forgive it. The cross means that God so loved us that He was willing to give His sinless Son as a sacrifice for our sins.

Now, each person must believe and profess faith in Jesus Christ before God applies His Son’s blood sacrifice to their sin and removes it.

Have you done it? Have you asked God to forgive your sins and to apply the blood of Christ to wash all your sin stains away? If not, why not? Jesus Christ went through a horrible beating, whipping, crucifixion and death to pay your sin debt. On the third day, He resurrected from the dead to prove He is the Savior of the world and your Savior. The Bible advises you and me to humble ourselves in sight of the Lord, and He will lift us up.

The Jerusalemites turned their backs on God. They celebrated freedom from His laws as though liberated from a fiend, but had, in fact, freed themselves from a friend. They spurned the Living God and embraced the angel of death.

The fall of Jerusalem was horrific. Let us pray for our nations and serve the Lord by giving His Word voice so that people will be convicted of their sins, repent and turn to faith in Christ.

Let’s not wait for divine judgment to fall on our nations, assuming that dire circumstances will break the power of sin. The prophets, apostles and Jesus Christ warned people against sin’s consequences in advance of the disasters that sins yields. If people repent, God forgives and the downfall of the nation is avoided.

Amos 5:18-19 warns against waiting for the day of the Lord to deal with a nation’s sin, “Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why do you long for the day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light. As if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him; or he went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a snake bit him.”

In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God advises us to pray thus, “If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves, pray, seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”


[1] Lamentations 1:3, 5, 9, 11,
[2] Lamentations 2:16
[3] Lamentations 5:14 Reference
[4] Lamentations 2:11-12
[5] Lamentations 2:21 Reference
[6] Lamentations 4:4
[7] Lamentations 5:13
[8] Lamentations 2:20
[9] Lamentations 5:3 Reference
[10] Lamentations 5:11 Reference
[11] Lamentations 2:20 Reference
[12] Lamentations 4:7-8 Reference
[13] Lamentations 5:12 Reference
[14] Lamentations 5:2 Reference
[15] Lamentations 2:10 Reference