Our Shepherd, Our Savior, Who Makes Us Fit to Be His

      I am continuing my read through Ezekiel, and moved into the section on restoration. Oh how I love that theme. Our God is so full of mercy and grace and love. Today I read chapters 34 through 36.

     In chapter 34 we see our loving Shepherd! The shepherds of Israel failed, but the people were not abandoned. God Himself will shepherd His people. He will send One like David (Jesus!) to feed the sheep. There will be restoration, peace, and security. There will be "showers of blessing." (I was reminded of the hymn by that name and how we plead for these showers as we believe upon His name and His Word.) God will be their God, and they will be His people. This is referring first to Israel, but praise God (I've read Romans), we Gentiles (non-Jew) have been grafted in! Such a beautiful glimpse into the New Testament to come! We have a covenant-making, covenant-keeping God who is the Savior of His people (all believers from every people all over the world)!

     Chapter 35 is a prophecy against Mount Seir, and all of Moab. God will deal with the enemies of His people. It reminded me of how it is not our place to seek revenge. Vengeance belongs to the Lord.

     Oh how I love chapter 36: RESTORATION! I love how the Bible is one big book about one Savior. There are many smaller books within it, but they are all connected and about a great God and His unstoppable love for His people. It talks about God's people going home. Obviously it is talking firstly about the displaced Jews returning to Israel, but I can't help but think of the story in the New Testament of the prodigal son returning to his father, about how we are sheep that have gone astray, each of us our own way, how the Father longs to welcome us "home," restoration of a sinful people to a sinless God, full of grace and mercy. Ezekiel‬ ‭36:25-28‬ is a favorite passage of mine.

 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your  and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.”

    What an absolute beautiful picture of how our Great God and Savior cleans us and makes us new, suitable to worship Him, suitable to be His people. It was His great love that sent Jesus to Calvary. His death was for us that we might be fit to be His. His blood cleanses us. His sacrifice, death on our behalf, a sacrifice accepted by God, proven by His resurrection, makes this possible. No one comes to the Father but through Jesus, and we must be born again to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This passage is a beautiful picture of that rebirth (regeneration), our unloving hearts of stone replaced with hearts of flesh, fit to live forever, fit to truly love our God, His Spirit in us, enabling us to walk with Him. We could never on our own be good enough, but He loves us enough to step down from heaven to Himself (Jesus) give us His goodness so we can come to God. Our blessed covenant-creating, covenant-keeping Savior who exchanges our filthy rags with His robe of righteousness. Oh praise God: we are a new creation! He is our God, and we are His people! 

     Oh may many have faith in this great life-giving, life-saving Lord! 

Our Covenant Keeping Groom and Room In His Branches (Ezekiel 16 & 17)

      I've always found Ezekiel 16 to be a captivating chapter in the scriptures. It has brought me to tears as I have read it. It is a metaphor for Jerusalem as a bride for God, beginning with God's grace upon the unwanted, describing the marriage covenant, then illustrating her infidelity, but ending with God's grace.
      Jerusalem has its beginnings as a pagan city, and it is portrayed as a newborn infant abandoned to die, never even having her umbilical cord cut or being washed. God in His mercy, speaks life over the baby wallowing in her blood. She grows to maturity, and He brings her into a marriage covenant, lavishing her with beautiful clothes and jewelry and fine food. God made Jerusalem His city with a beautiful temple, finely arrayed with the best cloths, gold, silver, all the finest, a place for Him to dwell with His people whom He loves. Sadly she trusts in her beauty and takes other lovers. Israel was not faithful to God. Idolatry and alliances with pagan nations besought her. The text goes into great detail in the extent of her infidelity and how she would undergo the consequences and be full of shame, but that is not the end of the story. In the end, He keeps covenant with her, making it an everlasting covenant, and He declares forgiveness.
      In chapter 17, there is another metaphor, this time eagles to refer to Babylon and Egypt and a cedar to refer to Judah. Nebuchadnezzar took the top of the cedar and replaced it with a vine (the installation of the puppet king Zedekiah). The king sought help from Egypt, which led to his destruction. The best part of the chapter is the end, beginning in verse 22 when God says He Himself will take a sprig and set it up, up on a high mountain, to bear branches and fruit, where every kind of bird can dwell. That's Jesus!
     I know that chapter 16 is primarily referring to Jerusalem, but I cannot help but think of us individually, hopeless without Christ, how He comes to us and breathes life into us that we might live, how He clothes us as royalty, how He makes us His own, the bride of Christ, and how no matter what, once we are entered into covenant with Him, He keeps it! And in chapter 17, I see that every kind of bird nests in His branches. Praise God that people all over the world can come to Jesus! There's room at the cross!

Treasures in Ezekiel (Ch 5-12)

     I just love how there are little treasures to find in the scripture. It can be frustrating not to understand what we read, but it is also really cool when we dig in and find gems that perhaps we didn't see before or that the Lord wants to remember me us. Yesterday and today I read Ezekiel 5-12, and there was so much richness, I decided to write about a few things that stuck out to me.
     In chapter 5 we read Ezekiel using his hair as an object lesson. He has to shave his hair and beard, a sign of mourning, and divide his hair up to signify the judgement of God on the rebellious people. What stuck out to me was those few strands that He tucked away. Praise God for the remnant of faithful that God will preserve! I thought of myself as being tucked into the Lord's garment as His. That thought made me smile. It is hard to read of all the idolatry, all the unfaithfulness, and the judgements that the Lord must deliver. God repeatedly says that His judgements will make them know that He is the Lord. It is just for the Lord to bring destruction to Israel and Judah.
     In chapter 8, Ezekiel is taken in a vision to Jerusalem to see the temple and how it has been defiled.  I think back of the building of the temple, all those passages about the specifics for the perfect temple, where God could meet with His people. I think of when the temple is finished and the great sacrifices that are made and the moment when God's presence comes down and fills the temple. I can only imagine the sight! And then here we are at the same place, this holy place, and it is being utterly defiled. Right there where the people were supposed to be worshipping the One True God, they are practicing idolatry. It is no wonder that the Lord allowed the people to be taken into captivity.
     In chapter 9, the judgement of death on the idolators is to be delivered, but we can't miss verse 4, where a mark is put on the people that were grieving and lamenting the detestable acts taking place, a mark to save there lives, just like in Exodus when a mark was placed on doorposts that the angel of death might pass over. It is also like the mark spoken about in Revelation on God's people. This  mark was the Hebrew letter tau, the last letter of their alphabet, and it resembles our x, or a cross. Many Christians believe that this was a foreshadowing of the cross that would be the place of salvation. How cool is that?!
     In chapter 10 and 11, we see the Lord's presence depart from the temple. The part I didn't want to miss here was that God didn't just allow His people to be taken away; He went with them! He says that He has been a sanctuary for them where they have gone! And I've read the rest of the story! I know about Jesus coming to take the place of the temple, and how He gives His life, and then how we as His followers become His temple! He will dwell within His people! And then verses 19 and 20! Praise God! Praise God! He removes our heart of stone! He gives us a heart of flesh! We can walk with Him! We can obey Him! We shall be His people, and He will be our God! I'm so glad I have the New Testament! I know that I am included in God's people through faith! Praise God! Praise  God!

Diving into Ezekiel Again

     I have read Ezekiel quite a few times, and I must say it is a hard and beautiful book that I'm not sure I will ever completely comprehend.  Ezekiel has such rich imagery that makes it beautiful. It opens with this vision of the throne of God with imagery of who Christ is that seems perhaps to parallel the four gospels: Jesus as a king, lion (Matthew), Jesus as a servant, ox  (Mark), Jesus as a man, man (Luke), and Jesus as God, eagle (John). There are similarities to John's vision in Revelation. Another interpretation is that it refers to four realms of creation, with man supreme, then domestic animals, wild animals, and birds. Either way, God is seen as glorious and above all.  The wheels with eyes all around and that can go in all directions reveal God's omniscient, omnipresent character. He knows all, sees all, and is everywhere at all times.  There was coal like in Isaiah's vision. Oh how I love Isaiah 6 and the image of God taking away our sin. Then those outstretched wings sound familiar like the cherubim above the mercy seat in the temple. The sights and sounds were breathtaking. And that radiance around God lifted high upon His throne, with all the colors of the rainbow, oh how majestic He is in all His glory!
   After seeing all this, I cannot imagine how Ezekiel must be feeling, and then God asks him to stand upon his feet! I bet they were a bit weak, but the Spirit stood him upon his feet. He told him to go out and speak His words to a rebellious people, to go forth in obedience whether the people listened or not. Isn't that how we are to walk? To go forth faithfully following God no matter what the outcome, not knowing everything, but knowing that our God is faithful (and that's all we need to know.)?
     It is hard to imagine these meetings Ezekiel has with God. Again we see the Spirit having to put Ezekiel on his feet in chapter 3. Beginning in 4, we see Ezekiel is to use object lessons for his audience as we often do today, but he was often the object. I cannot imagine what it must have been like for him to lay bound for over a year.
     I'm excited to be diving into Ezekiel again. I always long to get to the part where God talks about redemption and restoration. But isn't that the best part of the whole story of this world, the beautiful love story of a God who loves His people (though rebellious and undeserving) and will do whatever it takes to redeem and restore our right standing?

Like Clothing, Put On...

     Reading scripture with the children, I was reminded that mercy (or tender mercies) is something we must put on as a garment, as well as kindness, humility, meekness, and longsuffering. We are to bear with one another and forgive one another, and above all, put on LOVE.

And why are we to do this?

Because we are His: chosen, holy, and beloved!  

I remember doing a study one time on covenant, and how the two parties traditionally traded garments as part of the covenant sealing.  What a blessing that God gives us His beautiful garment, when all we had to give him were filthy rags.

I decided to draw this out today.

Whose Trust Is the Lord (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

Do you ever read a verse, a verse perhaps you have read many times, and you are stopped, stopped to go back and read it again, and once more? Sometimes, a verse really sticks out to us, and we know that we are not supposed to miss the message that God so lovingly wrote for His children, for us.  Some might say that God no longer speaks, but oh how He still speaks.  What a blessing that God’s voice is still active, and that the very Word of God, is at our fingertips!  This happened to me late last night with Jeremiah 17:7-8.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord

And whose trust is the Lord.

For he will be like a tree planted by the water,

That extends its roots by a stream

And will not fear when the heat comes;

But its leaves will be green,

And it will not be anxious in a year of drought

Nor cease to yield fruit.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord.”  That little word is stuck out to me and made me reread so I didn’t miss it, that little is.  I think it was this particular version that stuck out to me, “And whose trust is the Lord” and made me notice. Here are some what other translations say, “And whose hope is the Lord,” “whose confidence indeed is the Lord,” and “And whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord.”  What really stuck out to me besides that little is was that it was not followed by the word in.  Perhaps with the other words being different, like confidence and hope, following trust, I didn’t notice the missing in.  

            God is not just someone we can trust, someone we can hope in, someone we can be confident in. He is our trust. He is our hope. He is our confidence, our confident expectation. And the words that follow are a beautiful illustration of what our lives look like when we not only trust Him, but when He is our trust. We will be like a well-watered, well-rooted tree.  We are nourished and protected.  Hard times still come, but we can rest in Him because He is faithful.

2017 with Mercy

2017, another year, another word to focus on in seeking to learn and grow in my Lord. In December, I thought it’s almost the new year so I should probably start thinking and praying about what word I should focus on in the new year. I focused my mind towards prayer, and I got out the mental words, Lord what… “Mercy,” I heard in my mind before I even finished my silent prayer. Well, okay then.  Mercy it is.  I had recently read the book of Hosea. Hosea 6:6 says,

For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,

And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

At a time in my life with five active children at home, this homeschooling momma knew that mercy is definitely an area where the Lord can grow me.  Sometimes it is hard to remember that they are just children and are learning and growing.  Their attention spans can be short, they can forget expectations/ rules/manners, they can have bad days and bad attitudes, they can argue and fight, and they are in need of a merciful mother, displaying the love and mercy of the Savior.  Luke 6:36 says,

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

And those five children’s mother can be a bit hard on herself, as she often falls short. She/I am in need of mercy.  Praise God, His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22)! Praise God it is His mercy and love and grace that bring us eternal life! (Ephesians 2:4-5) He can definitely help us with mercy in each aspect of our lives.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ

(by grace you have been saved).

            When I’m going to study a word, I like to look at definitions and synonyms, other words that are used in different translations.  Mercy is also translated as steadfast love, loyalty, and compassion. It is defined as:

compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy,

or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence.

I remember learning in church as a teenager that grace is “getting what we do not deserve (unmerited favor),” while mercy is “not getting what we deserve (withheld punishment).” 

            I am looking forward to spending a year with mercy and all the Lord has to teach me and how He desires to grow me.  May you also have a very blessed 2017, full of mercy.  I’ll end with one more verse about mercy. Micah 6:8:

He has shown you, O man, what is good;

And what does the Lord require of you

But to do justly,

To love mercy,

And to walk humbly with your God?

This is my goal for this year, to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God, only through His strength, and all for His glory!