Slept in very late yesterday. Feeling sick and stuff, so not surprising.
vs 11
Again, a show of value to a wife, to give such status symbols and symbols of wealth.
vs 12
This is extravagant wealth, in fact, not to mention the other symbols that a crown represents - authority and power.
vs 13
Talk about diamond in the rough. God has transformed this dying baby into a healthy child, then a healthy child into a beautiful queen. It's a rags-to-riches story.
vs 14
And it really did - in the golden age of Solomon, the fame of Jerusalem, its wealth, it's incredible blessing, spread far and wide. But that was 400 years ago...
vs 15
That's a disgusting picture, honestly, and not just because our queen is old and wrinkly. The truth about Israel is that, although blessed and pretty and rich, it was small. It wasn't an empire (although it did control the land of a few other peoples) and Egypt and Babylon and Assyria and such were always going to be bigger and stompier. But the fact is that it took very little time from the blessings of wealth and beauty to the worrying about keeping those things safe, and seeking to use them to make herself safe, rather than looking to God, who had given it all in the first place.
vs 16
Apparently half of this verse is uncertain, but only the TNIV tells you that (and also gives a vastly different translation to the other three). Not only did Israel go to other nations looking for protection, but she turned to other gods, seeking their blessings and protection. Honestly, it's like digging a hole and hitting oil, and going, "Woo, I'm rich!" and then turning your back on the spurting gusher of black gold and digging some more, looking for diamonds.
vs 17
They used the wealth of God to make idols of gold. That's just wrong. And so God paints a picture that is pretty damn wrong to make sure we know how wrong it is.
vs 18
Oh dear. It's an ugly picture, isn't it? The jealousy is mounting, even just as you read it. Imagine how God felt.
vs 19
God's gifts were then turned into gifts offered to idols. Not offered at his temple to him, mind you! See, this is the crazy thing about being married. You share everything you own, but you still buy presents for each other. But if your wife is taking the money you both own and spending it on presents for another man... ouch.
vs 20
This is some serious stuff. Some of these idols made strong and harsh demands, like the sacrifice of children. If we were to keep this a purely secular picture (which God doesn't, but bear with me) it would be like your wife cheating on you, spending your money on her other man, and then killing your children with him (or them). I mean, it's the difference between a divorce and calling the police and a mental asylum, or even (back in those days) killing her yourself.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Ezekiel chapter 16
After the last chapter, looks like we'll be here a while.
vs 1
A new prophecy, this one seems like it might be long.
vs 2
Is he actually going to Jerusalem this time? Or is he going to confront Jerusalem from exile?
vs 3
I assume by this that they are talking about the city itself, rather than its people. I don't think even if you go back to Abraham you'll find Amorite and Hittite blood.
vs 4
Interesting to see the things that they did when preparing a child after birth. The idea is, I think, that Jerusalem was born of bad parenting stock, and was never truly separated or cleaned from this stock, and the results now show.
vs 5
Oh, nasty. Okay, the picture I came up with above may or may not be correct, but the picture here is obvious enough - of a child despised, unwanted. Left to die.
vs 6
A novel thing here - the majority of manuscripts have the last clause repeated, but the (T)NIV removes the repetition as what I assume they think is a scribal error. Apparently repetition of a line is one of the most common scribal errors.
Anyway, so God was walking past and saw this baby dying and struggling, and called for it to live.
vs 7
Okay, it's only just a little bit disturbing when described in this way. Why would anyone describe the growth of a city like a child, especially a girl child, entering puberty? How awkward. The city is also naked (awkward!), but we'll try and see if we can work out exactly what that means.
vs 8
So God raised Jerusalem from a child, then married her. The spreading the corner of a garment over someone we can read about in Ruth too. The question has always been what comes first, the sex or the marriage. To me it seems obvious, but people will continue to argue it.
vs 9
As you would, considering she is now his wife. Er, city.
vs 10
Basically, God became an awesome sugar daddy husband - Jerusalem was nothing, but then it became David's city, then the capital, then the place where God's temple would be. Things just got better and better for Jerusalem, and everyone knows it. More prophecy tomorrow!
vs 1
A new prophecy, this one seems like it might be long.
vs 2
Is he actually going to Jerusalem this time? Or is he going to confront Jerusalem from exile?
vs 3
I assume by this that they are talking about the city itself, rather than its people. I don't think even if you go back to Abraham you'll find Amorite and Hittite blood.
vs 4
Interesting to see the things that they did when preparing a child after birth. The idea is, I think, that Jerusalem was born of bad parenting stock, and was never truly separated or cleaned from this stock, and the results now show.
vs 5
Oh, nasty. Okay, the picture I came up with above may or may not be correct, but the picture here is obvious enough - of a child despised, unwanted. Left to die.
vs 6
A novel thing here - the majority of manuscripts have the last clause repeated, but the (T)NIV removes the repetition as what I assume they think is a scribal error. Apparently repetition of a line is one of the most common scribal errors.
Anyway, so God was walking past and saw this baby dying and struggling, and called for it to live.
vs 7
Okay, it's only just a little bit disturbing when described in this way. Why would anyone describe the growth of a city like a child, especially a girl child, entering puberty? How awkward. The city is also naked (awkward!), but we'll try and see if we can work out exactly what that means.
vs 8
So God raised Jerusalem from a child, then married her. The spreading the corner of a garment over someone we can read about in Ruth too. The question has always been what comes first, the sex or the marriage. To me it seems obvious, but people will continue to argue it.
vs 9
As you would, considering she is now his wife. Er, city.
vs 10
Basically, God became an awesome sugar daddy husband - Jerusalem was nothing, but then it became David's city, then the capital, then the place where God's temple would be. Things just got better and better for Jerusalem, and everyone knows it. More prophecy tomorrow!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Ezekiel chapter 15
vs 1
I think we're used to this now.
vs 2
Before I jump to answer that question, I think God is building up to something. Let's stop and listen.
vs 3
I don't know the answer. I'm going to guess no. Why would you cut down a fruitful vine and make stuff out of the wood? I mean, perhaps for an artistic point or something. But I would assume you'd just use tree wood for that normally.
vs 4
You can pick up the charcoal and draw a picture? I don't know, I've never been good with the idea of useful. I think again the point is that no, it isn't really useful.
vs 5
Okay, so I think this verse at least lets us answer the rhetorical questions asked so far. Do people use the wood? No. Do they use it once it's been burned? Definitely not. When it's burned, it becomes even more useless. Now that we have the basics, let's see what the metaphor is.
vs 6
So the people of Jerusalem (who have been the targets for this whole prophecy so far, really - well, the subject anyway. The audience is probably still those currently in exile) are to become basically useful only for fire wood. That probably says something about them as people, and their usefulness to God.
vs 7
The fire of punishment has been burning a long time now. Those already in exile know that. Now they just sit and wait to see the fire consume the last bit of garbage wood left - the people of Jerusalem.
vs 8
An attack on the land is tantamount to an attack on the people, and on their relationship with God. The land stops being fruitful not because of seasonal weather patterns or bad farming practices alone - it happens because they have broken their deal with God. God would bless them for doing good, and curse them for doing bad. They've done bad for so long now, and probably haven't realised that just because your lettuce doesn't die when you sin once, doesn't mean that your entire crops won't die when you sin ten times. Or that you'll end up in exile after a few hundred years of sinning. God has big tallybooks. God hasn't been quiet about it either, like a woman who when they're angry just goes quiet and then expects you to know what's wrong. He has sent prophet after prophet to his people with the warning. They just are stubborn and don't listen - like men.
I think we're used to this now.
vs 2
Before I jump to answer that question, I think God is building up to something. Let's stop and listen.
vs 3
I don't know the answer. I'm going to guess no. Why would you cut down a fruitful vine and make stuff out of the wood? I mean, perhaps for an artistic point or something. But I would assume you'd just use tree wood for that normally.
vs 4
You can pick up the charcoal and draw a picture? I don't know, I've never been good with the idea of useful. I think again the point is that no, it isn't really useful.
vs 5
Okay, so I think this verse at least lets us answer the rhetorical questions asked so far. Do people use the wood? No. Do they use it once it's been burned? Definitely not. When it's burned, it becomes even more useless. Now that we have the basics, let's see what the metaphor is.
vs 6
So the people of Jerusalem (who have been the targets for this whole prophecy so far, really - well, the subject anyway. The audience is probably still those currently in exile) are to become basically useful only for fire wood. That probably says something about them as people, and their usefulness to God.
vs 7
The fire of punishment has been burning a long time now. Those already in exile know that. Now they just sit and wait to see the fire consume the last bit of garbage wood left - the people of Jerusalem.
vs 8
An attack on the land is tantamount to an attack on the people, and on their relationship with God. The land stops being fruitful not because of seasonal weather patterns or bad farming practices alone - it happens because they have broken their deal with God. God would bless them for doing good, and curse them for doing bad. They've done bad for so long now, and probably haven't realised that just because your lettuce doesn't die when you sin once, doesn't mean that your entire crops won't die when you sin ten times. Or that you'll end up in exile after a few hundred years of sinning. God has big tallybooks. God hasn't been quiet about it either, like a woman who when they're angry just goes quiet and then expects you to know what's wrong. He has sent prophet after prophet to his people with the warning. They just are stubborn and don't listen - like men.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Revelation overview - 1 of 2
So, this is a talk I've been asked to give as part of a two-part series on Revelation. Yes, the book of Revelation in two sermons. The reason is, basically, that we have a guy from the Backyard Bard who is going to come and do a dramatic reading of the book of Revelation, and I think the leadership figured that since we had two weeks of sermon space free beforehand, why not give two sermons as a broad overview of Revelation in preparation for this dramatic reading.
So me and David Pym are getting stuck in to Revelation - first me, then David. We're using an overview that my wife Penny wrote for the book, which basically breaks the themes of Revelation down into the Power of God, the People of God, the Word of God (my three), The Judgment of God, the Enemy of God, and the Victory of God (David's three). I was also under challenge by the leadership to 'not get caught up in any of the sticky arguments about eschatology and such'.
So, here's my offering, due to be given this Sunday.
So me and David Pym are getting stuck in to Revelation - first me, then David. We're using an overview that my wife Penny wrote for the book, which basically breaks the themes of Revelation down into the Power of God, the People of God, the Word of God (my three), The Judgment of God, the Enemy of God, and the Victory of God (David's three). I was also under challenge by the leadership to 'not get caught up in any of the sticky arguments about eschatology and such'.
So, here's my offering, due to be given this Sunday.
Revelation Overview Sermon 1
Major themes – People of God, Power of God, Word of God.
I wonder if you have ever had someone point something out to you that you've never noticed before, but then once it's been pointed out you notice it all the time. A friend of mine once pointed out to me the cue marks that flash up for just a moment in a movie to tell the projector controller to swap the reel in the cinema. They only flash up for four frames, 8 seconds apart, so if you don't know they're there, you're unlikely to notice them. But if someone points them out to you, suddenly you notice them every time. Of course, they add nothing to the movie, and so ultimately end up distracting you – but if I didn't point them out to you, you probably would never have noticed them. Next time you're in a cinema, look out for them, and see if it distracts you as much as it does me.
In two weeks' time, we're going to have someone from the Backyard Bard here in church doing a dramatic reading of the book of Revelation. Before that, though, David Pym and I are going to spend some time trying to highlight some of the themes of the book. My hope is that the themes we highlight for you will stick with you so that, when you see the dramatic reading, or when you next sit down and read the book of Revelation, you will see these themes pop up and you will notice and appreciate them. Revelation is a difficult book, and there is a lot that we could easily get bogged down in puzzling through, and we've only got two weeks to try and cover it with our overview. But many of the pictures in the book follow distinct themes which, by recognising the theme when you see it, help us to better appreciate what the book has to offer to us, and how it can help our understanding of God and our Christian life.
First, it's worth our while taking a few moments to consider where the book came from, and who it was written to, because as much as we think of it as a book, it is in fact a letter. It is addressed from the apostle John, in exile on a little island called Patmos, and it is addressed to the seven churches in the province of Asia, churches that John had a strong link with. It was written at a time when the emperor was claiming that he was lord and god, and those who refused to bow down to him, like Christians, were persecuted and charged as traitors, enemies of the state. The letter shares a vision that God sent to John, and comes at a time when God's people need reminding of God's Power through God's Word, to help them and comfort them during their suffering, and to give them the hope that we all have in Christ Jesus' return and an eternity with God in heaven.
These three things are what I want us all to look for when we are reading or listening through Revelation – God's people need God's power through God's Word. Next week, David Pym will be encouraging you to look at how God's judgment on God's enemy brings God's victory. These six points highlight that the focus of the letter is on God, and this is surely what we would expect. As the message of the letter unfolds, we see more and more how central God is to the Christian life. It sounds almost crazy to have to say that, but it's a worthwhile reminder sometimes, when we get all tied up in doing good things, or in our jobs, or our families, or in school, or even in our sufferings – those are not the central thing about the Christian life. God is in the centre, and he is definitely in the centre of this letter.
The people of God are the target audience for this letter, but they are also one of the major players in the unfolding vision. To start with, we hear letters written to seven specific churches in the ancient Asia region. Each gets a specific message, a mini letter to their situation and circumstance. Later on, we will see the people of God standing before God's throne and calling out his praises. We will see a war waged against them by God's enemies. Finally, the people of God will be invited to the wedding supper of the lamb, and will live in the new city of God and be with God forever. Those are some of the pictures to look out for.
But what do we learn about the people of God from this letter? Probably the first thing we notice about the people of God from this letter is that they suffer for Christ. Even in his introduction, John describes himself as a companion with the people of God in the sufferings that they bear for Jesus Christ. The seven letters are full of comments about how hard it is for these Christians – the government is trying to force them to make the emperor their God, and puts them in prison. Some have even been killed. The Jews slander God's people and point blame towards them for bad things that aren't their fault. Wicked false teachers rise up amongst God's people, making false prophecies and tempting them into immoral actions that undermine their faith. The temptation of wealth and easy living make their fiery passion for God run lukewarm. Then, as the vision unfolds, we see the people of God in various stages of suffering. The souls of martyrs, killed for their faith in Christ, come from under the altar and cry out, “How long until you judge the earth and avenge our blood?” And they are told to wait, because not enough Christians have died for Christ yet. We are told of two witnesses, who preach and prophesy, but the world rejects them, and the beast, the enemy of God, kills them. We are told that the enemy of God is given power to make war against God's people, to conquer them, and even to kill them. The enemies of God drink the blood of his people! Truly, the people of God are a stricken people!
Have you ever felt under pressure for being a part of the people of God? Perhaps you have suffered discrimination because of your faith? I have heard of people applying for jobs, and having their r̩sum̩s thrown away by a prospective employer because they had church involvement on them. I have seen university lecturers pick on Christians because they think we are dumb or ignorant. How many of you feel a fear about talking about Jesus with non-Christians? Is that fear there partly because of the possible consequences? I mean you might be shy, or introverted, or you might stutter or think you smell or something, but part of the reason you're afraid to tell your non-Christian contacts about the gospel is because if you do, you're worried there might be consequences Рperhaps they'll stop being your friend, or they'll ridicule you, or a workmate might charge you with improper conduct in the workplace, or you might be accused of being the same as catholic priests who molest children, or televangelists who just want your money, or pro-lifers who blow up abortion clinics, or young earth creationists who are trying to brainwash our children, or Ugandan politicians who want to bring in the death penalty for homosexuals. Christians are so easily demonised, and it can be scary to think that someone who we have a good or cordial relationship with might think less of us. Most of you probably haven't been threatened with death or being put in prison for the sake of Christ, but every day more and more Christians come to our shores fleeing such deadly persecution.
In a world where there is pressure to compromise our faith, temptation to water it down, or threats to make us give it up, what do Christians need more than anything else? Do we need some more money, so that we can make our lives a little more comfortable? No, that's what led to temptations to live as lukewarm Christians. Do we need to be less noticeable, to try and fit in with what everyone else is doing, to find compromise with the world? No. That would be to turn our backs on God as number one. What Christians need in times of persecution, when they are under attack, when there is pressure to give up on God, when temptations are strong to put God in second place, is to trust in God's power. And the letter of Revelation has a lot to say about God's power.
In fact, the power of God is continually proclaimed in Revelation. Every time you hear about the throne, that is God's throne of power. God rules from that throne. It represents God being in charge. Every time you hear about people falling down to worship God, that's God's power – he alone is worthy to be worshipped. So many of the symbols that are used to describe God and Christ in this letter are to do with God's power, with his might, with his strength. Christ is pictured as having eyes like a blazing fire, feet like red-hot bronze, and a sharp sword coming out of his mouth. The Lamb of God has many crowns and many horns, representing power and strength. Every time God says or does something, there are loud peals of thunder, lightning crashes, and the earth quakes! God doesn't even need to do anything, because he's got armies of angels and elders and beasts to do his bidding. They bow before his throne and sing praises to him! They sing to him about how he created the world, and how everything belongs to him. But God's creation of the world is not the focus of Revelation. Now, the creation has become a judgment on evil. Locusts plague the earth, the seas boil as stars fall from the sky, mountains tremble, rivers turn to blood or dry up, the sun scorches people, there are hail storms and earthquakes. God's power in creation is now a tool for the destruction of the wicked.
But there is more to God's power than just creation, or even his power to judge. Because if we are honest with ourselves, we know we are all wicked – we have all sinned, we have all rebelled against God at some point in our lives, and so we all deserve to have a mountain fall on us and our rivers turned to blood. God's power is illustrated in Revelation in two other important aspects for God's people to take note of. First of all, we see that God is not just mighty to create and mighty to judge – he is mighty to save. God in his power is able to save us from our rebellion, from the punishment we deserve, and he has done this through Jesus Christ. This fact remains true regardless of how tough times are, how much people hate us or think we're dumb or ignorant, or how much they are against us. God is for us. All who have turned away from selfishness and turned to God for forgiveness in Christ will find it, that is God's message, God's gospel, and it is made clear in Revelation. Listen out for the many, many references to our salvation that come in Revelation. Often it takes the form of the symbolic washing in Jesus' blood, wearing white robes, being protected or sealed or set apart from destruction. John says at the start of the letter, “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.” Later on, the living creatures and the elders sing to Jesus, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God members of every tribe and language and people and nation.” God alone has the power to save people from his wrath.
The second important aspect of God's power is re-creation. By the end of the letter, it is made clear that God is making everything new – a new earth, a new heaven, a new city for his people to live in with him. All of creation is remade, flushing away the faults and brokenness that sin had caused in the world, so that God's people can live directly in his presence, and without hunger, crying, mourning, pain, or death. God's power results in an eternity spent in a perfect world, living perfect lives for God, because our sin is done away with forever. No more rebellion against God, only glory to God for all time. These pictures don't really make their way into the letter until the very end, but they're worth waiting for, because they are the culmination not only of the letter, but of the whole of creation.
All of this – the creation, the judgment, the salvation, and the re-creation, is all achieved through the power of God's Word. It's an incredible thing to think about. God could just act silently, and the whole world could have been made an unmade without us ever hearing from God. But God is so intimately involved in his creation that not only does he talk to us, but his words actually are his actions! He speaks, and the world comes into being. He speaks, and a man is healed. He says to a dead girl “get up” and she gets up. He says to the wind and the waves “be still” and they are stilled. God communicates to us in truth, everything he says to us is true, because whatever he says comes true! This is made clear over and over in the letter of Revelation. Each of the letters starts with, “These are the words of”, describing how Christ is speaking his message to the churches, to his people. Angels, the messengers of God, speak out God's Word time and time again, whether it be calling down plagues and destruction, or instructing the people of God, calling down woes on the wicked or singing the praises of God or proclaiming the gospel. There are prophets who preach God's Word, his word is written on scrolls, and sometimes a voice directly from the throne will be heard, such as in the end of the book, when God says directly, “I am making everything new!” Even the beast, the enemy of God, cannot help but be subject to the true power of God's Word. We will hear that the enemies of God are given power to rule, but only “until God's words are fulfilled,” so even they cannot act outside of God's powerful Word. Indeed, the letter of Revelation is bookended on each side with statements about God's Word – it starts with “the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near”, and it ends with, “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you all this testimony for the churches,” then, “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If any one of you adds anything to them, God will add to you the plagues described in this scroll. And if any one of you takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from you your share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.” The importance of God's word cannot be underestimated!
Let me ask you, do you believe that God's words are true? When the Bible says that it is impossible for God to lie, it is not because God is so wonderfully moral, it is because anything that God says comes true! Do you believe that? Is that the founding of your faith? Because if we believe that, then how can we do anything but rely utterly on what God says, and expect for it to happen? It's very challenging to think about life that way, isn't it? If our lives are truly guided by God's Word, by his message of salvation and judgment and re-creation, if we are assured that what God says is true simply because by God speaking it it becomes true, then we have to be prepared to peg our actions on what God says, with the certainty of faith in the truth of his words.
What does this say to us as people of God? After all, this letter is written to all the people of God, not just to the seven churches of John's time. It says that we, as God's people, must look to God's power displayed in God's word. What does that mean? It means that it is from God's word that we know about the power of God to save us, to make us his people. It means that it is from God's word that we know that he will judge evil, that he will do away with the brokenness of sin, and that he will remake everything new for our eternity with him.
What is the Christian who suffers persecution called to do? What are Christians who are tempted by an easier life, or challenged by false teaching, or faced with oppression, discrimination, or difficulties – what are they to do? They are to stay faithful to God's word. Time and time again when the people of God are described in Revelation, especially in the heat of persecution, even as their souls cry out or their blood is being drunk by the enemies of God, they are described as those who keep God's commands, those who hold fast to the testimony of Jesus, those who maintained their testimony. In God's word lies the power for God's people to overcome, to be victorious. The message of Christ is the same to all the churches – seven times he repeats it in each mini-letter, “To those who are victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life.” “Those who are victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.” “To those who are victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna.” “To those who are victorious and do my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations.” “Those who are victorious will be dressed in white. I will never blot out their names from the book of life, but will acknowledge their names before my Father and his angels.” “Those who are victorious I will make pillars in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it.” “To those who are victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.”
The people of God are to stand up and be counted for God. They are to stand firm in their testimony about Jesus Christ, about the reality of heaven, and the reality of hell. They are to point to God as the one and only God, worthy of all honour and glory and praise and worship. When times are tough, they should stand firm, they should overcome adversity, even if it means shedding their blood. They should follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, who did exactly that – shed his blood for God's glory, to overcome evil and to claim victory over sin and death. When times are easy they shouldn't let God fall from their minds, they shouldn't get distracted. God is the beginning and the end. Jesus is the first and the last.
We should trust God's word, as his words are trustworthy and true. We should rely on God's power, because he alone has power over all things, and everything happens just as he designs. And as we rely wholly on God, we should stand firm as God's people. We should overcome, and be victorious in the face of adversity and oppression, knowing that he will make everything new, and that there will be a time when his judgment will come, Jesus will return, and the glory of God's perfect eternity will be ushered in in its fullness. These are the things that we should live for.
Let's pray,
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Ezekiel chapter 14
vs 12
Another new section.
vs 13
So, the country is in pretty dire straits in this example God is painting - it is a country that has sinned against God, and that he is seeking to judge.
vs 14
That's three pretty righteous people. Who is Daniel? Good question. I mean, it can't be the Daniel of the exile, surely. There's a note in the (T)NIV that says it could be Danel, a man of ancient literature who was of great renown. Yeah, him. Anyways, the point is that in the past God has turned his wrath away on the word of a righteous man. But even now, on the word of three, he would not - he would merely save the righteous ones and let the rest perish. God has made it clear again and again that a massive, tragic punishment is on its way.
vs 15
Wow, did that happen? That's a pretty nasty plague I've never heard of.
vs 16
Of course, Job prayed for his sons and daughters every day, and still they weren't saved from being killed in tragic circumstances. But the point here is that God is so set on his punishment that these righteous men could not change his mind.
But this brings up an interesting question about prayer and intercession that I have no real way of answering adequately, but I'll ask it just so it's out there. It's a wonderful paradox where God knows what is going to happen, and has a will that should be done, but holds off on that will under petition from the righteous. But here, God says he wouldn't do that. I guess it's like if I pray for someone to become a Christian, they may or may not. God has a will about it, the person has decisions in it, it's a complex thing. God is patient, and he waits a long, long time in some people's case. It's like wrath is a bucket, and every time we sin, a drop goes in the bucket, until eventually God gets fed up with the dripping noise and tips the bucket over our heads. God will wait a long time, but not forever. This is, I suppose, another way we can know that the end times will actually eventually come. God is patient, but he will close the deal eventually.
vs 17
The sword usually has a guy from a foreign nation on the other end of it - it doesn't just fly around on its own. And it usually has like 99,999 other foreigners with swords with it.
vs 18
God's making his point pretty clear here. This is it. Judah is going into exile, and lots of people are going to die, and there's nothing any righteous person can do about it.
vs 19
I'm sure you can see the pattern here.
vs 20
What interests me is that Moses isn't on the list. I guess Moses has a fair list of faults in the Law, whereas Noah is pretty clean, and Job is too. Not perfect, not little Jesus archtypes quite like Daniel (even though this might be referring to old mate Danel - I'm just saying), but still pretty darn righteous people. Proverbs is right though at least - their righteousness would save someone - themselves. Wives aren't mentioned, out of interest. Job's wife didn't die. Noah's wife didn't die. I wonder?
vs 21
So God has made it clear that if any one of these plagues had befallen a people, he would not turn away his wrath. He is sending all four against Jerusalem. They are boned.
vs 22
God still makes it clear, though, even in all this, that not everyone will die. Some men and women will survive. Some. A few. And they will come to Ezekiel (which in an off-hand way also suggests Ezekiel will survive to see it). And there will be something about their conduct that will make it comforting to know that God has done what he has done regarding the judgment. Does that mean that even these who are left over will still be wicked?
vs 23
This verse to me suggests that yes, you will see that they are wicked, and their actions will prove that the judgment was just. Now, they might be repentant, and that's why they escape death. Or they might just be the ones God has 'blessed' with exile as a punishment instead of death. But they are by no means as righteous as Job, Moses and old mate Danel. That Danel, what a lark.
Another new section.
vs 13
So, the country is in pretty dire straits in this example God is painting - it is a country that has sinned against God, and that he is seeking to judge.
vs 14
That's three pretty righteous people. Who is Daniel? Good question. I mean, it can't be the Daniel of the exile, surely. There's a note in the (T)NIV that says it could be Danel, a man of ancient literature who was of great renown. Yeah, him. Anyways, the point is that in the past God has turned his wrath away on the word of a righteous man. But even now, on the word of three, he would not - he would merely save the righteous ones and let the rest perish. God has made it clear again and again that a massive, tragic punishment is on its way.
vs 15
Wow, did that happen? That's a pretty nasty plague I've never heard of.
vs 16
Of course, Job prayed for his sons and daughters every day, and still they weren't saved from being killed in tragic circumstances. But the point here is that God is so set on his punishment that these righteous men could not change his mind.
But this brings up an interesting question about prayer and intercession that I have no real way of answering adequately, but I'll ask it just so it's out there. It's a wonderful paradox where God knows what is going to happen, and has a will that should be done, but holds off on that will under petition from the righteous. But here, God says he wouldn't do that. I guess it's like if I pray for someone to become a Christian, they may or may not. God has a will about it, the person has decisions in it, it's a complex thing. God is patient, and he waits a long, long time in some people's case. It's like wrath is a bucket, and every time we sin, a drop goes in the bucket, until eventually God gets fed up with the dripping noise and tips the bucket over our heads. God will wait a long time, but not forever. This is, I suppose, another way we can know that the end times will actually eventually come. God is patient, but he will close the deal eventually.
vs 17
The sword usually has a guy from a foreign nation on the other end of it - it doesn't just fly around on its own. And it usually has like 99,999 other foreigners with swords with it.
vs 18
God's making his point pretty clear here. This is it. Judah is going into exile, and lots of people are going to die, and there's nothing any righteous person can do about it.
vs 19
I'm sure you can see the pattern here.
vs 20
What interests me is that Moses isn't on the list. I guess Moses has a fair list of faults in the Law, whereas Noah is pretty clean, and Job is too. Not perfect, not little Jesus archtypes quite like Daniel (even though this might be referring to old mate Danel - I'm just saying), but still pretty darn righteous people. Proverbs is right though at least - their righteousness would save someone - themselves. Wives aren't mentioned, out of interest. Job's wife didn't die. Noah's wife didn't die. I wonder?
vs 21
So God has made it clear that if any one of these plagues had befallen a people, he would not turn away his wrath. He is sending all four against Jerusalem. They are boned.
vs 22
God still makes it clear, though, even in all this, that not everyone will die. Some men and women will survive. Some. A few. And they will come to Ezekiel (which in an off-hand way also suggests Ezekiel will survive to see it). And there will be something about their conduct that will make it comforting to know that God has done what he has done regarding the judgment. Does that mean that even these who are left over will still be wicked?
vs 23
This verse to me suggests that yes, you will see that they are wicked, and their actions will prove that the judgment was just. Now, they might be repentant, and that's why they escape death. Or they might just be the ones God has 'blessed' with exile as a punishment instead of death. But they are by no means as righteous as Job, Moses and old mate Danel. That Danel, what a lark.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Ezekiel chapter 14
vs 1
I'm not sure what they were expecting exactly. Perhaps to hear the word of the Lord, or the word at least of one of the more out-there prophets.
vs 2
As it often does.
vs 3
Ahh, so that's why they are there. Doing a bit of spiritual guidance shopping around. Maybe God has something different and interesting to say to Dagon, or Molech, or the Sun? Well, guys, there is a difference between consulting 30 different advisors and choosing one or a mix, and choosing between a God who claims to be all powerful and all knowing, and someone or anyone else.
vs 4
God has been saying this sort of thing a lot lately in Ezekiel, "When people do some thing, I'm going to treat them like they've done the thing." And then usually he goes on to explain how that treatment will pan out.
vs 5
This is God's plan - to recapture hearts. How he goes about it includes destruction, sickness, hunger, war and death. But his plan isn't to kill everyone. His plan his to change the heart of his people.
vs 6
God inevitably calls for repentance. Because that is what God has always wanted - for his people to repent and to come back to him. It is never too late, even when it's too late, as it were. God always accepts repentance.
vs 7
Now this verse, in isolation, might sound pretty good. "Hey, I can do whatever I want, and still hear from God!" But in the context, hearing directly from God probably isn't really what the idolator wants. And if it is, they probably shouldn't.
vs 8
God's answer will be to disown them. This is such a powerful picture in a family based culture. It totally removes your identity.
vs 9
So if some idolator goes to a prophet, only God himself is allowed to speak to that idolator. If the prophet says a single thing, makes a single prophecy for the person, God will hold them as guilty as he holds the idolator.
vs 10
The idea being that God is wanting to show the utter and complete separation from his people that these idolators must suffer.
vs 11
Once the idolators and the prophets who serve them have been punished, once the repentant have asked forgiveness, once the people have been cleansed of the poison within their number, then Israel will once again be clean. Then God will be their God once more - to his people, not to a people that have rejected him.
I'm not sure what they were expecting exactly. Perhaps to hear the word of the Lord, or the word at least of one of the more out-there prophets.
vs 2
As it often does.
vs 3
Ahh, so that's why they are there. Doing a bit of spiritual guidance shopping around. Maybe God has something different and interesting to say to Dagon, or Molech, or the Sun? Well, guys, there is a difference between consulting 30 different advisors and choosing one or a mix, and choosing between a God who claims to be all powerful and all knowing, and someone or anyone else.
vs 4
God has been saying this sort of thing a lot lately in Ezekiel, "When people do some thing, I'm going to treat them like they've done the thing." And then usually he goes on to explain how that treatment will pan out.
vs 5
This is God's plan - to recapture hearts. How he goes about it includes destruction, sickness, hunger, war and death. But his plan isn't to kill everyone. His plan his to change the heart of his people.
vs 6
God inevitably calls for repentance. Because that is what God has always wanted - for his people to repent and to come back to him. It is never too late, even when it's too late, as it were. God always accepts repentance.
vs 7
Now this verse, in isolation, might sound pretty good. "Hey, I can do whatever I want, and still hear from God!" But in the context, hearing directly from God probably isn't really what the idolator wants. And if it is, they probably shouldn't.
vs 8
God's answer will be to disown them. This is such a powerful picture in a family based culture. It totally removes your identity.
vs 9
So if some idolator goes to a prophet, only God himself is allowed to speak to that idolator. If the prophet says a single thing, makes a single prophecy for the person, God will hold them as guilty as he holds the idolator.
vs 10
The idea being that God is wanting to show the utter and complete separation from his people that these idolators must suffer.
vs 11
Once the idolators and the prophets who serve them have been punished, once the repentant have asked forgiveness, once the people have been cleansed of the poison within their number, then Israel will once again be clean. Then God will be their God once more - to his people, not to a people that have rejected him.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Ezekiel chapter 13
vs 13
Oh, that's quite wrathful. God has often used plagues, weather patterns and various natural disasters to voice his displeasure. That doesn't mean we should view every hailstorm as displeasure of God against those who park their cars outside though, but when he says, "I will send it and you will suffer," that's a good sign it's wrathful.
vs 14
Now, is there going to be actual hail and wind, or is that just a description of the Babylonian armies tearing down the city walls? Either way, Jerusalem is not going to be a very pleasant place to live, and for the prophets who constructed what I still think is a metaphorical wall of ignorance (which can interestingly still be torn down just as effectively by Babylonian soldiers) it's going to be deadly.
vs 15
God hates this wall. He hates that the problem has been whitewashed over instead of dealt with at the source. And people are going to die because of that - both because the problem wasn't dealt with, and because God is angry.
vs 16
The wall of prophecy will fall, and kill the prophets, and God will show just how little peace Jerusalem is in for.
vs 17
Now we're having a go at prophetesses too.
vs 18
Why does the verse break here? Bad monks!
Ooookay, this sounds like they are doing more than prophetessing. Magic charms are obviously anti-God, because God is not fond of magic. The hair veil things sounds almost prostitutory, but it might mean something else.
Whatever it means, the idea is that these women have taken part in leading God's people astray. And God is punishing the people for being led astray. His rhetorical question is letting these leaders of strayness know that he has a special treat for them. A doom sort of treat.
vs 19
See, this would seem to indicate to me that the hair thing was more a mark of divination or something. Prostitutes never really raked in bucketloads of cash either historically, but it sounds more like they have been involved in some sort of speaking and judging practice. Quite possibly people were coming to them and saying, "Is this person guilty? Use your magic to find out," and they were making stuff up and people were dying for it. Now, I'll point out here that God's laws don't allow you to kill people for much. So if they were killing people over arguments on land or property or stuff, then they weren't obeying God's laws, and this might be one of the things that God is upset about when he talks about the violence they have committed. Funny, when you look at it through the eyes of an 8th century BC person, God's laws really are quite soft and fuzzy.
vs 20
Yup - God is definitely upset with magic here. And no doubt God will set his people free from it by spanking them so hard they never even consider picking up a magic charm again.
vs 21
All these people who have taken power and influence away from God and his laws are going to come crashing down. God's revolution is coming, and these people will be the first against the wall.
vs 22
God really sees this whole divining practice as totally evil. If they had been offering godly wisdom to settle grievances or give people advice, or if they had sought answers from God and not just made stuff up, then he'd have been fine with it. See here, though, the anger God really has is that their practices have led to wickedness being in ascendancy, and righteousness being stumbled.
vs 23
And he did. Divination was never a huge problem for Israel again, just like idolatry wasn't - a few twists and turns aside, anyway.
Oh, that's quite wrathful. God has often used plagues, weather patterns and various natural disasters to voice his displeasure. That doesn't mean we should view every hailstorm as displeasure of God against those who park their cars outside though, but when he says, "I will send it and you will suffer," that's a good sign it's wrathful.
vs 14
Now, is there going to be actual hail and wind, or is that just a description of the Babylonian armies tearing down the city walls? Either way, Jerusalem is not going to be a very pleasant place to live, and for the prophets who constructed what I still think is a metaphorical wall of ignorance (which can interestingly still be torn down just as effectively by Babylonian soldiers) it's going to be deadly.
vs 15
God hates this wall. He hates that the problem has been whitewashed over instead of dealt with at the source. And people are going to die because of that - both because the problem wasn't dealt with, and because God is angry.
vs 16
The wall of prophecy will fall, and kill the prophets, and God will show just how little peace Jerusalem is in for.
vs 17
Now we're having a go at prophetesses too.
vs 18
Why does the verse break here? Bad monks!
Ooookay, this sounds like they are doing more than prophetessing. Magic charms are obviously anti-God, because God is not fond of magic. The hair veil things sounds almost prostitutory, but it might mean something else.
Whatever it means, the idea is that these women have taken part in leading God's people astray. And God is punishing the people for being led astray. His rhetorical question is letting these leaders of strayness know that he has a special treat for them. A doom sort of treat.
vs 19
See, this would seem to indicate to me that the hair thing was more a mark of divination or something. Prostitutes never really raked in bucketloads of cash either historically, but it sounds more like they have been involved in some sort of speaking and judging practice. Quite possibly people were coming to them and saying, "Is this person guilty? Use your magic to find out," and they were making stuff up and people were dying for it. Now, I'll point out here that God's laws don't allow you to kill people for much. So if they were killing people over arguments on land or property or stuff, then they weren't obeying God's laws, and this might be one of the things that God is upset about when he talks about the violence they have committed. Funny, when you look at it through the eyes of an 8th century BC person, God's laws really are quite soft and fuzzy.
vs 20
Yup - God is definitely upset with magic here. And no doubt God will set his people free from it by spanking them so hard they never even consider picking up a magic charm again.
vs 21
All these people who have taken power and influence away from God and his laws are going to come crashing down. God's revolution is coming, and these people will be the first against the wall.
vs 22
God really sees this whole divining practice as totally evil. If they had been offering godly wisdom to settle grievances or give people advice, or if they had sought answers from God and not just made stuff up, then he'd have been fine with it. See here, though, the anger God really has is that their practices have led to wickedness being in ascendancy, and righteousness being stumbled.
vs 23
And he did. Divination was never a huge problem for Israel again, just like idolatry wasn't - a few twists and turns aside, anyway.
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Ezekiel chapter 13
vs 1
Moving on...
vs 2
So there are a bunch of prophets in Israel presently, but they're not saying what God tells them, they are just making stuff up. So God has a special little message for them.
vs 3
Well, if you're going to hear a message from God about you and your job, it starting with "Woe" is probably not good. Being called foolish or wicked isn't a great start either. See, this is the sort of thing that screws people's faith over. You have people out there pretending to be prophets, and just making things up. And so people just think that, "Well, if that guy's making it up, aren't they all just making it up?" Which is of course illogical, but people think it anyway, because God did not thankfully create us with an overabundance of logic.
vs 4
They yap and no-one lives there?
vs 5
Now, you could think that this was a message about the hole in the wall that Ezekiel just put there, and about how they hadn't fixed it. And you know what, that could be a good object lesson. But the real truth is that the only thing that can keep Israel safe is God, and they haven't been maintaining their relationship with him, they've just been poking holes in it the whole time.
Funny, you don't often think that it's the prophets' job to protect the city.
vs 6
There's two things here that are just flabbergasty. The first is that they lie to people in what they say, and say that the lies come from God. Now, if you're relying on someone to be a messenger from anyone, let alone God, and they lie about it, that's pretty harsh.
The second is that these guys not only lie, but they then put words in God's mouth and expect him to back them up. I mean, if they were just lying and knew that nothing was going to happen, embraced their charlatanism, that would at least be something. But no, they actually thought they could fake God out. Well, he's got news for them.
vs 7
The answer of course is yes, you are a pack of liars.
vs 8
Uh oh. The prophets are now enemies of God. He's just ignored them for a time, let them rubbish his name, but now everyone is copping the wrath, and the prophets are no exception.
vs 9
So God just disowned them. Just totally wrote them out of his people. Far out. I mean, I wasn't expecting that. That's like hell on earth - God has said, "No, you don't belong to me anymore. You don't get to say you are God's people anymore. Go find somewhere else to die." The enormity of this statement is horrifying.
vs 10
So because people looked up to them, and they took a position of leadership and authority and messed with it, and they haven't actually been helping, they have been tricking people and mastered by their desires, now they will cop it.
vs 11
You built something flimsy, and now God is going to tear it down, and tear it down in a huge and cinematic kind of way. God doesn't mess around.
vs 12
Ha! Oh, that is such a fantastic question from God there. When your crappy solution fails, people will come and say, "Why didn't your paper mache wall save us, prophets?" And then maybe the people will realise that they were dumb to believe them in the first place. Maybe. Everyone loses - the prophets lose their positon, and the people lose their skerrit of hope.
Moving on...
vs 2
So there are a bunch of prophets in Israel presently, but they're not saying what God tells them, they are just making stuff up. So God has a special little message for them.
vs 3
Well, if you're going to hear a message from God about you and your job, it starting with "Woe" is probably not good. Being called foolish or wicked isn't a great start either. See, this is the sort of thing that screws people's faith over. You have people out there pretending to be prophets, and just making things up. And so people just think that, "Well, if that guy's making it up, aren't they all just making it up?" Which is of course illogical, but people think it anyway, because God did not thankfully create us with an overabundance of logic.
vs 4
They yap and no-one lives there?
vs 5
Now, you could think that this was a message about the hole in the wall that Ezekiel just put there, and about how they hadn't fixed it. And you know what, that could be a good object lesson. But the real truth is that the only thing that can keep Israel safe is God, and they haven't been maintaining their relationship with him, they've just been poking holes in it the whole time.
Funny, you don't often think that it's the prophets' job to protect the city.
vs 6
There's two things here that are just flabbergasty. The first is that they lie to people in what they say, and say that the lies come from God. Now, if you're relying on someone to be a messenger from anyone, let alone God, and they lie about it, that's pretty harsh.
The second is that these guys not only lie, but they then put words in God's mouth and expect him to back them up. I mean, if they were just lying and knew that nothing was going to happen, embraced their charlatanism, that would at least be something. But no, they actually thought they could fake God out. Well, he's got news for them.
vs 7
The answer of course is yes, you are a pack of liars.
vs 8
Uh oh. The prophets are now enemies of God. He's just ignored them for a time, let them rubbish his name, but now everyone is copping the wrath, and the prophets are no exception.
vs 9
So God just disowned them. Just totally wrote them out of his people. Far out. I mean, I wasn't expecting that. That's like hell on earth - God has said, "No, you don't belong to me anymore. You don't get to say you are God's people anymore. Go find somewhere else to die." The enormity of this statement is horrifying.
vs 10
So because people looked up to them, and they took a position of leadership and authority and messed with it, and they haven't actually been helping, they have been tricking people and mastered by their desires, now they will cop it.
vs 11
You built something flimsy, and now God is going to tear it down, and tear it down in a huge and cinematic kind of way. God doesn't mess around.
vs 12
Ha! Oh, that is such a fantastic question from God there. When your crappy solution fails, people will come and say, "Why didn't your paper mache wall save us, prophets?" And then maybe the people will realise that they were dumb to believe them in the first place. Maybe. Everyone loses - the prophets lose their positon, and the people lose their skerrit of hope.
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Ezekiel chapter 12
vs 19
So they will be pretty much waiting day by day, anxious in knowing that their time is coming, and that right soon. The violence charge is obviously important - it's been repeated several times. What is it talking about more specifically? I don't really know. I think I've said previously that it could just be the general sort of wickedness that comes with being wicked, or perhaps even the sort of violence that comes from worshipping idols?
vs 20
All the little satellite towns that don't have huge walls like Jerusalem are going to be toast. And this is where most of the land is worked from too, so even if Jerusalem were to survive, they would have nothing. Not that they will. Remember, it's not an urban society, so most people still live outside the big cities.
vs 21
What now?
vs 22
I assume people were saying this as if all the things they'd heard about God weren't true.
vs 23
Uh oh. Of course, anyone who is anyone knows that the longer you wait for something, the more likely it is to happen.
vs 24
See, this is the sort of thing that God can say, and make true. We can make grand statements like this, but then someone just comes along and proves us wrong, usually instantly and for no other purpose than nihilism. But God can say "no more false visions" and you can actually trust that it was so. You might think, "But how can God make that promise? Can't someone just make up a false vision and prove him wrong?" No. God can just shut their minds. Imagine how freaky that would be.
vs 25
Oh, snap. So even if someone does speak a false vision, God is saying, "Listen up, because everything I say I am going to make happen right the hell now. A few hundred years is too long ago? I'm going to say it, and then without delay you're going to suffer it. " Is that really a preferred choice?
vs 26
This verse gets old.
vs 27
And you know what? Fair enough? I mean, if you think of Moses and Joshua and such as 'former prophets', then you realise a lot of what was said back then hasn't come to pass yet for these Israelites. Now, don't get me wrong, lots of it has, and so I think they should have gotten the message. But it makes me wonder - how many people will hear a sermon about Jesus returning and say, "Ahh, that's not going to happen for thousands of years" only to find it in fact happens in 30 days?
vs 28
You see, God was being gracious in delaying his actions. But now, they want it? They got it. Even if they don't want it, they got it. So tough.
So they will be pretty much waiting day by day, anxious in knowing that their time is coming, and that right soon. The violence charge is obviously important - it's been repeated several times. What is it talking about more specifically? I don't really know. I think I've said previously that it could just be the general sort of wickedness that comes with being wicked, or perhaps even the sort of violence that comes from worshipping idols?
vs 20
All the little satellite towns that don't have huge walls like Jerusalem are going to be toast. And this is where most of the land is worked from too, so even if Jerusalem were to survive, they would have nothing. Not that they will. Remember, it's not an urban society, so most people still live outside the big cities.
vs 21
What now?
vs 22
I assume people were saying this as if all the things they'd heard about God weren't true.
vs 23
Uh oh. Of course, anyone who is anyone knows that the longer you wait for something, the more likely it is to happen.
vs 24
See, this is the sort of thing that God can say, and make true. We can make grand statements like this, but then someone just comes along and proves us wrong, usually instantly and for no other purpose than nihilism. But God can say "no more false visions" and you can actually trust that it was so. You might think, "But how can God make that promise? Can't someone just make up a false vision and prove him wrong?" No. God can just shut their minds. Imagine how freaky that would be.
vs 25
Oh, snap. So even if someone does speak a false vision, God is saying, "Listen up, because everything I say I am going to make happen right the hell now. A few hundred years is too long ago? I'm going to say it, and then without delay you're going to suffer it. " Is that really a preferred choice?
vs 26
This verse gets old.
vs 27
And you know what? Fair enough? I mean, if you think of Moses and Joshua and such as 'former prophets', then you realise a lot of what was said back then hasn't come to pass yet for these Israelites. Now, don't get me wrong, lots of it has, and so I think they should have gotten the message. But it makes me wonder - how many people will hear a sermon about Jesus returning and say, "Ahh, that's not going to happen for thousands of years" only to find it in fact happens in 30 days?
vs 28
You see, God was being gracious in delaying his actions. But now, they want it? They got it. Even if they don't want it, they got it. So tough.
Monday, June 07, 2010
Ezekiel chapter 12
vs 10
So if they don't get the picture of Ezekiel packing his belongings and fleeing through the hole in the wall, now he has to turn around and explain the picture in simple terms that a prince can understand.
vs 11
Gosh, could it be more simplistic? That's a pretty clear cut message.
vs 12
So the picture Ezekiel was miming is pretty much exactly what is going to happen to the prince. And if the prince leaves, who else will?
vs 13
Now, when I read a passage like that, it makes me think someone is going to have their eyes plucked out. I wouldn't normally even consider this option, but with the situation of the prophecy, it becomes somewhat more likely I think you'll agree.
God has set a trap for him, which definitely makes it sound like he's trying to sneak out. Which means it will fail, because he ends up in Babylon.
vs 14
Not only that, but anyone on his staff who is with him is going to get pursued as well. They'll break and flee when he's caught, which is pretty much the suckiest thing that can happen to a leader. Like Jesus.
vs 15
"Crap, God's real?! It took me a one-way ticket to some foreign country in subjugation and the loss of my home, my friends, and my land to realise this?" Pretty nasty wake up call.
vs 16
Isn't that nice. God will leave just enough people alive so that they know how screwed up they were. At least they get to live.
vs 17
Yeah, it does that.
vs 18
Oh, is that a command, or am I just going to do that because of what you tell me to do next? We'll find out tomorrow!
So if they don't get the picture of Ezekiel packing his belongings and fleeing through the hole in the wall, now he has to turn around and explain the picture in simple terms that a prince can understand.
vs 11
Gosh, could it be more simplistic? That's a pretty clear cut message.
vs 12
So the picture Ezekiel was miming is pretty much exactly what is going to happen to the prince. And if the prince leaves, who else will?
vs 13
Now, when I read a passage like that, it makes me think someone is going to have their eyes plucked out. I wouldn't normally even consider this option, but with the situation of the prophecy, it becomes somewhat more likely I think you'll agree.
God has set a trap for him, which definitely makes it sound like he's trying to sneak out. Which means it will fail, because he ends up in Babylon.
vs 14
Not only that, but anyone on his staff who is with him is going to get pursued as well. They'll break and flee when he's caught, which is pretty much the suckiest thing that can happen to a leader. Like Jesus.
vs 15
"Crap, God's real?! It took me a one-way ticket to some foreign country in subjugation and the loss of my home, my friends, and my land to realise this?" Pretty nasty wake up call.
vs 16
Isn't that nice. God will leave just enough people alive so that they know how screwed up they were. At least they get to live.
vs 17
Yeah, it does that.
vs 18
Oh, is that a command, or am I just going to do that because of what you tell me to do next? We'll find out tomorrow!
Saturday, June 05, 2010
Ezekiel chapter 12
vs 1
Let me guess, the word of the Lord came to you? Bam.
vs 2
Does this sound familiar to anybody at all? You'd almost think that Jesus read Ezekiel.
vs 3
Another object lesson - pack your bags as if leaving for exile. Then get up and go, so they see. And they might even understand, but don't bet on it. God is having Ezekiel do these things, and yet telling him how fruitless they might be. I guess sometimes in ministry we do things so God can say they were done, and that's what he wants.
vs 4
So Ezekiel is basically putting on a show. In the daytime, he is to make sure everyone sees his belongings, sees what he is carrying, sees that it is as if he was headed out to exile. Then in the evening, he is to leave as if leaving for exile.
vs 5
Not a hundred per cent sure about why he has to dig through the wall. I mean, it sounds more like he is escaping in the night, rather than being led out in exile. Perhaps that's what he's meant to look like? Or perhaps the digging through the wall represents something else - that all is lost, because no-one would dig through the wall if the seige were actually in place? I'm sure a commentator would be able to speculate better than me.
vs 6
He walks off into the sunset like a western movie, and he covers his face so he can't see the land -that is God's promise to Israel - that in exile they won't see their land for a good long time.
vs 7
It's nice to actually hear from Ezekiel for a bit. Refreshing. And people did watch what he was doing. The question is always whether he does these things in silence, or all the while proclaiming their meaning. Both would have power in their own right, but I get the feeling that he'd proclaim, because after all that's what he does in the writing of the book.
vs 8
By morning we can assume he's not in Jerusalem anymore.
vs 9
Heh, they just sat and watched dumb, not even asking what he was doing. So perhaps he did just do it in silence. I can admit when I'm mistaken. It's funny though how God asks the question as if he was expecting them to ask, when he warked Ezekiel himself that they were stubborn.
Let me guess, the word of the Lord came to you? Bam.
vs 2
Does this sound familiar to anybody at all? You'd almost think that Jesus read Ezekiel.
vs 3
Another object lesson - pack your bags as if leaving for exile. Then get up and go, so they see. And they might even understand, but don't bet on it. God is having Ezekiel do these things, and yet telling him how fruitless they might be. I guess sometimes in ministry we do things so God can say they were done, and that's what he wants.
vs 4
So Ezekiel is basically putting on a show. In the daytime, he is to make sure everyone sees his belongings, sees what he is carrying, sees that it is as if he was headed out to exile. Then in the evening, he is to leave as if leaving for exile.
vs 5
Not a hundred per cent sure about why he has to dig through the wall. I mean, it sounds more like he is escaping in the night, rather than being led out in exile. Perhaps that's what he's meant to look like? Or perhaps the digging through the wall represents something else - that all is lost, because no-one would dig through the wall if the seige were actually in place? I'm sure a commentator would be able to speculate better than me.
vs 6
He walks off into the sunset like a western movie, and he covers his face so he can't see the land -that is God's promise to Israel - that in exile they won't see their land for a good long time.
vs 7
It's nice to actually hear from Ezekiel for a bit. Refreshing. And people did watch what he was doing. The question is always whether he does these things in silence, or all the while proclaiming their meaning. Both would have power in their own right, but I get the feeling that he'd proclaim, because after all that's what he does in the writing of the book.
vs 8
By morning we can assume he's not in Jerusalem anymore.
vs 9
Heh, they just sat and watched dumb, not even asking what he was doing. So perhaps he did just do it in silence. I can admit when I'm mistaken. It's funny though how God asks the question as if he was expecting them to ask, when he warked Ezekiel himself that they were stubborn.
Friday, June 04, 2010
Ezekiel chapter 11
vs 14
I think we safely expect that now.
vs 15
So... basically the people of Jerusalem are saying, "Well, those other exiles obviously weren't the real people of God, because they've been exiled, and we're still here in the holy city. Yay us!"
Yeah, I think they might be in for a shock.
vs 16
So God is actually saying that he has returned to his people - but only once they go into exile. In the hands of foreign nations, God is there for his people.
vs 17
There will be an end to the exile! This is a huge relief. And not only will the exile end, but the land will be returned to them! Seriously, if God can achieve that, rebuilding a lost kingdom, then how awesome is he?
vs 18
And they sort of do. Kind of. Eventually.
vs 19
Because at the moment, as we have read, they really do have a total heart of stone, solidified over generations of turning away from God. But God will not have even his people's callousness stand in the way of his will.
vs 20
And the truth is that, a few twists and turns and false starts aside, they were a lot more careful to obey God's laws. So this stuff really comes true. For all those people who say that prophets can't predict, and seek to date their writings after the things they've predicted have come about, what do you do with this? You can hardly date Ezekiel in 2nd century BC.
vs 21
They definitely won't be the ones coming home... or probably even leaving the city alive.
vs 22
Where it belongs, really. It's spent a lot of time there in this book so far.
vs 23
So the glory of God has now left Jerusalem. With a single word of encouragement among a litany of punishment, God leaves his people.
vs 24
Ezekiel is suddenly whisked, visionly speaking, to Babylon to see the exiles there, whom God has been talking a little more fondly of, and then...
vs 25
Ezekiel passes the message on to them. Because even though the message is one of utter, utter awfulness for Jerusalem, it does have a little comfort for those currently in Babylon. For one, they're not alone - the people in Jerusalem are going to get punished too. And for two, God is still with them. His promises endure even their disobedience.
I think we safely expect that now.
vs 15
So... basically the people of Jerusalem are saying, "Well, those other exiles obviously weren't the real people of God, because they've been exiled, and we're still here in the holy city. Yay us!"
Yeah, I think they might be in for a shock.
vs 16
So God is actually saying that he has returned to his people - but only once they go into exile. In the hands of foreign nations, God is there for his people.
vs 17
There will be an end to the exile! This is a huge relief. And not only will the exile end, but the land will be returned to them! Seriously, if God can achieve that, rebuilding a lost kingdom, then how awesome is he?
vs 18
And they sort of do. Kind of. Eventually.
vs 19
Because at the moment, as we have read, they really do have a total heart of stone, solidified over generations of turning away from God. But God will not have even his people's callousness stand in the way of his will.
vs 20
And the truth is that, a few twists and turns and false starts aside, they were a lot more careful to obey God's laws. So this stuff really comes true. For all those people who say that prophets can't predict, and seek to date their writings after the things they've predicted have come about, what do you do with this? You can hardly date Ezekiel in 2nd century BC.
vs 21
They definitely won't be the ones coming home... or probably even leaving the city alive.
vs 22
Where it belongs, really. It's spent a lot of time there in this book so far.
vs 23
So the glory of God has now left Jerusalem. With a single word of encouragement among a litany of punishment, God leaves his people.
vs 24
Ezekiel is suddenly whisked, visionly speaking, to Babylon to see the exiles there, whom God has been talking a little more fondly of, and then...
vs 25
Ezekiel passes the message on to them. Because even though the message is one of utter, utter awfulness for Jerusalem, it does have a little comfort for those currently in Babylon. For one, they're not alone - the people in Jerusalem are going to get punished too. And for two, God is still with them. His promises endure even their disobedience.
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Ezekiel chapter 11
vs 1
Whoever they are, they are leaders of the people, which means they should know better. God has many times before brought trouble on his people because of their leaders. The thing about leaders, see, is that people follow them.
vs 2
Plotting evil. They're not just dumb, they are complicit in this whole anti-God thing. They desire it to be the way it is. They have worked towards it.
vs 3
I'm not sure whether they mean they are about to be eaten (bad stuff is about to happen), or that things are going well and they are the best bits in the stew. As in, life could not be better.
vs 4
God's response for Ezekiel to prophesy against them would seem to suggest to me that they think the former.
vs 5
Ahhh, so the leaders are trying to look like everything is calm. But Ezekiel has been told that something else is happening behind the scenes.
vs 6
Who did they kill? The faithful perhaps? Not sure. Enemy invaders? Perhaps. Just regular people because of their violence and injustice and wickedness? Most probably, in my opinion.
vs 7
Rather than the leaders being the best bit, the dead people are the best bit - they're the only ones who will get claim to this stew. Everyone else is going to have to leave... or join them.
vs 8
So the leaders do fear. But instead of turning to God in their time of fear, they redouble their rhetoric and they build more idols. Sad, really.
vs 9
That's God's basic plan in a nutshell - force them out of the promised land, give them over to foreigners, life for them gets bad.
vs 10
Judgement comes by the sword, with them dying from invasion, and at the borders of their country, as they are forced to leave it either by fleeing or in chains.
vs 11
No soup for you! Come back, 70 years!
vs 12
Doesn't it say somewhere that they didn't even conform to the standards of the nations around them? Anyway, they definitely have not followed the Lord's decrees. They're way, way out of that ballpark now.
vs 13
I was going to stop at 12, but the TNIV has a bold heading at 13, so I figured what the hell.
So, Ezekiel is there prophecying to these leaders about how Israel's going to fall and they're going to die, and lo and behold, one of them dies. This upsets Ezekiel, because perhaps he realises that God isn't screwing around on this once. So he falls to his knees and does exactly what God told him not to do - pleads for what's left of Israel. I assume he means Judah - not the remnant that will actually be left over.
Whoever they are, they are leaders of the people, which means they should know better. God has many times before brought trouble on his people because of their leaders. The thing about leaders, see, is that people follow them.
vs 2
Plotting evil. They're not just dumb, they are complicit in this whole anti-God thing. They desire it to be the way it is. They have worked towards it.
vs 3
I'm not sure whether they mean they are about to be eaten (bad stuff is about to happen), or that things are going well and they are the best bits in the stew. As in, life could not be better.
vs 4
God's response for Ezekiel to prophesy against them would seem to suggest to me that they think the former.
vs 5
Ahhh, so the leaders are trying to look like everything is calm. But Ezekiel has been told that something else is happening behind the scenes.
vs 6
Who did they kill? The faithful perhaps? Not sure. Enemy invaders? Perhaps. Just regular people because of their violence and injustice and wickedness? Most probably, in my opinion.
vs 7
Rather than the leaders being the best bit, the dead people are the best bit - they're the only ones who will get claim to this stew. Everyone else is going to have to leave... or join them.
vs 8
So the leaders do fear. But instead of turning to God in their time of fear, they redouble their rhetoric and they build more idols. Sad, really.
vs 9
That's God's basic plan in a nutshell - force them out of the promised land, give them over to foreigners, life for them gets bad.
vs 10
Judgement comes by the sword, with them dying from invasion, and at the borders of their country, as they are forced to leave it either by fleeing or in chains.
vs 11
No soup for you! Come back, 70 years!
vs 12
Doesn't it say somewhere that they didn't even conform to the standards of the nations around them? Anyway, they definitely have not followed the Lord's decrees. They're way, way out of that ballpark now.
vs 13
I was going to stop at 12, but the TNIV has a bold heading at 13, so I figured what the hell.
So, Ezekiel is there prophecying to these leaders about how Israel's going to fall and they're going to die, and lo and behold, one of them dies. This upsets Ezekiel, because perhaps he realises that God isn't screwing around on this once. So he falls to his knees and does exactly what God told him not to do - pleads for what's left of Israel. I assume he means Judah - not the remnant that will actually be left over.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Ezekiel chapter 10
vs 12
Covered in eyes - there are few things more disturbing really. Especiall eyes on wheels. The symbolism is again the same - seeing all.
vs 13
Oh, good, they've got a name. They sound like a band, the whirling wheels.
vs 14
I'm so glad one face was the face of a cherub. That makes it so much clearer for me. Because obviously everyone knows what that looks like.
vs 15
So they're exactly the same? Why the long description again? Why not just reference it? "See page 1 for description". Because repetition was important, so that people remembered things, and it shows the link between visions too, I'm guessing.
vs 16
Yes, this is sounding disturbingly familiar.
vs 17
Damn spirits of living creatures living in wheels! Are they like hamster wheels? So confusing.
vs 18
Because this is where it was residing before, when Ezekiel saw the whole show at the Kebar River.
vs 19
So these cherubim are, in fact, making off with the glory of God. It's like the great Temple robbery, but instead of stealing the precious things made of gold and such, they are in fact stealing God.
I kid, of course. God wants to leave.
vs 20
I hope God told him, or he named them himself, because I don't otherwise really know how you 'realise something is a cherubim'.
Does that mean something other than what it says? Like, are the cherubim something we should just know about, as to what their role is and why it's important that they're not, say, seraphim?
vs 21
These repetitive descriptions, forgive me, are a little repetitive. As no doubt are my comments on their repetitivity.
vs 22
Sigh. At least it makes it easy to read... as easy as it is reading about odd cherubim figures.
Covered in eyes - there are few things more disturbing really. Especiall eyes on wheels. The symbolism is again the same - seeing all.
vs 13
Oh, good, they've got a name. They sound like a band, the whirling wheels.
vs 14
I'm so glad one face was the face of a cherub. That makes it so much clearer for me. Because obviously everyone knows what that looks like.
vs 15
So they're exactly the same? Why the long description again? Why not just reference it? "See page 1 for description". Because repetition was important, so that people remembered things, and it shows the link between visions too, I'm guessing.
vs 16
Yes, this is sounding disturbingly familiar.
vs 17
Damn spirits of living creatures living in wheels! Are they like hamster wheels? So confusing.
vs 18
Because this is where it was residing before, when Ezekiel saw the whole show at the Kebar River.
vs 19
So these cherubim are, in fact, making off with the glory of God. It's like the great Temple robbery, but instead of stealing the precious things made of gold and such, they are in fact stealing God.
I kid, of course. God wants to leave.
vs 20
I hope God told him, or he named them himself, because I don't otherwise really know how you 'realise something is a cherubim'.
Does that mean something other than what it says? Like, are the cherubim something we should just know about, as to what their role is and why it's important that they're not, say, seraphim?
vs 21
These repetitive descriptions, forgive me, are a little repetitive. As no doubt are my comments on their repetitivity.
vs 22
Sigh. At least it makes it easy to read... as easy as it is reading about odd cherubim figures.
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