Reading
SAA Notes
Imagine the effect of these words (16:35) on believers in Ezekiel’s day! Shock and horror! Is this how God thinks of you and me? Then comes that wonderful word of promise that has now been fulfilled with Jesus (16:60-63).
SJA Notes
* God of all mercy, please be merciful to us today and teach us in Your love.
“I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD, that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord GOD.”
These are hard words to read – For Israel then and for us today.
But they are words of incredible importance.
We see how serious God takes our sin.
We see that God will establish His covenant with us.
We see that God wants us to know that He is the LORD.
And we see that God will Himself atone for all that we have done.
How is this atoning done?
The whole of scripture points us throughout to God’s plan for dealing with our sin.
We read in 1 Peter 2, speaking of God in the Person of the Son, Jesus,
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
The atonement for our sin was carried out by our King Jesus!
_He_ bore our sins.
By _His_ wounds we have been healed!
* Dear Lord God,
Thank You for reminding us through Your word that we are sinners, saved by grace alone, through faith alone.
Thank You for Jesus – Your answer to our big problem. We can bring nothing, do nothing, enact nothing to atone for our sin – But He did!
Praise You, hallelujah, what a Saviour!
Amen.