Category: Ezekiel

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Once again Ezekiel is a living visual aide to the Exiled Jews in Iraq. The teachers of Jerusalem taught that the exiles were the  cursed of God; that Jerusalem was the blessed; and that Ezekiel’s visions were false. It was like they said: It’s all religious claptrap! What was God saying?

SJA Notes

* Mighty God, please reveal more of You today from Your word.

“… For I have made you a sign for the house of Israel.

As with Ezekiel, so with us – The Lord chooses for us to be signs to those around us.

To a rebellious world, to a lost relative, to a wandering friend.

Even sometimes to His own people, the church.

In the new testament, Peter writes of this purpose in 2 Peter 3,

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

The Lord gives us opportunity to witness to our neighbour, our friend, our family member and to the world around us – So that they should come to repentance!

Peter carries on the logic, encouraging us in our wonderful “not yet” hope,

“But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

This is part of the better story we have, the GOOD NEWS of Jesus – This broken old rundown world has a time-limit. But in Jesus we have a promise of MAKING ALL THINGS NEW.

Praise God for His work in us, through us and for us!

* Father God,

Thank You for saving us into Your kingdom, into an eternal inheritance.

Thank You for Your patience, Your mercy, that You allow us opportunity to point people to You – So that we sinners can be saved.

Amen to this, amen!

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Ezekiel sees twenty-five deceiving prophets in a vision. End time theories and prophecies – do these confuse you? How do we know who is right? Reflect on verses 11,12,19,20. What place should the Ten Commandments have in our discernment of deceiving preachers and prophets?

SJA Notes

* Dear Lord God, please show us Your word today.

“… And you shall know that I am the LORD.”

Our God wants us to KNOW Him!

How can we know the Creator God, Holy and dwelling in heaven?

“And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them.”

We see in Jesus God come down, Immanuel.

We see in the giving of the Holy Spirit, that we are born again – New hearts, spirits made new.

“And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.”

This resonates so strongly with what we read in Revelation 21,

“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”

This is our hope! This is our God!

We have this in the _now_, and we look forward to the full reality in the _not yet_ (glory).

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

* Gracious Father,

You are making all things new. Your words are trustworthy and true.

You are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

To the thirsty You give from the spring of water of life without payment.

O Lord, we are thirsty, please save us!

Bring Your Spirit amongst us, save this land, these people! Open our eyes to the light that is Jesus, previously come into the world as a baby born to woman, soon to return as conquering King.

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

In the Garden of Eden, man had to leave the presence of God. Here, the presence of God leaves man! This is a terrible chapter – like unto Jesus being abandoned on the cross – the penalty for our sin. One terrible thing was that the people living in Jerusalem didn’t realise what had happened. Indeed, they refused to listen to Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

SJA Notes

* Holy God, please show us more of Your holiness today from Your word.

“Then the glory of the LORD went out from the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim.”

God departs!

The temple in Jerusalem was where God’s people met with their God.

The Holy of Holies was the place where the Ark sat, God’s footstool, that He sat enthroned above.

But here, what do we see?

God departs!

There is a similar event in 1 Samuel 4, where the Ark is captured, and a dying woman prophesies (truth-tells),

“The glory has departed from Israel!”

Here in Ezekiel’s vision we see God departing the promised land.

What does this mean for us?

It points us to Jesus!

For while God departed, it was not forever.

And while the glory of God went out of the threshold of God’s house, it was not the end for God’s people.

In fact, God’s deeper plans are revealed to us, because we can look back to Jesus.

John, who was one of Jesus’ closest friends, tells us (chapter one of John),

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Immanuel is His Name – GOD WITH US!

Look at how strong and wonderful it is that while Ezekiel sees God departing, in Jesus we see God with us!

Hallelujah, what a God we have!

* God Almighty,

Thank You for Your word today, for this passage from Ezekiel.

Please help us to understand more of You today, more of Your holiness, more of Your glory, more of what You are to us and what You have done for us.

More of Jesus, less of us!

Amen.