The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Ezekiel 21-24
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 8: Exile: God Disciplines His People
Background Information: Ezekiel 21-24
A sword for slaughter is a descriptive and recurring phrase in Ezekiel. It was too late to turn away the sword, but it is never too late to repent of the sin that has brought that sword. Ezekiel’s calling is difficult beyond words, and at times, he has to use means other than words to live that calling. He has used his prophetic voice to try and prepare the people for what is to come and to call them to respond to God in faith. He has also used prophetic acted parables, but now he is called to live out his message in a way that is very personal and heartbreaking. His wife dies, and he is to suppress public mourning as an example to the people. He is no prophetic machine; he was a loving husband, and his wife was the delight of his eyes. This phrase indicates that she was deeply cherished and a source of great joy to Ezekiel. This acted or living parable is intended to communicate that they should have grieved over their sins and repented before, but now the coming disaster is to be so complete that they will be unable to grieve at all. His actions caught the attention of the people; they wanted to know what was going on. It was difficult to express in mere words the level of horror that was coming. The siege and destruction of Jerusalem would be so devastating that people would be, literally, unable to mourn. Ezekiel’s parable demonstrated what he had been trying to communicate with words. He was trying to prepare them, there at the final hour, for what was to befall them. As we read the prophets, we see that to turn away from God always led to unethical and immoral treatment of people. God’s anger at their idolatry was partially his anger at how people, who turn from him, abuse other people. When Jesus gave us the Great Commandment (we are to love God with all our beings and to love others as we love ourselves), he showed us how these two things are inextricably tied together. Atheists have long claimed that it is possible to be good without God. This may be true for individuals who treat others well because they don’t live consistently with their own atheism. History has proven that those who take atheism seriously treat others poorly. The people of Judah may not have been atheists, but they had become full-time idolaters, practical atheists. Too late, they would learn that what matters the most at the end, matters the most now. Love God, love people…this is what will matter the most when you take your last breath. This is what matters the most each breath you take today.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Ask God to use Embrace to protect unborn children and to introduce women considering abortion to Jesus.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.