Day 247, September 4: Bible reading & prayer
Ezekiel 24-27 (chronological); Proverbs 5-6, 1 Corinthians 14:1-20 (OT/NT)
We are reading Ezekiel. Ezekiel the priest actually wrote as an exile in the land of the Chaldeans during the era of the kings of Judah and the kings of Israel. The Lord gave Ezekiel vision of what Jeremiah experienced and spoke about, so Ezekiel fills in a lot of understanding for us. The LORD consistently repeats that even in His wrath and punishment, He will leave a remnant as witness that His word stands, who will then know that He is the LORD.
Reminder that Jehoiachin (Coniah, Jeconiah), king of Judah, grandson of Josiah, actually surrendered to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon after only three months of reign after the death of his rebellious father Jehoiakim. He was taken to Babylon with ten thousand other captives. The LORD appeared to Ezekiel and appointed him to speak His word during the fifth year of Jehoiachin’s exile. Nebuchadnezzar had replaced Jehoiachin with his uncle Mattaniah, renaming him Zedekiah. Zedekiah eventually rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, like his brother Jehoiakim, had done. This led to the siege and fall of Jerusalem, about which Ezekiel prophesied.
In our reading yesterday, the LORD revealed to Ezekiel all the abominations of Israel. They have become guilty by the shedding of blood and the worship of idols. They have forgotten the LORD. Her priests have done violence to His law and profaned His holy things. Her princes have shed blood and destroyed lives for dishonest gain. Her prophets have seen false visions and divined lies. The people of the land have practiced oppression, committed robbery, wronged the poor and needy, and oppressed the sojourner without justice. The LORD searched for a man that would build up the wall and stand in the gap for Him for the land so that He would not destroy it, and He found no one. They have brought their own way upon their heads.
The LORD then used another metaphor to explain the sins of Israel (Samaria) and Judah (Jerusalem). He called them two women, the daughters of one mother, who played the harlot in Egypt. Samaria, the elder, was named Oholah and Judah, the younger, was named Oholibah. Samaria played the harlot with Assyria and defiled herself with their idols, so He gave her into their hand. Jerusalem saw this and was more corrupt than her. She played the harlot with Assyria, Chaldea, and Egypt again, but then also turned against them. Therefore, the LORD will bring all these nations against Jerusalem. Jerusalem will drink the cup Samaria drank. He declares their sins again. Their lewdness will be requited upon them, they will bear the penalty of worshiping their idols, and they will know He is the Lord GOD.
An overview of our yearly Bible reading plan, with all summaries so far, can be found here. My appeal for the resolution to read your Bibles is here.
September 4 chronological reading: Ezekiel 24-27
Ezekiel 24
v1-3a “And the word of the LORD came to me in the ninth year [of the exile of Jehoiachin, king of Judah], in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, saying, ‘Son of man, write the name of the day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. Speak a parable to the rebellious house and say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD,
v3b-5 ‘Put on the pot, put it on and also pour water in it;
Put in it the pieces,
Every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder;
Fill it with choice bones.
Take the choicest of the flock,
And also pile wood under the pot.
Make it boil vigorously.
Also seethe its bones in it.’
v6-8 “Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD,
‘Woe to the bloody city,
To the pot in which there is rust
And whose rust has not gone out of it!
Take out of it piece after piece,
Without making a choice.
For her blood is in her midst;
She placed it on the bare rock;
She did not pour it on the ground
To cover it with dust.
That it may cause wrath to come up to take vengeance,
I have put her blood on the bare rock,
That it may not be covered.’
v9-13 “Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD,
‘Woe to the bloody city!
I also will make the pile great.
Heap on the wood, kindle the fire,
Boil the flesh well
And mix in the spices,
And let the bones be burned.
Then set it empty on its coals
So that it may be hot
And its bronze may glow
And its filthiness may be melted in it,
Its rust consumed.
She has wearied Me with toil,
Yet her great rust has not gone from her;
Let her rust be in the fire!
In your filthiness is lewdness.
Because I would have cleansed you,
Yet you are not clean,
You will not be cleansed from your filthiness again
Until I have spent My wrath on you.
v14 ‘I, the LORD, have spoken; it is coming and I will act. I will not relent, and I will not pity and I will not be sorry; according to your ways and according to your deeds I will judge you,’ declares the Lord GOD.”’
v15-24 “And the word of the LORD came to me saying, ‘Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you the desire of your eyes with a blow; but you shall not mourn and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not come. Groan silently; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban and put your shoes on your feet, and do not cover your mustache and do not eat the bread of men.’ So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded. The people said to me, ‘Will you not tell us what these things that you are doing mean for us?’ Then I said to them, ‘The word of the LORD came to me saying, “Speak to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am about to profane My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes and the delight of your soul; and your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword. You will do as I have done; you will not cover your mustache and you will not eat the bread of men. Your turbans will be on your heads and your shoes on your feet. You will not mourn and you will not weep, but you will rot away in your iniquities and you will groan to one another. Thus Ezekiel will be a sign to you; according to all that he has done you will do; when it comes, then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.”’
v25-27 “As for you, son of man, will it not be on the day when I take from them their stronghold, the joy of their pride, the desire of their eyes and their heart’s delight, their sons and their daughters, that on that day he who escapes will come to you with information for your ears? On that day your mouth will be opened to him who escaped, and you will speak and be mute no longer. Thus you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD.”’”
Ezekiel 25
v1-7 “And the word of the LORD came to me saying, ‘Son of man, set your face toward the sons of Ammon [descendants of Lot] and prophesy against them, and say to the sons of Ammon, “Hear the word of the Lord GOD! Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Because you said, “Aha!” against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into exile, therefore, behold, I am going to give you to the sons of the east for a possession, and they will set their encampments among you and make their dwellings among you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk. I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels and the sons of Ammon a resting place for flocks. Thus you will know that I am the LORD.’ For thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all the scorn of your soul against the land of Israel, therefore, behold, I have stretched out My hand against you and I will give you for spoil to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and make you perish from the lands; I will destroy you. Thus you will know that I am the LORD.’
v8-11 “Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Because Moab [descendants of Lot] and Seir say, “Behold, the house of Judah is like all the nations,” therefore, behold, I am going to deprive the flank of Moab of its cities, of its cities which are on its frontiers, the glory of the land, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon and Kiriathaim, and I will give it for a possession along with the sons of Ammon to the sons of the east, so that the sons of Ammon will not be remembered among the nations. Thus I will execute judgments on Moab, and they will know that I am the LORD.’
v12-14 “Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Because Edom [descendants of Esau] has acted against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has incurred grievous guilt, and avenged themselves upon them,’ therefore thus says the Lord GOD, ‘I will also stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off man and beast from it. And I will lay it waste; from Teman even to Dedan they will fall by the sword. I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel. Therefore, they will act in Edom according to My anger and according to My wrath; thus they will know My vengeance,’ declares the Lord GOD.
v15-17 “Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Because the Philistines have acted in revenge and have taken vengeance with scorn of soul to destroy with everlasting enmity,’ therefore thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, even cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant of the seacoast. I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes; and they will know that I am the LORD when I lay My vengeance on them.’’”’”
Ezekiel 26
v1-6 “Now in the eleventh year, on the first of the month, the word of the LORD came to me saying, ‘Son of man, because Tyre has said concerning Jerusalem, “Aha, the gateway of the peoples is broken; it has opened to me. I shall be filled, now that she is laid waste,” therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. They will destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; and I will scrape her debris from her and make her a bare rock. She will be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘and she will become spoil for the nations. Also her daughters who are on the mainland will be slain by the sword, and they will know that I am the LORD.’”
v7-14 “For thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I will bring upon Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses, chariots, cavalry and a great army. He will slay your daughters on the mainland with the sword; and he will make siege walls against you, cast up a ramp against you and raise up a large shield against you. The blow of his battering rams he will direct against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers. Because of the multitude of his horses, the dust raised by them will cover you; your walls will shake at the noise of cavalry and wagons and chariots when he enters your gates as men enter a city that is breached. With the hoofs of his horses he will trample all your streets. He will slay your people with the sword; and your strong pillars will come down to the ground. Also they will make a spoil of your riches and a prey of your merchandise, break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses, and throw your stones and your timbers and your debris into the water. So I will silence the sound of your songs, and the sound of your harps will be heard no more. I will make you a bare rock; you will be a place for the spreading of nets. You will be built no more, for I the LORD have spoken,’ declares the Lord GOD.
v15-18 “Thus says the Lord GOD to Tyre, ‘Shall not the coastlands shake at the sound of your fall when the wounded groan, when the slaughter occurs in your midst? Then all the princes of the sea will go down from their thrones, remove their robes and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground, tremble every moment and be appalled at you. They will take up a lamentation over you and say to you,
“How you have perished, O inhabited one,
From the seas, O renowned city,
Which was mighty on the sea,
She and her inhabitants,
Who imposed her terror
On all her inhabitants!
Now the coastlands will tremble
On the day of your fall;
Yes, the coastlands which are by the sea
Will be terrified at your passing.”’
v19-21 “For thus says the Lord GOD, ‘When I make you a desolate city, like the cities which are not inhabited, when I bring up the deep over you and the great waters cover you, then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit, to the people of old, and I will make you dwell in the lower parts of the earth, like the ancient waste places, with those who go down to the pit, so that you will not be inhabited; but I will set glory in the land of the living. I will bring terrors on you and you will be no more; though you will be sought, you will never be found again,’ declares the Lord GOD.”
Ezekiel 27
v1-9 “Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me saying, ‘And you, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre; and say to Tyre, who dwells at the entrance to the sea, merchant of the peoples to many coastlands, “Thus says the Lord GOD,
‘O Tyre, you have said, “I am perfect in beauty.”
Your borders are in the heart of the seas;
Your builders have perfected your beauty.
They have made all your planks of fir trees from Senir;
They have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.
Of oaks from Bashan they have made your oars;
With ivory they have inlaid your deck of boxwood from the coastlands of Cyprus.
Your sail was of fine embroidered linen from Egypt
So that it became your distinguishing mark;
Your awning was blue and purple from the coastlands of Elishah.
The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers;
Your wise men, O Tyre, were aboard; they were your pilots.
The elders of Gebal and her wise men were with you repairing your seams;
All the ships of the sea and their sailors were with you in order to deal in your merchandise.
v10-11 ‘Persia and Lud and Put were in your army, your men of war. They hung shield and helmet in you; they set forth your splendor. The sons of Arvad and your army were on your walls, all around, and the Gammadim were in your towers. They hung their shields on your walls all around; they perfected your beauty.
v12-25 ‘Tarshish was your customer because of the abundance of all kinds of wealth; with silver, iron, tin and lead they paid for your wares. Javan, Tubal and Meshech, they were your traders; with the lives of men and vessels of bronze they paid for your merchandise. Those from Beth-togarmah gave horses and war horses and mules for your wares. The sons of Dedan were your traders. Many coastlands were your market; ivory tusks and ebony they brought as your payment. Aram was your customer because of the abundance of your goods; they paid for your wares with emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral and rubies. Judah and the land of Israel, they were your traders; with the wheat of Minnith, cakes, honey, oil and balm they paid for your merchandise. Damascus was your customer because of the abundance of your goods, because of the abundance of all kinds of wealth, because of the wine of Helbon and white wool. Vedan and Javan paid for your wares from Uzal; wrought iron, cassia and sweet cane were among your merchandise. Dedan traded with you in saddlecloths for riding. Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, they were your customers for lambs, rams and goats; for these they were your customers. The traders of Sheba and Raamah, they traded with you; they paid for your wares with the best of all kinds of spices, and with all kinds of precious stones and gold. Haran, Canneh, Eden, the traders of Sheba, Asshur and Chilmad traded with you. They traded with you in choice garments, in clothes of blue and embroidered work, and in carpets of many colors and tightly wound cords, which were among your merchandise. The ships of Tarshish were the carriers for your merchandise.
And you were filled and were very glorious
In the heart of the seas.
v26-36 ‘Your rowers have brought you
Into great waters;
The east wind has broken you
In the heart of the seas.
Your wealth, your wares, your merchandise,
Your sailors and your pilots,
Your repairers of seams, your dealers in merchandise
And all your men of war who are in you,
With all your company that is in your midst,
Will fall into the heart of the seas
On the day of your overthrow.
At the sound of the cry of your pilots
The pasture lands will shake.
All who handle the oar,
The sailors and all the pilots of the sea
Will come down from their ships;
They will stand on the land,
And they will make their voice heard over you
And will cry bitterly.
They will cast dust on their heads,
They will wallow in ashes.
Also they will make themselves bald for you
And gird themselves with sackcloth;
And they will weep for you in bitterness of soul
With bitter mourning.
Moreover, in their wailing they will take up a lamentation for you
And lament over you:
“Who is like Tyre,
Like her who is silent in the midst of the sea?
When your wares went out from the seas,
You satisfied many peoples;
With the abundance of your wealth and your merchandise
You enriched the kings of earth.
Now that you are broken by the seas
In the depths of the waters,
Your merchandise and all your company
Have fallen in the midst of you.
All the inhabitants of the coastlands
Are appalled at you,
And their kings are horribly afraid;
They are troubled in countenance.
The merchants among the peoples hiss at you;
You have become terrified
And you will cease to be forever.””’”’”
September 4 OT/NT readings: Proverbs 5-6, 1 Corinthians 14:1-20
We are reading Proverbs in the Old Testament reading plan. We first read Proverbs 5 & 6 in the chronological reading plan on Day 155.
We’re reading Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians in the New Testament reading plan. Paul went to Corinth during his second missionary journey (see timeline of the book of Acts). It was the first place he remained for any length of time (18 months) until a disturbance was formed against him and he moved on. He had met Romans Priscilla and Aquila in Corinth, and he took them with him to Ephesus and left them there while he returned to Antioch. He returned to Ephesus at the beginning of his third missionary journey, staying over 2 years. He wrote what we know as the first letter to the Corinthians from Ephesus. 1 Corinthians 5:9 refers to a previous letter that Paul wrote to the Corinthians and 1 Corinthians 7:1 refers to their writing a letter in return, containing questions he addresses in this letter.
Paul wrote the church in Corinth because he knew there was both division and immorality in the church. He addressed that in the first six chapters. In the seventh chapter, he turned to answering questions that they had written to him, first addressing marriage and then idol worship. He then went on to answer criticisms about himself. He made clear that he, like others, had freedom in Christ. He also explained he had the right, for instance, to be paid for his service as a minister of the gospel. He never exercised this right, however, because he was under compulsion to preach the gospel. He was willing to be all things to all men so that he might save some. He was willing to discipline himself for the sake of the gospel. Paul gave an example of the need for discipline by reminding the Corinthians of the Israelites who were led by Moses and saw amazing miracles and still sinned, warning “let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall” and reminding that the Lord has provided a way of escape from all temptation. We flee idolatry in order not to provoke God to jealousy, to protect ourselves, and not to hurt the conscience of others. We seek the good of others, not pleasing ourselves, so that many may be saved. He turned from this discussion to a criticism of how the Corinthians came together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Just as we need to understand our place in the hierarchy and authority of God’s creation, we need to judge ourselves rightly that we are sinners in need of a Savior. That is the proper way to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. He then turned to the consideration of spiritual gifts, reminding us that there are different gifts, ministries, and effects of the Holy Spirit in different individuals, given for the common good, as we are all different and necessary members of one body.
Yesterday, in chapter 13, Paul taught that though we seek spiritual gifts, they are worthless without love. Despite all of our spiritual gifts, we have incomplete knowledge this side of eternity, so the greatest attribute we can have is love. “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
1 Corinthians 14
v1-5 “Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation. One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church. Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying.
v6-12 “But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching? Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? For if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of languages in the world, and no kind is without meaning. If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be to the one who speaks a barbarian, and the one who speaks will be a barbarian to me. So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church.
v13-19 “Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified. I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.
v20 “Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.”
Dear Lord,
So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded.
Help us, Lord, to obey You even when it is difficult.
since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church.
Help us to not miss these lessons. May we not focus on ourselves but on others. May we truly learn to love and serve others.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
"Help us to not miss these lessons. May we not focus on ourselves but on others. May we truly learn to love and serve others." Amen. Thank you Dr. Milhoan. Peace.