Day 250, September 7: Bible reading & prayer
Ezekiel 35-37 (chronological); Proverbs 11-12, 1 Corinthians 15:33-58 (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 He 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, and which occurred in our reading yesterday (Ezekiel 33:21).
In our reading yesterday, the LORD had Ezekiel take up a lamentation over Pharoah king of Egypt. He says the hearts of many peoples will be troubled when the LORD brings destruction upon them by the sword of the king of Babylon. He tells Ezekiel to wail for the hordes of Egypt and the daughters of the powerful nations who will go down to the nether world and find Assyria, Elam, Meshech, Tubal, Edom, all the chiefs of the north, and the Sidonians, all those who in spite of the terror from their might went down with the slain in their shame.
The LORD repeated to Ezekiel that He had appointed him as a watchman to the house of Israel. When he hears a message from the LORD, he is to give them His warning and deliver his life by being faithful (but the blood of those who die will be on his head if he fails to warn). The LORD repeats that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. When the righteous turn and commit iniquity, they will die. But when the wicked turn and practice justice and righteousness, they will live. Each will be judged according to their ways.
The day Ezekiel had been expecting occurred on the fifth day of the tenth month of the twelfth year of exile: refugees from Jerusalem came saying, “The city has been taken.” The hand of the LORD had been upon him in the evening before the refugees came and when they came to him in the morning, his mouth was opened and he was no longer speechless. He had Ezekiel speak His word to those who believed they should possess the land, reminding them of their sins: “You eat meat with the blood in it, lift up your eyes to your idols as you shed blood….You rely on your sword, you commit abominations and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife. Should you then possess the land?…they will know that I am the LORD, when I make the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations which they have committed.”
The LORD accused those who listened to Ezekiel speak His word: “They come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their hearts goes after their gain. Behold, you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words but they do not practice them. So when it comes to pass—as surely it will—then they will know that a prophet has been in their midst.”
Then the LORD told Ezekiel to prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. They have not strengthened the sickly, healed the diseased, bound up the broken, brought back the scattered, or sought the lost. They have fed themselves and dominated with force and severity. He will deliver His sheep from them. He will search for His sheep and seek them out. He will feed them and lead them to rest. He will do what the shepherds have not done: seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick. He will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them with judgment. He will set over His sheep one shepherd, His servant David. He will make a covenant of peace with them and be their 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 7 chronological reading: Ezekiel 35-37
Ezekiel 35
v1-4 “Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me saying, ‘Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir [Edom, Esau], and prophesy against it and say to it, “Thus says the Lord GOD,
‘Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir,
And I will stretch out My hand against you
And make you a desolation and a waste.
I will lay waste your cities
And you will become a desolation.
Then you will know that I am the LORD.
v5-9 ‘Because you have had everlasting enmity and have delivered the sons of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of the punishment of the end, therefore as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘I will give you over to bloodshed, and bloodshed will pursue you; since you have not hated bloodshed, therefore bloodshed will pursue you. I will make Mount Seir a waste and a desolation and I will cut off from it the one who passes through and returns. I will fill its mountains with its slain; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines those slain by the sword will fall. I will make you an everlasting desolation and your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
v10-15 ‘Because you have said, “These two nations and these two lands will be mine, and we will possess them,” although the LORD was there, therefore as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘I will deal with you according to your anger and according to your envy which you showed because of your hatred against them; so I will make Myself known among them when I judge you. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have heard all your revilings which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel saying, “They are laid desolate; they are given to us for food.” And you have spoken arrogantly against Me and have multiplied your words against Me; I have heard it.’ Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘As all the earth rejoices, I will make you a desolation. As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, so I will do to you. You will be a desolation, O Mount Seir, and all Edom, all of it. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”
Ezekiel 36
v1-12 “And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, “O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Because the enemy has spoken against you, “Aha!” and, “The everlasting heights have become our possession,” therefore prophesy and say, “Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘For good reason they have made you desolate and crushed you from every side, that you would become a possession of the rest of the nations and you have been taken up in the talk and the whispering of the people.’”’ Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD. Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the forsaken cities which have become a prey and a derision to the rest of the nations which are round about, therefore thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Surely in the fire of My jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and with scorn of soul, to drive it out for a prey.’ Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and in My wrath because you have endured the insults of the nations.” Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “I have sworn that surely the nations which are around you will themselves endure their insults. But you, O mountains of Israel, you will put forth your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel; for they will soon come. For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you will be cultivated and sown. I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities will be inhabited and the waste places will be rebuilt. I will multiply on you man and beast; and they will increase and be fruitful; and I will cause you to be inhabited as you were formerly and will treat you better than at the first. Thus you will know that I am the LORD. Yes, I will cause men—My people Israel—to walk on you and possess you, so that you will become their inheritance and never again bereave them of children.”
v13-15 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Because they say to you, ‘You are a devourer of men and have bereaved your nation of children,’ therefore you will no longer devour men and no longer bereave your nation of children,” declares the Lord GOD. ‘I will not let you hear insults from the nations anymore, nor will you bear disgrace from the peoples any longer, nor will you cause your nation to stumble any longer,’ declares the Lord GOD.
v16-21 “Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, ‘Son of man, when the house of Israel was living in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. Therefore I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. Also I scattered them among the nations and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them. When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, “These are the people of the LORD; yet they have come out of His land.” But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.
v22-32 ‘Therefore say to the house of Israel, “Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations. Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. I am not doing this for your sake,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!’
v33-36 “Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt. The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. They will say, “This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.” Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate; I, the LORD, have spoken and will do it.’
v37-38 “Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘This also I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them: I will increase their men like a flock. Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so will the waste cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”’”
Ezekiel 37
v1-6 “The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. He said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ And I answered, ‘O Lord GOD, You know.’ Again He said to me, ‘Prophesy over these bones and say to them, “O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.” Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, “Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD.”’
v7-10 “So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then He said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, “Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.’”’ So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
v11-14 “Then He said to me, ‘Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, “Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.” Therefore prophesy and say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it,’ declares the LORD.”’
v15-23 “The word of the LORD came again to me saying, ‘And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write on it, “For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions”; then take another stick and write on it, “For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.” Then join them for yourself one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. When the sons of your people speak to you saying, “Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?’” say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.’”’ The sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes. Say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations and no longer be divided into two kingdoms. They will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God.
v24-28 ‘My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them. They will live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons’ sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. And the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.’”’”
September 7 OT/NT readings: Proverbs 11-12, 1 Corinthians 15:33-58
We are reading Proverbs in the Old Testament reading plan. We first read Proverbs 11 & 12 in the chronological reading plan on Day 157.
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. Our spiritual gifts are worthless, however, if we do not have love. We should also desire edification of the church in our spiritual gifts. All things done when we assemble are done for edification and should be done in an orderly manner.
In chapter 15, yesterday, Paul described the essential components of the gospel: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” It matters that Christ was raised from the dead. If Christ has not been raised, our faith is worthless and we will die in our sins.
1 Corinthians 15
v33-34 “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’ Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
v35-41 “But someone will say, ‘How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?’ You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
v42-49 “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So also it is written, ‘The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.
v50-57 “Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, ‘DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
v58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”
Dear Lord,
“This also I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them: I will increase their men like a flock.”
This intrigues me. What is it that You allow each of us to ask You to do for us?
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
The good news of our hope in You is so wonderful. Help us, therefore, to be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in Your work, knowing it is not in vain. Thank You for this encouragement!
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
"The good news of our hope in You is so wonderful. Help us, therefore, to be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in Your work, knowing it is not in vain. Thank You for this encouragement!" - Amen! Thank you Dr. Milhoan. Peace.