Jeremiah

Daughters of the Same Mother (Part 1)

Dan

It was my observation while moving through Ezekiel that Chapter 23 provides a clear view of history from God’s perspective, inserting the moral dilemma of spiritual infidelity into the course of human actions. In this passage, we find both the corporate attitude of the people and the tragic outcomes of their choices fully explored. This is a very sad chapter, and it can be quite difficult to read if you have struggled personally with these things.

During the eras of Isaiah and Ezekiel, the Hebrews divided themselves into two separate kingdoms: Israel and Judah. The ten tribes of Israel had a population of approximately 450,000, while the two tribes of Judah had a population of roughly 100,000. Throughout the text, we see vivid metaphors of spiritual infidelity—likened to prostitution—as the root cause of their transgressions, using their respective capital cities as focal points for why the residents are ultimately brought to justice. This essay explores that narrative in four parts: first, by introducing the moral dilemma of both Israel and Judah; second, the story of Israel (Samaria); third, the story of Judah (Jerusalem); and fourth, the ultimate cause of their joint destruction. Let us begin at the beginning.

Ezekiel 23:2-4 says: “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother. They became prostitutes in Egypt, engaging in prostitution from their youth. In that land, their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed. The older [daughter] was named Oholah, and her [younger] sister was Oholibah. They were mine [my daughters] and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.” (NIV)

The elder sister, representing the ten tribes of Israel centered in Samaria, is called Oholah, which means “her own tent.” This name fits because they broke away and did not use the designated temple for worship. The younger sister, representing the two tribes of Judah centered in Jerusalem, is named Oholibah, meaning “my temple is in her,” because those tribes still had direct access to the temple of God.

This tragic image of a woman betraying her husband is not new to the prophetic books; we find it deeply explored in Hosea, written nearly two hundred years prior to the message of Ezekiel (see Hosea 1-3). We have also seen the historical flirting of Israel and Judah with their pagan neighbors—namely Assyria, Egypt, and Babylon. These compromising political and spiritual relationships were heavily chastised by earlier prophets (see Amos 5:18-27; Hosea 7:8-15; Isaiah 14; Jeremiah 19:7-15). The spiritual infidelity detailed in this chapter was central to each of those historical failures.

We also find this half-hearted behavior addressed later in Zechariah 7:5, which says: “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?’” (NIV).

The Hebrews have a long, documented history of offering mere lip service to the God of this universe. This specific cycle of spiritual infidelity dates all the way back to the wilderness, when the spies returned from Canaan with a faithless, negative report about the Promised Land. We read in Numbers 14:1 that the people cried out in dismay and wept aloud all night long. The Hebrews became intensely resistant and afraid.

Responding to their spiritual infidelity, Elohim replied: “How long is this going to go on, all this grumbling against me by this evil-infested community? I’ve had my fill of complaints from these grumbling Israelites. Tell them, As I live—God’s decree—here’s what I’m going to do: Your corpses are going to litter the wilderness—every one of you twenty years and older… this whole generation of grumblers and grousers. Not one of you will enter the land and make your home there, the firmly and solemnly promised land, except for Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.” (Numbers 14:26-30, MSG)

As you may recall, after the death of King Solomon, the nation formally split into two kingdoms with two separate capitals: Samaria and Jerusalem. The stubborn obstinacy of the Hebrews had been in place for as long as they had been engaged in worshiping the one true living God. To help us understand the deep, cutting effect of sin, Elohim forces us to see the absolute worst of ourselves. It is a message that is incredibly hard to accept. Here, spiritual infidelity is presented in the basest, most shocking terms possible simply to capture our wandering attention. The focus of the message zeroes in on these two women, who are clearly identified by God as surrogates for Israel and Judah—the daughters of one mother.

When they were still united as one nation, their initial spiritual infidelity was committed with Egypt. Once they split into two separate kingdoms, they spread their affections to many surrounding pagan nations. Make no mistake, spiritual infidelity is the most grievous of all our human troubles. It actively wars against our soul, pulls us into thick darkness, infatuates our natural weaknesses, and twists our thoughts until we think good is harsh and bad is just right. It renders us odious in the sight of a holy God. This poison always starts in the hidden spiritual realm, and then inevitably migrates into our physical reality.

This is a profoundly difficult subject. The historical troubles of Israel and Judah were extreme, proving that spiritual infidelity is no small thing. Rejecting a God who is so fiercely willing to forgive and restore is difficult to comprehend. Yet, we still see that same rejection playing out all around us every single day. Elohim’s mercy is a wondrous thing. May we all choose to stay in His safe, holy place.

I choose Jesus.

When David fell Asleep

Dan

It was my observation after Pepper reviewed the five essays on wisdom and asked me a simple question—where do I fit in when God controls everything? I pondered and formulated some ideas that became this essay. Psalm 13:36 tells us, “When David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep.”

The answer to Pepper’s question starts with Elohim’s unique attributes, specifically His foreknowledge. Before the universe was ever created, wisdom existed. Proverbs 8:22 says, “The Lord created me at the beginning of his work.” Then came His total awareness of us—the things we would do, the choices we would make, and the prayers we would eventually submit for His consideration. Psalm 139:4 says, “Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all.”

At this point, we have a real chance to impact the world around us. He knows exactly what we will ask, and He knows the ultimate impact of that request. For example, He grants prayer precisely as needed for His overarching plan and our personal interests. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Our walk with God includes the acquisition of Elohim’s wisdom to guide our daily path (see James 1:5-6). Walking with God begins with fledgling legs and grows in power as time passes. We gradually learn how to move in unison with His larger plan. We bump into various life events and apply His wisdom to find a solution (implied in Proverbs 16:9). Then, we pray for help to implement that solution. Because our human will has gradually given way to Elohim’s wisdom, we begin to pray for things that truly matter. We pray in concert with His will, and we bring effective solutions to Him (implied in Psalm 37:4). In His infinite foreknowledge—meaning Elohim hears us before creation even occurs—He responds to our prayers and supplications before the timeline of history ever begins. Elohim gradually puts things into place months, years, and even decades before the actual prayer request is uttered, setting things up beautifully for our choices (see Jeremiah 1:5).

If you have ever worked with a project management tool like MS Project, you know how to plan a complex project by breaking it down into milestones, tasks, and individual steps. You define and cost all the activities in the project to achieve the final endgame. Then, you place those tasks in a specific predecessor and successor timeline order, with the milestones marking your progress. This plan drives every action so they support each other, ensuring the workflow runs seamlessly with no gaps in the schedule. Team A is never left idling, waiting for Team B to finish a task before Team A can begin theirs. Coordination, supplies, staffing, and budget are all factored in and made perfect. The task completion estimates are risk-assessed and made perfect.

Imagine Elohim running a master project plan for all of human life—everybody and everything. Just as a human project manager plans events before they happen, so did Elohim. Because He heard our prayers before creation started, Elohim is fully able to fold our unique requests directly into the larger plan. Elohim ensures our specific prayer is defined on His project plan so His response happens at the exact, proper time, factoring in every single collateral impact. Timelines matter. The point when Elohim considers our supplications and sets the course is incredibly important. It all happens before creation. Everything.

Once the planning is completed, then comes operations. His will is marshaled by His sovereignty, controlled by the master project plan, and ratified by His absolute holiness. He is the ultimate assurance that things will happen exactly as needed for the good of each of us. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

We stand in awe watching these things unfold. They are brand new to us, but because we are part of His greater plan, the events are completely commonplace to Him. Elohim saw everything unfold long before we were ever created. We are simply made aware of it “just in time” to participate. Our free will shaped things—both the good and the not-so-good—but His will ensures the final completion. Who else can do this? Not me. He can, He does, He listens, and He implements exactly as needed to magnify the greater good and to ensure we are eternally protected. When we make good decisions, cool stuff happens. When we make poor decisions, we will eventually find a path back to safety, right after some necessary learning occurs.

I choose Jesus.

Digging in the Dirt

Dan

It was my observation while considering the 28th chapter of Job, a question emerges, should we pursue wisdom? Let us examine this idea as an interesting source of irony. On the surface, the author of Job appears to be commending human ingenuity. But let us take a closer look at Job’s actual thoughts.

We face great danger when we explore the earth and the sky. We work incredibly hard to build tunnels and caves through solid rock and under mountains, and we bring light to the darkest, farthest places on earth. But to what gain? Money? Wealth? I believe these verses can actually be seen as a criticism of our efforts.

Human beings work tirelessly to find material wealth, but expend very little energy to gain spiritual wisdom—even though wisdom is far more valuable than any physical treasure we pursue. This should cause us to ask ourselves: Do we truly see value in the pursuit of wisdom?

We always pursue what we value. If we value wisdom, we will gladly invest our time and energy to gain the prize. Because we often see little immediate value in it, we do not pursue it.

I think there is a second reason why we do not search for wisdom, which is implied in Job 28:13. The reason is simple: wisdom cannot be found in the inert, physical resources of the land. There is no physical place in all the world where we can dig up wisdom. We may bring many hidden things to light (as implied in Job 28:11), but there is one thing we cannot uncover on our own, and that is Elohim’s wisdom. We will never find the source of Elohim’s wisdom in material wealth.

Consider how Jesus taught this concept. In Matthew 13, He used familiar earthly situations—like a rebellious son, an annoying neighbor, or an unjust judge—to teach heavenly wisdom. He placed earthly, physical stories alongside eternal realities to illustrate them. When the disciples asked Him in Matthew 13:10, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” Jesus replied:

“This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand… But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Matthew 13:13-17, NIV)

The core focus here is clear: Elohim’s wisdom is hidden from an impure heart. We cannot find it in the physical elements of the earth. True wisdom is only gained by getting close to Elohim and learning from the Holy Spirit.

The theologian J.I. Packer reminds us that we learn reverence for God through submission. Scripture tells us that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10). Packer writes:

“Not till we have become humble and teachable, standing in awe of God’s holiness and sovereignty… acknowledging our own littleness, distrusting our own thoughts, and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can divine wisdom become ours.” (This attitude is beautifully reflected in Nehemiah 1:5, Deuteronomy 7:21, and Jeremiah 20:11).

Job 28:16-19 reminds us that wisdom “cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or lapis lazuli. Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can it be had for jewels of gold. Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies. The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it; it cannot be bought with pure gold” (NIV).

The world often thinks that anything can be obtained or fixed if we just throw enough money at it. Clearly, this is untrue. Elohim’s wisdom and grace are the true glue that holds our lives and world together.

This leaves us with the ultimate question posed in Job 28:20-21: “From where, then, does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding? It is hidden from the eyes of all living and concealed from the birds of the air.”

Wisdom cannot be found apart from walking with God; it is even concealed from the dead. Job 28:22 says that Abaddon and Death can only say, “We have heard a rumor of it with our ears” (NIV). You cannot find ultimate wisdom in the land of the living, and you cannot dig it up in the land of the dead.

Instead, Job 28:23 gives us the final answer: “God understands the way to it, and he knows its place.” Only God knows where true wisdom resides.

In my next essay from the Book of Job, we will discuss exactly where wisdom is located. Then, we will conclude this series with the ultimate key: the fear of the Lord.

As for me, I choose Jesus.

Reaching the Ends of the Earth.

Dan

It was my observation while digging into Cyrus, Babylon, and the clay potters that make idols that I encountered an unexpected maxim; Woe unto him that strives with his Maker (Isaiah 45:9). God is the Maker of all things; we are wise to avoid becoming contentious with him and never stand against him.

Let us not align ourselves accidently with the sly oppressors who plot designs against God concerning the deliverance of his people (Nehemiah 4:8), nor think to detain them any longer when the time shall come for their release. Woe to the insulting and designing Babylonians that set God at defiance, as Pharaoh did, and will not let his people go! (Ezra 4:5).

While studying these passages, I found myself considering an uncomfortable question. We readily recognize nations, kings, and empires that contend with God, but do we recognize the same tendency within ourselves? The desire to argue with our circumstances, resist correction, or harden our hearts against the Potter is not limited to Babylon. It is a condition common to mankind. Sometimes this striving is found among the powerful; other times it is found among the broken.

As I drive the streets of Tucson, I can see the homeless and the poor in their oppression, in the dejection of their spirits, some are murmuring and quarreling with themselves, family, government, or God. I do not have an answer to homelessness, but I can see the despair, and passionately believe Jesus is the answer. At Pantano, many of us are familiar with the work being accomplished through the Gospel Rescue Mission, the Prison, and other ministries serving those in distress. I think that the Gospel Rescue Mission (GRM) can help with mental health, addictions, or despair. The GRM can help them get back on their feet and find a job, Goodwill can help improve their job skills, and for many, provide employment at their facilities. Furthermore, I think that Habitat for Humanity can provide them with a home and in a few cases employment, but at the same time I know this plan is too simplistic and unsatisfactory because the agencies are at best a loosely connected support system. They are aware of each other but do not always accomplish smooth transitions of the disenfranchised from organization to organization (if at all).

The disenfranchised need a strong integrated community. They need a place and a group of people who integrate all the services into a tapestry of seamless support. They need a place to meet friends and long-term mentors to help them stay on course. Who provides community? In my view, only the Church can deliver this type of community. We can be part of the solution. We need to be part of the solution.

Jeremiah 18:1-10 says — This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: go down to the potter’s house and there I will give you, my message. So, I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so, the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it [NIV].

One thing I know – if the homeless strive with their Maker, then they will have difficulty egressing from the woeful condition they have entered. Striving with Elohim makes recovery harder regardless of how a person arrived in trouble. Our resistance often prevents us from seeing His hand reaching out to help us. A humbled heart is frequently the first step toward becoming responsive to Elohim’s grace. How will they know these things if no one is willing to engage and try to be helpful?

At best we are contentious people, quarrelsome brutes; yet, many of us can and do calm down. The despairing homeless, they are broken potsherds, and their troubles are magnified by their discord and friction; only God can repair them. Our job? We should encourage them to lay down the sword; but if they persist in rancor, try to show kindness and gently caution them to never contend with Him who is infinitely wiser and more powerful than anything they will ever encounter.

So then, what do you say to the ones that earnestly long for change, quietly seeking their redemption from trouble and from despair. Two words — Grace abounds. I think the precepts of scripture are very clear – God is in control, he will help. He comes and He shepherds the flock. God is our strength. He can and will move in our life and their life. Then we live securely, confident of his majesty, and of his protection. His greatness reaches every corner, hidden street, culvert, everywhere. He will reach the ends of the earth to redeem anyone who calls his name (implied in Micah 5:4). Our job? Just try to be helpful.

I choose Jesus.

Condemnation does not seem like Enough (Part 1)

Dan

It was my observation that Ezekiel chapter 13 is addressing the vain vision and divinations that were floating around the Hebrew culture. They were hunting for some scrap of truth they could rest their life decisions upon. This chapter is focused on the impact of aimless wandering. In this case the message from God expressed through his prophets is very clear when speaking about false prophets.

Every day we hear people comment on what will happen in the future if some event or policy is implemented. The soothsayers (talking heads) abound in their message of woe or hope depending upon their situation. When the talking heads are passionate and judgmental against others, they sometimes move into the realm of prophecy. They set themselves up as judge and jury.

This is God’s job not ours. God tells us — Get it right or close your mouth (Deuteronomy 18:22). Do not flatter others, do not present illusions as truth, stay away from deceptive messaging. Get it right! Why, because true wisdom and strength are sourced in God; we learn how to live from him, we learn what to live for by listening to the message (implied in Job 12:16).

Esekiel 13:2-5 says — Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolishprophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! Your prophets, Israel, are like jackals among ruins. You have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair it for the people of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord. [NIV].

Some of the receptors for this message were local to Jerusalem and the immediate area surrounding Jerusalem (see Jeremiah 23:14). Others were among the captives in Babylon. Ezekiel and Jeremiah addressed the problem of false prophets (see Jeremiah 29:8) when Jeremiah said — Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed [NIV].

This specific dual message is reasonable evidence they were guided by the same Holy Spirit. On the other hand, the false prophets worked hard to create a unique message that set them apart from the heard and drew listeners to their events. As you might guess there was little hope the false prophets would repent, but God made the provision, offering grace to all. At the same time the message went out to the remnant to caution them from embracing the false messages.

The deeper truth – I cannot recall a time in Hebrew history that God’s people rejected false prophets and God did not shower them with grace. Furthermore, the examples of false prophets operating rarely occurred until the true prophets of the one true living God were ignored and maligned. Arrogance led to the magnification of counterfeit messages and troublesome guidance. The false prophets were exposed to the word of God, some repented, most did not. They were trying to make a living.

They made a folly of their own message (see 2 Timothy 3:9). They are blocked by the Holy Spirit from rendering too much damage for the people of God (the remnant). nature of the false message. Thus, the listeners who ascribed to the false prophet rendered These false voices were called foolish prophecies, their followers did not ascertain the serious damage to their own soul. How do the listeners recover? They should repent! I choose Jesus.

The Man Clothed in Linen (Part 2)

Dan

It was my observation that things are getting serious for Jerusalem as I continue reading Ezekiel. The first thing I notice in chapter 9 is the markings of the remnant. But there are many things that define that mark. I can feel the remnant shuddering at the changes in the City of God. I am sure Ezekiel could see the coming trouble and felt sad for his people. I hope they did what they could to turn the tide back toward the one true living God. Once the angels begin, if you did not have the mark, you were going to die. If you did have the mark, you were heading to Babylon. Not much of a prize for being in the remnant. But at least they were alive and part of the solution, not part of the problem.

I think it prudent to say clearly – we are not getting it done of we think a simple ‘turning away’ from the sin of others is good enough. We do not hate them for their actions, but we do not embrace or overlook the sin. We avoid embracing their sin. We need to carefully reach out to help others find their way out of trouble. We mourn for them as we see their trouble unfold. We grief for those who push away from our hand of help. This tenderness we exude comes from God, we are asked to love mercy and walk humbly, for it is only the Grace of God that separates us from those we are trying to help.

Ezekiel 9:3-6 says — Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it. As I listened, he said to the others, follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers, and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary. So, they began with the old men who were in front of the temple. [NIV]

As we can see the Angels rolling through the city, hunting down the remnant, placing a mark on their head of all people on the list, this clearly pulls the remnant from the fire, they are a work of grace, chosen by God so the Angels know to leave them alone. This mark is a calming event, they become aware they will be spared from the coming trouble.

The Hebrews who stayed clear of the rampant sin were protected from this extreme judgement. I think they would have been somewhat concerned, but they had been trusting God, so there was no real solid reason to not continue trusting God. They had every reason to expect delivery or extreme peace as they endured trouble. We are reminded of the sealing of the servants of God on their forehead (see Revelation 7:3) as the same mark of care and protection related in this passage. In Ezekiel’s situation the mark protects from immediate death, in the case of Revelation, the seal protects the heart from seduction soon to happen.

So, the angelic work begins. Without exception they move through the city. They kill everyone who does not have the mark. The make no distinction to age or sex. There is no hesitation. Those who live in sin die. They resisted change, they pursued their sin even when pursued by God, day after day. They died.

The angels are warned to avoid people with the mark. Coming close would create unnecessary concern and fear. God made promises to the remnant (see Jeremiah 15:11) they should be treated well; things should go well for them. We have no evidence that any of the remnant were killed. And, in other times we see the remnant protected such as when the romans crushed Jerusalem, the Christians were secured in a city called Pella. None perished. But the unbelieving Jews were crushed. They started in the temple, the Ringleaders were first meet the judgement, the sin of the eminent were quashed first. Then the rest of the city. There is no place to hide. Therefore… I choose Jesus.

The Words you cannot Understand

Dan

It was my observation that the end of Ezekiel chapter 2 included a scroll that was not tasty and now we find at the top of chapter 3 a scroll that tastes like honey. Clearly these preliminary events are preparing Ezekiel for his work, he is being filled up with the message from God.

Ezekiel 3:1-6 says — And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.  Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So, I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.  He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them. [NIV]

What is Ezekiel to do? He is to take in the twin messages (scrolls) and admit the messages to his heart, to apply it to his mind, to embrace the nature of the message, and ruminate and chew upon the thoughts of God in the entirety, overcome any difficulties and then discover God’s plan as to how to deliver the message. 

We know that Jeremiah encountered a similar situation, he was told to find the words from God and eat them (see Jeremiah 15:16). Imagine finding a stack of Naam Bread with God’s word printed on them.  Then consider the request from God to eat that Naam bread. This is the situation Ezekiel was in. He was told to receive the message into his heart, meditate on the message, and give himself to the message (see 1 Timothy 4:15).

I think that Ezekiel had reason to fear that the consumption would not be pleasant if he had any inkling as to the nature of the message. God can say eat this much faster than he can actually chew and swallow the message. His angst was clear, but his obedience was greeted with a good tasting morsal. This suggests if we are willing to obey, we will find comfort in the event outcome that overcomes any hardship we might encounter. If we are willing to receive the word of God into our heart, enable Jesus to write it upon our heart with his blood, then we can anticipate a rich indwelling of the message and the Spirit of God.

When Ezekiel opens the scroll, as a spirit of revelation, the message spreads before him, opening his understanding to the deeper things of God, as the Spirit of wisdom provides knowledge of things and causes us to embrace the unfamiliar. We know that gracious people can receive the truth of God with great delight, even as those who are aware of the message but reject the content find extreme discomfort. John the revelator talked about such things. John indicated that a book was removed from the angel’s hand and was consumed. At first the book was sweet as honey, but then the message produced a tummy ache (see Revelation 10:9-10).

He knew he was required to find the Israelis and talk. Why? Because it was for their benefit to hear the message from God, and to hear the Judgements soon to come if their behavior was not tamped down.  This message is not for the conquer in Babylon, it is for the conquered, Israel. Strangers are not used to correct the child, good parenting requires the parents engage in proper conduct, bringing the nation to repentance. Their response? Not so good. But for me… I choose Jesus.