Jeremiah

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.

Do not be Surprised at Such Things

Dan

It was my observation while browsing Ecclesiastes chapter 5 that making vows is a serious business. We are told to keep our obligations, do not back out. What does this mean in practical terms, how do we avoid loans and promises? God knows there are times when we need to obligate ourselves to debt. In those cases, we should be determined to keep our word. No waffling, no excuses – we keep our word.

Ecclesiastes 5:4-7 says — When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, ‘My vow was a mistake.’ Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore, fear God. [NIV]

How do we proceed? We should view our vow as a primal bond. Moses wrote — When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said (Numbers 30:2); before we make the vow (commitment) we carefully examine the conditions, and we confirm we are respecting the affirmations in God’s word. Leviticus says — They must not exchange it (the vow) or substitute a good one for a bad one, or a bad one for a good one; if they should substitute one animal for another, both it and the substitute become holy (Leviticus 27:10). After making an agreement, we should act on the agreement as if we are in God’s service and elevate God’s glory by keeping our word. If trouble arises and we cannot avoid a delay, we are wise to keep our debtor aware of the situation and the new plan for repayment. Clearly, it is better we do not make vows, than to vow and not to re-pay, or to vow with no intention of full repayment (implied from Acts 5:1-6).

If we view lack of repayment as an affront to the one true living God, we elevate the importance of the loan or vow to its proper place. We would not be able to show proper respect for God if we had no awareness of his objectives and plans. There are many ‘prophets’ who would talk you into purchasing things you do not need, new cars, new clothes, jewelry, road trips… All these things take money, easily borrowed with a charge card. These ‘prophets’ tell you to charge it – you deserve it – you can handle the debt and handle the payments.

Jeremiah wrote — Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. … which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word? (Jeremiah 23:16-18). None of them.

Solomon seemed to understand the deeper truth. He wrote — This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, [they should] accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life [pining for things they crave]; because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart (Ecclesiastes 5:18-20).

When the gifts (our earnings) come from God, and we acknowledge God as the source of the gift, we are given wisdom on how to use the gift. Seek the higher calling, seek God’s wisdom on how to manage your earnings.

Borrow carefully, only when it is necessary. Be at peace with yourself. Be not driven by avarice.

I choose Jesus.

The Hand of the Lord was upon Him

Dan

It was my experience while assessing the Babylon exile story, Ezekiel entered this at the very beginning of the story. Ezekiel was among the first wave of captives (Much of the Hebrew nation was still in their own land). Jeremiah spoke of this first wave of exiles as the ‘good figs’ who had been initially sent to Babylon (Jeremiah 24:5). For this group of figs, God provided a prophet to bring them back to the Law. We read in Psalms 94:12 — “Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your law. From this context, we could say, this first group was being pursued by God.

Ezekiel 1:1-3 paraphrased says — In my thirtieth year … the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest … in the land of the Babylonians. There the hand of the Lord was on him [NIV].

I think we can agree that it is an act of mercy for God to bring a message of hope to them even when they were experiencing self-inflicted trouble. Those chosen to deliver God’s message and mercy are blessed for their actions. I would be remiss if I did not make clear; it was 5 years into the exile before God provided Ezekiel (see Ezekiel 1:2). He gave the Hebrews in Babylon time to realize their need. However, at the same time, God provided Jeremiah to the Hebrews still in Jerusalem to guide them. Even in distress, God did not leave the Hebrew nation unguided, no matter how obstinate they were.

It was by the rivers of Babylon the Psalmist spoke of musicians setting down and singing songs of lamentation (see Psalm 137:1-3). What was the topic of their songs? The people who were in this area Babylon were experiencing the harshness of captivity, more important, they were feeling the national and personal judgement inflicted upon them for sin against God’s law. Yet, they were not very repentant – they continued to claim entitlement as God’s people. This accounts for Ezekiel’s assessment of their resistant heart as the cause of their woes. This theme recurs often in Ezekiel’s message

His message was a combination of condemnation, aggressive counsel to repent, and restoration (the exile would not last forever). I think God knew the message would be easier to hear if the message came from a fellow exile. For, even though God’s messenger is bound in chains, the message from God is not bound (see 2 Timothy 2:9). John the Revelator was banished to an island and yet the message from Jesus to John left the island and traveled around the globe. Paul tells us — For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:5)

Ezekiel was clearly being guided by the Holy Spirit, he tells us what he saw, what he heard, and what he felt; all of it centered on connectivity with the Spirit of God. In the first chapter, Ezekiel saw a profound vision of God, even when scripture says no man can see God and live, Ezekiel has a vision (the next best thing). This was not the first time this happened. We are reminded of visions in Isaiah Chapter 6 and Jeremiah Chapter 1. Furthermore, let us not lose sight of Moses (Exodus 34:5-7), Abraham (see Acts 7:2), and Paul (Acts 9:1-19) to name a few. They all saw, they all heard the voice of God.

It is wise for all of us to be well acquainted with God and willing to be influenced by his message. Especially if we want to be engaged in the business of bringing others to the knowledge and love for Jesus. In this context, we find the hand of God upon Ezekiel, as it was on Moses, Abraham, and the others. This kept them focused, safe, and able to press forward not crushed by resistance to the message. God’s grace was sufficient for them. Furthermore, it is sufficient for us as we press on towards that higher calling. His hand is certainly upon us. His grace will abound. I choose Jesus.

Those who Escape will Remember Me

Dan

It was my observation that Israel had been the Jewel in God’s eye, but Ezekiel (chapter 6) declares they were polluted in their thinking and their actions. Their worship of the most high had become wallowing in the mud of idolatry. For reasons that seemed foolish they had rejected the realness and beauty of the one true living God for wooden and stone models of a god ‘made up’ by humans.

You might think the Hebrew nation is going to crash and burn. A sad ending indeed. But this is not the ending. God’s grace will prevail. There will be a remnant. A few will remain faithful, they will suffer along with the rest of the Hebrews, but they will not perish. Their heart will not be extinguished. God will shelter them from the deepest troubles. They will pass through the fire unblemished.

Ezekiel 6:8-10 says — But I will spare some, for some of you will escape the sword when you are scattered among the lands and nations. Then in the nations where they have been carried captive, those who escape will remember me—how I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts, which have turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their idols. They will loathe themselves for the evil they have done and for all their detestable practices. And they will know that I am the Lord; I did not threaten in vain to bring this calamity on them [NIV].

If you take a look at Isaiah 1:9 we see the same theme. The entire group deserves to be cut off, but by grace, God maintains a remnant. Some will die by the sword but some will escape. None of the people marked to fall by the sword escaped, they put their trust in the walls of the city rather than the God of the city. Their shame of trusting wood, mud and stone was their fall.  Those who trusted God, were spared and their seed became the new inhabitants of the City of God.

God’s patience left them room for repentance and for receiving forgiveness. Those who repented, escaped death, he gave them life for their repentance. This story is an encouragement to us that repentance matters. We mess up, we repent, we find forgiveness and restoration. We find a path to weather the storm and find the eye of the hurricane. It is clear this remnant was marked for salvation. God, in his foreknowledge knew who was trusting the walls of the city and who was trusting God. They were made safe by God’s mercy through their repentance.

Please understand, they did suffer, they were carried off as captives, but this was better than death. They were driven out of the promised land but not out of God’s hand. We need to learn from this small patch of history. True repentance shall be accepted by the one true living God. In this light, our troubles are permitted by God who uses the troubles to bring us back to him. Our troubles reinforce the need to repent and demonstrate the depth of his grace and mercy. We make a mess, he cleans it up, but we are wise to never think that repenting is a ‘get out of jail’ card. Sometimes we are simply placed in the eye of the hurricane while the storm rages on. We walk through the valley of death, our God is with us, even there in our deepest troubles. We rest in his peace.

Sin starts when we lose sight of God (implied Jeremiah 3:21). Repentance starts when we restore our gaze upon him. His mercy brings himself to our mind. We respond. Grace finds us in our deepest mess, he brings us hope, he brings us mercy, he brings us out. We resist, he persists. We take the role of the prodigal, we head home, and he runs out to meet us. My friends, make no mistake. God will cause us to know we are in deep trouble, that he is Lord of all, and then provide the opportunity (our choice) for repentance (and a safe haven) or complete chaos. What do you pray for? A safe haven. Let God manage the problems. Find his peace. Move towards his peace. This leads to life. I choose Jesus.

According To Your Conduct

Dan

It was my observation while reading Ezekiel (chapter 6) we find a message of firmness interspersed with grace for the Hebrew remnant, now in chapter 7 we find a much different message for those who were continuing to resist the mercy of God and seek solace in the idols of their neighbors.  The approaching armies were pressing on Jerusalem, the imagery was strong and persistent.  Repent or die.  The messaging was very clear.  For those who do not repent there will be complete and utter destruction of Jerusalem, they will reach the end of their life.  It will not be a gentle death.

Ezekiel 7:1-4 — The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says to the land of Israel: The end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land! The end is now upon you, and I will unleash my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices. I will not look on you with pity; I will not spare you. I will surely repay you for your conduct and for the detestable practices among you. Then you will know that I am the Lord. [NIV]

In my view this was a fair and substantive warning of the judgement to come. It is unreasonable to assume that some were left unaware of the reason for the attack and siege from the Chaldeans. The prophets of God have been talking about this purging since Isaiah and even before. The message from God has been consistent. Now, the Hebrews can see the armies they have heard about.  God kept his word. Yet most of the people are deaf, foolish and uncaring of the message. Jerusalem is in deep trouble, yet the men of the city are not concerned. They are trusting the walls of the city to stop the attack.  Ezekiel continues on – the end is near, it has come, he that has ears, let him hear. This is the final event, the end that consummates the foregoing judgements.  Now the trouble begins. This is on par with the message of Genesis 6:13 to Noah, which discussed the period of their depraved state, the destruction of the Hebrew nation, the serious deluge that was the end of almost all flesh.

The message was speaking of the end, the end you have been warned about, the end that leaves a scant measure of remnant to build upon after the trouble (see Jeremiah 29:10-14). They were expecting that God would bail them out. But that was not the case (see Deuteronomy 29:28-33). Their pride had obscured the proper impact of God’s wisdom. They were fooling themselves.

This messaging provides us with hints of the things to come down the road, even after Cyrus restores Jerusalem and they wait for the final stretch until the Messiah comes onto the scene.  This hint points to the Romans (a replacement for the Chaldeans as a judgement tool). When we read messaging such as the end of things as we know it is at hand, we get the feeling of the thoughts found in Matthew 24:3. It seems that the once the Davidic reign came to close, the Hebrews were always feeling a sense of trouble on the horizon.  This day was no different. With one exception.  Destruction was going to happen soon, really soon.  The veiled warnings were coming to fruit.  If it is the last days for Jerusalem, then Daniel 12:13 applies — As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance. [NIV]

Nahum tells us about this kind of evil and trouble that ensues.  There is no need to continue day-to-day business.  Nahum 1:9 says — What do ye imagine against the Lord? He will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time [NIV].  The Babylonian thing is a final event.  The Hebrew nation is forever changed.  The trouble is without precedent or parallel (implied in Psalms 75:8).

This situation exhibits God’s wrath, yet we do see his mercy protecting the remnant.  This font of calamity, river of pain, this is the wormwood we find in the depth of Ezekiel’s message.  His fury is poured out on the city.  Jeremiah 4:18 says — Your own conduct and actions have brought this on you.  This is your punishment. How bitter it is! How it pierces to the heart! [NIV].  As for me?   I choose Jesus.

The Clay City (Part I)

Dan

It was my observation while reading the fourth chapter of Ezekiel that God introduced Ezekiel to the House of Israel with unconventional tactics, almost theater in nature. He was bound up with ropes in his house for a while. Now, he is outside and building a model of Jerusalem in clay. He is told in clear words; this model is a sign for the house of Israel. No big amphitheater events, no drama at the river, no shouting in the streets on a soap box. This is a picture of the siege for Jerusalem that is soon to come.

Ezekiel 4:1-3 says — “Now, son of man, take a block of clay, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. Then lay siege to it: Erect siege works against it, build a ramp up to it, set up camps against it and put battering rams around it. Then take an iron pan, place it as an iron wall between you and the city and turn your face toward it. It will be under siege, and you shall besiege it. This will be a sign to the people of Israel [NIV].

These people were a long way from Jerusalem, they had been forced with the threat of death to leave their homes and walk to a place along the Kabar River to make things for Babylon. They longed to go home. Their heart was still in Jerusalem, the faithful had their eye on God (see Daniel 6:10). The presumptuous were arrogant in their belief the trip back to their home was just around the corner – after all, they were God’s people.

They were sure the King of Jerusalem would stand tall and get them back. He would get them out of the mess. It is possible that communication occurred from time to time between the captives and the people in Jerusalem. Clearly, they were not prepared for the message that was coming to them from Ezekiel. They had no sense of what was soon to happen – the siege of Jerusalem by the Chaldean Army (from southern Babylon, the army of Nebuchadnezzar II) and the famine inside the city that would be associated with that siege.

This display from Ezekiel was designed to catch the attention of the more thoughtful of the group. They had to come by and look at the event. Then they had to talk about what they were seeing with Ezekiel and with others to make some sense of it. I would suspect most saw it as mere theatre, but some realized what was portrayed and wondered what to make of the message.

He was told to build small structures representing the temporary forts built by the Chaldeans. He placed an iron pan between the clay city and himself. Most think this represents the inflexible position of both sides. The Chaldeans were pressing to become masters of the city, crushing the culture and the government. The Jews were resolved to resist, but eventually after about 13 months they lost the event.

I should also say that the total timeline for the siege was 18 months. There was about 5 months in the 18-month window that the Chaldeans were preoccupied with an advancing Egyptian army (see (Jeremiah 37:5-8). Once that situation was resolved by pushing back the Egyptians, they continued working the siege to completion (see Jeremiah 52:4-6).

After the clay model was built, Ezekiel lay on his side for a long time (390 days, yes over a year) to demonstrate the seriousness of the situation. Most commentators suggest the 390 days spoke to the 390 years of Hebrew apostacy from Jeroboam (approximately 929BC) to the fall of Babylon by Cyrus (approximately 539BC). This is the period of time that the house of Israel (the ten tribes) had been in rebellion. It was Cyrus who sent the House of Israel back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. God will have his way. He is sovereign.  I choose Jesus.

Guard your Heart.

Dan

It has been my observation that we are vulnerable to the many variations of Lucifer’s foolishness that will ultimately reduce to a single initiative — Distraction. There are plenty of distractions in this universe to pull our attention away from the things we need to embrace to experience God’s abundant life. David tells us — I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle while the wicked are in my presence (Psalms 39:1). Paul says — Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, … as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you (1 Timothy 4:16). Peter says – Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

The ultimate outcome of an abundant life is undistracted worship of the one true living God in appreciation for what he has accomplished in our life. Concerning the worship of God, I have noted that Soloman views worship as a remedy to negate the impact of Lucifers distractions. When we worship and drink in scripture, we are protected by God’s firm assurances that lead us to action – he has our back. ‘Learning how to Learn’ is a vanguard concept that helps us to (1) avoid being deceived by Lucifer’s distractions, (2) avoid having our heart vexed with the disappointments that are hidden in the distractions, and (3) illuminate a path to embracing the fruit and gifts of the Spirit. God will overcome our struggle, he will teach us how to learn his way, he will teach us the truth. We shall win!

If we keep our heart focused, we can maintain the communion we enjoy with the one true living God; but we must be cautious and aware of the troubles that can come our way. We need to identify the path and move towards an authentic undistracted life – live your life in a consistent manner. Think about the same stuff alone that we think about around others. Say the same thing to people that we say directly to God. Do the same things alone that you do in front of others. This notion starts and ends with respect, respect for the things of God, respect for others, respect for self.

Jeremiah said —   Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord. This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, … plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, … and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you, … and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile” (Jeremiah 29:8-14).

We must pay attention to the messaging we are bombarded with inside the church and outside the church. Be careful of the things you let creep into your heart. Test everything you hear from all sources; align the messaging you are hearing with scripture. If it is not reinforced by God’s word, ignore the messaging. For the messages that are true, let go of the uneasiness, find a way to embrace the truth. God will not refrain from telling the truth, He will unfold truth in a way that we can grab onto, but he is quick to offer mercy to our tender repentant hearts. His eye is on our soul, His eye is on our heart, His eye is on our mind. He is gentle and kind. Yield to Him.

Proverbs tell us — My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it (Proverbs 4:20-23).   

I choose Jesus.