The Lord Provides Hope In His Judgment - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Ezekiel 16:7,8,15,59-60,

"I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew up and developed and became the most beautiful of jewels… Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine… But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his… I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant. Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you."

In this chapter I see so much of the heart of our Lord. In it he describes how he made Israel the beautiful mate she was to be for him, and made her his. Out of the wonderful things he blessed her with, she turned to prostitution and pursued other lovers with them. The Lord is expressing here his emotional attachment through his covenantal relationship with Israel. She was a bride to him and he was her lover and husband. Now, through the infidelity of a wayward wife, the Lord expresses the pain and jealousy of a wronged husband: Israel will pay for how she has treated the Lord; she will pay as a wayward wife caught in the worst of adultery and prostitution.

And yet, in spite of Israel's adultery, the Lord tells her he will yet establish an everlasting covenant with her… a new covenant! What a big heart this is! The Lord is no detached judge issuing judgments from on high. He had entered into a covenant, a marriage with Israel, and now carries the heavy heart of a husband who has been cheated. He will make Israel pay for her adultery, her prostitution, but in the end he will redeem her from all this and enter into a new relationship with her. And, today, we look forward to that coming wedding banquet as the bride of Jesus Christ.

What a heart our Lord has!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Existence Without Purpose - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Ezekiel 15:2-5,

"Son of man [Ezekiel], how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest? Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful? Do they make pegs from it to hang things on? And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and the fire burns both ends and chars the middle, is it then useful for anything? If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it is charred?

Jerusalem had become as a useless vine for the Lord's purposes. Although Israel had been chosen by God as his own covenant people (because of the faith of Abraham) for the purpose of rolling out his plan of redeeming mankind, they had placed themselves in a position where they were no longer useful to him. They were no longer fit for service to him, they had lost their purpose in the things of God and as such, there would be no satisfaction or fulfillment for them in this life. All they had to look forward to was their own destruction at the hands of God. All this because they had turned their backs on God. They had literally placed themselves beyond usefulness for God's intentions for them.

It is not as though Israel was finished in God's purposes. However, in their current condition of sin and apostasy, they were worthless to him. They now faced God's judgment, and, hopefully, through all God would send their way, they might become useful once again to him.

I can't think of a more discouraging and disheartening position to be in than to find oneself without purpose in life. Yet, having turned their backs on God, this is exactly where they placed themselves.

It is never a good thing to turn against God. Only in him do we find meaningful existence, purposeful existence, fulfilling existence.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

God Is Always Faithful In What He Says - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Ezekiel 14:21-23,

"For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments-sword and famine and wild beasts and plague-to kill its men and their animals! Yet there will be some survivors-sons and daughters who will be brought out of it. They will come to you, and when you see their conduct and their actions, you will be consoled regarding the disaster I have brought upon Jerusalem-every disaster I have brought upon it. You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign Lord."
 
The judgments of God reveal aspects of his nature.

In his judgment of Jerusalem he shows himself to be true to his word. He told the Jews he would judge them if they didn't repent from their sin and rebellion. They didn't turn from their idolatry and God judged them.

Our God is always true and faithful to what he says he will do.

As I consider the promises of God, his judgments, in a negative way, provide assurance about those wonderful things he has promised us (our inheritance as joint-heirs with his Son Jesus Christ, etc.)

Those same things that have terrified people about God also provide a firm foundation for those of us who look forward to the return of Jesus Christ, as he promised, and our participation in the resurrection.

The judgments of God are terrifying, but provide hope and excitement as we consider the certainty of the promises we have through his Son, Jesus Christ.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

God Will Be Known! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Ezekiel 13:23b,

"I will save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord."
 
The Lord has Ezekiel prophesy against the false prophets in chapter 13 and here specifically he singles out the women who wear magic charms on their wrists, veils of various lengths and ensnare the people through their own false prophecies. These women, as the other false prophets, will face the judgment of the Lord for what they do.

The Lord is very specific as to an outcome he is looking for as he visits his judgment on these false prophets. It is a reoccurring statement he makes as an outcome of his judgment against the rebellious people of Israel, "Then you will know that I am the Lord." This outcome, that they will recognize the Lord is a major theme of God's judgments.

Why is this such an important issue with the Lord? Why is it that he insists he will be known? Certainly these false prophets have displaced the Lord in the life of the nation of Israel. It is as if the Lord has been masked from the view of the Israelites by these false prophets in the Israelites' quest to find spiritual guidance and favor, and replaced by that which is false.

Our loving God knows we need him. He has chosen to reveal himself to us through his own prophets in the pages of Scripture and through the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Without knowing him we are all doomed to the consequences of sin: certain eternal destruction. By revealing himself he has made his gospel known to us and provides us the opportunity to respond to the gracious offer he makes to us, to become his children. Any obstacle, any person who thwarts his purpose in letting himself be known will face his judgment. Scripture is full of examples of this.

As I consider it, it tells me something about the heart of our wonderful Lord. He is not willing to allow himself to go unknown or be displaced in any way that keeps us from finding him. To me this is all a part of his reach of invitation as he pursues us. This is a further indication of his tremendous love he has for us.

On the other hand, it may be that those who sin against the Lord find in him a God of righteousness and justice, and that he wants those who rebel against him to know just who it is they have rebelled against as he judges them.

Just a couple of thoughts this morning…

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

God Does Exactly What He Says - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Ezekiel 12:21-25,

"The word of the Lord came to me: 'Son of man, what is this proverb you have in the land of Israel: "The days go by and every vision comes to nothing"? Say to them, "This is what the Sovereign Lord says: 'I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.'" Say to them, 'The days are near when every vision will be fulfilled. For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations among the people of Israel. But I the Lord will speak what I will, and it shall be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, you rebellious house, I will fulfill whatever I say, declares the Sovereign Lord.'"'"

Not everyone can say, "I will fulfill whatever I say". Just look at the divorce rate, look at how many politicians fulfill their campaign promises… I don't have to look any further than myself for that matter! In Proverbs 20:6b the question is asked "… a faithful man who can find?"

But not our God! As I read this passage this morning, I am reminded that our God is faithful. He will do all he says he will. When he warns of coming judgment we need look no further than this episode in Israel's history. God was faithful and he carried out all he said he would. He also told Israel that he would establish a new covenant with them… and from the standpoint of history we see he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, as our Messiah.

I can only cringe at the thought of what life might be like if God were not faithful. But he is! What he says, we can "hang our hat on"! When he says we have an inheritance in him as his children, I can only wait in eager expectation because I know it is ours! The Lord's faithfulness is one of the many wonderful character qualities of our God that sets him apart from all! All of his qualities make up a many-splendored whole… a symphony of excellent perfections that draws us as no other!

Surely this is a God who is more than worthy of all our worship!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.