God's Judgment With 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 35:4,

"I will turn your towns into ruins and you will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord."

As the Lord pronounces his judgment upon Edom, he says he will make them "a desolate waste" with an end result in mind: "Then you will know that I am the Lord."

In fact, in this short chapter of fifteen verses, the Lord makes the statement that he is destroying them so that they know he is the Lord four times! Verses 4, 9, 12 and 15. He is going to destroy Mount Seir, so that they know that he is the Lord.

He is going to destroy Edom because of their treatment of Israel. Woe to the nation that mistreats Israel! Israel has had her problems with God and he has been severe with her. However, because of the patriarchs, Israel has been and will always be God's chosen people. It is ill-advised to mistreat God's elect, God's people. It is not that God will not allow it to happen, and here, where Israel had turned her back on God and suffered because of it, those who brought that suffering are now going to suffer because they mistreated Israel and participated in her destruction.

I am reminded that God never does anything without good reason. What stands out in this chapter is that in his judgment of Edom, an intended result is that they will know he is the Lord. I am also reminded of what the Lord told Pharaoh as God brought his plagues against Egypt, "I [the Lord] raised you [Pharaoh] up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Romans 9:17.

God wants us to know him. His purpose on planet earth is the salvation of all mankind that will embrace him in faith. People need to know him for the advancement of that agenda. And, beyond that, when unbelievers reject God, he wants them to know that he is the one who is judging them.

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.

Jesus Christ Is The Great Shepherd! - 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 34:31,

"You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord."

The metaphor of a shepherd the Lord uses, to describe his intentions and care for those who are his, is just wonderful!

He will rescue and protect his sheep from those who exploit them.

He will search for his sheep and look after them. He will gather his sheep from where they have been scattered and bring them into his own pasture.

He will provide good pasture for his sheep, "they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel, 34:14.

He will "search for the lost and bring back the strays." He will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak.

"There will be showers of blessing. The trees of the field will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land." 34:26-27.

No one will make his sheep afraid, the Lord will provide for them a land renowned for its crops – "Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Sovereign Lord. You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are people, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord."

And the most wonderful part is he will place over them one shepherd, his servant David, and he will tend them and be their shepherd, that Great Shepherd, our wonderful Lord 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 Satisfied His Justice And Expressed His Love In Jesus Christ! - 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 33:11,

"As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?"

What a comment about the Lord's own heart! As we read in Jeremiah 9:24, "'let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,' declares the Lord." From our passage here in Ezekiel we see that the Lord's kindness expressed to us in his forgiveness finds a way to satisfy his justice.

He finds no pleasure in the exercise of his justice: his judgment for sin. But due to the boundless love our Lord has for us, seen in his desire that the wicked turn from their wickedness, he has provided a way. Sending his Son, Jesus Christ to take our punishment, his justice is satisfied resulting in his love being expressed to all who will turn to him!

This is a big, big heart!

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.

All Nations Are Subject To Our Sovereign God! - 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 32:31-32,

"Pharaoh—he and all his army—will see them and he will be consoled for all his hordes that were killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign Lord. Although I had him spread terror in the land of the living, Pharaoh and all his hordes will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign Lord."

As showcased in this passage, as well as throughout the book of Ezekiel, the Lord's transcendent sovereignty is on display. Not mentioned in these two verses but certainly throughout the book is the oft repeated phrase, "Then they will know I am the Lord!"

Whether in the fortunes of Israel, Assyria, Egypt or Babylon, the Lord reigns supreme. All mankind, no matter how lofty, how accomplished, how advanced, is only clay in the Potter's hands.

This is a message lost in our world today. Today is a day which cries out a desperate need to behold the glory of the Lord, a sight which will yield the heart of any man to humble worship, fear and adoration.

That day is coming! A day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!

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.

The Lord Builds Up Nations; The Lord Tears Down Nations - 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 31:3-9,

"Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest; it towered on high, its top above the thick foliage. The waters nourished it, deep springs made it grow tall; their streams flowed all around its base and sent their channels to all the trees of the field. So it towered higher than all the trees of the field; its boughs increased and its branches grew long, spreading because of abundant waters. All the birds of the air nested in its boughs, all the beasts of the field gave birth under its branches; all the great nations lived in its shade. It was majestic in beauty, with its spreading boughs, for its roots went down to abundant waters. The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it, nor could the pine trees equal its boughs, nor could the plane trees compare with its branches— no tree in the garden of God could match its beauty. I made it beautiful with abundant branches, the envy of all the trees of Eden in the garden of God."

As the Lord taunts Pharaoh of Egypt, he offers Assyria as a nation to look at in comparison to Egypt. Beautiful, lofty, rich in resources, health and strength, he uses the metaphor of a cedar to describe it. Assyria was beyond comparison, "no tree in the garden of God could match its beauty." His point to Pharaoh is that just as he brought down Assyria, likewise he will bring down Egypt.

What catches my eye this morning is a small comment with tremendous insight. It is the Lord's comment about Assyria in verse 9, "I made it beautiful…" Assyria, a Gentile nation, not a party to covenant with God - not God's chosen people - was created and shaped into the world power it was in her day by the Lord himself. He takes credit for making Assyria what she was. He also takes credit for Assyria's demise.

While we look at indicators as to what it takes to create and sustain a world power, (and lesser powers as well), gross national product, productivity and work ethic, military strength, etc. they all may only be a reflection of what the Lord has done in the national life of any country.

I am reminded the Lord both builds countries up and tears them down. Blessed is the nation who's god is the Lord!!

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.