The Rule Of Jesus Christ Is Coming! - 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 37:24-28,

"My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children will live there 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. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever."

After having Ezekiel join two sticks together to symbolize the rejoining of the two kingdoms of Israel back into one, and prophesying about purging them of idols, their images and other "offenses", the Lord gives Ezekiel a prophecy of a coming restoration of Israel under one king, "My servant David".

This one king is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ, the son of David, the Son of God! The Lord says "they will be my people, and I will be their God". His people will follow the Lord's laws and decrees and live in the land the Lord promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Jesus Christ will be their king forever and they will live in the land forever. A "new covenant of peace", the New Covenant will be an everlasting covenant the Lord will establish with his people and the Lord himself will live among them. "I will be their God, and they will be my people."

"They" in this prophecy are all of us who embrace Jesus Christ in faith, as Paul says in Romans 4:16-17, "Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: 'I have made you a father of many nations.' He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were."

I can't think of any more exciting news than this! What a future to look forward to! How wonderful our Lord is who brings us this!

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!

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The Lord's Name Is To Be Revered, Feared and Adored By All - 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 36:22-23,

"Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.'"

In the midst of a prophecy of restoration and blessing for Israel that is to follow their judgment, the Lord tells Israel it is not for their sake he is going to bless them. In an insightful passage, the Lord reveals it is for the sake of his holy name, that Israel has profaned among the nations, that he is going to restore and bless Israel following their captivity in Babylon.

The Lord will not allow his name to be profaned, ridiculed or derided. It is his purpose to "show the holiness of my great name…" with the result "then the nations will know that I am the Lord… when I show myself holy through you before their eyes."

At times I think he accomplishes this so that Israel's wickedness will not create a hurdle or difficulty for others seeking the Lord. That Israel was God's people and having acted so shamefully, it would create confusion and difficulty for others who would reach out to the living God if God didn't judge them for their sins. Think of how difficult it would be for us as followers of Jesus Christ if there were no record of God's various dealings with Israel in light of their sin.

In any event, I learn from this passage that the Lord's name is both holy and great… to be revered, feared and adored by all and he will do what is necessary to protect it!

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'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.