Bible Reading

Ezekiel Chapter 24 – God’s Message In The Mess

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Under the fig tree

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2 min read

In the same chapter that God delivers to Ezekiel shocking national news of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, God also delivers to Ezekiel shocking personal news. His wife will die that day.

Our past devotionals have discussed much about why God’s punishment of the house of Israel is righteous, rather than unwarranted. God reiterates here that according to their filthy, lewd deeds that they will be judged.

Why, then, did Ezekiel’s wife have to die? Why did she have to be punished?

Such a statement reveals a very human assumption: death is punishment, and God has no right to take away human life.

Does He have no right? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not (Rom 9:14).

Above all, life is not in our hands. We neither know when we will die (Eccl 9:12), nor do we have power over our spirits in the day of death (Eccl 8:8).

Life, though, is in God’s hands. Take a step back and realise who we are before the Lord. Merely the thing formed, speaking to Him who formed us. He who gives life has the authority to take it away (Rom 9:20-21).

Is the Lord then cruel to Ezekiel, taking away his wife so suddenly, then demanding that he hem in his grief by an unwavering silence?

Although everyone dies one day, a clear divine plan shrouds the death of Ezekiel’s wife: just as God will take away the delight of Ezekiel’s eyes, God will also take away the delight of the people, their temple in Jerusalem.

I believe this, and full faith in God’s good sovereignty, would have fuelled Ezekiel’s surrender.

We too can gain strength to face the difficulties that stomp into our lives with no warning.

Others may see a mess, but we can see a message from God, even when we may not understand. The message could be as simple as realising the true sovereignty of our good God.

Such surrender opens up all of us—even the mess, the loss, the pain—to be used for His glory.

If we find ourselves struggling to surrender, we can make earnest, desperate prayers to learn obedience to God’s plan (Heb 5:7).

It is when we surrender that we live out God’s message, even in the mess.

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Ezekiel

See Also

Ezekiel Chapter 47

Ezekiel Chapter 47

God subjected Ezekiel through an immersive experience in the vision of walking in the river. From Ezekiel’s first account that the water reaches his ankle, to the next encounter where the waters reaches his knees, to the point that the waters reaches his waist and finally when the waters became so deep that it was impossible to walk but one needs to swim, and even so the currents are so strong that one cannot swim across. From our personal experiences, such first-hand experiential activities leave a deeper and more lasting impressions, as compared to just seeing (visual) and listening (audial). So why did God use this approach? What key and essential message did He want to impart to Ezekiel? And what bearing does it have for us today? “And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.” “And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.” The power and significance of the river can be seen through the effects. The teeming vitality, the abundance of life brought about by the healing powers of the river. Jesus proclaimed on the last day of the feast (John 7:38 – 39), “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” And the scriptures continued to explain that the river of living water refers to the Holy Spirit. Paul also declared to us “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Cor 6: 19 – 20) Is this same power that God revealed to Ezekiel manifested in us as well. Do we bring God’s healing power to the people that we meet each day. Do we live up to God’s expectations of us? Have we truly and sincerely do all that we can to repay God for His great love and mercy towards us. There is definitely still much that we must do. Let us continue to stir up and encourage one another as we see the day of the Lord approaching. “But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt.” Alas, we do see also that there are areas that the healing power of God do not reach. Let us however not be mistaken thinking that it is the limitation to the power of God. Rather, it is sadly the deplorable state of man’s heart as Stephen declared in Acts 7:51, “ You stiff - neck ed and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.” Let us thus guard our hearts with all diligence, that we do not fall in the same error in our ways. Let us not be the barren fig tree that waste the ground (Luke 13:6 – 9), nor should we be the enlightened but to fall away and put our Lord to open shame (Heb 6: 4 – 8).

Daniel Chapter 4 - Let the Most High God Reign in Your Life

Daniel Chapter 4 - Let the Most High God Reign in Your Life

The story in Daniel Chapter 4 is perhaps not unfamiliar to many of us. King Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of the great Babylonian empire, the king of kings, being turned into a beast, how spectacular is that? It's not until we read through this chapter for ourselves that we realise something even more spectacular: this whole chapter is told by King Nebuchadnezzar himself. Daniel Chapter 4 is King Nebuchadnezzar's own personal testimony! Isn't King Nebuchadnezzar the infamous evil king? How is it that in this chapter he gives praise to the almighty God? Perhaps the first thing that should catch our attention from today's chapter is the repeated phrase in verses 17 and 32. The Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He wills. This phrase can even be said to be the theme of the whole Book of Daniel. This book is mostly set in the time of exile, when there seemingly was no longer any king over the people of God. Yet, in the Book of Daniel we see that though there was no earthly king ruling over Israel, God made it clear to these foreign kings that He is the almighty God. He was still the one who was truly the King. The outcome of this is that the evil king Nebuchadnezzar, probably the greatest and most powerful man during his time, writes this testimony for all peoples, nations, and languages to hear (Daniel 4:1-3). Imagine being a subject in the Babylonian empire, and receiving this declaration from king Nebuchadnezzar praising and glorifying the God of Israel. Though God's people sin against Him and are punished by being taken into exile, the name of God is still magnified. God is not put to shame. Today through baptism we have entered into the Kingdom of God. Yet, it is key for us to consider whether God truly is the King of our lives. It's natural to make many plans for our future, out of a desire to lead our dream lives. But for us Christians, the sovereignty and authority of God is something that we must be well-aware of and fully willing to submit to. If God doesn't let me get that job, are we able to accept it? If God closes the path towards our dreams, are we will to say "Let Thy will be done"? If God takes away all that we have, are we able to be like Job and say "Blessed be the name of the Lord"? If all this is causing us to struggle, remember this: God loves us. He knows what's best for us, He knows what we need. He has already given His life for us, and given us His precious Spirit to dwell within us. Having faith in God's love towards us gives us strength to submit to our King with full assurance that this is the best path for us, this is the way to blessing and to eternal life. Since our God is the highest and rules over the kingdom of man, what then should our response ought to be? Nebuchadnezzar begins and ends his testimony by praising and glorifying God. Giving praises to God is something that we have been often taught but perhaps we have not given enough thought to or taken seriously enough. Yet, throughout the Bible, it's clear that praises are a key part of our worship to God (just read the Book of Psalms). What might we praise God for? Like Nebuchadnezzar, we can praise God for His greatness and His almightiness. Just consider the stars, or the intricacies of the human body. We can praise God for His love and wisdom as seen in His creation as well as in His word. The more we study into the holy scriptures, the more we are filled with awe at how complete, connected, and wonderful these life-giving words are. We can also glorify God for His salvation which He has so freely given to us. Imagine how different our lives might be today if not for His grace and mercy! It's when we decide to finally take the importance of praising God seriously and intentionally set aside some time in our daily prayers to praise God, that we truly experience the blessing that comes along with it. We go through life being filled with joy and gratitude, knowing that we have such a great and powerful Heavenly Father who loves us. In fact, it was when Nebuchadnezzar took the glory for Himself rather than giving all glory to God, that the infamous transformation into a beast took place. This brings us nicely to the final point of reflection for this devotional. Pride - when we take glory for ourselves rather than giving glory to God. Nebuchadnezzar's testimony serves as a stark warning for us. Even just a sentence or thought of pride can greatly displease God. How often have we unknowingly taken credit for ourselves for any achievements we have, or for any divine work that we do? Being puffed up with pride and not keeping to one's proper domain is precisely the sin of satan (1 Tim 3:6, Jude 6-7). If we are filled with pride, what difference is there between us and satan? In fact, while satan exalted himself, God on the contrary lowered Himself, coming in the likeness of man and humbling Himself even to the point of death (Phil 2:5-8). Whose example do we want to follow, that of God or of satan? Let us take warning from the story of Nebuchadnezzar and carefully consider who's example we want to follow. Indeed, God opposes the proud while giving grace to the humble. He blesses the meek, that they might inherit the earth .

Ezekiel Chapter 48 - The LORD Is There

Ezekiel Chapter 48 - The LORD Is There

Ezekiel 48 outlines the division of the land among the twelve tribes of Israel and the city of the Lord. The division of the land shows that in God's Kingdom there is a place for all who believe in and obey the One True God (John 14:1-6). Ezekiel 48:1-7, 23-29 details the allocation of land to the tribes of Israel. This reminds us of God's faithfulness in keeping His promises. Despite Israel's history of rebellion, God remains true to His word. So, let us continue to trust in God's faithfulness, even when circumstances seem challenging. Remember that God’s timing is perfect, and His promises are sure. Ezekiel 48:8-22 describes the holy district set apart for the Lord, including the sanctuary and the land for the priests and Levites. This highlights the importance of holiness and dedicated spaces for worship. The pressures of everyday life may cause us to lose focus and forget God. That is why worship is so important . We need to dedicate time and space in our daily lives for worship and communion with God, which includes prayer, reading the Bible and reflecting on His words. The book of Ezekiel begins by describing the holiness of God that Israel had despised and ignored. As a result, God’s presence departed from the Temple, the city and the people. The book ends with a detailed vision of the new Temple, the new city and the new people, all demonstrating God’s holiness. No matter what challenges we face today, remember that God ‘s plan is always good for us. So, let us continue to hold on to the eternal hope we have in Christ and to look forward to the fulfilment of His promises in His glorious Kingdom, where God shall dwell with us, and we will be His people, and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE (Ezekiel 48:35).

Ezekiel Chapter 21 - The Sword of God

Ezekiel Chapter 21 - The Sword of God

This chapter talks about the sword of God against His people and the Ammonites, with the word “sword” being mentioned 15 times! This sword (i.e. Babylon, v19-20) is a sword of judgement that God would use to punish these two groups of people for their sins. Here are 3 things that will happen when this sword is drawn: Why both the righteous and wicked – is God being unfair? We know from the consistent message of the Bible that this is not so. God is just, and He does not indiscriminately slay the righteous with the wicked. Even for a city as depraved as Sodom and Gomorrah, God delivered Lot and his family, the only few righteous people remaining (fewer than 5!), before destroying the city (Genesis 18:23-26). Moreover, by cutting off the righteous from the land, God not only delivers them from further physical suffering including forced labour by the Babylonians, He also delivers them from further spiritual corruption by their wicked kinsmen who were steeped in idolatry. God’s promise of delivering the righteous from their troubles is a promise we must cling to (Psalm 34:19). We must also recognise that ultimately, God wants to deliver us in a spiritual sense – from the temptations of the evil one (Matthew 6:13), the corruption of the world caused by evil desires (2 Peter 1:4), and the corruption in hell (Psalm 16:10). Therefore, let us trust in the righteousness of God, knowing His will for us is not to perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). The original meaning of Israel is “prince with God”. However, now that their scepter is despised, Israel is no longer prince with God, no longer son of the King of kings. Israel is dethroned, because of the people’s wickedness. Yet, God foretells the coming of One whom God will crown because He is the rightful Ruler (v27b) – this One is none other than our Lord Jesus, whose reign and kingdom is everlasting (Luke 1:33). Just like how Esau lost his God-given birthright because of his choice to gratify a moment’s hunger, Israel lost their precious status as prince with God, children of God, because of their choice to persist in their unfaithfulness towards Him (Ezekiel 14:13). How about us: do we make personal choices that jeopardise our precious relationship with God? What does God remember? Their sins. As a result, what will God forget? His relationship with them – in other words, an utter disowning of His people. But… did God permanently forget His people? Again, we know from the consistent message of the Bible, as well as history, that this was not so. Rather, God disowns them with the purpose of cleansing them from their sins so that He can re-own them as His people – a people with a new spirit and heart of flesh that submits to God’s laws (Ezekiel 11:19-20), who will no longer stray from God (Ezekiel 14:11). As the psalmist says: “His anger is but for a moment, His favour is for life.” (Psalm 30:5) God promises that if we repent and return to Him wholeheartedly – fearing Him, meditating on His name, and serving Him (Malachi 3:16-18) – God will remember us and bless us with His favour for the rest of our life, in this age and the age to come. By always using the sword of His word to prune away sin from our hearts (Hebrews 4:12-13). Let us daily examine our thoughts and intents to see if they align with the Bible’s standards. Remember that we are naked and open to Him, secret sins and all, and one day we must give an account to God who will judge all our thoughts, words and deeds. Amen.

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