Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ezekiel+029
 

Ezekiel 29 (ESV)

¹⁷ In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁸ “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was rubbed bare, yet neither he nor his army got anything from Tyre to pay for the labor that he had performed against her. ¹⁹ Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he shall carry off its wealth and despoil it and plunder it; and it shall be the wages for his army. ²⁰ I have given him the land of Egypt as his payment for which he labored, because they worked for me, declares the Lord God.

²¹ “On that day I will cause a horn to spring up for the house of Israel, and I will open your lips among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

 

REFLECTION:

“In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month” was the twenty-seventh year of King Jehoiachin’s exile in Babylon, about 571 BC. At this time, the City of Jerusalem had been destroyed for nearly sixteen years. “Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was rubbed bare” refers to Babylon’s siege of Tyre for 13 years from 586-573 BC. Nebuchadnezzar’s soldiers wear helmets and carry siege equipment for a long time, so their heads are bald and shoulders are rubbed bare. God allowed Babylon to continue to invade Egypt and obtain compensation, because God would continue to use the Babylonian Empire as His tool to judge the nations. About three years later, Nebuchadnezzar will invade Egypt in 568 BC and attack Pharaoh Ahmose II, fulfilling the word of God. After Ezekiel’s prophecy was fulfilled, no one dared to question the prophet anymore, so he could speak boldly. God always has His own timetable. It is God who allows the people to laugh at the prophet, and it is God who is able to prove that the prophet’s prophecy is not in vain. The task that the prophet receives is: “you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear” (2:7). Therefore, we don’t need to be discouraged because everyone doesn’t listen to the gospel, nor do we need to be excited because the audience is enthusiastic, but “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” (2 Timothy 4:2).

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to give you more wisdom and dexterity, so that you can preach the gospel of God clearly among your friends and relatives; pray for more humility and obedience, so that your enthusiasm for preaching the gospel is not affected by the actual result, because you understand that you are only a vessel used by God, and it is God who does the works, and God has His own time to accomplish everything.

 

HYMN:

I Speak Jesus – youtu.be/H4eFVo4p5Uk

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ezekiel+028

 

Ezekiel 28 (ESV)

²⁰ The word of the Lord came to me: ²¹ “Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against her ²² and say, Thus says the Lord God:

“Behold, I am against you, O Sidon,
and I will manifest my glory in your midst.
And they shall know that I am the Lord
when I execute judgments in her
and manifest my holiness in her;
²³ for I will send pestilence into her,
and blood into her streets;
and the slain shall fall in her midst,
by the sword that is against her on every side.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.

²⁴ “And for the house of Israel there shall be no more a brier to prick or a thorn to hurt them among all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.

²⁵ “Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. ²⁶ And they shall dwell securely in it, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards. They shall dwell securely, when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.”

 

REFLECTION:

Sidon is another important seaport in Phoenicia and the oldest Phoenician city-state, located 40 kilometers north of Tyre. Tyre and Sidon are sister cities and are often regarded as one. The biggest difference between Sidon and Tyre is that it lacks the defensive advantage of a fort and is easily controlled by foreign enemies. During the Babylonian Empire, Sidon was also an ally of Egypt, who incited Judah to rebel against Babylon. After the destruction of Jerusalem, Sidon also surrendered to Babylon and later became a vassal state of the Persian Empire. In 351 BC, after the defeat of Persian King Artaxerxes III’s first battle in Egypt, Sidon King Tennes took the opportunity to declare independence from Persia, but he failed and was killed. Sidon was burned and 40,000 people were killed in the fire, fulfilling God’s judgment. “Behold, I am against you, O Sidon” (v22) and “Behold, I am against you, O Tyre” (26:3) is an echo indicating that God’s judgment on the sister cities of Tyre and Sidon is actually the same. Therefore, God did not specifically point out Sidon’s sin, but declared that Sidon was judged to reveal God’s own glory. Tyre and Sidon are symbols of civilization and prosperity in the eyes of people, but in God’s eyes they are typical of people relying on themselves and worshiping idols. Tyre and Sidon glorified their wealth and wisdom, and tempted the people of Israel to follow. They were wicked and unable to “dwell securely” in the Promised Land and enjoy God’s grace, which became the greatest challenge to rest in peace. Reflect on our peace today, is it built on the foundation of prosperity, or on the foundation of God’s Word? May we take Tyre and Sidon as a lesson and understand that only the embrace of God can make us truly rest in peace.

 

PRAYER:

Come to God quietly and ask God to examine what kind of foundation your inner peace is built on? If your peace comes from your wealth and achievements, or something else, ask God to cleanse your heart and give you more courage, so that you can bravely put aside your dependence on the world and receive true peace from God’s word to live a holy life.

 

HYMN:

It Is Well With My Soul – youtu.be/zY5o9mP22V0

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ezekiel+027

 

Ezekiel 27 (ESV)

¹ The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Now you, son of man, raise a lamentation over Tyre, ³ and say to Tyre, who dwells at the entrances to the sea, merchant of the peoples to many coastlands, thus says the Lord God:

“O Tyre, you have said,
‘I am perfect in beauty.’
⁴ Your borders are in the heart of the seas;
your builders made perfect your beauty.
⁵ They made all your planks
of fir trees from Senir;
they took a cedar from Lebanon
to make a mast for you.
⁶ Of oaks of Bashan
they made your oars;
they made your deck of pines
from the coasts of Cyprus,
inlaid with ivory.
⁷ Of fine embroidered linen from Egypt
was your sail,
serving as your banner;
blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah
was your awning.
⁸ The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad
were your rowers;
your skilled men, O Tyre, were in you;
they were your pilots.
⁹ The elders of Gebal and her skilled men were in you,
caulking your seams;
all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in you
to barter for your wares.

¹⁰ “Persia and Lud and Put were in your army as your men of war. They hung the shield and helmet in you; they gave you splendor. ¹¹ Men of Arvad and Helech were on your walls all around, and men of Gamad were in your towers. They hung their shields on your walls all around; they made perfect your beauty.

 

REFLECTION:

This passage is “Tyre’s Lament”. This lament compares Tyre to a big ship called the “Tyre”. It has first-class craftsmanship, excellent crew, and full of fine products, but it sinks into the deep sea in the huge waves, shocking the world. “I am perfect in beauty”, referring to Tyre claiming to be an incomparable merchant ship, but this conceit has become the cause of her demise. “Your builders made perfect your beauty” is a metaphor for Tyre’s conceit. This beautiful merchant ship is indeed the crystallization of human wisdom and the result of hard work. It has excellent materials, meticulously built, and has the best talents. Therefore, the “Tyre” deservedly achieved success and prestige, dedicated to transporting the best goods, and qualified to trade with ships and sailors of various countries. The beauty of Tyre is the source of its pride, and Tyre’s pride brought her to judgment. If we have undue conceit or pride because of our achievements, it is a dangerous signal for us. God does not oppose us getting pleasure and satisfaction from what we do. What He opposes is arrogance and self-inflation, grabbing the glory of God, and the relationship with people and with God will be broken as a result. We must fully realize that God is the source and foundation of our lives, and that all our achievements are God’s blessings.

 

PRAYER:

Before God, count the achievements you have attained, give thanks that He has enabled you to accomplish them, and return all glory to Him. Ask God to shine His light into the darkness of your heart, so that you may see to what extent self‑admiration has crept into your accomplishments. Pray that God would remove the pride within you, and help you live a life of greater humility and gentleness, bearing a beautiful testimony for Him in the work you are gifted in and love to do.

 

HYMN:

Build This House – youtu.be/vcco3LFoIhM

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ezekiel+026

 

Ezekiel 26 (ESV)

¹ In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, because Tyre said concerning Jerusalem, ‘Aha, the gate of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to me. I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste,’ ³ therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. ⁴ They shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers, and I will scrape her soil from her and make her a bare rock. ⁵ She shall be in the midst of the sea a place for the spreading of nets, for I have spoken, declares the Lord God. And she shall become plunder for the nations, ⁶ and her daughters on the mainland shall be killed by the sword. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

 

REFLECTION:

This passage declares that God will be an enemy of Tyre and will show His glory in Tyre. Tyre is a seaport for the Phoenicians in northern Israel. Sidon, located 40 kilometers north of Tyre, is another important seaport for the Phoenicians. These two cities are sister cities and are often regarded as one and representing Phoenicia. Phoenicians were the first merchants to venture in the Mediterranean, and they were good at sailing, business, construction and handicrafts. During the Babylonian Empire, Tyre was an ally of Egypt, who incited Judah to rebel against Babylon. After the fall of Jerusalem, Tyre, who are reckless with greed not only not mourn for Jerusalem, but was full of business opportunities, hoping to profit from it. Therefore, the more the idol-worshiping Tyre regards economic achievements as her glory, the more God will take away her position as the overlord of trading. Tyre is famous for its defenses. The name “Tyre” means “rock”. There are fortresses built on the rocky island and stone walls surround the island. Tyre was also proud of trade and wealth, and the prosperity that lasted for hundreds of years contributed to their pride and vanity. As a result, God made Tyre a bare rock and a place for the spreading of nets (v14). Are we proud of our wealth or other achievements today? Know that the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Only the word of God is the most precious treasure in our lives.

 

PRAYER:

Ask God to enlighten you and remove your greed, so that you can understand from your actual life experience, not just in your mind, that people cannot serve both money and God; ask God to make you understand that greed is a root of all kinds of evils and it is through this craving that some have pierced themselves with many pangs; ask God to make you willing to be more dedicated in the church, and do your best to build God’s house with your brothers and sisters.

 

HYMN:

My Jesus I Love Thee – youtu.be/lqFOsOPj9uk

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ezekiel+025

 

Ezekiel 25 (ESV)

¹ The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, set your face toward the Ammonites and prophesy against them. ³ Say to the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord God: Thus says the Lord God, Because you said, ‘Aha!’ over my sanctuary when it was profaned, and over the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and over the house of Judah when they went into exile, ⁴ therefore behold, I am handing you over to the people of the East for a possession, and they shall set their encampments among you and make their dwellings in your midst. They shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk. ⁵ I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels and Ammon a fold for flocks. Then you will know that I am the Lord. ⁶ For thus says the Lord God: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all the malice within your soul against the land of Israel, ⁷ therefore, behold, I have stretched out my hand against you, and will hand you over as plunder to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and will make you perish out of the countries; I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

 

REFLECTION:

Chapters 25 to 32 of Ezekiel are what God said to the seven nations around Judah, proclaiming God’s judgment on them. At this time, Babylon had begun to besiege Jerusalem, Ezekiel’s wife had died, and the exiled people knew that disaster was about to happen. While they were anxiously waiting for the end, God no longer mentioned Jerusalem, but turned to the seven allies around Judah to pronounce the punishment. God’s judgment has long been destined, not only can Judah not escape the catastrophe, but also the seven nations that fight with Judah against Babylon can’t stay out of the matter. God not only allowed the people of Judah to see the true face of those allies just standing by and watch, but also saw their tragic end of drawing fire on themselves. When the people sighed about the glory of God leaving the temple, God showed them that the glory of the world was completely illusory. The Ammonites are the offspring of the incest between Lot and his daughter. From the time of the Judges, the Ammonites often fought against the Israelites. When Babylon invaded Judah for the second time, the Ammonites followed Babylon and attacked Judah. After Babylon left, the Ammonites encouraged Judah to rebel against Babylon. After Babylon again invaded and destroyed the temple, the Ammonites “rejoiced with all the malice within their soul against the land of Israel.” “Aha” is the voice of gloating, ridicule and sarcasm. On the surface, it mocks Judah. In fact, it mocks Judah’s God for failing to protect His sanctuary and people. Therefore, God cut them off, letting historical facts prove that their idols are all vain, only the “I am who I am” God is the only true God.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to keep your eyes from being blinded by the power and glory of the world. Although the unrighteous can be prominent for a while, even ridiculed and mocking those who believe in God, they will eventually be cut off by God; resolve to God to be a godly person, lay up treasures in heaven and live a holy life, because only such a person can be pleased with God.

 

HYMN:

Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God – youtu.be/8nbMfLQd2P4

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ezekiel+024

 

Ezekiel 24 (ESV)

¹⁵ The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁶ “Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down. ¹⁷ Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban, and put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.” ¹⁸ So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded.

¹⁹ And the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?” ²⁰ Then I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: ²¹ ‘Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword. ²² And you shall do as I have done; you shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men. ²³ Your turbans shall be on your heads and your shoes on your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but you shall rot away in your iniquities and groan to one another. ²⁴ Thus shall Ezekiel be to you a sign; according to all that he has done you shall do. When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord God.’

 

REFLECTION:

God told Ezekiel that his wife was going to die, but he must not grieve for her. Just as Hosea accepted the order to marry an adulteress (see Hos 1:2-3), Ezekiel found it difficult to accept, but he obeyed God just like Hosea. Both of these extraordinary events have symbolic significance and describe the relationship between God and His people. Ezekiel was not allowed to express grief for his dead wife, to show the exiles that they should not grieve over the destruction of Jerusalem. Any personal sorrow will be quickly covered by the sorrow of the country – the tragic ending of the destruction of Jerusalem, and the people there will be destroyed for their own sins. The cost of obedience to God is high, and sometimes it even violates common sense. However, if you do not obey God, you will damage your relationship with God, and may even lose the eternal life. This will be more painful than losing your partner and not being able to cry. No matter what the circumstances, Ezekiel always obeyed God wholeheartedly, because he believed that God’s arrangements always have meaning, God’s thoughts are higher than ours, and God’s way than our way, even if we can’t understand it, we should humble and obey. Although our current faith is not as great as Ezekiel’s, we can start with what God tells us to do, which we do not want but it is not difficult to do. Through this we learn the lesson of obedience step by step, and experience God’s guidance and edification so that one day we will have the faith and life like Ezekiel.

 

PRAYER:

Dedicate yourself to God that you are willing to imitate Ezekiel’s humility and obedience in your service, and you are willing to take on the things that God has called you to do but you feel reluctant; ask God to give you the courage and wisdom to help you experience God’s faithfulness and guidance, as well as heavenly joy and peace in your ministry, which makes you more willing to obey God.

 

HYMN:

I Surrender All – youtu.be/iu7UwhTwF0c

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ezekiel+023

 

Ezekiel 23 (ESV)

¹ The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. ³ They played the whore in Egypt; they played the whore in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and their virgin bosoms handled. ⁴ Oholah was the name of the elder and Oholibah the name of her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem…

³⁶ The Lord said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Declare to them their abominations. ³⁷ For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. With their idols they have committed adultery, and they have even offered up to them for food the children whom they had borne to me. ³⁸ Moreover, this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day and profaned my Sabbaths. ³⁹ For when they had slaughtered their children in sacrifice to their idols, on the same day they came into my sanctuary to profane it. And behold, this is what they did in my house. ⁴⁰ They even sent for men to come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and behold, they came. For them you bathed yourself, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments. ⁴¹ You sat on a stately couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed my incense and my oil. ⁴² The sound of a carefree multitude was with her; and with men of the common sort, drunkards were brought from the wilderness; and they put bracelets on the hands of the women, and beautiful crowns on their heads.

 

REFLECTION:

In this chapter, Ezekiel uses a parable to declare the reason for God’s judgment. He compared the northern and the southern kingdom to two sisters who were prostitutes. The inhabitants of Jerusalem arrogantly think that they are in superior position and have long mocked their sister city, Samaria. But Ezekiel claimed that Jerusalem and Samaria were both the city of prostitutes, which was quite shocking to the self-righteous people of Jerusalem. Oholah (meaning “her tent”) refers to the northern kingdom of Israel. Following the example of the Assyrians, she coveted the power, wealth, and pleasure of the world; and was tempted by the world and left God. Oholibah (meaning “my tent is in her”) refers to Judah, her situation is even worse, because although she has Israel as a lesson for her, instead of learning the lessons of her sister, she continues to commit adultery with foreign nations and must be judged. At first, Judah formed an alliance with Babylon, and then changed her mind. When the last two kings of Judah, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah, were in power, Judah turned to Egypt and Ammon for help. The price that Judah paid for her “adultery” (in alliance with idolatry nations) was the loss of the only God who could truly protect them. As godly believers, although we do not think that we have committed spiritual adultery, we often spend a lot of time seeking help and answers in life from the powers of the world and non-Christian experts instead of asking God for help. Is this unfaithful to God?

 

PRAYER:

Pray that God will keep you faithful and add your desire for God in your spirit every day, so that your heart will turn towards God alone, without being attracted by any temptation of the world. Pray that your faithfulness can withstand the trials, when you are in a lack or predicament, you still seek God’s help and not get temporary satisfaction and relief in a way that damages your spiritual life.

 

HYMN:

I Will Follow – youtu.be/kgqD_HQQir0

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ezekiel+022
 

Ezekiel 22 (ESV)

⁶ “Behold, the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood. ⁷ Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you. ⁸ You have despised my holy things and profaned my Sabbaths. ⁹ There are men in you who slander to shed blood, and people in you who eat on the mountains; they commit lewdness in your midst. ¹⁰ In you men uncover their fathers’ nakedness; in you they violate women who are unclean in their menstrual impurity. ¹¹ One commits abomination with his neighbor’s wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; another in you violates his sister, his father’s daughter. ¹² In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord God.

¹³ “Behold, I strike my hand at the dishonest gain that you have made, and at the blood that has been in your midst. ¹⁴ Can your courage endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it. ¹⁵ I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you through the countries, and I will consume your uncleanness out of you. ¹⁶ And you shall be profaned by your own doing in the sight of the nations, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

 

REFLECTION:

Chapter 22 foretold why the judgment of Jerusalem will come, how it will come, and who will be judged for it. This passage specifically pointed out the various fornication and evil crimes committed by the leaders of Israel, and prophesied that they would be the first to be judged. The leaders of Israel were originally called by God to lead the people and were especially blessed by God. They were supposed to sanctify themselves and become models of faith and virtue, but they were the first to sin and were severely judged by God. Unfortunately, many of God’s people have not learned from the past. The sins mentioned in this passage have been committed by Christian leaders throughout the ages, including some Christian leaders today. Today, we are living in an era when Satan spares no effort to attack God’s people. All kinds of vicious and treacherous tactics are worse than ever. Church leaders are the first to be attacked. Therefore, we must always pray for the leaders to prevent them from being taken captive by the devil. Leaders must also maintain moral integrity, strive to live a holy life, trust God in everything, and become spiritual models for everyone.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for the leaders of the church, asking God to give them spiritual maturity and insight in addition to their visible leadership abilities in organization, management, and leadership, so that they will first become spiritual models for the brothers and sisters in the church; If you are a church leader, ask God to give you a pure heart and an upright spirit, so that you can live a holy life, and lead the church by your mature life, not your achievements and abilities in the world.

 

HYMN:

Lord, Build Your Church – youtu.be/4vn1e0xwX04

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ezekiel+021

 

Ezekiel 21 (ESV)

¹⁸ The word of the Lord came to me again: ¹⁹ “As for you, son of man, mark two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come. Both of them shall come from the same land. And make a signpost; make it at the head of the way to a city. ²⁰ Mark a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah, into Jerusalem the fortified. ²¹ For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination. He shakes the arrows; he consults the teraphim; he looks at the liver. ²² Into his right hand comes the divination for Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open the mouth with murder, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, to build siege towers. ²³ But to them it will seem like a false divination. They have sworn solemn oaths, but he brings their guilt to remembrance, that they may be taken.

 

REFLECTION:

In 589 BC, both the kingdom of Judah and Ammon were plotting against Babylon (see Jeremiah 27:3). The people of Judah who had been taken captive to Babylon heard the news and once again ignited the hope of returning home. But Ezekiel prophesied that the king of Babylon would send troops to quell the resistance. He would start from the north and stop at the fork of two roads, one road leading to Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, and the other road leading to Jerusalem, the capital of Judah. The king of Babylon relied on false divination to decide which city to destroy first. In fact, King Nebuchadnezzar really captured Jerusalem first, as prophesied by Ezekiel. The Ammonites and the Israelites were old enemies and used to fight each other often. God repeatedly warned Israel not to ally with idolatry Gentiles. However, the nation of Judah disregarded the teachings of God for temporary common interests, and ally with Ammon against Babylon. As a result, God first judged Judah through Nebuchadnezzar, and then Ammon was also judged. The enemy of the enemy is not necessarily a friend. We should learn from the fate of the kingdom of Judah in those days, and we should not do things that violate our faith and the Word of God for the sake of temporary benefits or convenience. Remember that under any circumstances, even if we are in danger, we must not ally or compromise with the world, otherwise our lives will be harmed and we will be disciplined by God. The only thing we can trust is our faithful and gracious God!

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to give you stronger faith, so that you can look to God alone in adversity and even danger, and not do anything that seems to open the way for you, but actually makes you fall into deeper and greater traps and snares; ask God to give you more spiritual wisdom, so that you can know what to do and what not to do in all circumstances, and experience God’s grace and edification more deeply.

 

HYMN:

Give Me Faith – youtu.be/SjFIhTNDyz0

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ezekiel+020
 

Ezekiel 20 (ESV)

⁴⁰ “For on my holy mountain, the mountain height of Israel, declares the Lord God, there all the house of Israel, all of them, shall serve me in the land. There I will accept them, and there I will require your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your sacred offerings. ⁴¹ As a pleasing aroma I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered. And I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. ⁴² And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the country that I swore to give to your fathers. ⁴³ And there you shall remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves, and you shall loathe yourselves for all the evils that you have committed. ⁴⁴ And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord God.”

 

REFLECTION:

Ezekiel gives a “comprehensive review” of the history of the Israelites’ rebellion against God in this chapter. The focus is on God’s miraculous deeds to bring back the nation of Israel, and God’s tolerance and compassion for the people’s constant rebellion. Ezekiel’s message is: the people are responsible to God for their sins, and God will eliminate those who are stubborn and insist on resisting God to the end. At the same time, God will also bring faithful people into the “land of Israel” (v.42), a land flowing with milk and honey that God promised to give to the ancestors of the nation of Israel, so that they can experience how gracious He is. Moreover, God “will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations” (v.41), which means that through God’s discipline and restoration of Israel, the Gentiles will recognize God’s justice, love, and faithfulness, and admit that He alone is the only true God, this is also the ultimate goal of God choosing Israel. Salvation has never been based on human merits, but because of God’s own disposition. From God’s active grace to people’s rebelliousness, and then God forgives and disciplines for His name’s sake, this pattern is constantly recurring in the Israelites in exile, and it will continue to appear in today’s Christians.

 

PRAYER:

Make a comprehensive review of your history of rebelling against God and being disciplined and forgiven by God. Count God’s blessings and give thanks to God. Not only thank God for His salvation, but also for His grace of rebirth through leading and disciplining you continuously. Pray for God to strengthen your heart, so that you will not deviate from God’s way in weakness and failure, experience God’s deeper moulding of your life, and establish a more intimate relationship with God.

 

HYMN:

He Will Hold Me Fast – youtu.be/936BapRFHaQ