Daily Bible Devotionals

“I will respond to the sky and it will respond to the earth. The earth will respond to the grain, the new wine, and the oil, and they will respond to Jezreel. I will sow Israel in the land for Myself, and I will have compassion on No Compassion; I will say to Not My People: You are My people, and he will say: You are My God.” Hosea 2:21b-23 (HCSB)

It is important to remember that the people and events in the book of Hosea are both actual and metaphorical. God was using Hosea’s life example to send a message primarily to the half of the Divided Kingdom known as Judah (which consisted of both the tribes of Judah and Benjamin and people from the other tribes who wanted to worship God in Jerusalem). Secondarily, he spoke to the other ten tribes of the Divided Kingdom, referred to as “Israel.”  He is also speaking to us today.

Hosea lived during the last 25 years of Israel’s existence as a nation. During this time, six Kings reigned through a period of near anarchy and bloodshed. Israel’s spiritual condition had deteriorated to the point where knowledge of the Lord had almost been forgotten. Canaanite religion had been mixed with the worship of the Lord until the Lord could hardly be recognized. Priests and prophets also fell into this mixed religion. Rather than speaking out against idolatry, they promoted and participated in it.

In my opinion, the Church at large is headed down a similar path. The more believers absorb secular philosophy into their worship (and pastors not only tolerate it but also endorse it themselves), I can’t help but believe we are in for very difficult days. God simply will not tolerate it. In Chapter 1, the Lord told Hosea to marry a promiscuous wife named Gomer. Gomer bore Hosea three children. It is unclear whether they were Hosea’s children or whether they were children of Gomer’s promiscuous relationships with other men. In Hebrew, the children’s names are Yzre’el (God Sows), Lo-Ruchama (No Compassion), and Lo-‘Ammi (Not My People). They represent the progression of Israel’s spiritual decline. They are reversing the process of God’s having sown them into Canaan, shown them compassion, and called them His people.

As a result, the Lord punished Israel at the hands of the Assyrians, scattering them throughout the nations. Afterward, He again “sowed” Israel back into their land; God showed them compassion and identified them as His people. Israel’s return was largely in part to the fact that they repented, having been “persuaded” and “spoken tenderly to” by the Lord, in the wilderness of the nations. ( Hosea 2:14-16)  God always honors repentance, humility, and honest worship. As a result, the “prophecies” of the meanings of the names of Hosea’s children have been reversed!  

Similarly, our spiritual conditions change when we turn from spiritual harlotry and cultural idolatry, i.e., modern-day paganism. God’s Grace, Mercy, and Forgiveness toward the repentant sinner are the hallmarks of His character. These marked the return of God’s favor for “adulterous” Israel, and they are extended to the repentant worldly believer today.

“At the appointed time he will come again to the South, but this time will not be like the first. Ships of Kittim will come against him, and being intimidated, he will withdraw. Then he will rage against the holy covenant and take action. On his return, he will favor those who abandon the holy covenant. His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation.” Daniel 11:29-31 (HCSB)

I was 14 when I got my first job, working for a country club. We used to videotape important tennis matches and re-ran them throughout the day on the big screen TV in the men’s locker room. Once, during the U.S. Open, I watched a club member win hundreds of dollars off another club member, betting on the outcome of a match he had seen the end of earlier in the day. That’s what we call “cheating.”

There are theological skeptics who try to late-date Daniel’s prophecies. That is, they claim the prophecies were written after the events prophesied had unfolded and then attributed them to Daniel. The reason they give for their allegations is purely the fact that Daniel’s prophecies are so accurate. Basically, they accuse the Bible’s compilers of cheating, knowing the outcome, and then writing the prophecy.

Prophecies yet to unfold, can be trusted because of prophecy fulfilled. Of course, that is exactly what irks the skeptics! Not only were Daniel’s prophecies accurate for the events close to his day & age, but they are also predicting apocalyptic events of the end times. Daniel’s prophecy about the coming of the Greek king, Antiochus Epiphanes, was also predicting the coming of the anti-messiah (aka antichrist) and is echoed in Revelation, Matthew’s gospel, and other places in the Bible.  

“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that leads to desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel – let the reader understand…” Matthew 24:15 (NIV)

“And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’ And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.” Revelation 13:3b-6 (NKJV)

“Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue. And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.” Daniel 11:32-35 (NKJV)

“In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land.” Daniel 9:1-6 (NKJV)

There are many Biblical heroes whom we should seek to emulate, but aside from Jesus, Daniel, perhaps, displayed the most integrity.  It is rare to see followers of Jesus who will make a public stand for Him these days, much less those who repeatedly put their lives on the line for their faith.  Daniel was that kind of believer.  But how did Daniel become so faithful?  Today, we get a peek into the source of Daniel’s faith: Scripture.

Before Daniel’s great epiphany, his personal and corporate confession, today’s passage tells us he was reading the Scriptures.  He was reading the Scriptures and thinking.  That is what we call “meditating” on the Scripture.  He was not simply reading it out of duty, and he was not reading it just to hurry up and get to the end.  Daniel wanted to know God, personally, and he knew that nothing could give him such a relationship, except for time in God’s Word.  Time spent in God’s Word is time spent with God; it is time spent with Jesus because He is, after all, the “Word made flesh.” (John 1:1-2, 14)

Daniel was reading the writings of a prophet named Jeremiah, who, years earlier, had predicted the destruction of Israel and prophesied that Jerusalem’s renewal and rebuilding would act as a catalyst for Israel’s spiritual return to the Lord.  Even though the prophetic message Daniel was reading was old, Daniel understood that all Scripture is “living” hence, relevant to every generation.

“For whatever was written in earlier times, was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4 (NKJV)

Daniel found hope in Jeremiah’s rebuke, for wrapped in the indictment of sin was the gift of grace if the sinner would repent and follow the Lord!  As we continue to read the Bible each day, we should seek that God would reveal the truth of His Word to us, personally, as He did to Daniel. For certain, the apostle Paul esteemed such revelation above all spiritual gifts and a thing we should seek after and share with others.

“Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.” 1 Corinthians 14:1 (NIV)

“Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. And he said, ‘O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!’ So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, ‘Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.’ Then he said, ‘Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince.’” Daniel 10:18-21 (NKJV)

In today’s passage, the angel Gabriel comes to deliver a message of comfort to Daniel. To better understand what is going on, it is essential to know a little background concerning the two angels mentioned: Gabriel and Michael. Based on Biblical understanding, Gabriel is a messenger of God, and Michael is the commander of the Lord’s army.

Also important to acknowledge is that the mission field is a spiritual battlefield! When we seek the truth of God’s Word and share the Gospel, we are doing battle, and we must keep that truth at the forefront of our minds because, quite honestly, freaky stuff happens whenever people get serious about following the Lord!! Otherwise, why would the apostle exhort us to be prepared for such warfare?  

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:11-12 (NKJV)

When we experience persecution, for the sake of the Gospel, we must remember that the enemy is not necessarily the people who are persecuting us. Instead, the real “enemy” is the World, the Flesh, and the Devil and their influence over a particular individual or group. That is why a radical Muslim may seek to kill you, but after his/her conversion to Jesus, they love you and call you brother/sister. Paul, perhaps, understood this idea best because he sought to kill followers of Jesus. But after he was radically saved from the evil influence, Paul became the most fervent evangelist (and ardent Christian brother) in the early community of believers.

But we should not fear evil’s attempts to destroy us. As with Daniel, God is on our side!

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the World. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Messiah Jesus has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the World.” 1 John 4:1-4 (NIV)

“While he was speaking, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. But Gabriel roused me with a touch and helped me to my feet. Then he said, ‘I am here to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath. What you have seen pertains to the very end of time. The two-horned ram represents the kings of Media and Persia. The shaggy male goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king of the Greek Empire. The four prominent horns that replaced the one large horn show that the Greek Empire will break into four kingdoms, but none as great as the first. At the end of their rule, when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people. He will be a master of deception and will become arrogant; he will destroy many without warning. He will even take on the Prince of princes in battle, but he will be broken, though not by human power. This vision about the 2,300 evenings and mornings is true. But none of these things will happen for a long time, so keep this vision a secret.”  Daniel 8:18-26 (NLT)

Hanukkah is the Jewish holiday that remembers both a military victory and a miracle of light. In Hebrew, the word Hanukkah means “dedication.”  I mention Hanukkah because the events surrounding Hanukkah are prophesied (and explained by the angel Gabriel) in today’s chapter. After the untimely death of the young Greek king, Alexander the Great, four rulers (horns) arose and contended for the kingdom. The smallest “horn” was a man named Antiochus, who called himself “Epiphanes,” meaning “Manifestation of God.”  He conquered his way along the Mediterranean Sea and down to Israel. In Jerusalem, Antiochus entered the Temple, defiled it, and declared his so-called deity. An Israelite named Judah Maccabee (a “messiah” of sorts) gathered his family & friends, and believing God’s Word through the prophet Daniel, against overwhelming odds, he routed the Seleucid Greeks. Perhaps, now, you can understand the conversation with Jesus at Hanukkah.

“It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of the Festival of Dedication (Hanukkah). He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. The people surrounded him and asked, ‘How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’ Jesus replied, ‘I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.’ Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. Jesus said, ‘At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?’ They replied, ‘We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.’” John 10:22-30 (NLT)

“I watched, then, because of the sound of the arrogant words the horn was speaking. As I continued watching, the beast was killed and its body destroyed and given over to the burning fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their authority to rule was removed, but an extension of life was granted to them for a certain period of time.” Daniel 7:11-12 (HCSB)

In today’s chapter, we learn that in addition to being a superior intellect and physical specimen with the ability to interpret dreams and visions, Daniel was given the gift of having dreams and visions of his own. It always amazes me what prophets see when they are “taken up” to heaven. Their experiences always seem like deleted scenes from some science fiction movie. What’s bizarre is how God’s perspective on reality seems like fantasy to us. But doesn’t that mean that God’s perspective IS reality and ours is the fantastic distortion?  

Have you ever considered how God sees things? For instance, in today’s chapter, who we would consider to be world leaders (those guys we see getting out of limos for a U.N. meeting), God sees as vicious, power-hungry beasts who are bent on destroying anything in their paths for the sake of national and personal ambition. Personally speaking, such a vision would have disturbed me, as well. But, when all seems out of control, we catch a glimpse of Messiah, Jesus.

“I continued watching in the night visions, and I saw One like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before Him. He was given authority to rule, and glory, and a kingdom; so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14 (HCSB)

We may not know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future. And God has shown us a glimpse of the future He holds. It is comforting to know that everything the Lord allowed Daniel to see has unfolded exactly as predicted. So, in light of such evidence, why would some people still be inclined to reject Jesus as Lord? Why would they seek another “god” and worship in defiance of God’s Word?  

It has been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results. Or, as Albert Einstein put it, “We cannot attempt to move beyond our present circumstances by utilizing the methods that brought us here.”

The nature, purpose, and ultimate goal of sin have not been altered since the fall of man. Satan continues to steal, kill, and destroy throughout the generations. What Daniel saw prophetically, we can literally see 24-7 online and on television. That means our dependence on the certainty of redemption and the accuracy of Biblical prophecy is as necessary as ever. Messiah Jesus is Lord! He has been Lord from eternity past (Micah 5:2), and He will be Lord forever in the Kingdom to come.

“Then these men said, ‘We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.’ So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: ‘King Darius, live forever! All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.’” Daniel 6:5-7 (NKJV)

Today’s chapter is one of the best-known Bible stories. What child, whether Christian or Jewish, has not heard the story of Daniel in the lion’s den? Just the thought of it makes me crave goldfish crackers! But within the story of Daniel’s deliverance are other important narratives. I chose today’s passage because I wanted to highlight the method that Daniel’s enemies used to trap him. Daniel was a man of such upright character and sought to please the Lord to the extent that he was blameless, according to both the Torah of God and the laws of the Medes and Persians. So, the only way Daniel could be brought down was to make worshipping God a crime. I love Daniel’s response to the King’s decree.

“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.” Daniel 6:10-11 (NKJV)

I would like to believe Daniel remembered Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the Lord’s Temple and that he was faithfully praying following Solomon’s words.

“May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place.” 1 Kings 8:29 (NIV)

Years ago, I wrote a song titled “If Loving God Was a Crime.” The song was based on today’s chapter and posed the question: If loving God were against the law, would there be enough evidence to convict you? At the time, it seemed a bit far-fetched and futuristic, but these days, I wonder how much longer it will be before the song’s message becomes less of a personal challenge and more of a rebel anthem! It is becoming increasingly difficult to follow God and remain an upright “politically correct” American citizen. If you don’t believe me, try articulating the Bible’s teaching in the classroom or workplace on issues like abortion, homosexuality, or creation. And do I even have to mention what believers in places like China or the Muslim nations must endure? (Heb 11:32-38)

Daniel’s example is a challenge for us all. We must choose rightly between the worldly, culturally approved “wide path” or the righteous “narrow path” of the Lord. It’s not always easy, but we should live to honor the God who never leaves or forsakes us.

“Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, ‘Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?’ Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, ‘This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.’” Daniel 4:29-32 (NIV)

As Nebuchadnezzar was collecting the “best of the best” intellects from the conquered nations, he would have done well to have sought out this proverb from among the Judean leaders.

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18 (NIV)

In a scenario opposite of Job’s, Nebuchadnezzar was the antithesis of humility and blamelessness. It is easy to prophesy (or at least hope for) the downfall of a proud man. But what about his restoration? We serve a God who not only judges; He also forgives. That is, His justice (at least up to His final judgment) is intended to bring people to repentance. That was Nebuchadnezzar’s response, to repent and give glory and honor to God.

“And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, 'What have You done?'" Daniel 4:34-35 (NKJV)

Notice that Nebuchadnezzar’s understanding came back when he “looked up,” seeking the Lord. Often, we endure hardship by looking down and concentrating on our circumstances. Restoration begins by worshipping the One who alone can affect the kind of change that can affect our circumstances, even down to influencing the esteem and opinions of others.

“At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.” Daniel 4:36-37 (NKJV)

Daniel is the only Biblical book with sections written by a Gentile. As in the book of Jonah, Daniel exposes that God has always accepted Gentiles who worship Him rightly.

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, ‘Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question. If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of You, the king. But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.’” Daniel 3:16-18 (HCSB)

As a child, I learned about all the heroes of the Bible: David, Samson, Daniel, Noah, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These were men and women (and sometimes boys and girls) whose faith led them to overcome impossible odds because their God was bigger than any situation the world could trap them in. The book of Hebrews recounts many of those great faith victories.

“And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength after being weak, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead they were raised to life again.” Hebrews 11:32-35a (HCSB)

That was a pretty impressive advertisement for faithfulness, and it was only the end of a long list of faith champions. But just after telling their stories - the ones we all want to emulate - the writer of Hebrews describes another group of faithful followers.

“Some men were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection, and others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, mistreated. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts, mountains, caves, and in holes in the ground. All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.” Hebrews 11:35b-40 (HCSB)

We may not know what the future holds (even the earthly outcomes of our day-to-day faithfulness), but we know Who holds the future. That is, we seek an eternal kingdom, which makes whatever hardship we must endure in this life worth it. We don’t look to our circumstances to determine whether we will be faithful; we look to our faith to determine how we will respond to our circumstances.

Notice Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not know whether God would rescue them. Neither we nor the “heroes of the faith” did. They knew God could rescue them if He desired. He had already saved them from the blazing fires of burning besieged Jerusalem! Still, the object of their faith was God Himself, not His deliverance. If you are struggling, hold on!! Either in this life or the next, God will deliver His faithful children, those whose hope is in Messiah.

“Then Daniel responded with tact and discretion to Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon. He asked Arioch, the king’s officer, “Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” Then Arioch explained the situation to Daniel. So Daniel went and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give the king the interpretation. Then Daniel went to his house and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah about the matter, urging them to ask the God of heaven for mercy concerning this mystery, so Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of Babylon’s wise men. The mystery was then revealed to Daniel in a vision at night, and Daniel praised the God of heaven…” Daniel 2:14-19 (HCSB)

In the business management world, there is a saying: Maximize your strengths and manage your weaknesses. Good leaders understand they can’t do everything, and they know the importance of having a good team. They know how to delegate tasks outside their strengths so they don’t find themselves bogged down doing things they aren’t good at. From this, we can reason that the purpose of community is to make our weaknesses ineffective. That is, in a healthy community, we only have to operate on our strengths because someone else’s strength is covering our weaknesses.

“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12 (HCSB)

We learned yesterday that Daniel was skilled in interpreting dreams and visions. This ability was a gift from the Lord, but Daniel was not about to take the Lord’s blessings for granted. Knowing that lives were at stake, Daniel rallied his three friends and enlisted them to pray on his behalf. Daniel was not a lone ranger. He did not simply rely on his “giftedness”; he understood the importance of a strong spiritual community and the power of prayer. Daniel knew the problem needed a level of discernment that could only be reached by the counsel of God-seeking men.

Today’s passage is also a challenge to us. Do you attempt to face life’s trials alone, perhaps too afraid to share your weaknesses with others? Or do you lean into the community of believers the Lord has given you? Because of Daniel’s willingness to share his situation with other strong believers, the Lord gave him an insight into the humanly impossible. Remember: We may not know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future. Daniel sought the Lord, and the unseeable was revealed.

“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.” Daniel 1:1-2 (NKJV)

Those of us who have surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus are at war. Like it or not. And the warfare we are “born again” into is a spiritual war. (Ephesians 6:12) We are relentlessly pursued by an enemy that makes itself known in three forms: The World, the Flesh, and the Devil. (Ephesians 2:1-3) And exactly what do we possess that the enemy wants to steal (by re-appropriation) or to utterly destroy? 1) Our identity as a people, 2) Our places of worship and their articles, 3) Our manhood (or womanhood) /gender identity, 4) Our intellect/language, 5) Our names/purpose, 6) Our diet, the very sustenance of our existence. (Mark 4:4) We see the Church-at-large attacked in these ways in our day, and we see all of those areas of life being attacked in the very first few paragraphs of the book of Daniel.

“Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.”  Daniel 1:3-4 (NKJV)

"And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king.” Daniel 1:5 (NKJV)

“Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.”  Daniel 1:6-7 (NKJV)

“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs.” Daniel 1:8-9 (NKJV)

So, how can we defend ourselves against such a spiritual onslaught? Moreover, how can we move beyond reactionary measures and attack-the-attacker, as it were? We must armor up! (Ephesians 6:10-18) And we must swing the sword of God’s Word!! How did Daniel & Co find the faithful fortitude to stand for the Lord? They believed the Word of the Lord. (Jeremiah 29:1-11) And the Lord proved Himself faithful to His Word! With what armor have you clothed yourself? What Word do you swing?

“These are the exits of the city: On the north side, which measures 1½ miles, there will be three gates facing north, the gates of the city being named for the tribes of Israel: one, the gate of Reuben; one, the gate of Judah; and one, the gate of Levi. On the east side, which is 1½ miles, there will be three gates: one, the gate of Joseph; one, the gate of Benjamin; and one, the gate of Dan. On the south side, which measures 1½ miles, there will be three gates: one, the gate of Simeon; one, the gate of Issachar; and one, the gate of Zebulun. On the west side, which is 1½ miles, there will be three gates: one, the gate of Gad; one, the gate of Asher; and one, the gate of Naphtali. The perimeter of the city will be six miles, and the name of the city from that day on will be: Yahweh Is There.”  Ezekiel 48:30-35 (HCSB)

In yesterday’s chapter, which began today’s chapter dividing the land of Israel after the exiles' return, we are (again) enlightened to God’s love of Gentiles who choose to follow Him.  Not only are Gentiles to be tolerated, living among the faithful of Israel, but they are also gracefully granted land as an inheritance among the faithful of Jewish descent!

“‘You are to divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. You will allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners living among you, who have fathered children among you. You will treat them as native-born Israelites; along with you, they will be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe the foreigner lives, you will assign his inheritance there.’ This is the declaration of the Lord God.”  Ezekiel 47:21-23 (HCSB)

Before Gentile Christians rush to modern-day Israel to claim their “birthright in Messiah” property, let us consider that Ezekiel’s vision closer mirrors the New Jerusalem of the Revelation than the old one we visit on our yearly pilgrimage tours.

“Then one of the seven angels, who had held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me: ‘Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ He then carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, arrayed with God’s glory. Her radiance was like a very precious stone, like a jasper stone, bright as crystal. The city had a massive high wall, with 12 gates. Twelve angels were at the gates; the names of the 12 tribes of Israel’s sons were inscribed on the gates. There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.”  Revelation 21:9-13 (HCSB)

Given that today’s Ezekiel passage says the names of the patriarchs are written on the EXITS of the prophetic city, we can conclude that people will live outside of the walls of the New Jerusalem, coming in and going out.

“Each day its gates will never close because it will never be night there. They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. Nothing profane will ever enter it: no one who does what is vile or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life.”  Revelation 21:25-27 (HCSB)

“Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple and there was water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the temple faced east. The water was coming down from under the south side of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar.” Ezekiel 47:1 (HCSB)

One fine Thanksgiving Day, my wife noticed that our kitchen floor was warmer in a particular area. Since we did not have heated floors, we quickly deduced that a hot water pipe had burst. If we hadn’t repaired it quickly, we might have fulfilled Ezekiel’s prophecy, for water would flow out from under our home and begin filling our town with its life-giving stuff!

The Bible begins with a description of a river that flowed through the Garden of Eden and broke into four tributaries as it left (Genesis 2:10-14). This is a theme that runs throughout the Bible. The Psalmist speaks of a river “whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells” (Psalm 46:4). Several of the prophets picture something similar: Joel speaks of a fountain that will flow out of the Lord’s house (Joel 3:8), and Zechariah describes “living water” which will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea, and half to the western sea (Zechariah 14:8). Of course, the Bible ends with a description of the New Jerusalem, from which emerges a river flowing from God’s throne (Revelation 22:1-2). The Revelation reference is, in fact, based directly on Ezekiel’s vision in today’s chapter. The interpretation of one affects the understanding of the other.

The river Ezekiel describes emerges from under the Temple threshold and runs (apparently) underground to emerge under the eastern gate, through the city, and into the countryside. After 2,500 yards, the river has become so wide and deep that no man can cross it. This is a big river! Eventually, it empties into the Dead Sea. Along its banks are signs of abundant life and prosperity - essentially, Eden, restored. It is all a picture of the kind of blessing God’s people may expect in the new kingdom: Every provision for every need will be taken care of by the Lord Himself.

The key to understanding the river that flows beneath the Temple is found in John’s gospel. There, Jesus, on the final day of Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles), stands up and proclaims:

“‘If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink! The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.’ He said this about the Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus were going to receive the Spirit…” John 7:37-39 (HCSB)

Every day of Sukkot, a priest took a golden flask filled with water from the pool of Siloam near Jerusalem, carried it through the Water Gate, went up the ramp to the altar, and poured it out. In one sense, Ezekiel’s prophecy is being fulfilled every time a person chooses to follow Jesus and is given the gift of the Holy Spirit to dwell inside them (1 Corinthians 6:19). In a greater sense, imagine a picture of all believers gathered in the New Jerusalem, all with God’s Spirit flowing from them.

“When you divide the land by lot for inheritance, you are to set aside an offering for the Lord, a holy portion of the land.” Ezekiel 45:1a (HCSB)

If you want to start a fight in the Middle East today, all you have to do is ask a simple question: Who truly owns this land?  

Talk of land ownership can become a source of heated debate in almost any country, but most certainly so in Israel. To the exiled Israelites along the banks of the Keber River, whose land and homes had been taken away from them, talk of future land ownership must have been very encouraging. It is definitely more encouraging to them than to us, who read this chapter 2,500 years later!

Israel had been formed on the promise that everyone would be given his own portion of land to live and work. (Genesis 12:17) This was not simply the hopeful promise of a religious sage or the empty promise of political leader. The assurance came straight from the God of all creation! Israel’s exile had shown (more clearly than anything else) the disturbance not only of Israel’s dream but also of God’s favor. No doubt, they listened attentively as Ezekiel described the division of the land in New Jerusalem. Once again, Israel would have the opportunity to return to the land, fortunes restored. But more importantly, they would return to God’s abundant favor, the source of all hoped-for blessings.

The promise of the land of Canaan to the patriarchs’ descendants was an everlasting promise, which brings us to modern Israel. Many claim that God’s favor toward His people, the faithful of Israel (Remember: there are Jews who follow Jesus), has somehow failed or been replaced by the Church. Gentile Christians must recall that they are “grafted in” to the existing covenant promises to retain a proper perspective on God’s relationship to Israel and how both Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus fit together in the big picture. (Re-read Romans 11:11-31)

It may not be a popular stance, socially, academically, or politically, but God has not forgotten His people or His promises. That fact alone should give Gentile believers in Jesus reason to hope! Because if God can be trusted to keep His promises to the faithful of Israel, He can be trusted to keep His promises to Gentile believers…those of us who are not Jewish but are considered “grafted-in” through Messiah.  

In that sense, the question, “Who owns this land?” becomes irrelevant in the greater kingdom of Messiah. It is irrelevant because the Jerusalem to be inherited in the Olam HaBa (Kingdom to come) is not the Jerusalem one visits today. For those of us who await the New Jerusalem, there is no piece of property we hold eternally sacred! This earth will pass away. That frees us to serve the Messiah with no earthly distractions or affections. We serve the Messiah, who chose to atone for our sin, while we (both Jew & Gentile) were yet sinners, so we could be ONE flock, shepherded by Messiah Jesus, awaiting a common, undisputed Heaven-made homeland. (John 10:16)

“This will be their inheritance: I am their inheritance. You are to give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession.” Ezekiel 44:28 (HCSB)

Priests were chosen from the line of Aaron’s descent. However, a further narrowing of the priestly line occurred at the time of David, when Zadok, the priest, successfully backed Solomon as David’s successor. Only those Levites descended from Aaron through Zadok could serve as priests at the Temple.

According to Ezekiel, the Zadokites alone remained free from the charge of apostasy during the reign of the Israelite kings. Only those priests were allowed to offer sacrifices of “fat and blood.”  The fat was burned after the sacrifice, and the blood poured out on the altar as gifts to the Lord.  

One would suppose that this people group, favored by the Lord, should expect God’s favor to include wealth and worldly possessions. In fact, many Christian leaders would claim that God’s people should expect wealth and prosperity to be the natural outflow of faithfulness. Nothing could be more untrue.

The priests were given no inheritance in the land of Israel. Though a portion of the land surrounding the Temple was given to them, God Himself was to be their inheritance. They were to live off the various sacrifices which they were allowed to share. The pastor’s office as “spiritual shepherd” does not include fleecing or butchering the “sheep” for a profit. Instead, it is to tend to and care for the flock of the Master.

This is a point the New Testament makes clear, underlining the principle that those who live by the Gospel are to be maintained by the Gospel but not exploit it. Paul says that Elders who direct the affairs of the congregation are worthy of double honor – not double pay, as some preachers of our day have suggested. Those doing the work of the Gospel were to receive a twofold honor: the honor of respect and the honor of remuneration. (1 Timothy 5:17; 1 Corinthians 9:7-14; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Corinthians 11:8-9)

Those who might consider ministry purely as an entrepreneurial pursuit should consider changing their motives and expectations to align themselves with God’s Word!

Of course, the New Testament calls ALL believers “priests.” This means we should all maintain a temporal view of Worldly things and a continual understanding that our “inheritance” is other-worldly: serving & worshipping the Lord for all eternity.

“After this, he brought me to the gate facing east. There I saw the glory of the God of Israel approaching from the east. His voice was like the sound of rushing water and the earth shone with all His glory. The vision seemed like the vision I had seen when I came to destroy the city; also the visions were like the vision I had seen by the K’var River; and I fell on my face. The Lord’s glory entered the house through the gate facing east.” Ezekiel 43:1-4 (CJB)

One of the saddest moments in Israel’s history occurred when the Ark of the Covenant was taken into Philistine hands, and Israel was left deprived of the symbol of God’s help. When Eli heard of the consequential death of his two sons, he fell backward and broke his neck. In the shock of all the events, his daughter-in-law gave premature birth, dying in the process. Before she died, she gasped out that the child should be called “Ichabod,” meaning, “The glory has departed” (1 Samuel 4).

Israel’s condition in Ezekiel 43 was a similar “low point.” The collapse of Jerusalem and the destruction of Solomon’s Temple symbolized the idea that God had departed from His Holy City. (Of course, we know God never truly leaves.)  Ezekiel had been taken to Jerusalem in a vision in chapter 10 to see God depart! That was in 592 B.C. Almost 20 years had passed since that awful day. Nothing could be worse than that. If the description of the new Temple in Ezekiel’s vision is to hold any significance (other than for architects), the essential nature of its glory has to be underlined. This involves the return of God to dwell in His Temple again. This is what these verses now describe.

Ezekiel is brought to the east gate of the temple complex; this gate leads directly to the Temple area. It was from this gate that God’s glory departed in chapter 10. In chapter 43, we have the reverse of chapter 10: God is going to come back through the same gate by which He left. What Ezekiel sees, he tells us, is a reminder of the glory of God that he first encountered in the opening chapters: a vision of glory in chapter 1 and a vision of God coming to destroy the city in chapter 9 (43:3). Ezekiel, for the third time in this book, has come face-to-face with the living God.

If sin had driven the Lord from His Temple, then the holy pursuit of His people would keep Him there - holiness, which is unobtainable by men within the confines of their sinful flesh. But that is the power of the “good news” of the gospel. Jesus has accomplished what we could not. He paid a debt we could not pay, a debt He did not owe, all because He loves us and desires to make us whole and holy.

“Then the man said to me, “The northern and southern chambers that face the temple yard are the holy chambers where the priests who approach the Lord will eat the most holy offerings. There they will deposit the most holy offerings—the grain offerings, sin offerings, and restitution offerings—for the place is holy.” Ezekiel 42:13 (HCSB)

It is difficult to find much drama in these last few chapters of Ezekiel. Most of it reads like an architect’s blueprints! But the essence of what is being communicated is fascinating: we serve a precise God who is fully aware of every detail. Not only does He concern Himself with construction details, but He is also intimately aware of His standard for mankind and how each of us “measures up” to His requirements.

God’s standard for mankind is perfect holiness, an impossible goal for men to reach by their own achievement. The reason is that we are sinful and fall short of God’s requirements. That is why Jesus’ atoning work on the cross was so important. Only Jesus, “God made flesh” (John 1), could accomplish atonement for us, making up the good works lacking in our lives.  

“And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.” 1 Colossians 1:21-23 (NKJV)

Whenever a building inspector steps onto a worksite, everyone gets nervous. If he is a good inspector, he will explore every detail of construction, ensuring everything meets the standard set by the building codes. The building inspector has the power to shut a whole construction site down, making the contractors start again, even pouring a new foundation.  

Similarly, people will stand before the Lord in the last days and be judged according to God’s “building codes”: the Ten Commandments. Each life will be thoroughly scrutinized, and not one detail will be allowed to “slip by” the Inspector’s eye. That is why I am so grateful that Jesus is not just the architect of my salvation but also the finishing carpenter.

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:2-3 (NIV)

“On his way out, he measured the thickness of the wall of the house at ten-and-a-half feet (at ground level), and the width of all the side-rooms surrounding the house, seven feet (at ground level). There were three floors of side-rooms, thirty on each floor, and the wall around the house was terraced so that the side rooms rested on the terraces and were not supported on the vertical parts of the wall.” Ezekiel 41:5-6 (CJB)

The Temple was used for storing all kinds of treasures, including money (offerings), cups, bowls, silverware, candlesticks, and incense burners. These needed storage areas, and so, as in Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 6:5-10), Ezekiel’s Temple provides chambers (side rooms) on all three sides of the Temple. Some of the features are worth noting:

1) Its Perfection: It is no coincidence that the temple area and its courtyards measured a hundred cubits square. The dimensions of the entire temple area, including the outer courtyard, are said to have been five hundred cubits square. Everything about God’s plan for the future worship of His people is perfection. The meticulous care over the design of this structure, given in a way that Ezekiel’s listeners would readily appreciate, was meant to convey how carefully He plans every detail.

2) Its Purpose:  The entire function of this elaborate building was to facilitate the worship of God. As such, it provided a place where God would come and take up residence. It had been David’s longing to provide a place for God to dwell that would prove to be a house of prayer for his sons and the whole of Israel. Isaiah expanded on this intent to include people of all nations. (Isaiah 56:6-7)

3) Its Beauty:  The interior of the Temple was wood-paneled, and many surfaces were adorned with intricate carvings of cherubim – no doubt reminding the onlooker of divine things. Also, Ezekiel saw images of palm trees – perhaps, reminding them of an oasis, something appreciated in the hot Middle Eastern desert climate. Maybe the trees were symbols of Eden: In chapter 47, Ezekiel describes the Sanctuary as containing the river and trees of life.

4) Its Symbolism:  The main temple worship event consisted of the sacrifice of “burnt offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings.”  Every detail of its architecture was intended to reinforce that this building was designed to take away sin and present the sinner with a way to approach the “Holy One of Israel.”  The writer of Hebrews makes it clear that the Sanctuary and the Temple were meant to be “copies” of Heavenly realities. Ezekiel is describing the glorious future of the people of God in terms that the Jews of Ezekiel’s day (and any future generation who reads God’s Word) would understand.

“In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month in the fourteenth year after Jerusalem had been captured, on that very day the Lord’s hand was on me, and He brought me there. In visions of God He took me to the land of Israel and set me down on a very high mountain. On its southern slope was a structure resembling a city. He brought me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. He was standing by the gate. He spoke to me: ‘Son of man, look with your eyes, listen with your ears, and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for you have been brought here so that I might show it to you. Report everything you see to the house of Israel.’” Ezekiel 40:1-4 (HCSB)

Prophecy can typically be analyzed in three stages: Immediate/present-day, Messianic era, and End Times. That is, a prophecy would generally be given for the (somewhat) immediate observation within the prophet’s generation (using the word “generation” in the greater sense). But that same prophecy might have Messianic implications, pointing to Jesus, as if to say, “Remember the last time these circumstances aligned themselves, and God judged sin & delivered His Remnant? That was a trial run for our greater deliverance through Messiah.”  And, of course, a prophecy fulfilled in the prophet’s generation (as well as being more greatly fulfilled in the days of Jesus) may still be “unfulfilled” in relation to the Day of The Lord or the coming Kingdom.

At first glance, today’s chapter appears to be written as an “impressionist painting.”  It is as if Ezekiel is conveying truths using abstract and exaggerated details. It can be compared to Debussy's music or Renoir's paintings. But simultaneously, he is communicating the concrete truth of God’s Word. For men to understand prophecy rightly, God’s truth must transcend the “impression” and be revealed as “concrete” by the Holy Spirit. Ezekiel understood what he saw because he was spiritually enabled to “see, hear, and pay attention.”  He was commanded to communicate that truth to the House of Israel. This idea is nothing new to anyone who has closely read the parables of Jesus.

“He told them, ‘The secret of the Kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, “They may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise, they might turn and be forgiven!”’” Mark 4:11-12 (NIV)

Isaiah was given a similar charge to preach God’s Word, but with the caveat that his audience would not believe.

“He said, ‘Go and tell this people: Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’” Isaiah 6:9 (NIV)

It is not that God only wants certain people to know the truth, yet others do not believe. Rather, He knows that men will not believe unless they earnestly seek truth in Him. (Matthew 7:7; John 6:44; Jeremiah 29:12-14) Keep seeking Him in His Word!

“This is what the Lord God says: Are you the one I spoke about in former times through My servants, the prophets of Israel, who for years prophesied in those times that I would bring you against them? Now on that day, the day when Gog comes against the land of Israel”—this is the declaration of the Lord God— ‘My wrath will flare up. I swear in My zeal and fiery rage: On that day there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the animals of the field, every creature that crawls on the ground, and every human being on the face of the earth will tremble before Me. The mountains will be thrown down, the cliffs will collapse, and every wall will fall to the ground. I will call for a sword against him on all My mountains”—the declaration of the Lord God— “and every man’s sword will be against his brother. I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed. I will pour out torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and brimstone on him, as well as his troops and the many peoples who are with him. I will display My greatness and holiness, and will reveal Myself in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.’”  Ezekiel 38:17-23 (HCSB)

The promises in the previous chapters of a return to the land might have sounded fine if Babylon was all there was to contend with. After all, the Babylonian empire was already beginning to diminish. But, as Paul put it,

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against the power of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)

You see, the “Enemy” was never Babylon. The Enemy is the Devil. He is the root source of all opposition to Godliness. Jonah did not understand this concept. That is why he resisted God’s call to preach to Nineveh, Israel’s international enemy, in Jonah’s day. If the enemy were Nineveh, how could they repent and follow God? And if the true enemy were Babylon, how could Nebuchadnezzar eventually repent? (Daniel 4:34-36)

All of Israel’s past international (and intra-national) enemies have been humbled by the Lord, as will be the case of their present and future enemies. If God is FOR His people, who could be against them? (Romans 8:31) In today’s passage, Ezekiel is speaking prophetically of the rise of an international enemy called “Gog.”  The nation of Gog didn’t exist at the time of Ezekiel’s prophecy, nor does it today (although it may be forming at the moment). But of course, that is an arbitrary item because we know who the real enemy is, and we can spot his lies & tactics if we are familiar with God’s Word.

It is easy to misinterpret chapters 38-39. For example, citing that a figure called “Gog” comes out of the North, many theologians with a Bible in one hand and a TV remote in the other have proclaimed Gog to be Russia for the past century. However, the collapse of the Soviet Union has challenged that interpretation. Who knows? Have you considered that, while Babylon was prophesied to have been an invader from the North, they actually resided in the East? When they conquered Israel, Babylon invaded from the North, but my point is that anyone in Ezekiel’s time looking for a northern invader would have ruled out Babylon. All we must know is that what God promises, He brings to pass.

“They will not defile themselves anymore with their idols, their detestable things, and all their transgressions. I will save them from all their apostasies by which they sinned, and I will cleanse them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God. My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow My ordinances, and keep My statutes and obey them. They will live in the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They will live in it forever with their children and grandchildren, and My servant David will be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. I will establish and multiply them and will set My sanctuary among them forever.” Ezekiel 37:23-26 (HCSB)

It is the most remarkable testimony to God’s faithfulness that the blessings of His promises were obtained despite Israel’s sinful ways. Of course, Israel’s apostasy brought upon them God’s judgment of exile. But in today’s passage, Israel was prophesied to return to the land and be blessed in ways they could hardly imagine.

God promised to gather His people and “circumcise their hearts.” But the blessing God has in store is not exclusively for ethnic Israel. Here in Ezekiel, the definition of “Israel” begins to take on an expanded definition. Glimpses of God’s grand design had been given already: the famine that Elijah brought down on Israel resulted in the blessing of a Gentile widow (1 Kings 17:8-24; Luke 4:26). Naaman (the Syrian general), whom God raised up as a scourge in Israel, was healed by Elisha to continue his vengeance on Israel. Jonah was commanded to preach the Word of God to the enemy Gentile city of Nineveh. Israel’s restoration set up the coming of Jesus: the redemption of the World. His continued blessing of Israel encourages us that not only is He faithful to His Word, but He has redemptive plans for Israel yet to unfold. (Revelation 7:4)

Jesus, whom Matthew calls the “Son of David” (Matthew 1:1), called Himself the “Good Shepherd.” (John 10:11). Jesus went on to say that He had sheep, who were not of the fold of Israel and that He must “bring them in also so that there would be one flock and one shepherd. (John 10:16) In short, Gentile believers have not replaced Israel as God’s people; rather, they have been included among those “Messianic” Jews who believe in Him rightly. Together, they form the greater flock of the Messiah.

“It is not as though God’s Word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.” Romans 9:6 (HCSB)

Jesus also said: “Greater love had no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command.” John 15:13-14 (NKJV)

When we combine these Scriptures with other evidence, like the restoration of the nation of Israel and the gift of the Holy Spirit to believers, it becomes apparent that Jesus is the central figure in fulfilling the prophecy in today’s chapter because He is Messiah!

“The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, while the house of Israel lived in their land, they defiled it with their conduct and actions. Their behavior before Me was like menstrual impurity. So I poured out My wrath on them because of the blood they had shed on the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols. I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered among the countries. I judged them according to their conduct and actions. When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said about them, “These are the people of Yahweh, yet they had to leave His land in exile.” Then I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel profaned among the nations where they went.’” Ezekiel 36:16-21 (HCSB)

Imagine a special dinner with the one you love. You spend months planning and saving up. Then, the day comes. You arrive at the restaurant and are escorted to their finest table. You think to yourself, “This couldn’t be better!”  Just then, a family is seated at the next table...and that’s when you meet the most annoying child ever! An uncontrollable child pretty much ruins any event. Israel had become God’s “brat” among the nations.

I have four children, so my wife and I have first-hand experience with “brattiness.”  One thing to understand about a brat is that the blame for the child’s behavior doesn’t always go to the parents. Believe it or not, some kids are simply strong-willed and would be brats even if raised by Mother Theresa! Obviously, God does not need “coaching” so as to improve His parenting skills. God Himself called Israel a “stiff-necked people.” (Exodus 32:9; Acts 7:51). Jesus expressed a similar sentiment, communicating that He wanted to gather Israel as a mother hen gathers her chicks, but they would not listen. (Luke 19:13-34-35)

Sometimes, we get so fed up with our kids that we tell them to go outside and play. We love them, but their proximity and bratty attitudes grate our nerves so much that we are literally protecting them by sending them out! But suppose, while the kids are outside, they continue being brats, to the point where we have to bring them back inside the house just to protect our family’s reputation and our Christian witness in the neighborhood! When we bring our kids back into the house, in such a situation, we would not reward them for any change of attitude. We would simply be protecting the neighborhood from our super brats!! This was the case with Israel’s expulsion and return from exile. Could this scenario be repeated today with the “brats” among those who claim to be God’s children through Jesus? Why not? Just because God is working around us doesn’t mean He is pleased with us or isn’t working despite us.

“Therefore, say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord God says: It is not for your sake that I will act, house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you profaned among the nations where you went. I will honor the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am Yahweh”—the declaration of the Lord God— “when I demonstrate My holiness through you in their sight.’” Ezekiel 36:22-23 (HCSB)

“Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir and prophesy against it, and say to it, “Thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against you; I will stretch out My hand against you, and make you most desolate; I shall lay your cities waste, and you shall be desolate. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.’” Because you have had an ancient hatred, and have shed the blood of the children of Israel by the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, when their iniquity came to an end…” Ezekiel 35:1-5 (NKJV)

When nations encounter difficult situations, their enemies will take advantage of them. It will be very interesting to know who America’s allies will be in 5 years… Following the collapse of Jerusalem, Judah was in no position to fight its enemies to the south. Indeed, the description of things given by Jeremiah is of a land of internal violence.  

Edom, one such long-standing enemy to the south-east, saw a golden opportunity to wage war. Ezekiel has already delivered a prophecy against Edom in which he warned of God’s vengeance on them for their treachery towards Judah in her time of weakness. Now, Ezekiel expands on the theme once more.

Since the previous chapter took us to the heights of the glory of Israel’s restoration, why would Ezekiel follow up with repeating a prophecy against Edom? The answer seems to lie in the fact that these chapters were delivered soon after the news of Jerusalem’s collapse had come to Ezekiel. That is to say, when he was prophesying Israel’s restoration, Ezekiel received news that what he prophesied earlier, in chapter 25, was now actually coming to pass. Therefore, he was commenting on the Word of the Lord being fulfilled.

We should note that the word “Edom” does not occur in this prophecy section.  Rather, “Mount Seir” – the mountainous region east of the Arbah, the rift valley running south from the Dead Sea, where the Edomites lived. Today, this area lies in the Kingdom of Jordan.  Chapters 35-36 speak of a contrast between Mount Seir (Edomites) and the “Mountains of Israel” (the Israelites).  

Edom was comprised of the descendants of Esau. Israel is comprised of the descendants of Jacob. Of course, the Arab peoples were descended from Ishmael. All three men were descended from Abraham…as was Jesus, through His mother. (After all, He is God, made flesh) There is a saying in the World today that goes, “We are all children of Abraham.” The idea behind the statement is that it doesn’t matter what religion you choose; we are all in right standing with God. Ezekiel would have issues with that statement because God distinguishes between “Abraham’s children” throughout this prophecy. He even divides His own people between apostate and “remnant.” “Faithful Abraham” is as “faithful Abraham” does. (Romans 9:6-13) My main takeaway from today’s short chapter is that God has a standard by which the World is being judged, and just because He takes His time (in our estimation), getting around to His judgment doesn’t mean it won’t eventually come to pass.

“The Word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and say to them: This is what the Lord God says to the shepherds: Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who have been feeding themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed their flock? You eat the fat, wear the wool, and butcher the fattened animals, but you do not tend the flock. You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost. Instead, you have ruled them with violence and cruelty. They were scattered for lack of a shepherd; they became food for all the wild animals when they were scattered. My flock went astray on all the mountains and every high hill. They were scattered over the whole face of the earth, and there was no one searching or seeking for them.’” Ezekiel 34:1-6 (HCSB)

God loves a good shepherd!   When we think of shepherds of the Bible, we typically gravitate to David, the worship-leading shepherd boy who transcended the sheep fields to slay a giant, command an army, and eventually shepherd a nation. But even David, in his flesh, could act as a bad shepherd. We recall how David commanded for one of his “sheep” (Uriah the Hittite) to be led into the heat of battle, then abandoned so David could steal Uriah’s “lamb” (his wife) Bathsheba. Through David, we learn that even the most upright human shepherds will fail us in fleshly ways. Perhaps that is why David sang, “The Lord is my shepherd…”  Surely, he knew at the deepest level that only God could adequately shepherd His people.  

And that is precisely Ezekiel’s point in today’s passage! The shepherds of Israel were concerned more with the wool and mutton (exploitable byproducts of ministry) than with the wellbeing of the sheep themselves. Feed the sheep? Bad shepherds feed off the sheep, literally eating them for dinner! Perhaps that is why Jesus addressed this issue with the apostle Peter.

“He asked him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me?’ Peter was grieved that He asked him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ He said, ‘Lord, You know everything! You know that I love You.’ ‘Feed My sheep,’ Jesus said.” John 21:17 (HCSB)

And since the Lord is truly our Shepherd, we can understand why Jesus addressed Himself in this manner:

“‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, the hired man leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. This happens because he is a hired man and doesn’t care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me, as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep.’” John 10:11-15 (HCSB)

And, precisely, who are the sheep of Messiah’s pasture? Are they not ALL who trust in Him, both Jew and Gentile, who by faith believe in Him? (John 10:16-17)