YEAR 2, WEEK 36, Day 6, Saturday, 9 September 2023

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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Saturday, 9 September 2023:

Ezekiel 10:18-19a — Then the glory of the LORD went out from the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim. And the cherubim lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth before my eyes as they went out….

“Right before the exile into Babylon, the old covenant community lost sight of the fact that the Lord does not limit Himself to one place. True, He chose to make His presence felt in a special way in the Jerusalem temple during the old covenant period. Yet He was by no means imprisoned there. A belief that God could never leave His temple, however, was commonly held during the ministries of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Thus, the people paid little heed to the warnings of these prophets to repent lest Jerusalem be destroyed. If the Lord could not leave Jerusalem, how could it be destroyed? ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord’ they would cry in order to shout down the threats of divine judgment (Jer. 7:4).

In this context, the vision God granted to Ezekiel in today’s passage was for the purpose of telling the covenant community that the Lord could not be limited to Jerusalem and that He could easily abandon the physical temple in order to bring about its destruction. Ezekiel saw the same chariot-throne that he wrote about in chapter 1 of his book, only this time the chariot was parked outside the temple (10:1ï¾–3). The glory of God left His place above the cherubim of the ark in the Holy of Holies and exited the temple, carried off by the chariot (vv. 4ï¾–22). By this vision, Ezekiel saw that Yahweh was leaving the place where His people normally met with Him, opening up Jerusalem to the invasion of its enemies.

For those with the eyes of faith, God’s willingness to leave His temple in Jerusalem was also a positive sign. If the Lord was not limited to Mount Zion and could leave His house there, then He could go with the faithful remnant into exile and protect them. History shows us that this is exactly what God did. He was with Daniel, Ezekiel, Esther, and the other believing exiles when they were in foreign lands. Such is His grace that He never utterly abandons His true children.” (Ligonier Ministries)

Ezekiel 10:22 — Each one of them went straight forward.

Followers of God walk straight paths, turning neither to the left or to the right. They are wholehearted and fully committed, not distracted by any temptation or worthless thing. None of us live this out perfectly, but this is the goal.

• Psalm 5:8 — Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.
• Proverbs 3:6 — In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
• Proverbs 4:25 — Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.
• Proverbs 11:5 — The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.
• Proverbs 15:21 — Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense, but a man of understanding walks straight ahead.
• Proverbs 29:27 — An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.
• Jeremiah 31:9 — With weeping they shall come, and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
• Acts 13:10 — …and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?
• Hebrews 12:12 — Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.
• Joshua 23:6 — Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left….

Psalms 103:7 – He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.

From Henry T. Blackaby – “Are you satisfied with merely knowing the acts of God, or do you also want to know His ways? There is a difference. This difference is illustrated in the lives of the children of Israel as compared to Moses. The Israelites witnessed the miracles God performed; they walked across the dry Red Sea just as Moses did. They ate the manna and quail from heaven even as Moses did. They were content to receive God’s provision without ever knowing God Himself. Yet Moses saw beyond the provision of God to the person of God. Others, such as the Egyptian magicians, might perform miraculous acts, but no one else did things the way God did (Exod. 7:11-12). The way God acted provided a window into His nature. If Moses had been content with only God’s power, he could have accepted the presence of an angel and been victorious in his efforts (Exod. 33:15). But Moses wanted to experience more. He wanted to experience God Himself, not just God’s activity. Some today, like the Israelites, are content to experience God’s activity without ever coming to know God. They are the recipients of answered prayer, yet they never come to know the Provider. They are blessed by God’s providential care over their families, their homes, and their jobs, yet they are satisfied not knowing the One from whom the blessings come. They benefit from God’s protection, yet they never become acquainted with the Protector. Have you come to know God more personally as a result of your experiences with Him? As you observe the acts of God, look beyond them to the revelation of His character (Gen. 22:14; John 6:35).

Psalm 103:8-10 – The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.

Our Heavenly Father is the perfect parent we never had and never could be. He disciplines us, not to destroy us but rather to conform us to His will which is for our ultimate best. He will continue to discipline out of us those things which hinder our unity to Him. He allows us to suffer, not to hurt us but rather to build up our Christ-like character. He never gives us what we deserve, which is complete condemnation. In His discipline is love. Because He loves us, He disciplines us and lets us go through difficulties, always under His loving control, that we might grow to know Him, His joy, and His peace. Rejoice, even in suffering, because you know He is doing great things in your life. Yes, it is very hard to keep this perspective in the midst of trials which is why it is so important to always remind yourself of this fact during the easy times so you can be mentally, emotionally, and spiritually prepared for the hard times.

• Hebrews 12:7-17 — It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

Psalm 103:11, 12 – For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

The heavens never end and neither does God’s love for us. If you travel east on the globe, you will never arrive at west (notice the Bible does not say, north to south) – God’s forgiveness for us never ends; there is nothing we can do that is not unforgivable by God if we will turn to Him in true repentance.

Psalm 103:13 – As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

The Lord does not show compassion to everyone all the time in the same way. He shows compassion to His children who honor Him as Lord. God will not be mocked. He knows who are really seeking Him as BOTH Lord and Savior.

Psalm 103:15, 16 — As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.

The proud, arrogant, and rebellious seem to completely lose perspective on their lives, failing to understand that the temporal is nothing compared to the eternal which is in God’s hands.

Psalm 103:15, 16 – As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.

Our time on earth is very fleeting. Our relationship with God is eternal. Invest in what lasts, without losing sight of the fact that eternal life started the day you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Our time on earth is a time to serve God here and now, planting seeds and cultivating them for eternity. Make the most of today for eternity.

Psalm 103:17, 18 — But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.

God’s love is steadfast and everlasting, but it is not for everyone, contrary to what many will preach.

Psalm 103:20, 21 — Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will!

God’s people are not the ones who say they obey His word and do His will. God’s people are not the ones who carelessly proclaim God’s grace. God’s people are the ones who truly seek top obey and do His will from their hearts. The rebellious are very quick to use words like “love” and “grace” to excuse sin. “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor 6:9, 10) “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” (Gal 6:7) “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” (James 1:16-18)

Proverbs 9:7-8 – Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

Jesus told His disciples to invest their time and energy on those who would accept their message and to ‘shake the dust off their feet and walk away’ from those who were clearly not willing to listen — “And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.” (Matthew 10:14) We are called to proclaim the Gospel to all but most importantly to make disciples of those who would follow Jesus. Pay close attention to Jesus’ Great Commission to us: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mathew 28:19, 20)

Again, God did not call us to just make believers, He called us, you and I, to make disciples, teaching them “to observe all” He commanded, to be priests on this earth. (1 Peter 2:5-9) That means you must first be a good example of a priest, knowing how to rightly divine and to teach God’s word, and you must lead others in walking in the word. It is much, much more than simply sitting in church and in small group Bible studies, it is hitting the streets with fellow believers as the Spirit leads, like Jesus did with His twelve. It means getting dirty and stepping out in faith into the unknown. It means learning how to discern who is already being convicted by the Holy Spirit and then ministering to them. Are you ready to accept the Great Commission? Do you have mentees who are equally committed to following Jesus? As you lead others, remember to lead them as a mere follower of Jesus – it is always about Jesus and not about you. Never, ever point to yourself, always to Jesus.

Proverbs 9:10 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

There is a difference between knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. The world is full of very knowledgeable people but very few are truly wise, possessing understanding and wisdom. Knowledge is knowing what is; understanding is knowing why it is; and wisdom is knowing what to do about it – how to rightly apply knowledge. As someone once said, “You can teach a monkey how to shoot a gun, but you can’t teach a monkey when it’s right to shoot a gun.” Just as it would be very dangerous to give a monkey a gun, so it is very dangerous to have knowledge without wisdom. As C.S. Lewis said, “Education without values seems rather to make man a more clever devil.” To rightly apply knowledge you must first start with “knowledge of the Holy One” — knowing the Truth of God. With a knowledge of God, His Holiness, His Righteousness, His Perfection, His Power, His Love, His Mercy, His Grace, you will stand in total awe, reverence, adoration, and submission before Him (fear of the Lord), seeking above all else, to do what is pleasing to Him, the Creator and Sovereign LORD. In submission to the LORD, guided by the Word of God and the counsel of the Holy Spirit, you can rightly apply knowledge.

• John 14:6 — Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

The wise aren’t guided by feelings, emotion, intuition, or shifting popular opinion but are rather guided by “fear of the Lord” and obedience to the word of God. Contrary to the teachings of popular culture, the Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it (Jeremiah 17:9)?” Though many have knowledge, Romans 1 says that “men… suppress the truth by their wickedness.” God declares, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways…. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8, 9).” Therefore, Proverbs says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones (Proverbs 3:5-8).” Wisdom is not something we can develop within ourselves, it can only be given to us by God. In fact Proverbs says that wisdom was among the first of God’s creations (Proverbs 8:22). Wisdom can only come from God — “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him (James 1:5).”

The Bible contrasts wisdom and foolishness like this: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’ (Ps. 14:1a).” The opposite of fearing the Lord (which is the foundation of wisdom) is denying the Lord. Foolishness is not a lack of intelligence, it is a lack of reverence for God. The obvious fool is the atheist who arrogantly claims that there is no God, but when believers choose to disobey God (denying His Lordship in their lives at that moment), they are acting foolishly. For example, the Christian might have knowledge that sex outside of marriage comes with very harmful consequences; wisdom would obey God’s commands related to sex, but foolishness would succumb to emotion and selfish desire. Ultimately, the Bible says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows (Galatians 6:7).”

Finally, it is important to note that you can have knowledge without wisdom, but the opposite is not true. Christians are absolutely not anti-intellectual. As we continue to read through the Bible, you will see countless verses related to the value of obtaining knowledge. It is popular today for atheists to claim that Christianity is opposed to science. Nothing could be further from the truth as long as we are talking about true science which is a system of knowledge dealing with demonstrable facts related to the physical world. The Bible points out that God is revealed through nature; so, an honest study of nature would only further reveal the wonders of God. What Christians reject is false science – un-provable hypotheses, based on atheism, taught as “truth” in the name of science.

• 1 Corinthian 1:18-31 — For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

We are only as wise and spiritual as how well we know Jesus. Jesus explains this in John 17. It is not moralism that saves us. It is Jesus. Jesus doesn’t just want us to live ‘good’ lives and do works of charity so that life might be more comfortable on earth for the lost. Jesus wants us to know Him and lead others to knowing Him.

Proverbs 9:12 – If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

The choice is ours. Will we obey God’s word in total, or will we get wrapped up in the worries of the world? Some “scoff” in obvious ways by denying Jesus, but others “scoff” in less obvious ways by ignoring God’s Great Commandment and Great Commission, the call to live solely as an ambassador for Jesus. Even the demons believe and Jesus, and many church goers scoff – the lukewarm who have lost their light and saltiness.

Proverbs 9:13 – The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing.

Fools are loud, driven by emotion and passion, and lacking in self-control and gentleness.

Proverbs 9:15-16 – The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing. She sits at the door of her house; she takes a seat on the highest places of the town, calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way.

Folly’s message competes with Wisdom’s (Jesus’) message, inviting all to live for self-interest and pleasure. In the competition of ideas, you are called to proclaim Jesus, not moralism or a message the merely promises better living on earth.

Proverbs 9:17 — Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

Fools want something for nothing, take pleasure at the expense of others, seek self-gratification, have a weak sense of responsibility, and tell themselves that their selfishness can be kept to themselves without consequences. There is no such thing as secret sin, and everything done in the darkness will be exposed by the light.

“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 9 September 2023: Today, make you way straight before the Lord, turning neither to the right or the left from His will and word as you keep your gaze upon Him and seek to glorify Him in all you do.