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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Tuesday, 19 September 2023:
Ezekiel 20:3 – Thus says the Lord God, Is it to inquire of me that you come? As I live, declares the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you.
God does not listen to the self-serving requests of those who refuse to obey Him. He does not exist to give sinners what they want out of life. He is God, and we exist to love Him, serve Him, and bring glory to Him. You cannot approach God in pride and self-centeredness and expect Him to respond to you as if you were anything at all. You too easily neglect God’s Holiness.
Ezekiel 20:7 — Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves…. I am the Lord your God.
Upon what do you set your gaze? What you choose to view and focus on reveals the condition of your heart, but also what you view and focus on effects the condition of you heart. Humans are very visually oriented beings, and we think in pictures. How important is it to keep your eyes from viewing what is detestable to the Lord? How many images are burned in your brain from movies that you mistakenly watched or magazines that you read that you wish you could erase from your memory? The Bible says, “Above all else, guard your hearts (Proverbs 4:23),” and to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:12). In no small part, we guard our hearts and renew our minds by gazing both physically and imaginatively, only on things which bring glory to God.
Job made a covenant with his eyes not to look at women lustfully stating that the heart is “lead” by the eyes (Job 31:1,7). Psalm 25:15 reminds us that our eyes should be ever on the Lord, and the Psalmist proclaims, “I will set before my eyes no vile thing (Psalm 101:3).” Proverbs says that a wise man looks straight ahead, but fools eyes wander. Has your eye ever wandered? Virtually every time I turn on the TV, I regret it. Though I rarely watch TV, the other day I turned it on and a sex scene popped up (adulterous of course). The networks show this stuff because it sells. If God’s people refused to support these vile shows, they would no longer air. However, the Church accepts it. Often, I question why I still have a TV. I would much rather go uninformed than to dishonor God by allowing “wickedness [into my] tent (Job 22:23).” The referenced verse above reminds us why we should take this so seriously: “I am the Lord your God.” Remove from your sight what is unpleasing to the Lord because your Lord is God, and He has commanded that you be holy because He is Holy. No weak excuses – just do it, and do it now.
Ezekiel 20:8 – But they rebelled against me and were not willing to listen to me.
God sees knowingly disobeying His word as rebellion. Rebellion against the KING of kings is no small thing. How will your church characterize sin this Sunday? Count how many times the words sin, repent, and Jesus are used in your church this morning.
Ezekiel 20:9 – But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt.
What God does, He does for His sake and His name. He will glorify Himself through you in either positive ways or negative ways. God cannot allow His representatives to misrepresent Him through disobedience or silence. He will punish the sins of His children for the integrity of His name and character.
Ezekiel 20:14, 22 – But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations…. But I withheld my hand and acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out.
Time and time again, we are reminded that God works in and through our lives primarily to bring glory to Himself, to reveal Himself to others and to call people to return to Him.
Ezekiel 20:11, 13, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26 — I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live…. They did not walk in my statutes but rejected my rules…. for their heart went after their idols…. And I said to their children in the wilderness, Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor keep their rules, nor defile yourselves with their idols. I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules… that you may know that I am the Lord your God…. But the children rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes…. Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and rules by which they could not have life, and I defiled them through their very gifts in their offering up all their firstborn, that I might devastate them. I did it that they might know that I am the Lord.
God’s commands are not hard to find or hard to understand; they bring life. God expects all people to follow His commands but allows for choice. Love must be a choice for it to be love. When people reject God, the people create their own laws, rules, and religious practices which bring death and defilement. In Ezekiel’s day, God had turned the people over to their own laws and rules so that they were even killing their own babies in pursuit of their desires; God allowed this that He “might devastate them” and “that might know that I am the Lord.” God also intends to reveal how evil people can become when controlled by sin.
This upcoming January will mark another anniversary of Roe V. Wade, resulting in over 70 million legal abortions since then. What has been the justification for this slaughter? I will allow the supporters of abortion to speak for themselves: “The legitimacy of sexual activity separated from procreation…. The presence of legal abortion has meant that millions of American women have been able to have the families they wished for, whether that meant delaying having children until a time that they could be adequately taken care of or forgoing childbearing altogether. An under-recognized benefit of abortion is that it has enabled child spacing, which has positive health benefits for both women and children. Coinciding as it did with the re-emergence of the women’s movement and the introduction of oral contraception (the “pill”), legal abortion was part of a package that helped facilitate the entrance of American women, in the 1970s and beyond, into various professions and occupations in unprecedented numbers.” (Carole Joffe, “Dispatches from the Abortion Wars: The Costs of Fanaticism to Doctors, Patients and the Rest of Us”) Wow. How do we think God will respond to a society that has preferred these values?
Ezekiel 20:18, 19 – Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor keep their rules, nor defile yourselves with their idols. I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules.
We are called to respect all authority and to obey earthly authorities, but in so doing, we can never disobey God. Parents should teach children to follow Jesus, but even the most dedicated Christian parents at times set the wrong example and teach the wrong things. Only God’s word and the teaching of the Holy Spirit is perfect.
Ezekiel 20:32 — What is in your mind shall never happen—the thought, “Let us be like the nations, like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and stone.”
God’s people should never chase after the idols of the world like everyone else does. Our life isn’t about acquiring created things, our life is about growing in love for the Creator, Jesus. Everyone is motivated by different things. Be motivated by the love of Christ.
Ezekiel 20:42-43 – And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the country that I swore to give to your fathers. And there you shall remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves, and you shall loathe yourselves for all the evils that you have committed.
A real relationship with God has to start with heartfelt, genuine repentance, hating the sin God abhors and desiring to sin no longer that you might please the one you love, Jesus.
Ezekiel 20:44 – And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord God.
God responds to the truly repentant sinner with mercy and grace, further revealing to the world His love and faithfulness. This is at the heart of the Good News. God loved the sinful world so much, He sent His Son that we might have eternal life, a renewed relationship with Him, and freedom from bondage. Is this your life message to others or are you keeping this a secret.
Ezekiel 20:18, 19 — And I said to their children in the wilderness, Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor keep their rules, nor defile yourselves with their idols. I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules.
You have to make a decision about whose rules you are going to follow, God’s or everyone else’s. God’s rules will stand in contrast with societal rules, customs, and traditions. Many things you have been taught since childhood are wrong. It takes great faith to break the rules of society in order to honor the rules of God, but don’t even think about disobeying the KING for sake of mortals, even those very close to you.
Ezekiel 20:39 – Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols.
God allows the unrepentant to prioritize other things in your life over Him, to allow other things to be a greater practical influence (factor in decision-making) in their life than Him, but they will suffer the consequences, the first being a separation from Him and a lack of real power in their prayers. When Christians surrender to idols like selfishness, careerism, entertainment, etc, their prayers cease to be effectual, and they start to imagine answers from God, telling themselves what they want to hear – “I think what God is telling me is….” If you have been around the church for long at all, you have seen this. With the faithful Christian, there is never any question when the Almighty God has spoken, and there is never any question as to what He said.
Hebrews 4:2 – For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.
The word must be believed in faith in order to have benefit. Without faith, you can’t really hear the word.
Hebrews 4:8 – For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on.
Joshua in the Old Testament pointed to Jesus as does the entire Old Testament.
Hebrews 4:12, 13 – For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
God’s word exposes your heart and shows you if your attitudes and thoughts please God. How has God’s Word penetrated your heart lately? Has the Holy Spirit used certain passages in the Scriptures to strike at your conscience? Has the Counselor revealed a place where your life is not in conformity to Christ? Are you struggling with gossip, hatred, anger, bitterness, greed, pride, jealousy, fear, ingratitude, etc? Regardless of how well you hide your sin from public view, the Holy Spirit will convict you through God’s Word.
One response to the discomfort of conviction is to avoid reading the Bible; perhaps this is one reason why so many find it so hard to “find time” for Bible reading. Better to be continually washed by the Word (Eph 5:26).
Others will approach the Scriptures superficially, avoiding too much painful introspection. Perhaps for them the Bible becomes “Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there (Isaiah 28:10)” as described in our readings this morning. However, the Holy Spirit looks beyond outward actions to address the motives of your heart.
Far better to approach your daily Scripture readings with the prayer of the psalmist: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23, 24).” Do not quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19). “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden you heart (Hebrews 3:7).” Be transformed “by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2).” Read; respond, and walk in the Light (1 John 1:7). Let’s continue to encourage each other along the way.
From Henry T. Blackaby — Does God’s word ever cause you discomfort? When you read the Bible does what you read make you uneasy? Do you find when you listen to sermons, that the Scripture seems aimed directly at you? You are experiencing the reality that the word of God is alive and can read your thoughts and judge your intentions. When God’s word speaks to you it is always for a purpose. God knows your heart and knows what you need to do to bring your life into conformity to Christ. If you have a problem with sinful talk, the word that comes to you will address the tongue. If you are struggling to forgive, God’s word will confront you with His standard for forgiveness. If pride has a stronghold in your life, God’s word will speak to you about humility. Whatever sin needs addressing, you will find you are confronted by God’s word on the matter…. Regularly allow the word of God to wash over you and find any sin or impurity (Eph. 5:26). Always make the connection between your life and what God is saying to you through His word. Make a habit of taking every word from God seriously, knowing that it is able to judge your heart and mind.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 19 September 2023: Do not quench or grieve the Spirit. Respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and grow in conformity to the character of Christ.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 