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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Sunday, 15 October 2023:
Ezekiel 48:14 – They shall not sell or exchange any of it. They shall not alienate this choice portion of the land, for it is holy to the Lord.
God gave man no rights over the temple property. You are God’s temple. No other person has rights over God’s temple which is your body. You have no independent rights over yourself or your body either – it is solely dedicated for God’s will on earth. Your authority over your body is only to do God’s will with your body. Most unbelievers could neither understand such a statement nor tolerate it.
Ezekiel 48:11 – This shall be for the consecrated priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept my charge, who did not go astray when the people of Israel went astray, as the Levites did. And it shall belong to them as a special portion from the holy portion of the land, a most holy place, adjoining the territory of the Levites.
Ezekiel extols the sons of Zadok as staunch opponents of paganism during the era of its pagan worship and indicates their birthright to unique duties and privileges in the future temple (Ezekiel 42:13, 43:19). Because of their faithfulness, they earned praise and responsibilities over the Levites.
The choicest position, a most holy place, is given to the faithful sons of Zadok who remained faithfully obedient to God despite the fact that all the other priests didn’t. Ezekiel mentions the sons of Zadok three times, despite the fact that he was not a descendant of Zadok. You can review the story of Zadok’s faithfulness in opposition to popular opinion in 2 Samuel 15-1 Kings 4. Do we have the faith in God and the substance of character to go the way we think is right even if everyone else goes the other direction? That was the resolve of Zadok, and we are in desperate need of that kind of leadership right now. Where are the voices like John the Baptist who would challenge the Herods of our day?
Ezekiel 48:35 – The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There.
One of our challenges is that Bible prophesy uses a lot of symbolism. Ezekiel 47 and 48 use a lot of symbolism when describing the future Temple and Holy City where the Lord will dwell – “And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There.” One important example of that symbolism is that of the Life Giving Water. We are very fortunate because we as Christians have been given the greater revelation that the Life Giving Water is the Spirit which flows from Jesus – “…but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life…. Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 4:14; John 7:37-39) From our more enlightened position, we can learn more from Ezekiel than people could have when it was written. Consider what Ezekiel reveals about the Spirit flowing from Jesus – a small ‘trickle’ emanating from the Temple turns into a mighty river (swimming depths) which follows a geographically impossible path (countering gravity) and brings incredible life to everything it touches. Compare this picture with the parables Jesus gives about the Kingdom. In the prophesy the river “flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea” – impossible. (v. 47:8) The sea is the Dead Sea, and to get there from Jerusalem via the route Ezekiel describes, it would have to flow down to the Kidron Valley, up over the Mount of Olives, and then cross through a series of other valleys and mountain ranges. Gravity and other forces and pressures make this impossible for an ordinary river, but this is no ordinary river, and that is further confirmed by what happens when the river reaches the Dead Sea. The salinity of the Dead Sea is so great that nothing lives in it. But when the river from the temple reaches it, the water is instantly transformed and can support fish “of very many kinds” (vv. 47:8–10). Fruit trees line the river that flows through what was a desert in Ezekiel’s era and remains so today (v. 47:12). This vision describes the power of the Spirit flowing from Jesus and merely ‘trickling’ down the walls of the Temple – Wow! One day, God will rebuild His Temple (literally and/or figuratively) on a New Earth, but until that day, what does the New Testament say about the temple on earth?
– 1 Corinthians 3:16 — Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
– 1 Corinthians 3:17 — If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
– 1 Corinthians 6:19 — Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own…
– 2 Corinthians 3:3 — And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
– Ephesians 2:18-22 — For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
– Revelation 3:12 — The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.
Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm in the Bible and uses each letter of the Hebrew alphabet to teach a spiritual lesson. Psalm 119 is a great Psalm to review regularly. Read the whole thing and see if it does not inspire you to diligently study and live by God’s Word.
Psalm 119:5 – Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!
Is this your earnest desire?
Psalm 119:9-16 – How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.
A wholehearted seeking of the Lord requires fully committed Bible study, memorization, and application. It also requires evangelism. Are you a wholehearted follower of Jesus?
Psalm 119:18 – Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
Anyone, through intellectual knowledge, can know what is in the Bible, but it requires the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit to truly understand what it means, and it takes the power of the Holy Spirit to live it. Godliness is much more than an intellectual pursuit; it is a spiritual endeavor. Some of the most influential atheists in the world can quote the Bible better than many Christians; in fact, Satan tempted Jesus with Bible quotes. Spiritual discernment however is available only to those saved through Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 119:20 – My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.
Is this your consuming longing today? You might say, “I don’t want rules; I want Jesus.” Good, but understand that the rules of God are the application of His desires and intent, a reflection of what is on His heart; they are His perfect will. Shouldn’t you care most about what Jesus cares most about if you are desiring to be His real friend and to walk with Him? Or, do you want a relationship with Him only on your terms?
Psalm 119:30 – I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me.
Love and faithfulness go hand-in-hand. Have you chosen the way of love and faithfulness?
Psalm 119:36 – Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!
Selfishness is what separates you from God. This is why Jesus said the first step to coming after Him is to deny self.
Psalm 119:46, 47 – I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame, for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love.
Testifying about Jesus is not hard at all for someone who truly loves Him and knows His word.
Psalm 119:51 – The insolent utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from your law.
Throughout all of history, God’s people have had to endure ridicule from the ungodly. This is inevitable. Rejoice if you find yourself in the company of the many faithful who have suffered before you as you carry on the torch of the Good News.
Psalm 119:72 – The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
Something will have priority in your life, God or something else. Most people who claim to be Christian are actually influenced day-to-day by a higher priority than Jesus, usually something connected to self-preservation or self-fulfillment. Following Jesus will always be a leap of faith and love, requiring you to give up your life that you may have real life in Him.
Psalm 119:90 – Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast.
Opinions about God change from generation to generation, but God doesn’t change. Your personal opinion matters little unless your opinion is God’s unchanging truth revealed through His word and the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 119:99, 100 – I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.
The learned scholars are but blind guides as are the theologians with seminary degrees who do not live out the words of Jesus and glorify Him alone in absolute humility. The greatest spiritual leader in your community may be the man on the street corner who no one notices. Man-made positions and recognitions are not God’s measure of success. Find and surround yourself with the true followers of Jesus.
Psalm 119:129 – Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them.
Ultimately, obedience only comes from love. If you are trying to obey from a position of fear, self-righteousness or duty, you will still fall short because anything other than love is self-centered.
Psalm 119:136 – My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.
When was the last time you were consumed in sorrow by the sins of others?
Psalm 119:147, 148 – I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.
Do you begin and end each day with dedicated time with the Lord?
Psalm 119:160 – The sum of your word is truth, every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
To know God’s whole truth, you must know His whole word; you must study the Bible in total, not just bits and pieces of it.
Psalm 119:175, 176 – Let my soul live and praise you, and let your rules help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.
We were created to love, obey, worship, and praise God. However, we were also created to be totally dependent upon Him, powerless, and defenseless in our own strength like sheep. We must follow the voice of the Shepherd and remain in His protection. We must follow the Shepherd not trusting in our sheepish knowledge. Sheep like to wander off to their own peril. We must understand that we are just like sheep. Stay as close as you can to the Shepherd.
Psalm 120:1 – In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.
God will not refuse those who genuinely cry out to Him.
Proverbs 15:8 — The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.
Not everyone who goes to church and sacrifices to God is acceptable to God; not everyone who prays to God is accepted by God. God knows the heart. You must approach God with a contrite heart and with the goal of serving Him not to be served by Him.
Proverbs 15:9 — The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but he loves him who pursues righteousness.
The true Christian has been saved through Jesus and made righteous (or right with God) through Jesus, but the true Christian still “pursues” righteousness and holiness with all might, seeking to grow more and more into the image of Jesus. We will never fully achieve the fulfillment of righteousness, holiness, and love on this earth, but this is not an excuse to pursue that aim half-heartedly. Have a holy direction while awaiting holy perfection!
Proverbs 15:26 — The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but gracious words are pure.
The Bible has much to say about the words that come out of your mouth, in part, because your words reveal what is in your heart. Words are very powerful — usually the first way your thoughts enter the tangible world and have an influential impact. Your words transmit your thoughts into the thoughts of others, transferring positive thoughts into their minds or negative thoughts into their minds. Your words will either lift others up or knock them down. They will either instruct or deceive. They will either unite or divide. They will make people feel better or feel worse. Jesus said, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.” (Matthew 12:36) Today, let no careless or ungracious word come out of your mouth. Speak for Jesus (as His ambassador), not for yourself. Ensure every word that comes out of your mouth is a healing word, and encouraging word, a loving word. Don’t transmit negativity into the world, only positivity. Remember, the most powerful word you can use today is “Jesus.”
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 15 October 2023: Read Psalm 119 carefully, meditate upon it, and apply it beginning today to your daily walk with Jesus. (see notes above)
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 