https://literalword.com/esv?q=Psalm+146;+Ezekiel+45
Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Sunday, 18 October 2026:
Psalm 146:1-4 — Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.
Psalm 146 begins the final five psalms, each opening and closing with a call to praise the LORD. The psalmist resolves to worship God throughout his life, then immediately warns against placing ultimate confidence in human leaders. Even the most powerful rulers are mortal, limited in wisdom, and unable to guarantee the promises they make. Their influence eventually ends, their plans perish, and none can provide the salvation humanity most desperately needs. This does not mean Christians should withdraw from civic responsibility or disregard the importance of good government. Rather, it exposes the danger of looking to political leaders, parties, movements, or human institutions to accomplish what only God can do. When our hopes rise and fall with election results, political victories, or the fortunes of earthly leaders, we may have misplaced the confidence and devotion that belong to God alone.
The contrast is especially important for believers living as citizens of God’s eternal kingdom while participating in the kingdoms of this world. Micah anticipated the day when nations would learn God’s ways and walk in His paths, transforming their weapons into instruments of peace (Micah 4:1-4). Yet until God’s kingdom is fully revealed, the world continues to resist His rule, often failing to understand His purposes (Micah 4:11-12). Christians are therefore called to serve as ambassadors for Christ, proclaiming reconciliation with God through the Gospel rather than treating any earthly agenda as humanity’s ultimate hope (2 Corinthians 5:20). Jesus Himself refused to reduce His mission to political liberation, declaring that His kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). Through His death and resurrection, He accomplished what no earthly ruler could: deliverance from sin, reconciliation with God, and the promise of eternal life. We should seek justice, exercise responsible citizenship, and pray for those in authority, but our deepest loyalty and greatest confidence must remain in Christ. Have political concerns captured more of your attention, passion, and conversation than the Gospel? Are you more eager to persuade others to support your political convictions than to help them know and follow Jesus?
- 2 Corinthians 5:20 — Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Psalm 146:5-10 — Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free; the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!
Unlike mortal rulers, God possesses unlimited power, perfect faithfulness, and an eternal reign. He created everything, keeps His promises forever, and exercises His authority with righteousness and compassion. The psalmist’s description of God’s rule is striking because it focuses not on the powerful and influential, but on those most easily neglected or exploited: the oppressed, hungry, imprisoned, blind, burdened, foreigners, widows, and orphans. God’s greatness is revealed not merely in His sovereignty over creation, but in His personal concern for the vulnerable. His justice defends those who suffer wrong, while His mercy provides for those who cannot adequately protect or provide for themselves. Unlike fallen human authorities, God possesses the perfect wisdom to uphold justice without compromising righteousness or withholding mercy where mercy is appropriate.
These words find their fullest expression in Jesus Christ. When Jesus announced His ministry, He declared that He had come to proclaim good news to the poor, liberty to captives, and recovery of sight to the blind (Luke 4:18-21). Throughout His earthly ministry, He fed the hungry, healed the blind, restored the broken, welcomed outsiders, and demonstrated extraordinary compassion toward those society overlooked. Yet His greatest work went beyond relieving temporary suffering. At the cross, Jesus bore the judgment our sins deserved, satisfying God’s righteousness while extending mercy to sinners. Through His resurrection, He broke the power of sin and death and opened the way to everlasting fellowship with God. The Gospel reveals that divine justice and mercy are not competing virtues; both are gloriously displayed in Christ. As Paul explains, God is both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:26).
Those united with Christ are called to reflect the character of the King they worship. Genuine praise cannot be separated from obedience, nor can love for God be divorced from love for people. Jesus said that those who love Him will keep His commandments (John 14:15), and He taught that serving the hungry, stranger, sick, and imprisoned is an expression of devotion to Him (Matthew 25:35-40). James likewise reminds us that true religion includes caring for orphans and widows in their affliction while keeping ourselves unstained by the world (James 1:27). We cannot claim to delight in God’s justice while remaining indifferent to those suffering injustice, or celebrate His mercy while refusing to show mercy ourselves. Yet our compassion must remain grounded in the Gospel, addressing both immediate human needs and the deeper need for reconciliation with God. Does your treatment of vulnerable people reflect the compassion of Christ? Is your worship evident in how you use your time, resources, influence, and opportunities to serve others? Do you truly trust the eternal King enough to follow His ways even when they conflict with the priorities of the world?
Ezekiel 45:1-8 — “When you allot the land as an inheritance, you shall set apart for the LORD a portion of the land as a holy district…. And to the prince shall belong the land on both sides of the holy district and the property of the city…. And my princes shall no more oppress my people, but they shall let the house of Israel have the land according to their tribes.”
Following the return of God’s glory to the temple and the restoration of faithful worship, Ezekiel’s vision turns to the organization of the land and the responsibilities of its rulers. Before the people receive their inheritance, a portion is set apart for the LORD, including land for the sanctuary, priests, Levites, and city. The arrangement places God’s presence and worship at the center of the nation’s life. The land ultimately belongs to Him, and the people are to order their lives around His holiness rather than treating Him as an addition to their own ambitions.
The prince also receives a designated inheritance, but with an important restriction: he must no longer oppress God’s people or seize their property. Israel’s earlier rulers had repeatedly abused their authority, exploiting those they were appointed to protect. God’s restored order would not permit leaders to enrich themselves at the expense of others. Authority was to be exercised as stewardship under God’s rule, not as an opportunity for personal gain.
This vision points toward Jesus Christ, the righteous King who exercises perfect authority without exploitation or selfish ambition. Unlike rulers who take from their subjects, Jesus gave Himself for His people. Though He possessed all authority, He came to serve and give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:42-45). Through His sacrifice, He establishes a people who belong to God and are called to reflect His character. Those united with Christ must therefore reject the world’s understanding of power as a means of advancing themselves. Whether leading a family, managing employees, exercising civic responsibility, or influencing others, we are called to protect, serve, and seek the good of those entrusted to our care. Does your exercise of authority reflect Christ’s sacrificial love, or do you use your position to secure your own comfort and advantage?
Ezekiel 45:9-12 — “Thus says the Lord GOD: Enough, O princes of Israel! Put away violence and oppression, and execute justice and righteousness. Cease your evictions of my people, declares the Lord GOD. You shall have just balances, a just ephah, and a just bath.”
God’s command to Israel’s rulers is unmistakable. They must abandon violence, oppression, and the unjust seizure of property, replacing exploitation with righteousness and justice. The instructions concerning honest weights and measures extend this requirement into everyday economic life. God is concerned not only with worship in His sanctuary but also with fairness in commerce, the treatment of neighbors, and the integrity of ordinary transactions. A society cannot claim to honor God while tolerating dishonesty and exploitation. Worship that does not influence how we conduct business, handle money, and treat others is fundamentally inconsistent with God’s holiness.
The command also exposes the human heart. We may condemn corruption in political leaders while excusing smaller forms of dishonesty in our own lives. We may demand fairness when others have power over us yet become less concerned about fairness when we hold the advantage. Jesus confronted this same hypocrisy when He condemned religious leaders who carefully observed outward religious requirements while neglecting justice, mercy, and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23). Genuine righteousness must begin with a heart transformed by God’s grace and extend into every relationship and responsibility.
Through the Gospel, Christ forgives our unrighteousness and gives us His Spirit to produce a new way of living. Paul instructs believers to abandon stealing and instead work honestly so they can share with those in need (Ephesians 4:28). The transformation is profound: rather than asking how much we can gain from others, we begin asking how we can serve and bless them. Honesty becomes more than avoiding punishment; it becomes an expression of love for God and neighbor. Are you as committed to fairness when it costs you something as when it benefits you? Do your financial decisions, business practices, and personal relationships demonstrate the integrity of someone who belongs to Christ?
Ezekiel 45:13-17 – “This is the offering that you shall make…. All the people of the land shall be obliged to give this offering to the prince in Israel. It shall be the prince’s duty to furnish the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings, at the feasts, the new moons, and the Sabbaths, all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel: he shall provide the sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, to make atonement on behalf of the house of Israel.”
God establishes a system in which the people contribute offerings and the prince bears responsibility for providing what is necessary for the nation’s worship. Rather than exploiting the people to satisfy his own desires, the prince is to use the resources entrusted to him to support their relationship with God. Leadership is therefore inseparable from spiritual responsibility. Those entrusted with resources and authority must use them faithfully for the good of others and the glory of God.
The sacrificial system also reminds Israel that fellowship with a holy God requires atonement. Sin cannot simply be overlooked, and religious devotion cannot erase guilt. Yet these repeated sacrifices could never provide the final and complete cleansing humanity needs. They anticipated Jesus Christ, whose perfect sacrifice accomplished what the blood of animals could not. Through His once-for-all offering, Christ secured forgiveness and opened the way for believers to draw near to God (Hebrews 10:10-14, 19-22). Unlike the prince in Ezekiel’s vision, who provides sacrifices on behalf of the people, Jesus is both our perfect High Priest and the sacrifice Himself. He does not merely facilitate reconciliation; He accomplishes it through His own blood.
Because we have been redeemed at such a cost, our resources and responsibilities should become instruments of worship. Paul urges believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God (Romans 12:1). This means that generosity, stewardship, and service are not separate from worship but expressions of a life surrendered to Christ. Do you view your income, possessions, abilities, and influence primarily as resources for personal satisfaction, or as gifts entrusted to you for God’s purposes? Does your generosity reflect gratitude for the immeasurable sacrifice Christ made for you?
Ezekiel 45:18-25 – “Thus says the Lord GOD: In the first month, on the first day of the month, you shall take a bull from the herd without blemish, and purify the sanctuary…. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall celebrate the Feast of the Passover…. In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month and for the seven days of the feast, he shall make the same provision for sin offerings, burnt offerings, and grain offerings, and for the oil.”
The chapter concludes with instructions for purifying the sanctuary and observing the appointed feasts. The repeated emphasis on cleansing and sacrifice reinforces the seriousness of sin and the necessity of approaching God according to His provision. The inclusion of sacrifices for sins committed unintentionally reminds us that guilt is not limited to deliberate rebellion. Our understanding of our own sinfulness is incomplete, and we need God’s mercy even where we have failed to recognize our wrongdoing.
The Passover recalls God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt through the blood of the lamb. Its fulfillment is found in Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb, whose sacrifice delivers us from a far greater bondage (1 Corinthians 5:7). Just as Israel’s redemption preceded its life of covenant obedience, our salvation begins not with what we do for God but with what Christ has done for us. His blood cleanses us from sin, and His resurrection gives us new life. We no longer depend upon repeated animal sacrifices because Christ has accomplished the decisive work of redemption.
Yet the purpose of redemption is not merely forgiveness; it is restored fellowship with God and a life increasingly conformed to His character. Jesus taught that true worshipers worship the Father in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). Worship in spirit is not detached from truth, and worship in truth cannot remain detached from obedience. Those who have been reconciled to God through Christ are called to live as His holy people, expressing their devotion through righteousness, mercy, generosity, and love. Are you content with receiving forgiveness while resisting the transformation Christ desires to accomplish in you? Does your daily conduct demonstrate that you belong to the One who redeemed you?
Psalm 146 and Ezekiel 45 complement one another by revealing both the character of God’s righteous kingdom and the responsibilities of those who belong to it. The psalm declares that God alone deserves our ultimate trust because He reigns forever, executes justice, protects the vulnerable, and faithfully provides for His people. Ezekiel shows what life under that righteous rule should look like: leaders who refuse to exploit others, honest dealings, faithful stewardship, and worship grounded in God’s provision for atonement. Both passages expose the emptiness of religious devotion that does not produce righteousness and compassion. Both direct our hope beyond imperfect earthly rulers to Jesus Christ, the eternal King who embodies God’s justice and mercy, gives Himself for sinners, and transforms those who trust Him into people who reflect His character. We are citizens of His kingdom and ambassadors of His Gospel, called not merely to proclaim His reign but to demonstrate His righteousness and love in the world around us. The question is whether our loyalties, priorities, and conduct reveal that Christ truly reigns in our hearts.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 18 October 2026: Today, identify one person who is vulnerable, burdened, or in need of practical help, and take one specific action to serve that person before the day ends. Meet a tangible need through your time, resources, or personal assistance, doing so as an expression of Christ’s compassion and without seeking recognition.
Pray: “Heavenly Father, You alone are my King, my hope, and my salvation. Thank You for Your perfect justice, unfailing mercy, and the redemption You have provided through Jesus Christ. Forgive me for placing too much confidence in earthly powers, seeking my own advantage, or neglecting those in need. Fill me with Your Spirit so that my worship is expressed through obedience, integrity, generosity, and love. Help me to live as a faithful citizen of Your kingdom, reflecting the character of Christ and proclaiming His Gospel through my words and actions. Amen.”
