Verse of the Week: V19 “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:”
1. Man’s Deception (V1-12)
V3 “Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.”
The people of Israel refused to repent of their sins and continued to believe that Jerusalem was invincible until the Babylonians attacked and destroyed them. One of the worst sins is the sin of self deception or lying to one self. It is when we know we have sinned against God and yet we refuse to repent of our sins because of our wicked hearts.
Jeremiah 17:9
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
2. God’s Presence (V13-16)
V13 “And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! Wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?”
When Pelatiah, the wicked leader, died, Prophet Ezekiel knew that God’s judgment was upon the nation of Israel. He prayed and pleaded with God to spare the remnant of Israel and God promised him that His little sanctuary or His presence shall be with the remnant even though they would be scattered abroad among the foreign countries. No matter how tough and difficult is our present situations and circumstances, God is always with us and He shall never forsake us or leave us alone.
V16 “Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.”
3. God’s Healing (V17-25)
V17 “Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”
God is willing to heal His people and give us one heart and a new spirit and a heart of flesh if we will only repent of our sins and serve and worship the true and living God.
V19 “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:”
Prayer of the Week
Dearest God, please give me a new spirit and a heart of flesh to worship You.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 08:04 pm
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Verse of the Week: V18 “Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims.”
1. The Glory Of God Displayed (V1)
V1 “Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.”
God displayed His holiness to Prophet Ezekiel with the appearance of the likeness of a sapphire stone and a throne filled with glory and brightness. Indeed, God’s holiness demands that man repents of his sins and receives God’s holiness by faith and trust in the Almighty God
2. The Glory Of God Sanctified (V2-17)
V2 “And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.”
God’s holiness also demands that He sanctified His people by judging their sins and unholy deeds. God’s prophecy given to Prophet Ezekiel of the coals of fire to be scattered across the city of Israel was fulfilled when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his army attacked, destroyed and burnt the entire city of Jerusalem.
2 Kings 25:9
“And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man’s house burnt he with fire.”
3. The Glory Of God Departed (V18-22)
V18 “Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims.”
This was the saddest time of the history of Israel when the glory of God had departed from the house of God and Israel. It took a while before the glory of God actually departed from Israel because God was patiently waiting for His people to repent of their sins. Except for Ezekiel and a remnant of God’s people, all the prophets, the priests, the Levites and the people refused to repent but continued in their sins before the holy God.
V19 “And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD’s house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.”
Prayer of the Week
Dearest God, please help me to be holy as You are holy.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 08:02 pm
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Verse of the Week: V4 “And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.”
1. God’s Glory Has Departed (V1-3)
V1 “He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.”
God spoke to Prophet Ezekiel that He would destroy the people of Israel because of their grievous sins and wickedness. The grievous sins and wickedness were so great that God’s glory had departed from the house of God. It was the saddest time of the history of Israel.
V3 “And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side;”
2. God’s Men Are Preserved (V4)
V4 “And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst of thereof.”
Though God sent His angels to destroy the wicked there was still a remnant of God’s people who were holy and hated the grievous sins and wickedness of the people of Israel. God commanded His angels to set a mark upon the foreheads of these holy men so that they would be preserved from His judgment.
3. God’s Judgment Is Sure (V5-11)
V6 “Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.”
In the eyes of God, the worst sins were committed by the ancient men who were the priests and the Levites as they were nearest to Him serving in the sanctuary or the house of God. This was why God’s glory had departed from the sanctuary and His judgment was upon the sins of the people of Israel and Judah. God is grieved when His people who are supposed to be the light of the world become the stumbling block of the world.
V9 “Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.”
Prayer of the Week
Dearest God, please help me to be Your holy men in this unholy world.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 08:01 pm
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Verse of the Week: V12 “Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.”
1. God’s Glory (V1-6)
V4 “And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.”
God brought Prophet Ezekiel to see His great glory as well as the great sins of the people. It was a sight that Ezekiel would never forget in his lifetime. He saw both the glory of God in its highest character and the sins of the people in their lowest character.
V6 “He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? Even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? But turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.”
2. God’s Revelation (V7-12)
V7 “And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall.”
God revealed the secret sins of the people to Ezekiel through a hole in the wall. The people who were supposedly to be holy men of God teaching the laws of God were the same people who broke the law and sinned against God just like the rest of the people.
V10 “So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.”
3. God’s Fury (V13-18)
V12 “Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.”
The character of a man is determined when he is in the dark alone facing temptations. God’s blessings are upon a man when he overcomes temptations even when he is alone, however, God’s fury is upon him when he falls into temptations and sins against God. Man’s greatest sin is that of self deception when he thinks that God cannot see his sins.
V18 “Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.”
Prayer of the Week
Dearest God, please help me to do right even when no one else is around.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 08:00 pm
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