Verse of the Week: V23 “And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.”
1. The House Of God (V1-15)
V1 “Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD:”
The mountains or the people of Israel were the house or the family of the Almighty God. God spoke through the prophet Ezekiel that whichever nation or people who shall attack and destroy His house or family, He shall attack and destroy that nation or people.
V12 “Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even my people Israel; and they shall possess thee, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them of men.”
2. The Holiness Of God (V16-24)
V22 “Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.”
God chose the people of Israel not because of what they had done, but because God loved them. Though they sinned against God time and again, yet for the sake of God’s holy name or great name, God kept forgiving them, and even sanctified them in His holiness.
V23 “And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.”
3. The Heart Of God (V25-38)
V26 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”
God was so good to His people that He gave them a new heart, a new spirit that they could live a new life serving Him. Indeed, when we believe in the true and living God and become God’s people, whatever God promises to us, He shall fulfil them.
V36 “Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.”
Prayer of the Week:
Dearest God, thank You that I am great and holy because You are great and holy.
Posted by: Pastor Dave Sim AT 05:10 pm
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Verse of the Week: V13 “Thus with your mouth ye have boasted against me, and have multiplied your words against me: I have heard them.”
1. Perpetual Hatred (V1-8)
V2 “Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it,”
The Almighty God spoke through the prophet Ezekiel pronouncing judgement upon the people of mount Seir or Edom, who were the perpetual or long time enemy of Israel. God pronounced severe judgement upon mount Seir because they continued to hate and harm Israel, who was God’s chosen nation. Similarly, God shall judge the people who constantly hate and harm Christians because Christians are God’s people, God’s children.
V5 “Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end:”
2. Perpetual Desolation (V9-12)
V9 “I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.”
God severely punished mount Seir and until today, mount Seir remains a wasteland with few inhabitants. Indeed, God is not mocked and whosoever mock God’s people are actually mocking God, and God shall punish them.
V11 “Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will even do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them, when I have judged thee.”
3. Perpetual Love (V12-15)
V13 “Thus with your mouth ye have boasted against me, and have multiplied your words against me: I have heard them.”
The people of mount Seir were proud and boastful and they thought they could live without God. God heard their boasting and He severely judged and punished them. Indeed, when we humble ourselves and trust in God, we shall be under His perpetual and everlasting love and protection, however, if we are proud and boastful and refuse to believe in God, we shall be under His perpetual judgement and condemnation.
V15 “As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee: thou shalt be desolate, O mount Seir, and all Idumea, even all of it: and they shall know that I am the LORD.”
Prayer of the Week:
Dearest God, thank You for Your everlasting love and protection.
Posted by: Pastor Dave Sim AT 10:17 am
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Verse of the Week: V2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?”
1. The Selfless Shepherd (V1-10)
V2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?”
Instead of feeding the flock, the shepherds of Israel fed themselves! These were the false prophets of God who preached and prophesied God’s Word for their own selfish gain. They served God with the motive of what they could get out of their service instead of serving selflessly. Today, we are also experiencing the same attitude from the false pastors who preach for their own selfish gain instead of the salvation of the people that they may come to know the Lord Jesus and receive Him as their Saviour and Shepherd.
2. The Seeking Shepherd (V11-19)
V11 “For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.”
Ezekiel, like the Lord GOD, was the true shepherd who searched and sought for the lost sheep of Israel, the people of Israel, to repent of their sins and turn to God. Indeed, the true pastor will search and seek for lost souls and share with them the Gospel so that they may know the Lord Jesus and receive Him as their Saviour and Lord.
V12 “As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.”
3. The Serving Shepherd (V20-31)
V23 “And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.”
God’s one shepherd or God’s servant David was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall feed His sheep or the people of God, with the Word of God, and they shall never be hungry or thirsty again. Indeed, the true Shepherd is a serving Shepherd who came to serve, and to die for the sins of the whole world, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life with the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven.
V31 “And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.”
Prayer of the Week:
Dearest God, thank You for being my true Shepherd and Saviour.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 03:37 pm
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Verse of the Week:V3 “If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;”
1. The Faithful Watchman (V1-4)
V3 “If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;”
Christians today are the watchmen in the days of the prophet Ezekiel. The faithful watchmen or Christians are those who blow the trumpet and warn the people that if they refuse to repent of their sins and believe in the true and living God, they will perish in the fiery pits of hell the moment they die.
V4 “Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.”
2. The Unfaithful Watchman (V5-19)
V6 “But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.”
The unfaithful watchmen or Christians are those who refuse to blow the trumpet and warn the people that if they refuse to repent of their sins and believe in God, the people will be condemned to hell the moment they die. God also pronounced that the blood of the people shall be in the hands of these unfaithful watchmen or Christians.
V8 “When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.”
3. The Holy Judge (V20-33)
V20 “Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.”
Instead of repenting their sins, the people of Israel falsely accused God of being unfair. Hence, God pronounced judgments upon the people of Israel. Subsequently God’s judgments came, and many were destroyed, and the people of Israel realized that Ezekiel was indeed the prophet sent by the Almighty God. Indeed, God is fair and He shall judge the sins and wickedness of every man and woman, and no one shall escape His judgment.
V33 “And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.”
Prayer of the Week:
Dearest God, please help me to be Your faithful watchman.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 10:57 am
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Verse of the Week: V31 “Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, saith the Lord GOD.”
1. Lamentation For Egypt (V1-16)
V2 “Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say unto him, Thou art like a young lion of the nations, and thou art as a whale in the seas: and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and troubledst the waters with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers.”
The Almighty God revealed to Prophet Ezekiel that He would severely punish Egypt because Egypt was an enemy of God. Time and again Egypt rebelled against God, and hence, God commanded Prophet Ezekiel to lament for Pharaoh as He would send the mighty Babylonians to humble and destroy Pharaoh and the Egyptians.
V11 “For thus saith the Lord GOD; The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon thee.”
2. Wail For Egypt (V17-30)
V18 “Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit.”
Again, God commanded Ezekiel to wail and lament for the Egyptians that they would repent their sins and believe in God. The Egyptians represent the unbelievers who refuse to repent of their sins and rather choose to enjoy the pleasures of sins than to trust in God. Hence, the Almighty God shall condemn them into the fiery pits of hell on Judgment Day.
V21 “The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword.”
3. Comfort For Egypt (V31-32)
V31 “Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, saith the Lord GOD.”
Instead of repenting his sins, Pharaoh took comfort that the Babylonians and the rest of his enemies would also be slain by the sword and condemned to hell.
V32 “For I have caused my terror in the land of the living: and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain with the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.”
Prayer of the Week:
Dearest God, thank You for being our Friend as You preserves and protects us.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 01:19 pm
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