Pleasing God

O. T. #1858  "Pleasing God"

January 12, 2020

Ezekiel 5-Part 2

And she hath changed My judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and My statutes more than the countries that are round about her; for they have refused My judgments and My statutes, they have not walked in them (verse 6)

LET IT GLOW

So I looked for some encouragement for us believers in Jesus. It is hard to find in another book of prophesies written for the purpose of correcting God's chosen people, Israel and Judah. Yet, I found it in Rick Warren's book, The Purpose Driven Life, which I think can apply to us:

You were planned for God's pleasure. You exist for His benefit, His glory, His purpose, and His delight. Bringing enjoyment to God, living for His pleasure, is the first purpose of your life. We often forget that God has emotions, too. He feels things very deeply. The Bible tells us that God grieves, gets jealous and angry, and feels compassion, pity, sorrow, and sympathy as well as pleasure, rejoices, enjoys, and even laughs.

You created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created. (Rev. 4:11 NLT)

The Lord takes pleasure in His people. (Psalm 149:4a TEV)

Anything we do that brings God pleasure is an act of worship. Are we being a faithful servant of Jesus Christ? Are we striving to please our heavenly Father with our life and faith? Are we sharing His love today?

 

 

LET IT GROW

Here is another sign given to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. Again Ezekiel is given specific instructions from God to be an illustration of those things to come. What was Ezekiel the prophet/priest told to do?

• He was told to take a take a sharp sword and use it as a razor upon his head and beard. (verse 1)
• Then he was to use a scale to weigh the hair and divide the it into thirds. (verse 2)
• Ezekiel was to take the first third of hair and burn it inside the city drawn on the bricks. This represented the people left in Jerusalem who were going to be besieged and burned with fire inside the city at the time of its destruction, which is exactly what happened to them.
• The second third of hair Ezekiel took and smote it with a knife, really working it over. This depicted that those people who lived through the siege fell by the sword. 
• The last third of hair was scattered in the wind by Ezekiel. They went down to Egypt taking Jeremiah with them. They were scattered among the nations.
• Then Ezekiel was to take a little bit of the hairs and bind them in his skirts (border; an edge or extremity; uttermost part) . To me, this refers to the tunic which is an outer garment that priests wore. He was to take those hairs and throw them into the fire. A few number of Jews would be a faithful remnant whom God would preserve. They would escape the fire and sword would continue to be subjected to the fire of chastisement and judgment, for some would not have genuine faith in God.

What a terrible chastisement and judgment by the Lord. Israel was chosen to be a witness to the nations of what God can do through a people who obey Him. Israel rebelled by rejecting the Lord and all He represents, going their own way, serving idols, shedding blood, and becoming worse than their neighbors. Therefore, God's punishments came from His displeasure, anger, and fury. He is gracious, merciful, and slow to anger. He is justified in what He did to Judah after several decades of their sins.

 Is our commitment to Jesus genuine and heartfelt? Are we walking by faith and not by sight? Are we allowing the events of this world to keep us in fear or faith?

LET IT GO

Obey God's Word, applying it to my daily life.

Trust God in the good times and hard times.

Walk by faith.