November 25, 2006 - Ezekiel 24-26 and I Peter 2
God calls on us as believers to do some very difficult things in His power. This is a part of submitting to Him, and it is part of having faith that His way is right. We must not fight God's will, but follow it in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Ezekiel had to watch the destruction of his country. (24:2) As it was all happening, he had to be the one to point out the sin. That did not make him popular at all, even though there was a lot of scum in the pot that needed to be boiled away. Then, his own wife dies, and Ezekiel is commanded not to mourn, because it was a sign for Israel to go on with their lives, even though they had lost their beloved country. What a blow that must have been! What faith it took to obey God and to go on, but Ezekiel did it all in God's power. Chapters 25 and 26 are prophecies against countries which had rejected Israel as God's people, and they were rejoicing in the fall of Israel. God made sure they knew that they would be punished for this sin. The same is true for the USA today. Many people fault us for supporting Israel, because Israel is not perfect. However, Israel is in a different category from all other countries. (25:8) Those who support them will be blessed, and those who curse them will be cursed. We must take the hard stand to support them if we want to survive.
I Peter 2 is filled with hard things for us to do as believers. We are to put away the sins of the flesh and draw near to Jesus through the milk of God's Word. We are to trust Christ even if the rest of the world is stumbling over Him. We are to live honorably before the unbelievers, so they can see Jesus in us. We do this by submitting to the government, and to our employers. By doing this we are displaying the character of Jesus in a world that does not understand sacrifice and submission. We are living by grace and mercy, instead of by force. God will bless that difficult lifestyle for His glory.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 27-29 and I Peter 3.
Ezekiel had to watch the destruction of his country. (24:2) As it was all happening, he had to be the one to point out the sin. That did not make him popular at all, even though there was a lot of scum in the pot that needed to be boiled away. Then, his own wife dies, and Ezekiel is commanded not to mourn, because it was a sign for Israel to go on with their lives, even though they had lost their beloved country. What a blow that must have been! What faith it took to obey God and to go on, but Ezekiel did it all in God's power. Chapters 25 and 26 are prophecies against countries which had rejected Israel as God's people, and they were rejoicing in the fall of Israel. God made sure they knew that they would be punished for this sin. The same is true for the USA today. Many people fault us for supporting Israel, because Israel is not perfect. However, Israel is in a different category from all other countries. (25:8) Those who support them will be blessed, and those who curse them will be cursed. We must take the hard stand to support them if we want to survive.
I Peter 2 is filled with hard things for us to do as believers. We are to put away the sins of the flesh and draw near to Jesus through the milk of God's Word. We are to trust Christ even if the rest of the world is stumbling over Him. We are to live honorably before the unbelievers, so they can see Jesus in us. We do this by submitting to the government, and to our employers. By doing this we are displaying the character of Jesus in a world that does not understand sacrifice and submission. We are living by grace and mercy, instead of by force. God will bless that difficult lifestyle for His glory.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 27-29 and I Peter 3.