November 30, 2006 - Ezekiel 37-39 and II Peter 2
II Peter 2:9 tells us that God knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation or trials, and He knows how to reserve the unjust under judgment. I believe we must all trust God to know how to carry out the blessing of the righteous and the punishment of the unjust. He is the perfectly loving and wise judge.
Ezekiel 37 tells us of Ezekiel's vision of the dry bones. It is the description of how God would restore Israel by His Spirit. The Spirit is the one who brings life to individuals and to nations. God was promising to bring life back to Israel after His punishment. Then, the parable of the sticks was to show how God would bring the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom back together, too. As I said, God know just how to deliver the godly. In fact, Ezekiel 38-39 is a prophecy from Ezekiel that most people believe will take place in the future. It will be a time when God delivers His people from a terrible attack by a group of nations who hate them. We can see how that could happen now, because there are so many countries that hate Israel. However, God in His wisdom will protect His people from this attack.
II Peter 2 speaks of a spiritual attack on God's people by false prophets and false teachers. That type of attack is just as serious, and God is just as able to deliver His children from those who are not really believers and who seek to do them harm. I pray that you will ask God for His discernment and protection against these false teachers. There are many of them in the world today, because Satan is working so hard to destroy the church and the work of God in this world. He can try, but he will never be successful against our mighty God.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 40-41 and II Peter 3.
Ezekiel 37 tells us of Ezekiel's vision of the dry bones. It is the description of how God would restore Israel by His Spirit. The Spirit is the one who brings life to individuals and to nations. God was promising to bring life back to Israel after His punishment. Then, the parable of the sticks was to show how God would bring the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom back together, too. As I said, God know just how to deliver the godly. In fact, Ezekiel 38-39 is a prophecy from Ezekiel that most people believe will take place in the future. It will be a time when God delivers His people from a terrible attack by a group of nations who hate them. We can see how that could happen now, because there are so many countries that hate Israel. However, God in His wisdom will protect His people from this attack.
II Peter 2 speaks of a spiritual attack on God's people by false prophets and false teachers. That type of attack is just as serious, and God is just as able to deliver His children from those who are not really believers and who seek to do them harm. I pray that you will ask God for His discernment and protection against these false teachers. There are many of them in the world today, because Satan is working so hard to destroy the church and the work of God in this world. He can try, but he will never be successful against our mighty God.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 40-41 and II Peter 3.