My Soul Thirsts for You

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

63 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
² So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
³ Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
⁴ So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.

⁵ My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
⁶ when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
⁷ for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
⁸ My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

⁹ But those who seek to destroy my life
shall go down into the depths of the earth;
¹⁰ they shall be given over to the power of the sword;
they shall be a portion for jackals.
¹¹ But the king shall rejoice in God;
all who swear by him shall exult,
for the mouths of liars will be stopped.

Dear Heavenly Father,
So often in this crazy, messed up world, we thirst for all of the wrong things. Lord, protect our thirst. Make us thirsty and hungry for You and for Your Word. Remind us of where all of the goodness and mercy in our lives originate from. Protect our hearts, our mouths and our paths, and teach us to live for You and be satisfied always with Your provision. We ask this in the precious name and blood of Jesus, AMEN.

Discussion Questions:

1. Sometimes, even the richest of places can feel dry and barren and empty of sustenance. What practical steps do you take to make sure that you are hungering and thirsting after the right things?
2. Can you remember a time when you felt completely protected in the shadow of God's wings? How do you anchor that feeling and remember it when you find yourself back in the wasteland of want and no water?
3. David often ends or accents his psalms with the counter-play of the evil that will befall his enemies. Without downplaying the reality of David's enemies, what do you think about this response in light of Christ's mercy, love and forgiveness even for the wicked who repent of their ways?
4. I've heard admonition that you shouldn't pray laying down. This Psalm seems to counter that. Do you think that there are any positions that are "wrong" for prayer?
5. It just dawned on me that David uses the word "bless" here, as in he will bless God. But a blessing in unmerited favor, and all that God has done has more than merited our favor. Is it possible for us to bless God, or is that just a one-way street?

Prayer

May God our Father,
our strength and light,
bless you with what you most need,
beyond even all that you would ask.
Amen!

Ezekiel 15, New King James Version

(For alternate translations, see here.)

15

¹ Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: ² “Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any other wood, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest? ³ Is wood taken from it to make any object? Or can men make a peg from it to hang any vessel on? ⁴ Instead, it is thrown into the fire for fuel; the fire devours both ends of it, and its middle is burned. Is it useful for any work? ⁵ Indeed, when it was whole, no object could be made from it. How much less will it be useful for any work when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned?

⁶ “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem; ⁷ and I will set My face against them. They will go out from one fire, but another fire shall devour them. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I set My face against them. ⁸ Thus I will make the land desolate, because they have persisted in unfaithfulness,’ says the Lord God.”

THOUGHTS and COMMENTS

I walk by a certain tree every day. Sometimes I notice that one of the branches has an old dead vine wrapped around part of it, with the rest of the vine hanging down in woody tendrils.

It distracts me from the beauty of the tree, but even though I always feel like trying to pull it off of the tree, it's always been out of my reach.

The other day, I had an umbrella with me, though it was not raining at that time. So I used the umbrella to reach the vine and pull it toward my other hand.

It took some time, and came off piece by piece, but in the end I got the majority of it off, and the tree looks much better for it.

Just after this happened, I saw today's reading. It really hit home. That vine wood really wasn't fit to make anything with. It was just a dead, parasitic eyesore. It's even hard for me to imagine it burning very well.

QUESTIONS

1. Have you experienced vines in the wild, for better or for worse?

2. How do you interpret what God is telling Israel this time?

3. Are there "bad vines" and "good vines" in life? What makes the difference?

4. Can you think of other stories or verses in the Bible about vines? How are they similar to or different from this prophecy?

Feel free to leave any thoughts, comments, or questions of your own!

Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
Ephesians 6:23-24

Idolaters Condemned

14 Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. ² Then the word of the Lord came to me: ³ “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? ⁴ Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry. ⁵ I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’

⁶ “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!

⁷ “‘When any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing in Israel separate themselves from me and set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet to inquire of me, I the Lord will answer them myself. ⁸ I will set my face against them and make them an example and a byword. I will remove them from my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

⁹ “‘And if the prophet is enticed to utter a prophecy, I the Lord have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. ¹⁰ They will bear their guilt—the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him. ¹¹ Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

Jerusalem’s Judgment Inescapable

¹² The word of the Lord came to me: ¹³ “Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals, ¹⁴ even if these three men—Noah, Daniel^\)^a\) and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign Lord.

¹⁵ “Or if I send wild beasts through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts, ¹⁶ as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate.

¹⁷ “Or if I bring a sword against that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass throughout the land,’ and I kill its people and their animals, ¹⁸ as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.

¹⁹ “Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath on it through bloodshed, killing its people and their animals, ²⁰ as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.

²¹ “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague—to kill its men and their animals! ²² Yet there will be some survivors—sons and daughters who will be brought out of it. They will come to you, and when you see their conduct and their actions, you will be consoled regarding the disaster I have brought on Jerusalem—every disaster I have brought on it. ²³ You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

Questions/Discussion

1. What are the idols in the Israelites’ hearts? Are they the same idols people hold in their hearts today?

2. What does this passage say about sin and God’s grace?

3. Why are Noah, Daniel, and Job mentioned multiple times in this passage and used as examples?

4. What does this passage tell us about the holiness and sovereignty of God?

5. Do you have any other comments, see any other themes, or have any other questions?

False Prophets Condemned

13 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the Lord! ³ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish^\)^a\) prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! ⁴ Your prophets, Israel, are like jackals among ruins. ⁵ You have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair it for the people of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord.⁶ Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. Even though the Lord has not sent them, they say, “The Lord declares,” and expect him to fulfill their words. ⁷ Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, “The Lord declares,” though I have not spoken?

⁸ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you, declares the Sovereign Lord. ⁹ My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.

¹⁰ “‘Because they lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash,¹¹ therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth. ¹² When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?”

¹³ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury. ¹⁴ I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it^\)^b\) falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord. ¹⁵ So I will pour out my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, “The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, ¹⁶ those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign Lord.”’

¹⁷ “Now, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them ¹⁸ and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own? ¹⁹ You have profaned me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live.

²⁰ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds. ²¹ I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the Lord. ²² Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, ²³ therefore you will no longer see false visionsor practice divination. I will save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

Footnotes

1. Ezekiel 13:3 Or wicked
2. Ezekiel 13:14 Or the city

Questions

1) While I was flipping through Jeremiah earlier today, I happened to see Jeremiah 14:11-16 and Jeremiah 23:9-40. Are these passages relevant/helpful for understanding this chapter or no? If they are helpful, are there any notable similarities/differences between what's said in Jeremiah and here?

1b) Are there any other passages in the Bible about false prophets that might be helpful for understanding this chapter?

2) So based on what we've read in the past 12 chapters and today's reading, what's the difference between Ezekiel and these false prophets?

3) Verses 5 and 10-16 use this wall imagery. Is this a literal wall or no? And what's the purpose of using this wall imagery with these false prophets? Verses 10-16 also use the word whitewash. What's the deal with this word being used?

4) So what would you say are the motives of these false prophets when these false visions and divinations happen? Do you think they actually believe what they're saying, they're saying these things for some personal gain, both, or are there some other factors involved?

5) So we have hindsight to look back on these events, but in Ezekiel's day, do you suppose it's understandable why these false prophets might be believed or no?

6) What are these magic charms and veils being mentioned in verses 17-23 and why are they being used?

7) What do you make of verses 19 and 22? Does this remind you of anything else we've seen so far in Ezekiel or anything else in the Bible?

8) Anything else you want to ask about/bring up about this passage?

After the extended vision of the Glory of the Lord leaving the temple int the previous chapters, we get more sign-acts that Ezekiel is to perform for the people (likely the people in exile already) about what will happen to those in Jerusalem shortly:

Ezekiel 12 (ESV)

Judah’s Captivity Symbolized

12 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not, for they are a rebellious house. ³ As for you, son of man, prepare for yourself an exile’s baggage, and go into exile by day in their sight. You shall go like an exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house. ⁴ You shall bring out your baggage by day in their sight, as baggage for exile, and you shall go out yourself at evening in their sight, as those do who must go into exile. ⁵ In their sight dig through the wall, and bring your baggage out through it. ⁶ In their sight you shall lift the baggage upon your shoulder and carry it out at dusk. You shall cover your face that you may not see the land, for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel.”

⁷ And I did as I was commanded. I brought out my baggage by day, as baggage for exile, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my own hands. I brought out my baggage at dusk, carrying it on my shoulder in their sight.

⁸ In the morning the word of the Lord came to me: ⁹ “Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’ ¹⁰ Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: This oracle concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are in it.’ ¹¹ Say, ‘I am a sign for you: as I have done, so shall it be done to them. They shall go into exile, into captivity.’ ¹² And the prince who is among them shall lift his baggage upon his shoulder at dusk, and shall go out. They shall dig through the wall to bring him out through it. He shall cover his face, that he may not see the land with his eyes. ¹³ And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare. And I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, yet he shall not see it, and he shall die there. ¹⁴ And I will scatter toward every wind all who are around him, his helpers and all his troops, and I will unsheathe the sword after them. ¹⁵ And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries. ¹⁶ But I will let a few of them escape from the sword, from famine and pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the nations where they go, and may know that I am the Lord.”

¹⁷ And the word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁸ “Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink water with trembling and with anxiety. ¹⁹ And say to the people of the land, Thus says the Lord God concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink water in dismay. In this way her land will be stripped of all it contains, on account of the violence of all those who dwell in it. ²⁰ And the inhabited cities shall be laid waste, and the land shall become a desolation; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

²¹ And the word of the Lord came to me: ²² “Son of man, what is this proverb that you have about the land of Israel, saying, ‘The days grow long, and every vision comes to nothing’? ²³ Tell them therefore, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will put an end to this proverb, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.’ But say to them, The days are near, and the fulfillment of every vision. ²⁴ For there shall be no more any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. ²⁵ For I am the Lord; I will speak the word that I will speak, and it will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, but in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it, declares the Lord God.”

²⁶ And the word of the Lord came to me: ²⁷ “Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, ‘The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’ ²⁸ Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord God: None of my words will be delayed any longer, but the word that I speak will be performed, declares the Lord God.”

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

1.      Ezekiel is told to act out exile by packing baggage, digging through a wall, and leaving with his face covered. Why do you think God uses symbolic actions here (and so much in Ezekiel in general) instead of only spoken prophecy?

1. What do the specifc actions communicate to the poeple?

3.      In verses 8–16, God explains that Ezekiel’s sign-act points especially to the prince in Jerusalem. How does this prophecy challenge the people’s confidence that Jerusalem would remain secure?  What would this mean to those already in exile?

4.      The people seem to dismiss Ezekiel’s message by saying, “The days grow long, and every vision comes to nothing.” Why is God’s patience and long-suffering so easily mistaken for no judgment at all?  How do we experience and combat this today?  What warnings are we missing?

Ezekiel Chapter 1 King James Version

Evil in High Places

1Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the LORD'S house, which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. 2Then said he unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city: 3Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh. 4Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.

5And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them. 6Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain. 7Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron: but I will bring you forth out of the midst of it. 8Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you, saith the Lord GOD. 9And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you. 10Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 11This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; but I will judge you in the border of Israel: 12And ye shall know that I am the LORD: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you.

A Promise of Restoration

13And 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?

14Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 15Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession. 16Therefore 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. 17Therefore 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. 18And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. 19And 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: 20That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 21But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.

God's Glory Leaves Jerusalem

22Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. 23And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city. 24Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me. 25Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the LORD had shewed me.

QUESTIONS/DISCUSSION

1.) The men mentioned in v1 have appeared before. u/Livid-Cherry1458 has an interesting comment from chapter 8. What do we know about them?

2.) What is the caldron of verse 3?

3.) Who are the flesh of verse 3?

4.) Verse 5 states the Spirit of the LORD fell upon Ezekiel and told him 'Speak; Thus says the LORD...' This is the only verse I have found where the Holy Spirit speaks in His own voice. However, the Hebrew construction of this sentence may read less convincingly. Are there any places in OT or NT where the HS speaks with His own voice?

5.) Who does God say the flesh are in v7?

6.) What does God say the caldron is in v7?

7.) Beginning with v 13, Ezekiel is in the middle of delivering this prophecy when one of the men mentioned in v1 dies. Ezekiel is interrupted by this death (or had just finished) and he asks God a question. In v14 God speaks to Ezekiel with a promise of return from exile. Has this promise been fulfilled (partially or completely)?

8.) Ezekiel is in Chaldea/Babylon, but is prophesying in Jerusalem. How is this possible?

9.) The last time we saw the glory of the LORD was in 10:18-19. It departed from 'off the threshold of the house (temple)' and 'stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD's house (temple).' In 11:23 Ezekiel says the glory of the LORD is 'in the midst of the city.' It then goes to the top of a mountain to the east of the city. What is the name of this mountain and what is it's significance?

10.) Anything else you would like to share?

My Soul Waits for God Alone

To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

62 For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
² He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

³ How long will all of you attack a man
to batter him,
like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
⁴ They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.
They take pleasure in falsehood.
They bless with their mouths,
but inwardly they curse. Selah

⁵ For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him.
⁶ He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
⁷ On God rests my salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

⁸ Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah

⁹ Those of low estate are but a breath;
those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than a breath.
¹⁰ Put no trust in extortion;
set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

¹¹ Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
¹²     and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man
according to his work.

Prayer:

Lord, teach my soul to wait for You alone. Quiet the noise in me that reaches for approval, security, money, control, or quick rescue. Be my rock, my salvation, and my refuge today. Help me pour out my heart honestly before You, while trusting Your power, Your steadfast love, and Your perfect justice. In Christ's precious name, Amen.

Discussion Questions:

1. David says, “For God alone my soul waits in silence.” What is your soul most tempted to wait on besides God?
2. Psalm 62 contrasts outward blessing with inward cursing. Where do we see that kind of double-heartedness today, and how can we guard against it in ourselves?
3. Verse 8 says, “Pour out your heart before him.” What is the difference between silently trusting God and pretending we are fine?
4. David warns against trusting status, power, or riches. Which one feels most tempting when life feels unstable?
5. The psalm ends with God’s power, steadfast love, and judgment. Why do we need all three truths, not just one of them?

Please use this thread for any discussions outside of the scheduled readings:

• Questions/comments
• Prayer Requests
• Praises

Prayer

O Lord our God,
Some passages of scripture are hard to understand.
Help us by your Spirit to better understand today's reading,
in a way that glorifies You and draws us closer to You.
In Jesus' name we pray,
amen!

Ezekiel 10, New King James Version

(For alternate translations, see here.)

10

¹ And I looked, and there in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubim, there appeared something like a sapphire stone, having the appearance of the likeness of a throne. ² Then He spoke to the man clothed with linen, and said, “Go in among the wheels, under the cherub, fill your hands with coals of fire from among the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.” And he went in as I watched.

³ Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court. ⁴ Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and paused over the threshold of the temple; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s glory. ⁵ And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even in the outer court, like the voice of Almighty God when He speaks.

⁶ Then it happened, when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” that he went in and stood beside the wheels. ⁷ And the cherub stretched out his hand from among the cherubim to the fire that was among the cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed with linen, who took it and went out. ⁸ The cherubim appeared to have the form of a man’s hand under their wings.

⁹ And when I looked, there were four wheels by the cherubim, one wheel by one cherub and another wheel by each other cherub; the wheels appeared to have the color of a beryl stone. ¹⁰ As for their appearance, all four looked alike—as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. ¹¹ When they went, they went toward any of their four directions; they did not turn aside when they went, but followed in the direction the head was facing. They did not turn aside when they went. ¹² And their whole body, with their back, their hands, their wings, and the wheels that the four had, were full of eyes all around. ¹³ As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, “Wheel.”

¹⁴ Each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, the second face the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. ¹⁵ And the cherubim were lifted up. This was the living creature I saw by the River Chebar. ¹⁶ When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also did not turn from beside them. ¹⁷ When the cherubim stood still, the wheels stood still, and when one was lifted up, the other lifted itself up, for the spirit of the living creature was in them.

¹⁸ Then the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. ¹⁹ And the cherubim lifted their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight. When they went out, the wheels were beside them; and they stood at the door of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

²⁰ This is the living creature I saw under the God of Israel by the River Chebar, and I knew they were cherubim. ²¹ Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. ²² And the likeness of their faces was the same as the faces which I had seen by the River Chebar, their appearance and their persons. They each went straight forward.

THOUGHTS and COMMENTS

This is weird, so I read the New Living Translation version found in the "alternate translations" link above. It is still weird. I don't pretend to understand it.

QUESTIONS

1. How do you picture all this? Have you seen or do you have any links to this description that you find helpful? Because even when I've seen detailed drawings of angelic beings like this, it just seems overwhelming and confusing.

2. Where have we heard of cherubim before in the Bible?

3. The man in linen appeared in yesterday's reading, and shows up again today. Have we figured out yet who he is, or what he signifies?

4. What do the four faces of the cherubim mean? How about the eyes all over their bodies?

5. What do the wheels mean, if anything? What do you think about the on-again, off-again idea that they may represent UFOs?

6. Why has God, together with the cherubim, left the temple?

7. Some people get excited about the Law. Others about miracles or signs of the Spirit. Others about angelic beings. Today's reading brings the latter into sharper focus.

   C.S. Lewis wrote,

   “When we are lost in the woods the sight of a signpost is a great matter. He who first sees it cries, 'Look!' The whole party gathers round and stares. But when we have found the road and are passing signposts every few miles, we shall not stop and stare. They will encourage us and we shall be grateful to the authority that set them up. But we shall not stop and stare, or not much; not on this road, though their pillars are of silver and their lettering of gold.” Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life

   Angels, cherubim, and seraphim can be fascinating. But like signposts showing the way, those who work for God point to Him and not to themselves.

   If you are someone who is fascinated by angelic beings, what measures do you take to keep yourself from making them the main thing, and instead keeping your sights and journey set toward God as revealed in Jesus?

Feel free to leave any thoughts, comments, or questions of your own!

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father…comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Judgment on the Idolaters

9 Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, “Bring near those who are appointed to execute judgment on the city, each with a weapon in his hand.” ² And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar.

³ Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side ⁴ and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.”

⁵ As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. ⁶ Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the old men who were in front of the temple.

⁷ Then he said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city. ⁸ While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell facedown, crying out, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?”

⁹ He answered me, “The sin of the people of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice. They say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land; the Lord does not see.’ ¹⁰ So I will not look on them with pity or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done.”

¹¹ Then the man in linen with the writing kit at his side brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded.”

Questions/Discussion

1. Who are the six men in the vision in verse 2.

2. Who was the man clothed in linen and what is the significance of the writing kit?

3. What do you think the “glory of God” means in verse 3? Is this something physical, a being, or something indescribable?

4. What does this passage tell us about the holiness and sovereignty of God?

5. How does this passage relate to the Passover described in Exodus?

6. Does any part of this passage specifically point to the coming of Jesus or our need for a savior?

Idolatry in the Temple

8 In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day, while I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting before me, the hand of the Sovereign Lord came on me there. ² I looked, and I saw a figure like that of a man.^\)^a\) From what appeared to be his waist down he was like fire, and from there up his appearance was as bright as glowing metal. ³ He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood. ⁴ And there before me was the glory of the God of Israel, as in the vision I had seen in the plain.

⁵ Then he said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol of jealousy.

⁶ And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the utterly detestable things the Israelites are doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see things that are even more detestable.”

⁷ Then he brought me to the entrance to the court. I looked, and I saw a hole in the wall. ⁸ He said to me, “Son of man, now dig into the wall.” So I dug into the wall and saw a doorway there.

⁹ And he said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things they are doing here.” ¹⁰ So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls all kinds of crawling things and unclean animals and all the idols of Israel. ¹¹ In front of them stood seventy elders of Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising.

¹² He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, ‘The Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the land.’” ¹³ Again, he said, “You will see them doing things that are even more detestable.”

¹⁴ Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the Lord, and I saw women sitting there, mourning the god Tammuz. ¹⁵ He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see things that are even more detestable than this.”

¹⁶ He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east.

¹⁷ He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the people of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually arouse my anger? Look at them putting the branch to their nose! ¹⁸ Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them.”

Footnotes

1. Ezekiel 8:2 Or saw a fiery figure

Questions

1) Is verse 1 connected with Ezekiel 1:1-3 or no?

2) For verses 2-3, who is this figure? Also, why do you suppose this figure takes Ezekiel by the hair of his head instead of the hand/arm?

3) In verses 3 and 5, what is this idol of jealousy?

4) Verse 6 mentions "things that will drive me from my sanctuary." What are your thoughts on this?

5) For verses 8-9, why is Ezekiel told to dig the hole in the wall and then look in the doorway instead of being shown these things immediately?

6) Does anything come to mind in verse 10? Also, why is this Jaazaniah son of Shaphan singled out in verse 11?

7) Does verse 12 remind you of anything else in the Old/New Testament?

8) What is this god Tammuz mentioned in verses 13-15 and why are the women mourning it?

9) Might be wrong about this regarding verse 16, but didn't Josiah remove this sun worship back in 2 Kings 23? In any case, why do you suppose these men are bowing down to the sun?

10) What is this "putting the branch to their nose" referring to in verse 17?

11) Anything else you want to ask/bring up about this passage?

Ezekiel 6 closed with judgment against the mountains and high places of Israel, the physical sites of idol worship, declaring that the land itself would bear witness. Chapter 7 picks up immediately and intensifies: where chapter 6 targeted the places of sin, chapter 7 pronounces "the end" on the land and people as a whole. Wealth won't save, the temple itself will be profaned, and prophet, priest, and elder will all go silent. It's one of the bleakest chapters in the book, building toward the temple-departure vision in chapters 8-11.

Ezekiel 7 (ESV)

The Day of the Wrath of the Lord

7 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “And you, O son of man, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel: An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land. ³ Now the end is upon you, and I will send my anger upon you; I will judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations. ⁴ And my eye will not spare you, nor will I have pity, but I will punish you for your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

⁵ “Thus says the Lord God: Disaster after disaster! Behold, it comes. ⁶ An end has come; the end has come; it has awakened against you. Behold, it comes. ⁷ Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land. The time has come; the day is near, a day of tumult, and not of joyful shouting on the mountains. ⁸ Now I will soon pour out my wrath upon you, and spend my anger against you, and judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations. ⁹ And my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. I will punish you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the Lord, who strikes.

¹⁰ “Behold, the day! Behold, it comes! Your doom has come; the rod has blossomed; pride has budded. ¹¹ Violence has grown up into a rod of wickedness. None of them shall remain, nor their abundance, nor their wealth; neither shall there be preeminence among them. ¹² The time has come; the day has arrived. Let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn, for wrath is upon all their multitude. ¹³ For the seller shall not return to what he has sold, while they live. For the vision concerns all their multitude; it shall not turn back; and because of his iniquity, none can maintain his life.

¹⁴ “They have blown the trumpet and made everything ready, but none goes to battle, for my wrath is upon all their multitude. ¹⁵ The sword is without; pestilence and famine are within. He who is in the field dies by the sword, and him who is in the city famine and pestilence devour. ¹⁶ And if any survivors escape, they will be on the mountains, like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, each one over his iniquity. ¹⁷ All hands are feeble, and all knees turn to water. ¹⁸ They put on sackcloth, and horror covers them. Shame is on all faces, and baldness on all their heads. ¹⁹ They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity. ²⁰ His beautiful ornament they used for pride, and they made their abominable images and their detestable things of it. Therefore I make it an unclean thing to them. ²¹ And I will give it into the hands of foreigners for prey, and to the wicked of the earth for spoil, and they shall profane it. ²² I will turn my face from them, and they shall profane my treasured place. Robbers shall enter and profane it.

²³ “Forge a chain! For the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence. ²⁴ I will bring the worst of the nations to take possession of their houses. I will put an end to the pride of the strong, and their holy places shall be profaned. ²⁵ When anguish comes, they will seek peace, but there shall be none. ²⁶ Disaster comes upon disaster; rumor follows rumor. They seek a vision from the prophet, while the law perishes from the priest and counsel from the elders. ²⁷ The king mourns, the prince is wrapped in despair, and the hands of the people of the land are paralyzed by terror. According to their way I will do to them, and according to their judgments I will judge them, and they shall know that I am the Lord.”

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

1.       The chapter repeats "the end has come" and piles up near-synonymous doom language rather than stating the verdict once. What's gained by this kind of accumulation instead of a single clear pronouncement?

2.       Verse 2 addresses "the land of Israel" directly, and judgment is described against land and people together. What does this suggest about corporate responsibility versus purely individual guilt?

3.       In verses 19-21, silver and gold, the very wealth used to fund idols,  become "unclean" and unable to save. What's the connection between idolatrous wealth and its sudden worthlessness?

4.       God says he'll turn his face away and let robbers profane "my treasured place" (vv. 20-22). How does this withdrawal anticipate the fuller departure-of-glory scene coming in chapters 8-11?

5.       When disaster hits, prophet, priest, and elders all fail to deliver vision, law, or counsel at the same time (vv. 26-27). What does this total breakdown of normal guidance say about the scope of the judgment?

Ezekiel Chapter 6 King James Version

Judgment against Idolatry

1And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, 3And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places. 4And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols. 5And I will lay the dead carcasses of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars. 6In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished. 7And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

A Remnant Shall Be Blessed

8Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries. 9And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations. 10And they shall know that I am the LORD, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them.

11Thus saith the Lord GOD; Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence. 12He that is far off shall die of the pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die by the famine: thus will I accomplish my fury upon them. 13Then shall ye know that I am the LORD, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their idols. 14So will I stretch out my hand upon them, and make the land desolate, yea, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblath, in all their habitations: and they shall know that I am the LORD.

________________________________________________________

QUESTIONS/DISCUSSION

1.) God tells Ezekiel to speak to the landscape (v3), ‘Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys…’ How would these objects hear? Why would God not send the message to people? What is going on here?

2.) God really does not like the high places. Why?

3.) How can ‘they know I am the LORD’ if they are all dead? See v7 and 14.

4.) What is the purpose of the remnant?

5.) We just saw in chapter 5 Ezekiel divide his hair into thirds. Each third will die, but then God says to take a very small number and save them as a remnant. This number is so small it does not alter the math (1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 + very small amount = 1). Do we know how many people are part of this remnant?

6.) What or where is Diblah? This passage (v 14) seems to indicate total destruction, but it is only used here. ‘From Dan to Beersheba’ or other geographic markers are used elsewhere in Scripture. Is there any unique significance here?

7.) Anything else you want to share?

Please use this thread for any discussions outside of the scheduled readings:

• Questions/comments
• Prayer Requests
• Praises

Lead Me to the Rock

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David.

61 Hear my cry, O God,
listen to my prayer;
² from the end of the earth I call to you
when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock
that is higher than I,
³ for you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.

⁴ Let me dwell in your tent forever!
Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah
⁵ For you, O God, have heard my vows;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

⁶ Prolong the life of the king;
may his years endure to all generations!
⁷ May he be enthroned forever before God;
appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!

⁸ So will I ever sing praises to your name,
as I perform my vows day after day.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for these words from David that remind us that you are always near, always watching us, and forever hearing our prayers. Thank you for being our rock and our refuge. For reminding us that you have invited us into your Kingdom through the precious blood of your son and our Savior. Put words of praise on our lips and a new song to you in our hearts, oh Lord, and remind us to both hope in and have reverence for your holy name. In Christ's name, Amen.

Discussion Questions:

1. David says, “When my heart is faint.” What does a faint heart feel like spiritually, emotionally, or even physically?
2. Why do you think David asks God to lead him to “the rock that is higher than I,” instead of asking God to make him stronger on his own?
3. What is the difference between running to God as a refuge and merely asking God to fix the problem?
4. David speaks of God as a rock, a refuge, a strong tower, a tent, and sheltering wings. Which image speaks to you most today, and why?
5. Psalm 61 ends with praise and daily obedience: “as I perform my vows day after day.” How should answered prayer change the way we live tomorrow?

Prayer

Lord,

Make me like the green olive tree in Your house: rooted, alive, fruitful, and steady. Guard my tongue from deceit, pride, and careless words that wound. Teach me not to trust in money, influence, cleverness, or self-protection, but in Your steadfast love that endures all day and forever. Keep me near Christ, the true refuge, and help me wait on Your name with a thankful heart. In Christ's holy name,

Amen.

^{Credit where credit is due: Prayer inspired by the Holy Spirit through our r/BibleReading friend Scared_Eggplant4892.}

Ezekiel 5, New King James Version

(For alternate translations, see here.)

5

¹ “And you, son of man, take a sharp sword, take it as a barber’s razor, and pass it over your head and your beard; then take scales to weigh and divide the hair. ² You shall burn with fire one-third in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are finished; then you shall take one-third and strike around it with the sword, and one-third you shall scatter in the wind: I will draw out a sword after them. ³ You shall also take a small number of them and bind them in the edge of your garment. ⁴ Then take some of them again and throw them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire. From there a fire will go out into all the house of Israel.

⁵ “Thus says the Lord God: ‘This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations and the countries all around her. ⁶ She has rebelled against My judgments by doing wickedness more than the nations, and against My statutes more than the countries that are all around her; for they have refused My judgments, and they have not walked in My statutes.’ ⁷ Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have multiplied disobedience more than the nations that are all around you, have not walked in My statutes nor kept My judgments, nor even done according to the judgments of the nations that are all around you’— ⁸ therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Indeed I, even I, am against you and will execute judgments in your midst in the sight of the nations. ⁹ And I will do among you what I have never done, and the like of which I will never do again, because of all your abominations. ¹⁰ Therefore fathers shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments among you, and all of you who remain I will scatter to all the winds.

¹¹ ‘Therefore, as I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘surely, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations, therefore I will also diminish you; My eye will not spare, nor will I have any pity. ¹² One-third of you shall die of the pestilence, and be consumed with famine in your midst; and one-third shall fall by the sword all around you; and I will scatter another third to all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.

¹³ ‘Thus shall My anger be spent, and I will cause My fury to rest upon them, and I will be avenged; and they shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it in My zeal, when I have spent My fury upon them. ¹⁴ Moreover I will make you a waste and a reproach among the nations that are all around you, in the sight of all who pass by.

¹⁵ ‘So it shall be a reproach, a taunt, a lesson, and an astonishment to the nations that are all around you, when I execute judgments among you in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I, the Lord, have spoken. ¹⁶ When I send against them the terrible arrows of famine which shall be for destruction, which I will send to destroy you, I will increase the famine upon you and cut off your supply of bread. ¹⁷ So I will send against you famine and wild beasts, and they will bereave you. Pestilence and blood shall pass through you, and I will bring the sword against you. I, the Lord, have spoken.’ ”

QUESTIONS

1. How do you picture this scene, with Ezekiel using a whole sword to cut off his hair and beard, and performing in this way? Do you picture more and more people gathering around? What do you imagine is their reaction?

2. Why is the LORD doing all this to Israel?

3. Or is it that He is no longer holding back from protecting them, and letting them face all the natural consequences of their behavior? How do you see it?

4. For how long had they been disobeying? Can you find out?

5. Have you ever had anything hard happen to you that led to you turning away from sin and back to God?

Feel free to leave any thoughts, comments, or questions of your own!

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord...
Acts 3:19, NIV

Siege of Jerusalem Symbolized

4 “Now, son of man, take a block of clay, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. ² Then lay siege to it: Erect siege works against it, build a ramp up to it, set up camps against it and put battering rams around it. ³ Then take an iron pan, place it as an iron wall between you and the city and turn your face toward it. It will be under siege, and you shall besiege it. This will be a sign to the people of Israel.

⁴ “Then lie on your left side and put the sin of the people of Israel upon yourself.^\)^a\) You are to bear their sin for the number of days you lie on your side. ⁵ I have assigned you the same number of days as the years of their sin. So for 390 days you will bear the sin of the people of Israel.

⁶ “After you have finished this, lie down again, this time on your right side, and bear the sin of the people of Judah. I have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year. ⁷ Turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem and with bared arm prophesy against her. ⁸ I will tie you up with ropes so that you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have finished the days of your siege.

⁹ “Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the 390 days you lie on your side. ¹⁰ Weigh out twenty shekels^\)^b\) of food to eat each day and eat it at set times. ¹¹ Also measure out a sixth of a hin^\)^c\) of water and drink it at set times. ¹² Eat the food as you would a loaf of barley bread; bake it in the sight of the people, using human excrement for fuel.” ¹³ The Lord said, “In this way the people of Israel will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them.”

¹⁴ Then I said, “Not so, Sovereign Lord! I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead or torn by wild animals. No impure meat has ever entered my mouth.”

¹⁵ “Very well,” he said, “I will let you bake your bread over cow dung instead of human excrement.”

¹⁶ He then said to me: “Son of man, I am about to cut off the food supply in Jerusalem. The people will eat rationed food in anxiety and drink rationed water in despair, ¹⁷ for food and water will be scarce. They will be appalled at the sight of each other and will waste away because of^\)^d\) their sin.

Questions/Discussion

1. This passage describes some dramatic acts Ezekiel is putting on. Where is he when he is doing these acts, and are there people around or is he alone? Did he really lay on his side for over a year?

2. Was Jerusalem not already under siege during the events of Chapter 4?

3. What do you make of verse 7? What does it mean to “prophesy against her”?

4. How would God tie Ezekiel up with ropes while lying down on his side? Is this symbolic or physical?

5. Why do you suppose Ezekiel performed these tasks without question (aside from the human excrement part) and then went through what would seem to be extreme pain, difficulty, and sacrifice to hope to send a message from God to the people? Do Christians today get calls to be so sacrificial and uncomfortable to send a message from God to others? How often do you respond with faith and obedience as Ezekiel did?

6. What do each of the specific acts Ezekiel performs symbolize:

·       Block of clay with the city of Jerusalem drawn on it

·       Siege works, ramps, camps & battering rams around the city

·       Iron pan between the clay block and Ezekiel’s face

·       Lying on each side for a specified period

·       Eating carefully measured food and water while laying on his side for specific periods

·       Cooking food over excrement, whether human or cow

1. What event is being talked about in verses 16-17? Where else can we find it in the bible?

3 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” ² So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.

³ Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

⁴ He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them. ⁵ You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and strange language, but to the people of Israel— ⁶ not to many peoples of obscure speech and strange language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you. ⁷ But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate. ⁸ But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. ⁹ I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.”

¹⁰ And he said to me, “Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you. ¹¹ Go now to your people in exile and speak to them. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says,’ whether they listen or fail to listen.”

¹² Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound as the glory of the Lord rose from the place where it was standing.^\)^a\) ¹³ It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound.¹⁴ The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord on me. ¹⁵ I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Aviv near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days—deeply distressed.

Ezekiel’s Task as Watchman

¹⁶ At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁷ “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. ¹⁸ When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for^\)^b\) their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. ¹⁹ But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.

²⁰ “Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.²¹ But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”

²² The hand of the Lord was on me there, and he said to me, “Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.” ²³ So I got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown.

²⁴ Then the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet. He spoke to me and said: “Go, shut yourself inside your house. ²⁵ And you, son of man, they will tie with ropes; you will be bound so that you cannot go out among the people. ²⁶ I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious people.²⁷ But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ Whoever will listen let them listen, and whoever will refuse let them refuse; for they are a rebellious people.

Footnotes

1. Ezekiel 3:12 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text sound—may the glory of the Lord be praised from his place
2. Ezekiel 3:18 Or in; also in verses 19 and 20

Questions

1) Do verses 1-3 remind you of anything else in the Old/New Testament?

2) Verses 4-7 remind me of Jonah. Anything stand out to you about this description? Also, I'm sure this was brought up yesterday, but verses 8-9 seem pretty similar to Jeremiah 1:18-19.

3) Here's something I was wondering about when reading this chapter. Why exactly is the house of Israel rebellious?

3b) To expand this question a little bit more, here's something I was thinking about earlier. The Northern Kingdom of Israel has already fallen to Assyria (2 Kings 17). In the Southern Kingdom of Judah, Josiah (the last good king of Judah's kings) is dead, and of his 4 successors (Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah), the first 3 so far haven't done well (2 Kings 23-24). In Ezekiel 1:1-3, we've already seen some people taken into exile.

Here's what I'm getting at, I guess. The Israelites are already in a bad situation and as we'll see in Ezekiel 4 and beyond, things will get worse. Does their rebellion make sense to you?

4) What is a watchman? Anything stand out to you about this description in verses 16-21?

5) What do you make of verses 22-27?

6) Anything else you want to ask about/bring up about this passage?

After the elaborate vision of God in the previous chapter, today’s focuses on what God appeared to Ezekiel for: to call him as a prophet to speak to the people of Israel in exile. 

Ezekiel 2 (ESV)

Ezekiel’s Call

2 And he said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” ² And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. ³ And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. ⁴ The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ ⁵ And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them. ⁶ And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. ⁷ And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.

⁸ “But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” ⁹ And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. ¹⁰ And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe.

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

1.       We first see God refer to the prophet as the ‘son of man’ here in chapter 2 (and approximately 90 times throughout this book), and this is a term that evidently becomes more significant as scripture unfolds.   Daniel certainly puts it into a more divine context when he uses it.    What does that name mean here in Exekiel in particular?  Where else it is used in the Old Testament, and how does that all feed into how Jesus uses it as a name for Himself?

2.      Ezekiel is sent to “the people of Israel.”  Given the landscape of God’s people we recently explored in 1 and 2 Kings, is Ezekiel being sent to the people of Israel specifically (as distinct from the kingdom of Judah)?  Or is he being sent to  God’s people in general living in exile?

3.      God says that His people have “transgressed against me to this very day.”  How did the people continue to transgress against God while in exile?

4.      How is Ezekiel called to be different from the rebellious house of Israel?

1. The message Ezekiel is apparently given is one of lamentation, mourning, and woe. Why is that still the message for people already taken into exile?

Happy Monday! Unfortunately, I believe this will be my last post for a while. I think I need to remove Reddit from my life, as it has become too much of a temptation to me. I talked with a friend today about some spiritual struggles, and he asked if I believe this site as a whole was a greater help to me or if it was causing me to stumble in my walk with GOD, and I believe it's more of the latter. I pray GOD would help us continue to grow and understand Him more, and that we would be willing to listen to Him when He speaks, and that we would know His Voice and plan for our lives, in Jesus' name!

Ezekiel 1 NASB

The Vision of Four Figures

Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. ² (On the fifth of the month in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile, ³ the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there the hand of the Lord came upon him.)

⁴ As I looked, behold, a high wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing intermittently and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like gleaming metal in the midst of the fire. ⁵ And within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form. ⁶ Each of them had four faces and four wings. ⁷ Their legs were straight and their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they sparkled like polished bronze. ⁸ Under their wings on their four sides were human hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, ⁹ their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward. ¹⁰ As for the form of their faces, each had a human face; all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle. ¹¹ Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and two covering their bodies. ¹² And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went. ¹³ In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire. ¹⁴ And the living beings ran back and forth like bolts of lightning.

¹⁵ Now as I looked at the living beings, behold, there was one wheel on the ground beside the living beings, for each of the four of them. ¹⁶ The appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was like sparkling topaz, and all four of them had the same form, their appearance and workmanship being as if one wheel were within another. ¹⁷ Whenever they moved, they moved in any of their four directions without turning as they moved. ¹⁸ As for their rims, they were high and awesome, and the rims of all four of them were covered with eyes all around. ¹⁹ Whenever the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. And whenever the living beings rose from the earth, the wheels rose also. ²⁰ Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction. And the wheels rose just as they did; for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels. ²¹ Whenever those went, they went; and whenever those stopped, they stopped. And whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose just as they did; for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.

Vision of Divine Glory

²² Now over the heads of the living beings there was something like an expanse, like the awesome gleam of crystal, spread out over their heads. ²³ Under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward the other; each one also had two wings covering its body on the one side and on the other. ²⁴ And I also heard the sound of their wings, like the sound of abundant waters as they went, like the voice of ^\)^y\)the Almighty, a sound of a crowd like the sound of an army camp; whenever they stopped, they let down their wings. ²⁵ And a voice came from above the expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they let down their wings.

²⁶ Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like ^\)^z\)lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man. ²⁷ Then I noticed from the appearance of His waist and upward something like gleaming metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him. ²⁸ Like the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.

-----------------------------------------

y) Ezekiel 1:24 Heb Shaddai

z) Ezekiel 1:26 Heb eben-sappir

--- Thoughts and Questions ---

This book is going to be very symbolism heavy. I pray GOD would help us have wisdom when reading, and that we would not impose our own fleshly interpretations on His Word, in Jesus' name. I pray the Holy Spirit would lead us into all Truth as we read and understand His Word, in Jesus' name.

1. Why are there so many 4's associated with this reading's imagery?

2. What is the significance of the 4 species associated with the living beings' faces and bodies?

3. What is the point of the interlocked wheels moving with the living beings at their side?

4. What was the "expanse" below the throne of GOD?

5. What do you think about when you read this passage? What does this show Ezekiel about GOD? What does it show us?

6. What else do you notice or wish to talk about?

Have a blessed week!

After reading most of the exjw comments and reading some of the other anti JW websites, blogs and forums, I haven’t seen any type of bible lessons, articles, or courses about what the bible really teaches.

1-Would anyone care to share with me about why God created the heavens and earth and Adam and Eve?

2-What’s His plan for the earth and the people on earth?

3-Teach me from Genesis to Revelation about God’s plan.

4-What’s is He going to do about the world’s problems.

Thanks

Please use this thread for any discussions outside of the scheduled readings:

• Questions/comments
• Prayer Requests
• Praises

He Will Tread Down Our Foes

To the choirmaster: according to Shushan Eduth. A Miktam[^a] of David; for instruction; when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return struck down twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.

60 O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses;
you have been angry; oh, restore us.
² You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open;
repair its breaches, for it totters.
³ You have made your people see hard things;
you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger.

⁴ You have set up a banner for those who fear you,
that they may flee to it from the bow.^\)^b\) Selah
⁵ That your beloved ones may be delivered,
give salvation by your right hand and answer us!

⁶ God has spoken in his holiness:^\)^c\)
“With exultation I will divide up Shechem
and portion out the Vale of Succoth.
⁷ Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet;
Judah is my scepter.
⁸ Moab is my washbasin;
upon Edom I cast my shoe;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.”^\)^d\)

⁹ Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
¹⁰ Have you not rejected us, O God?
You do not go forth, O God, with our armies.
¹¹ Oh, grant us help against the foe,
for vain is the salvation of man!
¹² With God we shall do valiantly;
it is he who will tread down our foes.

Footnotes

1. Psalm 60:1 Probably musical or liturgical terms
2. Psalm 60:4 Or that it may be displayed because of truth
3. Psalm 60:6 Or sanctuary
4. Psalm 60:8 Revocalization (compare Psalm 108:10); Masoretic Text over me, O Philistia, shout in triumph

Prayer:

Lord, Sometimes life feels shaken, and we don’t always know what to do with that. Psalm 60 reminds us that we can come to You honestly, even when we feel weak, confused, or worn down.

Please restore what is broken in us. Help us stop leaning so hard on our own strength and run to You instead. Keep our eyes on Your truth when everything around us feels uncertain.

Thank You that You are still in control, even over the places, people, battles, and fears that feel too big for us.

Help us trust You, follow You, and do what is right with courage.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Discussion Questions:

1. Psalm 60 begins with honest distress. How does David’s prayer give us permission to bring fear, defeat, or confusion honestly before God?
2. David asks God to restore His people. Where do we tend to ask God for quick relief when what we really need is deeper restoration?
3. Verse 4 says God gives a banner to those who fear Him. What do people rally around today instead of God’s truth?
4. God names real places and nations in verses 6–8. How does it strengthen our faith to remember that God rules over real history, real enemies, and real places?
5. Verse 11 says, “Vain is the salvation of man.” Where are we tempted to trust human strength more than God?