SOAP 09/04/2015; Ezekiel 20:25-26

Today's reading: Ezekiel 20, 22, 23, 24; Revelation 9
[Edit: Ezekiel 20 was missed from yesterday's reading]

S) "²⁵ I also gave them statutes that were ^(A)not good and ordinances by which they could not live; ²⁶ and I pronounced them unclean because of their gifts, in that they caused all their firstborn to pass through the fire so that I might make them desolate, in order that they might know that I am the Lord."
A. Ps 81:12; Isa 66:4; Rom 1:21-25, 28

Ezekiel 20:25-26 (NASB)

O) This is a difficult passage to comprehend on its own, and it is another example of the importance of careful study, research, and cross-reference. On the surface, it almost sounds as though the LORD actually caused the idol worship and human sacrifice (to molech, it would have been) by the Israelites. This confusion is the reason that I left the footnote in the verse, to help clarify what this verse is really saying. The first, third, and fourth verses in the cross-reference, give us the phrases "...I gave them over to..." "...God gave them over in..." and "...God gave them over to..." (respectively). This conveys the idea that God was previously interfering, or preventing, the consequences of their idolatry. God was not allowing them to be as wicked as they hearts were turning. This is something like the prodigal son, who wanted to take his inheritance and have his independence. If we imagine another part of that parable, that the good father might have previously denied his sons request. Maybe the prodigal son asked for it several times, and finally, the father told him, "Fine! I know that you will squander it, and that you do not know how to correctly manage it, but I will give you what you really want!" Even though the father might know, even certainly, that there will be loss, destruction, pain, or even death, the son still bears the responsibility for his own actions, even if the father chose not to interfere any longer. This is the idea that we see presented in the passage above, and also in the cross-references given. In v.26, where it says that God "might make them desolate," we gain a little more perspective from the passage in Isaiah from our cross-reference. God has already outlined the punishments for sins (specifically, what idolatry will mean). So, as a righteous judge, it is not only within His authority, but it is also required of Him (in order to be called just) that He would deliver them over to the punishment that was already prescribed. So, the cross-references here, prove very valuable in adding a more comprehensive understanding. The second method for gaining a more complete view, is to examine other translations. There seemed to be a split as to how this passage was translated. In the NKJV and NLT, for example, v.25 actually translates "Therefore I also gave them up to..." and "I gave them over to..." (respectively). One translation I found (the CJB - Complete Jewish Bible), actually had the passage sort of split on the concept. In v.25 it says, "I also gave them..." and later in v.26 it says, "and I let them become..." So, from a few different angles, we can see a more complete view, that God was not causing their idolatry, or being malicious when they were becoming desolate. However, through the fruit of their own, willful, chosen idolatry, the consequences were desolation, and by that outcome, they might know that God is the LORD. Again, that falls in line with the outcome of the prodigal son parable, when he realized his own folly and returned to his father.

A) There are a few principles for me to remember from this passage, simply through the discipline of careful Bible study. For one thing, I must remember to read with context. And, not only the context of a passage, but relative to the entire Bible. Also, it should be my regular practice, to compare multiple translations of a given passage (and online resources are great for that). Furthermore, this highlights the importance of learning from others, carefully examining their work, and being humble and teachable (for this, I consulted an audio teaching, posted to www.thenarrowpath.com, a thorough ministry of exegesis). Now, regarding the actual content of the passage, I must remember that there are real consequences to my sins. It is only by the grace of God, that I do not suffer fully as a result of my sins. It is a dreadful thing, to come under the judgment of God, and it is also sobering to remember the full consequences of my sins. This is a clear reminder, just how much reason I have to joyfully sing thanksgiving to my God, in Jesus' name.

P) Father, Your ways are good and holy. You have life in Your statutes and Your ordinances bring joy. I am woefully deceived by sin. Thank You for forgiving me, and giving me grace, and not giving me over to the desolation my sins deserve. Please preserve me forever, until I am united with You in glory. Let me cling to Your words, O Lord, that I might have peace with You and life through You. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 09/03/2015; Ezekiel 22:30

Today's reading: Ezekiel 21, 22; Psalm 111; Revelation 8
[Edit: Reading schedule for this date should have been Ezekiel 20, 21; Psalm 111; Revelation 8]

S) "³⁰ I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one."

Ezekiel 22:30 (NASB)

O) In this chapter, the LORD was giving examples to Ezekiel, with details about the various sins of Israel. At the end, God told Ezekiel the words above, that He had looked for a man among them to stand in the gap between God's holiness and their profanity. God was looking for someone to stand before Him, who would build up the wall (which can be seen as a metaphor for protecting the people from outside influence, which was a root-problem). It was the desire of God that He would not destroy them, but God's perfect judgment, His perfect justice, required their punishment (which He discloses in v.31).

A) There are two primary ways to read this short passage. The first, is for me to recognize that there was actually only one who could stand in the gap. Only Jesus Christ, in His perfect union of deity and humanity, in His perfect duality as perfectly holy and yet profaned, was able to stand in that gap. Throughout all of time, no one would ever be able to truly build up the wall, and permanently stand in that gap before the Father, for people to escape destruction. Having said that, there is also a biblical concept of intercession that I cannot neglect. Throughout the whole Bible, before, during, and after Christ Jesus, we find examples of intercessory prayer. I cannot neglect my responsibility to build up (like Paul in 2 Corinthians 13:10), and I cannot neglect my ability to pray for others. God's mercy is possible through the propitiation of sins, Jesus Christ. It would be a waste for me to not pray, that other people would hear, see, and accept that Jesus died for their sins, to build them up, to stand forever in that gap for them.

P) Father, You are holy. Your standard is both perfectly good, and impossibly perfect. On our own, we would forever be separated by a gap. Our walls were too broken, and that gap was too vast, and we never had any hope to bridge such a chasm. But, in Your incredible grace, You had a plan from the beginning. Your only Son, pure in His conception and life on earth, holy and unblemished, would be the perfect One to stand the gap. He came, building up broken walls, restoring right relationship with You, and then in the midst of His holy perfection, He took our sins upon Himself to be utterly profaned. He, Himself, was sinless but He died a sinners death. He was perfectly God and man, He was perfectly holy and profaned. I am humbled by this grace. It reminds me that I am a sinner, and I still need Jesus to stand in that gap every single day, before my holy God. On my own, I would forever be unable to stand before You. Thank You for that perpetual grace, and the daily mercy I receive because of it. And now, I know that I also have a call on my life. You have given me the responsibility to lead. There are people who are trying to stand behind a wall, but I know it's a broken one. Give me wisdom, courage, and strength to build that wall, Father God. Help me to stand in the gap, with Jesus, on their behalf and lift them up in prayer. We are powerless without You, but we are powerful with You. With ourselves alone, this would be impossible. With You, nothing is impossible. Be glorified by Your work in my life, and let Your will be done. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 09/02/2015; Ezekiel 19:8

Today's reading: Ezekiel 17, 18, 19; Revelation 7

S) "⁸ Then nations set against him
On every side from their provinces,
And they spread their net over him;
He was captured in their pit."

Ezekiel 19:8 (NASB)

O) In the first half of this lamentation, the princes of Israel are described as a lion, reared by a lioness mother, from a cub to a very powerful lion. There is a rise and fall of a previous lion, which has its end in Egypt (vv.3-4), and then a second (which is the one the above verse means). In this lamentation, this second lion has its end in Babylon. It is fairly easy to see this is a metaphor for the entire nation of Israel, and it highlights something important about God's people. When God's people are in power, people who are not part of God's kingdom are threatened and fearful. This is seen throughout the Old Testament, even in times when Israel is at peace. This highlights the fact that there is a mortal enemy to every person who submits to the rule of God's Kingdom. In the case of this lamentation, of course we know that the kingdom of Judah was rightfully found guilty. Their power came from God, and when He revoked that power, they were unable to escape the net spread over them; they were captured in a pit.

A) There are two principles that immediately came to mind when I was reading this rise and fall of the powerful lion (twice over). First, I thought of the words of Jesus, when He said, "I have overcome the world." (see John 16:33). The second thing that came to mind, was the Kingship of Jesus. When the Israelite nation was first forming, the people wanted a king over them, to be like their neighboring nations. They thought they needed a man to lead them. Since that point, every king had issues, because people are broken. So, it was a prolonged process of decline, until they were finally removed. So, when Jesus Christ came, the Messiah, the King, to proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand, a new era started. The people of Israel failed as a nation, because they stopped following the LORD, and instead followed men. The Kingdom of God will never be defeated, because our King is God. By following our King, Jesus Christ, we are following the LORD. Jesus made it clear, that His kingdom is not of this world (see John 18:36), so "being in power" like Israel was in the Old Testament, doesn't really look the same. Nevertheless, I know that the world is against me. However, I already know who wins in the end, because my King will never lead me astray. I know who will win in the end, because my King already defeated death. Because of that, His Kingdom is always in power (see 1 Corinthians 2:4; 4:19-20), and there will always be opposition, and He will always win.

P) Father, You are mighty, untiring, and all-knowing. You are holy, just, and true. My God, My King, You are perfect in Your rule. May I never be deceived into hoping in any man, politician, or world leader. Keep my eyes open, and my ears open, to see and hear the truth. Let me follow Your lead, walking in the Holy Spirit, seeking Your will, help, and hope. Let me fear no man, no militant group, no country. No one defeats my King, and because of that, we are victorious. May I walk in that same victory, knowing that no one can defeat me as long as I am following my God, my King. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 09/01/2015; Ezekiel 15:4

Today's reading: Ezekiel 15, 16; Psalm 70; Revelation 6

S) "⁴ If it has been put into the fire for fuel, and the fire has consumed both of its ends and its middle part has been charred, is it then useful for anything?"

Ezekiel 15:4 (NASB)

O) The LORD is using an illustration of a vine from a tree, to show how useless that Jerusalem has become. Comparing the wood from the vine, to the wood from a branch, He explains that the branch could at least yield pegs for hanging things (just about the smallest form of wood, still useful). God said the wood from a vine is only useful as fuel for a fire. Furtheore, once it has been burned and charred, that is, once the burning had begun, it is no longer useful for anything at all. The whole point of this chapter, is really to illustrate God's singularity of purpose, now that His judgment has been determined. He will burn Jerusalem as one burns a vine, and there will be no purpose for those who are judged, except destruction.

A) Mostly, these sorts of passages serve as reminders of God's sovereignty and justice. Understanding that His strict judgment is completely justified, helps to better appreciate the grace He has given, and the mercy I receive in Jesus Christ. Left in my sins, I am as useless as a charred vine. But, God has not left me in my guilt, but Christ bore my sins on the cross. I was burned, but God didn't just heal the wounds of my sins (my burns, if you will). God didn't just heal me, He made me new. As a new creation, made with new purpose, fire is no longer my destiny.

P) Father, You are perfect and holy. Your judgments are righteous and true. Thank You for the grace I receive in the gospel, that the wrath I deserve was poured out on Christ. In the mercy I receive, I want to honor Your name. I want to live my life, useful in Your hands, to glorify You and magnify the Way. Help me to live, walking in the Spirit, accomplishing Your purposes. Thank You for life, hope, and love. Let Your will be done. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 08/31/2015; Ezekiel 14:1-5

Today's reading: Ezekiel 12, 13, 14; Revelation 5

S) "¹ Then some elders of Israel came to me and sat down before me. ² And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ^3 'Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at all? ⁴ Therefore speak to them and tell them, "Thus says the Lord God, 'Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols, ⁵ in order to lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who are estranged from Me through all their idols.'"'"

Ezekiel 14:1-5 (NASB)

O) Commonly, elders and kings would seek prophets, that they might gain certain answers to their questions. Here, Ezekiel was approached, but the LORD cuts off their inquisition. In fact, we don't actually ever learn what exactly they wanted to ask. We could guess based on history, but the story never gets that far, because God interrupts the meeting to call these elders to account for the idolatry of their hearts. God cut to the real issue. Whether these men had physical idols erected in their homes, or if they went to temples to worship idols, wasn't the main issue. Whatever their questions for God, wasn't His main concern. Before aiding these elders, before even answering them, God wanted to address the idolatry of their hearts. This is what it means in v.4, when the LORD said he would give an answer "in view of the multitude of his idols," because God knows that nothing will truly change unless and until their hearts change. These men erected their heart-idols themselves (v.3), and until those idols were removed, even receiving true answers from the LORD wasn't going to help their issues, because everything would be skewed based on their idolatry. Until their hearts were purified, and until they decided to devote themselves wholly to the LORD as their God, there was nothing else worth discussing. When there are heart-idols erected, it is the primary concern of the LORD our God.

A) God does not change. This must grab my attention, because it was clearly a big deal to the LORD at that time, and I would be a fool to think that He feels any differently about the topic now. It would also be foolish of me to think that I do not have the same issue that these elders of Israel had. I have certainly found myself with a propensity toward erecting idols in my heart. Those idols can be anything from my marriage to money, videogames to lust. Idolizing anything in my heart is an easy pitfall, and it should always be a primary concern of mine. Purging my heart of idols is necessary, before I can really expect God to answer any of my prayers. Cleaning the house of my heart must be done, if I have any interest in serving and worshiping the LORD. Otherwise, everything I do will be tainted. Knowing my own heart is hard, though. Sin is deceitful, and men have difficulty seeing beyond the outward appearance, even our own. This is why the Word of God is so important. This is why accountability with others is so important. I must be transparent with my wife. I must hold myself accountable to other Christian men. As I mentioned yesterday, I should be inviting others to carefully, critically, and lovingly examine my life. My heart should be open, because it is my desire to have no one on the throne in my most secret place, other than Jesus Christ, my Lord, my King.

P) Father, only You are worthy of my worship. There is a throne in my heart, and it is rightfully Yours alone. However, I confess that I have a terrible habit of erecting idols in that holy sanctuary. In the secret room of my heart, I am less than faithful. But, I know that You are ever-faithful. I confess to the sin of idolatry of heart, and I ask for forgiveness. I know that in Christ Jesus, I am washed clean. I know that through the Holy Spirit, I can walk in freedom. Open my eyes, though. Help me to clearly see my own heart. Convict me and make it plain, to me and others, when I have put right before my face, the stumbling block of my iniquity. Discipline me as a son, Father God. Let me worship You in purity, in spirit and in truth. Let me be wholly devoted to You. Let Your will be done. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 08/30/2015; Ezekiel 8:7-9

Today's reading: Ezekiel 8, 9, 10, 11; Revelation 4

S) "⁷ Then He brought me to the entrance of the court, and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall. ⁸ He said to me, 'Son of man, now dig through the wall.' So I dug through the wall, and behold, an entrance. ⁹ And He said to me, 'Go in and see the wicked abominations that they are committing here.'"

Ezekiel 8:7-9 (NASB)

O) Ezekiel was given a vision of the spiritual adultery that was happening in Jerusalem, seemingly even happening inside God's own temple. This particular passage seems to give us an excellent analogy of what it means to have an idolatrous heart, even today. Notice, that the wicked abominations were happening behind a wall. That is to say that there seemed to be an attempt to hide the idolatry. Yet, Ezekiel is able to see a hole in that wall. Now, simply looking through the hole, Ezekiel may have been able to perceive some of what was happening within. He may have even seen enough to convince him of the guilt of the adulterous worshipers. However, even though he might have been able to see some, with careful examination, God did not leave it there. He had Ezekiel dig that hole out, large enough to create an entrance. Then, he was told to enter and see the guilt there. Now, in Ezekiel's vision, he was only brought to witness their guilt. However, in examining closely, we can see several other merits to following this as an analogy.

A) First, I need to remember that with everything I observe through this, I may be the guilty man behind the wall, just as easily as I could be Ezekiel in this story. Secondly, it should only be out of love for them, and love for the LORD, that I would ever seek to discern wrong behavior. In so doing, I must understand that I am inviting the same sort of careful examination, the same judgment, upon myself (see John 7:24 and Matthew 7:2). So, the first principle at work in the example of Ezekiel's witness, is that people who profess to be worshiping the LORD, and submitting their lives to Christ Jesus as King, may be harboring secret idols in the worship of their hearts. Second, if I see it, I should not ignore it. By "digging" through what I observe, and entering in, I will do a few things. A - I will expose something so that it cannot be hidden. Allowing it to remain hidden would only prolong the problem. If my whole initiative is based on love, then ignoring sin would be just about the least loving thing I could do. B - Digging through that hole, I will make my witness unmistakable. The guilty person should know that I know. This will cut off many issues about slander or gossip. This will erase misunderstandings about motives. C - Then I can also make it plain, that my heart is loving. By entering to that same place, I am seeking to minister to them, with them, as I witness their sin. I can only love someone if I can be with someone. I cannot truly love them, help them, if I am taking a "hands off" approach. If I expose sin, but then abandon the person, that only adds to shame and will cause them to rebuild their wall thicker, and with fewer holes.

P) Father, You are holy and so You require holy people. That starts with me. Help me to examine my own life first. Certainly, if anyone ever digs through walls I have erected, humble me and let me respond with weeping for my guilt and rejoicing for their love. When I do carefully examine another person's life, let me never do it with anything less than the love You have for them, Father God. When I am careful to consider my wife's heart, or my children's hearts, or close friends, or any other people to whom I might seek to minister, let me approach the entire issue with humility and wisdom from You. When I observe heart idols, or secret sins, do not let me ignore them. Give me the courage to dig an entrance, and go in to them. Give me the wisdom and courage to love them, like Jesus Christ broke through the walls in my own life to love me. May the Holy Spirit give us unity, that they might be reconciled to You, and that I may share the love of Christ with them in that reconciliation. Let only Your will be done. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 08/29/2015; Ezekiel 5:6

Today's reading: Ezekiel 4, 5, 6, 7; Revelation 3

S) " ⁶ But she has rebelled against My ordinances more wickedly than the nations and against My statutes more than the lands which surround her; for they have rejected My ordinances and have not walked in My statutes.’"

Ezekiel 5:6 (NASB)

O) God's standard is perfection. Because of that holy precedent, there is a blanket sense in which every nation, every person, is equally guilty. All have sinned and fallen short (see Romans 3:23). However, there is also a sense in which God's own people were especially guilty, because they had the knowledge of the truth. They carried the Law of Moses, they had the prophets from within their own people, they had a covenant relationship with God. So, not only had they broken the commands of God, sinning and forsaking righteousness (which was the same as every other guilty party), but they also broke their covenant. Their rebellion was more wicked than the nations and the lands which surrounded them, because their rejection was, we might say, a more personal rejection. This is to say nothing of the possibility that they were more guilty by some measure (that is, that perhaps a larger percentage of their citizens were involved in abominations against the LORD, etc.).

A) Teachers are held to a higher standard (see James 3:1), so their judgment will be more strict. This follows the same core issue that the people of Jerusalem had in the verse above. James was referring to church structure, pastoring groups of people, but there is a sense in which I am a teacher simply because I have the truth in Jesus Christ. I teach my children, obviously. I have a duty to teach my wife, if the need arises (although, in truth, we teach each other in admonishment, sharing what we are learning in the word, and from other teachers). I am also called to teach unbelievers, by way of my very testimony. In all of that, the verse above reminds me that the stakes are higher for me, since I am in a covenant relationship with the LORD, through Jesus Christ. The evidence of that covenant, the fruit that I should bear because of the truth that I bear, should reflect the goodness of God to people who do not know. When I first read the verse above, I thought of one of the buzz words that afflicts Christianity in our world today: hypocrisy. The thing is, by worldly standards, hypocrisy isn't condemned among those that are worldly. They claim phrases like, "truth is relative," or say things like, "morality is fluid," all of which are basically justifications for hypocrisy. However, Christianity can get tagged for having hypocrites, and held as grounds for dismissal. But, in reality, there is a sense in which they are right. As a Christian, I should not be hypocritical. I will make mistakes, but hiding them, diminishing their significance, or ignoring them not only shows me being short of God's holiness, but it also sullies the name of my Lord, Father, God, and King. That should be a personal affront to Jesus Christ.

P) Father, Your standard is truly too high for me to ever hope of reaching it on my own. In fact, on my own, truly left to myself, I wouldn't have ever wanted to reach that standard. But in Your grace, You leave none of us alone. You poured Your Spirit upon all flesh, and You draw us near; You drew me near. You called me into relationship with You. Now reconciled, I want to honor Your name which I now bear. I want to call myself a Christian, and glorify Your name, reflecting Your character, magnifying Your love. Rebuke me sharply, Father God. Discipline me to a more holy life. Let me obey in love and grace and mercy toward others. Let Your will be done. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.