S) "3 and say to the sons of Ammon, 'Hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God, "Because you said, 'Aha!' against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into exile, 4 therefore, behold, I am going to give you to the sons of the east for a possession, and they will set their encampments among you and make their dwellings among you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk."'"
Ezekiel 25:3-4 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read Ezekiel 25
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read Ezekiel 25
O) This prophecy is against the nation of Ammon, a neighbor of Judah. When they went into exile, the Ammonites (long-time enemies of the people of God) celebrated! Not only were they happy, but they (like the Assyrians who conquered Israel), took the event to mean that the LORD was no different than their own gods. To profane, simply means to make something common. It is the opposite of holy, which means set-apart and special and altogether different. Now, throughout the history of the kingdom of Judah, the people were quite vocal about the LORD being for them, and that His sanctuary was with them (and specifically, not with the kingdom of Israel). So, when they fell to a conquering empire just as Israel had, the people around figured that all of their pride for having the sanctuary of God with them, and all of their pride for having Mount Zion, that all of the things of the LORD meant nothing. They said, "Aha!" as if their skepticism was being confirmed. However, God will not be mocked that way. So, He directly revealed Himself as real, and true, and righteous, and wrathful, by executing judgment on this mocking neighbor.
A) These verses are a reminder of God's jealous character, and also His powerful love. He is allowed to judge His people, and He will use His own people to judge themselves, but outsiders are not allowed to do this. It's kind of like an older brother who picks on a younger brother. But, if a bully at school dared to pick on him, well that's crossing a line. This verse reminds me that being in relationship with God, and with other Christians, really is like family. My Father will rightly judge every member of His household, and we are right to examine each other's lives. Our business is all of our business, because what affects one of us really affects us all (see 1 Corinthians 12). But, God is jealous for us, and He is quite protective of His own name. This is both a warning and a comfort. He will certainly judge my actions with righteousness and truth, but He will also protect me from unwarranted judgments from the world. This isn't to say that unjust things don't happen to genuine Christians, but when it does, it means I can trust that the Father has a plan, for my sake, and for the sake of the name of Christ Jesus.
P) Father, thank You for being on my side. Thank You for the grace You have already shown me, by making me a son with Jesus Christ, adopting me into Your family. I welcome Your discipline, Lord. I don't want to sin. I love You, and I want to honor You with the way I live my life. When I miss the mark, when I mess things up, I thank You for Your grace which will not fade and for Your mercy which does not end. Please forgive me again, and in my repentance, also discipline me to walk in righteousness more faithfully. Please protect me from unwarranted judgment, because I know the world wants to slander the name of Jesus Christ. I want to protect His name with the way I live my life, but they are against Him, which means they are against me for bearing His name. In the end, I don't want the world to be destroyed, but rather I pray that the world repents so that none will perish. I know that's Your heart as well. Still, I know that not all will repent and be saved. So, I trust in Your perfect judgment, which You have balanced with amazing grace and mercy. Let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Let everything in my life be done to Your glory. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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