November 2nd Bible in a Year Readings

Ezekiel 3:16-6:14 + Hebrews 4:1-16 + Psalm 104:24-35 + Proverbs 26:27
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Old Testament - In Ezekiel chapter 3 today God appoints Ezekiel as a watchman for Israel! This might sound pretty good at first... but there are some serious ramifications for Ezekiel to follow through with what God asks Ezekiel to do. My thoughts based on this chapter - Are there times in our lives where God asks us to do something that may sound good at first, but then turns out to be harder than we initially thought it would be? With potential some serious ramifications?  If so, do you quit? Or do you forge ahead with what God asks of you?  Will you stay within God's will for your life - even when the going gets tough?  If God calls you to be a watch-person, will you be obedient to the call?

Ezekiel chapters 4 and 5 get into God's signs of the coming siege and judgment of Jerusalem and Israel. The thing that went through my mind when reading all of this was the 3rd commandment from Exodus chapter 20, verses 4-6:  "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments."  The term in these verses "jealous God" did come to my mind when reading Ezekiel 4 and 5. And not in a bad way. But, just in the way it was. God commanded no idols. Israel/Jerusalem created idols and did not repent after repeated warnings. God was "jealous" of all of this, and the siege and judgment came.

Ezekiel chapter 6 continues along the lines of chapters 4 & 5 - with judgment against the very land of Israel because of the pagan shrines. Verses 8 & 9 stood out to me in this chapter: ""But I will let a few of my people escape destruction, and they will be scattered among the nations of the world. Then when they are exiled among the nations, they will remember me. They will recognize how grieved I am by their unfaithful hearts and lustful eyes that long for other gods. Then at last they will hate themselves for all their wickedness." Here we see that God will preserve the Davidic line - and that the Israelites will eventually repent, and the nation will eventually be restored (as we know in hindsight now). Verse 10 in this chapter also seems to sum up a lot of what's going on in God's mind in today's readings in Ezekiel: "They will know that I alone am the LORD and that I was serious when I predicted that all this would happen to them."  Do we know that God is alone the Lord in our lives today? Do we trust his Word and his predictions without a doubt?

New Testament - Hebrews chapter 4 verse 12 of course makes a One Year Bible blogger's heart happy :) - "For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are." Do you believe that the Word of God is full of power? Not just power, but Living power? Does it cut deep into your innermost thoughts and desires - and expose the condition of your heart? Does the Bible expose you for who you really are? Do you believe that the Word of God can do this? Will you let the Word of God do this?

This chapter opens up with a beautiful verse: "God's promise of entering his place of rest still stands." On a busy day, doesn't God's place of rest sound nice? I like that! God has promised us a place of eternal rest if we will simply have faith in his Son. His Son whom verse 14 today tells us: "That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him."  Are you clinging to Jesus as your High Priest? Do you trust Him?  Are you longing for your eternal rest with Jesus?

Psalms - Today we finish up Psalm 104, which we started yesterday. I mentioned in yesterday's post, that this is a great Psalm of praising God's creation. And indeed it is. What I didn't realize yesterday, but I picked up today, is that this Psalm overall goes through Genesis 1 and the story of creation. Not quite in the same order of creation, or the same details. But, essentially this Psalm is a retelling of Genesis 1. Very powerful...

I love Psalm 104 verse 33 today - "I will sing to the LORD as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath!"  I so pray that this verse will be true for both you and me.  I pray we will sing to God as long as we live.  I pray we will praise God to our very last breath.  And in particular at our very last breath I pray we are praising God!

Proverbs - Proverbs 26, verse 27 today is so true: "If you set a trap for others, you will get caught in it yourself. If you roll a boulder down on others, it will roll back and crush you."  This is a great reminder to "do unto others as you'd have done unto you" - and if you do unto others bad stuff, you'll often fall into your own trap!

Worship Video: Today's readings in Hebrews 4 reminded me of the Third Day song "Lift Up Your Face:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij71LWwPt-w

Have you lifted up your face?  Click here to lift up your face to God!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

Prayer Point: Pray that God's Word is living and active in your life! Pray that God words penetrates to your soul and spirit, joints and marrow. Pray that God's Word judges the thoughts and attitudes of your heart each and every moment of your life!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you from today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

Grace, love, peace, and joy!
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Bible readings at this link.

p.s. #2 - Download a schedule of our Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

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Comments

[Ramona]

Ezekiel 3:16-6:14

I find verses 24 through 27, which are the last four verses in the third chapter very interesting. It’s not so much the words that are spoken to Ezekiel by God but what the reactions of the those watching him might be. I began thinking about what I would say, do and think if I saw a man doing and behaving like Ezekiel. Because I would only see or hear one side of his “conversations” with God, I would more than likely think he was a couple of French fries short of a Happy Meal.

Then the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; He spoke and said to me, Go, shut yourself up in your house. But you, O son of man, behold, ropes will be put upon you and you will be bound with them, and you cannot go out among people. And I will make your tongue cleave to the roof of your mouth so that you cannot talk and be a reprover of the people, for they are a rebellious house. But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to the people, Thus says the Lord God; he who hears, let him hear, and he who refuses to hear, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house. (Ezekiel 3:24-27 AMP)

It is one thing to read the Word of God and just take it all in as if what is being spoken to the prophets is a normal day’s occurrence. If we really thought about how we would react if a serpent came up to us and began speaking like he did to Eve, how we read the Bible would probably take on a new sense of purpose. If the next-door neighbor went into his house, tied himself up with a rope and became reclusive, only speaking intermittently, and when he spoke, they were words of rebuke and judgment, how many of us would take him seriously? I doubt if I would.

Maybe our tendency to dismiss the odd balls amongst us is why we are not to judge situations and people based on mere appearance. Wisdom, godly Wisdom, as stated in the book of Proverbs, should be searched for as diligently as a prospector searches and pans for gold. It doesen’t just walk up to you and smack you in the face and proclaim, “Here I am.” Mabe some thoughtful introspection is needed when something strange this way comes. Maybe some time needs to be set aside to observe, think on and evaluate those strange “church” folk down the street.

I think I need to make some serious changes in my life.

There is a verse in the fifth chapter that has given me something to think about regarding our youth, the next generation,

Because of all your abominable practices, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again. Therefore, fathers will eat their own children within you and children will eat their own fathers. I will execute judgments against you, and I will scatter to the wind any among you who survive. (Ezekiel 5:9-10 NET.)

We are a society that devours our own children for the sake of our own pleasure. Instead of protecting them, we expend them to pay for our own sins. They in turn, having learned this behavior from the generation that should have valued them and protected them, they turn and consume their parents having learned the lesson well.

Hebrews 4:1-6

I took note of something here that I had never paid attention to before, God’s rest has always been in existence since the foundation of the world.

3 … "In my anger I made a vow:
`They will never enter my place of rest,' "

even though his place of rest has been ready since he made the world.

I know none too few Christians who are looking forward to Jesus’ return because of the “rest” they believe they will receive from work. However, I think God’s rest is not like the rest we have envisioned. If God’s rest existed since creation, then Adam, before the Fall had to have lived in that rest. Yet Adam had a job. He took care of the Garden and He named the animals. It appears to me that rest and work do not cancel each other out and in God’s economy intersect and interact with each other.

Have you enjoyed your work today?

Grace and peace,
Ramona

[Lynn Risor]

In Hebrews, I believe what we gloss over is the rest. One day - “Today” - God appointed the 7th day as a rest day - for eternity. That means as Christians (adopted Israelites) we too are to keep the Sabbath - I believe Paul is clear on this in Hebrews 4:9-10 (also read Isaiah 56 and 58) - this is part of our obedience to Him. We are indeed saved by grace, but we show our love for Him by our obedience. (Matthew 5:17-19)

[Dee]

I feel sometimes like I am a watchman..God uses me to be a watchman and care for his land and to love and encourage others to follow Christ. Often I want to pursue leadership or pursue things in this world that just doesn't feel right then I know to look up ..seek Him, know he is in control and serve him only. Be watchful but not be watched mentality.

I truly believe that the older we get God prepares us for that eternal rest..I don't sleep well at night most days..I wake up , get things on my mind. I go go go. So I long for that eternal peaceful rest and I love the rest in Him. I love reading my Bible before a rest and then doze off and have peaceful rest. It's so nice! Yes it is. Love like none other. To rest in Him.

So true, we see the blemishes not the blessings..we need to see His blessings to be good stewards of God's creation

Setting traps for others to fall will in cause you to be crushed in the end. Don't do it. Amen