Milo – Page 21

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

2 Thessalonians

INTRODUCTION
Paul’s second Letter to Thessalonica was sent a few months after his first. Some had assumed Jesus’ second coming was so near they could quit work. Paul corrected this misunderstanding, and emphasized the importance of using the present time wisely.

GOD IS JUST
2 Thessalonians 1

“God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well” (2 Thes. 1:6–7).

A wishy-washy God is a fiction that appeals to the guilty, not the godly.

Overview
Paul praised perseverance (1:1–4), and promised that those who persecute believers will be punished when Jesus returns (vv. 5–10). Paul prayed that till then the Thessalonians would live to glorify God (vv. 11–12).

Understanding the Text
“Your faith is growing more and more” 2 Thes. 1:3. “Faith” seems to be a rather hard thing to measure in normal circumstances. It remains quite invisible—quite “inside.” Even when others are living by faith, what they say and do may seem quite ordinary to us. Only if we could look deep inside would we see what it costs them to maintain an ordinary life.
Don’t be discouraged if others don’t realize how much of your life is lived by faith. God knows and will reward you.

“Love . . . is increasing” 2 Thes. 1:3. Unlike faith, love is visible in the most ordinary of situations. When Paul said, “The love every one of you has for each other is increasing,” he was talking about something that can be seen and measured.
We see love in the smile of welcome when friends meet. We see it in the phone call, just to say, “I’m thinking about you. How are you doing?” We see love when a friend says to the harried mom of preschoolers, “Let me stay with your kids today. You need a break.” We see love when the snow is shoveled from an older person’s walk, and in the time spent with a shut-in. We see love in listening, in reaching out a hand to touch, in a comforting hug, a heartfelt prayer.
While faith is hidden in ordinary life, it is through the ordinary things of life that love is most clearly revealed.

“Perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring” 2 Thes. 1:4. Faith, invisible in ordinary life, is clearly revealed in persecutions and trials. The Christian family in rural Colombia that refuses to grow plants that the cartel will turn into drugs—and suffers not only economic loss but also threats of death from the drug lords, displays faith. The Protestant pastor in Rumania, who defied an order to be silent and stimulated the revolt that overthrew the Communist regime in December of 1989, displayed faith. The Christian in the mental institution in Russia, who refuses to stop witnessing, or the parents there who see their children’s hope of higher education lost because they stand fast in their commitment to Christ, display faith.
When trials come, and Christians remain committed to Christ, then the invisible becomes visible, and the world sees that Christian faith is real.
When your turn comes, through personal tragedy or national disaster, stand firm, and hold the banner of your faith high.

“Evidence that God’s judgment is right” 2 Thes. 1:5. God has declared all who believe in Jesus righteous in His sight. He has declared us citizens of His kingdom, brothers and sisters of His Son. When we persevere in our faith, despite persecutions, we vindicate God’s declaration of innocence. We show that knowing Christ does make a difference; that God has made us “new creations” indeed (2 Cor. 5:17).
Our suffering for His kingdom’s sake is evidence, not to God, but to the world. And throughout church history, the willingness of believers to suffer and even die painful deaths for Jesus’ sake has moved many to believe in Him. It has been said, and often proven, “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church.”

“God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you” 2 Thes. 1:6–7. The justice of God is displayed in two ways. One is in His balancing of the moral books by “paying back” those who do evil. This, Paul said, will happen when Jesus returns. The other is in His balancing the moral books by taking on Himself the punishment due those who do evil. This has already happened, and God’s willingness to suffer for us has been displayed on Calvary.
Whether an individual is in the group to whom payment is due, or in the group for whom payment has already been made, is not up to God. It’s up to the individual.
In Christ, God has been more than fair to the wicked. Now it is up to each man or woman to choose to take advantage of God’s unfair provision of salvation, or to demand fair treatment—and be condemned (see DEVOTIONAL).

“To be glorified in His holy people” 2 Thes. 1:10. While punishment of sin is associated with Christ’s second coming, Paul did not say Jesus will return in order to punish. Instead, Jesus will return “to be glorified in His holy people.”
One peculiar feature of diamonds is that, in the rough, they look like dull, ordinary stones. One might pick them up, look at them, and throw them away as valueless. But when cut by a master jeweler, a brilliant stone is revealed. Held to the light, it reflects splendor from every facet.
The world places very little value on Christians. To others we often seem dull, ordinary, valueless. In fact, the more committed to Christ we are, the less we seem to fit into the world’s scheme of things, and the less value we seem to have to people of the world. But when Jesus returns, He will hold us up to His light, and suddenly the facets that trials and persecution have carved will flash with scintillating light. This is why Jesus will return: to hold us up and “be glorified in His holy people.” And to be “marveled at among all those who have believed.”

“We pray constantly for you” 2 Thes. 1:11–12. This is another of those prayers of Paul which teach us how to pray for others. This prayer focuses on “follow-through.”
Christians often have good intentions. We’re often moved by a desire to help, to act, to accomplish something special for Jesus or His people. But that desire often fades just as quickly, and our good intentions are forgotten. Paul asked, and we can pray, that God may fulfill “every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.”
Just think. If every Christian’s good intentions were translated into action, how greatly God would be glorified in our lives.

DEVOTIONAL
God Is (Not) Nice
(2 Thes. 1:5–10)
You won’t find it in the Bible. I don’t know of a single text that says, “God is nice.” Particularly when we define “nice” in terms of its synonyms—agreeable, congenial, favorable, and pleasant. God is gracious, yes. And compassionate. But nice? Never.
Some folks, however, want to think of God as being nice. Much too nice to get angry or upset at people. Much too nice to punish sin. Maybe the “God of the Old Testament” was harsh. But, they say, the “God of the New Testament” is loving. And what they mean by loving is “nice.” He’s candy-sweet, and all too innocuous to fear.
Second Thessalonians 1:5–10 must come as a shock to the proponents of “God is nice” theology. What’s this about Jesus coming “in blazing fire and with His powerful angels” to “punish those who do not know God”? What’s this about being “punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord”? Why, that doesn’t sound nice at all!
It isn’t nice. But it is just, and it is right. And most of all, it’s coming. God the loving is also God the Judge. God the tender is God the tough. God the compassionate is God the severe. And when Jesus comes, those who have accepted the Gospel and those who have not will display these desperate aspects of the character of our God.
Then we will shout that God is gracious. And others will confess that God is just.
But no one will assume that “God is nice.”

Personal Application
Maintain your respect for God: don’t fall into the trap of dismissing Him as “nice.”

Quotable
“The demand that God should forgive such a [sinful] man while he remains what he is, is based on a confusion between condoning and forgiving. To condone an evil is simply to ignore it, to treat it as if it were good. But forgiveness needs to be accepted as well as offered if it is to be complete: and a man who admits no guilt can accept no forgiveness.
“In the long run the answer to all those who object to the doctrine of hell, is itself a question: ‘What are you asking God to do?’ To wipe out their past sins and, at all costs, to give them a fresh start, smoothing every difficulty and offering every miraculous help? But He has done so, on Calvary. To forgive them? They will not be forgiven. To leave them alone? Alas, I am afraid that is what He does.”—C.S. Lewis

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

Obadiah

INTRODUCTION
Obadiah is a prophecy of destruction, directed against Edom, a land across the Jordan River from Judah that was populated by descendants of Jacob’s brother, Esau (Gen. 25). Obadiah said the Edomites collaborated with foreign invaders of Judah and mistreated Jerusalem’s survivors; a charge which fits six different occasions in Judah’s history! It is most likely that Obadiah predicted Edom’s overthrow just after the Babylonian invasion of Judah in 586 B.C. Edom disappeared as an independent kingdom the latter half of the sixth century B.C., and its ruin is referred to in Malachi 1:3–4.

JUDAH’S ENEMIES PERISH
Obadiah

“Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever” (Obad. 10).

Those hostile to God’s people take a great risk when they act against them.

Background
Names in Obadiah. The prophet used a number of different racial and geographic terms in this short book. The majority are synonyms used to identify either Edom or Judah. These names reflect the Hebrew custom of identifying peoples by their ancestors (thus “Esau” is another name for Edom and “Jacob” for Judah) or by place names (thus “Teman” also refers to Edom, and “Mount Zion” to Judah). If this is kept in mind the message of Obadiah will be much clearer.

Overview
Edom would be pillaged and her people slaughtered (vv. 1–9) as punishment for violence she directed against Judah (vv. 10–14). In the coming Day of the Lord all nations will judged and their lands occupied by God’s own (vv. 15–21).

Understanding the Text
“The vision of Obadiah” Obad. 1. Nothing is known of Obadiah as a person. His name, however, means “servant of Yahweh.” Obadiah did not think it was important even to identify himself, as most Hebrews did, by stating their father’s or family name. Obadiah saw himself simply as God’s servant. What was important was the message he had to deliver.
You and I want to adopt Obadiah’s perspective. Oh, yes, we are important—important to a God who loves us for ourselves rather than for what we do for Him. But when we’re given the mission of speaking for God, we must exalt the message. Obadiah would do nothing to detract from his message by drawing attention to himself.

“You who live in the clefts of the rocks” Obad. 2–4. Edomite population centers were built on a great ridge of mountainous land opposite the Dead Sea. These heights, ranging from 4,000 to 5,700 feet, made the land easily defensible, and it was in fact protected by a series of stone fortresses built to command the roads that wound up precipitous cliffs and traced the edges of terrifyingly deep gorges. These natural defenses contributed to the pride of Edom, reflected in their rhetorical question, “Who can bring me down to the ground?”
How dangerous a sense of security is! The Edomites felt untouchable. Arrogant, they struck out at Judah from behind the barriers they thought protected them. Undoubtedly if they had felt vulnerable they would never have risked trying to harm their neighbor.
God said to Edom, “I will bring you down.” In this saying Obadiah reminded all of us that no one is ever beyond the reach of God. Every person is responsible for his actions, and every person is within reach of the disciplining hand of the Lord.

“Because of the violence against your brother Jacob” Obad. 10. The ancient covenant that God made with Abraham guaranteed that God would bless those who blessed him and his descendants, and curse those who cursed him and his progeny. God recalled His promise, and announced through Obadiah that Edom would be “destroyed forever” because of just such an offense.
What a revelation of the nature of God’s commitment to His word. If Obadiah did prophesy just after the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians, as many believe, the generation of Jews that were Edom’s victims was an apostate generation. They willfully abandoned God to serve idols, and consciously rejected His word. They were themselves under the ban: themselves doomed to judgment. Even so God intended to keep His ancient promise. Those who cursed His people must be cursed. Edom must fall.
Remember this verse and its historical context next time you fail yourself and God and, burdened by a sense of shame, wonder if God can forgive you. God remains fully committed to every promise He has made to you in Christ, even as He remained fully committed to Judah despite far worse sins.
God keeps His word. You can trust Him to keep on loving you, keep on working with you, until at last you do reflect the very character of Christ.

“Look down on them in their calamity” Obad. 11–14. The text shows a fascinating progression in the behavior of Edom toward Judah. At first, as the invasion developed, the Edomites stood off, to watch and enjoy the discomfort of Judah (vv. 11–12). When it became clear that the people of Judah were losing, the Edomites became more brave. They marched through the gates of the ruined city to gather all the loot that might be left. They then became bolder still, and positioned troops along escape routes to “cut down their fugitives” and “hand over their survivors.” It was a classic case of waiting till the fight was over, and then hurrying in to kick the loser.
Kicking a person who’s down has always been popular, because it carries little risk. At least, little risk of the victim kicking back. What people need to remember, however, is that God takes the side of the oppressed.
So, if in your home, office, or your community, you’re ever tempted to join the crowd that kicks one of life’s underdogs, remember Edom. A victim may seem defenseless. But he or she has God on his side.

“For all nations” Obad. 15–21. Obadiah announced that the principles seen in his oracle against Edom have universal application. They do. One day God will openly act on behalf of the victims of every oppressive power. Even nations will answer to Him. When that happens every Esau will be destroyed, and Judah, the “loser,” will occupy their territory.
There is no “ill-gotten gain.” There is only “ill-gotten loss.”

DEVOTIONAL
Like One of Them
(Obad. 11–12)
I confess! I do like to read the comics when I get up in the morning. At least, I like to read three of them—Calvin and Hobbes, Sally Forth, and For Better or For Worse.
Last week—the first week of school—the little girl in Better threw her teddy bear on the school bus. She was assigned the painful task of writing a note of apology. In a later set of panels she aimed the bear carefully, and bopped her big brother squarely in the back of the head! Why? Because he was the one who encouraged her to toss the bear on the bus in the first place, and then laughed when she got caught and was punished.
I don’t suppose cartoonist Lynn Johnston had been reading Obadiah. But she might have been. Obadiah 11 and 12 reads, “On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. You should not look down on your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction.” In comic strip terms, “I didn’t throw any bear!” And again in comic strip terms, “Na Naa Naaa! That bus driver got you good. Ha ha ha!” I suspect everyone suppressed a smile of satisfaction when the bear plopped on the brother’s head. He sure deserved it!
That’s what God said to Edom through Obadiah. And what He says to us. You can’t stand around when you see your brother a victim, egg on the perpetrators, and be guiltless. If you don’t step in with help, you are “like one of them.”
Biblical faith doesn’t let us stand on the sidelines when others are victimized. Even if the “others” aren’t particular friends of ours. Even if they are our enemies.

Personal Application
Don’t stand by when you see others in need. Help.

Quotable
“When a man does love his enemies, he knows that God has done a tremendous work in him, and everyone else knows it too.”—Oswald Chambers

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

GOD’S GLORY RETURNS
Ezekiel 40–48

“The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when He came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. The glory of the LORD entered the temple” (Ezek. 43:3–4).

The last chapters of Ezekiel describe the worship of a restored Israel, and a return of the glory of God. Here, Ezekiel looked ahead and assured the exiles, God’s glory will return.

Background
Puzzling prophecy. This is one of the most difficult of all Old Testament prophecies. For those who spiritualize biblical prophecy, the problem lies in the multitude of details provided concerning the construction of the new temple. It’s not just a question of what each detail might mean. The careful verbal blueprint reminds us of the instructions Moses was given for constructing the tabernacle—and those were intended to be literally carried out.
The main detailed specifications offer no problem for the literalist. Yet for the person who views Ezekiel’s description here as a prediction of what will actually happen in the future, there are other difficulties. For instance, where do the scenes described here fit in Scripture’s overall vision of Israel’s future? And particularly, how does it relate to Revelation 21–22’s similar description of the eternal state. And, what about the sacrifices to be offered on the future altar? Doesn’t the New Testament teach that Christ’s one sacrifice of Himself did away forever with the need for animal offerings? (cf. Heb. 7:18; 9:12, 25–28) Such questions can, of course, be answered. The sacrifices of the Mosaic era were intended to simply portray redemption. Apparently the sacrifices of Ezekiel’s temple also serve as reminders of Christ’s work. Since several of the feasts of the Old Testament era are not mentioned in Ezekiel, it seems that he describes a whole new system of worship, to be conducted in the very presence of the Messiah.
Though many delight to speculate on such issues when reading these chapters, our purpose is different. Rather than try to fit Ezekiel’s final vision of the future into any prophetic scheme, we want to see what that vision suggests to us for our lives today. And there is something here for us to apply.

Overview
Ezekiel gave details of a new temple to be constructed in Jerusalem (40:1–42:20). God’s glory will fill that structure (43:1–12), and commemorative sacrifices will be offered on its altar (vv. 13–27). Priests and Levites will again serve God (44:1–31) in sacred precincts (45:1–12). Israel will celebrate God’s festivals (46:1–24) as a river flowing from the sanctuary waters the land (47:1–12), which once again has been allotted to Israel’s tribes (v. 13–48:35).

Understanding the Text
“He took me to the land of Israel” Ezek. 40:1–5. In the year 573B.C Ezekiel saw the last vision reported in his book. In it he was transported to Israel, and told to communicate everything he saw to the house of Israel.
The very first thing that the prophet saw was a glorious temple. He was guided through it, and given every relevant dimension of what he saw.
One day these words may serve as a verbal blueprint to be followed by God’s people. Many believe so. But to us today the immediate fixation on the temple reminds us that God is to have priority in our lives. As Ezekiel went on, his wondering gaze would shift to the king’s palace, the city, the changed geography of Jerusalem, and ultimately to the land itself, once more divided among the 12 tribes of Israel. But the most wonderful sight of all, the most compelling, the thing that demanded his initial attention, was the temple. You and I may be blessed in many ways, and the sights we see around us may be glorious. But there is nothing more beautiful, nothing more worthy of our attention, than God Himself. If God is the center of our lives, as the temple is the focal point of future Israel, everything else will fall into place.

“I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east” Ezek. 43:1–12. This is the most significant element in Ezekiel’s vision. In chapters 8–11 we have a report of Ezekiel’s vision of the departure of God’s glory. Now the prophet described a return. Once again the living, vital presence of the Lord Almighty would reside among His Old Testament people.
What is the significance of God’s instruction to the prophet to “describe the temple . . . that they may be ashamed of their sins”? Simply that the description of future splendor will so powerfully demonstrate what Israel will become, that the very contrast would drive God’s people toward holiness.
We find a similar thought in the New Testament. In 1 John 3 the apostle looked foward to Christ’s coming, and announced that though we do not now know what we will be, we know that when Jesus returns we will be like Him. And, John said, “Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (v. 3). To know what God intends for us, to realize what we are becoming, is a powerful motivation for holy living.
This same theme is seen later in Ezekiel 45:9–12, a passage addressed to Israel’s current “princes” (leaders). Ezekiel had just described the land to be set aside for the city of Jerusalem and its ruler, bordering on the temple itself. The rulers of the people would be the closest of all to the Lord. Thus God said through the prophet, “Give up your violence and oppression and do what is just and right.” With a clear vision of what the future holds for us, the grip of selfish gain is relaxed, and we begin to act in harmony with who we truly are and will become in the Lord.

“I am to be the only inheritance the priests have” Ezek. 44:1–26. The duties of priests and Levites mimic their responsibilities in the Mosaic era. But after outlining their duties, the Lord added the verse above.
In past and future, Israel’s priests were not given tribal land. They had no earthly inheritance. They were to belong to the Lord, and the Lord Himself was to be their inheritance.
What a blessing to be freed from the tyranny of possessions. How wonderful to focus only on God, to desire only to please Him, to know that while the material things we own are ours on loan, we do not possess them—and they do not possess us!

“You are to divide it equally among them” Ezek. 47:13–48:35. The prophecy of Ezekiel ends with God’s people back in their land. There is an equal place set aside for each tribal group.
In the time of Joshua the territories allotted the tribes were unequal. Some clans were larger than others, and had need for more space. But now, at history’s end, all such distinctions will be lost. None is greater, none smaller. And each has an equal place in the glorious kingdom of God.
There are many distinctions that people make between themselves and others now. Distinctions of wealth, of education, of position or prestige. We even make such distinctions in our churches, mentally ranking our fellow believers as up or down the spiritual ladder. That is a mistake. A mistake that will never be repeated in eternity. There too God’s grace will be divided equally, for each of us will gladly stake a claim to fame on one thing, and one alone. We are sinners. Saved by grace.

DEVOTIONAL
Worship the Lord
(Ezek. 43–44)
As Ezekiel wandered in his vision through the future temple, he was amazed at its size and beauty. The careful detail in which he recorded every measurement tells us that. But there is one verse that tells us more—about the temple, about Ezekiel, and about ourselves.
The verse, Ezekiel 44:4, describes the prophet coming to the front of the temple and there he said, “I looked and saw the glory of the LORD filling the temple of the LORD, and I fell facedown.”
What do we learn about the temple? In his vision, Exekiel had been impressed by the temple. He had looked in wonder at the portico of the outer court. He’d wandered through the rooms set aside for the priests. But when he came around front, and caught a glimpse of the glory of the Lord, Ezekiel fell facedown, and worshiped.
You and I may be impressed by the beauty of our churches. We may look in wonder at the crowds gathered there. We may be impressed by the qualifications of our ministers. But all such things are external; just the facade. What we need to do is figuratively come around to the front. We need to forget what we see looking at our faith from the back and side, and peer in the front door. When we do, everything else seems to disappear, for there, in the heart of the sanctuary, we too are able to see the glory of the Lord.
Many things about our churches are important. But the only thing that is truly essential is that when we come to worship we see and respond to God.
What do we learn about Ezekiel? That he was a searcher. He was impressed by the structure he examined. But he was not satisfied. Only when he was brought around to the front and saw the glory of the Lord did he fall down and worship. Ezekiel wanted God Himself, and finding Him worshiped.
What do we learn about ourselves? Like Ezekiel we can’t be satisfied with the temple, however impressive it may be. Our destiny like Ezekiel’s, the end of our quest, is realized when we see the Lord, and worship Him.

Personal Application
In church and in personal devotions, seek to meet and worship God.

Quotable
“Some people praise God for the good feelings it gives them; they praise Him because they think it makes everyone else feel good; they praise Him because they think that is simply what every good Christian should do. They do not focus their minds on God. The result is that their false praise drives out the true. Praise becomes mere pleasant-feeling babble.
“We need to speak directly to God, not to ourselves or our neighbors. As we look at Him, we will naturally praise Him for the real qualities we see. Our awkwardness will fade into the background as our attention is less and less on ourselves and more and more on Him.”— Tim Stafford

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

DRY BONES LIVE
Ezekiel 37–39

“I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD” (Ezek. 37:6).

People who find it hard to believe warnings of divine judgment also find it hard to believe God’s good news.

Background
Prophetic overview. Biblical scholars tend to take one of two views of passages like the one we explore today. They either see the passage as a visionary’s use of highly symbolic language to affirm some spiritual reality, or they see the passage as a literal, though often obscure, description of events which will actually take place in the future.
One who takes the first approach will see these chapters in Ezekiel as a symbolic affirmation of God’s power over all the forces of evil throughout history, and an affirmation of His ultimate victory. In God’s time evil will be put away, and only good will reign.
One who takes the second approach sees these chapters in Ezekiel as a preview of history. The timetable may be obscure, and the exact sequence of events uncertain, but what the prophet describes—a regathering of God’s Old Testament people to Israel, invasion of the Holy Land, direct divine intervention, a national conversion of Israel, the rule of earth by a Descendant of David—all this is understood to lie ahead, perhaps just beyond the headlines of tomorrow’s news.
Whichever view a person may hold today, there is no doubt that Ezekiel and the other Old Testament prophets expected a literal fulfillment of their visions of the future. Their belief was rooted in the conviction that the God of the covenant would be utterly faithful to His promises to Abraham, which included possession of a Jewish homeland as well as the spiritual blessing of intimate relationship with the Lord. And the prophets speak with a unified voice when describing the earthly future of God’s Old Testament people. They may have misunderstood the meaning of what they foresaw. But each prophet, whether crying out about the destruction of Jerusalem, the fall of Nineveh, or the restoration of scattered Israel, expected his words to be literally fulfilled.
I don’t want to come down too hard on the literalist side. But it is fascinating to note. Just 60 years ago if anyone had suggested that the Jewish people might have a nation of their own in Palestine, all would have scoffed. Yet today that nation is firmly established: struggling, yes, but there. The dry bones have begun to come back together. Perhaps even tendons and flesh have appeared. But again using Ezekiel’s
words, we might well say there is yet “no breath in them.” Still a secular state, still relying on the arm of flesh rather than on God, Israel awaits the miracle that Ezekiel said would then surely come. And then the dry bones will live.
And we too will live. For these events, which the flow of history suggests may lie just beyond tomorrow, mean that Christ, David’s Successor and Son, will appear. Then God’s time for celebration by the redeemed of every age will at last have come.

Overview
The vision of a valley of dry bones emphasized God’s power to revitalize and restore Israel and Judah (37:1–14). There will again be a united nation under a Davidic king (v. 28). But the restoration was linked with invasion by a great northern power (38:1–17), whose destruction by God Himself (v. 18–39:21) would precipitate lasting national conversion (vv. 22–29).

Understanding the Text
“These bones are the whole house of Israel” Ezek. 37:1–14. The text interprets Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones that come together at his command, are fleshed out, and finally come to life. The bones in the vision represent Israel, whose people are scattered and hopeless among the nations. Though devoid of hope, God will “bring you back to the land of Israel” (reassemble the bones). The graves (representing the nations to which the Jews have been scattered) will be opened, permitting the return, and God’s Spirit will be given to His people.
Whatever the prophetic meaning, the application to our lives is clear. All too often we too give up. We feel deadened, dried up. All seems bleak; we feel utterly doomed. When those emotions come, we need to remember the dry bones. God can take our dead and scattered hopes, pull them together, and breathe life into them again. Because we know the Lord, and because He loves us dearly, we do have hope and a future.

“They will never again be two nations” Ezek. 37:15–27. This powerful messianic prophecy again looks forward to a return of the Jews to their homeland, and establishment of a nation ruled by a Davidic King.
Once united under David and Solomon, the Hebrew nation split into Northern and Southern Kingdoms in 931B.C The population of the north (Israel) was deported by the Assyrians in 722B.C, and scattered through many cities. The south (Judah) was crushed by the Babylonians, and its population taken in a series of deportations ending in 586B.C Now Ezekiel said that God intends to unite the scattered tribes of Israel, bring them back to the homeland, and establish a united kingdom to be ruled by a Descendant of David.
To date this has not happened. There have been partial returns, and a kind of semi-independence under the Maccabees. But no independent, united kingdom has emerged in the nearly 2,600 years since Ezekiel’s time. In fact, the only known lineal descendant of David who yet lives is Jesus Christ! Thus this prophecy, which links a restoration of Israel to the land (v. 21), spiritual renewal (vv. 23–24), rule by a Descendant of David (v. 24), and a rebuilt sanctuary (v. 26), is one of the many that makes those who take a literal view of prophecy to believe that what is described here still lies ahead, and will be fulfilled when Jesus returns.

“Set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog” Ezek. 38:1–16. Now Ezekiel described an invasion force assembled from many nations about to strike a peaceful and unsuspecting Israel.
Several Hebrew phrases woven into the message fix the time. What Ezekiel foresaw will happen “after many days” (v. 8), “in future years” (v. 8). Another phrase, translated “in days to come” (v. 16) helps locate the prophecy in the end times, near history’s end. Some see this as an attack to come just before the establishment of a Millennium of peace at Christ’s return; others place it after the Millennium and identify it with a Satan-stimulated, final rebellion of humanity against God (cf. Rev. 19:17–21).
Etymologically “Gog” and “Magog”are impossible to identify, though many students of prophecy teach that these represent Russia. Of more significance is the fact that the enemy forces are drawn from nations at every point of the compass: the east (Persia), the southwest (Cush: Ethiopia), the west (Put: Libya, and the “islands of the sea”), the north (Gomer: Cimmerians?).
You and I may at times feel, “Everybody’s against me.” What Ezekiel is saying is that at history’s end, “everybody” will be against God’s people.
But the text shows something else. The Lord says to His enemies, “I will bring you against My land,” and then adds, “so that the nations may know Me when I show Myself holy through you.” God will use the evil intent of the wicked to bring them to a place where He can act openly against them.
What a reminder for you and me. Everybody may actually be against us. But God isn’t against us. He has permitted our enemies to attack, only to put them in a position where they will be vulnerable to judgment. So the next time you feel a little persecuted, don’t feel sorry for yourself. Feel sorry for your persecutors!

“In My zeal and fiery wrath” Ezek. 38:17–39:24. In a series of announcements (38:17–23; 39:1–16, 17–24) God told what He would do to the invading forces. He Himself would intervene and, with miracles that recall His acts for the Exodus generation, would utterly destroy the enemy. These acts will forever establish the Lord as God in the sight of both Israel and the nations (39:22).
But is God fair to establish His identity at the cost of so many human lives? The text answers us. In all that God has done, to Israel and to the nations, He has “dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses” (v. 24).

DEVOTIONAL
What to Forget
(Ezek. 39)
My wife tells our nine-year-old that God has a video recorder focused on her. One day, when we meet the Lord, He’s going to show the tape, and give her her rewards. And, every once in a while when she does something especially nice, Sue tells her, “That’s on your video tape.”
I like her emphasis. So many mom’s might turn this around, and when a child did something bad, shriek, “Now, that’s going on your video tape!”
I couldn’t help thinking of Sue’s practice when I read Ezekiel 39. The passage so powerfully portrays God’s hatred of sin and the judgment that sin merits. Reading it, we almost cringe at the thought of our own faults and the memory of our failings. But then we read God’s summary, in the last paragraph. There, nestled in verses that express the compassion God will show when judgment is past, is a verse that says, “They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward Me” (v. 26).
What a wonderful promise! Yes, we’re weak. We stumble, and sometimes fall. And then what a burden of shame and guilt we bear. But God promises that when we see Him, when we truly “know that I am the LORD,” no shred of memory of our sins will remain to mar our joy.

Personal Application
Forgiven means forgotten! Even now we can put our past behind us, and live in joy.

Quotable
“One day a Christian visited a minister in his home. As he sat in the study, he began to read one of the minister’s books. Suddenly he cried, ’Glory! Praise the Lord.’ The minister hurried into the study, asking, ’What’s the matter?’
” ’Why, this book says that the sea is five miles deep! The Bible says my sins have been cast into the depth of the sea, and if it’s that deep, I’m not afraid of their coming up again!’
“Nor do we need to bring them up!”—Walter B. Knight

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

RESTORATION AHEAD
Ezekiel 33–36

“I will place over them . . . My servant David, and he will tend them . . . and be their shepherd” (Ezek. 34:23).

Though Jerusalem was in ruins, God had not abandoned His people. However grim present circumstances may appear, there is always a future for the people of God.

Background
From chapter 33 on, the prophecies in the Book of Ezekiel look forward. Prior to that Ezekiel focused his listeners’ attention on the history of sins that made Jerusalem’s imminent fall certain. But with the city fallen and the homeland depopulated, the prophet was able to speak about the future. God would restore scattered Israel. Many wonderful promises in these four chapters underscore this glorious hope. Yet the fate of the individual still rests on his or her personal choice, to hear and obey God’s Word, or to ignore and reject.
For us too, Scripture is filled with promising tomorrows that we can claim. But today as in ancient Babylon, the experience of God’s blessing requires us to hear and to live by His Word.

Overview
Ezekiel began a new phase of his ministry by restating key truths: he was a watchman (33:1–11), and each individual was responsible to respond to God’s Word (vv. 12–20). To avoid Jerusalem’s fate, God’s people must take His Word to heart (vv. 27–33). God would replace wicked leaders with the Messiah (34:1–24), and there would be peace (vv. 25–31). Edom would fall (35:1–15), but the mountains of Israel would be cleansed and repopulated by a people transformed by the Lord (36:1–38).

Understanding the Text
“I have made you a watchman” Ezek. 33:1–11. We see it even in nature. As the herd grazes, one male stands alert, head raised, sniffing the air. The watchbeast stands aloof from the crowd, and the welfare of the herd depends on how vigilant he is.
Ezekiel was a watchman for Israel. This was established in chapter 3, and the charge is repeated here. Ezekiel was faithful in warning the people of Judah before the city fell: he must continue to warn.
Ezekiel was required to be alert, to warn his people of spiritual dangers. The responsibility was heavy: Ezekiel would often be alone, standing apart from the crowd. But the very lives of his fellow Jews depended on his faithfulness.
Are we ready to pay the cost of being watchmen for our friends and neighbors? Are we prepared to share Jesus, warning others of the eternal cost of rejection, inviting them to accept the forgiveness and renewal Christ died to provide?

“He has done what is just and right; he will surely live” Ezek. 33:12–20. The message of personal responsibility was also found in the first half of Ezekiel, in chapter 18. There Ezekiel warned that responsiveness to God’s word was the key to survival for those under siege in Jerusalem.
That siege was over now, and the bones of the wicked of Judah were scattered in Jerusalem’s ruined streets. But the principle of personal responsibility had not been altered. In the future too, God will make a distinction between the good man who hears and obeys His Word, and the wicked man who turns his back on the Lord.
God’s promises are for all His people. But they can be claimed only by those who trust—and obey.

“The people living in those ruins in the land of Israel” Ezek. 33:21–29. The few thousand Jews left in Judah had learned nothing from the recent devastation. Despite continued sinning (vv. 25–26), they supposed they had inherited Abraham’s title to the land!
But God does not reserve His gifts for the wicked. What He reserves for them is punishment. The Book of Jeremiah tells how the remnant in Judah refused to accept God’s guidance, and fled toward destruction in Egypt after the assassination of their Babylonian-appointed governor (cf. Jer. 40–44).

“A beautiful voice” Ezek. 33:30–33. Ezekiel had suddenly become popular among the exiles in Babylon! Everyone came to listen to him, and they were all full of compliments. Ezekiel heard, “Fine sermon, Ezekiel,” everywhere he went. Folks just loved to come out every time Ezekiel held a meeting!
The trouble was, it was entertainment to the exiles (cf. v. 32). They listened and smiled and shouted, “Amen”—and probably had the gaunt preacher over for after—service dessert—all without taking his words to heart. “They hear your words,” God told Ezekiel, “but do not put them into practice.”
The true measure of a modern ministry isn’t how popular a preacher becomes, or how many thousands come out to hear him.
The true measure of a modern ministry is hearing. Does the congregation then put God’s words into practice?

“Prophesy against the shepherds of Israel” Ezek. 34:1–10. The term “shepherd” is often used in the Old Testament to designate Israel’s kings and her spiritual leaders. Now Ezekiel looked back and identified the leadership flaws which contributed to Judah’s recent disaster. The real purpose Ezekiel had in mind, however, was to create a background against which a coming Shepherd he was about to describe would stand out.
What flaws in Israel’s and Judah’s leaders brought the nation to disaster? The Hebrew kingdom’s rulers had thought only of themselves rather than the flock (v. 2). They greedily exploited the flock for personal gain (v. 3). They refused to
intervene on behalf of the weak and injured (v. 4). And they permitted the flock of God to be scattered throughout the nations (vv. 5–6). Because of these sins, God would “remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves” (v. 10).
James 3:1 warns against stepping presumptuously into a leadership role, “because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” Any person who views leadership as a position “above” others, rather than a position of service “under” them is not yet ready to be a spiritual leader.

“I Myself will tend My sheep and have them lie down” Ezek. 34:11–23. Human leaders have failed miserably to protect God’s flock. In this powerful messianic passage God promises to intervene directly. He Himself will tend His sheep. God will “place over them one shepherd, My servant David.” When the promised Descendant of David appeared, God’s flock would at last have a Leader whose sole concern was their well-being.
How beautifully this thought is picked up by Jesus, who identified Himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10. In Christ, at long last, the people of God have a Shepherd who willingly “lays down His life for the sheep.” Rather than grasp, this Shepherd gives. He is no hireling, but cares deeply for the sheep. His sacrifice of Himself proves once and for all that we are loved and secure. As we hear His voice, and follow Him, He will do us nothing but good.

“I will make a covenant of peace” Ezek. 34:25. Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel introduced the concept of a New Covenant which God will make with His people. In this chapter Ezekiel emphasized the material blessings associated with that covenant, while Jeremiah stressed the spiritual.
What material blessings are foreseen for that future time? The prophet emphasized a rescue of the Jews from the lands where they have been scattered. Then, in their ancient homeland, they will know a time of peace, safety, and prosperity.
This picture of the Jews restored to an abundantly fertile homeland is frequently found in prophetic images of a coming golden age (cf. Hosea 2:22; Joel 3:18; Amos 9:13–15; Zech. 8:12). All this is promised to Israel when at last David’s promised Offspring appears as Ruler of every land.
Many understand such prophecies to teach a literal restoration of the Jewish people to the land of Israel at Christ’s second coming. But there is a spiritual application too. When Christ reigns in a person’s life, whatever the outward strife, there is peace within. Hidden in our hearts, beyond the reach of circumstance, there is a garden to which we can retreat, and there find rest.

DEVOTIONAL
God’s Holy Name
(Ezek. 36)
Looking around our little Phoenix congregation, I saw so many familiar faces. There was the young man who’d been so driven by sex that he lost his job and family, and almost his mind. There was the ex-hippy, who’d thought nothing of buying a record he wanted when his kids were without shoes. There, near the front, was the wife who’d been caught in adultery with a family friend, sitting by her husband. Everywhere I looked there were people I loved. People who brought honor to God’s holy name.
Many people would be shocked at that last statement. But this is just the sort of thing Ezekiel was talking about in this 36th chapter of his book. Earlier, in chapter 6, Ezekiel prophesied “against” the mountains of Israel. Their high places, the sites selected for orgiastic pagan worship rituals, were to witness the destruction of God’s rebellious people. Judah had dishonored the Lord, and He would proclaim His holiness by punishing them (36:16–21).
But now, Ezekiel prophesied “to” these same mountains. Their slopes will again be populated and fruitful (vv. 8–15). The mountains will observe the descendants of sinners, dancing and rejoicing in the Lord. And in that repopulation, God will affirm His holiness. As the Lord said through Ezekiel, “I will show Myself holy through you before their eyes” (v. 23).
How? What is it that the mountains and surrounding peoples will witness that demonstrates God’s holiness? The next verses tell us, as the Lord continues to speak through His prophet. As for the returned exiles, God said, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws” (vv. 26–27).
That’s what I saw in church Sunday morning. People who were sinners. But people whom God had changed.
And the glory of God’s holiness was revealed in their transformation.

Personal Application
Transformed sinners still bear witness to the holiness of God. And sinning saints remain a blot on His holy name.

Quotable
“God never asks us to do anything we can do. He asks us to live a life which we can never live and to do a work which we can never do. Yet, by His grace, we are living it and doing it. The life we live is the life of Christ lived in the power of God, and the work we do is the work of Christ carried on through us by His Spirit whom we obey.”—Watchman Nee