Milo

JUNE 15

Reading 166

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

JUNE 14

Reading 165

AGAINST NATIONS Ezekiel 25–32

“All the princes of the north and all the Sidonians are there; they went down with the slain in disgrace despite the terror caused by their power” (Ezek. 32:30).God is Ruler of the whole earth. Those who do not believe in Him, as well as we who do, are subject to His power. And we will be judged.

Background

This series of predictions against foreign nations was apparently given while the exiles in Babylon awaited word of Jerusalem’s fate. Ezekiel had announced the commencement of that city’s siege: now all the Jewish captives in Babylon could do was anxiously await word of what was happening in their homeland, some 700 miles away. During that interim Ezekiel raised his voice against other nations who would become victims of Babylon. The implication for the Jewish captives was twofold. First, their God was God of the whole earth. He was not powerless against the nations that had historically troubled Judah, as Israel’s and Judah’s present subjection might imply. Second, God is Judge of the whole earth. National sins of aggression and atrocity, of treaty-breaking and arrogance, would be punished wherever they might be found! Judah and Jerusalem, about to fall to Babylon, were not being treated unfairly, but were being held accountable to a standard of righteousness that God requires of all humankind. These chapters on the judgment of nations millenniums ago remind us, as they did the Jewish captives then, that countries are morally responsible to God for their international behavior. Nations that support terrorism, that break treaty commitments, that adopt policies of repression, and rely on force to coerce neighbors bring themselves inexorably under the judgment of a God who does act in history, and who will repay.

Overview

While awaiting word of Jerusalem, Ezekiel predicted the judgment to fall on pagan nations. He touched on the fate of states close to Judah (25:1–17), and focused in-depth on Tyre (26:1–28:26) and Egypt (29:1–32:32).

Understanding the Text

“Rejoicing with all the malice of your heart against the land of Israel” Ezek. 25:1–7. The Ammonites were one possible victim of the current Babylonian campaign, but were spared when Nebuchadnezzar turned west toward Judah (cf. 21:18–23). Their delight at Jerusalem’s fall, however, was rooted as much in malice against an ancient enemy as in relief. Now Ezekiel announced that their turn would soon come—as indeed it did. The passage also reflects one element of God’s promise to Abraham: those who bless his descendants will be blessed, and those who curse them will be cursed (cf. Gen. 12:3). The rise and fall of nations up to our own time suggests that God continues to bless those who welcome and support His covenant people. “I will inflict punishment” Ezek. 25:8–17. The same thought is emphasized in prophecies against other nations close to Israel and Judah. Moab ridiculed Judah in her disaster (v. 8); Edom “took revenge on the house of Judah and became very guilty” (v. 12); Philistia “with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah” (v. 15). In each case the nation not only was antagonistic to the Jews but had discounted her God. In each case, God said, “They will know that I am the Lord.” The capitalization of Lord in the English text tells us that the Hebrew reads YAHWEH. This unique personal name of God has great significance, and identifies Him as “The One Who Is Always Present.” This is the name associated with God’s great Exodus miracles, and with His later interventions in history on behalf of His people. It suggests a vision of God as living, active, present, and all-powerful. The pagan nations around Judah, and indeed Judah herself, failed to see God in this way. But when judgment fell, then the true nature of God would be realized. How wonderful that through Jesus you and I know God as living, active, present, and all-powerful in our own lives. With the eyes of faith we see constant evidence of His work in us and for us. Only those who forget who God really is, and behave as though He were not present, need punishment to remind them. “O Tyre . . . I will bring many nations against you” Ezek. 26:1–21. Tyre lay only a hundred miles from Jerusalem, and on a clear day could be seen from its heights. The city was built half on the mainland, and half on an offshore island, and possessed two secure harbors. Tyre was a famous commercial center, and possessed a dominant fleet that was thought to make the sea-wrapped city impregnable. While other states in Syria-Palestine were being crushed by northern powers, Tyre retained her independence and prospered. The prophecy against Tyre is complex, and has five major divisions. Chapter 26 describes the city’s destruction. Chapter 27 is a lament, picturing Tyre as a trading-vessel loaded with goods that is suddenly wrecked. Chapter 28:1–10 is an oracle about the prince of Tyre, verses 11–19 a lament over the king of Tyre, and verses 20–26 a prophecy against nearby Sidon. The date at the beginning of the prophecy (26:1) suggests Ezekiel spoke out against Tyre about a month after the fall of Jerusalem, with word possibly brought by traders from Tyre itself. “I will make you a bare rock” Ezek. 26:14. This is one of the most quoted of Old Testament verses, referred to often by those who study Scripture’s predictive prophecy. It reads, “I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishnets. You will never be rebuilt, for I the Lord have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.” Despite the scarcity of good natural harbors on the eastern Mediterranean coast, and despite the natural harbors at that site, Tyre has never been rebuilt. Where the grand city once stood a few fishermen still dry their nets. But the bare rock remains desolate and empty, as the waves roll endlessly against the shore. “Merchant of peoples on many coasts” Ezek. 27:1–36. One of the most fascinating features of this chapter is the trade directory in verses 10–25a. The list of Tyre’s trading partners, beginning with Tarshish in the west and moving east, is the most important existing document used by those who study commerce in the ancient Mediterranean world. What a unique book our Bible is! People often say such things as, “The Bible is not a science textbook,” as if it were all right to find our religion there, but everything else must be discounted. Yet Ezekiel’s writings about Tyre describe in great and accurate detail Nebuchadnezzar’s military campaign, and carefully and accurately reflect trading practices and trade goods of the era. The utter authenticity of such historic detail reminds us that the Bible is not a book of religious myth and mystery. It is a historical and accurate report of what God said and did in space and time. We can trust the Bible completely and in every detail, despite the attempts of some to challenge Scripture’s accuracy and deny its character as a divinely inspired work. “The king of Tyre” Ezek. 28:11–19. The shift in midchapter from addressing the ruler (naged) of Tyre to addressing the king (melek) of Tyre seems significant to many commentators. They believe that the focus of the prophecy shifts at this point from the human ruler of the contemporary city-state to Satan. This conviction is supported by the text’s references to Eden (v. 13), to the subject’s position as a “guardian cherub” (vv. 14, 16), and to the reference to his creation by God (v. 15). If this view is correct, what we have here is an analysis of Satan’s fall, and a unique insight into the entry of evil into God’s universe. Again, if this view is correct, it suggests that even before man’s creation earth was the focus of God’s purposes in our universe. Satan, then a ranking cherub, strode the heavens above earth in a crystal Eden, all asparkle with glorious jewels. Though created “a model of perfection” and “blameless,” pride corrupted this angelic being, and he was cast down to earth’s surface. Untold ages later God refashioned the planet, and beneath original Eden planted a Garden, filled with frolicking beasts, where He placed Adam and Eve. There they were tempted by the deposed angel, and led by this now hostile foe of God and man to make the choice of sin. Is this what we really have here, or are the words and phrases simply poetry, filled with symbols, not intended to be taken literally? Whichever view we hold, we can be sure that the sin of pride, that emphasis on the almighty “I,” remains at the root of Satan’s and man’s fall. (See DEVOTIONAL.) “Set your face against Pharaoh, king of Egypt . . . and against all Egypt” Ezek. 29:1–32:32. The last four chapters of this section, and indeed one twelfth of Ezekiel’s words, are directed against Egypt. Why? Historically tiny Judah was subject to the whims of the great world powers of that time, Babylon and Egypt. Less than a pawn in the game of international chess, Judah had been manipulated and betrayed by Egypt. But as powerless as Judah seemed, the God of Judah is God of the whole earth. Now through Ezekiel the Lord announced that He would use His power to execute judgment on this manipulator of His people. People with power tend to look down on the weak. What can the powerless person do against men of wealth and position? Nothing. But the God of the powerless is unimpressed by any human being. He can, and will, act. Thus, Ezekiel said, Egypt would be destroyed, and her ruler would fall.

DEVOTIONAL

The Almighty “I”(Ezek. 28:11–19)

She was crying as she spoke with the late-night hostess of “TalkNet.” She was 17 and pregnant. And things had been going so well. She was home with her dad again, after being sent off to boarding school. She had friends. She was having fun. Real fun. And then this! She had to have an abortion, of course. Everything was going too well to spoil. Her question was, should she tell her dad? He’d tell her to get the abortion, but he might get mad and send her away again. The talk show hostess gushed sympathy. That was really a hard decision. She had a regular therapist? Good. Why not talk it over with the therapist first, and ask him about telling her dad. All I could mutter was, “Poor baby.” No, not the unborn child the caller had already determined to kill. Poor little 17-year-old. Poor little girl, thinking only about her fun, and the pregnancy’s threat to her good times. Never the slightest glimmer of an idea that the life she carried should be considered. Never a thought that possibly she should accept responsibility for the consequences of her fling at sex. Only the tears, only the terror, that she might lose the chance to keep on having fun. Poor baby. How fragile that universe we create, with ourselves as sole inhabitant and every other person just something to use for our amusement. How threatening when only “I” count, and then something comes along to threaten our self-indulgence. Poor baby. How is she ever to discover that God is the center of the real universe. How is she ever to realize that she is a Creature, whose true identity can only be found in putting Him first, and whose happiness depends on choosing to live by the standards He says are right and good. I must confess I was upset by the talk show hostess. She clucked and cooed and sympathized, and never once even imagined that the pregnancy was a chance for this teen to consider another human being. The hostess, never in her wildest dreams, would suppose that putting self aside and acting responsibly might be the way this 17-year-old could find both her better self, and peace. I know. I shouldn’t have expected more. We live in a society where self is assumed to be the rightful center of each person’s life. Why shouldn’t the calling teen have thought only and always of herself? Doesn’t everyone? Poor baby. Who will ever help her realize that the most insidious expression of Satan’s original sin of pride is self-centeredness. That our greatest spiritual flaw, and most persistent enemy, is our own concentration on the almighty “I.”

Personal Application

The old prescription still works: God first, others second, self last.

Quotable

ILLUSION There’s a heap o’ joy in living, When we’re living as we should; And the greatest joy is giving, Where it does the greatest good; And we come to this conclusion, As the more of life we see, It is merely an illusion, When we live it selfishly. It’s the old, but truthful story, If we strive for great success, And we win, it lacks the glory, If we won by selfishness, For we find life’s sweetest pleasure, After all is said and done, When we give in fullest measure, Of the riches we have won.-Frank C. Nelson

JUNE 13

Reading 164

DEFECTIVE LEADERSHIP Ezekiel 20–24

“See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood” (Ezek. 22:6).Leaders carry heavy responsibility. They set the moral tone of a nation or community, and are accountable for the flaws and failures of the people they rule over.

Overview

Israel’s history was one of rebellion (20:1–31), yet after punishment the nation would be restored (vv. 32–44). Ezekiel prophesied immediate judgment of fire (vv. 45–49) and sword (21:1–32), to descend on Jerusalem and her corrupt leaders (22:1–31). The people’s sin was portrayed in a famous allegory (23:1–49), and even as the siege of Jerusalem began in faraway Judah, Ezekiel announced the event (24:1–15). When Ezekiel’s wife died, he was told to “groan quietly,” even as the people of Jerusalem would be struck dumb in their grief (vv. 16–27).

Understanding the Text

“Confront them with the detestable practices of their fathers” Ezek. 20:1–31. In July/August of 591B.C elders of the people came to “inquire of the Lord.” The phrase means to consult the prophet about the outcome of plans they were considering. God would not even listen to them, but told Ezekiel to lay out clearly the charges against them. So Ezekiel demonstrated from history that the people of Israel had always been rebellious. And charged that the present generation defiled itself in the same way “to this day” (v. 31). The point of the passage was clear. It was time to repent, not to make plans! The elders of Judah formed committees and set up contingency plans, when what they should have been doing was calling the people of Judah to abandon idolatry and return to God. You and I too must put first things first. It’s fine to make careful plans for the future. But man’s first priority is his personal relationship with the Lord. If that relationship is wrong, whatever plans we may make are irrelevant. It is futile to ask God for guidance, or pray about plans we’re struggling to make, if serious sin has interrupted our fellowship with God. At such times repentance is a first priority. This was one of the most serious flaws in Judah’s leaders. They seemed totally unaware of their own and of their people’s spiritual condition. Insensitive leaders, out of touch with God, can only lead God’s people to disaster. “Afterward you will surely listen” Ezek. 20:32–49. God is as determined to pursue us as we ever are to escape Him! Judah would experience judgment. But there was no way that God would let His people stray permanently into idolatry and sin. (See DEVOTIONAL.) “I will draw My sword from its scabbard” Ezek. 21:1–17. The Old Testament frequently pictures enemy nations as a rod of discipline. Here Babylon was pictured as a “sword.” In Hebrew the word for sword indicates a “destroying instrument.” Thus Ezekiel cried: A sword, a sword, sharpened and polished— sharpened for the slaughter, polished, and flashing like lightning (v. 9). Judah had “despised the rod” of lighter punishments. Now she must bear the greater punishment inflicted by God’s sword. We see the same peculiar trait in some children. One child will respond to a stern glance or slight slap. Another will grimly endure a severe spanking, refusing to break or to give in. Stubborn Judah was like the strong-willed child, determined to have its own way despite correction. As a result, an anguished God must increase the intensity of the punishment. Judah must be taught to respond. “Mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take” Ezek. 21:18–32. Ezekiel was told to draw a map on the ground, marking clearly the route from Babylon to Syria-Palestine. There, above Damascus, the road forks, with one route leading to Judah, and the other along the highlands across the Jordan to the land of the Ammonites. Ezekiel was told that the king of Babylon, reaching that fork in the road, would call on his wise men to divine for a sign showing him which people to war on. God would see to it that the omens directed him to Judah! The point Ezekiel made here was that the Babylonians did not have to invade Judah. God intervened to cause Nebuchadnezzar to select the Jews as his current victims. But why? The spotlight is on Judah’s leadership. The prince of Judah is “profane and wicked” (v. 25). In the coming judgment this exalted person will be stripped of the symbols of royalty, and they will not be restored “until He comes to whom it rightfully belongs” (v. 27). “Each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood” Ezek. 22:1–31. Again we see a recurring theme. Leaders are to serve God’s flock, not fleece it! Those who use power to treat “father and mother with contempt” and to oppress the alien and mistreat the fatherless are users, not servants. The sins of the people of Jerusalem are listed (vv. 9–12), and rather than stand against such behavior the leaders conspire to profit from the situation (vv. 23–29). It is no wonder that God “will pour out My wrath on them and consume them with My fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done” (v. 31). Any person who accepts the role of a spiritual leader takes on dreadful responsibility. He or she must purge himself of every selfish motive, and stand before the Lord “in the gap [of the wall] on behalf of the land.” Spiritual leaders must be dedicated to standing before the Lord and to serving God’s people. No other commitment can preserve us from straying—and from judgment. “You will drink your sister’s cup” Ezek. 23:1–49. In an extended allegory Israel and Judah were likened to two adulterous sisters. Judah had not learned from the punishment of Israel, and so would suffer the same terrible fate. You and I can learn from both nations. They “have forgotten Me and thrust Me behind your back.” We remember the Lord daily, and keep Him and His Word always before us. “This very date” Ezek. 24:1–14. On January 15, 588B.C, Nebuchadnezzar began the siege of Jerusalem. On that very date in Babylon Ezekiel announced what was happening in the homeland, and likened Jerusalem to a pot about to be brought to a boil, and the inhabitants to meat that is cooked until all the water is gone from the pot and even the remains are charred and useless. “The time has come for Me to act,” God said: “I will not hold back.” God has fixed a date for the judgment of our world too. When that date comes, nothing can hold God back. “I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes” Ezek. 24:15–27. Before Ezekiel’s wife died, the prophet was warned, and told to make no outward sign of mourning. He was only to groan quietly. When the devastation ended in Jerusalem, and death took the sons and daughters of the few survivors, they too would be too stunned and crushed to mourn. Why should Ezekiel have to suffer the death of his wife? The best answer probably is, “Why not?” God’s dearest saint is not immune from the anguish that is common to all men. God’s most intimate friends often experience the darkest trials. During such times we sense our identity with the rest of humankind, and out of shared suffering often grows the most effective ministry. In our trials we, like Ezekiel, are often God’s sign to others, pointing the way to comfort, and to Him.

DEVOTIONAL

“It’ll Never Happen!”(Ezek. 20)

What is the most unlikely thing you can imagine? You walking on the moon? Being visited by little green men? Well, those are pretty unlikely, I confess. In fact, they probably fit into the same category with something God scoffs at in this chapter. The category of “Never!” We find the category in verse 32: “What you have in mind will never happen.” That “never happen” is one of the most comforting phrases in Scripture, especially for parents whose children seem to have abandoned the faith. You see, the people of Judah wanted to abandon God. They wanted to adopt other ways and be “like the nations, like the peoples of the world.” They were running away from God as fast as their legs could carry them. And despite this, God said, “What you have in mind will never happen.” We might paraphrase this way: “You don’t want to be My people, or live the good life I’ve chosen for you? Well, you can run—but I won’t let you get away. Even though you reject Me, I won’t reject you. You’re Mine, and I’ll never let you go.” God was determined to rescue His people from paganism in spite of themselves. This passage is comforting to parents whose children make unwise choices. A son or daughter drifts away from God, adopts a doubtful morality, makes mistake after mistake, and suffers painful consequences. It’s so easy then for parents to give in to despair. My child is lost. All hope is gone! But this passage tells us not to give up! Run away from God? “What you have in mind will never happen!” Abandon Mom’s and Dad’s values? “What you have in mind will never happen!” Make such a mess of life that there is no way back to God and goodness? “What you have in mind will never happen!” Oh, there will be the pain of discipline until the wanderer turns back. The people of Judah were soon to discover just how painful the divine discipline could be. But to be abandoned? Never! God is a ferocious Lover. He never gives up, but fiercely pursues His loved ones until they return to Him. And so if your children or mine make a bad turn along the road of life, let’s not give up hope. What they had in mind when they turned away from the Lord will never happen! God doesn’t let His loved ones get away.

Personal Application

Put your hope where your faith is. In God.

Quotable

I fled Him down the nights and down the days; I fled Him, down the arches of the years; I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears I hid from Him, and under running laughter. Up vistaed hopes, I sped; And shot, precipitated Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears, From those strong Feet that followed, followed after. But with unhurrying chase, And unperturbed pace, Deliberate speed, majestic instancy, They beat—and a Voice beat More instant than the Feet— “All things betray thee, who betrayest Me.” I pleaded, outlaw-wise, By many a hearted casement, curtained red, Trellised with intertwining charities; (For though I knew His love Who followed, Yet I was sore adread Lest, having Him I might have nought beside). . . . . “Whom wilt thou find to love ignoble thee, Save Me, save only Me? All which I took from thee I did but take, Not for thy harms, But just that thou might’st seek it in My arms. All which thy child’s mistake Fancies as lost, I have stored for thee at home: Rise, clasp My hand, and come.” -Francis Thompson

JUNE 12

Reading 163

NO BASIS FOR HOPE Ezekiel 12–19

” ’In your days, you rebellious house, I will fulfill whatever I say,’ declares the Sovereign Lord” (Ezek. 12:25).Maybe someday, but not now,” and “Maybe somebody else, but not me,” are still common reactions to warnings about the consequences of sin. This passage reminds moderns that such hopes are empty.

Background

The Jewish exiles expected an early return to their homeland. Optimism was fostered by false prophets, and encouraged by popular notions—that a God of love would never really judge; that the visions of Ezekiel would not come true; that if judgment did come it would strike a different generation. In this section of Ezekiel the prophet dealt with the false hopes of God’s still stubborn people. Through him the Lord announced that the judgments prophesied would strike the present generation. In an address on personal responsibility that is vitally relevant to us today, Ezekiel showed that individual choices affect individual destiny. It was too late for Judah as a nation, but the individual could still respond to God, and be safe.

Overview

Ezekiel acted out the imminent deportation of Jerusalem’s population (12:1–20). Hope of delay was futile (vv. 21–28): the prophets who stimulated such hope lied (13:1–23), for purifying judgment (14:1–11) is inescapable (vv. 12–23). Two allegories show the justice of the coming judgment (15:1–16:63), while a third shows the futility of a military alliance against Babylon (17:1–24). Ezekiel then proclaimed that each person would live or die according to his own decision to obey or disobey God’s word (18:1–32). The section concludes with a dirge poem for Judah’s rulers (19:1–14).

Understanding the Text

“While they watch” Ezek. 12:1–16.

Again Ezekiel acted out a prophecy. This time he played the role of an inhabitant of Jerusalem, packing his few belongings in the morning, and in the evening digging through the mud-brick wall of his house to crawl out with them and move to another location. In just this way the few survivors of Jerusalem’s siege would crawl out of the ruined city on the way to Babylon. But Ezekiel’s actions had a more direct reference to the “prince among them.” This is Zedekiah, called a prince because Judah’s rightful king, Jehoiachin, was alive in Babylon. Zedekiah was to leave through a hole in the wall, his head covered (indicating a disguise), only to be snared by the Babylonians and brought to the land of the enemy, though “he will not see it.” Within a few short years, when the city of Jersualem fell, Zedekiah tried to make his escape. He fled toward the Jordan, but was caught by Nebuchadnezzar’s forces. There his sons were slaughtered as he watched, and he was blinded. Zedekiah did go to the land of Babylon as a captive. But, in accord with Ezekiel’s words, the eyeless king never saw the land of his exile. The word of the Lord is sure. What God says is utterly trustworthy. How desperately the exiles needed to hear, and to believe. Even as today our generation needs to hear, and to believe, the words of Scripture. “Tremble as you eat your food” Ezek. 12:17–20. Ezekiel was told to shudder as he ate and drank to portray the utter terror soon to be felt by the inhabitants of Jerusalem. People who fail to fear the Word of the Lord will feel fear—when the things foretold in that Word come to pass. “Every vision comes to nothing” Ezek. 12:21–28. Ezekiel now began to deal with the false hopes held by the captives in Babylon as well as by the Jews left in the homeland. One basis for these rests on the observation that past warnings by God’s prophets seem to have “come to nothing.” Ezekiel did not bother to explain that judgment had been delayed by a gracious God, whose loving-kindness had been expressed in His long-suffering attitude toward an unrepentant people. Ezekiel simply said that the disasters foretold by the former prophets would be fulfilled “in your days.” This thought is reemphasized, for another popular saying is that prophetic visions of judgment are “for many years from now.” It might be that God would do what He had said. But surely not now! Again God spoke through Ezekiel: “None of My words will be delayed any longer.” There’s a carelessness here that is often reflected in the Christian church. When Christ taught His disciples about His return, He emphasized the importance of being ready (see esp. Matt. 25–26). The Lord might appear at any time, and so His servants are to actively go about His business, eager and excited at the prospect of His sudden return. It’s to be this way for us: we’re to be constantly aware that Jesus may come today—this morning, this afternoon! Yet as the years pass, and we begin a career, marry, and plan for our children’s college and for our retirement, the sense of imminence is somehow lost. Some, looking back over two millennium, dismiss the whole idea, saying “every vision comes to nothing.” Others, more conservative, simply assume the return “is for many years from now.” And so we settle down in this world, adopt its values, and lose sight of our calling as servants of a Master who may appear at any moment. A Master who expects to find His staff ready, actively involved in doing His business. We do not know, as Ezekiel did, that this vision is for our generation. It may not be. I clearly remember my mother telling me, when I was a child of just five or six, that she expected the Lord to return in her lifetime. He did not. But I expect Him to return in mine. And if He delays beyond the length of my years, not one thing will change. The vision of Jesus’ return is still for each believer today. And the expectation that Christ might come at any moment remains one of the most purifying doctines in the Word of God. “Foolish prophets who follow their own spirit” Ezek. 13:1–16. False prophets are a major theme addressed in Jeremiah and in Ezekiel. The emphasis reminds us to be very careful in our response to modern spiritual leaders. Ezekiel noted that such persons may be totally sincere: they “expect their words to be fulfilled!” He also observed that they tend to preach popular messages. People want to hear about peace? OK, the theme of today’s sermon is peace, even though there is no peace (v. 10). Sincerity without truth is as useless as a map of Kentucky when you’re traveling through Texas. A good many people, totally sincere in what they believe, are on the highway to hell, and all too many totally sincere preachers are busy erecting signs along the roadway. “They cover it with whitewash” Ezek. 13:10. What a powerful image. Build a flimsy wall, cover it with whitewash, and everything seems all right. But no matter how good it looks under all that trim, a flimsy wall remains flimsy. The teachings of false prophets may look attractive. But however thick the coat of whitewash they are given, the teachings are still flimsy, and will be carried away in the torrent of God’s judgment. “I am against your magic charms” Ezek. 13:17–23. I suppose Shirley Maclaine is sincere in her “new age” writings and lectures. The crystal craze, the notion that there is power in pyramids, fascination with “channeling” and supposed contact with beings who lived long ago, all relate to the theme Ezekiel touched on here. Divination. Magic. Charms. Efforts to find and manipulate the supernatural while ignoring God. Whatever the fad, Scripture has a simple message: God is “against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination.” “They could save only themselves” Ezek. 14:12–23. Another argument raised by the exiles and by the population of Jerusalem against imminent judgment was rooted in Genesis 18. God heeded Abraham’s prayer, and promised to spare Sodom if even five righteous men might be found in it. Surely God would not destroy a nation that must possess at least some godly men and women! Ezekiel destroyed this notion—which by the way has remained popular in Judaism—by saying that even if several of sacred history’s most righteous persons (Noah, Daniel, and Job) lived in Jerusalem, the city would perish even though they would be saved. Similar thinking about our own country is just as erroneous. You’ve no doubt heard, or thought, something like . . . God will spare the United States because (a) We supply most of the world’s missionaries, (b) We have the highest percent of churchgoers in the Western world, (c) We are a “Christian” nation, (d) Democracy is closer to the divine ideal than any other form of government, (e) Any other, similiar reason. Ezekiel suggested that such notions foster false hope. God deals with any nation as its deeds require. The righteousness of the few will in no way preserve the wicked. “The wood of a vine” Ezek. 15:1–8. The Old Testament frequently portrays Israel and Judah as a vine (cf. Gen. 49:22; Ps. 80; Isa. 5:1–7; Hosea 10:1). The vine was prized for the fruit it bore, and so was an appropriate symbol of God’s people as His prized possession. But the vine was prized only for its fruit. The wood is stringy and twisted, and has no use in construction or value for fashioning furnishings. All a fruitless vine is good for is to be burned. Fruitless Judah, already charred by the flames of God’s judgment, was totally worthless, and destined to be consumed. “You prostitute, hear the word of the Lord” Ezek. 16:1–63. In an extended allegory the Lord compared His people to an unwanted girl-child, discarded at birth. God saved her life, nurtured her, and ultimately accepted her as His wife and showered her with presents. Then unfaithful Judah broke the covenant relationship by seeking out pagan gods to worship, and by turning to immorality. God would punish Judah for her spiritual adultery and prostitution, and for being “arrogant, overfed and unconcerned” with “the poor and needy.” Yet when the time of punishment is past the Lord would again “establish My covenant with you” and make atonement for Judah’s sins. “The soul who sins . . . will die” Ezek. 18:1–32. In reading this chapter it’s important to understand that “soul” is used in the common Hebrew sense of “person” or “individual.” Also, death in this chapter is physical rather than spiritual. Ezekiel’s message is that those who obey God will be spared in the coming devastation of Jerusalem, while God will use the Babylonian invasion to take the life of the wicked. Thus each individual’s choices will determine his own fate. (See DEVOTIONAL.) “His roar was heard no longer” Ezek. 19:1–14. The section ends with a dirge poem, a lament intended to express grief and sorrow. This poem is about the rightful kings of Judah, and particularly Jehoiachin, who was pulled into a cage with hooks and brought to Babylon. The Promised Land, once so fruitful, has become a desert, as shriveled as a vine torn from the earth and left, unrooted, on the burning sand. Yes, judgment does come. It comes on individuals as well as nations. And when it does, even though judgment is deserved, we are free with Ezekiel to mourn over what was, and what might have been.

DEVOTIONAL

Who Done It?(Ezek. 18)

A columnist recently made an acute observation about the gang of boys who raped and nearly killed a woman jogger in New York’s Central Park. The columnist noted that already some psychiatrists had popped up, eager to explain away the attack, to call it an expression of frustration and anger by disadvantaged youths who had been forced by society to hate. What the columnist noted was that the boys involved, when asked “why?” at the time of their arrest, had just shrugged and said, “It was fun.” No doubt, the columnist suggested wryly, by the time of the trial the teenagers would know enough to redefine their act, and blame society for victimizing them. The argument that society is at fault when a person acts in a criminal way isn’t new. Even back in Ezekiel’s time, people were saying that if judgment came, it would be their father’s fault, not theirs (vv. 1–2). That’s what “my teeth are crooked ’cause dad ate sour grapes” means. What happens to me, what I do, isn’t my responsibility. My acts are determined by what others have done to me. Ezekiel 18 confronts this still popular view, and flatly denies its validity. Yes, we may be influenced by others. But we remain responsible for our choices. What we choose to do is not determined by anyone else at all. When someone asks, “Who done it?” there’s no use pointing the finger of responsibility at someone else, and crying, “It wasn’t really me.” To drive home this point Ezekiel set up a number of cases. What about the good man who has a bad son? The dad’s merits will not save the son from the consequences of his acts. What about the good son of an evil father? The dad’s sins will not be held against the son. Each person is responsible for his own choices. So the message is clear. Don’t blame dear old Dad for what you do, even if Dad isn’t such a dear. And don’t blame society, even if society hasn’t given you a fair shake. Most important, don’t buy the notion that you haven’t got a chance because of your past. You do have a chance. You can succeed. Because you can choose.

Personal Application

The freedom to choose is one of the many gifts that God has given to you.

Quotable

“The power of individual choice is the secret of human responsibility. I can choose which line I will go on, but I have no power to alter the destination of that line once I have taken it—yet I always have the power to get off one line on to the other.”—Oswald Chambers

JUNE 11

Reading 162

THE EMPTIED TEMPLE Ezekiel 8–11

“Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim” (Ezek. 10:18).No church building, however spectacular, has any value at all unless God’s presence is there. Churches, like Judah’s temple, are vacant unless the Lord is honored, and His presence felt there.

Definition of Key Terms

The glory.

The Hebrew word translated “glory” means “heavy” or “weighty.” Figuratively it suggests impressiveness: the social weight of a rich man, or the symbols of a ruler’s majesty, are both identified as “glory.” When the Old Testament speaks of the “glory of God” the term is typically linked with powerful images. God is seen in blazing splendor. Raw power and burning holiness are impressed on those permitted to glimpse His revelations of His essential nature. But the “glory of God” is most of all associated with God’s intrusions into our world of space and time. The fabric of the universe is torn, and for a moment God’s elemental power is seen—as lightning flashing at Sinai, in the cloudy-fiery pillar that guided Israel in the wilderness, as an unknown brilliance settling down on the tabernacle as God took up unique residence among His Old Testament people (cf. Ex. 29:43). It is this, the unique presence of God which originally filled Solomon’s temple and then located itself in the holy of holies, the temple’s inner room (2 Chron. 7:1–3), that Ezekiel describes in these chapters. There is a tragic significance in Ezekiel’s vision of the glory of God leaving the temple. Those who had looked to that consecrated building for protection would from now on depend on what was merely an empty shell. With the glory of God withdrawn, the temple was nothing more than gilded stone, stripped of meaning and power.

Overview

Ezekiel saw a vision of idolatry in the Jerusalem temple itself (8:1–18). In the vision he witnessed the death of the idolaters (9:1–11) and the gradual withdrawal of God’s glory from the temple (10:1–22). The people inhabiting Jerusalem would be punished (11:1–15), yet in the future the exiles’ hearts would be changed, and they would be restored to their land (vv. 16–25).

Understanding the Text

“The elders of Judah were sitting before me” Ezek. 8:1–4. The vision reported in these chapters was given just 14 months after Ezekiel’s call. In that time he had been recognized as a prophet, so that the elders of the exiled Jewish community came to consult with him. There is no indication they welcomed his words, or that they responded. But they knew that a prophet was among them. As a new convert in the Navy, I began to talk to other sailors about the Lord. One day our commanding officer was holding a court martial, but couldn’t find a Bible to swear in witnesses. Immediately one of the officers said, “Go see Richards. He’ll have a Bible at his desk.” The earnest Christian, like Ezekiel, may not win converts immediately. But how quickly others realize that God has placed a spokesman among them! “Do you see what they are doing?” Ezek. 8:5–18 While the elders of Judah were present Ezekiel was transported to Jerusalem in a vision, where he observed worship in the temple. The things he witnessed demonstrated the complete religious corruption of the people, and served as the basis of God’s announcement that “I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them” (v. 18). An idol and altar to a pagan deity had been erected within the temple court at the north gate (vv. 5–6). This gate led to the royal palace, and so suggests the active participation of the king in pagan rites. Within one of the temple storerooms some 70 of Judah’s elders were gathered to worship images of animals (vv. 7–13). This was not an official group, like the Sanhedrin. Yet it’s very size, and the fact that it was composed of acknowledged leaders who also practiced idolatry in the privacy of their homes (v. 12), suggests how pervasive the apostasy in Judah had become. Ezekiel also saw women “mourning for Tammuz” (vv. 14–15). Tammuz was a Summerian agricultural deity, who “died” with winter and “came alive” again each spring, and was the forerunner of a host of pagan nature gods. Both mourning and fertility rituals were associated with the worship of Tammuz. Finally Ezekiel was shown 25 men in the temple’s inner court worshiping the sun (vv. 16–18). What is so significant about this? First, their backs were to the temple. It was the practice in Judaism to pray toward the temple, the site of the Divine Presence. Second, being in the inner court marks these men off as priests and Levites, who alone would have had access to its confines! Not just the royal house, not just the elders, not just the women, but the very religious leaders of Judah were corrupt, practicing idolatry in Judah’s only and most holy shrine. Yet what strikes us most as we read the chapter is that as Ezekiel was carried toward the Holy City and its temple, he noted that “the glory of the God of Israel” was still there! (v. 4) Despite every provocation, God had not yet abandoned His people. God is so gracious to us. He continues to exercise kindness long after we deserve punishment. Yet even as gracious a God as ours cannot be impudently treated with contempt forever. God will judge when human actions force Him to deal with our sins. “Those who grieve and lament” Ezek. 9:1–11. Ezekiel saw a mark placed on all in Jerusalem who had a heart for God, and grieved over the spiritual condition in Judah. In his vision Ezekiel saw the rest of the population slaughtered. The bloodshed was so great that Ezekiel despaired of any surviving. Two thoughts are of note here. First, the mark placed on true believers reminds us that God is able to care for His own even when there is devastation all around. Second, God told the destroying angels, “Begin at My sanctuary” (v. 6). Christianity is not to be used as a cloak for sin. Those who misuse religion for personal gain or merit will receive greater condemnation. “The radiance of the glory of the Lord” Ezek. 10:1–22. In his vision Ezekiel saw the visible glory of the Lord, which rested as in his earlier vision on a vehicle propelled by guardian angels, here identified as cherubim. As Ezekiel watched, the glory of God rose from the temple and moved beyond its threshold, preparing to leave the city itself (cf. 11:23). As it departed, burning coals from its red-hot center were scattered over Jerusalem. Hot coals, representing divine judgment, are frequently found in apocalyptic passages of Scripture that describe history’s end (see Rev. 8–9). Utter devastation is a biblical mark of God’s judgment, a reminder that a day of recompense awaits all who refuse to heed or to worship the Lord. “Leaders of the people” Ezek. 11:1–12. The 25 men described in this chapter represent the aristocracy, which served as Judah’s leaders. Comparison with Jeremiah 37 shows that even King Zedekiah lacked the power to overrule their political decisions. While their comment in Ezekiel 11:3 is obscure, it’s best to understand it as a consensus for war rather than peace, and an arrogant affirmation that they themselves are the worthy members of the nation (the “meat”) and the exiles merely offal. They say this despite the fact that Jeremiah had faithfully spoken God’s word in Jerusalem and counseled surrender to Babylon rather than resistance! Through Ezekiel God announced that those Jews the leaders had wickedly slain were the true worthy members of the nation (v. 7). In Judah of that day, the “only good Jew was a dead Jew!” But, God told Ezekiel that since the leaders liked to think of themselves as Judah’s “flesh,” He would humor them. He would make Jerusalem a pot, and as the fires of judgment burned around her, they—the flesh within the caldron of judgment—could seethe in anguish! A Robert Burns poem describes a woman sitting proudly in church, head held high, so all can see her new bonnet. Burns wryly observes that what the congregation noted was a louse, clinging to one of its bright ribbons. “O that God the gift would ge [give] us,” the poem concludes, “to see ourselves as others see us.” Burns’ poem stops just short of the point made by Ezekiel. The ultimate gift is to see ourselves as God sees us! Stripped of pretense, stripped of self-deceit and shared delusions, we, like the people of Jerusalem, need to realize the true nature of what we are, and what we do. Like the leaders of Judah, some people today tell each other, “We are the flesh.” They insist on protection for alternate lifestyles in the name of tolerance; they wrap media immorality in the mantle of free speech; and they accuse those calling for public standards of decency of censorship. And then arrogantly they tell one another, “We are the flesh.” What they fail to do is to see themselves as God sees them. And what they fail to realize is that they too will be placed in the caldron of divine judgment. “As I was prophesying, Pelatiah . . . died” Ezek. 11:13. Ezekiel apparently described his visions out loud as he experienced them. As he spoke in Babylon Pelatiah, in Jerusalem, fell dead. The event unnerved Ezekiel, and he cried out, asking if the remnant of Judah would be completely destroyed. The death of Pelatiah served another purpose besides drawing out Ezekiel’s anguished query. Later, when word arrived from Jerusalem that Pelatiah had died, the community in exile would realize it happened at the exact moment it was observed by the prophet. Ezekiel’s message would thus be authenticated as a true vision from the Lord. “I will . . . give them a heart of flesh” Ezek. 11:16–25. The heart of flesh is contrasted with a heart of stone. The one is responsive, the other unresponsive. The ultimate and only solution to Judah’s problem was inner transformation. And God, whose supreme attribute is grace, would give the remnant of His people a new heart despite their centuries-old tradition of straying from His ways. But all this lay in the distant future. Ezekiel was jolted back to his present by a final vision of the glory of God, going up from within the city, and hesitating above the mountains to the east, where the coming devastation of Jerusalem might be easily viewed.

DEVOTIONAL

You Will Know(Ezek. 10–11)

Devotionals are supposed to be warm and fuzzy. At least, I always thought so. There’s supposed to be some positive bit of Scripture at the top, then a happy little story, followed by a one or two-line prayer. We read them, feel good, and then can go on our way complacent because we’ve shared a little time with God and received our daily spiritual shot in the arm. The trouble is, so much of Scripture just isn’t warm and fuzzy. It doesn’t even make us feel good, much less complacent. Look at these chapters of Ezekiel, for instance. Chapter 10 describes the glory of God, His vital presence, departing from the temple. And the people of Judah didn’t even know! They went to the temple, worshiped at what was now just a heap of polished stones, and never realized that God wasn’t around anymore. Now, what kind of fodder is that for a devotional? Who wants to be warned to watch out for superficiality in religion? Who wants to be challenged to examine whether or not their own practices are merely going through motions that have no impact on their relationship with God at all? The next chapter is even worse! Who wants to be told that what he or she thinks of himself, and what others think, is meaningless? Who wants to be reminded that what God thinks of him is all that counts? And who wants to be warned that, if her opinion is way off base, and she is unwilling to change, God’s judgment will strip away all illusions and leave her crushed and exposed? Those words of threat and warning, “You will know [then] that I am the Lord,” simply aren’t the kind of words you expect to find in a devotional book! No warm fuzzies in them! Only a certain gruesome chill. Perhaps though it would be better if our devotionals featured fewer fuzzies and, like Scripture itself, called us to confront the truly critical issues of life. That’s what these chapters of Ezekiel do. They confront us, and make demands. Is God real in your life? Is He really there, or are you fooling yourself going through empty rituals in great, empty rooms. And, are you honest with yourself? Do you see yourself as God does, and evaluate your acts by His standards of love and goodness? Not many warm fuzzies in that, are there? Of course there might be something even more important. There might be a real meeting with God.

Personal Application

Use devotions to explore the whole counsel of God, and to expose yourself to God.

Quotable

“Some people want to see God with their eyes as they see a cow, and to love Him as they love their cow—for the milk and cheese and profit it brings them. This is how it is with people who love God for the sake of outward wealth or inward comfort. They do not rightly love God, when they love Him for their own advantage. Indeed, I tell you the truth, any object you have in your mind, however good, will be a barrier between you and the inmost Truth.”—Meister Eckhart