PRIDE GOETH BEFORE THE DESTRUCTION … OF SATAN. Ezekiel 28:12-19.

Every day you see it: someone proud fails. It happens in “karma” videos, sports, academics, celebrity gossip, politics, and movie plots. It’s happened to all of us—your confidence becomes cockiness and you fail. Maybe you stare in the mirror telling yourself how great you look, and suddenly acne breaks out like a rash of boils. Or you feel proud of your acting chops and then forget your lines.

It happened to your enemy first. The devil was one of the highest-ranking angels, with a position that placed him next to God’s throne. He had wisdom and beauty like no other. He was covered in jewels. He was the master of music, art, and all things beautiful (and he still uses those gifts to deceive us). But he began admiring himself, proud of his wisdom and beauty, and he wanted more. He wanted to be God and sit on God’s throne. And God cast him out of heaven, disgracing him, and making him an object of horror.

His revenge? To hurt God by hurting those God loves—including the Jews (God’s chosen people), innocent children and the unborn, and everyone else. Make no mistake: he has already plotted your destruction.

“You were sealed with perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, God’s Garden. You wore a Golden robe covered in jewels. You were a high-ranking angel, anointed by God, walking among the fiery stones beside His throne. You were blameless until wickedness was found in you. You became filled with violence, so God expelled you from his throne, banishing you. It all began when your heart became proud because of your beauty; to gain more glory, you corrupted your wisdom. So God cast you to earth, making you a spectacle and an object of horror. He filled your insides with a fire that will consume you, reducing your glory to ashes. One day you will forever cease to be.” Ezekiel 28:12-19 (paraphrased).

No wonder God is opposed to the proud! PRACTICE AND PRAY FOR HUMILITY.

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SABER RATTLING. Ezekiel 21:3-5.

The term “saber rattling” is one of those phrases you hear on the news or perhaps in a college classroom. It sounds sophisticated, but probably confuses half the audience. But you can figure it out using context clues. What is a saber? It’s a sword.  Why rattle a sword? As a threat.  Dictionary.com offers this definition:

SABER RATTLING, n. A flamboyant display of military power; also aggressive blustering. For example, ‘there had been a great deal of saber rattling between the two nations but hostilities had never broken out.’

Think of ‘Saber rattling’ as trash talk between nations.

The thing about saber rattling is that some threats are not merely threats—Days before the US dropped an atom bomb on Nagasaki, leaflets were dropped from the sky to warn the people:

“TO THE JAPANESE PEOPLE: America asks that you take immediate heed of what we say in this leaflet. We are in possession of the most destructive explosion ever devised by man. A single one of our newly developed atomic bombs is actually the equivalent in explosive power to what 2000 of our giant B-29s can carry on a single mission … If you still have any doubt, make inquiry as to what happened to Hiroshima when just one atomic bomb fell on that city … Petition the Emperor to end the war … EVACUATE YOUR CITIES.”

Again, the thing about saber rattling is that some threats are not merely threats—sometimes parties follow through on their threats. If God were accused of saber rattling, you must assume He does not make empty threats.  If your life is so steeped in sin that God begins giving you warnings, you better take it seriously.

“This is what the Lord says, ‘I am against you. I will draw my sword from its sheath and cut off both the righteous and the wicked from you. Since I will cut off both the righteous and the wicked, My sword will therefore come out of its sheath against everyone from the south to the north. So all the people will know that I, Yahweh, have taken My sword from its sheath—it will not be sheathed again” Ezekiel 21:3-5.

The book of Ezekiel contains a great deal of judgment.  Some would argue the entire Old Testament contains a great deal of judgment. I would call it a message of love and grace not unlike the New Testament, but the emphasis in the Old Testament is on HOLINESS and FAITHFULNESS.  God wants to rid His people of idol worship. He is refining them, growing them, improving them. And yes, He brings serious consequences to those who are engaged in serious sin.  We live today under a New Covenant. There are differences. But we too must strive to live holy lives, to be faithful to God above all else, and to flee lust and make good choices. Otherwise, even New Testament believers will reap what they sow.

“God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” Galatians 6:7.

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LIFE IN THE FISH BOWL. Ezekiel 24:16,18.

Imagine a goldfish, swimming around a glass bowl all day, his every move on display. No privacy.

Pastor’s families live in a fish bowl: everything they do is watched by the church—watched and judged. It is not easy.

Being in ministry means living selflessly. When you “put on the collar” people see you differently. Your gifts are taken for granted, and your failures are blown out of proportion. Now that you are set apart as a church staff member, you no longer stand out for the traits that got you there—few notice your kindness, selflessness, humility, cheerfulness, or hard work. All of it is taken for granted. And of course you never cuss, smoke, or watch dirty movies.

It’s expected: “Well, it’s easy for you—you’re a preacher.”

The preacher’s achievements belong to the Lord. Even his hobbies belong to the Lord. Imagine being a writer. A private person could write anything: crime novels, murder mysteries, even “sizzling” romance novels. But a preacher’s hobbies belong to God. And if he is successful—if he wrote the next LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, for example, he could not travel the world on a book tour, having his picture taken with celebrities. A pastor’s life is not his own.

The lives of Old Testament prophets belonged to God even more so. Jeremiah saw such devastation he is called “the weeping prophet.” Elijah ran for his life. John the Baptist was martyred. God asked Hosea to raise children with a prostitute. And Ezekiel’s wife was taken from him as a living parable for Israel:

“Then the word of the Lord came to me. ‘Son of man, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you with a fatal blow. But you must not lament or weep or let your tears flow….’ I spoke to the people in the morning and my wife died in the evening” Ezekiel 24:16,18.

God, thank you for the selfless pastors in our lives. Show us how to bless them, support them, and hesitate before criticizing them.

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Pray: ‘I Am Willing to Be Made Willing!’ Ezekiel 23:27

When Israel sinned, God sent judgment, promising “They will cut off your nose and ears.” Ouch.

Result?

“So I will put an end to your indecency and sexual immorality.” Ezekiel 23:27

If we can’t stop our sins, God can stop them with His judgment. After all, if you were disfigured by the loss of both nose and ears, your appearance may become a hindrance to your career as a promiscuous adulterer. The point is, if you can’t stop your sinful ways, God may stop them for you. But instead of suffering a disfiguring loss, why not simply pray? Ask God for help! He would rather change your heart than change your face!

Pray: ‘Lord, I may not be willing to stop the sin of ___________, but I am willing to be MADE willing.’ Ask Him to change your heart.

P.S. Have you ever wondered why so many ancient statues such as that pictured above have lost their noses or ears? I always assumed it was simply age and accidents–and those are vulnerable pieces that would be broken off first. But there is more to it: vandalism. Over the centuries, true believers have attacked statues and idols of all kinds. ”Striking off a nose meant the statue would cease to breathe, and therefore die. Hammering away the ears meant it could not longer hear prayers.” –From the Egyptian news source, Enterprise Press. https://enterprise.press/stories/2019/03/18/why-have-so-many-ancient-egyptian-statues-lost-their-noses/#:~:text=Striking%20off%20a%20nose%20meant,such%20offerings%20%E2%80%94%20was%20cut%20off.

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No “Take-Backs.” Ezekiel 20:32.

As children, we have all experienced a friend giving us something, then snatching it back. Even as adults, we sometimes open Christmas presents only to be suddenly told the gift had the wrong name on it and was intended for someone else.

When you give, it is important to “count the cost,” to do the math to ensure you can afford it. Nothing should cause you to take back a gift.

When you give your life to Christ, leave it in His hands.

Why do you lay your life down on the altar, then snatch it back up again? Put it down—and leave it. If you GAVE your life to Christ, stop trying to yank it out of His hands. Let Him keep the gift you gave Him.

I have a secret: your life is the one gift you CANNOT take back.

The whole point of giving your life to Christ is TOTAL SURRENDER—including the surrender of all future “take-backs.” He will NEVER let you take your eternal soul back into your own hands where you would destroy it.

Nor will He allow you to completely destroy your life on earth. Once you are His—once you BELONG TO HIM, He takes away some of the freedom you might have had when you were on your own:

“When you say, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the peoples of other countries, worshipping wood and stone,’ what you have in mind will never happen” Ezekiel 20:32.

God is not going to let you become an idol worshiper. If you have truly given your life to Christ, He owns your life—and you don’t. Sinning will never be as easy for you as it is for others. You will never completely escape the sound of His Voice calling you back to repentance, forgiveness, and restoration. It’s not too late. It is never too late.

God, thank You that You never let us go, no matter how we may lose sight of a commitment we made long ago. Pursue us, Hound of Heaven.

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YOU REAP YOUR OWN HARVEST. Ezekiel 18:2-20, 31-32.

Farm kids live off their daddy’s harvest: the children eat what the parents plant. But as they grow, children take on more responsibilities and begin to reap their own harvest. This is a picture of our lives. God spoke to Ezekiel about one of Israel’s popular sayings:

“The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge” Ezekiel 18:2.

Kids are affected by their fathers—children reap what their parents sow.

God says not so fast:

“You will no longer use this proverb in Israel. Every life belongs to me…. The one who sins is the one who will die” 18:3-4.

“Suppose a man is just and right. He does not raise his eyes to the idols…. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife… He doesn’t oppress anyone… He does not commit robbery…. He follows My statutes, acting faithfully.

“Such a person is righteous; he will certainly live.

“Now, suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood and does things his father did not do…. [idolatry, adultery, robbery.] Will he live? He will NOT live!

“Since he has committed detestable acts, he will die….

“Suppose that man has a son who sees the sins his father committed, and does not do likewise. [No idols, adultery, or robbery….] He obeys My law.

“Such a person will NOT die for his father’s iniquity. He will live.

“The one who sins is the one who will die… The righteousness of the righteous person will be on him and the wickedness of the wicked person will be on him” Ezekiel 18:5-20.

YOU HAVE A CHOICE. Though the generations before you will influence you, you can choose to do better. No matter how amazing they were, you can be more so! Or, you can turn your back on a Godly legacy and ruin your life. It is up to you.

“Throw off all the transgressions you have committed, and get yourselves a NEW HEART and a NEW SPIRIT. Why should you die, House of Israel?… Repent and live!” 18:31-32.

YOU HAVE A CHOICE. SOW GOOD SEEDS—AND BE PATIENT; THE HARVEST COMES LATER.

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SAINTS AND SINNERS: WHO IS THE ULTIMATE? Ezekiel 14:13-16.

Adolf Hitler is the go-to guy. He is everyone’s “favorite.”

We keep the name ‘Hitler’ in our back pocket as an example of the worst person who ever lived. His name comes up this way in conversations every day:

“Well, if you had Hitler on the one side and Ghandi on the other—”

“My English teacher was the Adolf Hitler of grammar Nazis—”

“My roommate in college was the worst. It was like living with Adolf Hitler—”

Before Hitler became everyone’s favorite uber-villain, a man from the Bible wore the crown for 19 centuries. Any guesses? It was Herod the Great, responsible for ordering the “Slaughter of the Innocents” reported in Matthew 2:16-18.[1]

Similarly, who do we name when we want to offer up the ultimate good guy? The usuals include Jesus, Ghandi, Santa Claus, and Mother Theresa. Interestingly, God uses this comparison language while speaking through the prophet Ezekiel some 600 years before Christ.  Can you guess who God names as ultimate examples of good men?

“Son of man, if a land sins against Me … and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its supply of bread, to send famine through it, and to wipe out both man and animal from it, even if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness….  If I allow dangerous animals to pass through the land and depopulate it so that it becomes desolate, with no one passing through it for fear of the animals, even if these three men were in it, as I live… they could not deliver their sons or daughters. [Noah, Daniel, and Job] alone would be delivered, but the land would be desolate” Ezekiel 14:13-16.

God goes on to explain that if Israel sinned so greatly that He was forced to send famine, wild animals, war, and a plague, Noah, Daniel, and Job would escape because of their righteousness—but their righteous lives would not be enough to rescue their children. But there would be survivors, nevertheless, Ezekiel 14:22. 

God always has a remnant.

The question is, would that be you? Would it be me? Are we living righteous lives? Do we follow God as faithfully as Noah, Daniel, and Job? Those were men of great faith and great prayer. May God make each of us more like them.  May we obey during 100 years of silence like Noah.  May we set aside multiple times to pray daily, like Daniel—no matter how much opposition we receive. And like Job, may we earnestly pray for our children and families, and never allow suffering to draw us away from God.

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[1] An interesting discussion of the ten worst Bible villains can be found here: https://record.adventistchurch.com/2017/06/07/the-ten-most-evil-bible-villains/

WHEN GOD REDEEMS YOU AND MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL, DON’T FORGET WHERE YOU COME FROM. Ezekiel 16:4-14.

For some of us, humility is as simple as remembering how your life began. I remember being the hyperactive misfit who could not behave and in some classrooms was ostracized by both teachers and students. No matter what I might achieve in life, I will never forget where I came from—and I will not forget I owe everything to the grace of God.

Israel had difficult beginnings. God explains:

“Your umbilical cord wasn’t cut on the day you were born. You weren’t washed with water… or wrapped in cloths…, but you were thrown out into the open field because you were despised. I passed by and saw you lying in your blood, and I said to you, ‘LIVE!’… I made you thrive like the plants of the field. You grew up and matured and became very beautiful…. I spread the edge of my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I pledged Myself to you and you became Mine. … I anointed you with oil. I clothed you in embroidered cloth and leather sandals. I wrapped you in fine linen and silk. I adorned you with jewelry, bracelets, chains, rings, earrings, tiara—all of silver and gold… You became EXTREMELY BEAUTIFUL and attained ROYALTY. Your fame spread among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through MY SPLENDOR, WHICH I HAD BESTOWED ON YOU” Ezekiel 16:4-14.

When you were born again, God redeemed you. He exchanged your mess for His mercy. He covered your nakedness and shame with His beauty and splendor. And every year you walk with Him, He makes you more beautiful, fills you with more of His splendor and glory.

But you MUST REMAIN HUMBLE. Give God the glory. Ezekiel reports that Israel became proud and spent the beauty God gave it on lust and idolatry—and God nearly destroyed the nation as a result.

God, thank you for Your grace which fills our lives with beauty and purpose. Keep us humble every day, remembering all You have done for us.

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LUST = IDOLATRY. Ezekiel 16.

Over the years, I have heard several news reports about babies that have been found in dumpsters. Someone taking out the trash lifts the heavy lid and hears the muffled cry of a baby. Can you imagine that? The babies were adopted and went on to have good lives—but what an origin story! Imagine knowing that your mother did not care enough to raise you or even give you up for adoption, but just threw you away.

God describes Israel that way—it also applies to His church, the Bride of Christ:

“On the day you were born, your umbilical cord was not cut and you weren’t washed clean. You were not rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. No one cared enough to do even one of these things. Instead you were thrown into an open field because you were despised.

I passed by and saw you lying in your blood, and I said to you, “Live!” I made you thrive. You grew up and became a beautiful woman. Then I passed by and saw you, that you were at the age for love. So I spread my garment over you and pledged Myself to you, entered a covenant with you, and you became Mine.

I washed you with water, rinsed off your blood, and anointed you with oil. I clothed you in fine clothes and silk. I adorned you with jewelry, chains, earrings, bracelets, and a tiara. You became extremely beautiful and attained royalty. Your beauty was perfect BECAUSE OF MY SPLENDOR.” Ezekiel 16:4-14.

Wow. God took amazing care of the abandoned child! He is our Kinsman-Redeemer, who rescues, restores, and redeems. He lavished good and grace and beauty on Israel. So what happened next?

“You became arrogant in your beauty and became a prostitute.” Ezekiel 16:15.

WHAT?! It gets worse: Israel was not the kind of prostitute who charges, but who PAYS. Prostitution is a metaphor for Israel’s pursuit of idols. The Bible repeatedly uses idolatry and lust interchangeably. I believe when we tolerate lust, God sees us as idolaters. Ask your amazing rescuer to rescue you from this serious sin!

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JOE’S CANCER STICKS. Ezekiel 11:19-20; Colossians 2:6.

Joe attended the college department at FBC. I was working at another church, but kept running into Joe at FBC events I was able to attend—Bible studies on unusual days of the week, scavenger hunts on Saturday nights, etc. Joe and I became friends. One night the two of us went on “visitation” together, driving my car to the homes of college kids who had visited the church so we could invite them back. Joe was not born again, and our conversation turned to the Gospel:

“Well, Steve, I know what I’ve gotta do. I gotta get rid of these things first,” he said, showing me his cigarettes. “Then I’ll be ready to give my life to Christ.”

“But Joe, you’re not gonna be able to get rid of cigarettes without Him! First, you need to give Him your life. THEN you will be able to clean your life up—with His help!”

That night, Joe surrendered to Christ.

AFTER you turn to Jesus, He will CHANGE you. It is HE who enables us to follow Him and obey Him. We can’t do it on our own—and He does not expect us to. Instead, we need to surrender to Him so He can change us:

“I will give them one heart and put a new spirit in them. I will REMOVE their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh, so they may follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people and I will be their God” Ezekiel 11:19-20.

Surrender to Christ. Let Him give you a NEW HEART—only THEN will you be able to please Him and follow Him. And you don’t surrender to Him only one time. You must SURRENDER EVERY DAY.

“Just as you have trusted Christ to save you, trust Him too for each day’s problems. Live in vital union with Him” Colossians 2:6 TLB.

God, remind us to SURRENDER DAILY. Change our hearts and help us please you, follow You, and bless others every day.

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