Fixing the Broken
Zech 1-5
“Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying. ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.”
For 70 years the nation of Israel had been exiled from the land and in bondage to Babylon.  Life seemed hopeless as Babylon maintained control.  However, there was a flicker of Hope when Darius had defeated Babylon, and the words of the Prophet Jeremiah had predicted that after 70 years the nation would return to the land.  As Zechariah comes on the scene, there was the hope of the return that had been prophesied by Jeremiah.  But how was Israel going to obtain their freedom?  They had no military, no political clout, nothing that would enable them to obtain permission to return to the land.
This brings us to the same issue we are confronted with today. How do we find hope in a world without hope? How do we fix broken lives? How do we fix a world marred by conflict, disunity, and confusion? The same questions the people of Israel asked are the same questions we face today. But it is more than just global and political; the brokenness of our world affects us individually as well. We face the uncertainty and struggles of life, and something deep within us cries for help and answers, yet they seem elusive. The more we try to fix our lives, the more we are confronted with how unfixable life seems. We wrestle not only with questions on a global level but also on a personal level.
The answer that God gave Israel is the same answer we need in our own lives. First, we cannot find the answers to life by our own power. This word refers not just to physical strength but also to the physical things of life we rely upon, including our wealth and property. We often think that if we get enough money, prestige, and influence, we can solve our problems and be free from the pressures of life. But wealth is deceptive, and power and status are an illusion. The more we have, the more empty we feel inside. The recognition we receive from others only makes us feel emptier. The second word can also refer to physical strength, but it can also refer to mental strength. Just as wealth is an illusion, intellectual and mental capacities are also an illusion. Friedrich Nietzsche suffered from severe mental health issues. William James Sidis is regarded by many as the smartest person who ever lived. He passed the entrance exam at Harvard at age 9 and by age 11 was lecturing at Harvard, but he died a penniless recluse at age 46.  The greatest thinkers of our world are powerless to change the world.
However, we are not hopeless, for God provides the answer for effective and lasting change and hope. It is found in the presence of God’s Spirit. God can accomplish what humanity cannot. If you are looking for answers in life, do not look to the world, to the great thinkers of our culture, or to the powerful politicians, for they will fail. Instead, look to God, for he never does.

Setting Priorities in Life.
Haggai 1-2
“You have sown much, but harvested little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes” (1:6).
The greatest tragedy is not failure but success in the things that do not matter. We are always pursuing elusive desires, thinking that if we get enough, we will be satisfied and content. However, the reality is that no matter how much we have, no matter how much we do or how great our achievements, we are always left with a feeling of failure. Contentment remains elusive. For the people of Israel, when they were able to return to the land of Israel after 70 years in captivity, they thought their greatest desires would be fulfilled. After longing to return to their homeland, they thought once they were back in the land of Israel they would have peace and contentment. However, the harder they worked and the more they pursued their desires, the more unsatisfied they became. They pursued all the things that we think will bring contentment but still remained empty and unsatisfied.  In 1:9 we find the reason for their dissatisfaction.  They were pursuing the wrong things for the wrong reasons and for the wrong desires. They, like us, were focused on the temporal and the personal rather than the spiritual and eternal. They were pursuing their own desires rather than seeking to serve God.  Temporal things will only bring temporal satisfaction that is not lasting.
In the last part of verse 9, we find the reason for their dissatisfaction: They were pursuing the wrong priorities. To find joy and satisfaction in life, we need to pursue the eternal rather than the temporal, and prioritize God’s will rather than our own pleasure. The people were pursuing the building of their own house but neglecting the house of God. In chapter 2, Haggai reminds them that their priority was to rebuild the temple of God, not because God needed a house to live in, but because the people needed to remember that their ultimate purpose in life is found in God, not in themselves. Even when they started to rebuild the temple, they still focused on the present and the physical rather than the eternal and the spiritual. Those who had seen the majestic Temple of Solomon were lamenting that the new temple was nothing in comparison. And so they discouraged the people.
As a result, God reminded them that it is not what we accomplish or how much recognition we receive that matters. It was not the size or greatness of the temple that made it adequate for a place of worship. What determined the greatness of the temple was that God was present and would be in the temple with his people. God does not need us, our wealth, or our abilities. Rather, we need to give to God and serve him, for it reminds us that genuine significance does not come from the things we desire but from our service and relationship with God. It is in the pursuit of the eternal that we find genuine fulfillment and significance. True joy and fulfillment in life come when we focus on God and his purpose for our lives (2:18-19). If life seems empty and without significance, refocus on serving God and his kingdom agenda for the world, and we discover what is genuinely eternal and fulfilling.

When God Shouts for Joy
Zephaniah 1-3
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior.  He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” (3:12).
Reading through the prophets is often difficult because it seems the prophets continually beat the drum of God's judgment. One of the greatest mistakes people make is believing that God will not judge us or condemn our sin. However, through the prophets, God makes it clear that there will come a day of judgment when God condemns sin and those who practice it.
However, as dark as the prophetic messages may seem, there is also interwoven throughout the prophets another message. It is a message of hope and affirmation for those who seek him. God never judges unjustly. He does not overlook sin. However, he also never judges those who have set their hearts upon him. Thus, we find in the prophets the delight God has for his people. This confronts us with the question, “Who are those that God delights in and will experience the blessing and salvation of God?” This is the most fundamental question we must ask. While God judges the proud, those who set themselves up as God or worship other gods, he delights in the humble and lowly. This is not a reference to one’s economic or social status, but to the attitude of the heart. In 3:12, we see that God saves and protects the humble. The person who is humble recognizes their moral and spiritual condition apart from God. The humble person recognizes their sin and unworthiness before God so that they no longer rely upon their own righteousness or trust in their own moral reason. They recognize the futility of sinful man to gain any merit before God. As a result, they rest solely upon God’s grace for their salvation. This is further highlighted by the word lowly. The lowly are those who have nothing to offer. The spiritual lowly recognize that they have no merit to gain favor with God. The humble and lowly realize that salvation is not based upon our merit or worthiness, but solely upon God’s grace. Instead of trusting themselves, they surrender completely to God.
When we recognize our spiritual and moral bankruptcy and trust only in the mercy and grace of God, how does God respond? The answer is found in 3:17. This verse presents a picture that is impossible for us to fully comprehend. When we trust in God, “He will exult over you with joy. He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” This should arrest our attention. The God of the universe shouts for joy because of us. Elsewhere we are told to rejoice because of God’s salvation with shouts of joy, but here the God of the universe shouts for joy over us! It is beyond our comprehension that the God of the universe would experience exuberant joy because of us. But this is what he does when we trust in him. If we refuse to accept his salvation and refuse to obey him, we should be terrified. But when we trust in him, we can find joy, for instead of his anger we experience his unrelenting joy over us. When we trust in God, he does not just remove his threat of judgment; he shouts for joy in the throne room of heaven as a loving father shouts for joy for his children. When you surrender your life to God and submit to him, God does not just indifferently write your name in his book of life, he shouts for joy!!!!

Where is God when We Cry in Sorrow?
Habakkuk 1-3
“Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.  The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places.”

Habakkuk begins with a cry of despair and ends with a song of praise.  What happened, what changed his perspective from hopelessness to praise? How do we likewise find the voice of praise when we cry out in despair?
Habakkuk cries out with a plea we also offer when we are going through times of trial and when we see the injustice in the world, where sin seems to be winning the day. “How long, O Lord, will I cry for help and you will not hear?” The words seem shocking coming from the lips of a prophet, yet they are the very words we often cry when going through times of difficulty. However, Habakkuk’s cry was not just for himself but for the world in which he lived. Everywhere he turned, he saw that sin seemed to be winning the day. He prayed for God to act, to bring justice into the world and to stop the reign of terror and sin. Yet heaven remained silent. Habakkuk could understand the presence of evil, for we live in a fallen world. What he could not understand was the silence of heaven in the face of evil. How could a holy and righteous God seem indifferent to sin when he is “too pure to approve evil” (1:13)?
We struggle with the same paradox. Every time we read the news, we are reminded that evil seems to be in control. People take advantage of others’ misfortunes to line their own pockets by charging exorbitant interest on loans (2:6). They establish their own security through bloodshed (2:9, 12). Instead of worshipping God, they turn to idols of their own making (2:18). We see the same thing in our country today. The rich gain their wealth at the expense of the poor. People in the streets turn to violence to force their rule over others. They kill the unborn because the baby is not financially convenient. In today’s world, those who proclaim God’s moral law are labeled evil, while we give approval to those who embrace sin. As evil increases, we wonder why heaven remains silent.
This is why the message of Habakkuk is so important. Habakkuk reminds us that the idols of man remain silent and powerless, while it is God who speaks. Instead of worshiping false gods of materialism and pleasure that remain silent in the face of our trials, we are to stand in silence before God because of his holiness (2:19-20). In chapter 2, God has spoken and affirmed that he will bring judgment. In chapter 3, we see that the splendor of God covers the earth (3:3-4), and he will come in judgment. Heaven may seem silent, but it never remains silent. There comes a time when God will bring his judgment and restore righteousness.
It is this assurance that gives Habakkuk a new sense of hope and confidence. As the book closes, Habakkuk’s circumstances have not changed. He is still in distress (3:16-17). Life is still marred by struggles and hardship. However, what has changed is his focus. Instead of being overwhelmed by the tragedy of his circumstances, he is overwhelmed by the assurance of God’s salvation. Even in the midst of adversity, he rejoices because God has given him new strength, and he will dwell in the high places with God (3:18-19). When we get frustrated, discouraged, or hopeless because of the sin in the world and the struggles we face in life, we need to remember that God may be silent for a time, but he is not indifferent to our plight. There will come a time when God will bring his salvation, and that is why we can still rejoice in the present.

The Sermon Jonah Wanted to Preach
Nahum 1-3
“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him.”
The book of Jonah (written around 798 b.c.) ended with Nineveh repenting of their sins and Jonah frustrated that God would forgive even the worst of sinners. However, as is often the case, when the threat of judgment is abated, people quickly forget God and return to their sin. Such was the case with Nineveh. When Nahum came upon the scene in 662-627 b.c., Nineveh was again facing God's judgment for their wickedness, including their cruel treatment of the people they captured in war. As a result, God again pronounced the coming judgment upon the nation. However, this time there would be no repentance, and they would face complete destruction.

Nahum opens with a picture of God’s judgment that is both terrifying and unrelenting. God is a holy God who will bring judgment upon those who reject him. In vivid detail, we see the severity of God’s judgment and the complete devastation he brings. When God pours out his wrath, even the mountains quake and the hills are melted away. There is no hiding and no avoiding God’s terrible judgment. Such would be the judgment upon Nineveh. So complete would their judgment be that there would be no restoration, no rebuilding of the city or the nation (3:19). Jonathan Edwards, in his famous sermon that started the Great Awakening, warns, “What are we, that we should think to stand before him, at whose rebuke the earth trembles, and before whom the rocks are thrown down?” Yet in the folly of man, we believe that we can escape the judgment of God by our own devices. Edwards goes on to describe our folly, “Almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it; he depends upon himself for his own security; he flatters himself in what he has done, in what he is now doing, or what he intends to do. Every one lays out matters in his own mind how he shall avoid damnation, and flatters himself that he contrives well for himself, and that his schemes will not fail.” It is this folly that Nahum dispels with the warning of the impending judgment that no one will be able to withstand (1:6).

However, woven throughout the book are some of the most powerful descriptions of God’s grace. While God’s wrath will incite fear in those who reject him, his grace brings security, tranquility, and peace to those who seek him. Even though God pours out his wrath, he remains an unassailable stronghold for those who trust in him (1:7). God is not quick to anger and is willing to offer his grace. In words that point forward to the announcement of Christ’s coming, Nahum reminds us, “Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace.” Paul would refer back to these words to remind us of the hope of the gospel and the necessity of sharing it with others.  

As we look about us, we see a world hellbent on pursuing its own morality and way. People have turned their backs on God and rejected his moral law. Yet God calls us not to be silent but to proclaim the hope and salvation of the gospel. In Romans 10:12, Paul reminds us that all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. God is not indiscriminate in his judgment; rather, he offers salvation to those who seek him. He also entrusts us with the task of offering his salvation to others. Just as Nahum proclaimed the hope of salvation in the face of judgment in his day, so we are to proclaim that hope to people today (Romans 10:14-15). God will judge, but he will also save and protect those who trust in him.

The Song of Victory
Micah 7
“But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my Salvation.  My God will hear me.  Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fill I will rise, Though I ddwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me.” (7:7-8).
Having proclaimed a series of judgments in the first part of the book, Micah now ends with a song of praise and thanksgiving for God’s victory. Like Micah, we live in a world that seems broken and divided. Every day we read the news and are confronted by a number of ominous headlines. But even more troubling is that, in our own lives, we often face struggles that seem overwhelming. We seem to have no victory in our struggle with sin. Every day we are confronted with the reality that our world is broken. Cancer strikes and destroys indiscriminately. We struggle with relationships with others. We lose our jobs or are confronted with mounting bills. We look around us and cry out, echoing the cry of Micah, “Woe is me! For I am like the fruit pickers, like the grape gatherers. There is not a cluster of grapes to eat or a first-ripe fig which I crave. The godly person has perished from the land, and there is no upright person among men” (7:1-2). We get discouraged because life seems overwhelming and the world seems to have abandoned God.  
However, just when it seems as if Micah has given in to complete despair, he breaks out in a song of victory. The book concludes not with the despairing words of one who has lost hope, but with the words of praise of one whose hope has been restored and whose soul has been reinvigorated. As dark as the night gets, there is always the breaking forth of the sun in the morning. Despite the despair of the world, Micah turns back to his faith and trust in God. He reaffirms that he will keep his focus on God and wait with bated breath for God to act on his behalf. But these are not the words of one who lives in denial of life’s struggle. He recognizes that there will be times when he falls and when the darkness of life’s circumstances overwhelms him. Nevertheless, because of God’s activity, he knows that he will rise again, and even in the darkest circumstances, the promises and purpose of God will give him hope and a radiant light. Micah does not call for a change of circumstances but reminds us that our need is for a change of focus. Instead of looking at all the troubles around us, we are to look to God. God will shepherd and care for his people because we are his and his alone (vs 14). God never abandons us but will always come to our aid. Even when he disciplines us because of our sin, he will still demonstrate his unfailing love for us (vs 18), and he will give us victory over our struggles with sin (vs 19).
When life becomes hard, instead of falling into despair, remember God, for he never forgets you.  No matter how difficult the day before us, he will continue to guide us and protect us.  His unseen hand always remains over us.

Judgement and Grace
Obadiah and Jonah
“I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and one who relents concerning calamity.” Jonah 4:2
One reason people do not like to read the Old Testament, especially the prophetic books, is that they seem so dark and foreboding. The continual pronouncement of coming judgment becomes unrelenting. From the prophetic passages, people conclude that the wrath and severity of judgment conflict with Christ's message that God is gracious and abounding in mercy. However, we often miss one very important truth. All the judgments pronounced in the prophets came before the events rather than after them. Such is the case with the pronouncement of Obadiah of God’s impending judgment upon the nation of Edom for their violence and spiritual arrogance. Rather than follow God, Edom rebelled against God and even rejoiced when Israel was led into captivity. However, God pronounces judgment upon them and warns of the coming Day of the Lord, when He will bring judgment upon the nations. The Day of the Lord (Obadiah 15) in the Bible refers to the end of the age when Christ will return and bring salvation for His people. It is also a day of severe judgment in which God pours out His wrath upon sin. However, Obediah was not proclaiming what had already taken place, but what will take place.
Thus, we are left with the question, “Why did God always pronounce the judgment before the actual event?” The prophet Jonah knew the answer, and because he knew it, instead of going to pronounce judgment upon Ninevah (located in modern-day Iran), he fled in the opposite direction to Tarshish (probably located in southern Spain). He did not flee because he was fearful of the Assyrian people putting him to death for announcing judgment. He fled because he knew the heart of God. While God will bring judgment upon sin, Jonah also knew that no matter how evil people are (the Assyrians were the most feared nation because of their brutality toward the people they conquered), God would still demonstrate His grace and compassion if they repented (Jonah 4:4). He did not flee because he was afraid they would brutally mistreat him for pronouncing judgment; he fled because he knew that if they repented, God would forgive.
Although it is not explicitly stated, whenever God pronounced judgment, there was an opportunity for forgiveness if the people heeded the warning and repented of their sin. This is why the warnings of judgment came before the event. God is not cruel, vindictive, or harsh. Nevertheless, He is holy and just and will judge sin and sinners. However, He is also loving and gracious and will forgive even the worst sinner who repents and seeks Him. People are condemned to hell not because God is vindictive, but because they refuse to repent, turn from their selfish pride, seek God's forgiveness and submit to God’s sovereign reign in their lives. In the New Testament, we see Christ coming to offer grace and forgiveness to all who seek Him. Yet we often ignore the warnings He gave in the same breath as His judgment of sin and sinners who refuse His offer of grace. No matter how sinful we are, He extends His offer of grace. The only reason we face the condemnation of God is that we refuse to accept this offer. When you read the prophets, take their warnings to heart and remember that God is just and holy and will judge sin. But also recognize that the pronouncement of judgment was also an offer of grace and forgiveness if we repent, turn from our sin, and seek him.

When Famine Strikes
Amos 6-9
“Behold, days are coming declares,” the Lord God, “When I will send a famine on the land, not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the words of the Lord.”
In an age of the internet, podcasts, and social influencers, it is easy to find people who say what we want to hear and affirm what we want to believe. The vast amount of information available online has ushered in a new phase, “confirmation bias.” Confirmation bias is when we seek out information that affirms what we want to believe and reject or ignore information that challenges what we believe. But confirmation bias is not new; it has plagued people since the beginning of time and afflicted the people of Israel during the time of Amos. When Amos warned the people of God’s judgment because of sin, instead of listening to him, they accused him of promoting insurrection against the king (7:10). Instead of changing and turning from their sin, they accused Amos of being a charlatan who was not fit or called to be a prophet. Because of their refusal to listen to Amos’s warning, God warned the people that if they continued to reject His prophets, He would send a famine on the land, not a famine of food, but a famine of the prophetic message of God. God warns the people that if they continue to reject His message and warnings about sin, there will come a time when God will no longer send a prophetic message at all. Instead of having the word of God to give them guidance and direction, they will be left to their own sinful and distorted thinking.
However, the greatest tragedy is not when God sends a famine on the land, but when we create our own famine by failing to listen to His word. In the TV show “Alone,” which follows the plight of individuals who seek to live off the land in harsh environments, one contestant was pulled from the competition because he was suffering from severe starvation and malnutrition. Yet he had 33 halves of dried fish left unconsumed. He lost the game not because he lacked food, but because he did not eat the food he had. The same is often true of us today. We have unlimited access to hear God’s word. According to surveys, 88 percent of American households have a Bible, and the average home has 4.4 Bibles. The Bible is not just available in print but can be accessed through the internet and a number of free apps for our phone. Like the contestant on Alone, we have an abundance of Bibles accessible to us, yet we are spiritually dying from spiritual malnutrition. We are facing a spiritual famine of our own making. Even when we do read the Bible, we accept only the teachings that conform to our thinking and ignore those that confront us with our sin. We affirm the verses that speak of the existence of heaven while ignoring the warnings about the existence of hell. We fall prey to the greatest deception of all, the deception of our own spiritual bias.
The challenge we face in our spiritual lives is not only reading the Bible but also accepting its message. Amos warns that part of God’s judgment is that “they will go to and fro to seek the Word of the Lord, But they will not find it” (8:12). But even more tragic is when we stop seeking, when we ignore the Bible even when we have access to it. Make it a habit to dig deep into the Bible, not to confirm it to our own views, but to allow it to change and mold us to conform to God’s standard.
 
 

Seeing our nation through the lens of God.
Amos 1-5
“Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the Lord of hosts may be gracious to the remnant of Joseph” (5:15).

In a politically divided world, it is easy to see the faults of the other political party but remain ignorant of the sins of our own party.  We tend to look at our nation through the lens of the party with which we affiliate. However, political lenses are always distorted.  We condemn the other party while overlooking the sins that are perpetrated by the party we affirm. This was the fault of Israel.  They were quick to judge and condemn the governments and people around them while justifying their own actions.  

The book of Amos begins with the condemnation of the nations surrounding Israel for their sin. God condemns the nations for four particular sins. First, God condemns Syria for the aggression and violence it inflicted upon Israel in the invasion recorded in 2 Kings 13:1-9. Instead of promoting peace, it treated people with cruelty and inhumanity. The second nation condemned is the Philistines for their enslavement of those they conquered. In many of their incursions into the southern area of Israel, they would take captives and sell them into slavery to the Edomites. The third nation he condemns is Tyre for violating the pacts it had made with Israel. Like the Philistines, it took captives and enslaved the people of Israel even after it had claimed to be at peace with them. Last, God condemns Edom (descendants of Esau), who had continually attacked Israel and inflicted violence, especially upon pregnant women.
Having considered the nations around Israel, God then pronounces His judgment upon Judah and Israel. Like the nations around them, they had failed to keep the commands of God and had mistreated and taken advantage of the poor. Furthermore, they had embraced sexual perversion. But the final act of rebellion was their refusal to listen to God's prophets. A nation in rebellion seeks to silence the messengers of God.  

As we read through the sins and judgments of the nations around Israel and the nation of Israel itself, we see parallels to our own country and the sins of our nation.  Like the nations around Israel, we turn a blind eye to the poor.  Just as the nation of Edom committed violence against the pregnant mother by killing her infant, so we commit violence against the unborn through abortion.  God condemns Judah and Israel for their sexual perversion, and so he holds our nation accountable for embracing sexual perversion today.  When preachers denounce the sins of our nation, we also ignore their message and seek to silence them.  The troubles we see in our nation are not the result of economic downturns, corrupt politicians,  global warming, or any other cause; they are the warnings of God for our nation to turn back to him.

However, there is hope. In Amos 5, God calls the people to seek Him and to submit again to His word. Throughout chapter 5, God calls the nations to uphold God’s righteousness once again. But this requires us to look at our nation, not through the eyes of our political parties, which condemn the other while justifying themselves, but through the lens of God’s moral law and truth. Instead of looking to our favorite political party for solutions, we need to look to God and His word. When we start to do that, we will have hope as a nation.

The Grace and Justice of God
Joel 1-3
“The Lord roars from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and earth tremble.  But the Lord is a refuge for His people and a stronghold to the sons of Israel.  Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.” 3:16-17.
The Day of the Lord has always posed a challenge for the student of the Bible. It speaks of a time when God will pour out the devastation of His judgment, as well as a time of salvation for His people. It is a day of terror and a day of hope. The Day of the Lord encompasses events in the past as well as those still to come. Joel begins with the pronouncement of God’s coming judgment upon the nation of Israel. In 1:1-2:17, the message is similar to that of the other prophets, a pronouncement of coming judgment upon the nation for its sins. Throughout the prophets, we find warnings of God’s impending judgment because of the people’s sins. For God to leave sin unpunished would mean that He is a God who tolerates sin. To allow sin to go unpunished is to give tacit approval of it. God is righteous and pure, and He cannot allow sin to remain without justice. In 1:4, we see the severity and completeness of God’s judgment. To fall under the hand of God’s judgment is to face unrelenting terror as God pours out His wrath. This judgment is unrelenting and complete. However, the warning of judgment is not just a pronouncement but a call to repentance. God is just and will judge sin, but He also offers His grace and forgiveness if we are willing to turn to Him. This repentance must be genuine and complete. It involves the willingness to change at the very depths of our soul.  
The Day of the Lord is not just a pronouncement of judgment but also a pronouncement of salvation. For those who seek Him, it is a time when He will pour out His Spirit upon them. This found its ultimate fulfillment in the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. God not only calls us to live a life of righteousness but also provides His Spirit to empower us to live for him. When we seek Him, God strengthens and protects us. God is not indifferent to our condition or struggles but is actively engaged in our lives. He is our refuge, a powerful fortress that protects and watches over us (3:14-17).  Therefore, we do not need to be afraid of the circumstances around us.  It is easy to lose sight of God and to start to focus upon the circumstances or uncertainty of our day, whether it be the uncertainty of the world events, or the uncertainty of our own personal life.  With God, there is no uncertainty, nothing unknown, and no circumstance beyond His ability to guard and protect us so that we enter into His kingdom through His salvation. Therefore, we no longer need to be fearful of any circumstance we will face (2:21).
As we look at the circumstances of the world, or the circumstances in our own lives, we can rest in the fact that God is in control and he has ordered the days and circumstances to accomplish his eternal purpose.  Therefore, we can rest in the security of God’s control. When life seems overwhelming, remember that God has given us His promise of a coming day when He will restore all things back to Him.

The Longing of God
Hosea 11-14
“I led them with cords of a man, with bonds of love.”
We often view God as distant and impersonal.  We see Him as one who is in heaven, detached from our lives and the affairs of the world.  However, as we read through the prophets, a different picture emerges.  Although God brings judgment upon sin because of His holiness, he is still a compassionate God who longs to have a personal relationship with us.  Throughout the book of Hosea, the themes of Judgment and grace are interwoven to present us a picture of God.  God is not in heaven detached from His creation and from us.  The more Israel rebelled, the more He sent the prophets to call them back (Hosea 11:2).  Despite their sin, He still has compassion for His people in 11:3-4. Looking back at the Exodus, God reminds them that He cared for them. He presents the picture of a loving father who cares for his infant child. He cares for us like a father who bends down to hold his child by the hand as the child starts to learn to take his first steps.  When He allows Egypt to enslave them because of sin, God sill responds in love when they cry out to Him (see Exodus 1-3). Hosea reminds us that God gently led Israel to the promised land with the bonds of kindness and love rather than the bonds of slavery.  When they were hungry in the wilderness, He bent down and cared for them. Yet in spite of God’s love and compassion, they were determined to go their own way.  They gave lip service to God, claiming to follow Him while rejecting His laws and turning away from them (11:7).  Even then God continued to show His love and compassion rather than His anger.  Thus, His faithfulness stands in stark contrast to humanities unfaithful so Him (11:12).
When the people continued to rebel and turn away, He sent His prophets to proclaim His word, yet the people continued to rebel and refused to listen (12:12-14). But we are no different today. Instead of obeying God’s law, we continue to rebel under the guise that the Bible is not God’s word, and we attribute the portions of scripture that confront our sin to the biased writings of unenlightened men. We accept the teaching of the Bible that God is loving and gracious, but deny the teachings that condemn our rebellion. Everyone affirms the reality of heaven, but many still deny the existence of hell.
In spite of the people's continual rebellion, God still offered grace and forgiveness. If they would abandon their idolatry, He would still forgive their sin and heal their spiritual apostasy (14:1-6). This is true for us today. The words of the prophet remind us that even when we ignore Him and make light of His call to holiness and obedience, He still cares deeply about us and desires for us to seek Him.  God will not overlook our sin if we continue to rebel, but He promises to love and care for us when we see Him. Hosea ends with a challenge. “Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them.  For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous will walk in them, but transgressors will stumble in them” (14:9).  God deeply loves us and all His commands are governed by His love.  The question we must ask ourselves is this, “Are we living by his word, or ignoring His word?”

Our Greatest Spiritual Threat
Hosea 6-10
“Strangers devour his strength, yet he does not know it; Gray hairs also are sprinkled on him, yet he does not know it.  Though the pride of Israel testifies against him, yet they have not returned to the Lord their God, nor have they sought Him, for all this.” (7:9-10).

The people of Israel must have been shocked when they heard Hosea’s message condemning them for their sin. They were doing all the right things. They were going to the temple to make their sacrifices and observe all the feasts. They were confident that they were doing all the right things and fulfilling God’s commands. However, for all their outward observances of the law, they forgot one important truth, that the heart is deceitful above all things and that external acts of worship do not necessarily reveal the genuine condition of the heart.

The greatest threat to our spiritual life is not the threat around us. It is not the sin embraced by the world or the increase of spiritual and moral lawlessness. The greatest threat is far more sinister, far more deceptive, and far more prevalent. The threat to our soul is much closer, much more prevalent, and much more real. The greatest threat to our relationship with God is the inward deception of our own heart. We deceive ourselves into thinking we are in right standing with God because we perform all the external acts. We go to church on Sunday, we read the Bible, we are even involved in ministry, yet sin remains present in our lives because we justify our sin and silence the voice of our conscience under the veil of self-righteousness. This was the failure of Israel, and it is often the failure of our own heart.

However, in overcoming our self-deception, Hosea also provides us with the key to genuine transformation and the pursuit of righteousness. First, it involves a refocus on our relationship with God. In 6:1-3, we see an appeal for the people to return to the Lord. The wonder of God’s grace is that no matter how much we sin or how far we have strayed from Him, He always welcomes us back and restores our relationship with Him. God’s grace is always available, no matter how far we have strayed. However, in verse 3, we find what is required of us. To receive His grace, all we need to do is make Him once again the object of our affection and make the pursuit of the knowledge of Him the purpose of our life. God desires a personal relationship with us, but we need to seek Him.

Second, instead of trusting in ourselves, our abilities, and our reasoning (10:13), we need to place our trust in God and commit our lives to following Him and obeying His commands wholeheartedly and continually. We are to seek Him and His desires for us daily (10:13). Too often, we give lip service to God but fail to give Him our full devotion and obedience. Being a follower of Jesus is more than just going to church; it is the act of surrender so that we increasingly allow God to exercise sovereign rule over our lives. We bring all facets of our lives under the authority of His rule. This becomes our daily focus. The Christian life is not just a confession of faith; it is a life lived out in which we surrender all things to Him on a daily basis. Today, do not just ask for God’s blessing in your life; ask Him to have sovereign authority in all aspects of your life.

Devastating Judgment and Outrageous Grace
Hosea 1-5
“I will go away and return to My place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face: In their affliction, they will earnestly seek Me.” (Hosea 5:15)

Hosea ministered during a time when the northern tribes of Israel and the southern tribes of Judah were beginning to become entrenched in their worship of Baal, the chief god of the Canaanites. It was a time when Assyria was rising to power and starting to pose a genuine threat to Israel. As a result, they faced the threat of war and uncertainty. We see the same thing in our country today. There is growing apprehension and fear that our nation is on the brink of disaster. We fear the uncertainty of our geopolitical world. Even though our economy is doing well, there is apprehension that economic disaster is just around the corner. We see an increase in natural disasters and attribute it to global warming. However, the problems we face are not political, economic, or environmental. The problem goes to the heart of each one of us. Like Israel, we have abandoned God.

In these first chapters, we see the characteristics of a people who have forsaken God. First, it begins with forgetting God and no longer having him as the object of our worship (1:2). It is a reminder that spiritual apostasy is not just the denial of God’s existence, but it is to make him secondary in importance. Second, spiritual apostasy means no longer looking to God for daily needs; instead, people trust in themselves and their own ability (2:8). Third, people embrace other religions and forget that God alone is enthroned in heaven. People affirm that there are “many ways to god” rather than only one way (2:13). Fourth, they are no longer faithful in obedience, and there is no “knowledge of God in the land” (4:1). As a result, there is social upheaval and an increase in crime and lawlessness (4:2). Instead of affirming the truth of the Bible, they change the Bible to fit their own morality (5:10). Because of this, God will bring judgment upon the land, and he will abandon them until they seek Him (5:15).

However, amid this pronouncement of judgment, there is also a message of hope. While God brings judgment upon sin, he is willing and ready to forgive and restore. Just as the warning of judgment is woven throughout the passage, so too the hope of forgiveness and restoration is central. Even though God promises judgment, He also promises that redemption and the restoration of Israel to the land will come. Not only will He restore them to a right relationship, but He will also reunite the two nations into one nation (1:10-11). Furthermore, after judgment, He will again demonstrate compassion and forgiveness so that they might seek Him again (2:14-23). While God will judge sin and those who ignore or reject him, He is also a loving, compassionate God who is extravagant in His grace.

When we look at our nation and our country, the problems are not the result of political divisions, environmental disasters, global warming, or economic greed and misuse. These are merely symptoms of a far deeper problem that goes to the heart of each one of us. The problems stem from our abandonment of God and his word. When a nation abandons God, the result is the moral and spiritual collapse of our nation. Therefore, the answer is not found in electing the right politician or embracing the right economic plan. The answer involves seeking God and reaffirming His word as the basis of our life. The answer lies in the heart of each one of us, where we again affirm God’s supremacy in our lives and, subsequently, live by the commands of His Word. Then we will no longer experience His severe judgment but His outlandish grace.

Examining our Lives in Light of the Certainty of God’s Word.
Daniel 9-12
“Therefore, the Lord has kept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the Lord our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice.”
Chapters 9-12 of Daniel are remarkable for several reasons. First, Daniel is given a prophecy that accurately describes the history from his day to the arrival of the Messiah. In chapter 9, Daniel describes 70 prophetic weeks that will come. The first 69 weeks (each consisting of a 7-year period) point us to the arrival of the Messiah. Determining the exact starting point of the 69 weeks has led to two views. The first is that the 69 weeks begin with the decree of Nehemiah in 450 BC. If this date is correct, then the 483 years predicted by the prophecy culminate in the triumphant entry of Christ into the city of Jerusalem. The 2nd view is that the 69 weeks begin with Ezra in 457 BC. In this case, the first 7 weeks would end with the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem in 408 BC, and the next weeks of years would end with the beginning of Christ’s ministry in A.D. 27. In any case, what is remarkable is that Daniel’s vision predicts the year of the arrival of the Messiah. Understanding the 70th week has led to fierce debate among biblical scholars. Some find their fulfillment in the destruction of Jerusalem in 69 AD, while others understand it to refer to a yet future event, which is then described in the book of Revelation as the great tribulation period.
However, in the debate, we cannot overlook the most important principle: namely, that God controls history and determines the events that occur.  But this brings us to the other principle that Daniel emphasizes in chapter 9, and that is the importance of our personal response to God.  God is a just and holy God who brings both judgment upon sin and salvation to those who seek Him.  As Daniel was reading the words of Jeremiah, he discovered that the exile of Israel was to be for 70 years.  Daniel reflects on the fact that this exile was a result of the sins of the people, and if Israel was to be restored, they needed to seek God and his forgiveness.  Therefore, in response, he acknowledges the sins of the nation and seeks God’s forgiveness.
The lesson we learn from Daniel is threefold.  First, we learn that God is the one who controls the nations and the history of humanity.  We do not need to fear the present, nor do we need to fear those who are elected to lead our nation.  God is the one who is ultimately in control, and He is moving history to His predetermined conclusion.  Second, we need to recognize our own sin and seek God’s forgiveness and cleansing.  God will not allow sin to go unpunished.  Just as he brought judgment upon Israel, so he will bring judgment upon us for our sin.  Sin is never taken lightly, and God will condemn those who reject him. Third, God is a compassionate and forgiving God who welcomes those who seek him.  Faith is more than just belief in the existence of God; it is the act of surrender to him and “walking in his teachings which he set before us through His servants the prophets” (9:10).  In the prophetic accuracy of the Bible, we are also reminded of the moral accuracy of the Bible.  God not only has revealed his plan for human history, he has also revealed his moral law that we are to follow.  Thus, we need to ask ourselves, “Are we following his instructions for us?”

Hope when times become Dark
Daniel 6-8
“And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve him.”
When Nebuchadnezzar was restored to power after God humbled him, it was a time of blessing and prosperity for the people of Israel.  While we do not know for certain, Nebuchadnezzar’s confession in 4:34-35 would seem to indicate that he became a genuine follower of the God of Israel.  With his proclamation, the worship of the God of Israel was elevated to the high level of blessing and approval.  With the proclamation, the Jews must have rejoiced, for it seems as if their misfortune of the exile was turning around.  However, after Nebuchadnezzar’s death, Belshazzar took power.  Rather than affirming the worship of the God of Israel, he openly mocked God.  It was a time when it seemed as if Satan and idolatry were once again controlling the day. Daniel lost his influential position in the kingdom and was removed from the position of power he had attained under Nebuchadnezzar.  It is significant that during this period of diminished influence, when it seemed that evil was once again controlling the day, God appeared to Daniel once more and set forth some of the most remarkable prophecies found in scripture.  
The prophecies in chapters 7 and 8 provide such detailed descriptions of future world events that those who reject the Bible and God’s prophetic voice claim it must have been written much later.  In Chapters 7-8, we find the outline of both the coming changes in the geo-political winds, but also some of the most detailed prophecies of the coming end of the age.  In 7:5 and 8:20, God proclaims that the two-headed nation of the Medo-Persians would overcome Babylon and that one of the two nations (the Persians) would be the dominate force behind their rise to power.  Then, after the rise of the Medo-Persian nation, another nation would rise that would gain control of the geopolitical world with unbelievable speed (7:6 and 8:21). However, the reign of this leader would be short, and his nation would then be divided into four smaller nations.  This was fulfilled by the sweeping victory of Alexander the Great and the subsequent division of his kingdom into four different regions controlled by his four generals.  Over time, one of the nations (Rome) would then become dominate and would again gain power over the world. The Prophecy concludes with both the prediction of a future nation (more about that in tomorrow’s devotional) and the arrival of God and his Messianic king, who would establish a final, eternal kingdom.
These chapters serve to remind us even today that the events of the world and the movement of nations are not arbitrary, governed by the political winds of the day.  Rather, it is a reminder that God controls history.  History is not cyclical, governed by the chance winds of politics.  Rather, events on earth are still governed by the God of the universe.  The world will not end because of global warming, natural disasters, or nuclear war.  History is linear, moving, and determined by God so that his will and purpose will be accomplished. The history of the world will come to an end at the time of Christ’s return, and everything that happens in the world is controlled by God, who orchestrates all things according to his plan.  Therefore, we do not need to fear the events that occur in the world.  God’s plans are unchangeable, and He determines and controls the outcome.  Therefore, we can rest completely in his sovereignty.  This is not only true of global events, but also of the events in our own lives.  We are not subjected to the winds of chance; rather, our life is governed by God’s sovereign purpose.  Therefore, we can rest in his plan even when disaster and adversity strike.  When cancer comes, and life becomes uncertain in our eyes, it is still certain in God’s purpose, and that purpose is always good and right.  Instead of fearing the uncertainty of our day, we can rest in the certainty of God’s plan for us.  

The God Who is Sovereign

Daniel 1-5

“It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding.”

                  We are living in a time of fear and political upheaval.  The geo-political climate seems to be marred by fear and uncertainty.  People, even Christians, live in fear that the wrong party will be elected and will lead the nation to destruction, so we look for a political leader who can bring hope, stability, and justice to the world.  The greatest threat to the national health and stability is not the party elected, or the party defeated; the greatest threat is our trust in humanity to solve the national and global problems and uncertainties.  We continue to look for political solutions to a world that is plagued by spiritual problems.  We look for humanity to solve global problems.  However, if there is one thing that history has taught us, it is that human leaders cannot solve the global problems and threats that confront our world.  

                  Throughout the book of Daniel, we find repeated emphasis that God controls the movements of nations and the establishment of political leaders.  This becomes evident throughout the book of Daniel.  In chapter 2a, God reveals to Nebuchadnezzar the nations that will arise and exert their dominance on the world stage from the time of Nebuchadnezzar to the rise of the Roman Empire.  Each will arise in God’s timing and will have their downfall according to God’s plan. Not only does God exert his authority over the rise and fall of nations, but he also controls the destiny and power of each individual.  In chapters 3-4, Nebuchadnezzar allows pride to control him.  Looking over his kingdom with its unparalleled power and influence on the geo-political world at that time, he exalted himself to the position of a god.  Even after God demonstrated his power was greater than Nebuchadnezzar when he delivered Daniel’s friends from the fiery furnace, Nebuchadnezzar still elevated himself and exalted himself in his pride.  In a remarkable display of God’s authority (and mercy) over the affairs of man as well as his compassion towards sinners, God brought both judgment and salvation to Nebuchadnezzar.  At the end of his seven years of humility, Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged that God alone is enthroned on high and he is the one who controls the rise and fall of political leaders, a lesson that his son Belshazzar failed to grasp.

                  In our world of political confusion and uncertainty, we find clarity and hope in the realization that God is still sovereignly guiding the nations of the world towards his predetermined conclusion.   We do not need to live in apprehension, anxiety, or fear about the events on the global and national political landscape, for God is in control of all things, and he is moving and directing history according to plan. When you find yourself becoming apprehensive about what is happening in today’s news regarding the world, it is because you are looking for the wrong source of hope.  Instead of looking for a political leader to solve our world problems, reaffirm your trust in the sovereign God who controls the movement of nations.  Then you can have peace no matter what happens in our world.

A Future Dwelling Place of God
Ezekiel 41-48
“The City shall be 18,000 cubits round about; and the name of the city from that day shall be, ‘The Lord is There.” (48:35)
At first glance, it seems that Ezekiel 41-48 is just a restatement of the temple and the sacrificial system described in Leviticus. However, when we examine the passage more closely, the description of the temple and its measurements does not match any of the temples built in Jerusalem throughout history.  Its design and dimensions do not match the temples built by Solomon, Zerubbabel, or Herod. Furthermore, while the worship procedures described have parallels with the worship set forth in the Mosaic law, there are also significant differences.  Likewise, the geographic descriptions of the tribal allotments and the river that flows from the temple do not fit any of the past or present geography of Jerusalem.  
Thus, many interpreters, including my understanding, believe that this passage does not describe any historical temple in the present but rather points us forward to the Millennial reign of Christ, when Jerusalem and the temple will be rebuilt, and Christ will dwell and reign in Jerusalem.  As we read the passage, we glean several important principles that remind us of the nature and importance of our present relationship with God.
First, the description highlights the centrality of worshiping God in all that we do.  The priority and the focus of the return of Christ and the establishment of His kingdom is that He will become the sole object of our worship.  Throughout the Bible, God makes it clear that there are not many roads to Him and not many gods we can worship.  Instead, there is only one doorway that gains access to God, and that is through the redemptive work of Christ on the cross.  In the Levitical worship, the sacrifices were for the forgiveness of the people so that they might have access to God.  These sacrifices served to point us forward to Christ, who would come and pay the penalty of our sin by His own sacrifice. Through Christ’s death, sinful humanity can gain access before a holy God.  If Christ was the final sacrifice, then why are the sacrificial rituals restored in the New Temple during Christ’s reign?  The answer lies in the significance and purpose of these sacrifices.  Unlike the Old Testament sacrifices, which were necessary for the salvation of the people by paying the penalty of their sin. The Old Testament sacrifices covered the sin of the people until Christ’s final sacrifice. In the New Temple, these sacrifices will be performed as an act of worship and celebration of what Christ achieved.  They will be a perpetual reminder to us of the sufficiency of God’s grace so that we might continually sing the praise of the God who saves us from our sin through the sacrifice of Christ.
Second, the new temple will become the permanent dwelling place of God’s presence with His people. No longer will God’s presence be symbolized by the temple; it will be physically present in the new temple.  No longer will God have his dwelling in heaven; he will be present with us.  No longer will sin and its effects separate us from God; we will have free and continual access before God.  This will be the time when our fullest hopes and dreams are realized. This is the hope of humanity.  The present condition of our world is temporary, and there will come a time when the corruption, struggles, and tragedies of our present day are eradicated, and we will dwell in a world that is no longer tainted by sin.  As a result, we can face the reality of death with hope and confidence, knowing that for those who have sought the forgiveness of Christ and surrendered to Him by obeying His word, there is the assurance of a place in His kingdom, which is perfect and eternal.

God’s redemptive Power
Ezekiel 36-40
“Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, my people.  I will put My Spirit within you, and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land.  Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it.”
Chapters 36-37 provide a profound insight into the power of God and also one of the most debated passages in the book.  The question is not about the reality of the fulfillment, but the nature and timing of the fulfillment. Some believe this restoration was fulfilled when Israel was restored under Ezra and Nehemiah.  Others believe (including myself) that the prophecy will find its ultimate fulfillment during the Millennial reign of Christ.  The nature and extent of this restoration best point us to a time when God will fulfill the new covenant (Ezekiel 26:26-31 and Jeremiah 31:31-40), a covenant into which we are grafted and which we celebrate every time we partake of communion.  The vision of the valley of dry bones points to the redemptive power of God, who can restore a nation that the world regards as completely destroyed and beyond hope of redemption.  This restoration was hinted at during the time of Nehemiah and Ezra, when the nation was restored to the land after the exile in Babylon.  It is further hinted at with the restoration of Israel during our modern era.  When Israel became a nation again in 1947, it provided a prophetic glimpse into God’s power: he will restore the nation not only as a national identity but also restore their wayward heart and give them new spiritual life.  This will find its final fulfillment during the Millennial reign of Christ. While the nation again exists today politically, it still has not experienced the full spiritual restoration when it will again worship God exclusively.  This will come during the Millennial kingdom, when Christ establishes his rule over Israel and the world.  
However, the valley of dry bones is not only a testimony to Israel of God’s power and promise to restore the nation both physically and spiritually. It also points to the power of God to save and restore even the most hopeless sinner.  The imagery of the valley of dry bones is that the spiritual condition of Israel is hopeless. In the words of Miracle Max in the movie “Princess Bride,” Israel was not just partially dead; they were completely dead. They were beyond all hope. Yet what is impossible for man is possible with God. The restoration of Israel as a nation after 2000 years of non-existence is impossible from a human perspective, but with God, all things are possible.  We look at others, and we look at our own life, in the depths of sin and its domination over us, and new life seems impossible.  We see our sinfulness and wonder if there is any hope.  How can God save us when sin seems to have so much mastery in our heart and has been so destructive in our lives?  However, God has the power to restore those who are beyond restoration.  God can give us new life, even when it seems darkest.  No matter who you are, what you have done, or how hopeless you may feel, there is hope in the creator of the universe who can restore even the most spiritually dead by giving them new life.  He proved that with Israel, and He demonstrates that with us.  Then we too can know that God has indeed accomplished it.

Listening to the Right Preacher
Ezekiel 31-35
“Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?”
In our age of mobility and mass media, we are inundated with options, people, and churches that claim to speak for God but preach very different messages.  In today’s world, we can easily find a church, a preacher, a writer, a podcaster… and the list goes on… each affirming that they are proclaiming God’s message but preaching contradictory messages.  How, then, do we navigate this landscape and know we are listening to the right people with the right messages?
This question is not just a question we deal with today; it was the same question the people of Israel were confronted with in the time of Ezekiel.  There were individuals who claimed to be prophets from God and announced peace and prosperity, while others (such as Ezekiel) warned of impending judgment.  In chapters 33-34, God issues a harsh rebuke to those who were false prophets, and in this warning we find several characteristics that distinguish false teachers from those genuinely sent by God.
First, one is genuinely from God is one who remains faithful to proclaim the totality of God’s message (33:7). Faithful preachers from God proclaim the whole counsel of God. The best way to gain popularity is to tell people what they want to hear.  However, the task of a preacher is not to tell people what they want to hear, but to tell them what God has said.  Do they teach the totality of the Biblical message or only the message that is popular and what we want to hear?
Second, a genuine spokesperson from God confronts sin and warns of God’s judgment upon sin (33:3-6).  Judgment is never popular.  We want an affirming message rather than a condemning message. We want a message that promises peace, not one that warns of judgment.  Just as it is true today, so it was also true in Ezekiel’s time.  As the storm clouds of war and the invasion of the Assyrians and Egyptians were looming, people wanted to hear a message of God’s deliverance rather than a message that confronted their sin and warned of impending judgment.  The responsibility of one who speaks on behalf of God is to confront sin and warn of the coming judgment upon those who practice it (7-9).  
Third, one who is from God also proclaims a message of hope.  Along with the message of God’s judgment and justice is the message of His grace and salvation.  While denouncing sin, we are always to proclaim the offer of God’s grace (33:10-11).  God will bring the severity of His judgment upon those who sin, but He also offers the hope of salvation to those who turn from their sin and seek Him (33:10-11).  False teaching is not just teaching what is false, but also only proclaiming half the truth.  A god who is loving but not just is a god who approves sin.  A god who is judging but unloving is a tyrant.  One who is a genuine spokesperson from God will keep both of these in balance.
Third, a genuine shepherd of God is one who cares about people and is willing to sacrifice for the people.  They are not concerned about their popularity, success, or career advancement.  Rather, they are willing to sacrifice for the people they serve.  They confront sin in order to offer the hope of grace (34:1-5).  
Instead of looking for a church and a pastor who are popular or who tell us only what we want to hear, we need to look at their message.  Does the pastor affirm and faithfully proclaim the totality of the Biblical message?  Do they confront sin and proclaim the hope of forgiveness?  Do they warn of judgment, but give the hope of salvation and the grace of God?  Are they concerned about career advancement or about being a faithful shepherd of the people?

The Recognition of God’s Supremacy
Ezekiel 26-30
“Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
In the daily grind of life, it is easy to forget God.  Life seems to march forward in time with little change and little awareness of God.  Because time seems to march on relentlessly and unchanged, we start to think that we control our own destiny and that, with our wealth, we can insulate ourselves from any trouble.  Instead of trusting in God and looking to him for our life and security, we start to look to ourselves and our own abilities to determine our future.  But of all the things that give us an illusion of security and safety, and there is none greater than the illusion of wealth.  We not only believe that wealth is the basis and key to happiness, but we also trust it to provide our security against the unknowns of tomorrow.  As a result, we no longer trust in God’s protective hand and His provision for our security; we trust in the size of our portfolio.  
Like many today, the nations of Tyre and Egypt believed the illusion that their prosperity was the basis for their security and well-being.  However, this reliance on wealth proved to be a fantasy.  Because of their reliance upon themselves, God was going to strip them of their wealth.  But this is not just some random act by God with no purpose.  God was going to bring destruction to Egypt and Tyre in order to reveal that He is the controller of nations and He is the one who governs all things.  He is the one who gives security to a nation, and that He is the one who can bring destruction.  Nine times in these chapters God states that He is bringing judgment so that “they will know that I am the Lord” (26:6; 28:22, 24, 26; 29:9, 21; 30:6, 19, 26). God reminds them, and us, that He is the one who determines the security and well-being of the nation, and He is the one who reigns supreme over the world.  When a nation (or people) trusts in its own prosperity and neglects to acknowledge God, God brings judgment and in so doing reveals that He is the one who gives security.
This serves as a reminder to us.  We often look to our financial portfolio as the basis of our security in the world.  We trust in our own abilities and resources rather than God.  But wealth and prosperity can be gone in a moment.  A downturn of the stock market, the bankruptcy of a company, the sudden onset of a life-changing illness, serves to remind us that God is the one who is the source of our security and well-being rather than ourselves, our portfolio, or our circumstances.  To live with the awareness of God is to daily trust in His provision rather than our ability or resources.  It is to recognize that He alone sustains the universe, He determines the prosperity of the nations, and He is the one who cares for us.  When adversity strikes, it strips us of our self-reliance in order that we might learn to trust in God and recognize His sovereign control of our lives.  As we face today, what are we trusting in for our present and future security?  Are we trusting in ourselves, our economy, our government, or are we trusting in God?  Today, take time to express your trust and thanksgiving in God for His sustaining care.

BecomBecoming Tolerant of Sin
Ezekiel 21-25
“They have treated father and mother lightly within you.  The alien they have oppressed in your midst; the fatherless and the widow they have wronged in you.”
Reading through Ezekiel 21-25 is like walking through a thunderstorm without an umbrella.  The storm hits, and there is nothing one can do but continue to trudge along until one arrives at a shelter.  Such is the sense the reader gets as we read through the book of Ezekiel.  Chapter after chapter proclaims the judgment of God, leaving the reader with a desire for something positive, something good, some cry of grace and mercy.  So it is easy to skip ahead, to bypass the pronouncements of judgment in search of the promise of grace and restoration that brings hope towards the end of the book.  Yet we bypass these warnings at our own peril, for they prompt us to pause and examine our own life, actions, and motives to ensure that we are not sliding into the same descent into sin that Israel experienced.  When we start to look closely, the same sins that God condemns in Israel are the same attitude and actions that we find prevalent in our own society.
In Ezekiel 21-25 we read of a series of pronouncements of judgment that leave a dark cloud over the passage.  But before we pass by, we need to stop and reflect upon why Israel was facing such a foreboding future so that we might learn and evaluate our own life to see if these sins are present.  Throughout the judgment narratives and specifically interwoven in chapter 22, we find the continual drumbeat of judgment upon sin that the righteous avoid but the wicked embrace and promote.  In chapter 22, we find a list of sins that the people have committed that have aroused God’s anger and judgment.  I have put in parentheses some of the parallels in our own society; others are more apparent.
Social injustice:
1.Shedding innocent blood (vs. 6). (Abortion).
2.Undermining the family structure (vs 7). (destroying the family structure through divorce and the redefinition of the family).
3.Oppressed travelers and immigrants (vs 7). (Attitudes towards immigrants).
4.Mistreated those who are vulnerable in society (vs 7). (lack of compassion for the poor).
5.Distorted justice in the courts (12). (politicization of the judicial system).
6.Exploited the poor by lending money at excessive rates (12).
7.Sought to obtain profits through unjust means and robbery (12).
Spiritual corruption.
1.Showed a disregard and contempt for the worship of God (9). (We distort and treat God lightly by denying his justice and holiness).
2.Ignored worshiping God on a regular basis (8). (Church has become a convenience rather than a priority).
3.Slandered to destroy people (9).
4.Participated in and accepted pagan worship (9) (we can become complacent by affirming all religions).
Sexual immorality.
1.Tolerated and promoted sexual immorality (9). (just watch TV and Movies)
2.Promoted deviant sexual behavior (10). (promotion and acceptance of sexual sin)
3.Promoted adultery (11).
This should cause us to stop and reflect upon our own life and our own culture.  In our distorted world, are we becoming complacent and tolerant of these same sins in our actions and attitudes and in what we watch and what we affirm?  The pronouncement of judgment in Ezekiel is a warning to us to examine our own life and behavior.  Are we upholding righteousness or, like Israel, becoming tolerant of sin?  Are we pursuing holiness or pursuing self-indulgence?

The God of Holiness and Grace
Ezekiel 16-20
“Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “rather than that he should turn away from his ways and live?”

Reading through the prophetic literature is always difficult, for its message seems to pound the drum of judgment over and over again. Page after page, God continues to condemn Israel and the nations for their immorality, idolatry, and refusal to obey God’s law.   However, God is not capricious and vindictive in His judgment.  He is a just and holy God who cannot leave sin unchecked or unpunished, for to do so would be to give tacit approval to sin. Injustice is not just punishing someone who does not deserve it; it is also to leave unpunished one who commits an act of sin.  Because He is a just and holy God, He will not leave sin unchecked or unpunished. This is the message that is repeatedly affirmed throughout the prophets.
In Ezekiel 16, God sets forth the sins of Israel and their political and religious rebellion.  They were to be a nation that was devoted to God. As His people, they were not to have any other gods.  They were to avoid the idolatry of the people around them and remain faithful in their obedience.  However, like an unfaithful wife (ch. 17), they pursued other gods and broke their covenant with God even though God had repeatedly warned them of the consequences of rebellion in the Mosaic Law. In pronouncing judgment, Ezekiel was not informing them of a new stipulation and consequence.  Fidelity to God was interwoven in their covenant relationship with him.

However, even as He pronounces judgment, God makes it clear that He does not take pleasure in doing so (18:23).  His desire is to give life, not death.  The judgment is not because God is vindictive, but because He is righteous and pure.  His desire is ultimately to bring salvation.  Even when He brings His judgment, there is an element of correction rather than punishment.  Even as Ezekiel pronounces the coming judgment, there is also the hope given that if they repent, judgment can be averted and restoration can happen.  Furthermore, He makes it clear that He is not arbitrary in His judgment.  In the outpouring of His wrath, He never accidentally judges the righteous.  There is no collateral damage.  He deals with us as individuals so that a person who seeks him will not be accidentally caught up in the punishment of others (18:14-19).  God deals with us as individuals so that no matter how distorted and sinful our parents might have been, if we turn to God and have completely forgiveness.  We are not punished or condemned for the sins of our parents, so we do not need to feel guilty because of their past.  Yet it is also true that we are not saved by the righteousness of our parents.  Our parents may have been faithful in their obedience; they may have taken us to church each Sunday, but we are not saved by their faith and obedience.  Our relationship with God is personal, so the question is, what are we going to do with God?  Are we going to walk in obedience? Just as we are not wrongfully caught up in the dragnet of God’s judgment, so also we are not saved because of the faith and actions of others. Our relationship with God boils down to our individual personal choice.  The question we must ask is this: Am I walking in obedience to God or not?  Have I surrendered to God and his commands, or am I pursuing my own pleasure? How we answer these questions will determine our eternal destiny.

Listening to the Right Message
Ezekiel 11-15
“Thus says the Lord God, ‘Woe to the foolish prophets who are following their own spirit and have seen nothing.”
In the last 60 years, the world shifted rapidly from the industrial age to the information age.  Previously, with the rapid growth of mechanical technology, the economy centered on industrial growth as the 20th century began.  However, in the middle of the 20th century, there was a rapid shift to the growth of digital information and the information economy.  The latest advancement (AI) has both potential for incredible good but also incredible evil.  But technological advancement has further fueled the growth of misinformation and the risk of confirmation bias, in which our search for information is governed by our own biases. Thus, the greatest threat to our pursuit of what is true is ourselves.  
From the very beginning, when Adam and Eve first listened to the distortion of the serpent, we have faced the continual struggle to determine what is true and what is false.  This is the same struggle that the people of Israel were facing.  Because of their sin and their pursuit of idolatry, God warned the people that judgment was coming if they did not turn from their sin.  Yet even as God sent the prophets to warn the people, many false prophets promised peace and prosperity.  They rejected the warnings and continued to promise that God would not judge the people.  In chapter 13, God brings a harsh condemnation upon these prophets.  In Deuteronomy 18:18-22, God warned of the danger of false prophets who would arise and claim to be from God but would only proclaim what the people wanted to hear.  As we face the age of misinformation, how do we discern what is true and what is false, for there are many who claim to be a spokesperson for God and who are false teachers.
As we read through the prophets, we discover several helpful guidelines.  First, do they only affirm certain truths of the Bible while denying others?  The false teachers of Ezekiel’s day were ridiculing and disregarding the threat of God’s discipline. They claimed to be from God, but rejected His warnings by only affirming what they wanted to believe (13:1-3 ). If one claims to be a teacher of truth, but only affirms certain portions of Scripture while rejecting others, they are a false teacher.  
Second, do they warn of the dangers of sin and judgment, or do they justify sin and minimize the reality of judgment? Like many today, they affirm God’s blessings but disregard His warnings.  They promise peace without warning of judgment for sin. False teachers today affirm the existence of heaven while denying the existence of hell.  They proclaim that God is loving but fail to recognize He is also holy and just.
Third, instead of pointing people to God alone and affirming there is only one way to God, and that is through the doorway of acceptance and surrender to Christ, they affirm all religions and promote the worship of other gods (14:1-8). God demands complete allegiance to Him, and He does not accept other religions. To worship other gods is to set up “an idol in his heart” (14:7).  
In our age of misinformation, we need to make sure that we follow the right message and the right truth, which is found in the pages of the Bible. In the age of information, we must also live in the age of discernment.

When the Storm Clouds are Building.
Ezekiel 6-10
“Israel, the end has come. You will feel my anger, because I am judging you for what you have done.” 7:3
God had had enough. While God was patient and gracious towards his people, He had reached the end of His patience, and so, through the prophet Ezekiel, he pronounced a terrifying judgment. The judgment that was coming was devastation and terrifying, and it would leave the nation of Israel decimated and destroyed. One third of the people would die from sickness and famine, one third would die because of warfare, and the remainder would be cast into exile. The book of Ezekiel begins with one of the darkest and terrifying condemnations and judgments found in scripture. However, their destruction was not due to the misfortunes of war or the onslaught of a pandemic. The issue was neither political nor the result of national conflicts. The cause of their downfall was their rampant spiritual abandonment of God. Instead of being faithful in their obedience to God and to the commands given in the law, they had abandoned God and embraced the religious worship of the nations around them. Instead of being devoted to God and God alone, they embraced religious syncretism. As a result, God pronounces unparalleled judgment upon the nation. The greatest folly of humanity and the greatest act of spiritual arrogance is when we think God does not notice our sin and that God will accept all people, of all religions, of all time, without any judgment or condemnation of sin. God is infinitely gracious and is willing to forgive all our sin, but if we continue to embrace our sin and defy God’s law, there comes a time when judgment is poured out. In his famous sermon “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God,” which started a time known as the great revival, Jonathan Edwards warned, “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked... It would be dreadful to suffer this fierceness and wrath of Almighty God one moment; but you must suffer it to all eternity.”
However, just when it seems as if the storm clouds of judgment were blotting out all hope, God gives a glimmer of hope and the offer of grace. In 9:4 he commands the angel to “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and make a mark on the foreheads of the people who groan and sigh over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.”  These individuals are those who did not embrace the idolatry but remained faithful in their worship of God. Consequently, God protected them from the judgment that was coming. Even in the outpouring of the hand of judgment, the hand of grace covers and protects those that seek him.
We look at our nation and all the conflict and division, and we look for political solutions. We believe that if we get the right leader elected or the right laws and policies passed, we can correct the downward spiral that seems to be plaguing our nation. But the problem goes far deeper. The problem is not political, but spiritual, and so the solution is not found in the halls of politics but in the humble submission to God. Instead of standing on the street corner calling people to vote for our party or condemning the other political party, we need to stand on the corner and call people back to the God of the Bible, offering people the hope of salvation through Christ and surrendering our lives to Christ so that he becomes our King.  Only then will we discover the answers to the division that is affecting our nation.

See God in the Difficulties of Life
Ezekiel 1-5
“As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance.  Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.  And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.” (1:28).
Ezekiel was given a ministry that would cause the most stouthearted to faint.  Serving and walking with God is easy when it is convenient, stress-free, and rewarding.  But how about when it becomes difficult, costly, and discouraging?  When God appointed Ezekiel to be His prophet to the people, He warned Ezekiel that the people would completely reject his message. Instead of responding with repentance and revival, they would respond with indifference and hostility.  In such an environment, it is easy to understand why God commanded Ezekiel to remain faithful to his responsibility of proclaiming the message.  Yet that was not the end of Ezekiel’s misery.  Not only would they refuse to listen, but they would openly oppose and reject Ezekiel’s message, and they would cast him into prison because of his preaching.   But then we find the ultimate coup de grace.  Not only would he suffer at the hands of the people, but God would require him to lie on his side, bound by ropes for more than a year, only drinking water and barley cakes.  Ezekiel would suffer rejection in his ministry, and his life would be spent in misery as he fulfilled his responsibility of proclaiming God’s word.  
This confronts us with the question that not only confronted Ezekiel, but also confronts us as well: “How do we remain faithful in a ministry that brings only criticism, failure, and suffering?” How do we keep our hand to the plow when there is only anguish and hardship? It is easy to obey God and be faithful in serving when we gain recognition, rewards, and the praise of others.  But the real test is when we only receive criticism and rejection. How do we keep perspective when life and ministry are not enjoyable and easy?
To answer these questions, we need to begin where God started with Ezekiel.  It is not merely a coincidence that before calling Ezekiel to the difficult task set before him, God starts by giving Ezekiel an incomprehensible display of His glory and nature. Before God calls Ezekiel to the difficult task of preaching to a rebellious people, He gives Ezekiel a glimpse into his glory and power.  Ezekiel is transported into the throne room of heaven to see the radiance of God and his infinitely power and glory.  
When we are faced with difficult ministry or overwhelming circumstances, our greatest need is not a change in our circumstances, but a change in our perspective on God.  The challenges of life can easily become overwhelming when we have a small perspective of God.  What would sustain Ezekiel in his ministry was not the joys of success and popularity; it was his understand of the infinite power of God.  The more important lessons we learn in our study of Scripture are not the principles of how to be successful in life or ministry, but the incomprehensible power and glory of God, who calls us, sustains us, and empowers us to serve him.  When life starts to become overwhelming, go back to God’s word and be refreshed in the greatness and majesty of God; then the problems you face become minor and insignificant.  When life seems overwhelming, we do not need a change in circumstances; we need a change in perspective, one that sees the glory and infinite power of God at work in us and through us to accomplish His purpose.