Ezekiel 43:1-27 (Good News Translation)

Come Together in Faith and Receive New Life in the Spirit

Introduction

Ezekiel 43:1-27: Today’s reading is from a section describing Ezekiel’s final vision about the restored Temple in Jerusalem. He sees the LORD’s glory return to the Temple.

Today's Scripture: Ezekiel 43:5

The LORD’s spirit lifted me up and took me into the inner courtyard, where I saw that the Temple was filled with the glory of the LORD.

Today's Reading

¹ The man took me to the gate that faces east, ² and there I saw coming from the east the dazzling light of the presence of the God of Israel. God's voice sounded like the roar of the sea, and the earth shone with the dazzling light. ³ This vision was like the one I had seen when God came to destroy Jerusalem, and the one I saw by the Chebar River. Then I threw myself face downward on the ground. ⁴ The dazzling light passed through the east gate and went into the Temple. ⁵ The LORD's spirit lifted me up and took me into the inner courtyard, where I saw that the Temple was filled with the glory of the LORD. ⁶ The man stood beside me there, and I heard the LORD speak to me out of the Temple: ⁷ “Mortal man, here is my throne. I will live here among the people of Israel and rule them forever. Neither the people of Israel nor their kings will ever again disgrace my holy name by worshiping other gods or by burying the corpses of their dead kings. ⁸ The kings built the doorsills and doorposts of their palace right against the doorsills and doorposts of my Temple, so that there was only a wall between us. They disgraced my holy name by all the disgusting things they did, and so in my anger I destroyed them. ⁹ Now they must stop worshiping other gods and remove the corpses of their kings. If they do, I will live among them forever. ” ¹⁰ And the LORD continued, “Mortal man, tell the people of Israel about the Temple, and let them study its plan. Make them ashamed of their sinful actions. ¹¹ Then if they are ashamed of what they have done, explain the plan of the Temple to them: its design, its entrances and exits, its shape, the arrangement of everything, and all its rules and regulations. Write all this down for them so that they can see how everything is arranged and can carry out all the rules. ¹² This is the law of the Temple: All the area surrounding it on the top of the mountain is sacred and holy. ” ¹³ These are the measurements of the altar, using the same unit of measure as in measuring the Temple. All around the base of the altar there was a gutter 20 inches deep and 20 inches wide, with a rim at the outside edge 10 inches high. ¹⁴ The lowest section of the altar, from the top of the base, was 4 feet high. The next section was set back from the edge 20 inches all around, and was 7 feet high. The section after that was also set back from the edge 20 inches all around. ¹⁵ This top section, on which the sacrifices were burned, was also 7 feet high. The projections on the four corners were higher than the rest of the top. ¹⁶ The top of the altar was a square, 20 feet on each side. ¹⁷ The middle section was also a square, 24 feet on each side, with a rim at the outside edge 10 inches high. (The gutter was 20 inches wide.) The steps going up the altar were on the east side. ¹⁸ The Sovereign LORD said to me, “Mortal man, listen to what I tell you. When the altar is built, you are to dedicate it by burning sacrifices on it and by sprinkling on it the blood of the animals that were sacrificed. ¹⁹ Those priests belonging to the tribe of Levi who are descended from Zadok are the only ones who are to come into my presence to serve me. I, the Sovereign LORD, command this. You will give them a young bull to offer as a sacrifice for sin. ²⁰ You are to take some of its blood and put it on the projections on the top corners of the altar, on the corners of the middle section of the altar, and all around its edges. In this way you will purify the altar and consecrate it. ²¹ You are to take the bull that is offered as a sacrifice for sin and burn it at the specified place outside the Temple area. ²² The next day you are to take a male goat without any defects and offer it as a sacrifice for sin. Purify the altar with its blood the same way you did with the bull. ²³ When you have finished doing that, take a young bull and a young ram, both of them without any defects, ²⁴ and bring them to me. The priests will sprinkle salt on them and burn them as an offering to me. ²⁵ Each day for seven days you are to offer a goat, a bull, and a ram as sacrifices for sin. All of them must be without any defects. ²⁶ For seven days the priests are to consecrate the altar and make it ready for use. ²⁷ When the week is over, the priests are to begin offering on the altar the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings of the people. Then I will be pleased with all of you. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken. ”

Reflect

The return of the LORD’s presence reverses the departure of the LORD’s glory brought about by Israel’s priests bringing unclean things into the Temple (see Ezekiel 8—11). What instructions does Ezekiel receive from the LORD? The return of the LORD’s glory meant that the land and the Temple were now ritually clean and would stay that way if the priests and people obeyed God. How was the altar to be consecrated (verses 18-27)? Within your community of faith, are there times when consecration takes place?

Pray

Consecrate me, O Lord, to your will. I present my life to you as a living sacrifice for service in your holy name. May all I do and say be pleasing to you, O Lord, and glorify you. Amen.

Prayer Concern

Those preparing for ordained ministry

Ezekiel 37:1-28 (Good News Translation)

Come Together in Faith and Receive New Life in the Spirit

Introduction

Ezekiel 37:1-28: The Israelites living in exile were feeling as if their hopes had dried up; but like an army of dry bones that rose from death, the people will stand up and return home. God promises that kingdoms of Judah and Israel will once again be united.

Today's Scripture: Ezekiel 37:4

He said, “Prophesy to the bones. Tell these dry bones to listen to the word of the Lord.”

Today's Reading

¹ I felt the powerful presence of the LORD, and his spirit took me and set me down in a valley where the ground was covered with bones. ² He led me all around the valley, and I could see that there were very many bones and that they were very dry. ³ He said to me, “Mortal man, can these bones come back to life?” I replied, “Sovereign LORD, only you can answer that! ” ⁴ He said, “Prophesy to the bones. Tell these dry bones to listen to the word of the LORD. ⁵ Tell them that I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying to them: I am going to put breath into you and bring you back to life. ⁶ I will give you sinews and muscles, and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you and bring you back to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD. ” ⁷ So I prophesied as I had been told. While I was speaking, I heard a rattling noise, and the bones began to join together. ⁸ While I watched, the bones were covered with sinews and muscles, and then with skin. But there was no breath in the bodies. ⁹ God said to me, “Mortal man, prophesy to the wind. Tell the wind that the Sovereign LORD commands it to come from every direction, to breathe into these dead bodies, and to bring them back to life. ” ¹⁰ So I prophesied as I had been told. Breath entered the bodies, and they came to life and stood up. There were enough of them to form an army. ¹¹ God said to me, “Mortal man, the people of Israel are like these bones. They say that they are dried up, without any hope and with no future. ¹² So prophesy to my people Israel and tell them that I, the Sovereign LORD, am going to open their graves. I am going to take them out and bring them back to the land of Israel. ¹³ When I open the graves where my people are buried and bring them out, they will know that I am the LORD. ¹⁴ I will put my breath in them, bring them back to life, and let them live in their own land. Then they will know that I am the LORD. I have promised that I would do this—and I will. I, the LORD, have spoken. ” ¹⁵ The LORD spoke to me again. ¹⁶ “Mortal man,” he said, “take a wooden stick and write on it the words, “The kingdom of Judah.” Then take another stick and write on it the words, “The kingdom of Israel.” ¹⁷ Then hold the two sticks end to end in your hand so that they look like one stick. ¹⁸ When your people ask you to tell them what this means, ¹⁹ tell them that I, the Sovereign LORD, am going to take the stick representing Israel and put it with the one that represents Judah. Out of the two I will make one stick and hold it in my hand. ²⁰ Hold in your hand the two sticks and let the people see them. ²¹ Then tell them that I, the Sovereign LORD, am going to take all my people out of the nations where they have gone, gather them together, and bring them back to their own land. ²² I will unite them into one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. They will have one king to rule over them, and they will no longer be divided into two nations or split into two kingdoms. ²³ They will not defile themselves with disgusting idols any more or corrupt themselves with sin. I will free them from all the ways in which they sin and betray me. I will purify them; they will be my people, and I will be their God. ²⁴ A king like my servant David will be their king. They will all be united under one ruler and will obey my laws faithfully. ²⁵ They will live on the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where their ancestors lived. They will live there forever, and so will their children and all their descendants. A king like my servant David will rule them forever. ²⁶ I will make a covenant with them that guarantees their security forever. I will establish them and increase their population, and will see to it that my Temple stands forever in their land. ²⁷ I will live there with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. ²⁸ When I place my Temple there to be among them forever, then the nations will know that I, the LORD, have chosen Israel to be my own people. ”

Reflect

The valley of dry bones is depicted as a battlefield representing the land after the Babylonian invasion. What hopeful message is given in verses 1-14? About three centuries before the time of Ezekiel, the tribes of Israel divided into two kingdoms; the northern kingdom (Israel) was defeated by Assyria, and the southern kingdom (Judah) was defeated by the Babylonians. What does God promise once the two kingdoms are united (verses 20-28)?

Pray

Sovereign God, unite the hearts, minds, and will of all your people in loving service to you. I thank you for your life-giving breath and for the hope of new life you offer me each day. Amen.

Prayer Concern

Countries experiencing political turmoil

Ezekiel 36:16-38 (Good News Translation)

Come Together in Faith and Receive New Life in the Spirit

Introduction

Ezekiel 36:16-38: Israel’s sins caused God’s holy name to be disgraced which led to Israel’s enemies to believe that their God was not powerful enough to save them. For the sake of his name, God promises to cleanse Israel of its sins and give the people his spirit.

Today's Scripture: Ezekiel 36:27

I will put my spirit in you and will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you.

Today's Reading

¹⁶ The LORD spoke to me. ¹⁷ “Mortal man,” he said, “when the Israelites were living in their land, they defiled it by the way they lived and acted. I regarded their behavior as being as ritually unclean as a woman is during her monthly period. ¹⁸ I let them feel the force of my anger because of the murders they had committed in the land and because of the idols by which they had defiled it. ¹⁹ I condemned them for the way they lived and acted, and I scattered them through foreign countries. ²⁰ Wherever they went, they brought disgrace on my holy name, because people would say, ‘These are the people of the LORD, but they had to leave his land. ’ ²¹ That made me concerned for my holy name, since the Israelites brought disgrace on it everywhere they went. ²² Now then, give the Israelites the message that I, the Sovereign LORD, have for them: What I am going to do is not for the sake of you Israelites, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have disgraced in every country where you have gone. ²³ When I demonstrate to the nations the holiness of my great name—the name you disgraced among them—then they will know that I am the LORD. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken. I will use you to show the nations that I am holy. ²⁴ I will take you from every nation and country and bring you back to your own land. ²⁵ I will sprinkle clean water on you and make you clean from all your idols and everything else that has defiled you. ²⁶ I will give you a new heart and a new mind. I will take away your stubborn heart of stone and give you an obedient heart. ²⁷ I will put my spirit in you and will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you. ²⁸ Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your God. ²⁹ I will save you from everything that defiles you. I will command the grain to be plentiful, so that you will not have any more famines. ³⁰ I will increase the yield of your fruit trees and your fields, so that there will be no more famines to disgrace you among the nations. ³¹ You will remember your evil conduct and the wrongs that you committed, and you will be disgusted with yourselves because of your sins and your iniquities. ³² Israel, I want you to know that I am not doing all this for your sake. I want you to feel the shame and disgrace of what you are doing. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken. ” ³³ The Sovereign LORD says, “When I make you clean from all your sins, I will let you live in your cities again and let you rebuild the ruins. ³⁴ Everyone who used to walk by your fields saw how overgrown and wild they were, but I will let you farm them again. ³⁵ Everyone will talk about how this land, which was once a wilderness, has become like the Garden of Eden, and how the cities which were torn down, looted, and left in ruins, are now inhabited and fortified. ³⁶ Then the neighboring nations that have survived will know that I, the LORD, rebuild ruined cities and replant waste fields. I, the LORD, have promised that I would do this—and I will. ” ³⁷ The Sovereign LORD says, “I will once again let the Israelites ask me for help, and I will let them increase in numbers like a flock of sheep. ³⁸ The cities that are now in ruins will then be as full of people as Jerusalem was once full of the sheep which were offered as sacrifices at a festival. Then they will know that I am the LORD. ”

Reflect

Israel’s sins included murder, injustice and worshiping idols. Such sins defiled the land and made it ritually unclean, and God’s holy name was disgraced. How did God punish the people for these sins? What promises does God make concerning restoration? What does God want the people to be reminded of (verses 31, 32)? In what ways have you experienced God’s cleansing?

Pray

Lord God, create in me a clean heart and cleanse me of all my sin. Give me an obedient heart and teach me to follow your laws and keep your commands. May all I do and say bring honor to your holy name. Thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit and for your everlasting love. Amen.

Prayer Concern

Those whose hearts are hardened

Ezekiel 36:16-38 (Good News Translation)

Come Together in Faith and Receive New Life in the Spirit

Introduction

Ezekiel 36:16-38: Israel’s sins caused God’s holy name to be disgraced which led to Israel’s enemies to believe that their God was not powerful enough to save them. For the sake of his name, God promises to cleanse Israel of its sins and give the people his spirit.

Today's Scripture: Ezekiel 36:27

I will put my spirit in you and will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you.

Today's Reading

¹⁶ The LORD spoke to me. ¹⁷ “Mortal man,” he said, “when the Israelites were living in their land, they defiled it by the way they lived and acted. I regarded their behavior as being as ritually unclean as a woman is during her monthly period. ¹⁸ I let them feel the force of my anger because of the murders they had committed in the land and because of the idols by which they had defiled it. ¹⁹ I condemned them for the way they lived and acted, and I scattered them through foreign countries. ²⁰ Wherever they went, they brought disgrace on my holy name, because people would say, ‘These are the people of the LORD, but they had to leave his land. ’ ²¹ That made me concerned for my holy name, since the Israelites brought disgrace on it everywhere they went. ²² Now then, give the Israelites the message that I, the Sovereign LORD, have for them: What I am going to do is not for the sake of you Israelites, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have disgraced in every country where you have gone. ²³ When I demonstrate to the nations the holiness of my great name—the name you disgraced among them—then they will know that I am the LORD. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken. I will use you to show the nations that I am holy. ²⁴ I will take you from every nation and country and bring you back to your own land. ²⁵ I will sprinkle clean water on you and make you clean from all your idols and everything else that has defiled you. ²⁶ I will give you a new heart and a new mind. I will take away your stubborn heart of stone and give you an obedient heart. ²⁷ I will put my spirit in you and will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you. ²⁸ Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your God. ²⁹ I will save you from everything that defiles you. I will command the grain to be plentiful, so that you will not have any more famines. ³⁰ I will increase the yield of your fruit trees and your fields, so that there will be no more famines to disgrace you among the nations. ³¹ You will remember your evil conduct and the wrongs that you committed, and you will be disgusted with yourselves because of your sins and your iniquities. ³² Israel, I want you to know that I am not doing all this for your sake. I want you to feel the shame and disgrace of what you are doing. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken. ” ³³ The Sovereign LORD says, “When I make you clean from all your sins, I will let you live in your cities again and let you rebuild the ruins. ³⁴ Everyone who used to walk by your fields saw how overgrown and wild they were, but I will let you farm them again. ³⁵ Everyone will talk about how this land, which was once a wilderness, has become like the Garden of Eden, and how the cities which were torn down, looted, and left in ruins, are now inhabited and fortified. ³⁶ Then the neighboring nations that have survived will know that I, the LORD, rebuild ruined cities and replant waste fields. I, the LORD, have promised that I would do this—and I will. ” ³⁷ The Sovereign LORD says, “I will once again let the Israelites ask me for help, and I will let them increase in numbers like a flock of sheep. ³⁸ The cities that are now in ruins will then be as full of people as Jerusalem was once full of the sheep which were offered as sacrifices at a festival. Then they will know that I am the LORD. ”

Reflect

Israel’s sins included murder, injustice and worshiping idols. Such sins defiled the land and made it ritually unclean, and God’s holy name was disgraced. How did God punish the people for these sins? What promises does God make concerning restoration? What does God want the people to be reminded of (verses 31, 32)? In what ways have you experienced God’s cleansing?

Pray

Lord God, create in me a clean heart and cleanse me of all my sin. Give me an obedient heart and teach me to follow your laws and keep your commands. May all I do and say bring honor to your holy name. Thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit and for your everlasting love. Amen.

Prayer Concern

Those whose hearts are hardened

Ezekiel 36:16-38 (Good News Translation)

Come Together in Faith and Receive New Life in the Spirit

Introduction

Ezekiel 36:16-38: Israel’s sins caused God’s holy name to be disgraced which led to Israel’s enemies to believe that their God was not powerful enough to save them. For the sake of his name, God promises to cleanse Israel of its sins and give the people his spirit.

Today's Scripture: Ezekiel 36:27

I will put my spirit in you and will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you.

Today's Reading

¹⁶ The LORD spoke to me. ¹⁷ “Mortal man,” he said, “when the Israelites were living in their land, they defiled it by the way they lived and acted. I regarded their behavior as being as ritually unclean as a woman is during her monthly period. ¹⁸ I let them feel the force of my anger because of the murders they had committed in the land and because of the idols by which they had defiled it. ¹⁹ I condemned them for the way they lived and acted, and I scattered them through foreign countries. ²⁰ Wherever they went, they brought disgrace on my holy name, because people would say, ‘These are the people of the LORD, but they had to leave his land. ’ ²¹ That made me concerned for my holy name, since the Israelites brought disgrace on it everywhere they went. ²² Now then, give the Israelites the message that I, the Sovereign LORD, have for them: What I am going to do is not for the sake of you Israelites, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have disgraced in every country where you have gone. ²³ When I demonstrate to the nations the holiness of my great name—the name you disgraced among them—then they will know that I am the LORD. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken. I will use you to show the nations that I am holy. ²⁴ I will take you from every nation and country and bring you back to your own land. ²⁵ I will sprinkle clean water on you and make you clean from all your idols and everything else that has defiled you. ²⁶ I will give you a new heart and a new mind. I will take away your stubborn heart of stone and give you an obedient heart. ²⁷ I will put my spirit in you and will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you. ²⁸ Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your God. ²⁹ I will save you from everything that defiles you. I will command the grain to be plentiful, so that you will not have any more famines. ³⁰ I will increase the yield of your fruit trees and your fields, so that there will be no more famines to disgrace you among the nations. ³¹ You will remember your evil conduct and the wrongs that you committed, and you will be disgusted with yourselves because of your sins and your iniquities. ³² Israel, I want you to know that I am not doing all this for your sake. I want you to feel the shame and disgrace of what you are doing. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken. ” ³³ The Sovereign LORD says, “When I make you clean from all your sins, I will let you live in your cities again and let you rebuild the ruins. ³⁴ Everyone who used to walk by your fields saw how overgrown and wild they were, but I will let you farm them again. ³⁵ Everyone will talk about how this land, which was once a wilderness, has become like the Garden of Eden, and how the cities which were torn down, looted, and left in ruins, are now inhabited and fortified. ³⁶ Then the neighboring nations that have survived will know that I, the LORD, rebuild ruined cities and replant waste fields. I, the LORD, have promised that I would do this—and I will. ” ³⁷ The Sovereign LORD says, “I will once again let the Israelites ask me for help, and I will let them increase in numbers like a flock of sheep. ³⁸ The cities that are now in ruins will then be as full of people as Jerusalem was once full of the sheep which were offered as sacrifices at a festival. Then they will know that I am the LORD. ”

Reflect

Israel’s sins included murder, injustice and worshiping idols. Such sins defiled the land and made it ritually unclean, and God’s holy name was disgraced. How did God punish the people for these sins? What promises does God make concerning restoration? What does God want the people to be reminded of (verses 31, 32)? In what ways have you experienced God’s cleansing?

Pray

Lord God, create in me a clean heart and cleanse me of all my sin. Give me an obedient heart and teach me to follow your laws and keep your commands. May all I do and say bring honor to your holy name. Thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit and for your everlasting love. Amen.

Prayer Concern

Those whose hearts are hardened

Ezekiel 36:16-38 (Good News Translation)

Come Together in Faith and Receive New Life in the Spirit

Introduction

Ezekiel 36:16-38: Israel’s sins caused God’s holy name to be disgraced which led to Israel’s enemies to believe that their God was not powerful enough to save them. For the sake of his name, God promises to cleanse Israel of its sins and give the people his spirit.

Today's Scripture: Ezekiel 36:27

I will put my spirit in you and will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you.

Today's Reading

¹⁶ The LORD spoke to me. ¹⁷ “Mortal man,” he said, “when the Israelites were living in their land, they defiled it by the way they lived and acted. I regarded their behavior as being as ritually unclean as a woman is during her monthly period. ¹⁸ I let them feel the force of my anger because of the murders they had committed in the land and because of the idols by which they had defiled it. ¹⁹ I condemned them for the way they lived and acted, and I scattered them through foreign countries. ²⁰ Wherever they went, they brought disgrace on my holy name, because people would say, ‘These are the people of the LORD, but they had to leave his land. ’ ²¹ That made me concerned for my holy name, since the Israelites brought disgrace on it everywhere they went. ²² Now then, give the Israelites the message that I, the Sovereign LORD, have for them: What I am going to do is not for the sake of you Israelites, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have disgraced in every country where you have gone. ²³ When I demonstrate to the nations the holiness of my great name—the name you disgraced among them—then they will know that I am the LORD. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken. I will use you to show the nations that I am holy. ²⁴ I will take you from every nation and country and bring you back to your own land. ²⁵ I will sprinkle clean water on you and make you clean from all your idols and everything else that has defiled you. ²⁶ I will give you a new heart and a new mind. I will take away your stubborn heart of stone and give you an obedient heart. ²⁷ I will put my spirit in you and will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you. ²⁸ Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your God. ²⁹ I will save you from everything that defiles you. I will command the grain to be plentiful, so that you will not have any more famines. ³⁰ I will increase the yield of your fruit trees and your fields, so that there will be no more famines to disgrace you among the nations. ³¹ You will remember your evil conduct and the wrongs that you committed, and you will be disgusted with yourselves because of your sins and your iniquities. ³² Israel, I want you to know that I am not doing all this for your sake. I want you to feel the shame and disgrace of what you are doing. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken. ” ³³ The Sovereign LORD says, “When I make you clean from all your sins, I will let you live in your cities again and let you rebuild the ruins. ³⁴ Everyone who used to walk by your fields saw how overgrown and wild they were, but I will let you farm them again. ³⁵ Everyone will talk about how this land, which was once a wilderness, has become like the Garden of Eden, and how the cities which were torn down, looted, and left in ruins, are now inhabited and fortified. ³⁶ Then the neighboring nations that have survived will know that I, the LORD, rebuild ruined cities and replant waste fields. I, the LORD, have promised that I would do this—and I will. ” ³⁷ The Sovereign LORD says, “I will once again let the Israelites ask me for help, and I will let them increase in numbers like a flock of sheep. ³⁸ The cities that are now in ruins will then be as full of people as Jerusalem was once full of the sheep which were offered as sacrifices at a festival. Then they will know that I am the LORD. ”

Reflect

Israel’s sins included murder, injustice and worshiping idols. Such sins defiled the land and made it ritually unclean, and God’s holy name was disgraced. How did God punish the people for these sins? What promises does God make concerning restoration? What does God want the people to be reminded of (verses 31, 32)? In what ways have you experienced God’s cleansing?

Pray

Lord God, create in me a clean heart and cleanse me of all my sin. Give me an obedient heart and teach me to follow your laws and keep your commands. May all I do and say bring honor to your holy name. Thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit and for your everlasting love. Amen.

Prayer Concern

Those whose hearts are hardened

Ezekiel 36:1-15 (Good News Translation)

Come Together in Faith and Receive New Life in the Spirit

Introduction

Ezekiel 36:1-15: God promises to take revenge on those who destroyed Israel’s mountains and promises to restore the land and provide a home for God’s people when they return from exile.

Today's Scripture: Ezekiel 36:11b

I will let you live there as you used to live, and I will make you more prosperous than ever. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

Today's Reading

¹ The LORD said, “Mortal man, speak to the mountains of Israel and tell them to listen to the message which I, ² the Sovereign LORD, have for them: Israel's enemies gloated and said, “Now those ancient hills are ours!” ³ Prophesy, then, and announce what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying. When the neighboring nations captured and plundered the mountains of Israel, everyone made fun of Israel. ⁴ So now listen to what I, the Sovereign LORD, say to you mountains and hills, to you brooks and valleys, to you places that were left in ruins, and to you deserted cities which were plundered and mocked by all the surrounding nations. ⁵ I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken out in the heat of my anger against the surrounding nations, and especially against Edom. With glee and contempt they captured my land and took possession of its pastures. ⁶ So prophesy to the land of Israel; tell the mountains, hills, brooks, and valleys what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying in jealous anger because of the way the nations have insulted and humiliated them. ⁷ I, the Sovereign LORD, solemnly promise that the surrounding nations will be humiliated. ⁸ But on the mountains of Israel the trees will again grow leaves and bear fruit for you, my people Israel. You are going to come home soon. ⁹ I am on your side, and I will make sure that your land is plowed again and crops are planted on it. ¹⁰ I will make your population grow. You will live in the cities and rebuild everything that was left in ruins. ¹¹ I will make people and cattle increase in number. There will be more of you than ever before, and you will have many children. I will let you live there as you used to live, and I will make you more prosperous than ever. Then you will know that I am the LORD. ¹² I will bring you, my people Israel, back to live again in the land. It will be your own land, and it will never again let your children starve. ¹³ I, the Sovereign LORD, say: It is true that people say that the land eats people and that it robs the nation of its children. ¹⁴ But from now on it will no longer eat people and rob you of your children. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken. ¹⁵ The land will no longer have to listen to the nations making fun of it or see the peoples sneer at it. The land will no longer rob the nation of its children. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken. ”

Reflect

The mountains cited in today’s reading probably refer to the land of Israel which enemies had captured and claimed (see Ezekiel 35:12). Israel’s population had been reduced by war, famine, and forced exile. In what ways will God restore the land? What promises are made to the people? Where in the world today is restoration needed?

Pray

Sovereign God, all nations are under your care. Bring peace and restoration to nations seeking to recover from the aftermath of war and violence. Teach me to be an instrument of your peace and to bring words of comfort and hope to those I know who are hurting. Amen.

Prayer Concern

Nations devastated by war and civil unrest

Ezekiel 34:1-31 (Good News Translation)

Come Together in Faith and Receive New Life in the Spirit

Introduction

Ezekiel 34:1-31: Many of Israel’s leaders had not been good shepherds. Because of their evil and neglectful ways, the sheep (the people of Israel) were killed or scattered across the earth. These shepherds (leaders) will be punished, and God promises to rescue the people and care for them and be their shepherd.

Today's Scripture: Ezekiel 34:31

“You, my sheep, the flock that I feed, are my people, and I am your God,” says the Sovereign LORD.

Today's Reading

¹ The LORD spoke to me. ² “Mortal man,” he said, “denounce the rulers of Israel. Prophesy to them, and tell them what I, the Sovereign LORD, say to them: You are doomed, you shepherds of Israel! You take care of yourselves, but never tend the sheep. ³ You drink the milk, wear clothes made from the wool, and kill and eat the finest sheep. But you never tend the sheep. ⁴ You have not taken care of the weak ones, healed the ones that are sick, bandaged the ones that are hurt, brought back the ones that wandered off, or looked for the ones that were lost. Instead, you treated them cruelly. ⁵ Because the sheep had no shepherd, they were scattered, and wild animals killed and ate them. ⁶ So my sheep wandered over the high hills and the mountains. They were scattered over the face of the earth, and no one looked for them or tried to find them. ⁷ Now, you shepherds, listen to what I, the LORD, am telling you. ⁸ As surely as I am the living God, you had better listen to me. My sheep have been attacked by wild animals that killed and ate them because there was no shepherd. My shepherds did not try to find the sheep. They were taking care of themselves and not the sheep. ⁹ So listen to me, you shepherds. ¹⁰ I, the Sovereign LORD, declare that I am your enemy. I will take my sheep away from you and never again let you be their shepherds; never again will I let you take care only of yourselves. I will rescue my sheep from you and not let you eat them. ¹¹ I, the Sovereign LORD, tell you that I myself will look for my sheep and take care of them ¹² in the same way as shepherds take care of their sheep that were scattered and are brought together again. I will bring them back from all the places where they were scattered on that dark, disastrous day. ¹³ I will take them out of foreign countries, gather them together, and bring them back to their own land. I will lead them back to the mountains and the streams of Israel and will feed them in pleasant pastures. ¹⁴ I will let them graze in safety in the mountain meadows and the valleys and in all the green pastures of the land of Israel. ¹⁵ I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will find them a place to rest. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken. ¹⁶ I will look for those that are lost, bring back those that wander off, bandage those that are hurt, and heal those that are sick; but those that are fat and strong I will destroy, because I am a shepherd who does what is right. ¹⁷ Now then, my flock, I, the Sovereign LORD, tell you that I will judge each of you and separate the good from the bad, the sheep from the goats. ¹⁸ Some of you are not satisfied with eating the best grass; you even trample down what you don't eat! You drink the clear water and muddy what you don't drink! ¹⁹ My other sheep have to eat the grass you trample down and drink the water you muddy. ²⁰ So now, I, the Sovereign LORD, tell you that I will judge between you strong sheep and the weak sheep. ²¹ You pushed the sick ones aside and butted them away from the flock. ²² But I will rescue my sheep and not let them be mistreated any more. I will judge each of my sheep and separate the good from the bad. ²³ I will give them a king like my servant David to be their one shepherd, and he will take care of them. ²⁴ I, the LORD, will be their God, and a king like my servant David will be their ruler. I have spoken. ²⁵ I will make a covenant with them that guarantees their security. I will get rid of all the dangerous animals in the land, so that my sheep can live safely in the fields and sleep in the forests. ²⁶ I will bless them and let them live around my sacred hill. There I will bless them with showers of rain when they need it. ²⁷ The trees will bear fruit, the fields will produce crops, and everyone will live in safety on his own land. When I break my people's chains and set them free from those who made them slaves, then they will know that I am the LORD. ²⁸ The heathen nations will not plunder them any more, and the wild animals will not kill and eat them. They will live in safety, and no one will terrify them. ²⁹ I will give them fertile fields and put an end to hunger in the land. The other nations will not sneer at them any more. ³⁰ Everyone will know that I protect Israel and that they are my people. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken. ³¹ “You, my sheep, the flock that I feed, are my people, and I am your God,” says the Sovereign LORD.

Reflect

The image of the LORD as a shepherd is common in the Bible (see Genesis 49:24; Psalm 23; Isaiah 40:11; John 10:11; Hebrews 13:20). Reread verses 11-15. The “dark, disastrous day” (verse 12) refers to the time when the people were led away as prisoners following the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem. What words of hope are given in these verses? What are your thoughts concerning the image of God as a shepherd?

Pray

Sovereign God, you are my shepherd. Thank you for your steadfast love and care, and for feeding me and nourishing me each day with your holy word. Amen.

Prayer Concern

Nomadic shepherds

Ezekiel 3:1-27 (Good News Translation)

Come Together in Faith and Receive New Life in the Spirit

Introduction

Ezekiel 3:1-27: Ezekiel is instructed to eat a scroll on which are written “cries of grief” and “wails and groans” (2:10), an indication that the message he is to deliver from God will contain devastating news about the fall of Jerusalem and God’s impending punishment of the people (see chapters 4—9). Ezekiel is appointed to be a lookout for Israel and is instructed with regard to warnings he is to deliver. The chapter concludes with Ezekiel being told by God that he will be unable to speak for a while, an indication that Ezekiel is to speak only when God has a message for Ezekiel to convey to the people.

Today's Scripture: Ezekiel 3:12

Then God’s spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the loud roar of a voice that said, “Praise the glory of the LORD in heaven above!”

Today's Reading

¹ God said, “Mortal man, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” ² So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. ³ He said, “Mortal man, eat this scroll that I give you; fill your stomach with it.” I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey. ⁴ Then God said, Mortal man, go to the people of Israel and say to them whatever I tell you to say. ⁵ I am not sending you to a nation that speaks a difficult foreign language, but to the Israelites. ⁶ If I sent you to great nations that spoke difficult languages you didn't understand, they would listen to you. ⁷ But none of the people of Israel will be willing to listen; they will not even listen to me. All of them are stubborn and defiant. ⁸ Now I will make you as stubborn and as tough as they are. ⁹ I will make you as firm as a rock, as hard as a diamond; don't be afraid of those rebels. ” ¹⁰ God continued, “Mortal man, pay close attention and remember everything I tell you. ¹¹ Then go to the people of your nation who are in exile and tell them what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying to them, whether they pay attention to you or not. ” ¹² Then God's spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the loud roar of a voice that said, “Praise the glory of the LORD in heaven above! ” ¹³ I heard the wings of the creatures beating together in the air, and the noise of the wheels, as loud as an earthquake. ¹⁴ The power of the LORD came on me with great force, and as his spirit carried me off, I felt bitter and angry. ¹⁵ So I came to Tel Abib beside the Chebar River, where the exiles were living, and for seven days I stayed there, overcome by what I had seen and heard. ¹⁶ After the seven days had passed, the LORD spoke to me. ¹⁷ “Mortal man,” he said, “I am making you a lookout for the nation of Israel. You will pass on to them the warnings I give you. ¹⁸ If I announce that someone evil is going to die but you do not warn him to change his ways so that he can save his life, he will die, still a sinner, but I will hold you responsible for his death. ¹⁹ If you do warn an evil man and he doesn't stop sinning, he will die, still a sinner, but your life will be spared. ²⁰ If someone truly good starts doing evil and I put him in a dangerous situation, he will die if you do not warn him. He will die because of his sins—I will not remember the good he did—and I will hold you responsible for his death. ²¹ If you do warn a good man not to sin and he listens to you and doesn't sin, he will stay alive, and your life will also be spared. ” ²² I felt the powerful presence of the LORD and heard him say to me, “Get up and go out into the valley. I will talk to you there.” ²³ So I went out into the valley, and there I saw the glory of the LORD, just as I had seen it beside the Chebar River. I fell face downward on the ground, ²⁴ but God's spirit entered me and raised me to my feet. The LORD said to me, “Go home and shut yourself up in the house. ²⁵ You will be tied with ropes, mortal man, and you will not be able to go out in public. ²⁶ I will paralyze your tongue so that you won't be able to warn these rebellious people. ²⁷ Then, when I speak to you again and give you back the power of speech, you will tell them what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying. Some of them will listen, but some will ignore you, for they are a nation of rebels. ”

Reflect

Describe Ezekiel’s encounter with God (verses 1-15). Does Ezekiel receive any words of encouragement from God? What warnings is Ezekiel to deliver (verses 16-21)? What responsibilities are placed on him? Have you ever experienced a time when you felt called to warn someone to change their ways? If so, was it hard to do?

Pray

Sovereign God, sometimes it is hard to speak your word of truth to someone who has strayed from your teachings. Instill in me a spirit of boldness and take away my fears. Teach me to turn to you, trusting that you will guide my speech. Amen.

Prayer Concern

Those with speech impediments