Nehemiah 9-10 You Have Been Loyal, But We Have Been Wicked

The people hadn’t heard the Scriptures in years – perhaps in centuries.  They’d gotten that far away from God.   So when the Book Of The Teachings was brought out and began to be read, the effect on the people was amazing. 

“As he opened the book, the people stood up …. Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground … The people had been crying as they listened to the words of the Teachings …”

Though this repentant attitude was good, Nehemiah told them that this was a feast CELEBRATING what God had done, and it was to be a time of great joy.  And they began to celebrate because “they finally understood what they had been taught.”

The people came to realize something important, and Ezra prayed about it:  “This trouble has come to us, to our kings and our leaders, to our priests and prophets, to our ancestors and all Your people from the days of the kings of Assyria until today.  You have been fair in everything that has happened to us.  You have been loyal, but we have been wicked.”

They’d stopped trying to blame their troubles on God and finally placed the blame squarely on their own disobedience and on their national sin.  Only then could God truly start to work on them.

Father, my sin and disobedience separates me from You as well.  I ask that You keep me mindful of my sin, yet don’t let me drown in sadness.  Remind me of how You’ve already removed it, as far as the east is from the west.  Through my obedience, help me too to experience the joy of Your salvation.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Nehemiah 5-7 -- A Different Method Of Praying

My commentary said to take note of Nehemiah’s arrow prayers in these chapters.  I found several:

“Remember to be kind to me, my God, for all the good I have done for these people.”

“God, make me strong.”

“My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat and what they have done.”

When Ezra found himself in the midst of the spiritual battle against the foes of God who wanted to keep Jerusalem off the map, he prayed these short prayers in much the same way as an archer might attach a note to an arrow and shoot it into a nearby friendly camp asking for assistance.  I’ve been bemoaning the fact that hectic schedules have cost me in the prayer department.  I’ve found it so tough to be able to spend even 30 minutes in prayer each day.

But years ago, I’d read about Nehemiah’s arrow prayers and I’d begun praying them during the day, with specific requests for specific needs going up to God.  I’m so glad to have rediscovered what I’d already known and been doing, Father, for I think Satan has been trying to beat me up over my prayer life.  You’ve used these chapters to remind me that I’ve adapted my prayer life as best I could to my circumstances.  I haven’t cut off my conversations with You.  Still, I want time to pray more.  Show me where I can find that time, Father, for I have many people I need to pray with You about.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Nehemiah 3 & 4 -- When You're Up To Your Elbows In Alligators ...

Some people just can’t stand to see others accomplishing something.  Nehemiah had gotten a lot of leaders involved in rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem.  The high priest himself was the first one mentioned.  Governors to goldsmiths got busy sorting whole bricks out of the rubble piles and mixing mortar.  For the most part, people got along while working on the project.  Only one mention was made of any rebellious attitudes – leaders from Tekoa wouldn’t work under their supervisors.

While some worked on the portions of the wall closest to their own homes (a seemingly natural response), others gladly tackled areas in less desirable neighborhoods (this would seem to indicate selflessness). 

Non-Jews very much disliked the thought of Jerusalem being rebuilt, and they resorted to threats and ridicule, trying to break the spirit of the workers.

Years ago, the vacant lot next to what would a few years later become our church’s youth building was a downtown eyesore.  It was unkempt, and weeds grew four feet tall.  Several of us saw what could be, and we worked up a plan to turn it into a downtown park.  As work began, volunteers showed up and the work continued to progress.  Yet there were those who, for no reason other than a desire to be a spoiler, would bad-mouth the project, even calling it “sanctimonious”.  We wanted to improve the area for everyone’s sake.  They just wanted to raise a fuss and cause trouble.  We didn’t quit.  The park is still there, and the troublemakers are gone.  I know how Nehemiah felt.

One little blurb from the sidebar in my bible stood out today:  “We are all going to have pain, but misery is optional.  We can decide how we will react to the pain that inevitably comes to us all.”

Father, this sure is great timing on Your part.  I needed a reminder that misery is optional.  When the rubble gets too deep, or the detractors get too vocal, remind me of that and encourage me.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Nehemiah 1 & 2 -- Forgetting That Most Important First Step

Nehemiah had gotten word in the royal palace in Persia of how defenseless and destitute Jerusalem had become.  He knew that certain infrastructure needs had to be met if the city was to ever have a chance of again becoming prominent.  But rather than going off half-cocked with his own ideas, Nehemiah first went to his knees.

Fasting, mourning, and praying occupied his off-hours as he sought God’s advice and approval.  He confessed national sin “and asked God to remember His Word and to be faithful in regathering His people as He had been righteous in scattering them,” my commentary said.  For, after all, if this wasn’t in God’s timing, it would be doomed to fail.

He also didn’t just pray for a few minutes or hours.  He pleaded with God for 3 or 4 months before God arranged a divine appointment, having prepared the king’s heart to listen.

Once he’d arrived in Jerusalem, accompanied by a royal escort, Nehemiah didn’t reveal his places to anyone at first.  Instead, he privately inspected the entire area, enabling him to gather ideas, inquire of God, and in this way properly prepare to present his proposal to the Jewish remnant living there.

Even when non-Jews stirred up opposition, Nehemiah wasn’t intimidated, for his months of prayer and preparation had assured him that God had promised success.

Father, I feel so wholly inadequate in my own prayer life after reading this again.  My prayers look like a microwave oven compared with Nehemiah’s crock pot!  I’ve come to expect an answer after seconds of praying.  Forgive me for forgetting to do the most important work.  Show me the value of struggling with You in prayer, so that I may more fully understand and appreciate Your will.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Ezekiel 47 & 48 -- Good News! There's Water Flowing Out The Front Door!

Normally, this wouldn’t be good news:  “I saw water coming out from under the doorway and flowing east.  The water flowed down from the south side wall…. One-third of a mile away, water came up to my ankles … One-third of a mile farther, it came up to my knees …”  But what Ezekiel saw in his vision from God was good.

“This water will flow … down into the Jordan Valley.  When it enters the Dead Sea, it will become fresh.  Everywhere the river goes, there will be many fish … All kinds of fruit trees will grow on both banks of the river and their leaves will not dry and die.  The trees will have fruit every month, because the water for them comes from the Temple.”

One day God will inhabit the land with His people.  The new name for the new Jerusalem will be Jehovah Shammah – The Lord who is there.  Where sin had brought death and separation from God, now He will dwell with His people, and the river  of life that flows out of the Temple will impart life even to the Dead Sea!

Of course, we can partake now of that river of life.  The Bible does not say that eternal life begins when we die.  It starts the moment that a person becomes a believer and asks Jesus Messiah into his heart.  That river of life will begin to flow out of his life, and God will use it to produce life in others as well.

Father, it’s awesome to think that someday the curse of sin will be removed from Your creation, and that we will see this earth as You intended it to be.  But even more amazing is the fact that right here and right now, You are busy changing the lives of sinners, calling them to become believers.  And whatever that river of life touches can’t help but be changed.  Help me to sink my roots deep into that soil, Father, and help me to produce fruit every month as well.  Draw nearer to me, Father, and keep me close to You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Ezekiel 44-46 Why The Sacrifices Will Start Again Someday

God told Ezekiel that a time would come, when the Messiah was ruling, when sacrifices would once again be made in Israel.  Those sacrifices, according to my commentary, were for two purposes:  the cleansing from ritual defilement and for the new purpose of commemorating Christ’s death on the cross.  “Hebrews 10:4 reminds us that it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.  Rather, the sacrifices were an annual reminder of sins,” my commentary said.

It’s surprising to most who read the Bible to find that, absent the work of Jesus Christ, only sins committed unintentionally or in ignorance could be cleansed.  Sins committed intentionally could not be removed by offerings.  They could only be covered (According to my commentary, that’s what atonement means.  Having sin removed is reconciliation.)  Only Christ can take away our sins.  And since the vast majority of our sins are intentional sins, we should be sincerely grateful to God for what occurred about two millennia ago on this Good Friday – His One And Only Son died as the perfect sacrifice to remove our intentional sins forever.

Father, I hate the fact that I still intentionally and willfully sin and that, according to Your rules, only Your Son’s death could cleanse me of them, for with each new willful and intentional sin, I chalk up another reason that Your Son had to die for me.  I’m sorry that I do that, but I will be eternally grateful for His sacrifice for me, though I will never deserve it.  Forgive me, Father, and thank You for Your love.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Ezekiel 42 & 43 -- Pay Attention To The Entrances And Exits

A friend of mine, Ronnie Hill, preached a sermon on these chapters maybe 14 years ago, and I’ve never forgotten a link he’d made from chapter 40.  When Ezekiel had first been taken to the Temple in this vision, 40:28 says, “Then the man brought me through the south entrance.”  At the beginning of chapter 43, it says, “Then the man led me to the outer east gate way, and I saw the glory of the God of Israel …”

In verse 10 and following, Ezekiel is told, “Tell the people about the Temple so they will be ashamed of their sins.  Let them think about the plan of the Temple and how it is built.  Show them its exits and entrances…”

What Ronnie had begun to understand with those instructions was that Ezekiel had entered through the south entrance, then the Word of God had said to leave through the east entrance, and in doing so, Ezekiel encountered the glory of God.  Why were the entrances important?  Ronnie said that once You encounter God, you can’t LEAVE the same way that you came in.

That’s what God wants for us – He wants us to be so changed by one encounter with Him that we won’t go back to what we were.  We will instead be forever changed, and that change will lead us to live a changed life different that the one we’d led before.

Father, as always, Your timing is so perfect.  Over the last week or so, it seems like I’ve been exposed to too much of life as it once was, just in the people I’ve been around in the ordinary course of life.  I was beginning to feel too comfortable around it all, and it was having an impact on me.  Thanks for reminding me that I have encountered You, and because of that, I’m different now, filled with Your Holy Spirit.  As a result, I can’t go out the same way that I came in.  Thanks for this “booster shot”.  It seemed like my defenses were getting low.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Ezekiel 40-41 Crunching God's Numbers

Thirteen years after Ezekiel’s last vision, which is also 14 years since the capture of Jerusalem, Ezekiel is transported in a vision to see what will become someday (in our future) the reconstructed Jewish Temple.  God lets Ezekiel know that there is GREAT IMPORTANCE to all of these numbers.  The descriptions include precise measurements, but the interpretation of the placement of much of this can get confusing. 

The descriptions of the inside of this Temple include three stories with 30 rooms per story, almost like an atrium hotel arrangement.  We tend to think of the Temple as a place of worship, but a large part of this design seems to be dedicated to living areas for those working there as well!

My commentary had something to say about what otherwise might be considered very boring reading:  “The detailed measurements … remind us that in all OUR service we must build according to God’s specifications”, not our own.  This includes our education and our continuing education, as well as the way in which we serve.

Father, it was admittedly tough trying to keep focused on this as I read this morning.  The numbers seemed to flow together.  But I know that You will be giving divine guidance when this Temple is someday constructed, and we will know that You’re living with us here on earth is getting closer every minute.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Ezekiel 38 & 39 -- The Future Rushing To Meet God

There’s a certain background here that I think is important not to miss.  This is not just a prophecy about a future military clash between Israel and nations to its north that God is telling us Israel will win.  God is directing and orchestrating these events, causing the nations involved to clash in war.  And it’s not that He desires death and destruction.  Rather, His purpose in all this is stated in 39:7 – “I will make Myself known among My people Israel, and I will not let Myself be dishonored anymore.  Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.”

Since the first humans walked the earth, it’s been God’s desire to fellowship with them and for them to know Him.  Yet our greed and pride cause us to sin, removing that desired closeness.  God is at work, actively drawing us to Himself.  Though He desires that all come to Him, He also knows that free will means that all won’t.

Though events in our world seem to be spinning out of control, from God’s perspective things have to be going just as planned.  His omniscience and omnipotence insure that events will unfold exactly as predicted.  We are moving toward that time when He will not be dishonored anymore, by me or by anyone else.  He will see to it.

Father, I trust You and I know that You are in control; otherwise, fear of the future would rule our lives.  Honor Yourself even when we don’t, Father.  Show the world Who You are!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Ezekiel 37 -- Hope From Hopelessness

Ezekiel finds himself transported by God to a valley filled with dried bones.  They weren’t like those left over from a freshly eaten steak or chicken, still tender themselves with marrow inside.  These bones had been exposed to the baking sun for years.  They were porous, dry, and brittle.  In modern day terms, no viable DNA could have been recovered from them.   They represented the hopelessness that the Israelites in exile felt.  They’d lost their nation, their land, their freedom, and even their identity.

God told Ezekiel to speak His words to the bones.  The word of God was so powerful that inanimate objects moved on their own accord in obedience to the Word, and as Ezekiel watched, the bones correctly assembled themselves, and sinew, tissue, and muscle developed.  Then skin covered them.  Where there’d been scattered dry bones, there now lay whole bodies, yet they did not yet live.  God then told Ezekiel to prophesy to the breath (or wind or Spirit) to breathe on those who had been killed and bring them back to life.  They rose and stood as a very large army. 

Seeing this, Ezekiel then heard God prophesy that the hopelessness which the Israelites felt at that time, with their country completely taken over by the Babylonians and much of their citizenry removed as prisoners of war, would be turned to hope.  God would RESTORE and BLESS them.  The divided nation would someday be reunited.  God said, “And I will put My Spirit inside you, and you will come to life.  Then I will put you in your own land.  And you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it.”

Last night, a wildfire which had begun near Clairemont in Kent County, 50 miles northwest of here, burned all the way to Rotan (20 miles west of here) threatening the town and causing a mandatory evacuation.  During the night, the wind was blowing from the west, potentially allowing it to reach Hamlin.  Firefighters stopped it (at last report) a mile this side of the Rotan cemetery – about 17 miles away.  Before heading to bed, we’d watered the yard and wet down the roof, fences, and wooden siding.  We’d also packed clothing and important items in our vehicles for a quick escape, if needed.  As we prayed for protection, I began again to say those four important words, “I TRUST You, God!”  During the night His mighty hand protected us.  If God could accomplish what we would describe as “utterly impossible”, raising a mighty living, breathing army from dry bones, then certainly a wildfire is nothing to Him.  Yet more than that, we see the difference that the Word of God and the Spirit of God can make on a life destined for death, for His power is mighty, and His sovereignty cannot be defeated.

Father, use the crying-out of people last night for protection from the fire to stoke a fire within their souls.  Quicken them to You, Father, and lead them to embrace not simply what You did last night, but also what Your Son did nearly two millennia ago to give them life everlasting.  Draw them to You, Father.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Ezekiel 35 & 36 -- We Will KNOW He Is The Lord -- One Way Or The Other

It’s very clear here that God wants to reveal Himself to mankind, and that He defends His character and His name when either is attacked.  In verse 4 of chapter 35, God is speaking about Israel’s enemy, Edom, and says, “I will destroy your cities … then you will know that I am the Lord.”  In verse 9, “I will make you a ruin forever … Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

In verses 11 & 12:  “So I will punish you and show the Israelites who I am.  Then you will know that I, the Lord, have heard all your insults…”

In verses 14 & 15:  “… when I make you an empty ruin … Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

Then, speaking about His nation, Israel, in verses 11 & 12 of the next chapter:  “I will make you better off than at the beginning.  Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

In 22-23:  “I am going to act, but not for your sake.  I will do something to help My Holy Name, which you have dishonored … I will prove the holiness of My great name … the nations will know that I am the Lord when I prove myself holy before their eyes …”

I LOVED God’s sovereignty showing up so well in verse 37:  “I will let Myself be ASKED by the people of Israel to do this for them again …”  We aren’t even capable of asking God for assistance apart from His willing even that to occur!

“I will make their people (the Israelites) grow in number like a flock … Her ruined cities will be filled … Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

So what can we take away from this?  One way or another, we all will know that He is the Lord.  If we are for Him, then it will be through His blessings that we will know.  But we will also know Him as Lord if we oppose Him as well, and it will occur through our ruin.  What a shame that some people will actually choose the second way!  But one day every knee will bill and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.

Father, I know You as Lord through Your great blessings.  Please keep me close to You, not ever turning away, for I do not want to have to know you as God by the destruction caused by my willful sin.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Ezekiel 34 -- Warnings For The Shepherds

As I read what God was promising that He would do when Christ returns to rule over the world during the Millennium, I couldn’t help but think that, as the body of Christ on earth today, we are to be doing these same things, for Ezekiel was being told to chastise the leaders who were not doing what God had called them to do:

n  Search for the lost sheep and take care of them

n  Save them

n  Bring them out

n  Gather them in

n  Bring them to their own land and feed them

n  Lead them to rest

n  Bring back those who have strayed

n  Bandage the hurt

n  Make the weak strong again

n  Tend to them with fairness

The leaders had not done any of this, God says,  They’d been feeding only themselves.  This may mean they were getting rich off of their congregations, but it may also mean that they were spiritually feeding only themselves, concerned only with ritual or possibly not preparing properly for sermons, instead just finding anything to fill an hour.  They weren’t being pastors, helping the sick, the weak, the hurt, those who’ve strayed, nor seeking to lost to be saved.

The worst accusation I noticed was found in verse 4:  “You have ruled the sheep with cruel force.”  That hardly describes what a servant of God should do.

Father, I recall having teachers who did not prepare, who only put in minimal effort, and I was not spiritually fed.  Thank you for helping me to be fed as I prepare to teach, and also for giving me the words You want to feed those I teach.  And besides teaching them, Father, thank You for placing a desire in my heart to be a daily part of their lives as well, being able to encourage them and to comfort them in times of distress or sorrow.  You have so richly blessed me through their lives, and I love seeing You at work in them, leading them to do the same for others.  Thank You, Father!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Ezekiel 33 -- Who Am I Responsible To Tell?

God gave Ezekiel a solemn responsibility.  He was to be the watchman for Israel, the one who warned them, and God further told him that if he faithfully relayed God’s word to Israel and they failed to obey, it would be their own fault.  If, however, God gave him words to deliver and he failed to do so, and as a result the people did not obey because they had not heard, then their deaths in sign would be held against him.

My commentary said, “God held Ezekiel responsible for the house of Israel.  The question arises for every believer:  For whom will God hold us responsible?  To whom shall we witness?  Whom shall we warn?  Our relatives, fellow workers, neighbors, friends?  It is a solemn responsibility, and we harm to our own soul if we do not fulfill it faithfully.”

Also In verses 30-33, God was telling Ezekiel that many people were listening to his messages solely for their entertainment value.  They liked to listen, but they had no intention of OBEYING.  My commentary said that even we do this when our response to a sermon is, “That was a fine message!” rather than “God has spoken to me; I must do something!”

Father, help me to be responsible for what I hear from You and also for faithfully sharing that word with those You point me to.  Don’t let me be guilty of hearing but not obeying, either.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Ezekiel 31 & 32 -- A God of Love, NOT A God of Hate

God issues a lament for Egypt through Ezekiel, reviewing the national pride that led them to the point where God would have to deal with their arrogance.  Any nation which fails to acknowledge God is doomed to fail!  Their pride will end up becoming shame as they are cut down by God and sent to the place of the dead.

The very fact that God lamented over Egypt tells us something about His character.  This nation that despised Him and His people was causing God to feel sorrow that they would not draw near to Him.  My commentary pointed out that this was similar to something Jesus did – shedding “tears for a city of murderers that would not accept Him and come under His protective wing.  God cares for His creatures and does not enjoy judging them.”

What a contrast this is compared with the Muslim god who allegedly orders death not only to infidels who do not believe in Him, but also death to adults and children who are true believers in him as martyrs to the cause of wiping out the infidels.  I choose to cast my lot with the God of love.

Father, I’m so glad that You seek to save, going past all limits to try to save us.  Yet even Your great love must have limits and will not forever be available.  There has to come a time when unbelievers face Your judgment – otherwise Your holiness would be in question and Your promise would go unfulfilled.  You would not be God.  Please quicken hearts to You and show the entire world that You are a God of love, high above any would-be pretenders.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Ezekiel 29 -- Headlines from 2011?

Wow, this sure sounds like a current events primer.  Ezekiel delivered prophesies from God against Egypt.  Match these to recent headlines:

“Israel tried to lean on you for help, but you were like a crutch made out of a weak stalk of grass … I will make Egypt so weak it will never again rule over the nations.  The Israelites will never again depend on Egypt.  Instead, Egypt’s punishment will remind the Israelites of their sin in turning to Egypt for help.  Then they will know that I am the Lord God … The day is near; the Lord’s day of judging is near … An enemy will attack Egypt … When the killing begins in Egypt, her wealth will be taken away, and her foundations will be torn down.  Cush, Put, Lydia, Arabia, Libya, and some of My people who had an agreement with Egypt will fall dead in war … Those who fight on Egypt’s side will fall.  The power she is proud of will be lost … Egypt’s cities will be the worst of cities that will lie in ruins.  Then they will know that I am the Lord when I set fire to Egypt and when all those nations on her side are crushed.”

A lot of what Ezekiel described here was tied to the invasion of Egypt by the Babylonian army centuries ago.  However, the words in 29:16 really caught my eye:  “The Israelites will never again depend on Egypt.”  Since they’ve depended on Egypt over the last 30 or so years via the Israel-Egypt peace accords to keep other Muslim nations from attacking Israel, then could this verse have possibly referred to anything in the distant past?  If so, wouldn’t that make this prophecy fail?  And does God’s word EVER fail?

30:13 continues the thought:  “There will no longer be a leader in Egypt, and I will spread fear through the land of Egypt.”  Egypt has just lost the leader it’s had for some 42 years.  So there has been  a leader up to now.  Yes, there may be another leader to follow, but this lends credence to the fact that this prophecy has yet to be fulfilled also.  Right now, no one is in charge, and chaos and crime are rampant.

Father, I’ve seen in other places in Your Word where prophesies contain multiple years of events – they don’t all happen at once.  Parts have been fulfilled while other parts remain to be fulfilled.  Please help us to be watchful, knowing that every day we are one day closer to the return of Your Son.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Ezekiel 28 -- Not As Wise As We THINK We Are

God had a message for the man ruling the city-state of Tyre.  Yesterday I’d read His words to the citizens of that city-state.  Now He lets the ruler responsible for it have it:

“Because you are proud, you say, ‘I am a god.” … You think you are as wise as  a god, but you are a human, not a god … You are too proud because of your riches.  So this is what the Lord God says:  You think you are wise like a god, but I will bring the foreign people against you, the cruelest nation.  They will pull out their swords and destroy all that your wisdom has built, and they will dishonor your greatness …. I have spoken, says the Lord God.”

The Bible continually warns that if we think we are wise, we are not.  It’s the height of stupidity to think we are above everyone else in wisdom.  We set ourselves up for a fall when we do.

I think a bigger picture here shows up in what my commentary said.  The first ten verses are addressed to the ruler of Tyre.  But the rest of the verses are addressed to its king.  The references to the Garden of Eden, and God’s quote of having thrown him down in disgrace from the mountain of God indicate that Satan was the motivating force behind the ruler of Tyre and he is the one God is addressing here.  “You became too proud because of your beauty.  You ruined your wisdom because of your greatness.”

Over the years, I’ve learned that one becomes wiser by admitting how little he knows, rather than by regaling others of his supposed knowledge.  Wisdom tempts us to say that we know better than God, and it can cause us to not trust Him to have our best interests at heart.  From the other side, Satan loves to tell us how “wise” we are, just as he tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden to eat the fruit and know what God knows.  It’s highly overrated, as the main character of the movie Big Fat Liar kept saying.  How appropriate a name for the devil!

Father, each day I depend upon You to show me through Your wisdom what to do.  Without You, my decisions would be flawed and would take me away from You.  I rely on Your wisdom.  Help me not to trust in my own.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Ezekiel 27 -- All About US?

“… On the day your ship was wrecked.”  I couldn’t help but think of America as I read this.  “When the goods you traded went out over the seas, you met the needs of many nations… But now you are broken … and have sunk to the bottom…  The traders among the nations hiss at you.  You have come to a terrible end, and you are gone forever.”

I don’t want that last sentence to become true.

Ezekiel was speaking God’s word against Tyre, the New York City of its day.  God had already announced that the very foundations of their buildings would be scraped away and fishermen would dry their nets there.  It was unimaginable that Tyre’s destruction could ever occur, yet God’s word never fails, and it is gone today.

So what about America?  We’ve been toned down and softened up in our misguided efforts to accommodate a worldview that denies God and that hides under the term “multiculturalism”.  It seems that it’s unpatriotic to be proud to be an American anymore.  Instead, we’re told we have to apologize for everything we do and have done and in doing so we weaken the very fabric of who we are and Whose we are.  We seem to be trying to be liked by a world that despises us.  This ruse attempts to destroy us from within rather than from without.  The same thing that happened to Tyre and Jerusalem can happen to us.

Father, wake up America.  Turn us back to You.  Keep us from thinking we have to apologize for being Christian.  Help us to stand up to the evil in this world rather than embracing it.  Draw us back to You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Ezekiel 25 & 26 -- Eerily Echoing Our World Today

Our world is in such upheaval today that we find it hard it believe some of the events that are transpiring.  All the governments in the Middle East that have been relatively stable over the years are suddenly in disarray.  Israel, who has enjoyed protection and relative peace, is beginning to feel abandoned and subject to attack.  The nations of the European Union and their joint currency are battered.  Japan faces economic ruin caused by earthquakes and nuclear disasters.  Even in the U.S., we see protesters breaking windows to gain entry into government buildings, while their legislators flee the state to avoid having to vote on legislation!  All this when just eleven years ago, the world was peacefully celebrating the turn of the century!

That’s the feeling of incredulity I got as I read the prophecies God was giving Ezekiel in these chapters.  The nations mentioned were guilty of bashing God’s people, and He was going to show them what happens to those who even gloat over the problems of the people He considered the apple of His eye.

The citizens of Tyre enjoyed their strategic location on the Mediterranean coast, firmly rooted as a trade hub.  God told them to get ready.  “I will scrape away her ruins and make her a bare rock.”  That’s all that’s left today.

Ammon had been thrilled when the Temple was ruined, in much the same way I saw Palestinians two weeks ago handing out sweet baked cakes to their citizens, celebrating the brutal murder of a Jewish family.  God said, “I will wipe you out of the lands so you will no longer BE a nation, and I will destroy you.  Then you will know that I am the Lord.”  He did it!

Moab and Edom started denigrating the people of Israel, denying that they should claim any special favor from God.  God said, “Moab will not be a nation anymore … The Edomites will know what My revenge feels like.”  Their cities were destroyed by the Babylonians.

Like the Palestinian hatred of Israel, Philistia’s hatred of them brought the vengeance of the Lord upon the Philistines.  “They will know that I am the Lord when I take revenge on them.”

God’s description of what He was about to do to Tyre sounds eerily like what happened in Japan last month:  “I will bring the deep ocean waters over you … the sea will cover you … Other people will be afraid of what happened to you and it will be the end of you.”

Nothing of God’s word ever fails to happen.  He says it, and it’s history.  In all of these ancient tragedies, God was dealing with national pride and sin against Him and His people.  If nations today become so emboldened as to believe they can spit in His face, or act as if He does not exist, or even claim that He has a character different from that He has already revealed to us in Scripture, they invite their own destruction.

Father, thank You for bringing to life these ancient passages and for allowing us to be forewarned about the consequences of abandoning You or of supporting those who already have.  Father, show us how to quickly help our government to change the things we are doing that may be heading us down the path that we don’t need to take.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford