DCLM Daily Manna 18 September 2022
KEY VERSE: Ezekiel 20:39 “As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; “Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts and with your idols.”
TEXT: Ezekiel 20:39-49 (KJV)
39. As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me; but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.
40. For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me; there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.
41. I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen.
42. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers.
43. And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.
44. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.
45. Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
46. Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;
47. And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree; the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
48. And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.
49. Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?
Read yesterday’s Daily Manna here
The Lord had been pleading with Israel since their journey to the Promised Land to flee idolatry and disobedience which prevented many of their fathers who left Egypt from entering Canaan. It was equally the reason for their long captivity in Babylon.
From the text, the Lord asked Israel to continue in their sins but should not pollute His holy name with idolatrous gifts. He still promised through Prophet Ezekiel that He would gather and sanctify Israel again, and bring them to the land that He promised to give their fathers, for His name’s sake.
Today, there is idolatry everywhere: in streets, offices and homes. You may not be physically involved like the children of Israel; yours may be in the heart because idolatry is not limited to worshipping idols. It is placing anything or anyone above God and His word. A covetous man is an idolater: he sets money in his heart and pursues it above all things; and so, he has no inheritance in heaven. Worshipping material things, human beings, academic achievement, etc., more than the Creator, is idolatry.
Many who claim to be serving God place their interest, loyalty, confidence and trust on something or someone else. As heaven-bound believers, we must flee all forms and shades of idolatry. We should avoid friends, habits and systems that encourage idolatry. The Lord commands that we live and walk in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our lives. Therefore, we should painstakingly search and try our ways today to see if our hearts incline to obey anyone or anything contrary to God and His precepts.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Maintain all-round distance from idolatry.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Numbers 26-28
Thank you for studying today’s Daily Manna – Flee Idolatry – by Pastor W.F Kumuyi
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Daily Manna 18 September 2022
