ESOCS Devotional 20 July 2022
TEXT: EZEKIEL 5:5-12
MEMORY VERSE: “And I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all thine abominations.” Ezekiel 5:9 KJV
0 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. 12 When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted lace ”
God had set Jerusalem in the centre of the nations to be a light to all the surrounding nations; but instead of being a light to the nations, they had acted even worse than the surrounding nations which were without God. God Himself said that the people of Israel had multiplied their sins even more than the nations around them, and did not even obey the surrounding nation’s rules (v 7). This would be referring to the surrounding nations rules of good conduct and behaviour. Even today, there are secular people whose behaviour (i.e., integrity, honesty and moral values etc.) is far better than those who are in leadership of some churches.
The thing the LORD said He had never done in the past was to cause a lack of food so great that fathers would eat their sons and sons would eat their fathers, so they could survive the famine. This famine came about through King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon who the Lord used as His servant to bring about His judgments upon the corrupt and rebellious people who refused to heed the words of Ezekiel, and remained against the Lord’s word at Jerusalem. King Nebuchadnezzar had his armies surround the walls of Jerusalem so that no-one could go in or out for nearly two years to get food.
Another thing that the LORD did that He had never done was to withdraw His eye from Israel and have no pity towards them. The inhabitants of Judah had set up altars to pagan gods in the temple of the LORD. How can anyone expect the Lord’s blessing under such wicked and offensive practices. The offensiveness and hurt that God would feel in His heart is the same as a faithful wife who loves her husband would feel in hers when she finds out that he has brought other women into their bed, and without any concern for his wife’s feelings had sex with them.
God set Jerusalem in the midst of the nations, to walk in His ways, to be His priesthood nation in the midst of the 70 nations who rebelled; and because as His nation they bore His name, therefore the destruction that is coming on Jerusalem will be in the sight of all the nations, and a lesson to them that surround her.
In our own nation, and in the Church which is called by the name of Jesus Christ, let us then likewise learn the lesson of Jerusalem, which her destruction preached to the nations: receive God’s righteous judgments, and walk in them.
- What are the ways by which we can avoid the consequences of disobedience?
- Lord, help me to be both hearer and doer of your word.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional here
FURTHER READING: John 13:21–30; Numbers 14:11–25; 1 Timothy 6:1–10
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ESOCS Devotional 20 July 2022
