Are your hearts hardened?

Jesus sure knows how to ask tough questions! When his disciples were arguing over who forgotten the rest of the picnic lunch, Jesus was probing to see if they had made any spiritual connection between the leaven and the Pharisees. Of course, they hadn't! Like most of us, they only saw what was physically before them, without truly comprehending the spiritual depth of Jesus question.

So, when he asks the disciples, "Are your hearts hardened? (Mark 8:17)", I wonder what actually went through their minds? 

This is a great question for us to mull over during Lent? Is there a part of our own hearts that has become calloused? Hardened? Dull? 

What kind of things can turn our once vibrant hearts into hearts of stone?

Will we allow the Spirit of Christ the opportunity to soften our hearts?

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” - Ezekiel 36:26

Living in Grace

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A new proverb

How do you handle delays? I am not the most patient, especially when it comes to things that I hoped would happen in a certain timeframe. In the book of Ezekiel, we see that the prophet offers a new proverb to the people of Israel, and it concerns the issue of 'delays' and the fulfilment of prophecy:

"Again a message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, you’ve heard that proverb they quote in Israel: ‘Time passes, and prophecies come to nothing.’ Tell the people, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will put an end to this proverb, and you will soon stop quoting it.’ 

Now give them this new proverb to replace the old one: ‘The time has come for every prophecy to be fulfilled!’

“There will be no more false visions and flattering predictions in Israel. For I am the Lord! If I say it, it will happen." - Ezekiel 12:21-25

We are reminded that although we have to endure frustrations and delays in our personal plans on this earth, God's plans will be accomplished without delay!

Living in Grace

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The End - Ezekiel 48

The End!
Most books and movies finish with these two words ... THE END!
They can be words of completion or perhaps frustrating words that leave us seeking more.

As we come to the end of Ezekiel's work, we see that Ezekiel 48, doesn't conclude with the 2 words above, but rather with instructions for sharing of land. This chapter holds a few interesting things for us to note:

1. A special portion of land is left for the building of the Temple. It is to be in the centre - significant that God is to central in their community.
2.There are 12 gates into the City - one for each tribe of Israel. I have seen this as a way of including all people in God's City - they all have a place.
3. The name of the City is now to be known as "The Lord is Here!" (Ezekiel 48:35 - The name of the city from now on will be “The-Lord-Is-Here!”)

I like this kind of ending. Although our living situations are very different from the Israelites, it gives me the reassurance that God is here. We don't need to build a Temple to claim these words for our homes today.

The Lord is Here!

Living in Grace
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Order in our worship

At first glance, Ezekiel's words can seem like a long list of "religious rules" and perhaps even a little confusing for us. However, there is reminder for me in these instructions and that is how our worship can benefit from order. Of course, we need to balance 'order'  with 'freedom', but Ezekiel's vision certainly helps people know how to approach God in their worship times.

“‘When the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed festivals, whoever enters by the north gate to worship is to go out the south gate; and whoever enters by the south gate is to go out the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which they entered, but each is to go out the opposite gate. ¹⁰ The prince is to be among them, going in when they go in and going out when they go out. - Ezekiel 46

Over the centuries the Christian church has vacillated from the extremes of stifling order in our worship into times of chaotic freedom. It is our role as Christian leaders to discern the move of the spirit and not to restrict God's movement, but also to allow for sincerity in our worship. It is not an easy thing to do, but it seems that even Paul tried to manage this: 

1 Corinthians 14:26 -[ Good Order in Worship ] What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.

Any thoughts?

Living in Grace
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Enough is Enough - Ezekiel 45

 

“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You have gone far enough, princes of Israel! Give up your violence and oppression and do what is just and right. Stop dispossessing my people, declares the Sovereign Lord. - Ezekiel 45:9

God is patient by nature, but even the Lord has limits. In today's reading we see how God reprimands the princes of Israel telling them that they have gone too far. Enough is Enough, the Lord says. He urges them to stop oppressing the innocent and to start doing what is JUST and RIGHT. 

I wonder if this is not a timeous word for all our politicians as we inch closer towards the Elections? Enough is enough! God (and the people) are tired of the greed and selfishness of the 'princes' of our nation and it is time to start acting with Justice and Righteousness.

What do you think?

Living in Grace
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Among the people

<sup>For those of you who have faithfully been reading my reflections over Lent, I am most grateful. As you are aware I tried to find something interesting and positive from the visions of Ezekiel, and also tried to link this in with the story of the Cross and Resurrection. In order to finish Ezekiel's book, I will carry on for a few more days.

Today's chapter reminded me of the Incarnation of Christ, recorded in the Gospels, where God says, "I will be with you." 
 


"</sup>The Lord said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place where I will rest my feet. I will live here forever among the people of Israel." - Ezekiel 43:7

This is a message that is relevant all year round and I offer Ezekiel's words to you today. It is God's gracious decision to be among us and I am deeply grateful for this wonderful gift.

Living in Grace
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Looking to the Lion

^{I am not 100% certain of the actual symbolism of the vision in Ezekiel 41, but I was drawn to the image of the man and lion. I picture us as the "human face" looking towards the palm tree, while the young lion looks towards us from the other side. In the light of Easter I see this as representing us looking towards the 'Lion of Judah' through the lens of the Tree. Of course the Palm Tree is synonymous with Holy Week and the Tree relates to the Cross.
 
18} All the walls were decorated with carvings of cherubim, each with two faces, and there was a carving of a palm tree between each of the cherubim. ¹⁹ One face—that of a man—looked toward the palm tree on one side. The other face—that of a young lion—looked toward the palm tree on the other side. The figures were carved all along the inside of the Temple, ²⁰ from the floor to the top of the walls, including the outer wall of the sanctuary. - Ezekiel 41

May you have a blessed week. 

Living in Grace
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Gog and Magog - Ezekiel 38

The names Gog and Magog seem so foreign to us in the 21st century, but they are rich in Biblical history and symbolism. These interesting names even appear alongside Alexander the Great in a legend about his power and fame. We first come across the name Magog in the book of Genesis, but then again in Ezekiel 38 and later on in Revelation 20. Here is a portion of the scripture from Ezekiel:

¹⁴ “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it? ¹⁵ You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. ¹⁶ You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.

What I found interesting about this vision is that God seems to use the people of Magog, under the leadership of Gog, to wage war against the people of Israel. The Lord allows them to cover Israel, like a cloud covers the land, and in doing so, bring people's attention back to God. It seems a little strange for us, but God uses an enemy nation to bring the Israelites back to himself.

In our reflections during Holy Week we are also reminded of God's unique plan of salvation. It may not make sense to non-believers, why the Lord would allow his only son to die for the sake of others, but it certainly gets our attention. If were not for this 'strange' plan, we would still be lost in our sins and in our brokenness.

Living in Grace
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A Valley of Dry Bones - Lent 37

Arguably one of the most well known passages from Ezekiel is chapter 37. We have heard sermons preached on this topic and it is one of the more hopeful messages of Ezekiel. The promise of God bringing the dry bones of a nation back to life is remarkable. Reading these words in Holy Week we find that it is another glimpse of the miracle of the Resurrection. With God all things are possible and God has the ability to raise an army, even from the dry bones buried underground.

¹¹ Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ ¹² Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. ¹³ Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. ¹⁴ I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’” - Ezekiel 37

Thought: Do you see a connection between this vision and the events of Holy Week? Does it offer you hope for some of the difficulties you are facing in your life at the moment?


Living in Grace
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Coming back

The Lenten journey is one of calling us back home and so when we read the prophecy in Ezekiel 36, in light of the Cross, we see this remarkable promise being fulfilled. Through the love of Jesus we can come home to the heart of the Father.

 
“Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. ²³ I will show how holy my great name is—the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign Lord, then the nations will know that I am the Lord. ²⁴ For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.

²⁵ “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. ²⁶ And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.²⁷ And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

The prophecy in Ezekiel 36 is truly a memorable one. It speaks of incredible hope and restoration. God is going to do some remarkable healing and renewal in the hearts of the nation. These are the 3 big things that stand out of this chapter, for me:

1. God will bring us back (home)
2. God will cleanse us
3. God will renew our hearts - from hearts that are as hard as stone to hearts that are responsive and ready to obey

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We don't care! - Lent 35

In his stinging message to Edom, Ezekiel reminds them of the words they spoke against Israel.

“For you said, ‘The lands of Israel and Judah will be ours. We will take possession of them. What do we care that the Lord is there!’ - Ezekiel 35:10

They showed trued contempt for the Lord and took no notice of God's presence with his people. The Edomites made an assumption that they could destroy Israel and Judah without reckoning on God's revenge. 

This whole attitude reminds us of the accusations and words thrown at Jesus during his journey to the cross. The venom in the words of the crowds, soldiers and religious leaders assumed that God would sit back idly and do nothing. How very wrong they all were.

Reflection: God cares for those who are under his protection. 

Living in Grace
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Shepherds beware! - Ezekiel 34

Ever wondered where the image of the Good Shepherd came from?
Sure, we  have heard Jesus speak about this in John 10, and the image of the Shepherd is well-known in Psalm 23, but Ezekiel's words are the basis of Jesus' heart for the lost sheep. Read these words and see the correlation with the words of Christ:

¹¹ “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search and find my sheep. ¹² I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. ¹³ I will bring them back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples and nations. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers and in all the places where people live. ¹⁴ Yes, I will give them good pastureland on the high hills of Israel. There they will lie down in pleasant places and feed in the lush pastures of the hills. ¹⁵ I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign Lord. ¹⁶ I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak. But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will feed them, yes—feed them justice! (Ezekiel 34)

What is startling is that these words come in response to the lack of leadership and care shown by the 'spiritual shepherds' in Ezekiel's time. These shepherds were more interested in lining their pockets and winning public praise. The warning and rebuke in this chapter is reserved entirely for these negligent leaders. God will hold them to an account. 

 ⁷ “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ⁸ As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, you abandoned my flock and left them to be attacked by every wild animal. And though you were my shepherds, you didn’t search for my sheep when they were lost. You took care of yourselves and left the sheep to starve. ⁹ Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. ¹⁰ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I now consider these shepherds my enemies, and I will hold them responsible for what has happened to my flock. I will take away their right to feed the flock, and I will stop them from feeding themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths; the sheep will no longer be their prey.

As a 'shepherd' myself I take these words seriously and realise that there will be a time when I will need to give account for my role as a pastor. I also believe that there are many 'shepherds' who are in danger of feeling the wrath of God for some of their actions. Shepherds also need to beware! 

Living in Grace

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You are the Watchmen (Watchwomen) - Lent 33

Christians have an interesting habit of shifting responsibility onto the so-called "professional pastors", but the Bible reminds us that we ALL have the task of being part of the body of Christ - we have our gifts and we need to use them. In the same way, Ezekiel is reminded that he is to be a watchman for the people and that he needs to fulfil this task with integrity and seriousness. Listen to the word of God that came to Ezekiel:

"When the watchman sees the enemy coming, he sounds the alarm to warn the people. ⁴ Then if those who hear the alarm refuse to take action, it is their own fault if they die. ⁵ They heard the alarm but ignored it, so the responsibility is theirs. If they had listened to the warning, they could have saved their lives. ⁶ But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn’t sound the alarm to warn the people, he is responsible for their captivity. They will die in their sins, but I will hold the watchman responsible for their deaths.’
⁷ “Now, son of man, I am making you a watchman for the people of Israel. Therefore, listen to what I say and warn them for me." - Ezekiel 33

We are to heed God's call to be the watchmen and watchwomen in our communities. We should do this out of deep love and respect for others, because we truly care for them. For me, Lent offers us the space to "call out" things in our own lives and to invite others to come back to the heart of God.

Living in Grace
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Turning off the Moon? - Lent 32

 

 Is it possible to turn off the light of the Moon?
Well, of course not!
Is it possible to turn off the stars at night?
Nope!
So, why does God say this will happen to Pharaoh?
Because it will get his attention and all other kings will shudder if this would truly happen.

Eugene Peterson adds some delightful word pictures to Ezekiel 32, making us picture God's intended punishment for Pharaoh. I can just imagine the collective gasp as the Moonlight suddenly vanished (almost like load-shedding in South Africa) OR the twinkling stars blinking a few times and then they are no more. It would get our attention no doubt!


 When I blot you out,
    I’ll pull the curtain on the skies
    and shut out the stars.
I’ll throw a cloud across the sun
    and turn off the moonlight.
I’ll turn out every light in the sky above you
    and put your land in the dark.
        Decree of God, the Master.
I’ll shake up everyone worldwide
    when I take you off captive to strange and far-off countries.
I’ll shock people with you.
    Kings will take one look and shudder.
I’ll shake my sword
    and they’ll shake in their boots.
On the day you crash, they’ll tremble,
    thinking, “That could be me!”

Sometimes God allows certain things to happen so that we awake from our slumber. We may even say, "that could be me!" All of this is done so that we come to our senses and return to the grace of God.

Thought:
Despite the heavy undertone in Ezekiel, do you sense that God is drawing you back to himself?

Living in Grace
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A Great Tree - Ezekiel 31

Redwoods are renowned as the tallest trees in the world, frequently reaching over 90 metres in height. At present the tallest Redwood on record is a monster tree named Hyperion, which stands at 115 metres (which is around 380 feet).

When God spoke to Ezekiel about Pharaoh and he predicted the end of his reign, God asked him to use the image of a tall Cedar tree. You can read the whole chapter in Ezekiel 31, but I will give you a glimpse into the message with these few verses:

¹⁰ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because the great cedar towered over the thick foliage, and because it was proud of its height, ¹¹ I gave it into the hands of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside, ¹² and the most ruthless of foreign nations cut it down and left it. Its boughs fell on the mountains and in all the valleys; its branches lay broken in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth came out from under its shade and left it. ¹³ All the birds settled on the fallen tree, and all the wild animals lived among its branches.

God is focusing on the pride of Pharaoh, who claimed he was above all other gods. The image of the giant Cedar falling to the earth was vivid enough to make people realise that God was serious and that no one can compare with the Lord's might. 

Just we peek forward into Holy Week today's reading reminds us of how the pride of Pharisees got the better of them and how they wouldn't accept that Jesus was Messiah. Pride gets us into trouble, at the best of times. We would do well to keep our delusions of grandeur in check.

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A great monster and a flimpsy staff - Ezekiel 29

 

Ezekiel's message for Egypt is also one of rebuke (no surprises there). Just like his peers, Pharaoh had allowed his success to go to his head and he claimed the Nile River for himself and Egypt. His arrogance and unwillingness to give God any glory, displeased Yahweh and so Pharaoh is referred to as a 'great monster.' This image of the monster reminds me a little of a crocodile and one can imagine the beast swimming under the murky water looking for prey.

"...you great monster, lurking in the streams of the Nile.
For you have said, ‘The Nile River is mine;
    I made it for myself."(v.3)

However, the next vision that Ezekiel shares (Ezekiel 29), also concerning Egypt, is totally different to one of the monster. It is of a staff (think of a walking stick) made of reeds.


All the people of Egypt will know that I am the Lord,
    for to Israel you were just a staff made of reeds.
⁷ When Israel leaned on you,
    you splintered and broke
    and stabbed her in the armpit.
When she put her weight on you,
    you collapsed, and her legs gave way.

I am challenged by these words as it shows me that I need to wary of leaning to heavily on others, and not so much on God. God can bear the brunt of all my troubles, concerns, failures, sins and fears. When we lean on Him, God will not break and collapse.

Lent Reflection: In giving up something during Lent we remind ourselves that we don't need to depend on these things. God is sufficient for our every need. 


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Pride comes before a Fall

 

"Pride comes before a fall!"
These immortal words come from the mouth of Solomon (Proverbs 16:18) and still ring true in our time. If we had to sum up the message of Ezekiel 28 then this proverb would be more than adequate to do this. Ezekiel's prophetic word bemoans how the king of Tyre has allowed his wealth and fame to get to his head. He believes he is indestructible, but soon he will come crashing down to reality and all his wealth will be taken away from him.

There is an interesting twist in this prophecy, because when you read from verse 11-19, you will note some startling similarities to Satan's demise. Ezekiel says:

“You were the model of perfection,
    full of wisdom and exquisite in beauty. 
 You were in Eden,
    the garden of God.
Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone" (v.12-13)

There are a number of scholars who see this as a re-telling of what happened to Satan. Just like the king of Tyre, Satan allowed all this fortune and blessing to go to his head and soon he was full of pride. In his pride he believed he was better than God and so the Lord chose to bring him back to reality. Please read this chapter for yourself - it is very interesting!

We are barely two weeks away from Easter and this passage is a good reminder that God honours the humble and brings low the arrogant. Jesus came to be the suffering servant and yet he was also exalted as the Resurrected King.

Living in Grace
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Don't delight in the downfall of others

 

The fifth message from Ezekiel goes out to the city of Tyre and it is another message of rebuke. God has seen that Tyre took delight in the destruction of Jerusalem and this displeased him. The real reason behind Tyre's celebration of Israel's desolation is that now they would gain more wealth. In a sense, Tyre was revelling in the poor fortune of God's people.

“Son of man, Tyre has rejoiced over the fall of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Ha! She who was the gateway to the rich trade routes to the east has been broken, and I am the heir! Because she has been made desolate, I will become wealthy!’ - Ezekiel 26:2

As the prophet Micah said, we should not gloat in the bad fortunes of others, because we never know how things will turn out in the end.

"Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light." - Micah 7:8

Remember that Jesus' enemies gloated over his demise on the Cross and look what happened in the end. God always has the last laugh.

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Four Messages for Four Cities - Ezekiel 25

For today's reading to make some sense, you will need to picture yourself standing in a particular spot (anywhere will do) and then imagine fanning around 180 degrees. At various points as you slowly turn, you would stop and speak a message to those cities lying in the distance. Seems weird, I know, but this is what Ezekiel is doing - he is delivering a message to 4 different cities today - Ammon, Moab, Edom and Philistia.

The reason for the 4 messages is that God is now going to respond to the actions of all of these places. Each one of them had acted against Israel in some way or another - laughing at her demise, scorning Yahweh, hating the Jews and seeking revenge against Judah. Each message in this chapter is a personal response to their hatred of God and the Lord seems focused on showing that "He is the Sovereign Lord." 

Again, it is not a joyous chapter to read, especially if you are sensitive person, but I found something intriguing in the last verse of Ezekiel 25. For me it points us towards the Cross and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Read these words first:

" ¹⁷ I will execute terrible vengeance against them to punish them for what they have done. And when I have inflicted my revenge, they will know that I am the Lord.”

So we know that he is speaking to the people of Philistia, but could we interpret these words in a prophetic sense? That the 'terrible vengeance' that God allowed in happen, with Jesus dying on the cross, was so that we would not be punished for our sins. And when God had sufficiently dealt with sin and death, through the cross and empty tomb, we would ALL know that he is Lord. 

How does that sound? Does it make sense? 

Living in Grace
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Potjie, Grief and Hope

<sup>Stories get our attention! There is no question about it, stories have a way of striking at the core of our being. Perhaps in today's world we could argue that images or media are having the same impact, but essentially these new means of communication are just about telling a certain kind of story. 

So, our friend, Ezekiel is given some power images to share and today's illustrations are enough to stop the clock! He starts off by sharing about a cooking pot, meat and a very hot fire. It reminded me of having a Potjie (if you don't know what that is then refer to Google :) - you put all the ingredients in and wait for the food to be ready, but you need to watch the heat in case you burn the food. Read this in Ezekiel 24:1-14.

Then God asks Ezekiel to use the death of his wife as another illustration. I admit that I felt a little uncomfortable with this one, but Ezekiel was obedient to the Lord's request and the people asked him what this all meant. His reply is found in v.15-24.

The last few verses are the ones that I wanted to focus on this morning, as they point to the Messiah. This is what is recorded in Ezekiel 24 

25</sup> Then the Lord said to me, “Son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold—their joy and glory, their heart’s desire, their dearest treasure—I will also take away their sons and daughters. ²⁶ And on that day a survivor from Jerusalem will come to you in Babylon and tell you what has happened. ²⁷ And when he arrives, your voice will suddenly return so you can talk to him, and you will be a symbol for these people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

I see this as a fulfilment of a promise, that when the Saviour arrives he will give people their voice back and they will return to the Lord. Jesus will show us that the Lord is God and draw people back to the heart of the Father.

Is this not the message of Easter?

Living in Grace
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