pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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Ends with Hope

Reading: Ezekiel 6-11

Ezekiel 11:19a – “I will give them a single heart, and I will put a new spirit in them.”

Chapter 6 addresses the consequences of Judah’s idolatry outside the temple. God will slay most of these idol worshippers. Some will escape and go into exile. God was “crushed” by the people’s “roving hearts.” They will fall by sword, famine, and plague. Chapter 7 continues this story line. God will judge Judah according to her ways. God won’t shed a tear, won’t show any pity. Those outside Jerusalem will die by the sword. Those inside will die by plague and famine. “Violent intruders” will defile the temple. Then Judah “will know that I am the Lord,” declares God.

Chapters 8-11 contain Ezekiel’s “Temple Vision.” God’s glory is in the temple as his virtual tour begins. Ezekiel is shown “terribly detestable practices” – a huge idol, 70 elders worshipping engravings on the wall, women worshipping a Babylonian god, men bowing to the sun. God then calls the “guardians of the city.” One of the six, the one in linen, is sent out to mark the foreheads of the faithful. The others follow along behind, killing all without the mark. They begin in the sanctuary and move outward from there. Ezekiel questions the depth of the violence. God is holding them accountable.

The guardian in linen is then sent out with fire from the temple chariot. He scatters fire about, burning down the city. The chariot rises up and moves to the threshold of the temple. God’s glory is on the chariot throne. There is a final confrontation with some evil and wicked men. God declares that they will die by the sword. And then God offers hope.

The exiles will be gathered back. God says, “I will give them a single heart, and I will put a new spirit in them.” Israel will be obedient. God will be their God. Then the chariot leaves, flying east towards Babylon. The vision ends and Ezekiel tells the exiles all that God has shown him. The story ends with hope. Our story does too. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, you are almighty and all-powerful. You are just and righteous. Just as you held Judah accountable, so too do you hold us accountable. So God, create in each of us a single heart, a heart fully aligned with you. Pour your Spirit into our hearts, leading and guiding us to walk faithfully with you. Be our God. Make us into your people. Amen.


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God’s Unfolding Love

Readings: Psalms 54-56

‭Psalm 56:3-4 – “Whenever I’m afraid, I put my trust in you… I trust in God; I won’t be afraid. What can mere flesh do to me?”

Our three Psalms today focus on rescue from enemies. In Psalm 54 it is the proud who have come up against the psalmist. In Psalm 55 it is first in the words of the wicked and then of a friend that has brought “fear and trembling” upon the psalmist. And Psalm 56 there are “so many enemies” that bring misery upon the life of the psalmist. In all three Psalms we find requests to “bring disaster,” to “let death devastate my enemies,” and to bring them down “in wrath.”

At times we feel attacked. It can be with words and/or actions. We can feel our hearts pounding. We can wish to “fly away and rest.” We’ve experienced a friend turning on us. It hurts – bad. We can connect to the emotions running through these passages. As the attack or abuse continues and continues, we too can near the prayers that are rained down on the psalmist’s “enemies.” We can want God to wipe them out so that our hurt goes away. Or… we can punch back, hitting them harder, seeking to end the situation by our own hand or words.

In these Psalms we see again and again a trust in God. It wavers at times, as evidenced in the key verse above. Fear is the antidote to trust and vice versa. Fear can play all kinds of games – buckling our trust, leading us to wish ill on our enemies, tempting us towards revenge. Today, though, my thoughts are drawn to the gospels. My heart is drawn to words that speak of loving our enemies, of blessing those who curse us. As the story of God’s love continues to unfold and as it is more deeply revealed in Jesus Christ, may our faith and trust grow as we really live into the psalmist’s reality check: “What can mere flesh do to me?”

Prayer: Lord God, as we read and work our way through your word, help us to keep in mind the overarching story of your love for all of humankind. May this big story and its revelation in Jesus counter our human tendencies towards hate, revenge, and other forms of evil. Help us not to fear but to instead trust in your bigger, better plan for our lives and for your world. Amen.