Week of Monday March 24 - March 30
Gospel according to Ezekiel – Man as Chaplain
“I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord, that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord God.” - Ezekiel 16:62-63 ESV
Years ago, famed radio personality Paul Harvey told the story of how Eskimos kill wolves:
First, the Eskimo coats his knife blade with animal blood and allows it to freeze. Then he adds another layer of blood, and another, until the blade is completely concealed by frozen blood. Next, the hunter fixes his knife in the ground with the blade up. When a wolf follows his sensitive nose to the source of the scent and discovers the bait, he licks it, tasting the fresh frozen blood. He begins to lick faster, more and more vigorously, lapping the blade until the keen edge is bare. Feverishly now, harder and harder the wolf licks the blade in the arctic night. So great becomes his craving for blood that the wolf does not notice the razor-sharp sting of the naked blade on his own tongue, nor does he recognize the instant at which his insatiable thirst is being satisfied by his OWN warm blood. His carnivorous appetite just craves more—until the dawn finds him dead in the snow!
The graphic parable that the prophet Ezekiel paints of His people and their self-destructive sin is a tragic example of how far a nation can stray from the God who loves them. Ezekiel candidly describes their shameful acts of spiritual adultery without holding back. Despite the warnings, God’s people behaved like the wolf licking the knife. They threw caution to the wind, took the devil’s bait, embraced idols, and spurned God’s persistent and patient calls to repent until there was nothing left but the certainty of a Holy God’s judgment. As Scriptures tell us, “Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:15).
However, amidst this grim reality, there is a message of hope. Israel’s hopeless circumstances transformed with just one word from God: “Live!” (verse 6). The same is true for us. Although we were dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1), God, in His grace, called us to “Live!” However, for this to happen, God had to lay all our sins on His beloved Son and say to Him, “Die!” so that we would have the opportunity to live.
Throughout the Old Testament, God required sin to be atoned for with the blood of sacrifices. But in Ezekiel 16, God declares that the day is coming “when I atone for you for all that you have done” (verse 63). In other words, God is saying, “What I require, I will also provide.” Indeed, God Himself provided His only Son, who, like a perfect spotless lamb, atoned for our sins.
Ezekiel shares that this same Holy God who disciplined His wayward people will also lovingly remember His covenant promises: “I will establish for you an everlasting covenant” (verse 60). Through the cross of His Son, God extends an invitation for an everlasting covenant with us, provided we turn to Him in repentance and faith with all our hearts. This is the gospel message that we are called to share with the world, starting with our families and friends.
- When you read the Bible, are you looking for ways to share the Good News with those in your circle of influence?
- Do you know someone who is taking the bait and walking into the traps and snares of the enemy? Share the life-giving truth of God’s offer of forgiveness and hope with them today.
- Pray and ask God to open your eyes to opportunities to share the Good News with others based on the truths of God’s Word.
Gospel according to Ezekiel – Man as Chaplain
“I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord, that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord God.” - Ezekiel 16:62-63 ESV
Years ago, famed radio personality Paul Harvey told the story of how Eskimos kill wolves:
First, the Eskimo coats his knife blade with animal blood and allows it to freeze. Then he adds another layer of blood, and another, until the blade is completely concealed by frozen blood. Next, the hunter fixes his knife in the ground with the blade up. When a wolf follows his sensitive nose to the source of the scent and discovers the bait, he licks it, tasting the fresh frozen blood. He begins to lick faster, more and more vigorously, lapping the blade until the keen edge is bare. Feverishly now, harder and harder the wolf licks the blade in the arctic night. So great becomes his craving for blood that the wolf does not notice the razor-sharp sting of the naked blade on his own tongue, nor does he recognize the instant at which his insatiable thirst is being satisfied by his OWN warm blood. His carnivorous appetite just craves more—until the dawn finds him dead in the snow!
The graphic parable that the prophet Ezekiel paints of His people and their self-destructive sin is a tragic example of how far a nation can stray from the God who loves them. Ezekiel candidly describes their shameful acts of spiritual adultery without holding back. Despite the warnings, God’s people behaved like the wolf licking the knife. They threw caution to the wind, took the devil’s bait, embraced idols, and spurned God’s persistent and patient calls to repent until there was nothing left but the certainty of a Holy God’s judgment. As Scriptures tell us, “Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:15).
However, amidst this grim reality, there is a message of hope. Israel’s hopeless circumstances transformed with just one word from God: “Live!” (verse 6). The same is true for us. Although we were dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1), God, in His grace, called us to “Live!” However, for this to happen, God had to lay all our sins on His beloved Son and say to Him, “Die!” so that we would have the opportunity to live.
Throughout the Old Testament, God required sin to be atoned for with the blood of sacrifices. But in Ezekiel 16, God declares that the day is coming “when I atone for you for all that you have done” (verse 63). In other words, God is saying, “What I require, I will also provide.” Indeed, God Himself provided His only Son, who, like a perfect spotless lamb, atoned for our sins.
Ezekiel shares that this same Holy God who disciplined His wayward people will also lovingly remember His covenant promises: “I will establish for you an everlasting covenant” (verse 60). Through the cross of His Son, God extends an invitation for an everlasting covenant with us, provided we turn to Him in repentance and faith with all our hearts. This is the gospel message that we are called to share with the world, starting with our families and friends.
- When you read the Bible, are you looking for ways to share the Good News with those in your circle of influence?
- Do you know someone who is taking the bait and walking into the traps and snares of the enemy? Share the life-giving truth of God’s offer of forgiveness and hope with them today.
- Pray and ask God to open your eyes to opportunities to share the Good News with others based on the truths of God’s Word.