September 3, 2012 … Recognizing God’s Sovereignty

Chronological Bible Reading Plan - Day 247

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Ezekiel 25-27 To study these chapters, go to this link -
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Highlight Passage: Ezekiel 25: 1-4; 8-10; 12-13; 15-16 : [NLT] … 1 Then this message came to me from the LORD: 2 “Son of man, look toward the land of Ammon and prophesy against its people. 3 Give the Ammonites this message from the Sovereign LORD: Hear the word of the Sovereign LORD! Because you scoffed when my Temple was desecrated, mocked Israel in her desolation, and laughed at Judah as she went away into exile, 4 I will allow nomads from the eastern deserts to overrun your country. … 
8 “And the Sovereign LORD says: Because the people of Moab have said that Judah is just like all the other nations, 9 I will open up their eastern flank and wipe out their glorious frontier cities—Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim. 10 And I will hand Moab over to nomads from the eastern deserts, just as I handed over Ammon. … 
12 “And the Sovereign LORD says: The people of Edom have sinned greatly by avenging themselves against the people of Judah. 13 Therefore, says the Sovereign LORD, I will raise my fist of judgment against Edom. I will wipe out their people, cattle, and flocks with the sword. I will make a wasteland of everything from Teman to Dedan. … 
15“And the Sovereign LORD says: The people of Philistia have acted against Judah out of revenge and long-standing contempt. 16 Therefore, says the Sovereign LORD, I will raise my fist of judgment against the land of the Philistines. I will wipe out the Kerethites and utterly destroy the people who live by the sea. [In each case God’s declaration was to show these nations that God is in control of the affairs of nations!]
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Highlight Passage: Ezekiel 26: 1-6; 12-14 : [NLT] … 1 On February 3, during the twelfth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, this message came to me from the LORD: 2 “Son of man, Tyre has rejoiced over the fall of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Ha! She who controlled the rich trade routes to the east has been broken, and I am the heir! Because she has been destroyed, I will become wealthy!’ 3 “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am your enemy, O Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the waves of the sea crashing against your shoreline. 4 They will destroy the walls of Tyre and tear down its towers. I will scrape away its soil and make it a bare rock! 5 The island of Tyre will become uninhabited. It will be a place for fishermen to spread their nets, for I have spoken, says the Sovereign LORD. Tyre will become the prey of many nations, 6and its mainland villages will be destroyed by the sword. Then they will know that I am the LORD. … 
12 “They [i.e., the 15+ year invasions of Babylon and ultimately Greece] will plunder all your riches and merchandise and break down your walls. They will destroy your lovely homes and dump your stones and timbers and even your dust into the sea. 13 I will stop the music of your songs. No more will the sound of harps be heard among your people. 14 I will make your island a bare rock, a place for fishermen to spread their nets. You will never be rebuilt, for I, the LORD, have spoken! This is the word of the Sovereign LORD. 
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Highlight Passage: Ezekiel 27: 1-4; 31-32 : [NLT] … 1 Then this message came to me from the LORD: 2 “Son of man, sing a funeral song for Tyre, 3 that mighty gateway to the sea, the trading center of the world. Give Tyre this message from the Sovereign LORD: You claimed, O Tyre, to be perfect in beauty. 4 You extended your boundaries into the sea. Your builders made you glorious! … 31 They shave their heads in grief because of you and dress themselves in sackcloth. They weep for you with bitter anguish and deep mourning. 32 As they wail and mourn, they sing this sad funeral song: … ‘Was there ever such a city as Tyre, now silent at the bottom of the sea?
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Cross Reference Passage: Matt. 11: 20, 22; 28-30 : [NLT] … 20 Then Jesus began to denounce the cities where he had done most of his miracles, because they hadn’t turned from their sins and turned to God. …. 22 " I assure you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on the judgment day than you!" … 
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.” 

My Journal for Today: Reading through these three chapters of Ezekiel, as well as the words of Jesus to those who wouldn’t acknowledge God, I couldn’t help but go to an immediate application in our world today.

 In these three chapters in Ezekiel, the Prophet is commanded to bring prophetic messages to the nations surrounding Judah at the time, nations that, for one reason or another, would not recognize the God of Abraham as the one, true God; and God’s word to these nations, through Ezekiel, was either that they would be consumed by other nations or peoples or, as in the case of Tyre, in Chapters 26 & 27, would be obliterated off the face of the earth. And we know from history, that God’s proclamations through Ezekiel, came true.

In fact, in my study today, I was led, by my commentary, to a comment made by Jesus when he was giving the people of his day a message of comfort (see Matt. 11: 28-30). However, before The Messiah proclaimed His divine power to give heavenly peace to anyone who relied on Him, Jesus reminded them of what had happened to those who would not see God as God and recognize the sovereignty of the one, true LORD. And in Matt. 11: 22 Jesus makes reference to how those who wouldn’t believe in Him, as Savior, would be eternally worse off than Tyre, which was utterly destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander the Great.

And then I look around at the nations and peoples of the world who either can’t see or won’t recognize Jesus as The Christ or they cannot see God as the same God Who was prophesying destruction to those who wouldn’t recognize His absolute sovereignty over all things in the days of Ezekiel.

 Oh, friend, if we, in our world, are akin to the nations of Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, and Tyre – and we are – we must, as individuals and nations, recognize and acknowledge God as God and surrender to our need for God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, as our Redeemer. And I pray we all have done so.

My Prayer Today: … Oh, my LORD, You are my LORD … now and forever more! Amen