defense or defender

Posted on September 8, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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defense or defender

Ezekiel 18:1-4 (JDV)

Ezekiel 18:1 The word of Yahveh happened to me. This is what it said:
Ezekiel 18:2 “What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel: ‘The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
Ezekiel 18:3 As I live” – this is the declaration of the Lord Yahveh – “you will no longer use this proverb in Israel.
Ezekiel 18:4 Notice, every throat belongs to me. The throat of the father is like the throat of the son – both belong to me. The throat who fails is the one who will die.

defense or defender

The LORD was tired of a people who kept blaming someone else for their sins. He reminded them that each individual possessed his own throat — and thus was responsible for his own life and his own appetite. Yet each was also responsible to him because every throat was his.

Our generation is also adept at blaming those who have gone before us. But on judgment day, “someone else did something else” will not cut it as a defense for our own sins. The books will be open, and those books record the personal choices of each defendant. The throat who fails is the one who will die.

The gospel challenges us all to realize that we have no one to blame but ourselves, so we have no defense. Therefore, we need a defender. Christ — the one who went to the cross for us — offers himself. We would be fools not to accept his offer.

LORD, we accept responsibility for our own actions and plead the blood of Christ for their atonement.

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birds of every kind

Posted on September 7, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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birds of every kind

Ezekiel 17:22-24 (JDV)

Ezekiel 17:22 ” ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: I will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and plant it. I will pluck a tender sprig from its topmost shoots, and I will plant it on a high towering mountain.
Ezekiel 17:23 I will plant it on Israel’s high mountain so that it may bear branches, produce fruit, and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind will nest under it, taking shelter in the shade of its branches.
Ezekiel 17:24 Then all the trees of the field will know that I am Yahveh. I bring down the tall tree and make the low tree tall. I cause the green tree to wither and make the withered tree thrive. I, Yahveh, have spoken and I will do it.'”

birds of every kind

The bad news for Judah was that Zedekiah and his dynasty would not be established by God. The good news for Judah was that God was not through with them. He himself would take a sprig and plant it on a high towering mountain. Another king would come who would keep his covenant of peace with God and humanity.

There is even some good news for those of us who are not descendants of Judah. This coming king would not remain a humble sprig but would grow into a great cedar. Birds of every kind will nest under it, taking shelter in the shade of its branches.

God has established his new king, and everyone — Jew and Gentile alike, can find rest and support from him.

LORD, thank you for your Messiah — Jesus Christ.

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no cheating

Posted on September 6, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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no cheating

Ezekiel 17:16-21 (JDV)

Ezekiel 17:16 ” ‘As I live – this is the declaration of the Lord Yahveh – he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he thinks lightly of and whose covenant he broke.
Ezekiel 17:17 Pharaoh with his mighty army and the vast mob will not help him in battle when ramps are built and siege walls constructed to cut many throats.
Ezekiel 17:18 He thinks lightly of the oath by breaking the covenant. Notice, he did all these things even though he gave his hand in the pledge. He will not escape!
Ezekiel 17:19 ” ‘Therefore, this is what the Lord Yahveh says: As I live, I will bring down on his head my oath that he thinks lightly of and my covenant that he broke.
Ezekiel 17:20 I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment on him there for the treachery he committed against me.
Ezekiel 17:21 All the best among his troops will fall by the sword, and those who survive will be scattered to every direction of the wind. Then you will know that I, Yahveh, have spoken.

no cheating

The king of Judah had made a terrible decision. He had made a covenant with Babylon but then decided to switch allegiance to Egypt. This infuriated God because the Babylonian exile was his idea. He intended to punish his own people for their idolatry and hypocrisy. He wanted to humble them, and so bring them back to himself. But they wanted to cheat.

Our God does not like it when we break the rules. We can justify our cheating all we want, but God knows when we step over the line.

LORD, keep us between the lines so that we demonstrate our commitment to you.

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price of escape

Posted on September 5, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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price of escape

Ezekiel 17:11-15 (JDV)

Ezekiel 17:11 The word of Yahveh happened to me. This is what it said:
Ezekiel 17:12 “Now say to that rebellious house, ‘Don’t you know what these things mean? ‘ Tell them, ‘Notice, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and officials, and brought them back with him to Babylon.
Ezekiel 17:13 He took one of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. Then he took away the leading men of the land,
Ezekiel 17:14 so that the kingdom would be humble and not exalt itself but would keep his covenant in order to endure.
Ezekiel 17:15 However, this king revolted against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt so they might give him horses and a large army. Will he flourish? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still escape?

price of escape

We have been looking at Ezekiel’s parable of the eagles and the vine for two days now. Today’s text reveals its meaning. The royal family of Judah had sought to escape its covenant with Babylon by seeking help from Egypt.

What struck me as I pondered these words today is how quickly families are destroyed by those who encounter trouble and seek to escape it by breaking covenant with their spouse. In a fallen world like ours, some marriages may be destined to fail, but every divorced person also knows that escape comes at a heavy price.

LORD, give us strong marriages that honor you and respect and cherish each other.

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will it flourish?

Posted on September 4, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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will it flourish?

Ezekiel 17:9-10 (JDV)

Ezekiel 17:9 “You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: Will it flourish? Won’t he tear out its roots and strip off its fruit so that it shrivels? All its fresh leaves will wither! Great strength and many people will not be needed to pull it from its roots.
Ezekiel 17:10 Notice, though it is planted, will it flourish? Won’t it wither completely when the east wind slaps it? It will wither on the plot where it sprouted.'”

20220904 will it flourish?

The king and his sons had made the choice to abandon their covenant with Babylon and seek another eagle’s protection. The parable asks about this new plan. The question is “will it flourish”?

Perhaps there is a change you are considering for your life and family recently. Will it make things better, or get you in more hot water?

The New Testament encourages us to pray for wisdom if we need it. We all know how dangerous it is to make decisions based on faulty or incomplete information. Wisdom requires knowing things that we sometimes do not know. We need the courage to ask.

God of all wisdom, help us to avoid rash and hurting choices.

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leaving God out of the picture

Posted on September 3, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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leaving God out of the picture

Ezekiel 17:7-8 (JDV)

Ezekiel 17:7 ” ‘But there was another large eagle with powerful wings and thick plumage. Notice this vine bent its roots toward him! It stretched out its branches to him from the plot where it was planted, so that he might water it.
Ezekiel 17:8 It had been planted in a good field by abundant water in order to produce branches, bear fruit, and become a splendid vine.’

leaving God out of the picture

As this parable continues, we are introduced to another large eagle. In real life, vines do not change their direction to accommodate the animals they encounter. But in this parable, that is exactly what the vine does.

The king and his sons chose to abandon their covenant with one evil empire and take sides with another. But their sin was leaving God out of the picture. Perhaps you and I should consider what choices we are making and whether our failures come from making those choices without seeking the Lord’s will.

God of all, show us how to consult with you before we make decisions outside of your will.

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the first eagle

Posted on September 2, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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the first eagle

Ezekiel 17:1-6 (JDV)

Ezekiel 17:1 The word of Yahveh happened to me. This is what it said:
Ezekiel 17:2 “Son of Adam, pose a riddle and speak a parable to the house of Israel.
Ezekiel 17:3 You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: A large eagle with powerful wings, long feathers, and full plumage of many colors came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar.
Ezekiel 17:4 He plucked off its topmost shoot, brought it to the land of merchants, and set it in a city of traders.
Ezekiel 17:5 Then he took some of the land’s seed and put it in a fertile field; he set it like a willow, a plant by abundant water.
Ezekiel 17:6 It sprouted and became a spreading vine, low in height with its branches turned toward him, yet its roots stayed under it. So it became a vine, produced branches, and sent out shoots.

the first eagle

This is not the entire parable, so only some elements have been revealed at this point. This first eagle is the king of Babylon, and the vine is Zedekiah’s offspring. Although humbled and in exile, the vine spread, producing branches and sending out shoots.

It is human nature to want to get out of your humbling circumstances and make something better for yourself and your children. But like Zedekiah, we can be tempted to do this in ways that are outside God’s purposes for us. Not all of us are destined to be mighty eagles in this life. Sometimes, the best that we can hope for is to be a spreading vine under the mighty eagle’s power. Zedekiah had made a covenant with Babylon, and things went well with his children as long as he kept that covenant.

But — we will see in more detail later — there was another eagle, and the vine defaulted on its promises to the first eagle. That was an unwise choice. The vine was blooming where it had been planted, but it wanted more than God allowed.

LORD, give us the wisdom to seek a balance in our lives where we seek the best but stay true to our responsibilities and present boundaries.

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another covenant

Posted on September 1, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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another covenant

Ezekiel 16:59-63 (JDV)

Ezekiel 16:59 ” ‘You see, this is what the Lord Yahveh says: I will deal with you according to what you have done since you have thought lightly of the oath by breaking the covenant.
Ezekiel 16:60 But I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish a permanent covenant with you.
Ezekiel 16:61 Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your older and younger sisters. I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant.
Ezekiel 16:62 I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am Yahveh,
Ezekiel 16:63 so that when I make atonement for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed, and never open your mouth again because of your disgrace. This is the declaration of the Lord Yahveh.'”

another covenant

Through the long allegory of this chapter, the LORD explains his relationship with his people. It was an act of grace by which the LORD rescued Israel as an abandoned infant, and brought her up, removing her shame. He brought her up, and married her, and gave her more glory than all the others around her. She responded to this love by being unfaithful, committing adultery – idolatry with all of the nations around her. So, the LORD removes his protection from her, and she will once again become an object of reproach, bearing the penalty of her lewdness and her abominations.

But there is hope. The LORD will remember the covenant he had made with his wife. He will establish another covenant, an everlasting one. He will take his unfaithful wife back – but on new terms. Even Hittites and Amorites will be part of this new covenant.

LORD, thank you for including us in your new covenant, bought with the blood of Christ.

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just and merciful to all

Posted on August 31, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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just and merciful to all

Ezekiel 16:53-58 (JDV)

Ezekiel 16:53 ” ‘I will restore their fortunes, the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and those of Samaria and her daughters. I will also restore your fortunes among them,
Ezekiel 16:54 so you will bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all you did when you comforted them.
Ezekiel 16:55 As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters and Samaria and her daughters will return to their former state. You and your daughters will also return to your former state.
Ezekiel 16:56 Didn’t you treat your sister Sodom as an object of scorn when you were proud,
Ezekiel 16:57 before your guilt was exposed? It was like the time you were scorned by the daughters of Aram and all those around her, and by the daughters of the Philistines – those who treated you triflingly from every side.
Ezekiel 16:58 You yourself must bear the consequences of your infamy and repulsive practices – this is Yahveh’s declaration.

just and merciful to all

The fact that God cares enough to restore the fortunes of Samaria and Sodom reminds the inhabitants of Jerusalem that they are not as special as they thought they were. Our God is just and merciful to all. That does not mean he ignores sin. No, he cannot ignore sin and rebellion even when it is in his own city. It is even more repulsive when those reputed to be God’s people sin.

LORD, make us visibly yours, and faithfully obedient.

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an assumed excuse

Posted on August 30, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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an assumed excuse

Ezekiel 16:44-52 (JDV)

Ezekiel 16:44 ” ‘Notice, everyone who uses proverbs will quote this proverb about you: “Like mother, like daughter.”
Ezekiel 16:45 You are the daughter of your mother, who thinks lightly of her husband and children. You are the sister of your sisters, who think lightly of their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hethite and your father an Amorite.
Ezekiel 16:46 Your older sister was Samaria, who lived with her daughters to the north of you, and your younger sister was Sodom, who lived with her daughters to the south of you.
Ezekiel 16:47 Didn’t you walk in their ways and do their repulsive practices? It was only a short time before all your ways were more corrupt than theirs.
Ezekiel 16:48 ” ‘As I live – the declaration of the Lord Yahveh – your sister Sodom and her daughters have not behaved as you and your daughters have.
Ezekiel 16:49 Notice this was the violation of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters had pride, plenty of food, and comfortable security, but didn’t support the poor and needy.
Ezekiel 16:50 They were haughty and did repulsive acts before me, so I removed them when I saw this.
Ezekiel 16:51 But Samaria did not commit even half your failures. You have multiplied your repulsive practices beyond theirs and made your sisters appear righteous by all the repulsive acts you have committed.
Ezekiel 16:52 You must also bear your disgrace since you have helped your sisters out. For they appear more righteous than you because of your failures, which you committed more detestably than they did. So you also, be ashamed and bear your disgrace, since you have made your sisters appear righteous.

an assumed excuse

When I was a young boy, I was incredibly lazy. Instead of participating in sports in school, I wrote a fake note from “my doctor” excusing me from strenuous activity. Either my physical education instructor fell for it, or he (probably) just didn’t care. My assumed excuse was bogus. I had no excuse.

Ezekiel is now responding to an assumed excuse that the inhabitants of Jerusalem would give for their sinful behavior. They looked around at all the nations surrounding them — some of whom they were related to. They claimed to have been only following their lead.

The argument fell apart once Ezekiel began pointing out that none of those relatives ever rebelled against God the way Judah had. Jerusalem had privileges that came with a covenantal relationship, and that made their violations all that more heinous.

Consider — my friends — how responsible we are to our God, who gave us the privilege of knowing him through his only Son. How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?

LORD, we have no excuses. We can blame no one for our sins. We beg your forgiveness and ask you to empower us to become faithful and stay faithful to your word and to your Christ.

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