praying about war

Posted on December 23, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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praying about war

Ezekiel 38:14-16 (JDV)

Ezekiel 38:14 “Therefore prophesy, son of Adam, and say to Gog, ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: On that day when my people Israel are dwelling securely, will you not know this
Ezekiel 38:15 and come from your place in the remotest parts of the north – you and many peoples with you, who are all riding horses – a huge mob, a powerful army?
Ezekiel 38:16 You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud covering the land. It will happen in the last days, Gog, that I will bring you against my land so that the nations may know me when I show myself sacred through you in their sight.

praying about war

Sometimes when we look at war, it all seems so meaningless and unnecessary, inflicting pain and chaos in such a way as to defy explanation. Most wars are like that, but not all. The battle Ezekiel describes will happen because God wants the nations to know him — to see how he defends his people.

We should always seek peace, and try to avoid confrontations and violence. But when wars happen, we should also pray for God to prevail, and for his gospel to become known.

LORD, we confess that we fear war, and we ask you to prevent it — and stop the ones that are taking place. But may you be glorified in all things.

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what Gog thought

Posted on December 22, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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what Gog thought

Ezekiel 38:10-13 (JDV)

Ezekiel 38:10 ” ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: On that day, thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will devise an evil plan.
Ezekiel 38:11 You will say, “I will advance against a land of open villages; I will come against a tranquil people who are living securely, all of them living without walls and without bars or gates” –
Ezekiel 38:12 in order to seize plunder and carry off plunder, to turn your hand against ruins now inhabited and against a people gathered from the nations, who have been acquiring cattle and possessions and who live at the center of the world.
Ezekiel 38:13 Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its rulers will ask you, “Have you come to seize plunder? Have you mobilized your mob to carry off plunder, to make off with silver and gold, to take cattle and possessions, to seize plenty of plunder?” ‘

what Gog thought

No, that is not a typo. These are the thoughts that arose in the mind of Gog, as he was contemplating the attack on Israel. He saw a vulnerability that he wanted to take advantage of. He saw weakness and the plunder that could be his for the taking.

When evil men think thoughts like this, they need to know that there are powers in this world and above it that will hold them accountable for their crimes. As we keep reading, we will see that God will not allow Gog and his empire Magog to succeed.

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and many peoples with you

Posted on December 21, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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and many peoples with you

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Ezekiel 38:7-9 (JDV)

Ezekiel 38:7 ” ‘Be prepared and get yourself ready, you and your whole mob that has been mobilized around you; you will be their guard.
Ezekiel 38:8 After a long time you will be summoned. In the last years, you will enter a land that has been restored from war and regathered from many peoples to the mountains of Israel, which had long been a ruin. They were brought out from the peoples, and all of them now live securely.
Ezekiel 38:9 You, all of your troops, and many peoples with you will advance, coming like a thunderstorm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.

and many peoples with you

In October 2013 I wrote about this chapter and prayed for the LORD to “help us to reach the nations with your good news, and so keep them from living out the terror of this bad news.”

Now, we see more clearly how a northern land could aggressively move toward Israel as part of its wider campaign to fulfill its destiny. So, Israel, long after it has been restored to the land and regathered to it, will have to prepare for another battle — but Israel will have allies among “many peoples” and will be miraculously helped by God himself.

A day is soon coming when every nation will have to choose whether to fight or not to fight. At that time, it will be essential to know who is fighting, and whose side God will be fighting for.

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Yahveh against Gog

Posted on December 20, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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Yahveh against Gog

Ezekiel 38:1-6 (JDV)

Ezekiel 38:1 The word of Yahveh happened to me. This is what it said:
Ezekiel 38:2 “Son of Adam, face Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Prophesy against him
Ezekiel 38:3 and say, ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: Notice, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.
Ezekiel 38:4 I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and bring you out with all your army, including horses and riders, who are all splendidly dressed, a huge mob armed with large and small shields, all of them brandishing swords.
Ezekiel 38:5 Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shields and helmets;
Ezekiel 38:6 Gomer with all its troops; and Beth-togarmah from the remotest parts of the north along with all its troops – many peoples are with you.

Yahveh against Gog

When the Lord Yahveh is against you, you do not have a chance. It does not matter how bug your army is. He is going to win in the end. You can count on it.

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one shepherd for all of them

Posted on December 19, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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one shepherd for all of them

Ezekiel 37:24-28 (JDV)

Ezekiel 37:24 My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow my rules, keep my prescriptions, and obey them.
Ezekiel 37:25 ” ‘They will live in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They will live in it forever with their children and grandchildren, and my servant David will be their prince forever.
Ezekiel 37:26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be a permanent covenant with them. I will establish and multiply them and will set my sanctuary among them forever.
Ezekiel 37:27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.
Ezekiel 37:28 When my sanctuary is among them forever, the nations will know that I, Yahveh, sanctify Israel.'”

one shepherd for all of them

The Book of Hebrews, in the New Testament –, explains the permanent covenant that Ezekiel predicts. He says that it will replace the first covenant under Moses, that Christ will be its mediator, and that it will set God’s people free from their violations under that previous covenant — by his death (Hebrews 9:15).

He says that our Lord Jesus Christ is the “great shepherd of the sheep” — the “one shepherd” Ezekiel mentions in 37:24. He also explains that the death of Christ is crucial in this plan — by mentioning the “blood of the permanent covenant.” He also shows that God will prove that Jesus is that predicted shepherd by raising him from the dead (Hebrews 13:20).

There are not two permanent covenants: one for Israel and one for the church. God has one plan, one Messiah, and one permanent covenant.

LORD, thank you for our one shepherd.

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unity and purity

Posted on December 18, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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unity and purity

Ezekiel 37:15-23 (JDV)

Ezekiel 37:15 The word of Yahveh happened to me. This is what it said:
Ezekiel 37:16 “Son of Adam, take a single stick and write on it: Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him. Then take another stick and write on it: Belonging to Joseph – the stick of Ephraim – and all the house of Israel associated with him.
Ezekiel 37:17 Then join them together into a single stick so that they become one in your hand.
Ezekiel 37:18 When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you explain to us what you mean by these things? ‘ –
Ezekiel 37:19 Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: notice I am going to take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel associated with him, and put them together with the stick of Judah. I will make them into a single stick so that they become one in my hand.’
Ezekiel 37:20 “When the sticks you have written on are in your hand and in full view of the people,
Ezekiel 37:21 Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: notice I am going to take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them into their own land.
Ezekiel 37:22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over all of them. They will no longer be two nations and will no longer be divided into two kingdoms.
Ezekiel 37:23 They will not defile themselves anymore with their idols, their repulsive things, and all their rebellions. I will save them from all their apostasies by which they sinned, and I will cleanse them. Then they will be my people, and I will be their God.

unity and purity

The LORD was not interested in reuniting the two kingdoms without purifying them of idolatry. A united kingdom was not part of his agenda if that united kingdom continued to rebel against him. So, the prophet was instructed to unite the two sticks, and to explain that both kingdoms would be united under a single king — a king loyal to Him.

Often we attempt unity only to sacrifice purity. God is not in that. He does not want us to unify with those who are disloyal to Him. He does not want us to sacrifice integrity to gain strength in numbers. A unity bought with compromise is obtained at too heavy a price.

LORD, unify us under our one king — with a pure conscience.

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when I open your graves

Posted on December 17, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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when I open your graves

Ezekiel 37:11-14 (JDV)

Ezekiel 37:11 Then he said to me, “Son of Adam, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Notice how they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished; we are cut off.’
Ezekiel 37:12 Therefore, prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: notice I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them, my people, and lead you into the land of Israel.
Ezekiel 37:13 You will know that I am Yahveh, my people, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.
Ezekiel 37:14 I will put my Breath in you, and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I am Yahveh. I have spoken, and I will do it. This is the declaration of Yahveh.'”

when I open your graves

This is a promise from the LORD to restore his people to their land. It is also a direct promise from our LORD Jesus to all who are part of the covenant, bought by his blood. He is going to open our graves and bring us up from them. The picture of the resurrection that he gave Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones will be fulfilled literally when Jesus returns. We have his word on it.

“For this is the will of my Father — for everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him to have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40 NET).

“For just as the Father has life in himself, thus he has granted the Son to have life in himself… Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out” (John 5:26, 28-29a NET).

Never doubt that this life is not all there is. A better life is coming — a permanent life.

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Prophesy to the breath

Posted on December 16, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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Prophesy to the breath

Ezekiel 37:7-10 (JDV)

Ezekiel 37:7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded. While I was prophesying, there was a noise, I noticed a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone.
Ezekiel 37:8 As I looked, and noticed tendons appeared on them, flesh grew, and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
Ezekiel 37:9 He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of Adam. Say to it: This is what the Lord Yahveh says: Breath, come from the four winds and breathe into these murdered ones so that they may live!”
Ezekiel 37:10 So I prophesied as he commanded me; the breath entered them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, a vast army.

Prophesy to the breath

According to Davidson, “The breath needful to be life in the vast multitude now created must be furnished by wind coming from all quarters of the heavens” (268). Davidson points out that the same Hebrew word is used for both breath and wind here, and yet he insists they do not refer to the same thing. Instead, he speaks of “an intensification of meaning” in which the same word means “the living principle itself.” Why? Human traditions insist that we are made up of some divine spark that cannot die.

The only divine spark reflected in today’s text is a resurrection. It is not the result of any immortal entity inside these bones. It is the result of a loving God who chooses to breathe breath and life back into them. Before God’s intervention, they are dead. After God intervenes, they are alive.

Thank you, LORD, for the promise of a resurrection.

Davidson, A. B. Ezekiel. Cambridge: University Press, 1892.

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charnel house

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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charnel house

Ezekiel 37:1-6 (JDV)

Ezekiel 37:1 The hand of Yahveh was on me, and he brought me out by the Breath of Yahveh and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones.
Ezekiel 37:2 He led me all around them. There were a great many of them on the surface of the valley, and I noticed they were very dry.
Ezekiel 37:3 Then he said to me, “Son of Adam, can these bones live?” I replied, “Lord God, only you know.”
Ezekiel 37:4 He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of Yahveh!
Ezekiel 37:5 This is what the Lord Yahveh says to these bones: notice I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live.
Ezekiel 37:6 I will put tendons on you, make flesh grow on you, and cover you with skin. I will put breath in you so that you come to life. Then you will know that I am Yahveh.”

charnel house

Cobern writes that Ezekiel “passed through this desolation and noticed that every vestige of life had disappeared from the dried-up remains. There was nothing left for even the vultures to feed upon. Long ago every skeleton had been cleaned by the jackals’ teeth and the broken parts scattered far and wide. The bones were many and they were very dry. The valley was a charnel house, visibly displaying the absolute victory of death over life. Then came the question from heaven, ‘Can these bones live?'” (197).

The prophet rightly answered that only the Lord God knew.

Before any of us can hope for restoration and revival, we have to come to a revelation of who we are without God. We are bones in a building filled with dry bones: a charnel house. God knows that he can revive us, but he is waiting for us to realize that we cannot revive ourselves. If new life is to come, it must come from outside our egos and programs and traditions.

LORD, we know what we are. Only you know what we can be. Revive us, O Lord!

Cobern, Camden M. Ezekiel and Daniel. New York: Methodist Book Concern, 1901.

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filled with a flock

Posted on December 14, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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filled with a flock

Ezekiel 36:37-38 (JDV)

Ezekiel 36:37 ” ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: I will respond to the house of Israel and do this for them: I will multiply them in number like a flock.
Ezekiel 36:38 So the ruined cities will be filled with a flock of people, just as Jerusalem is filled with a flock of sheep for sacrifice during its appointed festivals. Then they will know that I am Yahveh.'”

filled with a flock

Cowles writes: “The word “flock” comes from the previous figure which accounts the people as the Lord’s sheep and himself as their shepherd. The population would crowd the cities densely, as the throng filled Jerusalem in the great national feasts” (208).

Imagine a city once ruined and abandoned, but now so filled that it looked like Jerusalem overrun by sheep ready for the Passover sacrifice. This is the hope of a nation desolated by war. It is also the hope of a person who knows the destitution and shame of separation from God.

Cowles, Henry. Ezekiel and Daniel: With Notes, Critical, Explanatory, and Practical. New York: D. Appleton, 1870.

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