Ezekiel 39:1-40:27; James 2:18-3:18; Psalm 118:1-18; Proverbs 28:2
If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by now
with Ezekiel, let’s review to understand where we are in Judah’s history.
Judah is in
captivity in Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar’s rule according to Dr. Charles Dyer
in The Bible Knowledge Commentary.
Ezekiel is one of the last prophets to write as the Old Testament canon is
closing; he is writing during a thirty-year period about 580 years before Jesus’
birth. He writes about the judgment on Judah (chapters 1-24), the judgment on
Gentile nations (chapters 25-32) and the eventual blessings that will come to
Israel (chapters 33-48) as cited in TBKC
on pages 1226-1227.
In Ezekiel
39 we read of an attack on Judah (also called Israel in this section) by Gog.
Dr. Dyer believes that Gog is Russia plus some of her allies. We see that
Israel triumphs in Ezekiel 39:11. This prophecy awaits fulfillment.
In chapter
40 God took Ezekiel back to Jerusalem in a vision. He saw the new temple and
we’ll read more details about it tomorrow. The rebuilding of the temple is also
yet to be fulfilled.
So we’re
reading important history before it happens! Events in our world indicate that
the world is changing rapidly. Keep watching for where God is at work because
He is always at work!
James is a
more practical book. It’s fun to read it alongside the visions and drama of
Ezekiel because James has little drama but much to say about how we are to live
for “faith without works is dead” (Jam. 2:26).
Psalm 118 is
one of my favorites—expressive and emotive. Here are verses 10-12.
“All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the LORD I cut
them off.
They surrounded me on every side,
but in the name of the LORD I cut
them off.
They swarmed around me like bees,
but they died out as quickly as
burning thorns;
in the name of the LORD I cut them
off.”
The
prophetic words from Ezekiel will be fulfilled. And God will triumph as the
psalmist writes. We can trust in the Omnipotence of our God as we watch history
unfold around us.
- Nell
Sunukjian
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