Week 35-36--Ezekiel 29-30, 32-48

Our reading this week begins as Ezekiel learns of the fall of Jerusalem. God speaks to him, saying: “Behold, you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words but they do not practice them. So when it comes to pass—as surely it will—then they will know that a prophet has been in their midst” (33:32-33). The people refuse to follow Ezekiel, as they refused to listen to Jeremiah.

God rages against the leaders of the people: “You did not care for the flock, only yourself.” God will be the shepherd. “You are my flock; I will care for you,” He says. He reminds them that He will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Surely then they will follow, surely then they will love Him.

In chapter 37, we find Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones. When I was young I thought that this was literal, that God built people from bones. But it is a metaphor--just as God has rebuilt and restored the dry bones, He will rebuild and restore the nation of Israel. He says again: “They will be my people, I will be their God.”

Then we get to read another one of the weird passages in Ezekiel--the prophecies of Gog and Magog.I have no idea what they mean. It is clear that someone will march against Israel, God will rain down hail, fire, and brimstone on them, and there will be earthquakes all over the earth. Gog and Magog are mentioned again in Revelation, but I am not going there now.

Ezekiel is set up as a watchman over what remains of Israel. God tells him that if the watchman warns the people, and the people fail to heed the warning, then it’s their own stupid fault. But if the watchman doesn’t warn, then the watchman is at fault. God reminds us that he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they repent and live.

Next God gives Ezekiel a vision of a new temple and a new city, even giving exact dimensions and measurements. The glory of God finally returns to Jerusalem! After all this will be done, then “I will accept you,” says the LORD.

God gives Ezekiel rules for the priests who will serve in the new Temple. The most important instruction? “And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean” (44:23).

The book of Ezekiel ends with God speaking of fulfilled promises, and the new name of the holy city,  “The LORD is There.” These promises have not been fulfilled yet; there is no river that flows under the Temple (there is no Temple in Jerusalem today) and the Dead Sea is still dead. Ezekiel shows us, I think, a picture of the New Jerusalem mentioned in Revelation. The Israelites will rebuild Jerusalem when they return from exile--70 years after Ezekiel writes--but the fulness of the promises will not be realized until the end of time.

Week 35c--Jeremiah 40-44, 52

Jeremiah has already told us about the fall of Jerusalem and that many of the remaining Israelites have been carted off to Babylon. He now tells us what happens to those who were left behind

Nebuchadnezzar set up a man named Gedaliah as a governor over the few people who were left in the area around Jerusalem. Gedaliah was warned that there would be an attempt on his life, but he blew it off. He was killed by a new character named Ishmael just as he had been warned; Ishmael killed many of the remaining Jews and took the rest captive.

Johanan, a commander of the army who had escaped deportation and captivity, rescued the people Ishmael had captured. They began to travel toward Egypt (which is only about 60 miles away from Bethlehem). Jeremiah interrupts their travel plans, telling them to stay in Judea, for God will bless them and they can rebuild. But they didn’t listen (really? after all of this? really?) and God gets very mad, even to the point where he says “I will take away the remnant” (44:12).

God will destroy Egypt by way of Nebuchadnezzar, and all the Hebrews in Egypt will perish by fire, sword, or famine. Except for a remnant of the remnant. Maybe.

The book of Jeremiah ends with a count of the number of people Nebuchadnezzar deported (4600). We are also told that 37 years into the exile, the new king Evil-merodach (great name, no?) released the Israelite king Jehoichin from prison.

History does not tell us when Jeremiah died. As the Israelites were in captivity for 70 years, we can only assume that he did not live to see the restorations of his beloved Jerusalem.

Week 35b--Obadiah

When I was in college, my friends had a phrase about not worrying about small things: “Don’t major on the minors.” I had other friends who were religion majors, and they actually were majoring on the minors--minor prophets, that is. We read one more of them today.

Obadiah holds the distinction of being the shortest book in the Old Testament. I will do my best to make sure that this post is shorter than the book.

Obadiah’s writings contain much of the same stuff we’ve heard from other prophets--destruction of Israel’s enemies, then restoration of the remnant. What makes Obadiah different?

(crickets)

Let’s look at it anyway.

The words are spoken to the tribe of Edom (the descendants of Esau) not to Israel. We read it chronologically at this time because the LORD is bringing judgment on Edom as they rejoice over Jerusalem’s defeat.

Obadiah mentions The Day of the LORD--the day of judgment--which is coming, when the whole earth will drink from the cup of God’s judgment. As always, on Mount Zion there is a triumphant remnant who will rebuild the nation of Israel.

Week 35a--Lamentations

We kick off Week 35 with the book of Lamentations, five poems of mourning (which is what “Lamentations” means) 

Tradition tells us that Jeremiah wrote the book of Lamentations, but the text does not specifically say this. It makes sense to say that Jeremiah is the author, because we have just read about the fall of Jerusalem and a shell-shocked prophet wandering around its ruined streets. This was his hometown, and it had been destroyed. He is in mourning--and so he writes.

Each of the first four poems is an acrostic, with each of the 22 verses (or segments, in chapter 3) beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, in order. 

The first poem describes the sadness of the city of Jerusalem, the desolation of the city and the people. Jeremiah’s heart is broken: “There is no one to comfort me,” he writes in verse 21.

In the second poem we read what God has done to Jerusalem and Judah. Still more desolation is described. (Jeremiah certainly earned the nickname “weeping prophet.”)

Even in this book, I have favorite verses, and they are found in the third poem. It begins with the same theme, weeping and wailing and woe is me--it was awful, there’s no way to deny it--but in the midst of all the garbage is this gold nugget that shines like the sun. 

Jeremiah writes in verse 21: “This I recall to mind, Therefore I have hope.” His hope is found in the next few verses: “The LORD’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I have hope in Him.’” More uplifting thoughts are found in the following verses (all the way to verse 42) but then Jeremiah returns to weeping again, because, well, his city has been destroyed and his people are in exile.

The fourth poem is another acrostic, 22 verses detailing the devastation of the city of Jerusalem.

In the fifth poem the people beg God to remember them. The city is asking to be healed, the people are speaking with one voice: “Restore us...unless you have completely rejected us” (5:21-22).

The end leaves me hanging. “Restore us...unless you have completely rejected us.” That’s it. No promise, no hope, no answer. But that’s how life can seem sometimes. We beg God for answers, for solutions, for help, and then we wait. The Jews waited 70 years to return to Jerusalem! On days like this we remember: “The LORD is my portion, Therefore I have hope in Him.” He has not completely rejected the Jews. Restoration will come.

Week 34b--Jeremiah (selected passages)

I’m not going to list all the passages we read in Jeremiah this week--it’s all over the map chronologically. The events take place in Jerusalem and Babylon as Jerusalem falls. The prophecies that Jeremiah and the other prophets have been speaking are all about to come true.

Nebuchadnezzar is attacking Jerusalem, Jeremiah’s hometown. The children of Israel have transgressed the covenant, and have even disobeyed the new command that they  release their Jewish brothers that are slaves. (This is when they begin to be called Jews.)

God declares that He has set His face against the city of Jerusalem. He is sending (in quick succession) pestilence, famine, and the sword. All on His beloved children.

Still, there are promises, as always. Land will be bought and sold in Israel again. One day there will be a new covenant that the people will not break. 

God will fulfill this good word. (Jeremiah 33:14) Just as He has fulfilled the entirety of his punishments on Israel, he will fulfill the entirety of his promises. Some we will see in this lifetime, some only in heaven. But they will be fulfilled.

The walls of Jerusalem finally fall. The Babylonians tear down the columns of the temple and cart off all the gold, silver, and bronze that they can find.

This sort of thing happened fairly often in the ancient world. The Pantheon in Rome has several pillars in front of it, and they do not match because they were all taken from different places. I never though about the people on the other end until today.

This reading is undeniably sad; we see a first-hand account of the fall of Jerusalem. Jeremiah stays behind, unlike his contemporary Ezekiel, who speaks to the exiled Jews in Babylon.

Week 34a--Ezekiel 17-31

This week’s reading is filled with strange visions of destruction for Israel and the surrounding nations.

The first vision involves two eagles and a vine. Fortunately, God explains this story to Ezekiel; it is the story of the nation of Israel (the vine) and the nations that have taken them into captivity (the eagles). The vision ends with the constant promise--restoration.

Next God presents his thoughts on fathers, sons, and inherited punishment. His conclusion: each person should bear the punishment for his own sin, not the son for the father, not the father for the son. This verse is found in this passage: “Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord GOD, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?” (18:23). God says again, “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord GOD. “Therefore, repent and live” (18:32).

Ezekiel is using a name we have not heard in a long time: Lord GOD. God, on the other hand, calls Ezekiel “Son of Man.”

This week’s chapters also contain another retelling of the history of Israel. God seems to rehearse this history with every prophet, and the cycle is the same over hundreds of years. God delivers his people, they rebel. God delivers them again, they rebel again. 

God keeps asking Ezekiel if he will judge the people. He usually asks twice: “Will you judge them, will you judge them son of man?” One thing is sure--judgment is coming.

The phrase “stand in the gap” appears in Ezekiel 22:30. God could find no one to stand in the gap for Israel. They have committed so many abominations, no one was there to intercede for them. So God pours out his wrath on His chosen.

God also declares judgment on the surrounding nations, which leads me to ask: Why? Why does God always talk to the surrounding nations? Israel is God’s chosen people, Israel was the only nation that was told to follow God, why are all the other nations going to suffer? Well, in the other books of history in the Bible we find that other nations who worshipped false gods were conquered by Israel because of their failure to follow the One True God. They still don’t follow God, and He still won’t allow this, so they will be destroyed. God says to Tyre: “Though you will be sought, you will never be found again,” declares the Lord GOD (26:21).

The king of Tyre was full of pride; he went so far as to declare himself a god. The passage detailing his fall (28:13-19) can also be seen as a description of Satan’s fall from heaven and Adam’s being turned out of the garden of Eden.

This ends our second look at The Weird Prophet--we will take one more look at his visions and writings.

Week 33c--Ezekiel: The Weird Prophet (Part 1--Chapters 1-16)

This is actually the first time I have read the whole book of Ezekiel. I’m a little nervous, to be honest. Thanks for taking the plunge with me. Here we go!

Ezekiel was in exile with the others from Jerusalem. He writes in 1:1 that he was standing by the river and he “saw visions of God.” He sees four human-like figures, each with four faces (human, lion, bull, eagle) four wings (two for flying, two for covering) and straight legs with calves’ hooves. Their wings are touching, and inside the figures are wheels within wheels, the rims of the wheels being full of eyes.

Whenever I try to read the book of Ezekiel, I get about this far (the end of chapter 1) get a headache, and quit. But this time I will go on. Ezekiel sees a throne and a glorious figure made of glowing metal and fire. He has seen the glory of the LORD.

God gives him a scroll to eat, sweet as honey, and also a job: “Take my message to my people.” It won’t be a happy message, for they are a stubborn and stiff-necked people, but they need it. 

Ezekiel has to survive several object lessons as well. He goes into his house, where he is tied up and not allowed to leave. He goes mute temporarily. He builds a model of the city of Jerusalem and shows how it will be attacked. He also has to lay on his left side for so many days and then on his right side (the days representing the number of years of Israel’s wickedness). Next Ezekiel was allowed to eat only a minimal amount of bread, cooked by burning human dung. Yes, he had to burn poop to cook his food. This, of course, made the bread unclean and Ezekiel unclean by extension. For the first time, Ezekiel complains. God lets him burn cow chips instead. Still gross, but not unclean. Ezekiel then has to cut off his own hair and beard (which brings shame) and dispose of it in the same ways Israel’s people will be disposed of: some by fire, some by the sword, and some blown away by the wind.

God is so angry at the abomination of Israel’s idolatry (abomination is God’s favorite word for a while). In 6:9 God says: “How I have been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from me...” Not only were they flagrantly disobedient, their idolatry actually caused God pain.

Once again the glory of the LORD appears and Ezekiel is shown visions of Jerusalem. He sees “the idol of jealousy” (the idol of which God is jealous) which has been placed in the Temple. Ezekiel is shown greater and greater abominations, some in secret and some in the open, all involving the worship of false gods.

In chapter 9, the glory of the God of Israel which rested in the Holy of Holies gets up and leaves. It (the Bible uses the word “it”) goes to the door of the Temple and calls for the slaughter of those who worship idols. Even in this horror, a remnant is preserved. This same glory rises up from the Temple and move to the East gate of Jerusalem.  The people were probably so busy with their idolatry they didn’t even notice. Finally, the glory of the LORD leaves the city and goes to the mountain to the east, abandoning them to their destruction.

Time is running out. Destruction will not be held back any more. Some of the people are already in exile, but Jerusalem will soon fall. Not even the righteousness of Noah, Daniel, and Job will save these people (they would have known Daniel, because he was alive at the time).

In our last chapter this week, chapter 16, God revisits the history of Israel. He compares the nation to a girl left abandoned and alone, yet adopted by a loving God who clothed her with beauty and righteousness. The nation has perverted that beauty with their idolatry. They have prostituted themselves, playing the harlot with false gods, and now the payment is due for their actions. As is the pattern, God says at the end that He will renew and restore them. The remnant is remembered.

Weeks 33-38: 1 Chronicles (all the bits I didn’t read before)

Oh goody. Genealogies. This is a listing of all the people that we have read about for the past several months. (Get coffee--this could take a while.)

So, why are all these names in the Bible? There are reasons--tracing family history, dating important events, keeping track of who was where at what time. 

Why does a list of names go on for SIX CHAPTERS???? 

I don’t know. (Sorry.) But there are many verses in the Bible about how God calls us by name. He knows the names of the stars, He knows the names of every one of David’s 300 mighty men, He knows the names of all the children of Israel, those who died in battle and those carried off to captivity. He knows the name of all those wounded, crippled, blind, mute, and lame who came to Jesus for healing and whose names weren’t recorded. He knows the name of the woman who broke the perfume bottle over Jesus’ feet.

He knows my name.

So instead of getting bored when I think about these names--oh, this is hard--I try to remember: He knows all these names, and He also knows mine.

Week 33b--Jeremiah 27-28, 31, 37-38, 49-52

This week’s reading begins with beautiful words, but descends into disaster before rising again at the end. 

There are many beautiful words in Jeremiah 31, words of restoration and comfort. This chapter is such a relief after all the horrible prophecies of destruction. “‘Restrain your voice from weeping And your eyes from tears; For your work will be rewarded,’ declares the LORD, ‘And they will return from the land of the enemy.’” (31:16)

God speaks in chapter 31 of a New Covenant. The covenant He made with them when He brought them out of Egypt--the covenant that he had made when he spoke with Moses on the mountaintop--the Israelites had broken again and again. But now, God “will put my law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (31:33)

Then there is prophecy against Babylon. Death and destruction, but at least it’s directed towards Judah’s enemies this time. God also uses a courtroom metaphor that we saw waaaaaayyyy back in the book of Job: “Who is like Me, and who will summon me into court?” (Jeremiah 49:19, also 50:44). So though Babylon has taken the nation of Israel captive, Babylon will eventually fall.

Jeremiah then records what is going in his life. He goes to speak to the king (who was not yet in exile) then goes to the land of Benjamin to do some business and is put in jail. King Zedekiah has him freed, but the message from the LORD is that the Chaldeans and Babylonians are coming and bringing death and destruction with them.

After this, Jeremiah goes about encouraging the people to give themselves up to the Chaldeans, for at least then they will live--the Chaldeans will surely kill all who fought in battle. The soldiers don’t like this, so they throw Jeremiah down an empty well. The king hears of this, and sends men to rescue him--again. Jeremiah privately encourages the king to surrender, because, again, he would live, even if it is in captivity. The king doesn’t like this idea, but he keeps Jeremiah safe until Jerusalem falls.

A false prophet named Hananiah tries to give an object lesson similar to the ones Jeremiah has given. He puts a wooden yoke on Jeremiah’s neck, but then removes it and breaks it. “See? The yoke of Babylon will be quickly broken.” Jeremiah takes over with the truth. “You have removed a yoke of wood, but it will be replaced with a yoke of iron,” which is, if course, the coming Babylonian captivity.

Even so, the reading ends with positive words: Babylon, though it will reduce Jerusalem to ashes, will itself be destroyed...eventually.

Week 32b--Jeremiah 7-20, 22-24, 29-31, 35, 49

Today we read more from Jeremiah, and try to find consolation from the words of the Weeping Prophet. It ain’t easy.

God has Jeremiah go to a potter and shatter a clay pot. Then God says, “I will shatter these people because of their stiff necks.”

Then a priest (A PRIEST!!!) has Jeremiah beaten and put in the stocks. (No wonder he is the weeping prophet, eh?)

Jeremiah writes that he tries to hold it in. He tries really hard NOT to prophesy. But “in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in” (Jeremiah 20:9). He must speak. He must give the message from the Lord. Sadly, the message is taking its toll on Jeremiah. “Cursed be the day when I was born,” he says, almost quoting my good friend Job. “Let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me!” (Jeremiah 20:14).

There is more ruin still to come. God tells Jeremiah to not even intercede for the people any more. God will not hear Jeremiah, for the people will not hear God. They will choose death rather than life.

God has another object lesson. Jeremiah puts on a waistband--a belt--then takes it off and buries it. The wicked will be destroyed like the waistband. Israel was supposed to cling to God, like the waistband was supposed to cling to Jeremiah, but they did not, so they have become worthless.

There are positive words! Jeremiah 15:16 tells of the prophet’s love for God, and in 16:21 God promises that the people “shall know that My name is the LORD.”

The familiar parable about the potter and the clay comes from Jeremiah chapter 18. God has created the nation of Israel, and he has the power to “unmake” the nation as well. God reminds Jeremiah that it is the potter, not the clay, who is in charge--even if the clay doesn’t like it.

In chapter 35, the nation of Israel is compared to the small nomadic tribe of the Rechabites. They have had a few simple commands from their forefathers which they have followed to the letter. God lays into the Israelites, then, because they refuse to follow the commandment to love and serve Him only. “If this tribe can obey, then surely you can obey.” 

God has words for the exiles, for by this point the city of Jerusalem has fallen and the people of Judah are in Babylon. And here I read, for the first time in context, one of my favorite verses. God says: I know that you’re in exile. You’re living in a strange land. Still, build homes there, go ahead and increase your families there, because you’re going to be there for 70 years, and then I will bring you home. Then God says, “ ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.’ ” (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

Wow. I love those verses even more now.

More good news awaits in Jeremiah 31:3,11 “The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness’...For the LORD has ransomed Jacob, And redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he.”

I am so thankful for the Redeemer, who loved the children of Israel in spite of their refusal to accept him, who always left a remnant to return to the Promised Land, who constantly gives promises of restoration. I am reminded that He will always love me, and that I am always welcome in His arms.

Weeks 32-36 2 Kings 24-25, 2 Chronicles 36

If I actually did this properly, it would take four weeks to get through these three chapters. I am going to spare myself, and you, that agony, and just go ahead and get it over with.

This is the end of the history of the kingdom of Judah. 

Backing up a little: There was a really great king, Hezekiah. Under him the Temple was restored, Passover was reinstated, life was good. His son Manasseh, and Manasseh’s son Amon, were evil. False gods, Asherah poles, all the things that Hezekiah had worked so hard to UNDO. 

Then Amon’s son Josiah became king and he followed the Lord and life was good again. Josiah hosted the Passover, found the Lost Book of the Law, repaired the temple, and basically did all the things that a king was supposed to do. Sadly, it did not last. His sons Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim were both evil kings. Jehoiakim’s son Jehoiachin becomes king, and I am left wondering why all the names had to start with J. 

Jehoiachin is only king for three months anyway, because Nebuchadnezzar invades and takes the king away to Babylon, along with a great many other people. Nebuchadnezzar leaves someone else on the throne--someone named Zedekiah (whew!) It should come as no surprise to anyone that Zedekiah does evil in the sight of the Lord. The Babylonian army returns, invades Jerusalem again, killes Zedekiah’s sons, and blinds him before taking him away to Babylon as well. 

After this, the city of Jerusalem is burned, plundered, and destroyed. The Babylonians tore down the walls, stole everything of value from the Temple, tore down the Temple, and set fire to the whole city. Everything was destroyed. Everyone was gone.

And yet...

Second Chronicles 36:15-16 reads: “The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them  again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on his people and on His dwelling place; but they...despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, until there was no remedy.” It goes on to say “Those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon...to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath until seventy years were complete.” It seems to say, “To be continued!” does it not? Actually, 2 Chronicles ends with Cyrus king of Persia giving the Jews permission to come back and rebuild Jerusalem...but we have 70 years of prophets to wade through until we get there!

Week 31e--Jeremiah

This week, in addition to the history and three minor prophets, we read the first portion of the book of Jeremiah. We have more first person comments from Jeremiah than we have had from any prophet since Habakkuk. We also find autobiographical comments and prose historical information in his book.

In chapter 1, verses 4-8, Jeremiah tells the story of his calling. This story is incredible since the Lord tells Jeremiah that He has called him since “Before I formed you in the womb.” God has had his finger on Jeremiah his entire life.

As in the other prophetic books, death and destruction is coming. Many of the pronouncements come directly from God: the phrase “Thus says the Lord” is used in 150 verses in the book of Jeremiah.

Also, just as in nearly every other prophetic book, the Lord tells the people “Do justice and righteousness...Do not mistreat...the orphan or the widow...Do not shed innocent blood.” (Jeremiah 22:2-3) God promises the same thing He has said before: Obey and I will bless and restore you. Disobey and I will destroy you. That is the message again and again.

For once, we have a record of the people’s reaction to the message. Not surprisingly, they don’t like it. Death and destruction, getting carted off into captivity, this doesn’t sound like much fun to me either. But they take it a little far. Rather than go God’s way and repent, the people decide to kill Jeremiah. He escapes--this happens more than once.

In Jeremiah 32 we meet a new character, the scribe Baruch. He takes dictation, writing down the words Jeremiah has to say and then taking the message to the people. This time the hearers were frightened by the message, so they took it to the king, who...CUT IT UP AND THREW IT IN THE FIRE!!! (Jeremiah 36:20-25) Jeremiah and Baruch teamed up again and wrote out another scroll. They prophesied that soon there would be no more kings from the line of Judah. 

Jeremiah 6:10 speaks of something very unusual--the uncircumcised ear. We have already learned about the circumcision of the body and the circumcision of the heart. Now we also learn about the circumcision of the ear, or removing the unnecessary so you can hear and obey. But the king has not done this, so he will be taken away into captivity.

This week’s reading ends with a harsh statement and a promise: "O Jacob My servant, do not fear," declares the LORD, "For I am with you. For I will make a full end of all the nations Where I have driven you, Yet I will not make a full end of you; But I will correct you properly And by no means leave you unpunished" (Jeremiah 46:28). Again, God will bring forth his punishment, but a remnant will survive.

Judah’s days are numbered.