Today's One Year Bible Reading

Ezekiel

3:18-19 If I warn the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,' but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths. If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me. This is a sobering thought! I wonder what the penalty would be.

4:5 I am requiring you to bear Israel's sins for 390 days-one day for each year of their sin. I recently read some commentary from Stephen Jones (from his article on Intercessors) on this stretch of Ezekiel and his odd assignment of cooking his food over dung and lying on his side 390 days to bear the sins of Israel and 40 days for the sins of Judah:

Look at Ezekiel 4, where the prophet interceded for Israel, a nation that was going into captivity for its sin. The prophet was instructed to identify with Israel in two ways. First, he was to eat food cooked with (or over) dung (Ez. 4:12). This was to identify him with the people whose priests had fed them with the traditions of men that sprang from the idols of their own hearts. The Hebrew word for "dung" is gelel, which literally means "balls," and is a reference to sheep or goat dung, which looks like little balls. Ezekiel's favorite Hebrew word for "idol" is gillul. It literally means "a log," and is a reference to human dung.

In other words, the priests had been eating the Word of God and after digesting the food, they were feeding the people with dung. The priests were teaching the traditions of men-man's interpretation of the Word, or what is left of it after man has processed it internally

Secondly, the prophet had to lie on his left side for 390 days for the House of Israel (Ez. 4:4-5) and another 40 days for the House of Judah (Ez. 4:6). In doing this, the prophet identified with the captivities of both Israel and Judah, in which they would be subjected to the dung of human traditions, rather than any real understanding of the Word of God. Of course, the "remnant of grace" among them would always have a better understanding of God, but as Paul says, "the rest were blinded" (Rom. 11:5-7).

4:13 Then the Lord said, "This is how Israel will eat defiled bread in the Gentile lands to which I will banish them!" Bread is typically associated with Jesus and His Word that sustains us. So here again, we find Israel eating defiled bread or consuming corrupted Scriptures among the Gentiles. I find this very interesting in light of all the Scriptural errors we have been uncovering together this year. I think this hits close to home.

5:4 Then take some of these hairs out and throw them into the fire, burning them up. A fire will then spread from this remnant and destroy all of Israel. The word "remnant" caught my eye here so I checked out NAS: "Take again some of them and throw them into the fire and burn them in the fire; from it a fire will spread to all the house of Israel." It doesn't say "destroy" in this version but just that the fire would spread to the house of Israel. I wonder if this might be a good fire from the remnant, not a truly destructive fire?

5:6 ...but she has rebelled against my regulations and decrees and has been even more wicked than the surrounding nations. She has refused to obey the regulations and decrees I gave her to follow. One of the ways that "Jerusalem" (or Old Jerusalem of the flesh) is considered more wicked than surrounding nations is because she is more accountable for her sins. Since the Israelites were entrusted with the law and hence, knew what God required, they were more accountable to God than the pagan nations around them who were ignorant of God's law. Today, the Church is also more accountable than the nations because we have the law "written in our hearts."

5:12 A third of your people will die in the city from disease and famine. A third of them will be slaughtered by the enemy outside the city walls. And I will scatter a third to the winds, chasing them with my sword. This verse explains the object lesson God asked Ezekiel to do in 5:1-3. And then God repeats Himself as to the judgments in 6:12 (below).

6:8-9 But I will let a few of my people escape destruction, and they will be scattered among the nations of the world. Then when they are exiled among the nations, they will remember me. They will recognize how hurt I am by their unfaithful hearts and lustful eyes that long for their idols. Then at last they will hate themselves for all their detestable sins. I wonder if we believers are a product of those escapees today?

6:12 Disease will strike down those who are far away in exile. War will destroy those who are nearby. And anyone who survives will be killed by famine. I believe these are the same in the end times.

Hebrews

Let us be reminded of our audience: Hebrew believers, and specifically Hebrews 3:1 addresses the audience: Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling... It appears that he is speaking to the "called" who are the aspiring overcomers. This entire passage is devoted to the 1,000-year Millennial Kingdom that had been promised to Israel since the days of Moses.

4:1 (NAS) Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. Paul admonishes that only those who demonstrate their faith through righteous works will inherit the MK. Remember that Paul is not saying these people will lose their salvation, but he is speaking of THE REST-the Sabbath Millennium or the "7^th day." This is where the faithful obedient servants will reign with Christ for 1,000 years in the "better resurrection," spoken about in Hebrews 11 and Revelation 20. It is the reward for faithfulness for certain believers.

4:6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience... Our clue that this is not salvation is that it is an obedience issue. The Jews knew that under the Mosaic Covenant, they could obtain the Promise (Promised Land) for obedience. In the "dress rehearsal" back in the Torah, they missed out on the PL at the "first resurrection" for disobedience and had to wait through 40 years of desert training. They eventually got in on the "2^nd resurrection!"

4:8-9 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Just as the Sabbath day was a limited period of time, so the Sabbath rest is a limited time. I believe the six days correspond to the first 6,000 years since Adam, and the 7^th "day" is coming SOON! Frankly as far as I'm concerned, it can't come soon enough. How can I be so sure this is not salvation we're talking about? Salvation is a free gift of grace, not by works. Check out our next verse:

4:11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.

Psalm

103:30 When you give them your breath, life is created, and you renew the face of the earth. I found it interesting that the word for "earth" (or "ground" in other versions) in the Greek is "adamah" and comes from the word "adam." Also, the word "breath" is the same word for "spirit."

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Today's One Year Bible Reading

Lamentations

3:15-18 (selected) He has filled me with bitterness and given me a bitter cup of sorrow to drink. He has made me chew on gravel. He has rolled me in the dust. Peace has been stripped away...I cry out, "My splendor [NAS: strength] is gone! Everything I had hoped for from the Lord is lost!" I don't know if you have ever been at such a place in your life, but I certainly have. It is indeed a bitter place, but I must say that without it, the following verses (and experiential realities of them) would not have been so comforting and so beautiful, which they were! They were my lifelines in my sorrow, grief, and lost dreams. Below is my testimony in 11 verses:

3:19-30 The thought of my suffering and homelessness [NAS: wandering] is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!"

The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord. And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline: Let them sit alone in silence beneath the Lord's demands. Let them lie face down in the dust, for there may be hope at last. Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them and accept the insults of their enemies.

3:31-33 For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love. For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow. What a novel thought! I wonder how many people actually believe this. YLT says: For the Lord doth not cast off to the age. The article can also mean "for" as in "for the age."

3:37-39 Who can command things to happen without the Lord's permission? Does not the Most High send both calamity and good? Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins? Another great sovereignty passage (is our sovereignty collector getting all these into her collection?). Also another example of God taking responsibility for the goings-on of history, whether good or bad, in order to accomplish His ultimate purposes (which are all for good, see verses above).

3:58-66 A wonderful reminder that vengeance is the Lord's, and He will repay those who mock, curse, persecute, and treat us with contempt. He has not forgotten a single detail, but has recorded them all in His books. That is how I can forgive and forget what my enemies have done, knowing that it is not forgotten by the One who can make it right in the end. I do love the sovereignty slant on verse 65:

3:65 (NAS) You will give them hardness of heart, Your curse will be on them. The Lord will harden their hearts in order to hold them responsible for their sins. However, if we are truly forgiving (in my opinion), we should ultimately WANT these people to repent on this side so that they do not incur the horrors of God's wrath on the other side.

Hebrews

1:2 God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. What a cool, all—encompassing inheritance. Sort of a repeat theme of Colossians 1:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. Col. 1:15-20 For some reason, I never really read this passage. But it basically expounds on the everything in Hebrews 1:2.

1:10-12 (NAS) "YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; THEY WILL PERISH, BUT YOU REMAIN; AND THEY ALL WILL BECOME OLD LIKE A GARMENT, AND LIKE A MANTLE YOU WILL ROLL THEM UP; LIKE A GARMENT THEY WILL ALSO BE CHANGED. BUT YOU ARE THE SAME, AND YOUR YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN END." Anybody notice that today's Hebrews quotes from today's Psalms (the all caps in NAS means it's quoting from OT)?

Psalm

102:25-27 (NAS) "Of old You founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. "Even they will perish, but You endure; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. "But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.

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Lamentations

This book is written by Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, hence the word, "Lamentations." It's not exactly a happy book (no, duh!), but there are some great thoughts expressed!

1:7 In the midst of her sadness and wandering, Jerusalem remembers her ancient splendor. But now she has fallen to her enemy, and there is no one to help her. One thing I find cool now that we have the span of history and the unfolding of prophecy (which they didn't have), is how we can compare and contrast people, places, and things. Contrast the old Jerusalem with the New Jerusalem! It is completely a picture of the redemption process, much like we saw with Babylon a couple days ago. The old Jerusalem of the flesh (sin) has lost her glory, but the New Jerusalem of the Spirit has found all her glory in recapturing what is lost.

1:8-9 Jerusalem has sinned greatly, so she has been tossed away like a filthy rag. ... She defiled herself with immorality and gave no thought to her future. Now she lies in the gutter with no one to lift her out. "Lord, see my misery," she cries. "The enemy has triumphed." Here we see that contrast again of the Jerusalem of the flesh-the once virgin bride that has been discarded because of her immorality. It is apparent why she must be thrown away as a filthy rag. However, in the New Jerusalem, she will be clothed in linen clean and new, restored once again as the virgin Bride of Jesus!

"Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Rev. 19:7-8 Isn't that positively inspiring?

1:14-15, 18 (selected) "He wove my sins into ropes to hitch me to a yoke of captivity. The Lord has trampled his beloved city like grapes are trampled in a winepress. ...The Lord is right," Jerusalem says, "for I rebelled against him." Here Jerusalem is speaking. I love the pictures of the woven ropes of captivity...isn't it true? Also, notice the reference to the grape harvest reserved for the unbelievers and the hypocrites. And in the end, Jerusalem knows she deserves her treatment and accepts responsibility for her punishment.

2:1 The Lord in his anger has cast a dark shadow over beautiful Jerusalem. The fairest of Israel's cities lies in the dust, thrown down from the heights of heaven. In his day of great anger, the Lord has shown no mercy even to his Temple. Compare versions:

(NASB) How the Lord has covered the daughter of Zion With a cloud in His anger! He has cast from heaven to earth The glory of Israel, And has not remembered His footstool In the day of His anger. There are quite a few differences, but the "footstool" being substituted with "Temple" seems like a significant change.

2:3-4 He consumes the whole land of Israel like a raging fire. ...His fury is poured out like fire on beautiful Jerusalem. By the way, it's bugging me that NLT keeps using "beautiful Jerusalem" instead of the Greek "daughter of Zion." It seems quite slanted. But reading these verses today, I had an interesting thought. If things in the natural world are to teach us about the spiritual realm (which they do), I wonder what we can learn about fire? In the natural world, fire only burns as long as there is something to consume. Fire must be fed. Some things do not burn in fire, like metals (only the impurities in the metals), glass, rocks, etc. Other things burn at different rates. But once the consumable part of the item in the fire is gone, the fire goes out.

For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down. Pr. 26:20

Behold, I am making My words in your mouth fire and this people wood, and it will consume them. Jer. 5:14

Most of the idols in the OT are described as wood, whereas God is described as a consuming fire. I wonder, since Egypt is the land of slavery to sin, if this verse is describing the works of man in their sin (before the work of Christ): So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. Ex. 5:12

For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1 Cor. 3:11-15

2:6-8 (check out the verses on sovereignty): He has broken down his Temple as though it were merely a garden shelter (6). The Lord has rejected his own altar; he despises his own sanctuary. He has given Jerusalem's palaces to her enemies (7). The Lord was determined to destroy the walls of beautiful Jerusalem. He made careful plans for their destruction, then did what he had planned. Therefore, the ramparts and walls have fallen down before him. How did He do it? He used armies from other nations (namely the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Egyptians)! He used captivity and destruction. People get so bent out of shape these days if you even suggest that "God did it," yet time and again, I see Him taking full responsibility for ALL of the goings-on of His-story! It's not for pointless punishment, but to accomplish "The Plan."

2:11-22 The siege of 587 B.C. I did a little study tonight and found some interesting historical facts. I have always thought Jeremiah was prophesying about a future siege, but it turns out he was describing one shortly after he lived through it! The siege of which he writes took place from 589-587, and Lamentations was written in 586. Of course there was another siege in 70 AD, but this is not what Jeremiah was writing about. As far as I could tell, these were the two main sieges of Jerusalem in history.

2:14 Your prophets have said so many foolish things, false to the core. They did not save you from exile by pointing out your sins. Instead, they painted false pictures, filling you with false hope. I have always said that prophets that speak blessing and peace only are usually false! People are sinful through and through, so a true prophet always has plenty of doom and gloom to declare. But if they declare blessings alone, they are not doing anyone any favors.

2:15 All who pass by jeer at you. They scoff and insult beautiful Jerusalem, saying, "Is this the city called ‘Most Beautiful in All the World' and ‘Joy of All the Earth'?" It will be again one day (only not the same literal Jerusalem but the spiritual one)! It will be the difference between man's version of beauty and God's version of beauty. No comparison.

2:17 (NASB) The LORD has done what He purposed; He has accomplished His word Which He commanded from days of old. He has thrown down without sparing, And He has caused the enemy to rejoice over you; He has exalted the might of your adversaries. Again, we see God taking credit for this event "just as He purposed."

2:18 Cry aloud before the Lord, O walls of [the daughter of Zion]! Let your tears flow like a river day and night. Give yourselves no rest; give your eyes no relief. This "no rest day and night" made me think of a verse in Revelation:

"...and the smoke of their torment [Greek "basanismos": a testing by the touchstone, which is a black siliceous stone used to test the purity of gold or silver by the color of the streak produced on it by rubbing it with either metal] doth go up to ages of ages; and they have no rest day and night, who are bowing before the beast and his image, also if any doth receive the mark of his name.  Rev. 14:11 (YLT)  Notice that the Greek is in present tense of those worshiping the beast. I don't know what this means exactly...if it is describing them in the ages now and later, or if they will be worshiping the beast in the lake of fire.

2:20 "O Lord, think about this! Should you treat your own people this way? Should mothers eat their own children, those they once bounced on their knees? NAS says, "The little ones who were born healthy." Either way, I can't even imagine being that desperate that a mother would consider such a thing!

2:21 (NAS) You have slain them in the day of Your anger, You have slaughtered, not sparing. NLT says, "without mercy." Quite a difference from the gleeful damnation folks over at NLT.

Philemon

1:15-16 (NAS) For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother... This verse brought me great comfort over my sister who left the family to join a cult. She is currently a slave, but someday will be a beloved sister in a deeper way than ever. Perhaps this is how we should view all of our prodigals!

Psalm

101:6-8 My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; He who walks in a blameless way is the one who will minister to me. He who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who speaks falsehood shall not maintain his position before me. Every morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land, So as to cut off from the city of the LORD all those who do iniquity. I couldn't help but see the Messianic (MK) prophecy in this passage!

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Jeremiah

50:2 Tell the whole world, and keep nothing back. Raise a signal flag to tell everyone that Babylon will fall! Her images and idols will be shattered. As you read these verses about Babylon, realize that they are likely prophesying the demise of the spiritual Babylon mentioned in Revelation. It is a world system in Revelation, but I personally do not believe it is literally the city (even though it is being built up again, I still think the prophecies are in spiritual context for what Babylon represents). Don't forget that Babylon and Egypt are pretty much where all the pagan worship and idols began (WAY back in Genesis!). So I think Jeremiah is prophesying that Babylon with all of her idols will finally be destroyed by the Kingdom of Jesus.

50:4-5 "In those coming days," says the Lord, "the people of Israel will return home together with the people of Judah. They will come weeping and seeking the Lord their God. They will ask the way to Jerusalem and will start back home again. They will bind themselves to the Lord with an eternal covenant that will never be forgotten."

50:20 In those days," says the Lord, "no sin will be found in Israel or in Judah, for I will forgive the remnant I preserve." He must be speaking of spiritual Israel and Judah here, since He uses the word "remnant."

50:23 Babylon, the mightiest hammer in all the earth, lies broken and shattered. Babylon is desolate among the nations! Can you imagine living in a world where there is no spiritual harlotry, idols, habit sins, or greed?

50:37-39 (selected) The sword will strike [Babylon's] treasures, and they all will be plundered. The sword will even strike her water supply, causing it to dry up. And why? Because the whole land is filled with idols, and the people are madly in love with them. ...Never again will people live there; it will lie desolate forever. Remember this is spiritual Babylon. Never again will be live in this  terrible captivity to our sinful fleshly temptations/desires. We will be free at last! No more battle over the flesh. Whew...I can't wait!

50:44 "I will come like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan, leaping on the sheep in the pasture. I will chase Babylon from its land, and I will appoint the leader of my choice. For who is like me, and who can challenge me? What ruler can oppose my will?" This is the exact prophecy we saw yesterday about Moab (49:19)!

50:46 The earth will shake with the shout, "Babylon has been taken!" and its cry of despair will be heard around the world. Yeehaw! Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven! This will be a MIGHTY event-breaking the power of Babylon over the world! That is why the earth will shake.

Titus

1:1-3 This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life (life during the age), which God-who does not lie-promised them before the world began (before the times of the ages).

There are several important clues in this passage. Paul said he has been sent to the "chosen." Not even to all believers, but to the chosen (those who will overcome and rule and reign with Christ during the MK). This makes the next part of the verse make perfect sense: so that they will have confidence of "life during the age" (MK) which was promised to His overcomers before the ages. I have often heard that the Bible is a book written to and about the chosen. When you keep these glasses on, it makes so much more sense! Truths become illuminated. Remember this is not about being chosen for salvation, but for a "special salvation" and reward of the first resurrection ahead of those who are not overcomers. As far as I can tell, all believers are called to be chosen, but only those who respond to the call are truly included. For more on the two resurrections, check out my latest blog entry.

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