For seven months the Israelites will be burying them in order to cleanse the land. – Ezekiel 39:12

Today's Scripture Reading (August 22, 2023): Ezekiel 39

I have constantly reminded Christian leaders in my circle of influence that the standards God will use with us will be higher than what is expected of someone just participating with us. And I think that the reason is justified. As a leader, you can never lead anyone in your circle of influence to a place you haven't gone to yourself. As Christians who seek to lead those around us to Christ, we need to know the way to the destination before we can ever lead people there.

But the Christian Church has a serious problem. We have been infiltrated by counterfeits who are only in the game for the money they can get from us. I have friends who believe that that is true of all of Christianity, but that is also a lie. But counterfeits are walking among us. Usually, they lead large ministries, and they beg us for money either to destroy some imagined bogeyman that is corrupting our society or so that God will return his blessing to us by healing our diseases. But they are lying. They have never made the journey to Christ, so they don't know how to take us there.

Ezekiel prophesies of a war between Magog and Israel. A lot of ink has been spilled trying to decipher who Gog and Magog might be. And it usually ends up being the bad boys of the day, whatever flavor that might be.

According to Ezekiel, the winner of the war between Israel and Magog will be Israel. On that day, the dead will be many. But God has shown Ezekiel a different ending from the one he just witnessed in his vision of the dry bones and in Jerusalem at the city's fall. Babylon destroyed the Holy City, and the dead were left where they had fallen. The animals had eaten the flesh, and bugs, sand, and wind had cleaned the bones. The area surrounding Jerusalem had become a horror scene, much like the Valley of Dry Bones. Leaving the soldiers unburied and open to the effects of nature was one way of dishonoring the bodies of opposing soldiers.

But with the war against Magog, Israel would win the war and then spend seven months burying the bodies of the deceased Magog soldiers. Yes, there was an element of needing to do this to cleanse the land, but part of cleaning the land meant honoring the bodies of soldiers who had fought against Israel. It was not the normal thing to do, but Israel was leading the world to a place it had never been and teaching them how to honor our enemies in a time of war and death.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Daniel 3

I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land. Ezekiel 38:12

Today's Scripture Reading (August 21, 2023): Ezekiel 38

The World Map, as we commonly picture it, is actually wrong. The map I had hanging in my bedroom as a kid was a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional image. And that is hard to reproduce accurately. As a result of the transcription from three to two dimensions and our bias about what is important and unimportant, a map often shows a northern hemisphere that is larger than it is and, therefore, a smaller southern hemisphere. And thus, in our minds, the South is of less importance.

Often, what we think is important is also placed at the center of our rendering. A map centered on Alaska looks very different from one centered on New Zealand. And the size of whatever is at the center of our image is also exaggerated.

God says that his people will live at the center of the land, or this idea could be literally translated as "the navel of the earth." When we talk about the center of a globe, that place could be anywhere. In our current society, we often believe that the United States, or maybe the nations of Europe or China, exists at the center. But that wasn't the belief with which the Bible was written. According to Rabbinic literature, just as the navel was the center of the human body, Israel was the center of the world. It was the starting place from which everything came. But more than that, Jerusalem was the center of Israel, the Temple was the center of Jerusalem, the Holy Place was the center of the Temple, and the Ark of the Covenant was the center of the Holy Place.

For Ezekiel, it doesn't matter that none of these things existed anymore. Israel, Jerusalem, the Temple, the Holy Place, and the Ark of the Covenant were all gone. As hard as it was to imagine, everything that had existed at the center of the world had been destroyed. Now, Ezekiel saw a different group of people living at the naval of earth, but Ezekiel says that God would never accept these people. Instead, God would wait until the day when his people would return to the center of the land.

Today, Israel has returned. Jerusalem exists, although the central nature of David's City is, at least politically, in question. But there is no Temple, no Holy Place, and no Ark. But maybe someday, those will return as well, making Jerusalem once again the center of the earth.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 39

The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. – Ezekiel 37:1

Today's Scripture Reading (August 20, 2023): Ezekiel 37

On December 30, 1916, Grigori Rasputin was murdered. Rasputin was a Russian mystic and holy man who is probably best remembered as a friend of the family of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of the Russian Empire. Rasputin had many enemies, and folklore says there had been many attempts to kill him with poison, and he was once even stabbed, an event that took place on July 12, 1914. But these attempts failed and increased the rumor that Rasputin was immortal. But on December 30, 1916, he was finally stopped by a bullet in the head. The conspirators then wrapped Rasputin's body in a blanket and dropped the mystic into a river. But on January 1, 1917, his body was found and given an honorable burial the next day. Plans were also made to build a church over the grave of Rasputin, further honoring the mystic.

But that church was never built. His enemies and the enemies of Russia's First Family dug up Rasputin's body after Nicholas II abdicated from the throne in March 1917. What was left of Rasputin was then burned and scattered so that no one could use his grave as a rallying point for a counter-revolution. But maybe the deeper reason for the desecration of his corpse was that they didn't want to give honor to Rasputin. For many of our societies, especially in the past, burial was part of giving honor to the one who has died. Admittedly, with the popularity of cremation, that attitude is slowly changing.

God leads Ezekiel in a vision to a valley of bones. The valley was full of bones, which likely means that they covered the ground. There was no place where the prophet could step where bones were not underfoot. It was a vision given to Ezekiel by God, but it may have had a real-world origin. The vision might have roots in Ezekiel's memory of the Israelite dead he saw outside of Jerusalem or along the desert road that Ezekiel and his compatriots were forced to travel as they went into exile.

But the fact that they were just left on the ground means that these bodies had not been given the honor of a burial. An unburied corpse left to suffer the effects of the weather and the attention of the carrion eaters has the height of disgrace in Near Eastern culture. It was an unthinkable response to the death of someone. And as Ezekiel looked at the bones in this valley, they had obviously been denied the honor of a burial, and therefore they now suffered in shame.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 38

This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The enemy said of you, "Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession."' – Ezekiel 36:2

Today's Scripture Reading (August 19, 2023): Ezekiel 36

In times of crisis, we develop songs that often tell an aspirational story or maybe even make fun of the enemy. And sometimes, it is interesting to look back at the musical record we left behind during those times. These musical tributes reflect the hopes and dreams as well as the struggles of the people living in desperate times. World War II was one of those times, and we have an incredible list of songs we can listen to that can take us back to what life was like during the war. One example of those songs might be "Mr. Hitler" by Huddle Ledbetter, better known as Lead Belly. Lead Belly was a folk and blues singer of that era, and he wrote;

You ain't no iron; you ain't no solid rock.
You ain't no iron; you ain't no solid rock.
But we American people say "Mr. Hitler, you is got to stop!"

We're gonna tear Hitler down; we're gonna tear Hitler down.
We're gonna tear Hitler down someday.
We're gonna bring him to the ground; we're gonna bring him to the ground.
We're gonna bring him to the ground someday.

The song speaks of the aspirations of a people. The lyrics also talk about the crime. Another verse proclaims, "Hitler started out in nineteen-hundred-and-thirty-two. When he started out, he took the homes from the Jews" A full accounting of the Holocaust was likely unknown at the time that Lead Belly wrote the song, but he refers to the seeds of the sin and what he knows in his lyrics."

At other times, battle songs are written that are sung as the soldiers move into battle. Sometimes it is nothing more than a family name shouted as the men join the fight. But the battle cry raised the soldiers' pride as they entered the battle fray.

Ezekiel is essentially speaking of a battle cry here. "The ancient heights have become our possession" was a phrase that the enemies of Israel repeated as they ran into battle. It spoke of an aspirational desire; the land once occupied by Israel was now open to be taken by her neighbors. But Ezekiel reminds his audience of something else. The people of Israel may have been taken into captivity, but the land was far from empty. God was still there, and what happened to the land and mountains of Israel was still under his control, and he was the one who would always be in possession of the ancient heights and all the land that was once Israel. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 37

Because you rejoiced when the inheritance of Israel became desolate, that is how I will treat you. You will be desolate, Mount Seir, you and all of Edom. Then they will know that I am the LORD.'" – Ezekiel 35:15

Today's Scripture Reading (August 18, 2023): Ezekiel 35

In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the Twin Towers, I made some unpopular statements that I still stand behind. At that time, I spoke of the eventual arrest of Osama Bin Laden and the knowledge of the trial and likely execution of the Islamic leader and said that that day could not be a day of rejoicing for the people of God. As bad as Bin Laden's crimes were, I stressed that he was still a child of God, and as such, we should mourn his coming demise. As the news of Osama Bin Laden's death was revealed on May 2, 2011, I did mourn the passing of the leader, not because I agreed with him in any way, but because a child of God was gone; he had paid the ultimate price for his sin, and there was the knowledge that none of this had to happen,

You are allowed to disagree with me, but I wonder if we will be held responsible for our joy over the demise of sinners. Ezekiel makes it clear that those nations who rejoiced over the end of Israel, a death that had happened as a direct result of Israel's sin, are to be severely judged. But is this just a response to Israel, or are we playing with fire whenever we celebrate the retribution of God over people who have wronged us?

I lean toward the latter. Jesus's instruction to Nicodemus included that famous quote that most of us memorized as children.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him (John 3:16-17).

What if God loves Israel, but he also loves the rest of us too? What if God also loves Osama Bin Laden and other bogey men of our contemporary culture? What if God loves the person but hates the sin? Undoubtedly, our iniquities carry us toward death, but God believes that that is a reason for his people to mourn, not celebrate.

Maybe I am reaching, but I don't think so. Our first reaction to sin should be to mourn for those who find themselves within its grasp because we are all the children of God. And God loves those caught in sin as much as he loves us and Israel. And whenever we rejoice over the demise of sinners, we sin against the love of God, and we might have to pay the price for that sin alongside nations like Edom.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 36

I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken. – Ezekiel 34:24

Today's Scripture Reading (August 17, 2023): Ezekiel 34

One of the earliest pieces of scripture that most of us memorized was the "Shepherd's Psalm," a Psalm that begins with the words, "The Lord is my Shepherd." The Psalm was written by David, possibly at a relatively young age. It is not hard to imagine a young David protecting the sheep on the pasture, caring for the flock, and recognizing that the same care he gives to the sheep that has been entrusted to him, God is giving to him. Being a shepherd, in the mind of David, is an active pursuit, and God is actively protecting him on the hillside just as he protects his sheep.

When David became King of Israel, he seemed to adopt the idea of being a shepherd as the job description of the King. King David would be the shepherd of Israel. He would protect his people just as he had protected the sheep on the hillside during his youth.

Ezekiel seems to pick up this theme of the shepherds as he looks at the Israel of his day. But Ezekiel argues that Israel's shepherds have failed the sheep. They have become distracted, allowing some sheep to become fat while others are starving. They were following their own goals and ignoring the needs of the sheep. But Ezekiel saw a day coming when God would come to fix the situation with the return of David.

Most scholars seem to interpret passages like this one as a prophecy of the coming Messiah. Jesus became the presence of God, who walked among us. He was the good shepherd, the one that we needed. But not everyone is sure about that interpretation. And part of the argument is that if Ezekiel or other prophets meant the Messiah, why invoke the name of David? Why did Ezekiel not say "the Messiah" or even "the one like David." But Ezekiel seems to be clear. It is David who will return to shepherd Israel. And he adds another descriptor in this passage; it is not King David who will return but Prince David. Maybe it is important to note that David was never the Prince of Israel. He was a General in King Saul's army, an outlaw chased and persecuted by King Saul, and then became King. But there was never a time when he was Prince.

But if we are talking about the actual David who ruled over Israel after the death of Saul, he could not come back as King. That title would belong to Jesus, the Messiah. At best, David would be a prince in the kingdom of the Messiah. He would be a shepherd under the command of "The Good Shepherd." And it is with this recognition that Ezekiel speaks of Prince David, a David who would serve in the administration led by King Jesus, that have some questioning if Ezekiel is really speaking of the return of David in this passage.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 35

When I say to the wicked, 'You wicked person, you will surely die,' and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. – Ezekiel 33:8

Today's Scripture Reading (August 16, 2023): Ezekiel 33

Laws are interesting realities in human life. And some laws, like the laws of nature, simply happen. If I drop a coin off a tall tower, the forces acting on that coin as it tumbles toward the earth are consistent. Every time I drop the coin, the coin behaves in a specific way according to the laws of nature. If all the conditions remain the same, including windspeed and the way the coin is dropped, the result will be the same. Nature's laws don't change according to our interpretation of the law, and what happens once will always occur as long as the circumstances remain stable. 

Human laws aren't quite so set. My first brush with the law was for a speeding infraction on a highway as I was heading into the city for a night with friends. I was a teenager at the time, and it was a significant moment for me. That first brush with the law did not result in a ticket, although admittedly, others have. But that first circumstance resulted in grace given to me by the officer. He left me with a warning. Don't speed, or the next time you will receive a fine. Actually, my most recent brush with the law, for rolling through a stop sign, also resulted in a warning. The officer commented that my driving record revealed that I was a good driver, and good driving should have consequences, so he decided not to give me a ticket. In both cases, I admittedly didn't complain. I was happy to receive grace instead of a fine.

Human laws are like that. The lawgiver is not the one who imposes the penalty. That task is given to mediators, who decide whether punishment is required or whether grace should be given. And most of us have received both the penalty and the grace.

God's laws are also subject to mediators. And according to Ezekiel, that is where a portion of God's grace lies; with the mediators. When God's law has been broken, his mediator is to give a warning. It is the grace of the moment. The penalty has not been incurred yet, but if the behavior continues, then there will be a reaction to our wrongdoing. But for now, there is a moment of grace. The warning becomes a pause between the violation of the law and the prescribed punishment. It is a chance for the guilty to change their behavior.

But God goes a step further and tells Ezekiel that if his mediator chooses not to extend that moment of grace, the punishment will come on the guilty, but God will hold the mediator responsible. We will share in the guilt because we have heard the warning of God but chose not to extend the grace of the warning and have allowed the guilty to fall into their punishment without a chance to change their behavior. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 34