Ezekiel 23:40 – 35:15
Overview
Day 61 through the bible in 90 days brings us to the fall of Jerusalem and the beginning of the exile for the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Ezekiel 24 tells the parable of the cooking pot and also reveals to us that the prophet Ezekiel was married and his wife dies the very same day as the fall of the city. Her death served as a sign of death for Jerusalem. Ezekiel prophesies condemnation to the nations of Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, and Egypt. Ezekiel learns from God that he must speak out against the sin and wrongdoing of the people. If he does not and the person dies, Ezekiel will be held accountable to the Lord for his death.
Scripture Ezekiel 24:14
14 “‘I the LORD have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will not have pity, nor will I relent. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declares the Sovereign LORD.’”
Observation
God keeps his promise to the people of Jerusalem. After many warnings through the prophets, Judah is overrun by the Babylonians and many people died or were carried off to exile. God had had enough and would hold back no longer. The judgment of their disobedience would be based on their behavior and their deeds. It is to late for the people to repent and escape the judgment.
Application
Just like the people of Judah, we all have choices to heed to God’s call. In the case of the Israelites, they rejected God’s word. They did not follow his commands. Instead, they sinned against Him. The Bible says in Romans 3:23 that all of us have sinned. Therefore, we bring judgment upon ourselves. But, God has provided a way for us to be made right before God. His Son Jesus Christ died for our sins and took our blame. Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul said “if you say with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Just like Moses and the Prophets were used by God to speak to the Israelites, His Holy scriptures were written “God Breathed” for us. His instructions for us to respond to Him are found in the Bible. So, the question might be asked “how can we be saved if we have not seen or heard God?”. The answer is “God has spoken to us through His Word”. We have a choice and will be judged by God. Accept God’s gift = life. Reject God’s gift = death. One day we will be held accountable for our choice and we won’t be able to change our decision. We will have already been judged.
Prayer
Lord I pray that each person who hears your Word will choose life and accept your free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
