SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/2/2015
10:28 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Two
Eagles and Three Shoots PT-4
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Ezekiel
17:22-24
Message
of the verses: We will be looking
at the last, and probably the most important sub-point in this section of
chapter seventeen of Ezekiel.
Messiah
the King (Ezekiel 17:22-24): “22 Thus says the Lord GOD, "I will also
take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and set it out; I will pluck from
the topmost of its young twigs a tender one and I will plant it on a high and
lofty mountain. 23 “On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may
bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a stately cedar. And birds of
every kind will nest under it; they will nest in the shade of its branches. 24
“All the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD; I bring down the high
tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.
I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will perform it."”
The reason that I say that this is
the most important part of this chapter is that it speaks of the Lord Jesus
Christ, as this section prophecies of His coming and what He will accomplish
when He comes to planet earth.
I have mentioned on different
occasions of what the false prophets have said about why they felt that the
Lord would not destroy Jerusalem and the temple, and their reasons were first
of all was that Israel was God’s chosen people.
Next they were saying that because of the covenant that God gave to
David that He would not destroy them.
However God had said through His prophets that He would destroy
Jerusalem and the temple because of their sin.
Now I want to quote a verse from the book of Hosea which prophesies that
God would do this, but it also says more:
“4 For the sons of
Israel will remain for many days without king or prince, without
sacrifice or sacred pillar and without ephod or household idols. 5 Afterward
the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their
king; and they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.” Hosea is prophesying that God would take away
the king from them and also that in the last days the hearts of the children of
Israel will again turn to the Lord.
This, of course has not happened as of yet, but we do see that as of May
of 1948 that the Lord has brought Israel back into their land, and just as Zachariah
foretold in his book that Zec. 12:2 “Behold,
I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when
they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.” All you have to do is to look at what is
going on in Israel today, as they are surrounded by their enemies who all want
to completely destroy them, and yet the Lord has promised to protect them and
will not only protect them, but will bring their Messiah back to rule and reign
from Jerusalem for 1000 years.
Now after the last king, King Zedekiah died in
Babylon it did seem like the Davidic line of kings had ended, but as we saw in
Hosea’s prophecy it did not end, and after seventy years of captivity Cyrus who
was the king of the Medes and Persians allowed the Jews return to their
country. Now Isaiah prophesized this in
the 44th and 45th chapter of his book as God called Cyrus
before he was born and even named him to accomplish this feat. I do believe that it was Daniel who showed
Cyrus this prophecy and perhaps even encouraged him to allow the people to
leave Babylon. Now if you look at the genealogy
of our Lord in both Matthew and Luke you will find that the kingly line,
although not in power still existed throughout the 400 years of Israel being in
their land even though they did not have sovereign control of it. Israel still
kept records of the people who were in the kingly line which are seen in the
two Gospels mentioned.
It is in verse 22 that we see Ezekiel speak of a
tender shoot that would be planted in the land of Israel where it would grow
and become a great kingdom. “The ‘shoot’
is the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who came from the stem of Jesse and one day will
establish His glorious kingdom on earth.”
(Warren Wiersbe)
Dr. Wiersbe finishes his commentary on this section
with these words: “It was a dark day for the people of Israel, but when the day
is darkest, the Lord’s promises shine the brightest. God’s people today need to take heed to this
prophetic Word, which is a light that shines in our dark world (2 Peter 1:19). Just as Jesus fulfilled prophecy and came the
first time to die for the sins of the world, so He will the second time and
reign over His righteous kingdom. The
tender ‘shoot’ of David will be the might monarch, the King of kings and Lord
of lords.”
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: It was because of this hope that is spoken of
in this section of Ezekiel 17 that I was brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus
Christ almost 41 years ago, and I still very much enjoy studying about what
will happen in the end times, of which I believe is close to happening. It is also because of this hope that I want to
begin another study on the book of Revelations, a more intense study that I did
before, and my hope is to begin it this month.
I am not sure how this will go along with my study in the book of
Ezekiel, for it will be difficult to do one chapter of Revelations each month
while study also the book of Ezekiel, but by God’s grace and help to better
understand the book of Revelations I will set out to do this.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I desire to
love the Lord more than before, and I desire to believe more in the love that
the Lord has for me. I do not want to be
like Eve who did not believe that the Lord loved her as He did with a wonderful
kind of unconditional love, but she instead believed the lie of Satan and I do
not want to do that.
Memory
verses for the week: 2 Peter 1:5-7.
5
Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply
moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your
knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your
perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in
your brotherly kindness, love.
Answer
to yesterday’s Bible question: “The left
all and followed Him” (Luke 5:11).
Today’s
Bible question: “Who said ‘The Sabbath
was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath’?”
Answer
in our next SD.
1/2/2015
11:17 AM
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