Ezekiel – Page 93 – I'm Following Jesus

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Monday, August 27, 2018
Chapters: Ezekiel 1-4
Message: Representing Christ

Hello My Friend,

The Book of Ezekiel contains forty-eight chapters, the author of the book is Ezekiel and it was written to Israel. The timeline for these events took place approximately between 590BC to 570BC. The purpose of the book was to inform the Jews of the events that would take place during and after their captivity. The Book of Ezekiel is a complete covering of what will happen to the children of God, saved Jews and Gentiles, scattered around the world today. What we are to learn from the book is that God orders historical events so that all nations will know that He is God. “Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.” – Ezekiel 38:23.

As you begin studying the Bible you discover something, people during Old Testament times heard the same message as we do today. Besides the Book of Revelation, perhaps the most complex book next to it is Ezekiel, that is because they are almost identical to each other, further proof that the author of the Bible is God Himself who directed these men to speak from two opposite eras. Ezekiel was one of the Jews sent into captivity to Babylon, he was one of the few Godly priests as those were very rare to find in those days. Right after they were sent into Babylon, God came to Ezekiel with a very peculiar vision, in this vision he sees a mythical looking creature with four different heads, wings, and wheels.

“Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went. Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.” – Ezekiel 1:5-6,10,12,15-16,19-20.

“for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.” The wheels of the creature itself represents the likeness of Jesus Christ in which we are to conform to. A heads were of a mans face, a lion, an ox, and an eagle, man’s face, being created in the image of God, represents the likeness of Christ, which means we have the ability to speak His language, to know right from wrong, and to make choices (freewill). The lion, being the strongest and king of the beasts represents the strength of Christ, our King. The ox, the biggest and strongest of cattle, yet very gentle, represents the meekness of Christ. And the eagle, who gets its strength from its eyes, it can see sharply and clearly, able to look straight into the sun, represents the eyes of Christ that are on His people. It is the Holy Spirit that indwells in the believer who teaches them to conform into the likeness of Christ. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” – Romans 12:1,2.

We may not have all the answers or understand many of the things that are going on in the world today, but as Christians we need not fear what is to come because God is in control. He loves His children and yes, with God’s love comes trials, tribulations, sickness, and even famine, but no matter what we are going through, no matter what we have done, no matter what we will do in the future, nothing will separate the born again believer from their God. Now, as God speaks to Ezekiel, if you read carefully you will see that God is actually speaking to someone else also, His Son, and He is sending Him to speak to the children of Israel.

“And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee. And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me. And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day. And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee. And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein; And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.” – Ezekiel 2:1-3,6-10.

“I send thee to the children of Israel,” God sent His Son to preach the Gospel to Israel first, He knew some would listen, but the majority would not, but was still called to warn them of the judgment they faced. Think about it, Ezekiel was among thousands of Jews living comfortably in Babylon, Babylon would be destroyed after their seventy years of captivity would be lifted. God was warning them to get out of there as soon as the seventy years were up before they got caught up in it. Today, Babylon is a picture of the world, it will be destroyed, if we do not know Christ personally as our Saviour than we will be destroyed along with it. God calls all who are saved to preach the Gospel to the world, yes, they are most rebellious, but we are still called to warn them of what is to come. God is always with us, and believe it or not, He will direct His people to the lost, and it is our duty to tell them of Jesus. God instructs Ezekiel on how to speak to Israel, still speaking to Jesus also, He reveals to him that He will be the watchman who will send the judgment warning message to all Israel.

“Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.” – Ezekiel 3:17-21.

“also thou hast delivered thy soul.” It is not our works of righteousness that saves our soul from eternal death, it is believing in the sinless death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that saves us. There is none righteous apart from Christ, which is why He only saves those who admit they are sinners. We can do this because God fills every saved soul with His Spirit, He touches us and teaches us how to speak His words, just like Jesus. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” – John 16:13-14.

We can also expect through calamities for our faith to be tried, not to see if we are going to fall, but rather trust God through them. To try the faith of the captives who regarded Jerusalem with affection, and to rebuke the presumption of those false prophets, who expected a speedy return to it. Ezekiel was sent to represent the siege of Jerusalem and Judah by signs. “Moreover take thou unto thee an iron pan, and set it for a wall of iron between thee and the city: and set thy face against it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it. This shall be a sign to the house of Israel. Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity. For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.” – Ezekiel 4:3-6.

“For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity,” The number of years they forsook God and lived in sin were four hundred and thirty, this number traces us back from the year that Judah was sieged by Nebuzaradan in 584 BC, all the way back to the time that Jeroboam led them away from God through his idolatrous calves he made in 975 BC. “Beginning from 1 Kings 12:33 and ending with Jeremiah 52:30.” The destruction of a nation does not happen over night, it progresses slowly over time through the sins of the world. We who are saved have the responsibility to tell those God lays upon our hearts about Jesus, and let me tell you, if we do not, their death will haunt us until the day we die. We are not responsible to make all we talk to believe, even God cannot make someone believe in His Son, but we are responsible to tell all whom God lays upon our heart to do so. “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.” – I John 5:10-12,16.

Jesus Christ Magnified: “As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.” – Ezekiel 1:28.

Today’s Prayer: God, All the signs in the world today indicate that Jesus can come at any moment, and You have given us the knowledge to know the Gospel and be saved from the judgment that will take place. Thank You for sending Jesus to save us. Lord, give us Your power, make us more like Christ, help us to be bold, yet gentle in reaching the lost, give us a passion to preach the Gospel to every person You lay on our heart, keep us safe and protected as we follow Your command to tell all the Good News. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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