Freedom For Today

Ezekiel 4:5-6 – “I am requiring you to bear Israel’s sins for 390 days—one day for each year of their sin. After that, turn over and lie on your right side for 40 days—one day for each year of Judah’s sin.”

Read the full chapter here.

I knew I would get to a point at which I wondered if writing a daily devotional through Ezekiel was a good idea. Well, we’re only in chapter 4 and it’s a tough one. God has a message for Israel, and it isn’t pretty. What’s worse, Ezekiel has to act the whole thing out for over a year. (If you have ever heard of Ezekiel bread, the recipe comes from this chapter. Not so warm and fuzzy now. Let’s just say Ezekiel wasn’t going to Whole Foods to get his all natural bread…)

Israel was divided into two kingdoms: Israel in the north and Judah in the south. They had rebelled against God for a combined total of 430 years. Ezekiel is now communicating to them that they need to repent. He has to lay on one side of his body (first his left, then his right) for 430 days, eating only whole grain bread. His main objection: he wants to be able to use the standard cow dung for fuel in the cooking fire rather than God’s idea of human dung. Yeah, you read that right.

Here’s your freedom for today:

God will go to great lengths to win you back.

While this may seem like cruel and unusual punishment, particularly for poor Ezekiel, God’s heart was to get his people back. They had rebelled against him for generations, through many evil kings that had divided the kingdom and led the people astray. God wants to get his people’s attention, and he’s finding some unusual ways to do it through his prophet Ezekiel. As I’ve said already, other prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and many others you can read in the Old Testament had to carry out similar instructions. It is important for us to keep in mind that all of this is building to the coming Messiah: Jesus. The people must understand their sin before they can understand their need for a Savior.

Ezekiel 3:10-11 – “Then he added, “Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself. Then go to your people in exile and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Do this whether they listen to you or not.”

Read the full chapter here.

Yesterday we learned that God’s instructions will always benefit us, and right away in this chapter we get a surprise. The scroll God told Ezekiel to eat tasted like honey! An important reminder that God can turn anything bitter into something sweet. I find today’s highlighted verses to be so beautiful: “Let all my words sink keep into your own heart first.” Just in case you thought God was simply using Ezekiel as a tool, he starts with a reminder that the heart changing begins with Ezekiel.

Ezekiel is told to speak to the stubborn Israelites, who will not listen. They are in rebellion against God. By the end of the chapter, God has Ezekiel tied up in a room with his tongue glued to the roof of his mouth. The only time his tongue will come loose is when he shares God’s messages with the people.

Here’s your freedom for today:

Human response is not the measure of spiritual success.

God tells Ezekiel that the people will not listen. They will not receive the message. This is similar to what God told Moses about the Egyptian Pharaoh who would refuse to free the Israelites from slavery. God isn’t judging Ezekiel on whether or not the people listen. He’s judged on whether or not he delivers the message. No pressure, but if he doesn’t give them God’s warnings then their deaths are on his hands. It’s an important distinction — Ezekiel is the messenger, but he is not the savior. That’s true of you as well. Who do you need to have a hard spiritual conversation with? What truths do you need to tell others in love? How can you let go of their response and just do whatever it is God has told you to do?

Ezekiel 2:8 – “Son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not join them in their rebellion. Open your mouth, and eat what I give you.”

Read the full chapter here.

As you will continue to see in the book of Ezekiel, the life of a prophet is not easy. (Read Jeremiah sometime too, he had some pretty weird assignments!) Our highlighted verse today is a challenge to Ezekiel: Listen. Resist the rebellion around you. Obey.

When you make a decision to follow Jesus, you are giving up your life. You surrender your desires and choose to seek God’s supernatural wisdom and power in your life. Different things matter. New things become important. The world around you is no longer where you fit in.

Here’s your freedom for today:

God’s instructions always benefit you and others.

As hard as Ezekiel’s life was as a prophet, and as challenging as it is for us to live a set apart life today, it’s worth it. God will lead you into better things. Ezekiel is going to be asked to do some crazy stuff. (Spoiler alert: God tells him to eat a scroll…). However, God’s instructions were important. They gave Ezekiel direct connection with God. They gave the people of Israel a chance at a new start. If you think in the supernatural and eternal realms, you will always do better listening to God instead of tuning him out. How do you need to show obedience to God today?

Ezekiel 1:4 – “As I looked, I saw a great storm coming from the north, driving before it a huge cloud that flashed with lightning and shone with brilliant light. There was fire inside the cloud, and in the middle of the fire glowed something like gleaming amber.”

Read the full chapter here.

The Holy Spirit is stirring me to explore the book of Ezekiel, a complicated book in the Old Testament following the life and ministry of the prophet Ezekiel. I believe that God is speaking to us today through these ancient words. I have felt led to take us through this book one chapter per day, highlighting one verse per day. I encourage you to read the entire chapter each day, and as you do, simply connect with the reality that we have a supernatural faith. If things seem confusing, that makes sense. There is significant mystery in who God is and how he speaks.

Today let’s notice the imagery of fire and clouds. Ezekiel has a vision of a storm coming, and it’s no ordinary storm. There is fire inside a cloud. Imagine the most fierce lightning storm you have ever seen. Now multiply that by 10,000. He is describing tremendous power. If you read to the end of the chapter and notice verse 27, the phrase “gleaming amber” is repeated. There is a man, on a throne, and he is the source of the powerful light.

Here’s your freedom for today:

Be sure you stay on the right side of power.

Power can be dangerous. It can be deadly. It can corrupt us. It can lead us into dark places. But power can also bring freedom and hope. When power is on your side, you just might find yourself with a second chance or unexpected provision. Knowing people in high places can open doors. Knowing the God in the Highest of Places opens supernatural and eternal destiny. At some point, we all have to make a choice. The storm is coming. Which side of God’s power are you on?