August 31st~Plans and Prophecies

Ezekiel 37:1-39:29

Ezekiel 32:1-16

Ezekiel was given two powerful visuals of acts God would perform for His people; then, he received a prophecy of the end times. First, let’s consider the vision of the Valley of Dry Bones (37:1-14). Ezekiel was “carried away by the Spirit” to a valley filled with skeletons; the Lord told him to speak to the bones. As he spoke, “the bones came together and attached themselves. Then muscles and flesh formed over the bones; finally skin formed to cover the bodies.”

Because of their judgment and exile, the people of Israel were saying, “We have become old, dry bones; all hope is gone.” But the Lord wanted them to know that He would resurrect their nation and bring them home again. “I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel.”

The second visual Ezekiel was given was with sticks (37:15-28). God told him to choose two sticks and to write on them the names of Israel and Judah. “Now hold them together in your hand as one stick,” said the Lord. “I will gather the people of Israel from among the nations. I will bring them home to their own land... I will unify them into one nation, and one king will rule them all... My servant David will be their prince forever, and I will make with them an everlasting covenant.”

Of course, the return of the tribes will occur shortly after this prophecy was given; even their unification would take place soon. But the reference to David ruling over the people again is not a literal return of David himself, but a foreshadowing of one of his descendants, the Messiah, unifying the people in the last days. Jesus is the one who will rule David’s people and forge an everlasting covenant with them; and that covenant will be one of peace. God’s people will no longer know internal conflict or foreign war.

The final message today, related to Israel, was concerning the end times (38:1-39:29). God told Ezekiel about another time when a huge military force would invade the land of His people. “A vast and awesome horde will roll down on them like a storm and cover the land like a cloud... This will happen in the distant future... But, I will knock their weapons from their hands and they will die on the mountains... Thus, I will make My name known among My people. I will not let them be desecrated anymore; and the nations too will know that I am the Lord.” No doubt, God is referring to the last days, when the Anti-Christ amasses an impressive force against Israel, only to be defeated by the Lord.

Daily Reflection

Of the three prophecies today, two of them have already been fulfilled. Obviously, the end times have not occurred yet. However, with the fulfillment of the first events, what does that cause you to think about the third one?

Prophecy is another way that the Lord has proven His divinity. While we may grow weary of reading prophecies, as they are a little strange to us, our faith and confidence in God should be strengthened by the fact that so many things that He has predicted have already come true. Indeed, all of time is stretched out before Him; He sees the beginning and the end, the past and the future.

We can also see that, while things seem to hap- pen haphazardly, God has a plan. All things play out as He intends. Therefore, we do need not to fear. Though the times may be full of turmoil and uncertainty, our God is in control. His plans prevail despite our enemy’s schemes!

BiAY.org | Day 243 — 122 Days to Go

August 30th~Feed My Sheep

Ezekiel 34:1-36:38

Ezekiel gave us another glimpse of what would take place after God brought His people back to their homeland. “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away and you will no longer worship idols. I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart. I will put my Spirit in you so you will obey My laws and do whatever I command” (36:25-27).

This message was a foreshadowing of what would happen when the Messiah would come and establish the New Covenant. He would bring salvation with Him and give us a new heart. When He left, He would send the Holy Spirit to indwell His followers, so that they would have His strength to overcome their sin and govern themselves, keeping to His laws and statutes. We are, of course, living in that time today.

I was struck today by Ezekiel’s blistering message to the leaders of God’s people. “Destruction is certain for you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn’t shepherds feed their sheep? You let your flock starve. You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended to the sick or bound up the broken bones. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost... So my sheep are scattered without a shepherd. They have wandered into the mountains and hills and no one has gone to search for them” (34:1-6).

Daily Reflection

This passage struck a chord with me because I am in numerous leadership positions; yet I get so busy and distracted with my own problems that I oftentimes fail to notice, much less tend to, those people around me. I am guilty of feeding myself while others starve.

How are you doing with recognizing and meeting the needs of those around you? Can you relate to my failure? How does our neglect fall in line with the enemy’s plans for your life?

List those people whom you have neglected to shepherd, to lead, to pray for, and to care for as you should.

What are some ways that you can do better at shepherding the “sheep”? How can you focus more attention on others when you have your own issues to deal with?

Jesus asked Peter once, “Do you love Me?” Peter, of course, said that he did. Jesus responded, “Then feed My sheep” (John 21:15-17). Whether or not you have a leadership position, there are those in your sphere of influence — family, friends, co-workers, church members, neighbors — that need attention. They are weak, sick, broken, and starving, and the Lord has placed you there to share His love with them. Don’t miss your opportunities to be a good shepherd. Feed the sheep!

BiAY.org | Day 242 — 123 Days to Go

August 29th~Pretenders

Jeremiah 42:1-44:30

Ezekiel 33:21-33

Jeremiah and Ezekiel continued to deal with stubborn and rebellious people, even after the fall of Jerusalem. Jeremiah was approached by the army officers who ran Ishmael out of Judah. They and the people who remained asked him to pray to the Lord and seek His instructions for whether to stay in Judah or to flee to Egypt. “May the Lord be a faithful witness against us,” they said, “if we refuse to obey whatever He tells us to do! Whether we like it or not, we will obey the Lord our God” (42:5, 6).

Ten days later, Jeremiah shared the Lord’s answer. “Stay here in this land. If you do, I will build you up and not tear you down. I will plant you and not uproot you. For I am with you and will save you and rescue you from Nebuchadnezzar’s power...” (42:10-12). The message was not what the people wanted to hear. They had already made up their minds to flee to Egypt for safety before the Lord responded.

“You lie,” they shouted at Jeremiah. “The Lord our God hasn’t forbidden us to go to Egypt!” So Johanan and all the army officers and all the people refused to obey the Lord’s command to stay in Judah. A large group of them traveled to Egypt and hid there, thinking they were safe. Of course, they weren’t. Jeremiah, who was taken captive to Egypt, warned them. “The Lord God says, ‘I will surely bring My servant Nebuchadnezzar here to Egypt. He will destroy this
land!’” (43:10, 11). But the people would not listen. They ignored Jeremiah and continued to do whatever they wanted.

Far away from Egypt and Jeremiah was Ezekiel. He was with the exiles who were deported to the Babylonian Empire. However, he was dealing with the same problem as Jeremiah. He would deliver the Lord’s messages to the people with no response. They would come pretending to be sincere and sit before Ezekiel listening, but they had no intention of doing what the Lord would tell them. They expressed love with their mouths but in their hearts they only wanted money. Ezekiel was nothing but entertainment to them. They heard what he said, but they refused to do it (33:30-33).

Daily Reflection

When I read passages like these, all I can do is shake my head. These people make me angry. After all that God had done to devastate Judah and destroy the city of Jerusalem, they still had the gall to spit in His face. What was He to do with them?

Reread Ezekiel 33:30-33. In what ways could these verses describe the people who sit in our churches today?

How many people go to church pretending to be sincere, feigning to listen to what God has to say, but who have already made up their minds that they will go their own way? They are pretending to be sincere. They are playing a game, going through the motions, fulfilling their religious “duties,” attending only to be seen, but the rest of the week they do whatever they want. Is this you? Are you a pretender? In the end, the Lord will say to you, “Depart from Me, for I never knew you” (Matthew 7:22, 23).

BiAY.org | Day 241 — 124 Days to Go

August 28th~Too Big For Your Britches?

Lamentations 5:1-22

Obadiah 1:1-21
2

Kings 25:22-26

Jeremiah 40:7-41:18

We finished Jeremiah’s book of Lamentations. He summarized the situation in Jerusalem in detailed fashion and recorded the sentiment of the people, “The joy of our hearts has ended; our dancing has turned to mourning. The garlands have fallen from our heads. Disaster has fallen upon us because we have sinned.” However, Jeremiah ended on a positive note, “But Lord, You remain the same forever! Your throne continues from generation to generation. Restore us and bring us back to You again” (5:19-22).

Jeremiah also recorded for us some of the chaos that ensued after the fall of Jerusalem. Though the Babylonians had established their own governor, Gedaliah, there were discontent guerilla forces working behind the scenes as well. Ishmael, a member of the royal family, was sent by the Ammonites to murder Gedaliah and his staff and make a power play for control of Judah; however, Johanan and his men believed that the Jews would be better off under Babylonian control for a while. The showdown between them left dozens of people dead and the land without law and order. Thus, the people prepared to flee the country, fearing the anger and return of Nebuchadnezzar.

Finally, we read the book of Obadiah, which consists of one chapter of prophecy aimed at the nation of Edom. Instead of assisting Jerusalem in its time of need, the Edomites helped the Babylonians in capturing or killing escapees. This decision angered the Lord, who vowed revenge. His message was pointed and powerful, “You are proud because you live in a rock for- tress and make your home high in the mountains. Who can ever reach us way up here, you ask boastfully. Don’t fool yourselves! Though you soar as high as eagles and build your nest among the stars, I will bring you crashing down!” (1:3, 4).

Daily Reflection

When I was a boy and I would smart off or defy my mother somehow, she would respond with a common idiom that I did not understand at the time. She would say, “You’re getting too big for your britches!” Britches, or breeches, are pants. That was mom’s way of saying I was becoming prideful, and my pride was making me feel bigger or more important than I really was. She would also say, “You’re aimin’ for a whoopin’,” which meant that I was dangerously close to getting spanked! That was enough for me to change my behavior.

Have you ever felt too big for your britches? What is it about pride that makes you feel bigger or more important than you really are?

Pride is deceiving. It makes you think more highly of yourself than you ought. Pride can be the result of experiencing unchecked success, reaching an important position, gaining power, obtaining wealth or possessions, etc. Pride has a way of causing you to focus on your strengths and to overlook your flaws. You begin to think that you are bigger and better than others. You might even believe, at some point, that you are untouchable, like the Edomites, who lived in rock fortresses high in the mountains. “Who can touch us up here,” they boasted.

Beware! God is opposed to the proud. His response to the Edomites was, “I will cut you down to size” (1:2). No one is untouchable! Pride usually comes before a fall. If you become too big for your britches, you will only be aimin’ for a whoopin’!

BiAY.org | Day 240 — 125 Days to Go

August 27th~False Pictures

Lamentations 2:1-4:22

Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, recounted the terrible situation in Jerusalem after its fall to the Babylonians. The picture he painted was grim, indeed. “In all the world,” he wrote, “there has never been such sorrow. I have cried until the tears no longer come. My heart is broken, my spirit poured out, as I see what has happened to my people” (2:11, 13).

How could this disaster have been avoided? Jeremiah answered, “Jerusalem, your ‘prophets’ have said many foolish things, false to the core. They did not try to hold you back from exile by pointing out your sins. Instead, they painted false pictures, filling you with false hope. Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn again in repentance to the Lord. Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven and say, ‘We have sinned and rebelled, and You have not forgiven us’” (2:14; 3:40).

The repentance of sin would have prevented the judgment of God from falling on His people; but, repentance of sin requires acknowledgment of sin, which first requires exposure of sin. People will not repent of their deeds if they do not know that they’re wrong. However, they will not be convicted of their wrong if those deeds are not held up before their eyes as wrong.

Herein lies the danger of the false prophet or false teacher. Tickling people’s ears with flowery words and feel-good messages is catamount to painting false pictures and planting false hopes. The Gospel message, absent the reality of sin, is a false gospel! To promise eternal salvation apart from genuine brokenness and repentance is to set them on the ocean in a skiff made of paper. We must not be guilty of this!

A proper presentation of the Gospel must include exposure to sin. Without one’s acknowledgment of sin, one has no need for the Savior.

If one does not first know that he is lost, then he will not believe that he needs to be found. Therefore, when sharing the message of Christ with others, we must not skip over the reality of their depravity, their absolute inability to please a holy God in their fallen, corrupt, and wicked nature.

Daily Reflection

What about our society is making it harder to expose the sins of our nation?

What will be the result of silencing the truth about our sinful nature?

Unfortunately, we are allergic to offending people in today’s society. We don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Is it better to spare one’s feelings or spare one’s soul from eternal damnation? Offending the people of Judah with exposure to their sin would have saved their nation; offending people today, with exposure to their sin, opens their eyes to their need for Christ. The preaching of sin must be a routine practice of a healthy, effective pulpit. Before people will understand and accept the good news, they must first hear the bad news, that in their sin, they cannot please a holy God.

Are you guilty of painting false pictures?

BiAY.org | Day 239 — 126 Days to Go

August 26th~The Queen of Nations

Jeremiah 39:11-18

Jeremiah 40:1-6


2 Kings 25:8-21

Jeremiah 52:12-27


2 Chronicles 36:15-21

Lamentations 1:1-22

We were given more details about the third and final attack of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, burned down the Temple, the royal palace, and all the houses of the city. He also supervised as the walls of the city were torn down. Most of the people were killed; the rest were exiled.

All of this destruction could have been averted. “The Lord repeatedly sent His prophets to warn the people, for He had compassion on them and His Temple. But the people mocked these messengers of God and despised their words. They scoffed at the prophets until the Lord’s anger could no longer be restrained and there was no remedy” (2 Chronicles 36:15, 16).

Nebuzaradan did spare two people, in particular, for their faithfulness to God. He found Jeremiah among the exiles and released him. By order of King Nebuchadnezzar, he was free to go to Babylon or stay in Jerusalem. Jeremiah chose to stay in Jerusalem with the new governor, Gedaliah. The second person released was an Ethiopian eunuch named Ebedmelech. He was the man who spoke up for Jeremiah and had him removed from the cistern. “Because you trusted Me,” said the Lord, “I will preserve your life and keep you safe” (Jeremiah 39:18).

Once he was released from exile, Jeremiah made note of the devastation and sorrow that surrounded the city of Jerusalem. His thoughts were collected in a book called Lamentations. “Once the Queen of nations, she is now a slave... for the Lord has punished Jerusalem for her many sins... Now she lies in the gutter with no one to lift her out... For all these things I weep. Tears flow down my cheeks. No one is here to comfort me; any who might encourage me are far away. My children have no future, for the enemy has conquered us” (1:1, 5, 9, 16).

An interesting statement to note is at the end of 2 Chronicles, “The land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rest, lying desolate for 70 years” (36:21). Remember, the law of the Sabbath Year was that the land was to be given rest every seventh year (Leviticus 25:1-7; 26:27-46). The people could only farm for six years at a time. The chronicler’s statement suggests that the law of the Sabbath Year had not been honored for 490 years. Therefore, God exiled the people in order to let the land rest for 70 years. One way or an- other, the Lord keeps His people accountable to His laws. They cannot be neglected without consequences.

Daily Reflection

Several times in our nation’s history, the Lord has kept us accountable for our sins and punished us for neglecting to deal with them. The most notable judgment is that of the Civil War. The sin of slavery had been planted by the enemy early in our history, but instead of uprooting it, part of our country preserved and promoted it. After 250 years, the Lord’s patience had waned. He allowed our nation to be torn in two and enflamed in bloody war. More than 600,000 Americans died in four years, until slavery was finally abolished in 1865.

What national sins are we guilty of today?

Thomas Jefferson, one of our Founding Fathers, once wrote, “I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just and that His justice cannot sleep forever.” Though America, like Judah, was once the Queen of nations, God’s patience will one day give way to His justice.

BiAY.org | Day 238 — 127 Days to Go

August 25th~Good and Evil

Ezekiel 26:15-28:26

2 Kings 25:3-7

Jeremiah 52:6-11

Jeremiah 39:2-10

We advanced the story of the fall of Judah a little further. The Babylonian siege of Jerusalem was working; the famine in the city was severe. The last of the food was gone. At that time, King Zedekiah, his family, his staff, and his army snuck out of the city at night and made a run for it. However, Zedekiah, his sons, and some of his officials were captured. The King was judged and sentenced to prison in Babylon. However, Nebuchadnezzar killed Zedekiah’s sons and staff and, then, removed Zedekiah’s eyes.

The majority of our passage today was consumed with Ezekiel’s messages to the King and city of Tyre, a world-famous port, known for its wealth, splendor, and dominance of the sea. God would destroy it because of the immorality of its people and the worship of their king. “In his pride he proclaimed, ‘I am a god! I sit on the divine throne of the heart of the sea’” (28:2).

God was not impressed. “You are only a man and not a god...,” He said. “Yes, your wisdom has made you rich, but your riches have made you very proud... Therefore, because you think you are as wise as a god, I will bring against you an enemy army. Will you then boast, ‘I am a god’ to those who will kill you? To them you will not be a god but merely a man” (28:5-9).

Since the days of Nimrod, the earth’s first king (Genesis 10:8-10), Satan has used human leaders to defy God’s authority and enslave millions of people under his control. The King of Tyre was no different. Thus, it is no surprise that he would proclaim himself to be a god. Didn’t Pharaoh do the same thing in Egypt? Didn’t Nebuchadnezzar do the same in Babylon? This is not a new phenomenon.

However, what is interesting is how God’s message briefly turned its attention from the King of Tyre to Satan himself. Though the message was to the city and its wicked monarch, the words seemed to fit our fallen foe. “You were the perfection of wisdom and beauty. You were in Eden, the Garden of God. I ordained and anointed you as the mighty angelic guardian. You had access to the holy mountain of God... You were blameless in all you did from the day you were created until the day evil was found in you... You sinned, so I banished you from the mountain of God. I expelled you, O mighty guardian. Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty. You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor, so I threw you to the earth...” (28:11-19).

Daily Reflection

Consider this, if everything was entirely good at creation, then how was evil found in Satan or Lucifer? The same question could be applied to the Garden of Eden. If everything was entirely good at creation, then why was there a tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Adam and Eve would not have known the meaning of evil if all were good, right?

One definition of evil is “any deviation that a moral agent — angel or human — makes from the rules prescribed to him by God” (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary). The Lord created angels and humans entirely good, free from sin. However, He also gave them the freedom of choice, thus the purpose of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In their liberty, Lucifer, Adam, and Eve chose to defy God’s authority and rebel against Him. Their defiance is the nature of evil, and their evil decisions had consequences — sin, sorrow, distress, injury, loss, calamity, etc.

Are you capable of evil, of deviating from God’s will? Yes, we all are. In that we reflect the sin of our predecessors. Unfortunately, we too must live with the consequences of our choices.

BiAY.org | Day 237 — 128 Days to Go

August 24th~Like Night and Day

Jeremiah 32:1-33:26

Ezekiel 26:1-4

We watched Jeremiah in the last days of the kingdom of Judah. He was imprisoned at the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s third and final siege of Jerusalem, but the Lord continued to send him messages regarding the future. He even told him to purchase land in Anathoth. If the nation was about to be destroyed and conquered, why would God tell Jeremiah to buy land? It was a symbolic reminder that the Lord would bring the people back and, one day, restore the nation of Judah to its former greatness.

“I will surely bring My people back again from all the countries where I will scatter them in My fury. I will bring them back to this very city and let them live in peace and safety... I will heal Jerusalem’s damage and give her prosperity and peace. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel and rebuild her cities. I will cleanse away their sins against Me, and I will forgive all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see the good I do for My people and will tremble with awe!” (32:37; 33:6-9).

The Lord also gave Jeremiah a prophecy of the coming Messiah. “At that time I will bring to the throne of David a righteous descendant, and He will do what is just and right throughout the land. In that day Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety, and their motto will be ‘The Lord is our righteousness’” (33:15, 16).

I realize that these things are not new. We have heard them before. However, what I was reminded of today was the Lord’s faithfulness. In fact, Jeremiah also brought attention to it, when he said, “Everything has happened just as He said it would” (32:24). The nation had fallen, the Babylonians had come, and the people were carried into exile. If all of this happened, as He said it would, then they would return home, the city and nation would be rebuilt, and the Messiah would come to restore all things. “I am the Lord, God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything to hard for Me?” (32:27).

It goes even further than this. God said that He would break His covenant with the day and the night, so that they do not come in their usual schedule, before He would break His covenant with David, His promise to keep his descendants on the throne. He would no more reject His people that He would change the laws of earth and sky (33:19-21, 25).

Daily Reflection

Think about that for a minute. Since the beginning of time, the Lord established the laws of night and day, of earth and sky, that they would do what they do on a schedule, as it is with everything else in His universe. The constancy and consistency of the passing days, seasons, and years are a testament of God’s faithfulness. How does this truth impact your daily life?

Everything has happened just as He said it would. What He says is true. Whatever He has promised, He will fulfill. He has always been reliable and He will always be reliable. Like night and day, you can count on Him, for He is faithful. Why, then, do people doubt Him, reject Him, or put their trust in something else?

BiAY.org | 236 — 129 Days to Go

August 23rd~Can't Have It Both Ways

Ezekiel 24:15-25:17

Jeremiah 34:1-22

Jeremiah 21:1-14

Ezekiel 29:1-16

Ezekiel 30:20-31:18

We heard from both Ezekiel and Jeremiah. The Lord asked Ezekiel to prophesy against His people and the surrounding nations of Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, and Egypt. All of these nations were under God’s judgment and Babylon was His instrument to perform it. Once again, we see the truth that God governs the nations and keeps them accountable. He builds them up and He tears them down.

For example, here was His comment about Assyria, “Because of the magnificence I gave this tree, it was the envy of all the other trees. But, it became proud and arrogant, and because it set itself so high above the others, I handed it over to a mighty nation that destroyed it as its wickedness deserves. I Myself discarded it... Let no other nation proudly exult in its own prosperity, though it be higher than the clouds, for all are doomed. They will end up in the pit along with all the proud people of the world” (Ezekiel 31:9-14).

On the other hand, Jeremiah gave us an inside look at the last days of Judah’s King Zedekiah. Jeremiah told him that he would not escape Nebuchadnezzar, but that he would be taken into captivity and die in Babylon. The King did not like this news, so he sent his officials to beg Jeremiah to ask the Lord to deliver him. “Please ask God to help us,” they asked. “Perhaps the Lord will be gracious and do a mighty miracle as He has done in the past. Perhaps He will force Nebuchadnezzar to withdraw his armies” (21:2).

Of course, the Lord knew that this plea was in- sincere, as Zedekiah had done evil in His sight. It was only a last effort to save his life from the judgment he brought upon himself and the people. The Lord responded, “I Myself will fight against you with great power, for I am very angry! You have made Me furious!” (21:3-5).

Daily Reflection

Are you familiar with the phrase, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too”? This strange saying is an English proverb or figure of speech that means you cannot or should not try to have two incompatible things. For example, you might say that you would like to swim but you can’t get wet, or that you are hungry and would like to eat but don’t like the food offered to you. You can’t have it both ways.

Have you, or someone you know, ever tried to have your cake and eat it too? How so?

How is this proverb true for King Zedekiah?

As I have mentioned before, Zedekiah followed his own passions, fulfilled his own desires, and ignored God’s words and ways; but, when his ways proved to be disastrous, he turned to the Lord in the last minute and begged for help. He couldn’t have his cake and eat it too. He couldn’t have it both ways. It doesn’t work like that.

“Don’t be misled — you cannot mock God. You will harvest what you plant. Those who live to satisfy their sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest life from the Spirit. For we are each responsible for our own conduct” (Galatians 6:5, 7-9).

BiAY.org | Day 235 — 130 Days to Go

August 22nd~Stand in the Gap

Ezekiel 22:17-23:49

2 Kings 24:20b-25:2

Jeremiah 52:3b-5

Jeremiah 39:1

Ezekiel 24:1-14

The Lord had some harsh things to say to His people for their sinful deeds. He used three analogies to describe His disfavor. First, He said, “The people are the worthless slag that remains after silver is smelted. They are the dross that is left over, a useless mixture of copper, tin, iron, and lead. I will melt them down in the heat of My fury” (22:17-22).

Second, He described them as adulterous women, who had given themselves to the idols of their neighbors. They disdained their marriage vows — their covenant with God — and chased the pleasures of other lovers. “You will drink from the cup of terror,” said the Lord, “a cup that is large and deep. You will be fully paid for your prostitution, your worship of idols. You will suffer the full penalty!” (23:32, 49).

Third, He portrayed His people in a pot over a fire. “Destruction is certain for Jerusalem, the city of murderers! She is a pot full of corruption. I Myself will pile up the fuel beneath her! The time has come and I won’t hold back. I will not change My mind. You will be judged on the basis of all your wicked actions” (24:6, 14).

God had reached the end of His patience. He was about to pour out His wrath on the nation of Judah; but, before He did, He “looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one” (22:30).

I found this statement interesting for several reasons. First, notice what it was that guarded the land from destruction — “the wall of righteousness.” As we have discussed before, a nation’s stability is directly linked to its morality, whether it does right by God’s standards.

Second, if that wall of righteousness begins to crack or crumble, the Lord looks for people to stand in the gap. In other words, God uses individuals to confront sin in a nation — like a Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Hezekiah, or Josiah — so that His anger and judgment will be averted. Here again is the remarkable influence that one person can have in the course of history.

Finally, the Lord identified leaders in the land who, instead of standing in the gaps, “repaired the cracked walls with whitewash” (22:28). Of course, these are not leaders at all, but charlatans who talk a big game but deceive everyone with rhetoric and no real solutions.

Daily Reflection

Of course the person who would stand in the gap for all men, the ultimate solution to our sin problem, is Jesus Christ. He is the only one who could avert the wrath of God for good. He breached the wall of righteousness which now surrounds and protects us for all time.

However, the Father, through Jesus Christ, sent us, His followers, out into the world to be salt and light, agents of change, to stand in the gap and halt the advance of decay with the Gospel. What does that look like in real life?

In our nation today, our wall of righteousness is cracking and crumbling. There are many holes to plug. The Lord is looking for men and women to stand in the gap on His behalf. Is that you? Are you ready and willing to be used by Him?

BiAY.org | Day 234 — 131 Days to Go