consequence of sin – Be Still…

Ezekiel 23:22-35 – Oh Jerusalem!

Read Ezekiel 23:22-35

God’s message continues using the same sister metaphor, but God singles out Oholibah (Jerusalem). The judgment coming just for her is spelled out in these verses. It won’t be pretty. If they survive the attack, these people will notice something has just rocked their world. God wants them to be sure to know it was Him.

All this destruction could have been avoided. The LORD told them, “You brought all this on yourself by prostituting yourself to other nations, defiling yourself with all their idols.” It’s no accident that we have a recorded account of God’s fury against his people. We can lament for the people in their disobedient ignorance. Continue reading “Ezekiel 23:22-35 – Oh Jerusalem!”

Hebrews 3:7-19 – Enter His Rest

Read Hebrews 3:7-19

What does it mean to “enter His rest?” I initially thought it was referring to Sabbath rest, but it is not that meaning in this case. The whole idea of “rest” sounds fantastic when you’re scurrying around, trying to check off every single item on your “to-do” list. Again, this reference to rest is not laying around, binge watching Netflix in an over-stuffed chair, eating chocolate!

Our passage talks about disobedience and how that angers God. Consequences result from such behavior, to include missing out on the opportunity to enter His rest. Let’s unpack this so we can understand what we might be missing.

Jeremiah 2:14-22 – Consequence of Sin

Read Jeremiah 2:14-22

The Lord’s rage continues as Jeremiah tells us what will happen because of the sinfulness. It’s not a pretty picture. Did the people not think about the consequences to their actions? It’s hard to know what motivated the people to choose idols, mere images of foreign gods, over the one true God. We can look at people making similar choices today and wonder why, for instance, they chose to sleep in versus getting up for church.

That’s a simplistic example. I used to feel extremely guilty when I found myself too busy to spend quality time with God. I’m not sure I thought about what the consequences might be. Would God stop loving me? Would he let bad things happen to me? Would he stop fighting my battles?

1 Kings 13:11-34 – Where Is the Justice?

Read 1 Kings 13:11-34

What a story! It is so easy to be deceived these days, yet it’s not a new phenomenon. People were getting duped way back during the Bible time as well. I wonder what possessed the old prophet to lie to the man of God about the meal. The old prophet certainly used his position of authority to build blind trust.

Believing the old prophet, the man of God ate the very same food the Lord had commanded he was not to eat! Up to that moment, the man of God had been very intent on following the Lord’s instructions. He had no reason to doubt the prophet, did he? I certainly hope the meal he shared with the prophet was delicious.