God’s fury – Be Still…

Numbers 14:1-25 – When We Rebel

Read Numbers 14:1-25

How brave are you when venturing into the unknown? I think of Abraham and Sarah leaving all that was familiar to follow God’s leading. Even closer to home, I remember packing up our Prius with the necessities of life and our four dogs and crossing the border into Mexico.

It’s natural to be wary of new things. But I think Moses’ crowd of followers went a little overboard in their dramatic rebellion! I felt sorry for Moses and Aaron who “fell face down on the ground,” no doubt questioning everything about their leadership, feeling like they had let the people down. Continue reading “Numbers 14:1-25 – When We Rebel”

Ezekiel 39:1-24 – Good vs. Evil

Read Ezekiel 39:1-24

The episode of oracles involving Gog concludes here with God’s victory. However, Gog and Magog are mentioned again in Revelation 20. I find it curious that such a mystery exists around who Gog and Magog actually are. I think that’s because they are not real people but symbolic representations of something much bigger than two individuals or one individual and it’s land.

The mind can be boggled when you let yourself explore the vastness of God and his plans for his people. Ezekiel and his audience would have been confused, too, since scholars and teachers cannot concur on Gog’s identity. Continue reading “Ezekiel 39:1-24 – Good vs. Evil”

Ezekiel 38:1-23 – Gog Who?

Read Ezekiel 38:1-23

When I read the name Gog, my mind immediately went to video games and the digital platform by the same name. But in this case, God refers to someone he wants to contact. In fact, this is the first of two readings we’ll have in the “episode” about Gog.

Scholars have puzzled over who this “Gog” represents. Gog isn’t one of the “regular” enemies of God we read about. If not a particular historical person, then perhaps God was referring to Gog as a symbol for evil. Continue reading “Ezekiel 38:1-23 – Gog Who?”

Ezekiel 21:18-32 – Two Routes

Read Ezekiel 21:18-32

Interesting that God allowed the King of Babylon the choice between Rabbah and Jerusalem. God intended doom on both rebellious nations of people! The Babylonian king simply chose Jerusalem, just as the prophets had been saying he would for years.

But we learn that the Ammonites would be doomed to a similar downfall as well. They had family ties to Israel, but they had chosen to be on adversarial terms much of the time. The LORD would be protective of Israel or at least controlling Israel’s destiny. Israel had made their choice to remain a rebellious nation, and the Ammonites continue to bring strife to Israel, even after the return of the exile before God finishes them off using Judas Maccabeus in the 2^nd Century B.C. Continue reading “Ezekiel 21:18-32 – Two Routes”

Ezekiel 21:1-17 – The Sword of the Lord

Read Ezekiel 21:1-17

Both the righteous and the wicked would fall. If there were any believers left in Jerusalem, surely they’d flee at hearing these words. The sword of the Lord would have no mercy on them. As I understand it, this was not the “final” judgment being spoken of where the righteous are protected. But the words should still be a bit frightening and spur the believers into action.

Clearly, the LORD intended the severity of the sword would draw attention from the world. God wanted to make a bold statement that would reveal his power. Continue reading “Ezekiel 21:1-17 – The Sword of the Lord”