Ezekiel 5:1-17 – It’s Jerusalem!

Read Ezekiel 5:1-17

Ezekiel may have wondered about shaving his head and facial hair. But in the ancient Near East, this custom would be familiar and related to a period of mourning. Clearly, God’s message was dire, pointing toward Babylon’s siege and final destruction of Jerusalem. We sense such sorrow and disappointment from the LORD.

God’s judgment was now looming. Do you think the people cared? We’ve been told before that God didn’t expect Ezekiel to have any more success in sharing God’s proclamations than his contemporaries or those prophets who had gone before. That seems to be a recurring pattern both in Scripture and in real life. People tend to turn away from God when life appears to be going well. Continue reading “Ezekiel 5:1-17 – It’s Jerusalem!”

1 Peter 2:1-10 – Living Stones

Read 1 Peter 2:1-10

It’s all about representing Jesus well. We just heard in our last reading about holy living, and now we learn we’re to be living stones! To get ready for that, Peter begins by commanding a cleanse. He knew firsthand how easily it was to fall prey to the world and let fear or doubt take control. You may even say things you don’t mean! Peter calls us to be real and not fake.

What does a living stone do? What are our job requirements? Peter was a living stone, building his life on the truth of Jesus Christ. What did Peter do? He told people about Jesus. Peter describes us as: “You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.” There’s that bit about being holy again. Peter wants for us to be holy because that’s what Jesus wants for us. His kingdom is being populated with royal priests who are holy!

Continue reading “1 Peter 2:1-10 – Living Stones”
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