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- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
Ezek. 9
In this vision, those still faithful to God received a mark on their forehead to protect them from the slaughter. We see this same thing in the book of Revelation, along with the opposing mark of service to the beast. This concept is mentioned a few other times throughout the Bible as well. One instance that stands out to me right now is Aaron’s turban. There was a gold seal on his turban, placed over his forehead and marked with the words, “HOLY TO THE LORD” (see Ex. 28). When we put our faith in Christ, we receive that mark that sets us apart as holy to the LORD, replacing His wrath with His mercy.
Ezek. 10-11
I still believe that God holds a harsher punishment for those in leadership positions. These people are supposed to be leading people to God. Instead, they lead them away. Thus, they carry some amount of responsibility for those they led to the slaughter. The leaders here seem to have found some false sense of security within Jerusalem’s city walls. This was a clear refusal to listen to God, who had consistently told them otherwise. They were, of course, proven wrong in their defiant assumptions, because Babylon eventually destroyed the city. God didn’t settle for that, however. He went one step further with these leaders, removing them not just from their precious city but also from the borders of Israel, where they fell by the sword they feared. I’m thinking these must be the leaders that Nebuchadnezzar slaughtered in Riblah with King Zedekiah.
Ezek. 12
The last section of this chapter has some familiar sounding words. The prophets declared Jerusalem’s destruction many years before it happened. Of course, the longer it went without happening, the more the people who didn’t want to hear it justified and reinforced their position against God’s word. It is easy to do a similar thing with regard to Christ’s return. We know the end will come. We know God will fulfill His word. But the wait is long, making that truth easy to ignore. That is why Jesus stressed the need to stay awake, be alert, and remain ready. We don’t know when the day will come. As with the people of Israel, however, the time will come when it will no longer delayed.