Category: Bible (Page 19 of 348)

Ezekiel was no slacker. He preached day after day to willing listeners who also happened to be unwilling doers. Through his spokesperson God urged change. But content in a fog of comfortable yet unjust living, no one lifted a finger in response.

To the citizens of ancient Jerusalem Ezekiel was simply an entertainer, a singer of love songs, a voice on the radio. His words from God were dismissed as fantasy. God encouraged the downtrodden teacher: When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.

Ezekiel got up the next morning and went back to work. How did he feel speaking to people who listened with polite interest, but held no intention of changing their lives? He knew it and they knew it, yet Ezekiel pushed ahead.

Sometimes life’s a slog. At times following the Lord feels a bit like Ezekiel’s experience—no one seems to notice or care that we are hewing closely to the ways of God, trying to live his words and apply them to our lives.

But no worry, God sees and others do as well. When all his words come true—and they surely will—you and I will be glad we followed the way of this frustrated prophet.

Ezekiel 33 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Ali Inay

Shuffling along in the middle of a crowd, I entered the Sistine Chapel in Rome. The walls and ceilings are covered with paintings, including The Creation of Adam, by Michelangelo. It really is magnificent, and my neck ached as I stared at the ceiling. But it was hard to enjoy the beauty in the packed room. If I leaned too far I bumped my neighbor. I wished for a few moments all by myself.

I thought of my Sistine experience when I read in the psalms, Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord.

By day the house of the Lord filled with people herding animals, priests making sacrifices, and busy shops just outside the compound. A vibrant scene. But after dark, when the crowds retreated to their beds, a handful of priests remained on duty. They kept watch and prepared for the next day. The psalmist recognized an opportunity for a few quiet moments to pause and give thanks to their Maker.

I’ll never get a few moments alone in the Sistine chapel, but some do. After the crowds leave, people clean the floors and make ready for the next day. May they contemplate the Lord in those moments of solitude and calm under Michelangelo’s masterpiece.

Fortunately, I don’t have to work the night shift to discover a place of solitude. A hike in the foothills, a stroll around a nearby lake, or simply a quiet hour in my living room with a cup of coffee works quite well. No matter where, my soul refreshes and strengthens when I meet with the Lord in quiet moments.

Psalm 134 in Through the Bible in 2024

The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, 1512

But Jesus is.

When arguing with a group of opponents, Jesus quoted Psalm 82, referring to people who live like gods yet understand nothing.

Members of the elite were upset because Jesus had just told them, I am the good shepherd: I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

These little gods refused to believe Jesus came from the Father, despite the miracles he performed (this argument followed the healing of a man blind from birth). Jesus said to look at the evidence, but the gods refused to open their minds to the true God standing before them.

This interaction reminds me that I’m not the shepherd. I have the choice to listen to Jesus and follow (i.e. read the Scriptures and apply his words) or wander off on my own amidst the wolves and thorns.

Many in that crowd chose to believe. Not so much the powerful, although a few turned to Jesus, but mostly ordinary people. People in need of a shepherd.

People like you and me.

John 10 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Biegun Wschodni

The end of October is a time for ghosts and goblins, werewolves and vampires. Some of my neighbors enjoy setting up displays of skeletons crawling along the ground or ghouls with glowing eyes. I’m fine with the sack of candy I buy for trick-or-treaters but mostly eat myself.

Our culture tries to have fun with the idea of terror. Perhaps it’s a way of dealing with our fears. But few of us face stark, abject terror. No armies invade my city, no enemy soldiers burn my home or slaughter my children. Those who refuse to believe in the afterlife, or hope only goodness will come, fail to grasp the malevolence of demonic powers or the possibility of a wrathful God.

The Scriptures tell a different story. Ezekiel prophesied the downfall of Tyre, a fabulously wealthy and powerful city of trade. No one expected the destruction. But when predicting the calamity Ezekiel wrote these words from the Lord:

Will not the coastlands tremble at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan and the slaughter takes place in you? Then all the princes of the coast will step down from their thrones and lay aside their robes and take off their embroidered garments. Clothed with terror, they will sit on the ground, trembling every moment, appalled at you.

The people of Tyre ended up on the wrong side of the Lord’s wrath. It’s possible to get there, the Bible is clear on that point. Those who reject the Lord, who stiff-arm his offers of grace and salvation will eventually in this world or the next sit clothed in terror at the consequences of what they’ve done.

Things don’t need to turn this way, of course. The Lord offers his favor liberally, wanting none to perish but all to come to repentance. Pray for eyes to open, both to God’s terror and especially to his grace.

Ezekiel 26 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Hailey Kean