Rebel to Reconciled, Ezekiel 20

 

HIStory from Egypt to Eternity.

Revealing God’s Golden Thread of Reconciliation.

OUTLINE:

1-4 ACCOUNT CLOSED
5-9 EGYPT
10-17 WILDERNESS
18-26 CHILDREN
27-29 FATHERS
30-32 YOU
33-44 RECONCILED

Repeated phrases:

My name’s sake. 4 times. Ezekiel 20:9, 14, 22, 44.

I raised My hand in an oath. 7 times. Ezekiel 20:5, 6, 15, 23, 28, 42.

I am the Lord. 9 times. Ezekiel 20:5, 7, 12, 19, 20, 26, 38, 42, 44.

 

It came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, 

What does that mean?

Why is that there?

Whenever God points at the clock in Scripture, we should pause and say, “Thank You.” Because He did it to offer us, undeniable proofs of the accuracy and authenticity of the Bible. He knew that one day, like finding hidden treasure, archeologists would dig up artifacts and say, “Hey, this confirms exactly what the Bible said!”

This is a real date in HIStory, 2,617 years ago, August 14^th, 591 BC.

What we’re reading is Truth. It really happened, and some of what we’ll read will really happen.

The Bible is over 25% prophetic; meaning it predicts what will happen. About 80% (4 out of 5) of all Bible prophecy has already been fulfilled.

Leaving no doubt the remaining 20% will be fulfilled just as written.

Bible prophecy is simply HIStory written in advance.

 

ACCOUNT CLOSED 1-4

¹...that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and sat before me. (Ezekiel).

You might know these folks. They’re the ones that only show up when they want something, need something, have an inquiry. They showed up in chapter 8 and then again in chapter 14.  

² Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ³ “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Have you come to inquire of Me? As I live,” says the Lord God, “I will not be inquired of by you.”’

This is basically the same answer God gave them the last time they showed up wanting to make an inquiry. (Ez. 14:1-2).

ACCOUNT CLOSED!

Yeah, but I have a prob—I need help with—I have a question my account is froze my password doesn’t work my debit card keep getting declined????

I I I my my my—you you you need to help me me me.

God tells Ezekiel to tell them, their account is closed.  

 ⁴ Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Then make known to them the abominations of their fathers. (ancestors).

Literally the original text reads not as a question but a command.

Judge son of man, judge, (make them) know (the) abominations (of their) fathers.

Warning after warning they ignored.

Abomination after abomination they continued, until their cup of iniquity overflowed, their sin account was overdrawn.

To prove it God, through Ezekiel, gives them a HIStory lesson of their abominations; an accounting of their overdrafts of iniquity.

 

EGYPT 5-9

⁵ “Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On the day when I chose Israel and raised My hand in an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob, and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, I raised My hand in an oath to them, saying, ‘I am the Lord your God.’ ⁶ On that day I raised My hand in an oath to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, ‘flowing with milk and honey,’ the glory of all lands. 

⁷ Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, throw away the abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’

⁸ But they rebelled against Me and would not obey Me. They did not all cast away the abominations which were before their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said, ‘I will pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.’

Even though God just threatened to pour out His fury on them, the big picture reveals His extraordinary love.

He chose them, made an oath to them, to deliver them from bondage to freedom.

Then, He expected them to leave the sins of the past and obey Him.

God does not accept victimhood mentality.

He did not say, “Well, they came from a dysfunctional environment, so they can’t help but be irresponsible, despise authority, and act lawlessly.

Nonsense!

God demands righteous living, no matter the circumstance, regardless of emotion.

 And He leads by example:

⁹ But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles among whom they were, in whose sight I had made Myself known to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt.

Now, it’s not obvious at first but this is an amazing insight into intercession.

God’s  fury and anger wanted to turn Israel to dust...

But Moses interceded. Exodus 32:7-14.

Moses was on the mountain with God.

Israel was at the bottom with golden calf.

God, about to pour His fury and anger, said to Moses, “let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.” Exodus 32:10.

But Moses interceded asking the Lord, what will become of Your great name if You deliver Your people only to kill them? And what about Your promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; to multiply them as the stars of heaven, and give them all this land, forever? Exodus 32:11-13.

So, the Lord relented. Exodus 32:14.

God’s Divine Justice says, smoke ‘em, turn them to dust. The wages of sin is death. Rom. 6:23a.

God’s heart look for a Way to extend mercy. The Gift of God is Eternal Life. Rom. 6:23b.

James 2:13b
...mercy triumphs over judgement.

Moses interceded. He stood in the gap between God’s wrath and the people.

Ezekiel 22:30
So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.

Our text in Ezekiel tells us God did not pour out His fury and anger for His name’s sake. However, behind the scenes we see the change was in response to intercession. Which of course is a type and shadow of Christ, who ever lives to make intercession for us. Hebrews 7:25.

God loves to help us, work with us, and through us, but expects us to do our part, to know His will and pray it into existence.

Now, how in the world did Moses have the courage and desire to stand in front of God’s fury and say, “STOP!”

This is key to the effectual fervent power of intercession. It’s a simple principle from the man after God’s own heart, King David.

Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

David was delighted when they said let us go to the house of the Lord. Psalm 122:1.

Moses delighted in the Lord, spoke with Him as a friend, longed to know His way, see His glory, and prayed they’d never leave His Presence. Exodus 33:11-15.

If you delight in the Lord (do things the Lord delights in), the Lord will give you the desires He wants you to desire.

It’s a beautiful and powerful and joyful way to live. You pursue your heart’s desire, and the Lord helps you achieve them because He directed the desire.

You pray your desires with effective fervency and faith, because God planted the desire and will fulfill it. James 5:16-18.

 

WILDERNESS 10-17

¹⁰ “Therefore I made them go out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. ¹¹ And I gave them My statutes and showed them My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them.’ ¹² Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.

 ¹³ Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statutes; they despised My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; and they greatly defiled My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them in the wilderness, to consume them. ¹⁴ But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out. ¹⁵ So I also raised My hand in an oath to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, ‘flowing with milk and honey,’ the glory of all lands, ¹⁶ because they despised My judgments and did not walk in My statutes, but profaned My Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. ¹⁷ Nevertheless My eye spared them from destruction. I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.

Sanctifies, sets apart for the Lord.

Sabbath, a day of rest, set apart for the Lord. A beautiful sign of trust and obedience.

Manna. Exodus 16:14-31. Each day they’d gather their daily bread, (manna). If they gathered more than they needed and tried to keep it overnight, it bred worms and stank.

Except on Friday, they gathered enough for two days, to cover the next day, Sabbath. That day, the manna did not go bad but would last through the Sabbath.

God’s beautiful sign of protection and provision between Him and His people, even in the wilderness.

If only they would trust and obey...

Which they wouldn’t.

They rebelled, once again.

So, again, God said I will pour out My fury on them in the wilderness, to consume them.

But then, like before, God contained His fury for His name’s sake among the gentiles. Six times in this chapter gentiles are mentioned. This is not just a HIStory lesson of Israel’s iniquity, but a lesson in God’s love for all humanity.  

But make no mistake, His Divine Justice is not ignored.

He raised His hand in an oath saying justice would be served on the guilty, they would die in the wilderness; all but Joshua and Caleb, who remained faithful.

His mercy was extended to the children. They would enter the Promise Land flowing with milk and honey.

 

CHILDREN 18-26

¹⁸ “But I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols. ¹⁹ I am the Lord your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; ²⁰ hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’

²¹ “Notwithstanding, the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, and were not careful to observe My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; but they profaned My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the wilderness. ²² Nevertheless I withdrew My hand and acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out. ²³ Also I raised My hand in an oath to those in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them throughout the countries, ²⁴ because they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes, profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols.

²⁵ “Therefore I also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live; ²⁶ and I pronounced them unclean because of their ritual gifts, in that they caused all their firstborn to pass through the fire, that I might make them desolate and that they might know that I am the Lord.” ’

God told the children in the wilderness, (then and now) to follow His ways, not the ways of their worldly fathers.

Jesus says in, Matthew 10:34-36, Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; ³⁶ and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.

Dear Saint, our family is those who do the will of our Father. Matthew 12:50.

Follow God. Even if it goes against your fathers, your families, your traditions, your religion, your political party. Follow God.  

That’s what God told the children in the wilderness to do, but they rebelled.

Then, as before, God said He would pour out His fury and fulfill His anger.

But, yet again, mercy triumphed over judgement and He held back His hand, for the sake of His name in the sight of the gentiles.

But make no mistake, His Divine Justice was not ignored.

This time He raised His hand in an oath to scatter them throughout the nations of the gentiles.

The scattering was long lasting, we still see remnants of it to this day.

Around 722 BC the Assyrians took the northern tribes captive.

605 BC began the Babylonian captivity.

70 AD the Romans sent them scattering for nearly 2,000 years.

In 1948 we saw God bring an official end to this prophecy. From that day to this He’s calling them back home to Israel.

DANGER ZONE.

Notice this time God gives them no commands.

Before He told them to get rid of their abominations and idols. Then, He said, to follow His statutes and judgements and Sabbaths. Then, He said to follow Him, not your fathers... but this time, He doesn’t give a command, He simply says, “I gave them up.”

When God stops chasing you, when He stops knocking, you’re headed toward hell in a hurry.

Whenever it happens to anyone it’s easy to trace.

They resist God long enough until He gives them up, and they go nuts, with a debased mind and a strong delusion.

Romans 1:28
They did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

2 Thess. 2:11
And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie.

They call evil good and good evil and resist all that is right and just and Holy.

They don’t know if they are male or female, they can’t say if a man can have a baby, or if a boy may need tampons. They think law and border are evil. They defend criminals and lock up citizens. They ban Bible reading in schools while promoting men in high heels and dresses reading about perverted sex to our children.

That’s just the beginning.     

God justifies judging them, scattering them, making them desolate by condemning the worst of their wickedness: “causing their firstborn to pass through the fire.” Ez. 20:26.

They burned their children alive, as an offering to a demon they called molech.

Today they do the same in a different way to the same demon, but he wears a doctor’s coat and calls himself Planned Parenthood.

God’s chosen people, were scattered, left desolate, for doing what America has done over seventy million times and rising by over 3,000 innocent souls a day.

God’s mercy is amazing, but His judgment is not ignored.

God’s people in America are humbling themselves, praying, seeking His face, turning from their wicked ways. 2 Chronicles 7:14 promises if we do, then, He will heal our land. Intercessors, standing in the gap, may be the only reason, America still stands. One day we will be taken out of the way, and then, all hell will break loose, until the Prince of Peace returns to rule and reign.  

  

FATHERS 27-29

²⁷ “Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “In this too your fathers have blasphemed Me, by being unfaithful to Me. ²⁸ When I brought them into the land concerning which I had raised My hand in an oath to give them, and they saw all the high hills and all the thick trees, there they offered their sacrifices and provoked Me with their offerings. There they also sent up their sweet aroma and poured out their drink offerings. ²⁹ Then I said to them, ‘What is this high place to which you go?’ So its name is called Bamah to this day.” ’ 

Now the HIStory is hitting closer to home. He’s not just talking about distant ancestors, but their very fathers.

Notice for the first time, God does not say they rebelled. Rebels pull against the yoke that is upon them, the authority that is over them. Now these are completely outsiders, enemies of God. He calls them blasphemers.  

God does not talk about His fury and anger, He does not raise His hand in an oath.

As Judge He simply states the charges against them.

By this time their conscience is seared, every imagination of their hearts is only evil continually. Genesis 6:5.

Even in the midst of the Promise Land, with purple mountain majesties, from sea to shining sea, where God shed His grace on thee, rather than seeing God’s blessings, all they saw were places to practice sin and worship evil.

Generation after generation ignored God’s warnings, until they were too far gone. Destruction of Jerusalem was imminent; Ezekiel and Daniel and thousands of others were already taken captive. Jeremiah in Jerusalem was persecuted for speaking Truth.

This picture is not so different from where we sit today in America. If you are a Christian, please intercede for our country, daily.

Now, the HIStory lesson becomes a personal lecture.

 

YOU 30-32

³⁰ Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Are you defiling yourselves in the manner of your fathers, and committing harlotry according to their abominations? ³¹ For when you offer your gifts and make your sons pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols, even to this day. So shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live,” says the Lord God, “I will not be inquired of by you. ³² What you have in your mind shall never be, when you say, ‘We will be like the Gentiles, like the families in other countries, serving wood and stone.’

The Lord returns to His original question. “So, shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel?”

Then He calls them out for the inquiry they never made, but He could read the thoughts and intents of their heart.

His answer totally turns the trajectory of the conversation from judgement to reconciliation.

No, you cannot inquire about being like the other nations. I created you to be My people.

There is no negotiation regarding your identity.

You may see yourself as someone or something other than how I created you, but that doesn't change who you are in My eyes.

I have not and will not give up on you. Even if you’ve given up on yourself.  

I will not give up on My covenant with you. Even if you do.

I will remain faithful to you, even if you’re not.

Which brings us from prophecy already fulfilled in our past, to prophecy to be fulfilled in our future.

 

RECONCILED 33-44

³³ “As I live,” says the Lord God, “surely with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, I will rule over you. ³⁴ I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out. 

We saw this largely fulfilled in 1948, when Jews flocked to Israel with the rebirth of the nation, and they’re still flocking there in ever increasing numbers.

The persecution of Israel only helps further fulfill this prophecy. What the devil means for harm, God uses for good.

God has this prophetic magnet in the heart of the Jew calling them home.

We’re witnessing prophecy being fulfilled right before our very eyes.

³⁵ And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face. ³⁶ Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you,” says the Lord God.

Isaiah 1:18
Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

³⁷ “I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; 

This is a picture of the Shepherd, raising His rod, to allow His sheep into His fold. But this Shepherd is interested in more than just owning a flock of sheep, He is committed to building a family relationship, a bond of covenant, with His people.

³⁸ I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel.

The same Shepherd who allows the sheep into His fold, also keeps out the rebels, the wolves, the thieves, the goats.

After the tribulation there will be a purging process, the Sheep and Goat Judgement. Matt. 25:31-36.  

Then you will know that I am the Lord.

The beautiful phrase the Lord loves and repeats over seventy times in Ezekiel.

³⁹ “As for you, O house of Israel,” thus says the Lord God: “Go, serve every one of you his idols—and hereafter—if you will not obey Me; but profane My holy name no more with your gifts and your idols.

Serve your idols if you choose, but don’t come to me with your hypocritical nonsense.

Joshua 24:15. And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

1 Kings 18:21. How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.

 ⁴⁰ For on My holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel,” says the Lord God, “there all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, shall serve Me;

Romans 11:26, all Israel will be saved.

 there I will accept them, and there I will require your offerings and the firstfruits of your sacrifices, together with all your holy things. ⁴¹ I will accept you as a sweet aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered; and I will be hallowed in you before the Gentiles. 

During the Millennial Reign there will be required feasts in Jerusalem. If they don’t attend, their land will have no rain.

Feast of Tabernacles, Zechariah 14:16-17.

Feast of Passover, Ezekiel 45:21.

⁴² Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I raised My hand in an oath to give to your fathers. 

Isaiah 11:6. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

⁴³ And there you shall remember your ways and all your doings with which you were defiled; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight because of all the evils that you have committed

At the end of the tribulation, Jesus will return, the Jews who are alive will recognize Him as the One they pierced and they will remember their wickedness and mourn as one mourns over the loss of an only son.

Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

We will not lose our memory; we will not get amnesia regarding evil. We will know the Truth with exceptional clarity, and by God’s grace we will be able to handle it. We will know Jesus died and rose again. We’ll know He did it for sinners. We’ll know some sinners, probably even some from our own family, that didn’t make it to heaven.

With a deep understanding we will walk through eternity with wise and solemn joy, not ignorant bliss.

 ⁴⁴ Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have dealt with you for My name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways nor according to your corrupt doings, O house of Israel,” says the Lord God.’ ”

There it is again for the ninth time in this chapter, God’s heart’s desire:

“Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”

Do you see the depth of God’s love for you?

He repeatedly raised His hand in an oath.

We repeatedly rebelled.

Which warranted His fury and anger.

But for His name’s sake, He came in our place and followed all His statutes and judgements and Sabbaths.

Then He raised both hands and took His fury and anger in our place.  

Reconciling our overdrawn account with His as He said...

Tetelestai!

Translated, “It is finished” but means, Paid in Full.

 

Isaiah 59:16

He saw that there was no man,
And wondered that there was no intercessor;
Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him;
And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.

 

2 Corinthians 5: 17-21
 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ¹⁸ Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

²⁰ Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

 

Let’s intercede.

Lord Jesus, we have rebelled, individually, and as a nation, please forgive US.

Please search our hearts, convict us of any wicked way, cause us to despise iniquity, draw us to delight in You, as intercessors in tune to Your desires, that our prayers are powerful and effective, for Your glory. We pray You use us a soul winners and disciple makers, so of all You’ve given us, none are lost.

Thank You.

We love You, forever.

Amen.  

Prayer Requests:

Call or text: 612-554-2522

Email: pray4measap@aol.com

Facebook: Church at WPV

Books: amazon.com/author/dougspurling

Watch online:

Facebook: Rebel to Reconciled, Ezekiel 20

You Tube: Rebel to Reconciled, Ezekiel 20

This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to sow.

 

 

 

Introduction to the Gospel of Mark

 

Mark’s message and mission is to reflect, Jesus Christ the Son of God, The Servant King.

Mark 10:45 says it best:  

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

True to that ministry of humility Mark doesn’t even provide his name.

But almost every Church father and historian agrees this gospel was written by Mark.

More precisely, John Mark.

It was common for first century Jews that had dealings with the Roman world to add a Roman name to their given Jewish name.

Perhaps we can think of it as, John, doing business as, Mark.  

Mark’s mom had a house in Jerusalem large enough to be used as a meeting place for prayer. Tradition says the Upper Room in that house was the location of the Last Supper. In Acts 12:12, Peter went there after an angel released him from prison, and there he found the Church in prayer, for him to be released from prison.

As a teenager in the house Mark was greatly influenced by the ministry of Jesus.

He may have even been tagging along on the night Jesus was betrayed... and perhaps became the first streaker. “Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him, ⁵² and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.” (Mark 14:51-52).

As a young man Mark went on the first missionary journey with his cousin Barnabus, and the apostle Paul. For reasons we don’t know, young Mark left that journey early. Paul was upset with Mark and didn’t want him to go with them again. Barnabus, the encourager, was upset with Paul for being upset with Mark.

So much so that they parted ways. Mark went with Barnabus and Paul went with Silas. Acts 15:36–41.

Later, they reconciled and Paul complimented Mark as a fellow worker, comfort and useful in ministry. Colossians 4:10–11, 2 Timothy 4:11, Philemon 24.   

Mark also ministered with Peter. Perhaps he was Peter’s protégé, because Peter calls him his “son”. 1 Peter 5:13.

It’s believed that under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Mark put to pen, Peter’s words regarding the life of Christ and thus we have the Gospel According to Mark.

Mark didn’t let any grass grow under his feet.

He not only served ministers like Barnabus and Paul and Peter but is considered one of the most influential figures in the spread of Christianity in Africa.

The last leg of Mark’s ministry journey was to Egypt settling in Alexandria, which was a major intellectual and pagan hub in the ancient world.

There Mark got busy about his Father’s business of soul winning and disciple making.

Same thing we’re called to do. Simply spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This life will soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.

Mark stayed the course and before long the Church of Alexandria was born.  

As is often the case, the Good News about Jesus was bad news for the bad guys, the pagan religious system.

The Truth offends the lie.

How do we know we’re living in days of deception?

Everybody is so easily offended.

Getting offended is opposite the character of Godliness.

Mark spoke the Truth in a den of lies, and thus, like Christ, Mark became a marked man.

The demonic hatred grew until one Easter Sunday Service the mob stormed the Church and tied Mark with ropes and hooks and dragged him through the streets until his flesh was shredded and scattered up and down the rocky streets of the city.

But he was still breathing. So, they cast him in prison for the night.

Even then, Mark wouldn’t relent, wouldn’t plead for mercy, did not beg for his life. For he knew they couldn’t take his life, it was already given to Christ.

To live is Christ, to die is gain. Philippians 1:21.

To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8.

So, the next day, the demonized mob drug him again, until Mark echoed the words of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, “Into Thy hands I commit my spirit.” And with that, Minister Mark, entered Eternal Life.

The mad mob was not satisfied, because sin never is. As they prepared to burn Mark’s body to ashes, a heavy storm poured down on their plans.  

Which allowed the Christians to retrieve and respectfully bury Mark’s body.  

John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Indeed, Mark did that, lived that. Do we?

Today Mark is credited as the founder of the Church of Alexandria and is recognized as the first Pope of Alexandria by the Coptic Orthodox Church.

Archeological artifacts regarding Mark’s ministry are split between Saint Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo, Egypt and the Basilica of St. Mark in Venice, Italy.

 

The Gospel of Mark reveals Jesus Christ the Son of God, The Servant King, busy about His Father’s business.

This fast paced Gospel, spotlights Jesus Christ as a Man on the move, leading by serving, sacrificially, continuously.

Mark is already running when he opens the gate of the Good News, looking back only once, just long enough to point to a couple prophets that predicted the forerunner, John the Baptist, who preached and baptized, “Repent” and pointed toward the One to come, whose shoe latchet he wasn’t fit to unloose.

Then, it’s full steam ahead as Jesus steps onto the scene and into the water, is baptized by John, then, led by the Spirit into the wilderness with wild beasts to be tempted by the devil and then, ministered to by angels.

Then John goes to prison and Jesus goes to Galilee, picking up where John left off preaching, “Repent”.

Then Jesus calls fishermen to be fishers of men.

Then He casts out a demon in the middle of Church.

Then He heals Peter’s mom.  

Then, the sun goes down and the diseased and demonized show up. Without slowing down Jesus heals and delivers.

Then, Jesus is up before the sun and out and alone, and in prayer.

When they finally find Him, He’s says it’s time to go, and they’re off, from town to town preaching and teaching and casting out demons.

Then, along comes a leper, saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”

Jesus, moved with compassion, and, for the first time it seems, He causes time to stand still, as He reaches out, and touches the untouchable, saying, “I AM willing, be clean.”  

Then, in that moment, the leper, is a leper, no more.

And all of that was just the highlights of the first chapter of this Glorious Gospel.   

Now, before we enter the Holy Ground of this Sacred Scripture let’s prepare our hearts by going back in our imaginations to the first century.

You are about to hear this Gospel being read for the very first time.

You are not sitting safely, comfortably, but hiding under the city of Rome, in a damp, dark, catacomb, surrounded by bones and skulls and cadavers saturating the atmosphere with the stench of death.  

Why are we hiding?

Because Emperor Nero is nuts.

He hunts folks like us, Christians.

If he catches us, he’ll cover us in animal skins and feed us to wild dogs. Or he’ll dip us in tar oil, hang us from a post and ignite us like a torch to illuminate his garden. Or, for sport he’ll put us in the center of the crowded coliseum and turn the hungry lions loose.

We don’t want to die like that, so we take precautions when we gather to hear the Good News.

Yes, it’s dangerous.

Yes, we may get caught.

Yes, we may be fed to wild animals, or burned alive...

But we will never stop.

To stop would be like trying to go on living, but doing so, without breathing.

Gathering and Hearing His Word is our Daily Bread, our Breath of Life.

There.

Now that you’ve been introduced to Mark.

Now that you understand the perils of the preaching of this book.

We will open the door, and cross the threshold, and begin our journey together through this Glorious Gospel of Mark.

But first, we must pause and pray.  

Lord Jesus, how can we thank You for the price that was paid to prepare and preserve Your Holy Word for us to freely read? How should we live, how can we serve, what can we do, to honor You and carry on this legacy of Love You’ve left us? When our lives are said and done, we pray we’ll be known as soul winners and disciple makers, so that of all those You’ve given us, none are lost.

Thank You.

We love You, forever.

Amen.   

Prayer Requests:

Call or text: 612-554-2522

Email: pray4measap@aol.com

Facebook: Church at WPV

Books: amazon.com/author/dougspurling

Watch online:

Facebook: Introduction to the Gospel of Mark

You Tube: Introduction to the Gospel of Mark

This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to sow.

The Swan Song of Lion Kings, Ezekiel 19

“Moreover,

A conjunction saying, in addition to what was just said.

What was just said?

Judgement is coming. Repent. I take no pleasure in death, turn and live. Ezekiel 18:30-32.

Moreover, Ezekiel, since they won’t repent, turn and live...

 take up a lamentation

Prepare a dirge, a funeral march, a swan song, a lamentation...

for the princes of Israel,

Specifically, the last kings of Judah, who were evil sons, and one grandson, of Godly King Josiah.

609 BC. Jehoahaz (aka Shallum), king for three months.

609-597 BC. Jehoiakim, king for eleven years.

597 Jehoiachin: Jehoiakim’s son, Josiah’s grandson, king for three months.

597-586 BC Zedekiah, king for eleven years.

1 Chronicles 3:15.

² and say:

‘What is your mother? A lioness:

This refers to the kingdom of Judah.

It comes from Genesis 49:8-11, when Jacob was blessing each of his sons. When he got to Judah, he said this:

⁸ “Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise;
Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
Your father’s children shall bow down before you.
⁹ Judah is a lion’s whelp;
From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He bows down, he lies down as a lion;
And as a lion, who shall rouse him?
¹⁰ The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes;
And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
¹¹ Binding his donkey to the vine,
And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,
He washed his garments in wine,
And his clothes in the blood of grapes.

Remember verse ten. It is a Messianic prophecy. The scepter shall not depart from Judah, means a King’s reign from Judah shall have no end.

Remember verse eleven, it is a foreshadowing of when The Lion, returns with a roar.

She lay down among the lions;

The kingdom of Judah commits idolatry with surrounding pagan nations.

Among the young lions she nourished her cubs.

She raised her children in the ways of the world.

³ She brought up one of her cubs,

Jehoahaz, also known as Shallum (1 Chronicles 3:15, Jer. 22:11-12).

And he became a young lion;

He became strong. He became king at 23 when his Godly father Josiah died in battle. 2 Kings 23:29-31.

He learned to catch prey,

He was violent.

And he devoured men

He was ruthless. He did evil in the sight of the Lord. 2 Kings 23:32.

⁴ The nations also heard of him;

Even the evil nations thought he was evil.

He was trapped in their pit,

And they brought him with chains to the land of Egypt.

This is how we know it is referring to Jehoahaz, because he is the king that was taken to Egypt.

2 Kings 23:31-34. Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. (NOTE: This in not Jeremiah the Prophet). ³² And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. (Fathers, not father, his father was Godly Josiah, this refers to ungodly ancestors like great grandfather Manasseh and grandfather, Amon). ³³ Now Pharaoh Necho put him in prison at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and he imposed on the land a tribute of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. ³⁴ Then Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And Pharaoh took Jehoahaz and went to Egypt, and he died there.

Now, there’s an eleven year gap between verses 4 and 5, while Jehoiakim reigned from 609 – 597 between Jehoahaz and Jehoiachin.

Jehoiakim is skipped in the dirge, perhaps because he was exceedingly wicked and cursed, perhaps because he’s the only one not taken captive, but probably because, he was an illegitimate king, he was installed as a puppet by Pharaoh.

Here’s a snapshot into the wicked life of Jehoiakim:

Jeremiah 22:19. He shall be buried with the burial of a donkey, dragged and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 26:23, Jehoiakim had the Lord's Prophet Urijah, killed

Jeremiah 36:23–24, as the scroll of Jeremiah was read, declaring the invasion of Egypt and Babylon was God's judgement on Judah due to their wickedness. Jehoiakim, cut off the scroll and threw it into the fire. (Same evil as those trying to rewrite and erase the Godly history of America).

Jeremiah 36:30. He shall have no one to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat of the day and the frost of the night.

597 BC this prophecy was fulfilled when, in the eleventh year of Jehoiakim’s reign, he stopped paying tribute to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar responded by besieging Jerusalem. According to Josephus, Jehoiakim was killed during the siege, and his body was thrown over the city wall. LIKE GARBAGE

⁵ ‘When she saw that she waited, that her hope was lost,

She took another of her cubs and made him a young lion.

Judah made Jehoiakim’s eighteen year old son, Jehoiachin, their king. 2 Kings 24:8.

⁶ He roved among the lions,

And became a young lion;

He learned to catch prey;

He devoured men.

⁷ He knew their desolate places,

And laid waste their cities;

The land with its fullness was desolated

By the noise of his roaring.

Jehoiachin, the grandson of Godly Josiah, did evil in the sight of the sight of the Lord. 2 Kings 24:9.

Just one generation from the strong Godly national revival of Josiah to the corrupt, wretched, weakness of his sons and grandson.

“Freedom is never more than one generation from extinction.” President Ronald Reagan.

⁸ Then the nations set against him from the provinces on every side,

And spread their net over him;

He was trapped in their pit.

⁹ They put him in a cage with chains,

And brought him to the king of Babylon;

They brought him in nets,

That his voice should no longer be heard on the mountains of Israel.

597 BC. Jehoiachin, was king for only three months, when Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem, again, and took him captive to Babylon, where he died. 2 Kings 24:11-12.

10 ‘Your mother was like a vine in your bloodline,

Planted by the waters,

Fruitful and full of branches

Because of many waters.

Oh, beautiful land of Judah, with purple mountain majesty above the fruited plain, where God shed His grace on thee, and crowned thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.

11 She had strong branches for scepters of rulers.

She towered in stature above the thick branches,

And was seen in her height amid the dense foliage.

Oh, dear Judah, you have the blood of strong righteous rulers in your veins.

Your founding fathers Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob, and David and Solomon... (and George Washington, and John Adams, and Abraham Lincoln...) rose and fought and stayed the course, and laid the foundation of a Godly, prosperous, blessed nation.

For you to tend and keep and enjoy, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  

 

12 But she was plucked up in fury,

She was cast down to the ground,

And the east wind dried her fruit.

Her strong branches were broken and withered;

       The fire consumed them.      

13 And now she is planted in the wilderness,

In a dry and thirsty land.

Instead of staying the course of your founding fathers, your founding documents, your constitution... you rejected the Source of your excellence and turned to false foreign gods.

Make no mistake. God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap. Galatians 6:7.

You’ve sown to the wind and are reaping the whirlwind.  

14 Fire has come out from a rod of her branches

And devoured her fruit,

So that she has no strong branch—a scepter for ruling.’ ”

This is a lamentation, and has become a lamentation.

THE END.

The swan song goes silent.

The lamentation breathes its last.

586 BC. Zedekiah deposed from the throne ended a lamentable, wicked, rule, but more alarming, ended the royal dynasty of David.

Your very own rulers burn you to the ground.

Corruption, waste, fraud and abuse, from within, devour you.

Godly leadership is replaced by godless foreign interests.

The trajectory of the nation is a death march to the grave.

But how could this happen?

They had promises from God.

2 Samuel 7:16
And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.

Isaiah 9:7
Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord will perform this.

But it was like the lights went out, all went black.

Psalm 11:3. If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?

What do you do when all is lost, with no hope in sight?

The faith chapter opens answering that question:

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1.

The solution is no mystery. The plan is already made. The path is clear to see. Follow the faith giants who through faith and patience received the Promise. Hebrews 6:12.

The Lord through Jeremiah told them plainly, but they refused:

Jeremiah 6:16
This is what the LORD says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, Godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’

Nevertheless, His Truth marches on, and in the fullness of time, The Lion of Judah, came as a cub, but quickly grew to be known as, The King.

Just to be sure, Pilate asked:

Are You The King of the Jews? (Matthew 27:11).

Pilate did not ask, “Are you a king... he asked are You THE King. Definite article, “the”. Are You, The One and Only King?

Jesus said, “It is as you say.” In other Words: I AM.

In the beginning, in the first book, in Genesis, the precedent was set when Jacob prophesied about the scepter never departing from The Lion of Judah.  

In the middle the Lord told Ezekiel to write a lament for the lions of Judah who failed.

But in the end, in the last book, in Revelation, John is told, not to weep, not to lament, for the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed... Revelation 5:5.

The Lion King, is coming back to roar, as King of kings and Lord of lords, Revelation 19:11-16.

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. ¹² His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. ¹³ He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. ¹⁵ Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.

Previously we said to remember Genesis 49:11, it foreshadows when The Lion, returns with a roar.

Genesis 49:11... He washed his garments in wine,
And his clothes in the blood of grapes.

Revelation 19: ¹³ He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood... ¹⁵ ...He Himself treads the winepress

The lions of Judah died in their iniquity, but The Lion of Judah, died FOR our iniquity, and turned death itself backwards.

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, those kings had it made, until they let their blessing become their god. The nation of Israel was blessed beyond measure, until they rejected You.

We are not so different.

Please forgive US and help US to return to You. Individually, and corporately. As a Church and nation, humbly honoring You. It’s a big ask. Our internal corruption is akin to what we’ve just read. But, Lord, You specialize in bringing Life from death. So, we Your people, humble ourselves, seek Your face, turn from our wicked ways, and trust, You, will do, what only You can do, and heal our land.

Now, this moment, and every moment from here through Eternity, keep us busy, about Your business of being soul winners and disciple makers.

Thank You.

We Love You, forever.

Amen.

Prayer Requests:

Call or text: 612-554-2522

Email: pray4measap@aol.com

Facebook: Church at WPV

Books: amazon.com/author/dougspurling

Watch online:

Facebook: The Swan Song of Lion Kings, Ezekiel 19

You Tube: The Swan Song of Lion Kings, Ezekiel 19

This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to sow.