Year 3 Day 38

Year 3 Day 38


Pray (ACts)


Read - Ezekiel 2:9-3:15


Message - Alan Burke 


Are you a foodie? Not just one of those people who just eats plain pasta with a drop of tomato ketchup, being picky about the brand of pasta and the brand of tomato ketchup doesn’t count! Even if you are a foodie there is bound to be one or two things you don’t like or if is served up in front of you that you would really prefer not to eat. I have two things I just can’t stand, Lasagne (so please don’t ever try to feed me it) and the other is tomato pasta no matter what brand of pasta or brand of tomato ketchup or tinned tomatoes I simply can’t do it. After that I’m willing to try just about anything, although maybe not eating a full scroll as Ezekiel was tasked with although I’d at least try it, just not tomato pasta!


The rebellious house of Isreal would not listen but Ezekiel was to listen, he ate the scroll likely that of leather. What makes this scroll that Ezekiel was to eat unusual though, is that it was written on both sides, and Ezekiel could identify that which was written on it, the words of lament and mourning and woe (9). As he digested the words of lament and mourning and woe, that the Lord feeds Ezekiel, and the scroll fills him, this unappetising leather scroll, with words of lament, mourning and woe, that we would expect it to be bitter, unpalatable, but it was as sweet as honey in his mouth. 


Ezekiel was being equipped by God and sent to take his message among the exiles and it was going to bring message of bad news, and there would be plenty of it, but in the end although we have to wait until much further in the book there does come hope. Ultimately they will reject what Ezekiel the prophet of the Lord will bring, and the reason why is because they are ultimately rejecting the Lord God. They will not listen to him because he brings the word of God. As a result of this reality, Ezekiel went away in bitterness and in anger of his spirit. He was overwhelmed at what he was tasked to do, he was overwhelmed because the people would not listen to the message that the Lord was sending him with, he was overwhelmed with it all and it took him seven days to overcome the shock and despair of that which was told to him. 


We might think in the midst of it all what was the point, but it was God’s will to bring him glory to address the sin of his people, their rebellious ays. God still calls men it minister in places today, across this world and in this land, place that are not very far from here where God has put minister in places that are full of contempt for the word of God, full of briars thorns and scorpions and sadly they are more common than we might like to believe. 


Yet for all who hear, for those who are willing to listen, even though the message may not be what we want to hear, of lament, mourning and woe, as the word confronts us with our own rebellion as sinful people, in the judgement that comes there is hope! For as we close there is another Son of Man who has come, he though unlike the first Adam who failed in his test of obedience, he in his life and death, in his active obedience as he lived, in his passive obedience as he willingly went to the cross and died in our behalf has provided a way that we might escape the judgement, the wrath of God that we deserve. For Jesus Christ the true and better Adam, by his obedience, as he took on our humanity, partook in our flesh and blood, so that he could die in our place and destroy the one who has the power of death and deliver us, this is the hope of all who hear the word of God (Heb 2:14-15).


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q41 Where is the moral law summarily comprehended?
The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments. (Deut. 10:4, Matt. 19:17)
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