Bible In One Year-Day 215 (Saturday, August 3, 2013)
Commentary: Ezekiel16-18. Jerusalem, as we read, was a clear picture of the state of man before Jesus walked on earth. Chapter16 is a chapter that indirectly tells the story of our salvation in Christ. The origin of Jerusalem was a mess, spiritually and physically. She was born to callous parents who had no heart or feeling for life; she was left to die, probably, because she was a girl.
Ezekiel 16:4 “And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.”
At this state, she had nobody to pity her. This was the evil spirit that welcomed Jerusalem; the “spirit of no pity”. Her cry for help moved nobody who saw her and death was breast-feeding her; sorrow and affliction embraced her. But when God saw her condition, He was moved with compassion (this is God’s nature) and He spoke what was needed at that hour into her; LIFE.
Ezekiel 16:6 “And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.”
May the Lord voice out the needed word to you in your situation in the name of Jesus Christ (Amen). God took over the care of Jerusalem. Whatever God lays hand on will definitely come out beautiful (your life shall experience that handwork of God, in Jesus name). Jerusalem became unusually beautiful as she matured to womanhood. Her nakedness was covered with the wings of the Almighty. She was thoroughly washed in the water, anointed with oil and adorned in beautiful raiment and attires. The beauty of Jerusalem was unmatched, unrivaled and described as PERFECT because it was the Lord’s doing; this was her pride and fame. To describe Jerusalem in summary, she was the Lord’s decoration; there was not a part of her that any man could give negative comment as far as beauty was concerned. As a matter of fact, men could not ask for her love because of the beauty; she was too beautiful for any man to court (verse25, 33-34).
Ezekiel 16:13-14 “Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.”
Unfortunately, the pride of her beauty took over her. She set what God had given her as an idol and started giving attention to it and not to God. What God gave to her was for the Lord’s glory to manifest but she turned them against God. She idolized materials in place of God.
Ezekiel 16:32 “But as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband!”
In God’s judgment she became a proverb in the land, “like mother, like daughter”
Ezekiel 16:44 “Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter.”
Obviously, her mother must be a harlot considering the manner of her birth; the spirit of her mother had taken over. This is an example of evil pattern sponsored by familiar spirit and generational curse. It was something in Jerusalem’s family line (verse 45-49), but she excelled them all in corruption. Her sin and abominable acts uncovered her nakedness and broke the covenant God entered into with her before now.
Ezekiel 16:59 “For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant.”
God, being so faithful will always consider His own part of the covenant; he considered a new and everlasting covenant with Jerusalem through atonement for her sin.
Ezekiel 16:60 “Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.”
Ezekiel 16:62-63 “And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD.”
God covered Adam and Eve with His glory and they were not ashamed, but as soon as they sinned, the jealousy of God (God’s glory) departed; they saw their nakedness and were ashamed. The plan of God for the salvation of man started through Abraham and is accomplished in Christ Jesus. His blood became atonement for us and new and everlasting covenant was established in place of the old, Hebrews8.
Hebrews 7:22 “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.”
Hebrews 8:13 “In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.”
God’s desire is for the sinner to turn from the wicked ways and come back to Him. Sin will always uncover a man’s nakedness and break covenants. Christians are supposed to be the happiest people on earth. This could be true only if one is genuinely in Christ. To be genuine in Christ is to abstain from any sinful acts that would bring corruption of the soul. A corrupt soul cannot be a residence for the righteousness of God, the Holy Spirit; He will not identify with filthiness. You need to be washed with water (baptism by immersion) and anointed with oil (baptism of the Holy Spirit).
Ezekiel 16:9 “Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.”
John 3:5 “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say to thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
Anything contrary to the fullness of the Holy Spirit is ashes, but Jesus Christ is GOD’S BEAUTY in our lives. Without Him we obtain nothing different from everlasting shame. Inherited spiritual problems, material acquisitions, academic and political pride etc are all ashes without Christ. When you receive Him, just as God worked on Jerusalem unto beauty, He beautifies you with Himself.
Isaiah 61:3 “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”
Let us seek for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. Our reading for today is Ezekiel19-21. Keep the fire of burning and alive.
Pastor Supo Abayode
+1-302-230-6792
Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries
Delaware, USA
Mountain of Fire And Miracles Ministries Delaware 