DEALING WITH THE DISOBEDIENT

“I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries, and remove your filthiness completely from you” (Ezek. 22:15 NKJV).

Israel had been disobedient to God, and now He is going to deal with their disobedience by bringing judgment upon them. Thus we want to note: the promise of judgment, the pain of judgment, and the purpose of judgment.

Promise of judgment – “I will scatter . . . disperse you.” Sin will not go unnoticed by God. Disobedience will bring the promise of judgment. In mercy He may delay judgment in order to give the disobedient more time to repent. But if we continue in sin, and refuse to listen to God and change our ways, judgment will be executed. The phrase “I will” speaks of certainty. Not experiencing immediate judgment for sin does not mean that one is getting away with evil. Judgment is coming if there is no repentance.

Pain of judgment – “I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries.” Israel’s judgment would be their dispersion – removal from their land and scattered throughout the world. This was extremely painful and resulted in great loss of possessions and lives. Families were broken up; many went into slavery. Some have returned to the land, but many are still dispersed throughout the countries of the world. Judgment is always painful. Disobedience may seem fun, but judgment is not.

Purpose of judgment – “Remove your filthiness from you.” The purpose of Israel’s judgment was their purification. One of the things the dispersion did for Israel was to cleanse them of heathen idolatry. In like manner, our afflictions, though painful, are not unprofitable. They are purifying agents to clean us up. God often puts us through some sore affliction to purify us. The furnace of affliction removes the dross from our lives

(Adapted from Butler's Daily Bible Reading 3)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“The vague and tenuous hope that God is too kind to punish the ungodly has become a deadly opiate for the consciences of millions!”

Aiden Wilson (A.W.) Tozer (1897 – 1963)

American Pastor, Theologian and Author

Word Study

Diligent / Eager

In 2 Peter 1:15 we read, “And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind” (NASB).

Diligent / Eager is the Greek word spoudazō (σπουδάζω = spoo-dad'-zo). It conveys the idea of hastening to do something. The idea is give maximum effort, do your best, spare no effort, hurry on, be eager! In classical Greek spoudazō describes one who is predisposed to do something, being willing, eager, or ready for the task at hand. In the Septuagint, spoudazō means to hurry. In the New Testament spoudazō is used to mean to do one’s best, to make every effort, to endeavor, to give diligence, or to work hard. It is marked by careful unremitting attention or persistent application. It is to give your utmost for His highest!

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah would be both God and man (Zech. 13:7).

New Testament Fulfillment – John 14:9

Did You Know…

The Bible states that the Lord Jesus existed before time begun (John 1:2; 17:5; Col. 1:16-17).

Bible Quiz

Why was king Nebuchadnezzar angry with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: In 1 Peter 2, what does the use of the word “tree” symbolized? The cross (1 Peter 2:24).

Names For God Found in the Bible

“Bridegroom”

"For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you” (Isa. 62:5 NKJV).

1. Meaning – Bridegroom speaks of God as the bridegroom of His people.

2. Insights – In context, Jerusalem’s relationship with God is compared to the happiness of a marriage. God promises to keep speaking and working till His purposes for Jerusalem are fulfilled. This is not only for the sake of Zion but also for the sake of the nations of the world. There will be no righteousness and peace on this earth until Jerusalem gets her new name and becomes a crown of glory to the Lord.

Did You Know...Christian History

Albert Benjamin Simpson was born on December 15, 1843 on Prince Edward Island, Canada. He was a Canadian Preacher, Theologian, Author, and founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance.

Simpson was reared in a Presbyterian home. His businessman father was an elder in the church. When his father’s business failed, the family moved to Ontario where Albert gave his heart to Christ. After graduating from high school, he taught school in order to earn money to attend the Presbyterians’ Knox College.

After graduation in 1865, Simpson accepted a pastorate at Knox Presbyterian Church in Hamilton, Ontario, marrying Margaret Henry the same weekend. They ministered at Knox for eight years and saw God add 750 members to the congregation. In 1874 Simpson felt the Lord stirring him to do a different work. An offer from a large church in Louisville, Kentucky, convinced Simpson that God was directing him there. In Louisville, God used him to bring peace between people made bitter by the Civil War. The Civil War had left the city and churches with heavy financial and spiritual problems. Simpson called for reconciliation and prayer meetings. Two months of united prayer meetings among the clergy led to a year of interdenominational meetings with 10,000 local residents, and the setting up of missions all over the city to give a place to those who did not go to church.

In 1879, Simpson was called to New York City to pastor the Thirteenth Street Presbyterian Church where he had tremendous success among immigrants. Simpson stressed that Christ must be the center of our religious life, and saw Him as Savior, Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King, (these four relationships became the central ideas of the Foursquare churches and the Assemblies of God). To encourage people to live Christ-filled lives, Simpson founded the Christian Alliance. To encourage mission work, he founded the Evangelical Missionary Alliance. Later he saw that they needed to merge as the Christian and Missionary Alliance.

Simpson did not originally set out to create a new denomination. However, the refusal of his church leaders to allow immigrants to become members forced him to leave the Presbyterian Church. The leaders feared being overwhelmed by the foreigners and poor. Simpson was a prolific writer from the start of his ministry, having authored 101 books and countless hymns, periodicals, booklets, articles, and curriculums over his lifetime. His influence went on to move the hearts of missionaries, pastors, and people of all denominations towards spreading the gospel in all lands. Simpson’s last words before he slipped into a coma at his death in 1919 were prayer for these churches.

A Little Humor

A fourth grader was celebrating his birthday on crutches; this means he could not carry the cupcakes into school without help. His sixth-grader brother Noah was asked to help his brother carry them in. “I could,” he said, “but I’d prefer not to.” Spotting a teaching moment, his father asked him, “What would Jesus do?” Noah answered, “Jesus would heal him so he could carry his own cupcakes.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“No small sin is small because all sin opposes God!”