MESSAGE FOR THE AMMONITES

“Say to the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord GOD! Thus says the Lord GOD: because you said, Aha, against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity” (Ezek. 25:3 NKJV).

One of Ezekiel’s role was to speak God’s message of judgment message against many of the nations which surrounded Israel. In our verse, we have part of the message of judgment given to the Ammonites. It speaks of the sending with the message, the submission in the message, the source of the message, and the subject of the message.

Sending with the message – “Say unto the Ammonites.” Here God is sending Ezekiel to speak to the Ammonites. We do not decide our calling by ourselves. It is God who determines our call, and let us know what that calling is. The reason many miss their calling is that we do not pay attention to what God is saying, or do not like the calling.

Submission in the message – “Hear the word of the Lord God.” The word “hear” means more than just hearing audible sounds; it also means to listen, to obey the Word of God. God’s message is not for entertainment but is exhortation. We are to submit to the Divine message.

Source of the message – “Hear the word of the Lord God.” Like Ezekiel, all preachers are called to preach God’s Word. 2 Tim. 4:2 makes it plain, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”

Subject of the message – “Because you said, Aha, against My sanctuary, when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity.” The subject of the message is the Ammonites’ bad attitude towards God and His people. They mocked the defiling of the sanctuary, the desolation of the land, and the dislodging of the people. Many folks today are like the Ammonites: they do not care about the honor of God or about the fact that His people are treated cruelly. In fact they are glad when these things happen. But they will be judged for their attitude.

(Adapted from Butler’s Daily Bible Reading 3)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Great moves of God are usually preceded by simple acts of obedience!”

Steven Furtick (1980 - )

American Baptist Pastor, Author, Songwriter

Word Study

Eagerly

In 1 Peter 5:2 we read, “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly!”(NKJV).

Eagerly is the Greek word prothumōs (προθύμως =proth-oo'-moce). It is made up of two words: “pró” which means forward, and “thumos” which means mind, temperament, passion. Thus the word means predisposed, ready, willing, and prompt. In classical Greek prothumōs is used to mean willing, eager, ready. In the Septuagint prothumōs carries the idea of eagerness. In the New Testament prothumōs also carries the idea of eagerness and willingness. True shepherds are characterized by being ready, willing and favorably inclined to accept their responsibility.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah would return to the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4).

New Testament Fulfillment – Acts 1:11-12

Did You Know…

The Bible states that the Lord Jesus is the “Lord of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28).

Bible Quiz

How long was Moses on Mount Sinai with God to get the Ten Commandments?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: The chief priests didn’t want the Jews to believe that the Lord Jesus had been raised from the dead. What did they do? They got authorization from Pilate to make the tomb secure by “sealing the stone and setting the guard” (Matt. 27:62-66).

Names For God Found in the Bible

“The Eternal God”

"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, and will say, destroy” (Deut. 33:27 KJV).

1. Meaning – The Eternal God speaks of God as having no beginning and no end, therefore He can be a refuge for His people.

2. Insights – Being eternal, God has arms that are everlasting and are never exhausted. This means a most wonderful thing: the everlasting arms of God are able to hold and support His precious people. He places His everlasting arms underneath them, holding them up and supporting them through all the trials and temptations of life. Not only that, but God promises victory over all the enemies who oppose His people

Did You Know...Christian History

John Chrysostom was born around AD 347 in Antioch, Syria. He was an important Early Church Father who served as archbishop of Constantinople. He is known for his preaching, public speaking, and his denunciation of abuse of authority. John was known as Chrysostomos (“golden-mouthed”) because of his excellent speaking ability.

Chrysostom’s mother was widowed at the age of twenty and refused to remarry, devoting herself to her son’s education. Chrysostom studied the Greek classics and rhetoric. For a time, he practiced law, but, after his baptism in 368, he became a monk. After the death of his mother, Chrysostom practiced a severely ascetic life. During this time, he spent two years living in a cave on a mountain near Antioch where he dedicated himself to memorizing the entire Bible. Finally, ill health forced him to abandon the hermit lifestyle.

Chrysostom was ordained in 386 and preached some of his best sermons in Antioch until 398 when, against his will, he was made the Archbishop of Constantinople by a government official. Rather than fighting the kidnapping and appointment, Chrysostom submitted to it, seeing it as the providence of God.

As Archbishop of Constantinople, Chrysostom attempted to reform the moral climate of the capital city but met strong opposition from within and without the church. This led to his deposition in 403. However, the people of Constantinople wanted Chrysostom back and rioted in his support. The Emperor Arcadius, frightened by the public’s response, had Chrysostom reinstated the next day.

Chrysostom did not compromise his standards. He bravely continued to use his “golden mouth” to preach against sin, and this angered the proud and vengeful Empress Eudoxia. She had Chrysostom banished on charges of treason in 404. Chrysostom died in exile in 407. His remains were brought back to Constantinople in 438 and buried in the Church of the Apostles. More than 600 of Chrysostom’s sermons still exist today.

A Little Humor

Moses: Let my people go

Pharaoh: Tell you what – have your people call my people and we will set something up.

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Not even in this world does sin pay its servant good wages!”