Wednesday, February 18, 2004

 

Dear Family:

 

Throughout history there have been wars and rumors of war. It has always been so and will continue until the return of Christ. There have always been conflicts and will continue to be conflicts. But why would our great, kind and loving God permit this to happen and continue to happen? Well, just perhaps the answer is in the Bible and just perhaps the answer has been there forever.

 

Look at the story in Ezekiel 35:

 

Ezek 35:1-15.  (1) Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, (2) "Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir and prophesy against it, (3) "and say to it, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against you; I will stretch out My hand against you, and make you most desolate; (4) I shall lay your cities waste, and you shall be desolate. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. (5) "Because you have had an ancient hatred, and have shed the blood of the children of Israel by the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, when their iniquity came to an end, (6) "therefore, as I live," says the Lord GOD, "I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you; since you have not hated blood, therefore blood shall pursue you. (7) "Thus I will make Mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it the one who leaves and the one who returns. (8) "And I will fill its mountains with the slain; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines those who are slain by the sword shall fall. (9) "I will make you perpetually desolate, and your cities shall be uninhabited; then you shall know that I am the LORD. (10) "Because you have said, 'These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess them,' although the LORD was there, (11) "therefore, as I live," says the Lord GOD, "I will do according to your anger and according to the envy which you showed in your hatred against them; and I will make Myself known among them when I judge you. (12) "Then you shall know that I am the LORD. I have heard all your blasphemies which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, 'They are desolate; they are given to us to consume.' (13) "Thus with your mouth you have boasted against Me and multiplied your words against Me; I have heard them." (14) 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "The whole earth will rejoice when I make you desolate. (15) "As you rejoiced because the inheritance of the house of Israel was desolate, so I will do to you; you shall be desolate, O Mount Seir, as well as all of Edom-- all of it! Then they shall know that I am the LORD."' (NKJ)

 

In five places in this one chapter God tells Ezekiel why He is going to do what He is revealing to Ezekiel. "Then you shall know that I am the LORD,  then you shall know that I am the LORD, I will make Myself known among them, Then you shall know that I am the LORD, Then they shall know that I am the LORD." He says this so the world will know that He is God. Notice, He says that you shall know and then again He says that they will know. Ezekiel was a prophet and should have known that God was God. Ezekiel should have known that God was Lord, but apparently there was something lacking in Ezekiel.

 

When we look at things that are going on around the world and wonder why, maybe it is as simple as the message here in this passage.  That the world will know that He is the Lord God.  It has to start with each of us as individuals just as it did with Ezekiel. God wants me as an individual to know that He is the Lord God.  He wants this message to go throughout the world. He did not send Ezekiel to the synagogue where He was known and loved. Instead, God sent him to Mount Seir where the people did not know Him or hated those who declared Him to be the Lord God. It is important that we take the message to San Francisco and Massachusetts just as it is important that we take the message to the Islamic nations around the world. It is not good enough that we take up arms in defense of ourselves. The point is not to defend but to evangelize. It is one thing to try to bring democracy to Iraq but it is Christ that is needed.

 

Notice what God said to the inhabitants of Mount Seir, "Because you have had an ancient hatred, and have shed the blood of the children of Israel by the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, when their iniquity came to an end".  His message has not changed. It is easy to see the terrible things that were and are going on in Iraq, San Francisco and Massachusetts but this is not the place of His primary concern. His concern is for the hearts and minds of each of us. We each harbor jealousies, hatred, dishonor and disbelief. He wants us to know, honor, love and obey Him. He wants us to clean up our hearts and minds. How do we clean up our hearts and minds?  By giving them to God. It is only when He occupies His rightful place in our hearts and minds that we will ever begin to become who and what God intended us to be. Too many of us are insisting that they have the right to live as they choose.

 

Each day when I hear the political rhetoric from politicians around the world making their claims as to how things should be, I am reminded of the words here in the 35^th chapter of Ezekiel when God said, "Because you have said, 'These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess them,' although the LORD was there."  The people of Mount Seir said these nations and countries are ours and we will possess them "Although the Lord was there." Too many today are saying the same thing about this country and our states and cities, but more importantly we are saying it about our hearts and minds. I can do what I want, see what I want, and think what I want; but God has said, "No you can't, you are mine, I created you and bought you with the blood of my son, you are mine." And then notice – the evil ones could not come in and take the nations and countries because He is there! Now the big question, is He there? Is He in your life? Is He in your heart? Is He in your mind? Don't let your life become a desolate land like that of Mount Seir. If you are not convinced that this God I speak of is the only true Lord God then I suggest you read the pages I have linked below. Don't misinterpret what is said when you read its history.

 

The prophecy of Ezekiel reached its fulfillment during the two hundred years between 165 b.c. and 70 a.d.  While some would have us believe Edom is the west bank or some other inhabited territory, it is in reality the desert area south of the Salt Sea.  It will remain uninhabited until God permits the children of Israel to reclaim it.  The links below show both the history from the Palestinian's view and the history from the Christian's point of view.  Could it be that you came to this place on this page because God is speaking to you just as He was to Ezekiel and to the inhabitants of Mount Seir?  

 

http://www.studylight.org/enc/isb/view.cgi?number=T2891

http://www.palestineremembered.com/Jerusalem/Kasla/

 

Now I would be quite remiss if I didn't add this footnote. Solomon had finished building the temple in Jerusalem and had assembled the Children of Israel to bring the Ark of the Covenant into the temple.  It starts at the 5^th chapter of 2 Chronicles and continues through the 7th chapter.

 

2 Chr 5:7 Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. (NKJ)

 

The arrival of the Ark was both literal and symbolic. It was literal in the physical and spiritual for the children of Israel at that moment in time. It is symbolic spiritually to the Christian since the death of Christ. Christ went to the cross to atone for man's sin and make it possible for our hearts and minds to become the physical and spiritual temple of the living God.

 

2 Chr 5:13-14 indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying: "For He is good, for His mercy endures forever," that the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud,  so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God. (NKJ)

 

Once again there is both literal and spiritual significance in these verses: The children of Israel acknowledged God as worthy of praise and lifted their voices with praise.  Then

the temple was literally filled with the glory of the Lord. When we make the same acknowledgement in our heart and mind God prepares our hearts and minds to be receptive to Him.

 

2 Chr 7:1-3 When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD'S house. When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying: "For He is good, for His mercy endures forever." (NKJ)

 

After Solomon finished his prayer on behalf of the children of Israel, God consumed the sacrifices and offerings and His glory filled the temple so that the priest could not enter the temple. The people worshipped and praised God. Their sacrifices and offerings were literal; ours are spiritual because Christ has already become our literal sacrifice. We spiritually accept the literal for ourselves when we ask God to accept the literal sacrifice made by Christ as the sacrifice for us. Notice that the glory of the Lord filled the temple but the children of Israel saw the glory on the temple. When God fills us with his spirit then His glory will be evident on the outside.

  

2 Chr 7:12-16 Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. "When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. "Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. "For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. (NKJ)

 

Now God confirms to Solomon that He has indeed chosen to come into the temple, and then He makes a promise to Solomon. "When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. "Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. "For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. (NKJ)

 

When trials and tribulation come if we but humble ourselves, pray, seek His face and repent (turn from our sinful ways) then He will hear us from heaven, forgive our sins and heal our lands. Once again this is literal and spiritual.

 

The Christian always knows when God is not listening and the Christian always knows why. God does not keep secrets when it comes to His relationship with His children. It is not His responsibility to seek His children, it is his children's responsibility to seek Him and ask Him for His forgiveness. He will forgive and heal the land. And what is the land? It was the land of Canaan. It is literally and spiritually our lives. Think about your life, it is the land and the land will be healed. All your circumstances are healed and I do not find any exemptions. Really – stop and think about this. Now, look at the last part of God's statement "Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place."  His eyes will be open and His ears will be attentive to prayer made in this place. What is "this place"?  It is the temple and the temple is the heart, mind and soul of the Christian. Every prayer thought, uttered or felt will be heard but more than that His eyes will be opened to our path and He sees things we do not see. He will guide us to protect us.

 

It is so hard to imagine it getting any better but look, it does. "For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.  Now He has chosen to sanctify the temple. He sets us apart from the world.  He sets us apart for His use. His eyes and His heart will be there perpetually. How long is perpetually? That is not far from forever.  His eyes and heart are now in us - the temple.

I have just got to say this if His eyes are in me what is He seeing? If his ears are in me, what is He hearing? If His heart is in me what is He feeling?

   

God wants to make a difference in our lives and He will if we only ask Him and then let Him.

 

Love ya,

 

Dad