OUR LORD WHO GRANTS US MERCY

Ezekiel chapter 14 verses 1 - 2 says this;

Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. Then the word of the Lord came to me:

This verse describes a scene where Ezekiel the prophet was approached by some of the elders of Israel and they sat before him waiting to inquire of the Lord through the prophet.

While they sat, a word of the Lord came to Ezekiel but this word was a word of knowledge about the men who had come before him that revealed that these men had idols in their hearts and had placed wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Ezekiel chapter 14 verse 3 says it this way;

“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?

Here, the Lord privately revealed this word about the elders to Ezekiel and then asked him if he, the Lord, should let the consultation continue in light of the revelation of what was in the hearts of the elders of Israel.

The Lord Himself provided the answer to the question with a course of action and instructed Ezekiel to reveal to the elders that the idols in their hearts and the stumbling blocks before their faces  needed to be repented of and renounced as Ezekiel chapter 14 verse 6 says;

 “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!

The Lord's direct response to the inquiry by the people in calling them to repent is designed to capture the hearts of the people who had abandoned their God to go after idols.

As Ezekiel chapter 14 verse 5 says;

 I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’

The Lord's willingness to forgive extends to all those who deserted him but were willing to repent.

Bless the Lord who grant's us all mercy.

Amen.

OUR LORD WHO KINDLES A FIRE OF RETRIBUTION AND PURIFICATION

Ezekiel chapter 24 verse 9 says this;

 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘Woe to the city of bloodshed!  I, too, will pile the wood high.

This verse is a description of the judgement that is brought upon Jerusalem because of the murders in the city.

Because of the blood that they shed in their midst, the Lord declares that He himself will pile on the wood that represents the judgement of fire that will be brought to that city.

The killings of people that were committed in Jerusalem will be rettributed when the fiery judgement of God is leveled against the city.

Amen.

OUR LORD WHOSE ARMY OVERWHELMS THE ENEMY

Ezekiel chapter 26 verse 10 says this;

His horses will be so many that they will cover you with dust. Your walls will tremble at the noise of the warhorses, wagons and chariots when he enters your gates as men enter a city whose walls have been broken through.

This verse paints the picture of a total invasion of the kingdom of Tyre by the chariots and horsemen of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon.

This massive assault was triggered when Tyre looked upon Jerusalem and the nations who were her allies and saw that they were undefended because the gates were broken and the doors left wide open.

The king of Tyre opportunistically attacked Jerusalem and as he did so, found himself facing a gigantic army that suddenly appeared in a surprise counter-attack  against him.

After laying siege on Tyre and smashing its walls with battering rams, the swarming army thundered into Tyre bringing destruction and quickly razing the whole kingdom to bare rock.

After witnessing the crushing of Tyre, the princes who were allies to Tyre were so traumatized  that they immediately surrendered to the invading army.

As Ezekiel chapter 26 verse 16 says;

Then all the princes of the coast will step down from their thrones and lay aside their robes and take off their embroidered garments. Clothed with terror, they will sit on the ground, trembling every moment, appalled at you. 

This metaphoric narrative could be read like this;

 The army invading Tyre would be the Kingdom of Light invading the kingdom of darkness. 

The conquering army could be seen as the army of the saints of the Lord defeating the kingdom of  darkness and Tyre's allies could be understood to be the kingdoms of this world who cooperate with the kingdom of darkness to attempt to establish the dominion of evil on the whole earth. 

These events are part of the same invasion that is described by the prophets Joel and Isaiah ;

 Joel chapter 2 verse 2;

Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was in ancient times nor ever will be in ages to come.

and Isaiah chapter 13 verse 4;

Listen, a noise on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations massing together! The Lord Almighty is mustering an army for war.

The Lord musters His army and it is fearsome to behold.

Amen.

OUR LORD WHO LEADS HIS MIGHTY ARMY

Joel chapter 2 verses 9 - 10 says this;

They rush upon the city; they run along the wall.

They climb into the houses; like thieves they enter through the windows.

Before them the earth shakes, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine.

This passage tells of an unprecedented assault on the kingdom of darkness by the army of the Lord after the trumpet in Zion is sounded.

Disciplined and unrelenting, this swarming force sweeps through cities and houses leaving smouldering destruction behind them.

The effect of this ground movement is so profound that nature itself reels  and the earth shakes , the heavens tremble, the sun and moon are darkened and the starless night sky is pitch black.

The Lord, at the head of His vast and mighty army, thunders His commands which His forces take heed to obey.

Even at this juncture, as it says in Joel chapter 2 verses 12 - 13, the Lord offers a chance to his people to return to Him. 

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. 

Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

How mighty the Lord is and how gracious He is.

Amen.

OUR LORD WHO GATHERS THE NATIONS FOR JUDGEMENT

Joel chapter 4 verses 2 - 9 says this;

I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment with them on behalf of my people, my heritage, Israel;

Because they scattered them among the nations they divided up my land. For my people they cast lots trading a young boy for the price of a prostitute, exchanging a young girl for the wine they drank.

Moreover, what are you doing to me, Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you paying me back for something? If you are, I will very quickly turn your deeds back upon your own head. You took my silver and my gold and brought my priceless treasures into your temples! You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, taking them far from their own country! 

Look! I am rousing them from the place to which you sold them, and I will turn your deeds back upon your own head. I will sell your sons and daughters to the Judahites who will sell them to the Sabeans, a distant nation. The Lord has spoken!

Announce this to the nations: Proclaim a holy war! Alert the warriors! Let all the soldiers  report and march!

This passage begins by specifying the arena of judgement which will be at the Valley of Jehosephat which is also called the Kidron Valley which is between the city of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives.

This judgment against the nations is predicated by what they did to God's people, the children of Israel. 

God's people were scattered, the land divided up, their children sold for prostitutes and wine.

The Lord's gold and silver implements were taken and placed in foreign temples. The people of Judah and Jerusalem  were sold to the Greeks so that they were far from their homes.

For these actions against the Lord and the enslavement of His people, these scriptures are a call to alert the army of God. 

Let all the soldiers report and march!

Amen.

OUR LORD WHO BRINGS DOWN THE PRINCES OF DARKNESS

Ezekiel chapter 39 verse 4 says this;

On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds and to the wild animals.

This passage  references the spiritual kingdom of Meshek and Tubal led by a spiritual prince named Gog.

The prophecy written by Ezekiel against Gog describes how he is dragged from the far north and compelled to move against the mountains of Israel. 

Here, Gog is disarmed and he falls along with all his troops and all the nations aligned with him. His remains are given to vultures and scavenger animals as food.

This passage illustrates how the hierarchy of the kingdom of darkness is systematically brought to utter ruin by the God of Israel. 

Mighty princes are corralled into inescapable strategic positions and their weapons taken from them. They and their allies are then destroyed.

Such is the fate of those who rally against the Lord God Almighty and who disregard His offer of salvation through belief in Jesus Christ who paid by His death to redeem mankind.

Call upon the name of the Lord and be saved.

Amen.

OUR LORD WHO HEARS HIS PROPHETS IN JUDGEMENT

Amos chapter 7 verses 7 - 8 reads as follows;

This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord asked me, “What do you see, Amos?”

“A plumb line,” I replied.

Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.

The previous judgements against Israel that were shown to Amos were aimed at the entire nation. 

The locusts swarms that the Lord showed Amos, were going to devour the crops of all the people of Israel and destroy the whole country. Amos asked that the Lord spare Israel and the Lord relented.

Next, the Lord showed Amos the judgement of fire that was going to dry out the great deep and devour the land. The totality of the destruction caused Amos to ask the Lord to allay the judgement of fire and the Lord relented.

The plumb line in this passage represents the measuring of Israel's alignment to God's standard of righteousness and this was the means that the Lord showed to Amos that did not bring complete ruin to Israel.

This tool was the means by which judgement was to be aimed precisely at those who were causing Israel to be out of alignment. 

When the Lord held the plumb line among the people of Israel,  He named the following areas in Amos chapter 7 verse 9 as those that would be targeted for destruction;

“The high places of Isaac will be destroyed and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.”

The Lord heard the pleas of His prophet Amos and relented on His total  judgement of Israel and instead, aimed ruin against the religious and political leadership of the country that was  leading people into error.

Amen.