The Lord God Will Seek Them Out

 

 

 

 

Ezekiel 34:11-24

 

January 23, 2024

 

The Lord God Will Seek Them Out

“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I will search for my sheep and will seek them out.  As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.  And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country.  I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel.  I will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God.  I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.

“As for you, my flock thus says the Lord God: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats.  Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet?  And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

“Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.  Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep.  And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd.  And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.

 

One cannot read this without seeing a Father’s love for His chosen people, and how the religious system had become a total failure from heaven's view.  The people had been led astray by men who desired power and wealth and showed an outward appearance of serving God, but inwardly their hearts were evil.  We have seen how God judged them and now He is taking compassion on His flock.

 

So how should we apply this Scripture to our daily lives?  First and by far the most important is an understanding, you who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who have been grafted into the Family of God by His blood that covers your sin, you are greatly loved. You will be fed Truth, and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free.

 

You may be saying free from what, let me share, the fear of loss, for you are never far from the Lord.  He promises you, and it is not based on feeling, but Truth, “I will never leave you are forsake you.”  (Hebrew 13:5) You will be free from a religious system that tells you it all about performance, what you can do for God, for it is God who will give you everything you need for life in the full. It is not performance but relationship.  

 

And last it is freedom from a political system that all who put faith in it, are living in ignorance that no person has ever been in a role of power without God allowing it.  Your allegiance should be to God, and never to a political party, and if you value a political party to the point it takes priority over your relationship with God, you put your oars on the wrong side of the boat.  You have an idol and it cannot bring you, life, joy, or peace.  You and I are called to pray for our leaders, and nation, vote, yes, be good citizens, yes, and love God above all others. 

 

Our Shepherd is greater than David, in that He made David, His name is Jesus, and He loves you beyond your understanding.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Prophecy Against the Shepherds of Israel

 

Ezekiel 34:1-10

 

January 22, 2024

 

Prophecy Against the Shepherds of Israel

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness, you have ruled them.  So, they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.

 

“Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:  As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:  Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.

 

I was recently at a funeral and I saw two signs at the building where the Church gathers to worship, both were signs that reminded me of what God is saying to Ezekiel about the shepherds.  The signs were in a prime parking place and they said Senior Pastor Parking and Senior Pastor Wives Parking.  Now I do not know how anyone else feels about that but I sent them to my pastor, as a joke, and asked where his sign and his wife's signs were, a quick reply, servants do not have special parking.  In fact, at Oakwood, the staff from the senior pastor down is required to park on Sundays away from the building to give others better parking.  

 

Does God have anything to say about being a shepherd, and what are their duties? Yes, Jesus tells us in John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”  Jesus is the head Shepherd, but what those who are called to pastor, and teach, has the Scriptures given them direction?  It does, in 1 Peter 5:1-6, “So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed:  shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.  And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.  Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

If you have been called by God to the role of shepherd, you are blessed but remember your calling is not to be dictatorial or too dominant, but to preach the Word in season and out of season.  You are a guide, not the center of attention, you live a life that others will follow, and you love and forgive as Jesus has done.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Jerusalem Struck Down

 

Ezekiel 33:21-33

 

January 21, 2024

 

Jerusalem Struck Down

In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has been struck down.”  Now the hand of the Lord had been upon me the evening before the fugitive came, and he had opened my mouth by the time the man came to me in the morning, so my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, the inhabitants of these waste places in the land of Israel keep saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he got possession of the land; but we are many; the land is surely given us to possess.’  Therefore, say to them, Thus says the Lord God: You eat flesh with the blood and lift up your eyes to your idols and shed blood; shall you then possess the land?  You rely on the sword, you commit abominations, and each of you defiles his neighbor's wife; shall you then possess the land?  Say this to them, Thus says the Lord God: As I live, surely those who are in the waste places shall fall by the sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in strongholds and in caves shall die by pestilence.  And I will make the land a desolation and a waste, and her proud might shall come to an end, and the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that none will pass through.  Then they will know that I am the Lord when I have made the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations that they have committed.

 “As for you, son of man, your people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to his brother, ‘Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’  And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.  And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it. When this comes—and come it will!—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

What happens to a people or a nation when God shuts the mouth of His spokesman? We have not experienced such in the USA, but we do have many who tell the people what they desire to hear. But now God has opened the mouth of Ezekiel, and the bad news is that the people were like many today: They acknowledged God with their mouths, but their hearts were far from Him.

Like the USA they worship stuff, and themselves, but do not obey the teaching of God.  They enjoyed listening to Ezekiel, even believing he was a prophet of God, but they did as many who heard the message today, left the building and the words they heard had no impact on them.

On this note, I must say what will it take for the Church to awaken to its calling, to by your love they will know you are Jesus' disciples?   What will it take for the Church to love its neighbors as itself, or what will have to happen to love your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as you and I were commanded?

What will happen in your life for you to know that God loves you and desires that you obey His teaching? I understand this from my walk, obedience brings blessing, and closeness with the Lord.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

 

Integrity

 

Integrity

 

A paper from 2009, once again woke at around 3 and lay there till 4:30, got up and found this paper.  It was true then and more so now on October 15, 2024.

 

As we come to the end of 2009, I wonder how or why the Senators and the Congressmen and women turn a deaf ear to those who sent them to Washington.  And I believe I’ve found the reason in a few quotes, let me know if you agree or disagree.

 

“The glue that holds all relationships together - including the relationship between the leader and the led is trust, and trust is based on integrity.” Brian Tracy

 

If Brian Tracy is correct, and it is a matter of trust, and trust is based on integrity, what is integrity?  So once again let us look at what other men have stated on the subject of integrity: Spencer Johnson said, “Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.”  Francis Bacon said,  “It is not what we eat but what we digest that makes us strong; not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich; not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned; and not what we profess but what we practice that gives us integrity.”  Doug Firebaugh stated,  “Integrity is not something that you should have to think about...nor consider doing...but something in the heart that is already done.”

 

If we the led can no longer put faith in the glue, what are our objectives?  Alan K. Simpson said, "If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters." It is my personal belief, that the glue that has held our relationship since the foundation of this Republic between the leader and the led, is gone because integrity is hard to be found in the halls of the Congress or the Senate of this United States of America.  How can God bless America when its leaders are void of trust?  And this is true in all aspects of life; Home, Business, Church, and Government.

 

God have, Mercy on us,

 

 

From the Back Porch

Bob Rice

Why Will You Die, Israel?

 

Ezekiel 33:10-20

 

January 20, 2024

 

Why Will You Die, Israel?

“And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?’  Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

“And you, son of man, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness when he sins.  Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die.  Again, though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ yet if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die.  None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live.

“Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just,’ when it is their own way that is not just.  When the righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it.  And when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he shall live by this.  Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways.”

 

A verse most of us who attended Church services learned as a child was John 3:16, “For God so love the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believed in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”  A wonderful truth, but without an understanding of the heart of our Father we will live in confusion.  In Psalm 145, we get insight into our Father in heaven’s heart, Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.  Our unsearchable God has through His Son given us understanding of His heart for each of us.  John 3:17-20, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”  

 

Only a purpose-driven life, centered on God understands, that it is all about God and an understanding that He the Master, your Created, your Redeemer. You are His servant that seeking to serve Him only, will you find the live in the full Jesus is talking about in John 10:10.

 

My pastor Ray Still, often reminds us we are all messes and need to keep our eyes on Jesus.  I am one of those big messes, and I have sins in my past that often the enemy brings to my attention, and tells me I am unworthy of God’s love.  I bet that the old serpent is doing this to others, and it is time to see the Father’s thoughts on this in Ezekiel 33, None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live.  And that was the heart of God under Law, but now look at Grace.  ^“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) Note: Confession is a total agreement with God.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Ezekiel Is Israel's Watchman

 

Ezekiel 33:1-9

 

January 19, 2024

 

Ezekiel Is Israel's Watchman

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them and make him their watchman, and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.  He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life.  But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand.

“So, you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.  If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.  But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.

 

Grace verses Law, Ezekiel was called to be the watchman over the house of Israel.  You can read God’s requirement for a watchman. A watchman had great responsibility, souls hung in the balance over his doing the will of the Father.  

 

As a follower of Christ, are we called to be watchmen, what is God’s calling on those of us who have Christ's Spirit living in us?  Have we not been instructed to “Go and Tell, all that God’ has done for us?  Shall we explore the Scriptures, and see what God has called us who are in Christ, and He in us, are to do?  “And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” (Mark 5:19)  How about Mark 15:16, And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.  

Often I seek better understanding from those with insight into the Scriptures, and “Got Questions” is a good source, this is from them.

Ezekiel has shown all Christians that we are to be obedient to God’s call on our lives. God told Ezekiel to groan with a broken heart and bitter grief for the coming judgment, and, through his dramatic book, Ezekiel tells us the same thing. Judgment is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord. We, like Ezekiel, can warn others, and we can also share with them the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

 

 

A lamentation About Egypt

 

Ezekiel 32:16-32

 

January 18, 2024

 

This is a lamentation that shall be chanted; the daughters of the nations shall chant it; over Egypt, and over all her multitude, shall they chant it, declares the Lord God.”

In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:  “Son of man, wail over the multitude of Egypt, and send them down, her and the daughters of majestic nations, to the world below, to those who have gone down to the pit:

Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and be laid to rest with the uncircumcised.’ They shall fall amid those who are slain by the sword. Egypt is delivered to the sword; drag her away, and all her multitudes. The mighty chiefs shall speak of them, with their helpers, out of the midst of Sheol: ‘They have come down, they lie still, the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.’

“Assyria is there, and all her company, its graves all around it, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, whose graves are set in the uttermost parts of the pit; and her company is all around her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who spread terror in the land of the living.

“Elam is there, and all her multitude around her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who went down uncircumcised into the world below, who spread their terror in the land of the living; and they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. They have made her a bed among the slain with all her multitude, her graves all around it, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for terror of them was spread in the land of the living, and they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit; they are placed among the slain.

“Meshech-Tubal is there, and all her multitude, her graves all around it, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for they spread their terror in the land of the living.  And they do not lie with the mighty, the fallen from among the uncircumcised, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose swords were laid under their heads, and whose iniquities are upon their bones; for the terror of the mighty men was in the land of the living. But as for you, you shall be broken and lie among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword.

“Edom is there, her kings and all her princes, who for all their might are laid with those who are killed by the sword; they lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.

“The princes of the north are there, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who have gone down in shame with the slain, for all the terror that they caused by their might; they lie uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.

“When Pharaoh sees them, he will be comforted for all his multitude, Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword, declares the Lord God.  For I spread terror in the land of the living; and he shall be laid to rest among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword, Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord God.”

The Pharaoh and the people of Egypt are not that different from you and me, they were living for themselves, and they had gods whom they trusted in, much like many of us.  Little gods, that have no authority or power when it comes to the reality that God is the same today as yesterday.

 

Do you recall the words of Jesus; in John’s gospel 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”  Jesus, the Son of God, the Son who loves His Father, who loves you and me, said not my will but yours, and took your place of punishment, as a lamb without blemish.  The pure and holy meeting the requirements of the full payment of sin, and gave you the right to choose, to receive the gift of redemption or reject it. 

Do you recall these words of Jesus speaking to Thomas His disciples; “And you know the way to where I am going.”  Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The last word is “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Let me end this paper with this insight, The thief Jesus is warning you about is real, he is a liar and deceiver.  He came to destroy all that is good and holy, and his desire is for you to put faith and worship in anything but the Lord Jesus Christ.  Many are doing so, putting themselves in the place of God, but God tells us: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”   (Matthew 6:33).  What are these things; love, joy, peace, hope, and life in the full?  Not, fear, not hate, but all the things listed above.   And let me end with these words from our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, found in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

 

No one is without excuse; Romans 1:20, ^“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So, they are without excuse.”

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice