Weekly Guide：Week 87

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Weekly Guide：Week 87

September 22, 2019

Week 87 Day 1: Prophet as Watchman ⇧ ⇩

Foreword

We continue to read the Book of Ezekiel this week. The land of Egypt had fascinated the Israelites. In the eyes of the drifters, the simplistic mana, does not come close comparing to the fresh produces, fish, and all kinds of meats. God’s way seemed tough compared to the rich Egyptian life. Judah looked at Egypt, with their invincible army and chariots, as their savior. Egyptian influence on them was like the world is to us today. It brings the desire for power, success and fame, means to control and source of comfort and lust for ego. If we believe and are attracted by the world to depend on the ability to achieve personal success and the pride of power, we would stumble because such strength is only superficial, and its essence is only a delusion.

Question

What was Ezekiel’s responsibility as the watchman?

Scripture Reading

Meditation: God’s Story

When the watchman sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head.
The Lord made Ezekiel a watchman.
The Lord takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.
If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation.
In the twelfth year of Israel’s exile, in the tenth month on the fifth day, a man who had escaped from Jerusalem came to Ezekiel and said, “The city has fallen!” Ezekiel’s mouth was opened in the morning and no longer silent.
Those who listen but do not put into practice of what the prophet says, will be punished.

Meditation: My Story

Community - Fellow Christians watch over each other like Ezekiel watched over Israel. What should I do if I know someone who offended God? How may limbs of Christ be blessed by watching over each other? How may I watch over the world?

Prayer

Notes and Responses

Week 87 Day 2: Tending the Flock ⇧ ⇩

Question

What wrong did the shepherds of Israel do?

Scripture Reading

Meditation: God’s Story

The Lord commanded the prophet to prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; to those shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves!
The Lord said, I am against the shepherds and I will remove them from tending the flock.
The Lord said, I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.
The Lord said, I will place over them one shepherd and he will tend them. I the Lord will be their God.
The Lord said, I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of savage beasts so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety.

Meditation: My Story

Integrity - Are the strong and weak in faith helping each other in Church? How may I help those churches that are weak?

Prayer

Notes and Responses

Week 87 Day 3: Mountains of Israel ⇧ ⇩

Question

What did the Lord say about the Mountains of Israel?

Scripture Reading

Meditation: God’s Story

The prophet set his face against Mount Seir and prophesy against it, because you harbored an ancient hostility and delivered the Israelites over to the sword at the time of their calamity, the time their punishment reached its climax.
The prophet prophesy against the Mountains of Israel, because the enemies ravaged and crushed you from every side so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations and the object of people’s malicious talk and slander.
Mountains of Israel will produce branches and fruit for people of Israel. The Lord concerned for Israel and will look on with favor, it will be plowed and sown.

Meditation: My Story

Community - The Mount Seir was punished because of their ancient hostility they delivered Israel over to the sword when they faced their punishment. How does God look at those who hold grudges against others? What warning does the punishment for Seir remind me of?

Prayer

Notes and Responses

Week 87 Day 4: Bones came Alive ⇧ ⇩

Question

What became of Israel?

Scripture Reading

Meditation: God’s Story

The Lord said, because Israel had shed blood in the land and because they had defiled it with their idols, I dispersed them among the nations and poured out my wrath on them.
The Lord said, it is not for your sake, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name.
The Lord said, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you and I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
The Lord said, I will make their people as numerous as sheep.
The Spirit of the Lord brought Ezekiel out in the middle of a valley full of bones, led him back and forth among them, and commanded Ezekiel to prophesy to these bones. Breath entered the bones, they came to life, stood up, and became a vast army.
These bones are people of Israel. The Lord is going to open their graves and bring them up and back to the land of Israel.
The Lord said, I am going to take the stick of Joseph - which is in Ephraim’s hand - and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah’s stick.
The Lord will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel.
David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees.

Meditation: My Story

Identity - God gave promise to Israel to restore them. To the foreigners, this must have been a big joke. God gave Ezekiel the vision of the bones to up lift his faith. Am I losing faith? How does Ezekiel’s vision encourage me?

Prayer

Notes and Responses

Week 87 Day 5: Turn Against Gog ⇧ ⇩

Question

What happened to Gog?

Scripture Reading

Meditation: God’s Story

The Lord told Ezekiel, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshek and Tubal; prophesy against him.
When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused in my zeal and fiery wrath, declares the Sovereign Lord.
Prophesy against Gog, the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshek and Tubal.
Then those who live in the towns of Israel will go out and use the weapons for fuel and burn them up for seven years.
I will give Gog a burial place in Israel, in the valley of those who travel east of the Sea.
Call out to every kind of bird and all the wild animals: Assemble and on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood.
The Lord will display His glory among the nations that the people of Israel will know that the Lord is their God.
The Lord said, I will now restore the fortunes of Jacob and will compassion on all the people of Israel, they will be brought back from the nations.

Meditation: My Story

Identity - When prophesy against Gog, the Lord emphasized that His holy name was profaned and yet His glory would be made known. In the sinful and wretched world today, do I see the Lord’s name being profaned? What should my reaction to such profanity be?

Prayer

Notes and Responses

Week 87 Day 6: Surveying for Temple ⇧ ⇩

Question

What did the prophet’s vision mean?

Scripture Reading

Meditation: God’s Story

In the fourteenth year after the fall of the city, the Lord was on Ezekiel and in visions of God, He took Ezekiel to the land of Israel and set him on a very high mountain, on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city.
A wall completely surrounding the temple area. A man with measuring rod went to the east gate. He climbed the steps and measured the threshold of the gate.
He measured the length and width of the north gate, leading into the outer court.
Then he led me to the south side and I saw the south gate. He measured its jambs and its portico, and they had the same measurements as the others.
Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gateway; it had the same measurements as the others.
Then he brought me to the north gate and measured it. It had the same measurements as the others, as did its alcoves, its projecting walls and its portico.
A room with a doorway was by the portico in each of the inner gateways, where the burnt offerings were washed.
Outside the inner gate, within the inner court, were two rooms, which were rooms for singers.
He brought me to the portico of the temple and measured the jambs of the portico.

Meditation: My Story

Identity - The Israel had waited for God’s promise for more than ten years. They must have been deeply moved when the prophet saw the vision of surveying for the temple. Am I waiting for God’s promise to be realized? Do I know His will?

Prayer

Notes and Responses

Week 87 Day 7: Mend the Loose Ends ⇧ ⇩

Scripture Reading

Psalms 103 | [YouVersion]

Prayer

Notes and Responses

2022-2023 Week 87 Day 1: Plea and Pray ⇧ ⇩

### Question How did the Judah pray to God for mercy? {% include BibleLinks2022.html %} ### Meditation: God's Story + Prayers express all the sufferings they experienced in front of the Lord. + Prayers admit all that was the consequence of their sins. + Prayers called on God to turn them around to give them joy they used to have. ### Meditation: My Story + **Walking with God** - The prayer to call on God was not to remove the suffering but to repent and to turn themselves around. What do I call on God for in my prayer? What should I pray for?

Prayer

Notes and Responses

2022-2023 Week 87 Day 2: Conversing with God ⇧ ⇩

### Question How did Habakkuk's life change through his conversion with God? {% include BibleLinks2022.html %} ### Meditation: God's Story + Prophet Habakkuk calls on the Lord for help, but He does not listen. He cries out violence to the Lord but He does not save. + The Lord raising up the Babylonians as judgment. + Habakkuk asked the Lord, why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? + The Lord answers, the righteous person will live by his faithfulness, but woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, gives drink to his neighbors till they are drunk, trusts idols of his own creation that cannot speak. + Habakkuk stand in awe of the Lord's deed, waits patiently for the day of calamity. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights. ### Meditation: My Story + **Identity** - Habakkuk truthfully asked the Lord of his doubt and continued to seek answers until he could understand. How does a prayer like this inspire me?

Prayer

Notes and Responses

2022-2023 Week 87 Day 3: Seeing His Glory ⇧ ⇩

### Question What did Ezekiel saw beside the Chebar Canal? {% include BibleLinks2022.html %} ### Meditation: God's Story + The heavens were suddenly opened to Ezekiel and he saw visions from God. + He saw, in this vision, a great storm coming toward him, driving before it a huge cloud glowing with fire, and in the fire there was something that shone like polished brass, from the center of the cloud were four living beings, the sky spreading out above them, and high in the sky above them was what looked like a throne. + On the throne was the glory of the Lord and upon it sat someone who appeared to be a Man. From his waist up, he seemed to be all glowing bronze, dazzling like fire, and there was a glowing halo like a rainbow all around him. + And when he saw it, the prophet fell face downward on the ground. ### Meditation: My Story + **Identity** - The prophet described to us the glory and the majesty of God and the four living beings following Him closely. How may I join in the Lord's glory by the precious blood of Jesus Christ? What do I know of my identity and value through Ezekiel's description of the Lord's glory?

Prayer

Notes and Responses

2022-2023 Week 87 Day 4: Appointed the Watchman ⇧ ⇩

### Question What power and responsibility did God give to the prophet? {% include BibleLinks2022.html %} ### Meditation: God's Story + The Spirit of the God entered into the prophet, sending him to the rebelling Israelites the message from God. Let anyone listen who wants to, and let anyone refuse who wants to, for they are rebels. + The prophet obeyed God's command and ate the scroll full of warnings and sorrows and pronouncements of doom to give its message to the people of Israel. It tasted sweet as honey. + Even though the Israelites were hard, impudent, and stubborn, God made the prophet's forehead hard as rock. Accompanied by the sound of a great earthquake, the Spirit lifted the prophet up and the hand of the Lord was strong upon him. + After the prophet sat, overwhelmed, for seven days, he was appointed by God as a watchman for Israel, to send warnings to the wicked and good man who becomes bad, or the prophet would be responsible for their sins. ### Meditation: My Story + **Walking with God** - God gave the prophet the power and authority to face the enemies when he answered His calling. Jesus gave us the authority to walk among serpents and scorpions and to crush them (Luke 10:19.) And, whatever doors you lock on earth shall be locked in heaven; and whatever doors you open on earth shall be open in heaven (Matthew 16:19.) From Ezekiel's experiences, what conviction do I have in the great commission the Lord Jesus had bestowed upon me?

Prayer

Notes and Responses

2022-2023 Week 87 Day 5: Signs of Punishment ⇧ ⇩

### Question What were Ezekiel's signs of Jerusalem's siege? {% include BibleLinks2022.html %} ### Meditation: God's Story + God commanded Ezekiel to draw out on a block of clay the siege of Jerusalem as a sign to the people of Israel. + God commanded Ezekiel to lie on his left to put the sin of the people of Israel upon himself and to lie on his right to bear the sin of the people of Judah. + God commanded Ezekiel to make bread for himself, to eat the bread and drink water according to the number of days of he was lying on his sides as a sign that the people would be in anxiety as food and water would be scarce and rationed in Jerusalem. ### Meditation: My Story + **Fidelity** - Ezekiel's daily life was under much restriction in order to deliver God's message. When I testify for the Lord, do I feel being restricted? How do I feel about the price I pay for following God?

Prayer

Notes and Responses

2022-2023 Week 87 Day 6: Prophesy of Exile ⇧ ⇩

### Question How did God command Ezekiel to prophesy Israel's exile? {% include BibleLinks2022.html %} ### Meditation: God's Story + The Lord commanded Ezekiel to shave his head as an analogy to Jerusalem's rebellion of God's laws and decrees. + The Lord commanded Ezekiel to prophesy against the mountains of Israel that His was about to bring a sword against them. + The Lord would spare some, for some of the Israelites would escape the sword when they were scattered among the lands and nations. Those who escape would remember God and repent. + The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, God would judge against Israel according to her conduct and repay her for all her detestable practices. + Israel made detestable idols in the temple. God would give their wealth as plunder to foreigners and as loot to the wicked of the earth. + God commanded Ezekiel to prepare chains as a sign of Israel's exile. ### Meditation: My Story + **Identity** - God judge the people to let them know "their silver and gold will not be able to deliver them, will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs, for it has caused them to stumble into sin." How do I see my own wealth? How should I make use of my wealth?

Prayer

Notes and Responses

2022-2023 Week 87 Day 7: Mend the Loose Ends ⇧ ⇮

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