THE LORD SPOKE (November 12)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Ezekiel 17-18

“To life!” (Le’Chaim!) Tevya sings it in Fiddler on the Roof. We and all mankind seek it on a daily basis. God created and establishes it as a divine principle. The desire to live, yea the struggle to hang on to life, comes from none other than God Himself. Something is desperately wrong when man loses the desire to live.

But might there be times when we desire that someone else not live? There have been a few instances in even the recent past when some might have rejoiced at the execution of some really wicked human monsters (e.g. Adolf Hitler, Sheik Ahmed Yassin, or Saddam Hussein). Indeed, the world seemed a better place without their presence. Justice was done, but God did not rejoice. Ezekiel quotes Him as saying...

• Do I take pleasure in the death of the wicked? (Ezek. 18:23)
• I take no pleasure in the death of anyone. (Ezek. 18:32)

And the New Testament contributes that...

• He wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (I Tim. 2:4)
• He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (II Pet. 3:9)

There is a true sense in which “the sins of the fathers are visited upon their children” in that the fathers’ influence and example will often produce the same actions in the lives of their children (that’s the gist of the proverb in Ezek. 18:2). Fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree. If a child grows up seeing the bad example of a parent, he will frequently follow in the same path and generation often follows generation in sin.

But it’s not inevitable! That’s the message of Ezekiel 18. A son can turn from the wicked way of his father and be different. “The son will not share the guilt of the father” (Ezek. 18:20), nor is the reverse true. It’s “the soul who sins [that] will die”. It seems such a simple, even obvious, principle but it hasn’t always been practiced that way. God’s standard is true and righteous altogether. It’s one more reason to live your own life to the full and for His glory. But it’s also a reminder of what our attitude should be toward others around us. Let us be careful about judging a son by his father, or a father by his son. Each of us must stand before our Maker on our own merits.

But having said that, what merit do we have? Our only footing before God is the merit of His Son. “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).


Psalms 113-114

Who is a pardoning God like Thee,
Or who has grace so rich and free?

When we pause to consider God’s grace and mercy, our hearts and voices are raised in praise to Him. Every time. Forevermore. Psalm 113 describes His praise as diachronic (“both now and forevermore”) or throughout all time. But it also describes it as synchronic (“from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets”), or right here and now, at any moment of time.

Using seven verbs, the Hebrew indication of perfection or fullness, the author describes the praise-worthy character of our gracious God. He...

• “is exalted” - Nothing rises above Him; He is exalted above all other principalities or powers.
• “sits...on high” - From a position of ultimate authority, seated on a throne, He rules over all.
• “stoops down” - His condescension none can fathom. Why should He consider our humble estate?
• “raises” - O, glory! He picks us up and sets us on a new path.
• “lifts” - From ash heap lives, He restores us and supplies all that we need.
• “seats” - We are invited to the very throne room and given the positions of princes.
• “settles” - Contentment and stability are the result. We are at perfect rest with Him.

“Hallelujah!” - praise to the Lord is the result. How could it be any other?

Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise,
To pay thy morning sacrifice.

Heav’n is, dear Lord, where’er Thou art,
O never then from me depart;
For to my soul ’tis hell to be
But for one moment void of Thee.

Lord, I my vows to Thee renew;
Disperse my sins as morning dew.
Guard my first springs of thought and will,
And with Thyself my spirit fill.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Thomas Ken