THE LORD SPOKE (November 8)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Ezekiel 11-12

proverb - “a brief popular epigram or maxim” (Webster)

The great value of a proverb is that it can focus an enormous amount of truth in a short, memorable, pithy statement. But a proverb can also lead away from truth. Because it often portrays “conventional wisdom”, it can be responsible for confirming wrong thinking. It may express the notion that “everybody knows” something when, in fact, what they “know” isn’t really true. Everybody may think so, but they’re wrong! The proverb becomes guilty of enforcing untruth. (Sometimes we recognize this and call it an “old wives’ tale”.)

Such was the case in the days of Ezekiel when people were blindly repeating two proverbs probably circulated by false prophets (see Ezekiel 13) who were leading them astray:

• The days go by and every vision comes to nothing. (Ezek. 12:22)
• The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future. (Ezek. 12:27)

Peter left us with a warning about such talk which in itself became something of a proverb: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness. (II Pet. 3:8-9).

Peter goes on to speak of how the day of the Lord would approach like “a thief in the night” (II Pet. 3:10; c.f. Lk. 12:39). A thief comes suddenly and unexpectedly. The fulfillment of prophecy will have those characteristics too. Even John’s words when he was given the revelation of Jesus Christ and future events has been wrongly understood: “The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave [John] to show his servants what must soon take place.” (Rev. 1:1). That was two thousand years ago and it hasn’t yet taken place. Is that an error? No, the sense of the Greek terms used is that, once begun, it will take place quickly. One thing will follow quickly on the heals of the last.

You must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?” (II Peter 3:3-4).

Ezekiel’s words had immediate value and application. They were a wake-up call to the Israelites to recognize where their sin was leading them. Judgment was near. But salvation and restoration was also at hand. The timetable could have been immediate. But his words also had a longer range effect. It’s like a telescope. As you pull out each sleeve of the instrument, you’re amazed at how much was packaged inside and how much better you can see through the extended length. So too prophecy. It’s not a matter of multiple fulfillments but more that of a progressive fulfillment in God’s sovereignty and greater plan.

Have you grown weary of waiting? Or are you having doubts about the Lord’s return? Don’t! The nay-sayers have been active since Ezekiel’s day but “we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” (II Peter 1:19).


Psalms 105-106

When we think of the Abrahamic Covenant, our first thoughts are probably in the direction of the promised Messiah. After all, we have Paul’s words to the Galatians concerning the phrase, “in you all the nations of the earth will be blessed”, which he calls “the gospel announced in advance” (Gal. 3:8). The Messiah would be a physical descendant of Abraham - his “Seed” (Gal. 3:16,19) - and quite literally the embodiment of the promise.

But here in Psalm 105 the Covenant is expounded in some great detail and there is no overt mention of the Messiah. True, it does speak of Joseph, who is a type of the Messiah. Just as God sent Joseph to bring the people out of slavery in Egypt (Ps. 105:17f), so the Messiah would be sent to free us from bondage to sin.

Twice, however, in this psalm the emphasis is on something else. When God remembers His covenant with Abraham, He thinks immediately in terms of land. The Promised Land is the primary emphasis in Psalm 105:8-11 when the covenant is remembered. Notice carefully that this promise is through Abraham to Isaac to Jacob. And notice also that it is “forever”, “for a thousand generations”, and it is “everlasting”. God emphatically says, “I will give you the land of Canaan.”

Again, near the end of the psalm, when God remembers His covenant - here called a “holy promise” - it says “he gave them the lands of the nations” (Ps. 105:42-45, esp. vs. 44a). The Abrahamic Covenant is a promise of the Land to Israel.

That is not to say that we are wrong to relate it to the Messiah for that aspect is developed elsewhere, particularly in the New Testament. But it is wrong for us to forget the land aspect when we think of the Abrahamic Covenant. If God does not fulfill that part of His promise to Israel, how can we be sure that He will fulfill any other part?

Faith is just believing
What God says, He will do.
He will never fail us;
His promises are true.

If we but receive Him,
His children we become.
Faith is just believing
This wondrous thing is done.