Author: 杨全荣

Ezekiel 6 – They will know that I am Yahweh
Their eyes have lusted after their idols

God would punish Israel with sword, famine and plague (v11) because their eyes have lusted after their idols (v10). God love them, and desire them to love Him back. He wanted them to know He is Yahweh, the God who rescue them out of Egypt. Any other gods are idols.

Now examine ourselves, in which area in our life where our eyes are lusting after our idols? Are we trying to satisfy our soul by lusting after of the world?

“When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus” (Matt 17:8). Let’s turn our eyes away from our idols, and look up to Jesus and Jesus only. There is no way to know Jesus if we spend our time and our thought lusting after the world. Come to Him today, He alone will truly satisfy all our deepest, inner needs.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
2013-08-24
Ezekiel 5 – Shave your head and your beard!

God is at wrath

God is in anger and in wrath (v15) with His chosen people, the nation of Israel, the city of Jerusalem. Why? Because they rebelled against God’s laws and decrees more than the nations around her (v6).

That is a very scary scene, God’s people rebells against God more then the nations! I think about some of God’s churches today, if we watch like a watchman (3:17), we would see some behaviors that is worse than the world. Oh, God is in anger and in wrath with His people!

God had to act, else Israel would never repent. Therefore God said He would do to His people what He have never done before and will never do again (v10)! Unimaginable things would happen to His people (v11).

Shaving of Ezekiel Head and Beard

God asked Ezekiel to shave his head and beard, and divide them into three portions. None of the hair had good ending. That was God’s plan for Israel, God would punish them (v8).

Where is Jesus?

God is in anger, He is in wrath, He had to punish His chosen people. Today’s men and women in the world live in wickedness. They live as if God does not exist, and as if God would not punish them. When they find out about the fact, it would be too late!

What is the solution? Is there a way out?

Yes it is, that is why God sent His son to us.

“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.” (1 John 4:10)

Jesus is our hope. What we deserve is punishment and judgement from God. Praise God that He had show us that He does not delight in punishment. When we are in Christ, we have confidence on the day of judgment (1 John 4:17).

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.” (1 John 4:18)

2013-08-23
Ezekiel 4

Where is Christ in Ezekiel 4?

I was searching for my Lord Jesus in Ezekiel 4. I couldn’t find Him. It were some weird stuffs that God asked Ezekiel to do. To lay down, bare arm, on his left side, tied up with robes, for 390 days! Ezekiel was given food and drink, however not a a whole lot, just 20 shekels of grains, which is about 8 ounces and a hin of water, which is about 0.6 liter everyday. The food is not bad really, multi-grain bread. However, he needs to bake the multi-grain bread with human excrement! What was God thinking? I didn’t get it. Ezekiel might be thinking whose dung should I use? My own or someone else?

And then Ezekiel bargained with God, and God had mercy, and allowed him to use cow manure! Is it better or worse then human excrement? You be the judged. I am not sure.

I am still searching for Christ, and I couldn’t find Him.

Why did God ask Ezekiel to do go through this? It was because of the sins of His people, one day for each year, for a total of 390 days for Israel and 40 days for Judah. Ezekiel had to go through this for other people sins? It is not fair! He had never had defiled food in his life, and now he had to eat cow manure baked multi-grain bread for 430 days!

And then, suddenly I get it. I found Jesus! Ezekiel is a type of Christ! Ezekiel bore the sin of the house of Israel (4:5), it is a symbol of our Lord Jesus who bore the sins of this world! Jesus was innocent, He had never sins, just like Ezekiel never had defiled food. And God told Jesus, go to the Cross I have prepared for You, to bear the sins of mankind. To redeem mankind from sins, and give them new hope, give them your life. It is not fair to the Lord Jesus, to bear the sins of mankind!

I praise You Lord Jesus, for You and You alone are worthy of all praises! You bore my sins on the Cross, Your blood has purified me from all sins (1 John 1:7). You had never been defiled, You are Holy, You are righteous, and You are completely obedience to God the Father. Thank you for Your love, I praise You.

2013-08-22
Outline of the book of Ezekiel
Key Theme

Showing reverence for the name and glory of God

Key verse: 6:7

“… you will know that I am the LORD”.

This verse appears 70 times in Ezekiel

Outline of the book
1. The prophets call (ch 1-3)
  1. Seeing God’s glory (1)
  2. Hearing God’s word (2)
  3. Becoming God’s watchman (3)
2. The fall of Jerusalem (ch 4-24)
  1. The judgment predicted (4-7)
  2. God’s glory departs (8-11)
  3. Godless leaders exposes (12-17)
  4. God’s justice defended (18-21)
  5. The end of the city (22-24)
3. The nations judged (ch 25-32)
  1. Ammon
  2. Moab
  3. Edom
  4. Philistia
  5. Tyre
  6. Sidon
  7. Egypt
4. The glorious Future of Israel (33-48)
  1. The city of Jerusalem restored (33-34)
  2. The land of Israel renewed (35-36)
  3. The nation of Israel resurrected and reunited (37-39)
  4. The temple and the priesthood reestablished (40-48)
2013-08-20
The Significance of the Psalms
1. The Psalms teach us how to worship the Almighty God. The Psalms contain the most beautiful words on the glory of God.
2. Psalms is one of the most frequently quoted OT books in NT. The other being Isaiah
3. The Psalms contain prophesies about our Lord Jesus Christ.
  1. The Lord Jesus told the disciples on the road to Emmaus that the Psalms prophesied about Him
    
    Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” (Luke 24:44)
  2. The Lord Jesus cited Psalm 110 when debated with the Pharisees
    
    ‘The Lord said to my Lord,”Sit at my right hand,Until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet”‘? (Matt 24:43-44)
  3. The Lord Jesus uttered the beginning words of Psalm 22 from the cross:
    
    About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” (Matt 27:46).
4. The apostles quote Psalms when they preached:
  1. Peter’s message: Acts 2:24-36
  2. Paul’s message: Acts 13:29-39
5. The Psalms have a prominent role in the history of the church through the ages. Many teachers in the church wrote about and quoted Psalm, including Augustine, Martin Luther, etc.
6. The Psalms are songs. Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16 and 1 Corinthians 14:26 informed us that singing are important part of corporate worship.
7. The Psalms are filled with human expressions in all areas of life. We can often identify ourselves with the writer when reading Psalms.
2013-07-12
Psalms 90 – 95
Psalm 90
- Written by Moses, the man of God (Deut 33:1)
- Oldest Psalm
- Theme: Contrasting God’s eternity with man’s brief life.
- V1-12: Human’s life is brief compares to the everlasting God
- V7-12: Sinful men are consumed by God’s anger, unless we ask God to number our days aright
- V13-17: Praying for God’s blessing: compassion (v13), love (v14), glad (v15), deeds (v16), establish the word of our hands (v17)
Psalm 91
- Theme: Security in Trusting the LORD
- V1-2: Security in the LORD: shelter; shadow; refuge; fortress
- V3-13: How God protects those to trust Him
- V14-16: God’s response to man’s love
Psalm 92
- Theme: Praise God in Sabbath
- V1-7 It is good to praise the Most High
- V8-15 God the exalted forever
Psalm 93
- Theme: The Lord reigns (v1)
- V1-2: The Lord establishes His reign
- V3-4: The Lord is mighty
- V5: The Lord’s house is holy
Psalm 94
- Theme: God is the Judge of the earth (v2)
- V1-7: Prayer for vengeance
- V8-15: Warning about judgment
- V16-23: Consolation from the Lord
Psalm 95
- Theme: The LORD is the great King, we are His worshipers
- Quote twice in Hebrew (v8: Heb 4:7; v10: Heb 4:3)
- V1-7: Praise for the Lord’s sovereignty
- V8-11: Warning against unbelief
2013-07-12
Psalm 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (v1)

If you make the Most High your dwelling – even the LORD, who is my refuge – then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. (9-10)

This world is a cruel place. We are constantly under the pressure from society, from work place, even from our churches and our own home. Where can we hide? Whom can we find protection?

We can hide under the wings (v4), under the shadow of the Almighty (v1); we can dwell in Him. He promised to rescue those who love Him (v14), He will send angels to protect, to guard (v11) those who make Him a dwelling place.

Friends, let’s dwell in the Almighty, and trust that He and He alone is our shelter, our protector, our rescuer. No matter how deep the trouble we are in, the LORD has the power and He is willing to rescue us.

2013-07-09
Psalms 90

The length of our days is seventy years – or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away (v10).

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (v12)

Our life is relatively short on this earth. Are you making full use of our time to live out a life that is glorifying the everlasting God (v2)? Are we spending our precious life on things that have no eternal values, on things that have no spiritual significant? Are we wasting our life?

Oh Lord, teach us to number our days, give us the wisdom, the strength, the power to live a life that glorify You. Amen.

2013-07-08
Jeremiah 46 – 52
The Nations 46-51
- Jeremiah was called to be a prophets unto the nations (1:5)
- God previously had already proclaimed to the nations that they would drink the cup of the wrath of God (25:15)
Ch 46 – Egypt
- Pharaoh Neco killed King Josiah (2 Chro 32:23)
- Pharaoh Neco was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar in the battle of Carchemish on the Euphrates River (46:2)
- God proclaimed Egypt would be defeated by Babylon – action sermon of the large stone (43:8-13)
- God again prophesized Babylon would attack and defeat Egypt (46:13-26) (568BC)
- The LORD Almighty has defeated the gods of Egypt (46:25)
- God would later restore Egypt (46:26)
- God promised He would not completed destroy the Jews (46:28)
Ch 47 – Philistines
- Came from Crete (v4)
- Babylon is described as water that would flood Philistines (v2)
- Fathers would flee for lives and leave their children behind (v3)
- They cried to Yahweh to stop (v6), but God would only stop when His judgment is fully completed (v7)
Ch48 – Moab
- Along with Ammonites, are descendants of Lot (Gen 19:20-38)
- Were punished for trusting in her deeds and riches (v7), pride and arrogance (v29), she has defiled Yahweh (v26)
- Yahweh has defeated the Chemosh the god of Moab (v7, 13 ,35, 46)
- Jeremiah wept over the fall of Moab (v31). His grief is evidence of the compassion God has for people who are destroyed because of their sins against God.
- God has “no pleasure in the death of the wicked” (Ezek 18:32)
- God will restore Moab in the last days (v47)
Ch 49 – Ammon
- Together with Moab were descendants of Lot (Gen 19-20-38)
- Were punished because they took possession of Gad (v1), her pride and trusted in her wealth (v4)
- Yahweh is superior over Molech, the god of Ammonites (v1,3)
- God will restore Ammonites in the last days (v6)
Ch 49 – Edom
- Descendants of Esau
- Would be punished because of her pride (v16)
- Would be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah (v18)
Ch 49 – Damascus
- Amos accused the Syrians of treating the people of Gilead like grain on a threshing floor (Amos 1:3-5)
- Pain like that of a woman in labor (v24)
Ch 49 – Kedar and Hazor
- Kedar was related to Ishmael (Gen 25:13)
- Were nomadic Arab nations
- Were punished because they were confidence in themselves (v31)
Ch 49 – Elam
- Were known for their archery, God promised to break their bow (v35)
- God will restore them in last days (v39)
Ch 50 – 51 Babylon
- The bible often compares Babylon (the proud city of man) with Jerusalem (the Holy City of God).
- Founded by Nimrod (Gen 10:8-10)
- The Hebrew word of Babylon is babel, often associated by the tower of Babel, both a symbol of rebellion against God.
- Culminates in the Babylon of Revelation (Rev 17:1-19:10)
- Many parallels between Jer 50-51 and Rev 17-18
Ch 50 – 51 Babylon
- Jeremiah written these chapters in the 4th year of Zedekiah’s reign on a scroll and gave to Seraiah to be read aloud in Babylon (51:61)
- God speaks to and about Babylon; to the invading army; and to the exiles of Judah
- Fulfillments of God’s prophesy:
  
  Persians captured Babylon in 539BC (Dan 5)
  
  Alexander the Great of Greek destroyed Babylon in 330BC
  
  Ultimate fulfillment in Rev 17-18
Why God punished Babylon?
- God wanted to show He is victorious over the gods of Babylon (Bel and Marduk 50:2)
- she rejoiced and were glad in conquering the Jews (50:11)
- She destroyed God’s temple (50:28;51:11)
- She is arrogance (50:31)
- Her sins (51:6)
- For all the wrong she did to Zion (51:24)
- punish the idols of Babylon (51:47)
Spiritual Lessons We Learned in Jeremiah
- In difficult days, we need to hear and heed the Word of God
- True prophets of God are usually persecuted
- True patriotism is not blind to sin
- God is faithful to His servant
- God is patience towards His people
- Faithful is more important and success
- The greatest reward of ministry is to become like Jesus Christ
- God is King of Kings, Lord of Lords. The nations are under His sovereign control
2013-06-29
Lamentation Overview
Who Wrote The Book?
- Author was not mentioned
- Strong evidence inside and outside the text points to Jeremiah as the author
- Septuagint has a note stating Jeremiah as the author
The Name of the Book
- In Hebrew is “ekah”, it is the first word of the of this book in Hebrew bible (1:1;2:1;4:1). Can be translated “Alas!” or “How”
- Translators substituted in the title “Lamentations” to give it a clearer meaning
- The author witnessed the invasion and the result of the destruction of Jerusalem
Location and Time
- Jeremiah walked through the streets and alleys of Jerusalem and saw nothing but pain, suffering, and destruction in the wake of the Babylonian invasion of 586 BC
- It makes sense to date the book as close to the invasion as possible
Other Lamentations Songs in the Bible
- David wrote one for Saul and Jonathan (2 Sam 1:17-27)
- David wrote one for Abner (2 Sam 3:33-34)
- Jeremiah wrote one for King Josiah (2 Cro 35:25)
- Amos wrote one for Israel (Amos 5:1)
- Ezekiel wrote one for Tyre (Eze 27:1-36)
Hebrew Poetry
- Ch 1,2, 4 have 22 verses, each starts with a different Hebrew alphabet, in sequential order
- Ch 3 has 66 verses, each Hebrew letter for three consecutive verses in sequential order
- Ch 5 is in parallel style
- Ps 119 has similar style. (8 verses in a group, 22 groups for 22 alphabet) It is interesting to contrast Ps and Lamentation, one is to lift up praises and the other one is to lament
Destruction of Jerusalem
- Recording 4 times in OT:
  
  2 King 25
  
  2 Chron 36:11-21
  
  Jeremiah 39
  
  Jeremiah 52
- The second temple was destroyed on the same month in 70AD
- The Jews read Lamentation on 9th of Av (May in Jews Calendar, usually in July/August) in in synagogues every year to remember the event
Mourning for Jerusalem
- Even tough Jeremiah was prophesying the destruction, but when he had 1st hand experience, he mourned for it
- The Jews exiled in Babylon mourned for Jerusalem (Ps 137)
  
  “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, May my right hand forget her skill”
God’s Covenant with King David
- Did the end of David’s throne mean God didn’t keep His covenant?
  
  2 Sam 7: 13 “… I will establish the throne of His kingdom forever”
  
  2 Sam 7:16 “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”
- Fulfilled in King Jesus:
  
  Acts 2:31 “he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ”
God’s Covenant with the Jews
- God had a covenant with the Jews after they left Egypt and before they entered Canaan (Lev 26, Deut 28-29)
- God is always faithful to His covenant, either to bless the obedient or chasten the disobedient. His Word will never fail
- God’s chastening is an expression of His love, a tool He uses to mature His children
  
  Heb 12:10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness
The Flow of the Book
- The whole book is filled with the pictures of the destructions and the suffering of Jerusalem
- However in the middle of the book (3:22-26), we are reminded of the faithfulness of God and we can put our hope in Him
- Ends with consolation (5:19-22)
Why is Lamentations So Important?
- Like the book of Job, Lamentations pictures a man of God puzzling over the results of evil and suffering in the world.
- Job dealt with unexplained evil, and unexpected suffering.
- Jeremiah dealt with the suffering that has been prophesied by God from Joshua (23:15-16) to Jeremiah, and he knew the reason why it happened: because of their sins
- There is hope in the midst of suffering: 3:22-26
  
  Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail
  
  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness
  
  I say to myself, “ The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.”
  
  The LORD is good to those whose hope is in Him , to the one who seeks Him;
  
  It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD
Applications in Christians Life
- Reminds us of the importance of asking the Lord for His forgiveness when we fail Him
- Are you mourning over the sin of God’s people?
- We should submit and trust God that His discipline is for our good, so that we can be holy like Him (Heb 12:10)
- Discipline produces a harvest of righteousness and peace (Heb 12:11)
- In the midst of suffering, the Lord is our portion (3:24)
- Our hope is in Christ in the midst of suffering (3:25)
2013-06-29