Ezekiel 16:8-13
“Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I swore unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.
Then washed I thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.
I clothed thee also with embroidered work, and shod thee with badgers’ skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.
I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck.
And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.
Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and embroidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.”
All the material things of clothing and ornaments are all symbolic of the richness of His life in us, beautifying our soul and preparing us for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, something that awaits each believer. These verses are rich and intimate, and for them to make the treacherous journey from our mind, where they remain as just head knowledge, to our hearts where our lives are enriched and changed, it must be purposeful, deliberate, and aided by the Holy Spirit. For without His help, it is impossible. We must stand firm in the truth, defending against the lies of false gods seeking to lure us away. Or the temptations of our flesh telling us that greater pleasure is awaiting, or the apathy of our flesh to pursue God because of being satisfied with our current condition (we can be grateful for our current condition, but never satisfied). All these traps seek to share their bed with our spirit man or woman.
The flesh will never say do not seek the Lord. It will say you can seek the Lord and do this as well. The enemy knows that from a little compromise greater compromises are easier to gain. The last thing the flesh wants is a united front against him/her. Having a “beach head” a landing in us makes it much easier to go out from there and divide and conquer. The Bible calls that a stronghold, and it can be anything; an attitude, an object or a secret lust. The point is that it is given shelter. This property rightly belongs to Christ, but we have permitted for it to dwell and abide. If this is you, you are in the process of being compromised. Or you are being given an opportunity through the Holy Spirit to see your stronghold(s) and repent of them and come into a deeper relationship with your Lord (this is called Sanctification, and it proves His faithfulness to us). He is your Heavenly Father and Dad (I realize that Father and Dad represent the same person. However, Father is the formal roll of God as my provider, my teacher, and protector. Dad is the relational role that allows us to laugh, hang out and enjoy each other’s company). The scriptures also call the church His Bride, so another role He holds is that of our Husband, which speaks of the intimate relationship and commitment that we have to Him and He to us. However, Israel sadly traded such privileges for worldly substance.
Ezekiel continues; God’s dialog with Israel becomes very serious
Ezekiel 16:14-22
“And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.
But thou didst trust in thine own beauty ( be it beauty, intelligent, wealth etc. it causes us to forsake Him), and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and poured out — thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was ( if we are not loving God then we are loving something or someone else that is so inferior from a walk with Christ).
And of thy garments [that I gave you] thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places ( places of Idol worship) with divers colors, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so( they were sinning worse than the heathen. At least the heathen were loyal to their own false god).”
“Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them ( whatever we give ourselves over to, God sees it as fornication, and fornication violates all three aspects of man; spiritual, emotional/ soul and the body. We cannot sin on one level and not affect the other two).
And tookest thine embroidered — garments, and coveredst them: and thou hast set mine oil and mine incense before them.
My meat also which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, wherewith I fed thee, thou hast even set it before them for a sweet savor: and thus it was, saith the Lord GOD.”
“Moreover thou hast taken — thy sons and — thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured ( burned alive). Is this of [all] thy whoredoms a small matter,
That thou hast slain — my children, and delivered them and caused them to pass through the fire( Molech was the god of fire).
And — in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered — the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood ( the picture is of them as a nation being borne, and how God watched over them and prospered them, and now they have forgotten God. “
So much like us, when things are tough, we seek the Lord, and as things get better and He prospers us, we begin to forsake Him and pursue other interests. This is so wrong; God helps us to resist this evil. A great prayer is, “Lord always keep me hungry for You”).
These verses and others are strong arguments against abortion. People can say what they want, justify the reason as much as they want, but ultimately God does and will have the final say, “That thou hast slain — my children.” Our life is on loan to us. GOD OWNS LIFE, and we are just stewards of it. There is no escaping the love that God has for us and the unborn, and as such, there will be a reckoning coming to all who have treated their lives carelessly as well as the lives in their care. Only repentance and seeking forgiveness is the only way to right this wrong. In Matthew we have this very stern warning from Jesus himself,
Matthew 18:3-8
“And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven ( the simplicity of a child’s trust, we must become in heart and do the same).
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me
But whoso shall offend ( scandalize, cause to stumble) one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
“Woe unto the world because — of [these] offenses! for it must needs be that offenses come (because we live in a fallen world ); but woe to that man (or woman)by whom the offense cometh!
Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into [eternal] life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.”
Matthew 18:10
“Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.”
Many a woman and man in the porn industry were sexually abused as children, and that abuse subconsciously placed their life on track to continue to abuse their soul and body. For this reason, God HATES this offense when it is committed against children. It programs them to believe that this is what they are supposed to do. To make “daddy or mommie happy,” it’s wrong, and there is hell to pay for this grievous sin if it goes unrepentant.
How does one right the wrong done to him or her? These offenses that occur in one’s youth programs the child and often the offender was also the offended as a child. A dear friend of mine had this happen to her repeatedly as a child and as a young teen, and now as an adult, she is always having sex with each “boyfriend” she gets. She gets a new one almost yearly. Her relationships do not last, and it has been so hard to un-program what dad has programmed into her. Her progress towards Christ is slow, but it is coming; there’s always hope in Christ.
In today’s world, sexual activity before marriage is common. However, the scar caused on a person who has been sexually abused is different than one who chooses to give in to their hormones. One is cultural programming; the other goes deep into their identity. Both actions are wrong and hurtful, but “cultural sex” often ends once the person marries or finds their live-in boyfriend/girlfriend. God’s Word puts a finger right on the problem of those having “cultural sex,” it’s no different than Israel. His Word reveals that we are living a life of idolatry. Idolatry is anything that we put before God. In other words, He says no, wait till marriage, and we say now. The “now” be it sex, be it a person, a lifestyle, a belief, or our pride, anything that we put before God is Idolatry; by it, we say to Him that we don’t need Him. A very foolish thing to say to someone who loves us with a perfect love.
Our purpose… where our deepest joy and meaning is found.
2 Corinthians 6:16-18
“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God [our created purpose]; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk-in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing (lustful action, which could be many things); and I will receive you.
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty ( the end goal, He seeks intimate relationship with us. Even in judgement He exercises mercy, not wanting the cancer of sin to spread and damn our soul).”
Sons and daughters…,” not just sons. In a time when women virtually had no status in society, God gives them all the status they need. Amen. This is our identity, come out from the world, from what society says you should do and be, take a stand and declare yourself as belonging to God; we are His kids now. Learn to absorb, grow and live LIFE from the GIVER OF LIFE.
This next verse and I am taking it out of context to some degree. Yet it is a good verse for personal consideration.
Ruth 3:9
“And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.”
In this verse, Boaz is asleep, and Ruth comes in quietly and lays at his feet, signifying that she is seeking from him to be her covering her husband and provider. Boaz, being woken by feeling Ruth at his feet, asks the question, who are you? I think that is an excellent question to ask ourselves. If the Lord was to ask you or me, who are we, how would we answer? Does the life we live, and decisions we make, and the speech we use give evidence to our answer? Are we pursuing Him for what He can do for us, or are we pursuing Him because we know we need Him? He represents forgiveness, new life, the wholeness of soul, which translates to peace, and from peace comes our joy. Are we seeking Him for these things; do we know? I pray that we would spend time in prayer asking the Lord to reveal the true motives of our hearts toward Him (remember, peace comes from a root word which refers to the setting of a broken bone, making the broken limb one with the whole. Sin broke us off from the Lord, forgiveness, and faith via the Cross sets us back into a relationship, making us one again, so good).
Jeremiah 17:5-10
“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit (a good verse for encouragement in this period of COVID. “
Many who do not have faith in God have much wealth, yet the lack of gratefulness, acknowledging God as the one who gave them the power to gain their wealth they are unable to fully enjoy it. This lack of gratitude makes the profit of wealth burdensome.
Ecclesiastes 5:10
Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.
Deuteronomy 8:18 ESV
You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
Unless you walk in this truth, it’s hard, no, it’s impossible, to know what your life could be like.
We have beautiful promises to encourage us to trust in our Heavenly Father. It is not wise to trust in our intellect or anything outside of The Lord. Our view on life, or our opinion of right and wrong must be seen through the lense of scripture. Our view is always skewed, according to our own bias.
Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
The heart is deceitful above all things and — desperately wicked: who can know it?
I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Matthew 6:19- 21
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust[a] destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
I want to add to last month’s teaching on identity. As discussed, our true identity is not found in wealth, or the abundance of possessions, or the lack thereof. None of this makes us more or less righteous. It does not make us less or more important in God’s eyes. Our identity does not change when everything is going well or when things are hard and or painful. Disappointments or when we experience setbacks etc., God’s view of us remains the same, and life’s difficulties are the training ground for the believer.
To encounter God in these seasons of our life brings the underpinnings that we are truly hidden in Christ. It is the key to being Christ’s child. When we stop living for what others think of us, or we give up on the image we are trying to live up to and or project and we “rest” in the identity He gives us, we are now finding our freedom. Whether life seems to be crushing us, or blessing us, maturing to this point brings freedom from this world that few experience, but all are invited into. Our focus changes from fighting or manipulating life to accepting all that comes on the path of pursuing Christ, for we know that He will use it for our good. Amen!!
Philippians 4:10-13
Contentment
“But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
— I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. “
This depth and confidence in Christ only come through seeing God’s faithfulness through trials and hardships. His presence is so much more real and sweeter in these times.
Philippians 4:4-9
“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be careful (worry or fearful) for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and — minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things( control, reign in your thought life).
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”
Repeatedly do these things keeping your life ever before the Lord, and the promises of The Lord shall be a reality.
**Isaiah 40:25-31
“To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things ( the stars) that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
Why sayest thou, O Jacob (add your name) , and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD ( we often feel like this), and my judgment ( rights) is passed over from my God?
Hast thou not known? — hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
But they that wait ( trust) upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint ( how does an eagle fly, by flying into the wind. It is the wind that lifts it up controlled under its powerful wings, in like manner, it is the storms of life coupled with growing faith that lifts us through the clouds and causes us to see the faithfulness of our Lord.
Soldiers of the Cross are made from steel that has been repeatedly fire and pounded and will not and cannot bend because we have been endued with dunamis , the supernatural power of God. All this comes with time, prayer, reading the scriptures and attending a Bible-teaching church. As the saying goes, be patient with me, for God is not finish yet. Amen”
Father God,
Thank you so much for this strong shot of faith. Let us absorb and take into ourselves the strong medicine. You give us, as well as the hugs of love found in Your counsel. Bless us now with the knowledge of Your presence ever around us, and let us as sons and daughters walk in this confidence. Let us reflect You in all we do, help us to change our world, and be patient as You mold and shape us through the hardships of life. There is never a day that You are not mindful of us despite what the circumstances cause us to believe.
In Christ Name,
Go in the mighty strength of the Lord
Arthur