March 28
Was Jesus reminded of these verses in Ezekiel when he drove the money changers out of the temple? As He turned over their tables, He thundered at them: “My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you are making it a den of robbers” (Matthew 21:13).
Ezekiel is led in a vision to Jerusalem, where the Spirit shows him evil in the temple: “a large idol that has made the Lord very jealous” (v. 3). The Lord says, “Do you see the detestable sins the people of Israel are committing to drive Me from My Temple?” (v. 6). Later in the chapter, the Lord says, “Therefore, I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them” (v. 18).
Our God is a jealous God. He alone is worthy of worship and praise. We are not bothered by sin like He is; we would rather be excused for our sin (it wasn’t my fault…I didn’t mean it) than to ask for forgiveness. The only way to live a Christ-centered life is to ask God to forgive us and to send his Holy Spirit to change us into kingdom people. Thanks be to God for His grace and mercy!
Questions
1. How did the Lord respond to the evil that was taking place in His temple?
2. What is our response to sin in the world? To our own sin?
Prayer
Thank You for sending Jesus to pay the price for my sin. Help me to flee from evil and seek Your face. Amen.
—Elaine Pierce
No comments:
Post a Comment