SWHW Bible Reading Plan: August 2021Sample

Top Takeaway from Alonda Tanner:

Have you ever wondered how God truly feels about sin? We often describe God as being a God of grace and a God of love. 

We tend to gloss over the parts of the conversation that include how deeply God is grieved by sin and His right to judge unrepentant sin. God's words to Ezekiel give us a glimpse of both truths. 

Sin grieves God. 

In Ezekiel Chapter 8, the Lord met Ezekiel and brought him into a vision. 

“And he extended the form of a hand and took me by the hair of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in the vision of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner courtyard, where the seas of the idol of jealousy, which provokes jealousy, was located... 

And He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abomination which the house of Israel are committing here, so that I would be far from My sanctuary? But yet you will see still greater abominations.” Ezekiel 8:3,6

In this passage, God is revealing the sins of His people to Ezekiel. He revealed it in layers, first addressing the Israelite community. The Israelites had a habit of conforming to the culture around them, so there were patterns of sin in their communities that had been established as cultural norms. 

What God is pointing out to Ezekiel is how these influences (God refers to them as great abominations) have made their way into the temple of God to such a degree that God had distanced Himself from His own dwelling place (see Ezekiel 8:6). 

Next God addressed the acts of the leaders and elders of Israel. What God was revealing to Ezekiel was deeper than anyone knew. God had given Ezekiel eyes to see what the leaders of Israel had been partnering with beyond closed doors. It was bad. They were worshiping idols among “crawling things, animals, and detestable things” (see Ezekiel 8:10) with clouds of incense and censer in hand. 

Still, there was more to reveal. With every revelation, the posture of the hearts of Israel's leaders was made more and more clear. 

They abandoned the God of their covenant. They thought their actions had gone unseen (see Ezekiel 8:13), but God saw their rebellion from the time it began. He is warning Ezekiel that He is coming to deal with it. 

“Therefore, I indeed will deal in wrath.” Ezekiel 8:18

Why not come in love? Why not shower them in grace? The truth is God had dealt abundantly in both already. The leaders of Israel had rejected His correction and chose to persist in evil. God knew that allowing evil to increase would only bring more destruction to His people. God chose to bring that evil to an end. 

This wasn't destruction for the sake of destruction. God was preserving the next generation by uprooting the wickedness in the land. Removing the evil paved the way for the next generation to know Him. This is the love of a Shepherd fervently protecting those the devil seeks to devour. 

The reality is wherever sin persists, destruction is sure to follow. God's love preserves us even in the midst of destruction. If you need a spiritual picture of what that preservation looks like, read Ezekiel 9:3-7. This is why the gospel is so essential and God's love is so worth praising. 

Sin entraps us, but through Jesus, God has provided us with a love that preserves us eternally - a love that is worth passing down to the next generations. 

Heavenly Father, It's amazing to me how incredible Your love is. We don't always have eyes to see the spiritual battles happening around us or behind closed doors, but we know nothing is hidden from You. You see all things and You're the Victor in every battle. Thank You for fighting for us. We know You didn't pour Your love out on us just so we could keep it to ourselves. Give us the boldness to walk in truth, share Your love, and extend the gospel to the next generations. In Jesus' name, Amen.