Ezekiel Chapters 10-12

10:5 - I really like this description of God's voice. All the biblical discussion about the voice of the Lord carry such power: rushing waters (I imagine the roar of something like Niagara Falls), the storm, the wind...and now the beating wings of a legion of cherubim. God in the book of John is described as the Word. God spoke creation into existence. His voice is strength...His voice is power...it is creative...it is awe-inspiring. Are you listening to the voice of God speaking to your soul through the Holy Spirit? Are you emulating God by using your voice to bring good to this world?

11:3 - The Israelites continue to go about their business as if there is nothing wrong...they build houses and ignore the judgment that is being poured out on them. I guess they figure if they act like nothing is wrong, then they might be able to convince themselves that such thoughts are true (Typical human idiocy). In reality, the world that they are working so hard to build up and beautify is a boiling cauldron and they are the meat stewing in their own abominations. They ignore the disgusting filth within their souls and focus on making sure their outer appearance is pristine. How about you?

11:12 - One of the chief sins of the people is that they have turned away from the way of God and have put more stock instead in the ways of the world and the cultures around them. Fortunately for us, no Christians in the United States would ever do anything like that...oh wait...that is right, the consumerism and hedonism of this culture continually worm their way into American churches.

11:17 - Ezekiel is worried that God will completely destroy the people of Israel, and God comforts him with these words. God promises that even as He scatters the people of Israel across the world, He will eventually gather the remnant back up and return them to the Promised Land.

11:19-20 - I love these verses! God says that He will give the people a new heart and a new spirit...He promises to remove the stone of their flesh that has made them stubborn and sinful and allow them to live godly lives as they were intended from the beginning. When the Word became flesh in the form of Jesus Christ...He showed us what that Spirit-filled-true human life is supposed to look like. Then he offered himself as a sacrifice for our sins to remove the stone of sin that was weighing us down...allowing us to become vessels for the Spirit of God (Something that was never available to the Israelites...at least not all the time). Awesome, huh?

12:27-28 - The people think they have the time to do whatever they want to do with their lives...that they have countless days to get their faith in order, but God's judgement is right there in front of them. I see this in people who claim to be Christians all the time...they say they believe in God and they focus in on the grace of God believing that they can live however they want to live NOW and get things right with God later (When they are old...like 40 or something like that - lol). God is unchanging and we know about his attitude towards idolatry from Ezekiel...so profaning the sacrifice of Jesus by trying to take advantage of perceived "cheap grace"...not smart!