God's Holiness Remains Unchanged

He explained, “This is where the priests will cook the meat from the guilt offerings and sin offerings and bake the flour from the grain offerings into bread. They will do it here to avoid carrying the sacrifices through the outer courtyard and endangering the people by transmitting holiness to them.” [Ezekiel 46.20] 

Why would holiness endanger people?

Holiness is the character of God.

It is the character of God to bless people who obey Him. Note God's character below in bold:

“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. [Exodus 20.4-6 bold added]

Go to Deuteronomy 28.1-14 to see what God's blessings are.

It is the character of God to curse people who disobey Him. Note God's character below in bold:

“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. [Exodus 20.4-6 bold added]

Go to Deuteronomy 28.15-68 to see what God's blessings are.

The same character of God that blesses obedient people curses disobedient people. This explains why Adam and Eve hid themselves in the Garden of Eden - they rightfully feared death. This also explains why, after the introduction of disobedience into mankind in the Garden of Eden, that every subsequent instance of people encountering God (or even God's angels) frightened them - they rightfully feared death when encountering God's holiness. 

This all seems foreign to mankind today because mankind does not fear God. Man lives in a constant state of undesirable conditions and yet never attributes those conditions to disobedience to God (why would he?). Man, ignorant of God's Word, does not trace his condition of suffering to disobedience to God, but leans on worldly knowledge explaining that his curses are "natural" and therefore "normal" to what he calls "life." Without God, man can only rely on his worldly knowledge about his undesirable conditions. As naturally as man today sees his undesirable conditions, he just as naturally deals with them with solutions of his own design.

I would like to be able to offer here an exception regarding mankind as explained in the preceding paragraph - a contrast, if you will, for those who are God's people ...but I cannot. The reason I cannot offer this contrast is because God's people today, like the world, do not actually fear God either. They, like the world, believe their conditions of suffering to be "natural" and therefore "normal" to what they call "life" even though the Bible glaringly says otherwise. Consequently, "God's people" (if they might even be called that) have formulated all manner of religious nonsense to "explain away" everything the Bible teaches about God's holiness. Consequently, they too, like the world, remedy their undesirable conditions (curses) with the exact same man-made methods the world does. Therein, "God's people," like Israel of old, remain in unrepentant idolatry powerless against the curses upon the world.

Even with the clarity given by the Apostle Paul, "God's people" still "don't see it":

But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” [Galatians 3.13]

The real reason "God's people" today are so "God-damned" religious (this description is 100% Biblically accurate) is because they too, like Adam and Eve, have believed lies about God and His holiness "releasing the Kraken," if you will, of God's perpetual damnation (curses) upon their unrepentant disobedience. These same "damned" religious people literally (in dollars) pay homage (just like the world) to the world's solutions (idols) while the Bible (that they claim to honor but do not know) defines their disobedience and idolatry in explicit detail. The 2nd Commandment (Exodus 20.4-6 mentioned above) is the 2nd Commandment for a reason. Every sin of man earning God's curses originates in idolatry - giving the idol of "self" transcendence (priority) over God and His Word. This is, in fact, the fallen way of man. For this reason, Jesus "cut straight to the chase" demanding God's way over the way of man:

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

But, rather than giving up his own way, man made religion so he could explain why the Bible doesn't mean what it says and thereby justify all his other idols. Religion has all sorts of explanations for Matthew 16.24 EXCEPT what it actually says. God's holiness, however, remains unchanged.

Father, as I measure and weigh my life against Your Word, I am found desperately wanting. I want to give up my own way, take up my cross, and follow Jesus, but it is a lonely road as far as life on earth is concerned. I know trusting Jesus no more allows idolatry than Your 2nd Commandment allows idolatry - Your holiness remains unchanged. I want to be true to Your Word... but I know my words are meaningless unless my actions follow suit. May all who read this, like me, be challenged to give up their own way, take up their cross, and follow Jesus. May we find encouragement in each other as we give up our idols willing to face any worldly consequence for doing so - even death itself. So be it.

Absolute Holiness

“Son of man, describe to the people of Israel the Temple I have shown you, so they will be ashamed of all their sins. Let them study its plan, and they will be ashamed of what they have done. Describe to them all the specifications of the Temple—including its entrances and exits—and everything else about it. Tell them about its decrees and laws. Write down all these specifications and decrees as they watch so they will be sure to remember and follow them. And this is the basic law of the Temple: absolute holiness! The entire top of the mountain where the Temple is built is holy. Yes, this is the basic law of the Temple. [Ezekiel 43.10-12] 

Once again, as I read the passages assigned to today's One Year Chronological Bible reading, I found myself focusing on the passage above.

The details found in the rest of today's reading describing the dimensions of the Temple shown to Ezekiel seem insignificant to me. But therein seems to lie a problem...

Considering the unholiness all around us today, holiness is a foreign concept. In fact, most give little thought to the idea of holiness. And yet, in the passage above, the concept of "absolute holiness" is presented. If we cannot process "holiness" in our minds, how will we ever process "absolute holiness?"

Question: Why does holiness seem so far from people today?

Answer: Probably for the same reason God's miraculous power is so far from people today: IDOLATRY.

Whether we understand it or not, idolatry was mentioned in the verses preceding the passage above:

The LORD said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place where I will rest my feet. I will live here forever among the people of Israel. They and their kings will not defile my holy name any longer by their adulterous worship of other gods or by honoring the relics of their kings who have died. They put their idol altars right next to mine with only a wall between them and me. They defiled my holy name by such detestable sin, so I consumed them in my anger. Now let them stop worshiping other gods and honoring the relics of their kings, and I will live among them forever. [Ezekiel 43.7-9]

God's "I will live among them forever" statement is contingent upon His people NOT "worshiping other gods and honoring the relics of their kings..." 

We are taught, in New Testament times, that God's Temple is now the body of a person who believes in Jesus Christ. We are taught that God lives in us. Where did we ever get the idea that absolute holiness is no longer the basic law of the Temple of our bodies?

If my writing seems scattered, it should. I shudder at the thought of what modern thinking has done to God's requirement for absolute holiness especially as the veil in the Temple was torn at Jesus' crucifixion signaling God's holiness now abiding in His people...

Father, may the words of Ezekiel have meaning to us beyond our carnal thinking. May we have a distinct sense of Your holiness. May we understand that Your presence does not live among idols. May we rightly conclude that our powerless condition today is directly related to our unholy, idolatrous ways. May we find new meaning in Jesus' demand to give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Him. So be it.

We Know The Problem - What Is The Solution?

“After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever. His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal. All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’ [Daniel 4.34-35] 

Acknowledging the problem is simply not enough. What is the solution?

For some time now I have written numerous articles on the problem of idolatry. Although it should be obvious enough what the solution is, it is my goal with this article to be clear about the solution to idolatry. The Apostle Paul was indeed clear:

So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. [1 Corinthians 10.14]

But what exactly did Paul mean? He meant the exact same thing as when he encouraged his protégé, Timothy to flee from youthful lusts:

Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. [2 Timothy 2.22] 

For everything named as, or even questioned as, an idol, the position of a true worshiper of God ALONE should be to get as far away from it as possible getting as close as possible to God.

When the Word of God takes root in a person's life, whether as the result of unquestioning obedience (like David - discussed below) or following severe punishment (as with Nebuchadnezzar), that Word leads the true student of it, like Nebuchadnezzar, to praise and worship the Most High God honoring Him as the One Who lives forever - Whose rule is everlasting, and Whose kingdom is eternal...

We might think of the "honor" mentioned above as what David defended when he foolishly (in the world's eyes) faced off with Goliath. David first pointed out to his fellow Israelites' their shortcoming:

David asked the soldiers standing nearby, “What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?” [1 Samuel 17.26]

Then, David defended God's honor in no uncertain terms directly to Goliath's face:

Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him, sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy. “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods. “Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled. David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!” [1 Samuel 17.41-47] 

The solution to idolatry is NOT TO IGNORE IT but to march right through it in the Name of the LORD as if it was not even there - effectively 'fleeing' from the idea that idols hold any power! When God's people are so in relationship with God that they understand His dominance over everything, there are no alternatives (idols) that can deter them.

As I have insisted for years now that man's industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology are among the top "idol" problems of today, it should be understood that, like Goliath, they threaten anyone who would challenge them (with financial ruin, loss, sickness, and great inconvenience). The solution is not to bow to them conceding that they are right - that they are too big to fight. The solution is to flee from any idea that they are even a 'bump in the road' for God's honor and power and might. The solution is to ignore their threats of financial ruin, loss, sickness, and great inconvenience and to live free from their captivity. Behind Goliath was the entire Philistine army that had to be defeated!

When God's people realize from God's Word that He rules all, they will see that finance, insurance, medicine and technology are just 'Goliaths' spewing all manner of threats defying God and His people. They must be overcome, not bowed down to - not backed away from. We don't fight these giants with a sword however, we fight them with money - we stop giving it to them! When we flee from their demands for our obedience and instead run to and honor only God, these giants will be defeated and lie helpless beneath our feet.

The solution to our idolatry is to stop feeding it - stop funding it! We must STOP pouring money into finance, insurance, medicine and technology as if to pay ransom for our lives!

But what if we suffer? Let me just ask this question: Does our suffering mean that the Most High God is not the Most High God?

So, here we shall discuss the threat of suffering... When Nebuchadnezzar demanded that the idol he had made be bowed down to and worshipped and that those who refuse would suffer death by fire...

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” [Daniel 3.16-18]

So, what if finance, insurance, medicine and technology threaten us with all manner of suffering (even death) unless we bow to them (pay them for their services)? Will we insist on unadulterated praise and worship of God ALONE or will we 'bow down'? Will we, in our minds, flee from thoughts of idolatry, thus running to the Most High God inadvertently defeating those idols, or, will we 'pay' them homage? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were so committed to God that, even if they died, they would not bow down to Nebuchadnezzar's idol.

Jesus, unironically, gave us His timeless demand knowing what we would be facing:

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

"Your own way" is the way of man and the idols he makes for himself to do for himself what God said He ALONE would do. Jesus said "give it up."

"Take up your cross" is the degree to which we are willing to "give up our own way." It is, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego demonstrated, the willingness to die just to avoid bowing down to idols.

To "follow Jesus" is to honor the Most High God ALONE. 

That is the solution.

Father, forgive me for bowing down to the idols of my day who threaten me with all manner of suffering if I do not pay homage to them. May I be found giving up my own useless ways of idolatry, taking up my cross, unafraid of death and destruction, and following Jesus - Your Way - the ONLY Way - to You. So be it!

Yesterday's Victories Do Not Win Today's Battles

But these tribes were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors. They worshiped the gods of the nations that God had destroyed. [1 Chronicles 5.25] 

The shame of this is that only a few verses before this verse, we find this:

There were 44,760 capable warriors in the armies of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. They were all skilled in combat and armed with shields, swords, and bows. They waged war against the Hagrites, the Jeturites, the Naphishites, and the Nodabites. They cried out to God during the battle, and he answered their prayer because they trusted in him. So the Hagrites and all their allies were defeated. [1 Chronicles 5.18-20]

Yesterday's victories do not win today's battles.

That's it.

Father, may we never be found counting on yesterday's victories to win today's battles. So be it.

For Every Person Who Has Ever Been Mad At God...

“Your people are saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right,’ but it is they who are not doing what’s right. For again I say, when righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and turn to evil, they will die. But if wicked people turn from their wickedness and do what is just and right, they will live. O people of Israel, you are saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right.’ But I judge each of you according to your deeds.” [Ezekiel 33.17-20]

For every person who has ever been mad at God...

No one wants to admit that they are wrong. This is precisely what Ezekiel encountered in his confrontation of God's people. They were deep into idolatry and all manner of sin that accompanies it but they simply refused to acknowledge their waywardness. So, they blamed their hard circumstances on God. They were no different then than God's people are today. Again, no one wants to admit that they are wrong.

God was very clear in His requirements for all who would be His people. Specifically, God gave the Ten Commandments, the first three of which describe God's rules for man's specific relationship to God:

“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. [Exodus 20.2-7]

Additionally, God gave the pivotal 4th Commandment in timeless proclamation of His Son, Jesus Christ. This 4th Commandment describes God's rule for Sabbath Rest only possible in specific relationship with Christ. 

“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. [Exodus 20.8-11]

The last six of the Ten Commandments describe God's rules for man's specific relationship to man.

“Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you. “You must not murder. “You must not commit adultery. “You must not steal. “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor. “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.” [Exodus 20.12-17] 

The way God set this all up, man's compliance or non-compliance with the Ten Commandments earned rewards for compliance and rewards for non-compliance. Rewards for compliance are called "blessings," and rewards for non-compliance are called "curses." These blessings and curses are described in great detail in Deuteronomy 28. Blessings are described in Deuteronomy 28.1-14 and curses are described in Deuteronomy 28.15-68.

It was in regard to the curses of Deuteronomy 28.15-68 that Ezekiel addressed God's people in Ezekiel 33.17-20 above: they were saying God was not right in punishing them (because they were living under the curses of war, famine & disease). They were proudly calling "foul" on God as if they were suffering curses unjustly. They had effectively been blinded by their idolatry because that is exactly what idolatry does - it causes spiritual blindness and deafness.

Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 115.4-8 bold added (also Psalm 135.15-18)]

Now, back to the Ten Commandments... NOTHING has changed to relieve man of his responsibility to to keep the Ten Commandments. In fact, the "pivotal" 4th Commandment timelessly points mankind to Jesus Christ, in Whom, man effectively keeps all the other nine commandments. HOWEVER! If man does not believe in Jesus, then all the curses for disobedience remain his to "enjoy." Curses are proof-positive indicators that God's plan has been ignored.

Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim. [Proverbs 26.2]

But still, people are mad at God when bad things happen to them. They are blinded by idolatry because they are ignorant of God's Word. They are ignorant of God's Word because false religion has allowed it. In their false religion (that claims 'bad things can happen to good people'), therefore, they are proud. It is pure pride that anyone, at anytime, would be mad at God. This blindness is indeed the blindness of idolatry and it exists more so today than at any other time in history.

People proudly "claim" faith in Jesus while stubbornly refusing to abide by His demands. Then, in the midst of curses for their disobedience, they blame God - none the wiser that their disobedience to Jesus is idolatry in pure raw form. Disobedience to Jesus is the most blatant defiance of the pivotal 4th Commandment securely earning every curse of Deuteronomy 28.15-68. It should be understood that obedience to the 4th Commandment (Sabbath Rest - Jesus) is man's only hope of compliance with the other nine commandments. Only in the Sabbath Rest of Jesus Christ can any man be pure in God's sight - loving God ALONE free of idols, and loving man accordingly.

To be clear, Jesus' demand of His followers is to singularly love God (give up your own way), to unconditionally love man (take up your cross), and follow Him (do the works of Jesus).

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12]

It's not rocket science, but there is no room for pride. Pride is the idolatry of "self." In fact, Jesus went on to confirm this in Matthew 16:

If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. [Matthew 16.25-27]

And yet, people will remain mad at God because they categorically refuse to give up their own way of self-preservation, they refuse to take up their cross of unconditional love for man, and they refuse to do the work(s) of Jesus. And, in their idolatrous disobedience, they suffer every curse described in Deuteronomy 28.15-68 just like the world, proudly calling on the world's gods (idols) for relief instead of humbly repenting before God and fully believing in Jesus.

Look again at verse 27 of Matthew 16:

For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. [Matthew 15.27]

Now, compare that to verse 20 of Ezekiel 33:

O people of Israel, you are saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right.’ But I judge each of you according to your deeds.” [Ezekiel 33.20] 

It's kind of stupid really, that we would insist on being mad at God when curses are simply punishment for our deeds (Jesus' words, not mine). And, this is especially stupid if we claim to believe the Bible. If God is someone we could be mad at, then that would make Him inferior to us and we shouldn't believe anything He says (if we do, we are really stupid)!

Father in heaven, You are indeed God and Your Word is indeed true. Jesus did not come in contrast to the rest of Your Word, but in complete harmony with it. May we consume Your Word, free from man's opinions (religion), so that the blinders of idolatry might be identified and removed. May we see our gross idolatry of trusting almost any and everything other than, or in addition to, You. May we not be found proud and mad at You, but instead, humbly repentant for our own way of doing for ourselves what You said You ALONE would do. May we be found giving up our own way, taking up our cross, and following Jesus. So be it. Yes, so be it.

What if...?

“Then hold out the pieces of wood you have inscribed, so the people can see them. And give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: I will gather the people of Israel from among the nations. I will bring them home to their own land from the places where they have been scattered. I will unify them into one nation on the mountains of Israel. One king will rule them all; no longer will they be divided into two nations or into two kingdoms. They will never again pollute themselves with their idols and vile images and rebellion, for I will save them from their sinful apostasy. I will cleanse them. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God. [Ezekiel 37.20-23]

What if the prophecy in Ezekiel 37.20-23 is not about the nation of Israel, but about God's people everywhere? And what if this event yet remains in the future?

Look at what Jesus prayed in John 17:

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began! [John 17.20-24]

Is there any correlation between Jesus' prayer and what Ezekiel wrote? 

What if the people of Israel prophesied by Ezekiel is indeed all who will ever believe in me through their message that Jesus prayed for?

What if home to their own land prophesied by Ezekiel is indeed not a physical place but the spiritual place as you are in me, Father, and I am in you that Jesus prayed for ? 

What if the mountains of Israel prophesied by Ezekiel is indeed the where I am Jesus prayed for?

What if them all prophesied by Ezekiel is indeed these whom you have given me Jesus prayed for?

What if no longer will they be divided into two nations or into two kingdoms prophesied by Ezekiel is indeed such perfect unity that Jesus prayed for?

What if They will never again pollute themselves with their idols and vile images and rebellion prophesied by Ezekiel is the the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one that Jesus prayed for?

What if Ezekiel's prophecies are still ahead of us?

What if? 

Father, I know You chose Israel to reveal Yourself to the world and to point to Messiah, Jesus. I know that Israel's repeated idolatry is our warning against idolatry. I know that Israel's deliverance is our deliverance. I know that Jesus makes every believer "Israel." May Your people, "Israel," truly give up their own way, take up their cross, and follow Jesus. So be it.

Want To Be Clean?

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. [Ezekiel 36.25-27]

This prophecy is about Jesus. Jesus, God's Living Word, is the living water that cleanses us. 

“If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” [John 4.10]

What Ezekiel reveals is that Jesus, the Word, cleanses away our idolatry - our own failed way - our sin. We are not clean as long as our idolatry exists. 

If we want to be clean, we MUST get rid of our idols.

Jesus calls all people unto Himself - His cleansing - in the following way:

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24] 

What Jesus demanded is the same thing God demanded: 

“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. [Exodus 20.2-6]

As long as our idolatry exists (in that we have not been cleansed by the Word, Jesus), we retain a stony, stubborn heart, and, we are powerless to obey God's regulations.

The problem with a stony, stubborn heart is that it lies undetected within a person.

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? [Jeremiah 17.9]

The only way to know the human heart in all its stony, stubborn, wickedness, is to know God's Word: His-written-Word-revealing-His-Living-Word (Jesus)-confirming-the-written-Word. 

Jesus' Living Water is the only cleansing remedy for all the filth of our idolatry - the well from which springs all our sin. The Apostle Paul said it like this:

For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. [Ephesians 5.25-27]

The promises made in Ezekiel 34 are invalid as long as idolatry exists in God's people,

“I will make a covenant of peace with my people and drive away the dangerous animals from the land. Then they will be able to camp safely in the wildest places and sleep in the woods without fear. I will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing. The orchards and fields of my people will yield bumper crops, and everyone will live in safety. When I have broken their chains of slavery and rescued them from those who enslaved them, then they will know that I am the LORD. They will no longer be prey for other nations, and wild animals will no longer devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will frighten them. “And I will make their land famous for its crops, so my people will never again suffer from famines or the insults of foreign nations. In this way, they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them. And they will know that they, the people of Israel, are my people, says the Sovereign LORD. You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!” [Ezekiel 34.25-31]

There is an unmistakable distinction between God's people (cleansed from idolatry by the Living Water - the Living Word, Jesus) and the rest of the world. At least, there should be...

We must understand that a relationship with God through Jesus Christ is not an abstract idea! Ezekiel 34.25-31 (identifying God's people as remarkably unaffected in a degraded world) and Ephesians 5.25-27 (identifying God's people as glorious, without spot or wrinkle) both attest to the fact that a Christ-follower's life stands out from the rest of the world with clear and obvious distinction.

The caveat however is found early in Ezekiel 34:

Then this message came to me from the LORD: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: What sorrow awaits you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn’t shepherds feed their sheep? You drink the milk, wear the wool, and butcher the best animals, but you let your flocks starve. You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty. So my sheep have been scattered without a shepherd, and they are easy prey for any wild animal. They have wandered through all the mountains and all the hills, across the face of the earth, yet no one has gone to search for them. “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, you abandoned my flock and left them to be attacked by every wild animal. And though you were my shepherds, you didn’t search for my sheep when they were lost. You took care of yourselves and left the sheep to starve. Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I now consider these shepherds my enemies, and I will hold them responsible for what has happened to my flock. I will take away their right to feed the flock, and I will stop them from feeding themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths; the sheep will no longer be their prey. [Ezekiel 34.1-10]

The shepherds, representing religion, ae more interested in shearing the sheep than protecting them. Instead of competently leading God's people away from idolatry, religion leaves God's people unattended and vulnerable, because all religion wants and needs is the milk, wool, and meat of the "sheep" - their money. Religious leaders who "shepherd" God's people in indistinct, abstract religion void of the distinct and miraculous power of God do so because that is what idolatry does! Idolatry, for its own financial gain, distracts God's people, leading them away from relying on God ALONE. Religion accomplishes this distraction by flooding God's people with abstract theologies, doctrines, and denominations thus effectively diluting (and muddying) the pure Living Water of the Word - Jesus Christ. Consequently, idolatry is left intact and God's people are none the wiser.

Until God's people understand that Jesus Christ is the antithesis of idolatry, religion will continue to do its worst - Ezekiel's timelessly relevant words will be lost in abstract religion and the Church will remain powerless and ineffective in the world today:

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. [Ezekiel 36.25-27]

Father, the more I meditate on today's One Year Chronological Bible reading, the more I realize how revelatory Ezekiel's words are for us in our present time. May we get it right in understanding that Jesus is the Living Word, and that, unless we give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Him, we are hopelessly filthy and idolatrous. May Your Word, and the cleansing it brings, transform us into "the glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish... holy and without fault." So be it.