BIBLE READING PLAN: NOVEMBER 17-23, 2008
Ezekiel 8-14, 1 John 1-5, Psalm 139-140
Ezekiel 8
8:1 This vision seems to go from chapter 8 to 11. Notice particularly the references to the “Shekinah glory of God” which dwelt in the holy of holies behind the veil. The glory will start inside the temple but make its way out by the end of chapter 11. The message? God is on His way out!
8:3-4 Even though an idol is in the temple, the glory is still there.
8:10-16 We see that the sin of Judah involved the people (v11), the elders (v12), the women (v14), and the priests (v16).
Ezekiel 9
9:1-2 From God will come six angels of judgment and a man with a writing case. The man is to “mark” those who are grieved over the abominations committed by Judah (v4). Only those with the mark will be spared (v6). If God were marking those in church today who were grieved over the sin of the church, how many of us would He mark?
Ezekiel 10
10:4, 18-19 Notice the progression of the “Shekinah glory of God”. He began in the temple (8:4), then made it to the threshold (9:3), then to the outer court (10:4), and then to the East gate (10:19). The glory of God is on His way out, and will end up leaving the city completely (11:23).
Ezekiel 11
11:1-2 The men who sat at the gate of the city were usually the “elders” or “city council”.
11:12 God has always called His people to be separate from the world. The Greek word for church is “eklesia” which means “called out ones”.
11:13 Ezekiel’s question here is the same as in 9:8. “God, are You going to destroy everyone?” God offers the hope of future restoration in verse 17; a remnant will come back to the land.
11:15 It appears that the false prophets of Jerusalem had claimed here that the people taken captive were “the bad ones”. This is why God was judging them. The truth, in fact, seems to be the opposite.
11:23 The final climax of these four chapters (8-11) has the glory of God departing the city completely.
Ezekiel 12
This chapter has two more “sign sermons” (v11 and v18).
12:26-28 One tool the enemy uses is procrastination. “Sure, God will judge us, but not in my lifetime. It will happen many years from now.” See also Matthew 24:48. Are we ready for the imminent return of Christ (1 John 2:28)?
Ezekiel 13
13:2-3 False prophets are not speaking from God’s inspiration (v2) or from God’s Spirit (v3).
13:17 God is also condemning the women prophets who also prophesy from their own inspiration.
Ezekiel 14
14:2-8 God is once again condemning the elders (8:12). They have set up idols in “the chambers of his imagery” (KJV) or in their heart (v3-4, 7). This sin was so grievous that God Himself would answer them “in Person” (v7) by cutting them off from the people (v8).
14:14-20 Three times God mentions three righteous Bible characters: Noah, Daniel, and Job. Several things: 1) We learn how sinful the nation had become. Even these three men couldn’t deliver their own daughters or sons from judgment or spare the city; 2) We also learn who God thinks were pretty “righteous” people. Noah is a real man, not a “fictional character”.
14:21-23 Verse 21 talks about the four judgments, but in verses 22-23 He offers a little hope for the future remnant after the judgment takes place.
Overview of 1 John It is the general opinion of scholars that this book was written around A.D. 90, which would make John an old man and the only surviving apostle. This book has seven successive contrasts. He contrasts: light vs. darkness (1:5-2:11), the Father vs. the World (2:12-17), Christ vs. the Antichrist (2:18-28), Good works vs. Evil works (2:29-3:24), The Holy Spirit vs. Error (4:1-6), Love vs. Pretence (4:7-21) and finally those born of God vs. others (5:1-2). Notice how many times 3 or 4 simple truths are repeated in these five short chapters: Love God, keep His commandments, don’t sin, and love Christians.
1 John 1
1:3-4 Throughout this letter, John gives seven reasons for the letter. In these verses we find the first two.
Reason #1: “So that you too may have fellowship with us.”
Reason #2: “So that our joy may be made complete.”
1:7 True fellowship among believers can only exist if they are “walking in the light”. If we are harboring some type of sin in our lives, or walking according to the flesh, then genuine fellowship cannot exist.
1:8-10 We must admit both our sin nature (v8) and our actual sins (v10) to God, or we are liars. All God wants is for us to “confess” our sins (v9). This word literally means, “to say the same thing”. God wants us to “agree” with Him concerning our sin. When we do, He is faithful (because of the blood – v7) to forgive and cleanse!
1 John 2
2:1 Reason #3: “So that you may not sin.”
This verse calls Jesus Christ our “advocate”, similar to a defense attorney. Think about this; when we stand before God in judgment (Hebrews 9:27) the prosecuting attorney will be Satan, who is our accuser (Revelation 12:10, Zechariah 3:1). Who will be the judge? The Lord Jesus Himself (John 5:22-23). It is a great place to be when your defense attorney is also your judge! There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)!
2:4-10 Here again are the recurring themes of this book: obey God (v4-5), imitate Christ (v6), and love your brother (v9-10).
2:12-14 These verses give us the next, very in-depth reason, and while it’s not summed up by John as the others are, it could be stated as:
Reason #4: Your sins have been forgiven so that you may mature spiritually.
John uses three images to describe what are three levels of spiritual maturity: fathers, young men, and little children. The fathers have “known Him from the beginning”. These are men who have walked with God for a long time and are mature in the faith. The young men are strong, have overcome the evil one, and the word abides in them. These are maturing disciples who are experiencing victory in their walk with the Lord. The little children are reminded that they know the Lord and that their sins are forgiven.
2:15-17 These three temptations – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – are all that are in the world. The Devil used the same three temptations against Eve. Genesis 3:6 states, “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food (lust of the flesh) and a delight to the eyes (lust of the eyes) and desirable to make one wise (pride of life), she took from its fruit and ate”. He also used these temptations against Jesus in Matthew 4:3-10; “command this stone become bread” (lust of the flesh), “showed him all the kingdoms of this world” (lust of the eyes), “throw yourself down from here and the angels will catch you” (pride of life). I believe that you can sum up just about every temptation into these three categories. If we could only defeat lust and pride we would be perfect!
2:21 Reason #5: “Because you know the truth.”
2:26 Reason #6: “Concerning those who are trying to deceive you.”
2:27 This verse is not saying that we should not have human teachers. This verse is reminding us that our real Teacher is the Holy Spirit of God who abides in us. Before I got saved, I read the Bible but it didn’t make a lot of sense. Once I was born again, I read the Bible again and somebody changed the words! I could now understand what I was reading because the Holy Spirit was teaching me.
2:29 In addition to the seven reasons for writing, John gives seven tests to see if one is born of God.
Test #1: Everyone who practices righteousness is born of God.
1 John 3
3:1 Not only are we called the children of God, we are the children of God!
3:5, 8 Notice the phrase is repeated - Jesus appeared in order to take away sins (v5) and destroy the works of the devil (v8).
3:9 Test #2: No one who practices sin is born of God.
3:13 Radical Islam should not surprise us.
3:16 Most of us have memorized John 3:16. I would also encourage us to memorize 1 John 3:16.
3:19-21 What John is writing in this letter is not to give us salvation, but to assure our hearts that we are saved. In all that we do, we must be sure of our hearts before God (v21). Then, when others criticize us, it will not impact us because we have confidence in our hearts before God.
3:23 John sums it all up: Believe in Jesus and love one another.
1 John 4
4:2 The Scripture makes it clear that confessing that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of utmost priority (2 John 7). This means to believe that Jesus was Immanuel: God with us. We must confess that the Word, Who was in the beginning with the Father and created all things, became flesh and dwelt among us. “This is My body, which was given up for you.” He came in the flesh.
4:4 No need to fear the devil!
4:7-11 Test #3: Everyone who loves is born of God.
Notice how many times we are taught about love: Love is from God (v7), God is love (v8), God’s love was manifested in Christ (v9), He loved us (v10), since He loved us, we should love one another (v11).
4:18 You cannot love and fear at the same time. Fear is always self-centered, where true love “does not seek its own”. People in bondage to fear cannot truly love (2 Timothy 1:7), for perfect love casts out fear.
1 John 5
5:1 Test #4: Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.
Test #5: Whoever loves the Father loves the child (fellow believer) born of Him.
5:3 Loving God makes obeying God not burdensome.
5:4 Test #6: Whoever is born of God overcomes the world.
5:7-8 The three witnesses that you are saved? The blood (justification), the water (sanctification) and the Spirit (controlled life). There is also a reverse order. What is the first thing you notice about a person? Their spirit. Then you look a little closer and see that they have a clean life (sanctification). Then you realize they are a child of God (the blood).
5:13 Reason #7: “So that you may know that you have eternal life.”
We can know for sure that we are saved. The answer is in the previous verses: He who has the Son, has the life (v11-12). If Christ dwells in you, you are a child of the kingdom (2 Corinthians 13:5, Romans 8:9).
5:18 Test #7: No one who is born of God sins.
5:20 Jesus Christ is the true God and eternal life.
Psalm 139
Awesome Psalm! God is Omniscient (v1-6) and knows everything. He is Omnipresent (v7-12) and is everywhere at the same time. He is Omnipotent (v13-16) and all-powerful in creation. God created us for a purpose inside our mother’s womb (v13-16). Search me, O God (v23-24).
Psalm 140
When was the last time you were in trouble and needed God to rescue you? Did you “cry out” to Him like David did here?
