TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 12:13-21
They will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. - 1 Timothy 6:19
TODAY IN THE WORD
Marcus Licinius Crassus is said to be one of the greediest men in history.

Crassus, who lived just before the time of Christ, was a powerful and wealthy figure in the Roman Empire. His great riches came mainly from the slave trade, silver mines, and confiscated property. He had a reputation for political intrigue, and commanded troops that crushed the famous slave revolt led by Spartacus.

In 53 B.C., he led an invading army against the Parthians. It was a disaster, and Crassus was killed. When his head and right hand were sent to the king of Parthia, the king poured molten gold into Crassus’s mouth and said: “Satisfy yourself with the metal for which in life you were so greedy.”

As citizens of the kingdom, we should live in light of eternity, pursuing heavenly treasures instead of earthly ones (Matt. 6:19-21).

Jesus told His parable in response to a man’s demand to share a family inheritance. Instead of taking his side, Jesus warned against greed and materialism in verse 15.

Since it’s a warning, this parable features a negative example. A rich man has a good crop and responds by planning ahead for bigger barns. There’s nothing wrong with planning ahead. The problem lies in his attitude: pride in his possessions, faith in his wealth, and selfish pleasure seeking (v. 19). His confidence is misplaced, for riches are meaningless in the face of death (cf. James 1:9-11).

That the man would die that very night reminds us that God is sovereign. It’s been said that how we face death determines how we live life. Since we’ve put our faith in Christ, the conqueror of death and giver of eternal life, we should live lives that are “rich toward God” (v. 21)!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Here’s a suggestion that should be fun and educational! Choose one of Jesus’ parables to act out or dramatize for your friends or family. You might put together a mime, acting out the story silently. Or you might write a dramatic monologue, from the viewpoint of a character in a parable. Or you could write a brief skit in which various people play a part.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 14:25-33
Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. - Luke 14:27
TODAY IN THE WORD
Becoming a diamond is not an easy process. Natural diamonds must be formed nearly 100 miles underground. Only at this depth are the heat and pressure great enough to create the compact crystal structures of diamonds. These diamonds may be carried upward by volcanic magma columns that turn solid nearer the surface. This volcanic rock is called kimberlite, and kimberlite “pipes” are where virtually all diamonds are found today. Only about twenty percent of diamonds are of high enough quality to be used as gemstones.

Like diamonds, disciples are formed under pressure. The road of following Christ is not easy. Kingdom citizenship is active and sacrificial. On our way to the wedding banquet (see July 25-26), we must walk the road of pilgrimage.

In today’s reading, Jesus began with a hyperbole (v. 26). Following Him is so consuming that by contrast we should “hate” all else--including family ties and even our own life. Compared to Him, it’s as though we love nothing else. Love of God should “crowd out” all other instincts and affections to the point where there’s no competition. It’s a dramatic statement, and meant to be so.

Jesus reinforced His point with the metaphor of a man carrying his cross (v. 27; cf. Luke 9:23-24). This image, of a condemned man on the way to execution, conveys self-denial, a willingness to be wrong in the eyes of the world, and obedience unto death (like Christ, see Phil. 2:.

Jesus added two supporting parables or word-pictures. The first is of a man intending to build a tower. Before he begins, he must draw up plans and estimate expenses, or he won’t be able to finish. The second is of a king going to war. Similarly, he should plan, weigh the risk, and pursue diplomacy if necessary. Both stories focus on counting the cost.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Why not spend some extra time meditating quietly over today’s passage? Focus especially on today’s verse, and ask yourself, “In what ways can or do I carry my cross?”

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 12:35-48; Matthew 25:1-13
You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. - Luke 12:40
TODAY IN THE WORD
As you’ve no doubt noticed during our study, the word kingdom has several theological meanings and implications that depend on a passage’s context. Here are several points to keep in mind.

The kingdom is present, but also future. Jesus indicated that His incarnation, specifically as heralded by John the Baptist, inaugurated the kingdom (Mark 1:15). But He also referred to His kingdom in the future centered around God’s sovereign judgment (see July 6-7).

The kingdom is one of the heart (spiritual), but also one of the body (physical). For example, Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-21). But when linking the kingdom to His Second Coming, He was referring to the Millennial Kingdom.

In addition,“kingdom” can also mean the reign or rule of God in general, whether past, present, or future (cf. Ps. 145:13).

Don’t be dismayed by the intricacy of the term “kingdom.” You simply need to be aware of its different meanings. For the next several days, we turn our attention to parables that are primarily prophetic or eschatological, that is, concerned with the future Millennial Kingdom that will begin with Christ’s Second Coming. Though they are focused on the future, they have applications for today.

Today’s readings teach us that because both the Second Coming and the Rapture of the church will be unexpected, we must be watchful and vigilant. Like servants waiting for their master to return, we want to be found faithful. Like attendants waiting to meet the bridegroom, we must be ready.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If you knew that Christ would return tomorrow morning, what would you do differently today? You can’t know that, of course, but that’s the point. Because we don’t know exactly when Christ will return, we should live every day as if He might.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 25:14-30
Well done, good and faithful servant! . . . Come and share your master’s happiness! - Matthew 25:21
TODAY IN THE WORD
What pursuits do you consider worthy of your time? A British physics professor spent thirty-five years counting pebbles.

Dr. Malcolm Cornwall of the University of Sussex, along with some of his students, spent that long counting the stones on Brighton beach. They didn’t count each one, but used a mathematical theory called the “order of magnitude” to reach the final total: 100 billion. The professor said it would take one person about 2,500 years to count them all by hand.

He now intends to count how many gallons of water are in the English Channel.

We’ll leave it up to God to decide the worth of these projects! Ultimately, God will decide the worth of everything we do--including how we spend our time, money, and energy.

The well-known parable of the talents is another of the servant parables we read yesterday. The truths of accountability and reward are emphasized again, though the unexpected return of the master is not.

Each of three servants is given money according to his demonstrated ability. Understanding that they are only stewards, and that the resources still belong to the master, what do they do with what they’re given? Two of them go out and put the money to work. Perhaps they invest it or go into business--at any rate, they do something, and multiply their capital. But one servant does nothing at all.

When the master returns, he rewards the first two servants with even more authority and responsibility. But the third servant is severely punished and thrown out of the house. Why had he done nothing? He claims he was afraid, but the master calls him wicked and lazy.

We, too, are stewards, and will one day give God an account of what we’ve been doing with His resources. Are we making use of His gifts for His glory? If yes, we’ll hear the same as the first two servants: “Enter into the joy of your master!” (vv. 21, 23, NASB).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In light of the principle of accountability found in today’s parable, begin a one-week project to track your use of time. Don’t make extensive notes, just jot down activities briefly, such as “Job,” “Household tasks,” “Watching TV,” or “Church service.” At the end of the week, total up the time spent in different categories. Do any of your findings surprise you?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 14:15-24
Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God. - Luke 14:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
Think back to the most recent wedding reception you’ve attended. The tables were set with floral centerpieces and the best silverware. All eyes were on the wedding party. How beautiful her dress was, what a great couple they made. An uncle entertained the table with stories about the groom as a toddler. His wife commented on the flowers and said the ringbearer was cute. Everyone wished the newlyweds God’s best.

In short, there was a mood of joyous celebration--which is why a wedding feast is the best metaphor Scripture offers for the coming kingdom. It suggests celebration, bounty, blessing, and both an ending (to courtship) and a beginning (to marriage).

The banquet is a biblical image for the future Messianic kingdom. Isaiah, for example, prophesied, “On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples” (Isa. 25:6). Jesus, too, said, “People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God” (Luke 13:29). And in his apocalyptic vision, John heard an angel speak of the Wedding Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9).

In today’s parable, the original invitees to the banquet make excuses. They have things to take care of and are unwilling to come. Jesus probably has in mind the Jewish rejection of Him, but the main point here is that these responses are short-sighted and self-centered. Their priorities are skewed, or they would leave their concerns and rush to the feast. Tragically, they’re fixated on earthly affairs rather than the kingdom.

The second and third waves of invitees (implicitly Gentiles) are lower class--actually anyone off the streets! Just prior to today’s pasage, Jesus taught that His disciples should help the helpless (vv. 12-14). This is a picture of the deeper truth that only God can help the helpless--indeed none of us could have a seat at His banquet table without Him inviting and bringing us.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As a way of bringing today’s devotional closer to home, write out a “wedding vow” to God. You know that wedding vows usually indicate a desire to spend a lifetime together and include promises committing to do so under any and all circumstances. In your diary or prayer journal, compose a statement or paragraph that similarly shows your desire for and commitment to Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 22:1-14
The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. - Matthew 22:2
TODAY IN THE WORD
In a sermon, D. L. Moody linked missions and the gospel with the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.

“It is an invitation to this feast that I bring you. The invitations are going out now to every corner of the earth. There is not one here who is not invited. For eighteen hundred years God’s messengers have been crossing over valley and mountain, over desert and sea, from end to end of the earth, inviting men and women to the Gospel feast. What an honor for worms of the dust! When man prepares a feast, there is a great rush to see who will get the best place. But God prepares His feast, and the chairs would all be empty if His disciples did not go out and compel them to come in.”

Matthew’s parable has some similarities and differences with Luke’s version (yesterday). The basic setting is the same, a banquet, though here the occasion is more specific: A king prepares a wedding banquet for his son.

The response of the invited guests is the same; they make excuses and go about their business. In this account, the king makes a second attempt to summon them, which heightens their refusal to come. That Jesus was referring to the Jewish rejection of Him is more obvious in Matthew–this parable immediately follows that of the tenants. The punishment may be a specific reference to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 (v. 7).

The same plan unfolds: others (Gentiles) are invited. But whereas Luke’s version stops there, Matthew’s continues. Among the new guests, one man is found unready for the feast, because he’s not wearing wedding clothes. Most commentators presume that the king made available, along with impromptu invitations, the appropriate garments. Thus, for the guest not to be wearing them was an insult to the host, a refusal to honor the occasion.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The Second Coming of Christ is a pillar of our faith and cause for great rejoicing. You might plan a “hymn sing” on this glorious theme for your family, friends, or small group–it will encourage you to look forward to rejoicing in the kingdom!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 15:1-7
Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep. - Luke 15:6
TODAY IN THE WORD
When police are searching for someone, the amazing bloodhound is their best friend. A bloodhound’s sense of smell is far stronger than an average dog’s, even those used to find drugs, and up to three million times more powerful than a human being’s. Even after a storm or through a crowd, a bloodhound can trail a single person’s scent. And once a bloodhound is given a scent, it will track it tenaciously.

A bloodhound can do this because of its long snout, equipped with nearly two feet of a special sensory membrane. The wrinkled, velvety skin on its face and ears also helps collect the scent of skin cells people leave behind.

As outstanding as the bloodhound is in finding people, God is even more tenacious and loving in seeking after lost souls. That’s the picture we see in today’s reading.

We now begin the last part of our study of the parables, emphasizing the great theme that underlies them all: the character of the King. This month, we’ve learned much about the kingdom and our responsibilities in it, but the focus of the kingdom is the King Himself!

There’s much we’ve already perceived. God gives grace and mercy. He judges, justly punishing and rewarding. He’s a kind Father to His children. And today, God is a loving shepherd, searching for His lost sheep. This would have been a familiar Old Testament image (Ps. 23:1; Isa. 40:11; Ezek. 34:11-16), and one that applies to Christ as well (John 10:11; Heb. 13:20).

The lost sheep represent unbelievers, sinners in need of repentance (v. 7). Can sheep help themselves? Of course not. The Shepherd must go out to look for them. He’s no cold businessman, ready to write off a loss of one if the others are safe. He cares, and searches everywhere until the last sheep is in the pen. This shows us that not one of God’s true sheep will be lost.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
God’s love for the lost is deeper than ours ever will or can be. Coming to grips with this truth can transform the way we view evangelism!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 15:8-10
There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. - Luke 15:10
TODAY IN THE WORD
Fatigued after a concert the previous night, musician Yo-Yo Ma forgot his cello in the trunk of a New York City taxi. The cello was originally made in Venice more than 250 years ago, and its value was estimated at about $2.5 million.

Fortunately, Ma had kept his taxi receipt. He showed it to security personnel at his hotel, and police located the car at its garage in Queens. The cello was still in the trunk, and police were able to deliver it to him in time for a program that evening beneath the Brooklyn Bridge.

Rejoicing to find something we’ve lost is a typical emotion, though our own examples might not be as dramatic! Jesus drew upon this common experience in today’s parable.

As in yesterday’s story of the lost sheep, we encounter seeking, finding, and rejoicing. Here, the imagery is economic--the silver coin was worth about a day’s wages. The woman does everything possible to find it, including lighting a lamp and carefully sweeping the house. We picture her on hands and knees, poking into corners, hoping to see a metallic flash.

We can add several lessons to those learned yesterday. First, the joy of our salvation is a result of God’s finding us. The woman in the story represents God, and her diligent search shows how precious we are in His sight! Additionally, the good news must be shared. Doing so leads to great rejoicing and God’s glory. Finally, there’s an emphasis on the value of one--one coin, one sheep, one sinner repenting, one soul saved. Our cultural tendency is to be impressed by “high production,” but God counts by ones.

This parable was particularly meaningful to two parts of Jesus’ audience. The women following Jesus (Luke 8:1-3) probably resonated especially with this domestic illustration. The tax collectors and sinners gathered around Him (v. 1), shamed by the Pharisees’ earlier criticisms, would also have been specifically encouraged by their worth in God’s eyes.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As God shows you more of His love for lost people (see yesterday’s “Today Along the Way”), follow up on this exercise by thinking of three people in your life who are not believers. Write down their names on three index cards, and tape a coin by each name. This should help remind you that these three individuals are still “lost coins.”

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 15:11-32
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! - 1 John 3:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
Buddhists tell their own story of a prodigal son. A son leaves home, loses all he has, and becomes wretchedly poor. His father searches but can’t find him. Much later, the son returns to town, but fails to recognize either his father or his former home. The father doesn’t reveal this, and instead employs his son as a household servant.

The son does his job faithfully, and advances in rank until he’s in charge of the estate. The father is pleased with the change in his son’s character. On his deathbed, he calls everyone together, reveals the son’s true identity, and all rejoice.

This is rather different from Jesus’ parable! In the Buddhist version, the father (Buddha) rewards his “enlightenment”–merit earned through good works. By contrast, the Christian version focuses on God’s grace and mercy.

A younger son selfishly and impatiently asks for his share of the family estate. Rejecting his father’s authority, he leaves home and goes off to lead a wild, sinful lifestyle. When his money runs out and a famine strikes, he’s forced to take a job feeding pigs.

The reversal is shocking. From being a “party animal,” the son falls to coveting the food of animals unclean to Jews. Brought low, he reasons that since even the family servants have enough to eat, he’s got nothing to lose by returning home. He also realizes, though, that because of his sin he deserves nothing, so he conceives a humble, repentant speech (v. 21).

Verse 20 is one of the most remarkable verses in all the parables. The father is watching for him. Is he angry or bitter? No. Filled with compassion, he runs to embrace his lost son. Brushing aside the rehearsed speech, the father declares an all-out celebration. It’s as though a dead person has returned to life (vv. 24, 32; cf. Rom. 6:11)!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 20:1-16
The last will be first, and the first will be last. - Matthew 20:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
Today’s parable is a difficult one. We live in a society where this landowner’s behavior would make headlines: “Workers Vow to Fight Unjust Hiring Practices.” The first group of workers might get together and picket the vineyard. They might try to negotiate a better package of pay and benefits for themselves. After all, they have “rights”!

Something strikes us as not quite equitable about the wage scale in this vineyard. How can it be “fair” to pay the Johnny-come-latelies as much as those who’ve toiled all day? What does Jesus mean by telling this strange story?

A question to start with is: What does He not mean? Answering this question is also a key issue in interpretation. This parable is not about economic justice, or even about spiritual rewards.

Instead, its main point is the sovereignty of God. This is as important as His love, which we’ve seen highlighted these past few days. Just as the vineyard owner has every right to pay every worker a full day’s wages if he wishes, so God has every right to run His kingdom as He pleases, to carry out His plan of salvation as He sees fit. God is the ruler of the universe, and there are no constraints on His actions. We have no right to question Him (cf. Isa. 45:5-11).

But God’s grace and generosity are still an important part of this parable. No worker is treated unjustly. The owner keeps all the promises he’s made. The “inequity” is that most of the workers get more than they deserve! Indeed, the last wave seems to get hired not because the owner needs more workers, but just to give them employment.

The first workers are self-centered and envious. They demand what they perceive as their “just reward,” though their understanding of justice is inaccurate. In both the older brother in yesterday’s parable and these workers today, Jesus probably symbolized the Jewish religious leaders who opposed Him.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As you probably know, we occasionally like to suggest topics for additional Bible study, in hopes that Today in the Word can be a springboard for you. Today, we’re proposing “eternal rewards” as an excellent choice for such a study. What rewards does Scripture mention? How are they earned? What are godly motivations regarding rewards?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 13:51-52
Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws. - Psalm 119:43
TODAY IN THE WORD
Imagine that you’ve just received a piece of good news. Your son called to tell you he’s getting married. Your boss awarded you a raise and a promotion. A professor gave you an A+. You’ve become a grandparent for the first time.

What will you do next? Go on quietly about your business? Smile to yourself over your little secret? Not likely! You’ve got to tell someone the good news! You need to call friends, relatives, family members, whoever will listen! When something good happens, we want to share it with others. This is the attitude we should take toward the good news of the kingdom.

What have we learned this month about the kingdom? We’ve seen the love, sovereignty, grace, and mercy of the King. We’ve highlighted qualities befitting us as citizens of the kingdom, including humility and obedience. We’ve celebrated the incredible value of this treasure we have. We’ve come to understand that Christ will judge justly.

We’ve gained insights into Jesus’ teaching methods. With stories, He connected with His hearers’ imaginations and made His lessons memorable. He used figures of speech such as metaphor, contrast, and hyperbole. He was a master teacher!

What should we do with all we’ve learned? This final mini-parable shows us. A man joyfully brings treasures out of his storeroom to show to others. In the same way, we should testify to the biblical truths we understand, not hoarding them for “private enjoyment,” but displaying them freely. If we do so, the lost will be evangelized and the Body edified.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
To review and crystallize what you’ve learned through this month’s study, write out several “principles of the kingdom” found in the parables of Jesus such as humility. This is an important exercise, so we advise you to thumb back through as many of the devotional readings and Scripture passages as possible. Be sure your principles are grounded solidly in God’s Word!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Judges 2:11-3:6
When the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers. - Judges 2:19
TODAY IN THE WORD
Cliff Hillegass was hoping to help students understand literature when in 1958 he launched a series of study guides for sixteen Shakespearean plays called CliffsNotes. Today these yellow and black booklets summarize hundreds of books.

Our passage today is like the CliffsNotes for Judges. It gives the overview and outline that will be fleshed out in detail in the following chapters. The basic structure, often referred to as cycles, is introduced: Israel sinned (v. 11), the Lord handed them over to oppressors (v. 14), Israel was in distress (v. 15), God gave them deliverers (v. 16), and Israel sinned again, worse than before (v. 19).

All the sins of Israel could be summed up as forsaking the covenant. The consequences are summed up in verse 21 when God says, “I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died.” Violation of the covenant with God was serious business, and Israel would face serious consequences.

Before we focus exclusively on Israel, it's important to look more closely at the Lord. Sometimes in Bible study we tend to ask, “How does this apply to me?” A more helpful question is, “What does this teach me about God?” First, He allows us to experience the consequences of our disobedience, but our suffering does not go unnoticed. Note that this passage makes no mention of Israel's repentance. Rather, God's heart is moved by their distress (v. 15). Second, God remains merciful. He is a delivering, saving God. He is compassionate (v. 18). His desire for the good of His people is unlimited.

We learn why God allowed the Canaanites to remain. He knew that this generation didn't have much battle experience, which they could have gained by driving out the Canaanites (3:1-2). These nations were to be a tool to strengthen and instruct His people. Had they obeyed God, imagine how strong they would have been! Instead, they exchanged tools intended for greatness into tools for oppression.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Sometimes God allows us to battle through obstacles because He knows it will make us stronger, more faithful, and better servants. If we don't obey Him by fighting the things that He hates, we miss an opportunity to grow in our faith and instead end up in bondage.

If you are facing such a challenge, pray for the Lord to give you the strength to obey, and know that He delights to reward our obedience.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 24:8-25:12
So Judah went into captivity, away from her land. - 2 Kings 25:21
TODAY IN THE WORD
In 1990, increased demands for freedom by the Serbian province, Kosovo, led to its loss of autonomy and the repression of ethnic Albanians. Failed negotiations eventually led to NATO air strikes in March 1999. An estimated 1.5 million Kosovars fled, piling what little they could carry onto tractors and carts.

If TV cameras had been filming in 597 B.C., they would have recorded a similar scene: a stream of refugees, trudging from Jersualem to Babylon, about the distance from Chicago to New York City. Behind this scene, however, lay a sad history of sin.

In 930 B.C., the Davidic Kingdom split into Israel and Judah. In 722 B.C., the Assyrians delivered God’s judgment on Israel. About a hundred years later, Jeremiah warned Judah’s kings of the judgment on their sin. God administered justice through the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, who attacked Judah and deported Jews to Babylon. The first deportation (604 B.C.) included the prophet Daniel; six years later (597 B.C.), Judah provoked Babylon, so Nebuchadnezzar carried off Judah’s “best and brightest” (24:14–16), including King Jehoiachin and a 25-year-old man named Ezekiel. Zedekiah was left in Jerusalem as a “puppet” king.

A few years later, Zedekiah also rebelled (24:20), so Nebuchadnezzar determined to deal decisively with Judah; by 586 B.C. the city lay in ruins and most of the population was exiled, only the extremely poor remained (25:12). Zedekiah was captured and Judah became a Babylonian province.

What a sorry event! Glorious Jerusalem destroyed and deserted! The wrath of God displayed! Yet God’s wrath actually attested His love. Prior to judgment, God sent numerous prophets, warning the people to repent, yet they steadfastly refused. Even more importantwas the purpose of God’s judgment–not punishment, but purification! Purged of sin, God’s people could worship Him alone and experience the fullness of life. Thus God’s judgment was the precursor to glorious restoration.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If all you know about Ezekiel is that he has something to do with the Old Testament, you’re not alone!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ezekiel 1:1-28
We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son. - John 1:14
TODAY IN THE WORD
Someone once said, “Extraordinary times call for an extraordinary man.” This was certainly the case with Ezekiel!

Having a name meaning “God strengthens” likely helped in the grim, exiled life along the Babylonian irrigation canal called the Kebar River. Families had been torn apart, and Jerusalem lay hundreds of miles away. God’s people remained rebellious and hard-hearted. To minister to this group, Ezekiel had to be disciplined and obedient to the Lord.

Today’s reading records the first of Ezekiel’s several intense visions. As a priest, Ezekiel’s thirtieth year (v. 1) should have begun his Temple service in Jerusalem. Instead, God granted him a prophetic office among the exiles.

Somehow, a tornadic, flashing cloud communicated God’s Word to Ezekiel. Inside this fiery pillar were four living creatures. The appearance of these creatures (vv. 5–14) may have symbolized attributes of the Lord’s servants, such as stability, focus, humility, and sensitivity to the Spirit; the surrounding fire emphasized their utter holiness.

Next, Ezekiel saw four wheels (vv. 15–21) of a chariot-like vehicle. The wheels inside wheels indicated that this object could go in any direction, including up! These wheels were covered with eyes. What an amazing picture of God’s omnipresence (ability to be everywhere) and omniscience (ability to know everything). “Sparkling” above was “an expanse” (vv. 22–25), a crystal-like layer beneath a “throne of sapphire.” Seated on this throne was one like a man, yet truly unlike any human (vv. 27–28). This was the indescribable glory of God! Human speech failed Ezekiel. Notice how many times he used the words appearanceor likeness?The only appropriate response to such a vision was to fall prostrate before it, as he did.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
What a sharp contrast between God’s glory and the squalor of exile! “Ezekiel and his contemporaries desperately needed a vision of God, as do all people whose circumstances have become their obsession,” wrote author and pastor Stuart Briscoe.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ezekiel 2:1-3:27
Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say. - Exodus 4:12
TODAY IN THE WORD
The Indianapolis Business Complex recently unveiled its new strategy for keeping good workers--convenient, high-tech job training. “Efforts like this . . . help advance the skills of our work force,” said Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson. Other cities and businesses would readily concur that job training is crucial.

Ezekiel also received “job training”--he was given a vision of God’s glory, the most important preparation for his difficult job. The address “son of man” (2:1) often meant “human being,” perhaps emphasizing Ezekiel’s human frailty and limitations. Jesus appropriated this title during His incarnation, but the term is also messianic (cf. Dan. 7:13–14). Ezekiel prefigures aspects of Jesus’ incarnation–notice the presence of Holy Spirit (2:2; cf. Luke 4:18–19).

The Spirit’s presence was essential, for Ezekiel was called to an impossible task, humanly speaking. He was to minister to a rebellious people (vv. 3–4), who scratched and bit like thorns and scorpions (v. 6)! It would have been easier to serve people who spoke a foreign language (v. 3:6). Regardless of their response, Ezekiel was to remain faithful–good thing his name meant “God stengthens.” And one of the ways God strengthened was to “harden,” or protect, Ezekiel’s head (v. 3:9).

Ezekiel’s unusual job training continued with an object lesson on devouring God’s Word! Although the scroll contained “words of lament and mourning and woe” (2:9), because it was God’s Word, it tasted “sweet as honey” (3:3). Writing on both sides of a scroll was unusual. It probably indicated the completeness of God’s Word and the magnitude of the coming judgment. Ezekiel’s total acceptance of God’s Word contrasted with the people’s utter rejection of it.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Notice that Ezekiel was responsible only to speak God’s Word–not for the people’s response.