Nancy: Welcome to immerse: the daily bible reading experience.
day 200 and 71
Then on September 17th, during the sixth year of King Jo Hoya Kin's Captivity,
while the leaders of Judah were in my home, the sovereign Lord took hold of me.
I saw a figure that appeared to be a man from what appeared to be his waist down.
He looked like a burning flame from the waist up.
He looked like gleaming amber.
He reached out what seemed to be a hand and took me by the hare.
Then the spirit lifted me up into the sky and transported me to Jerusalem.
In a vision from God I was taken to the North gate of the inner courtyard of
the temple where there is a large idol that has made the Lord very jealous.
Suddenly, the glory of the God of Israel was there, just as I
had seen it before in the valley.
Then the Lord said to me, son of man, look toward the north.
So I looked and there to the north beside the entrance to the gate, near
the altar, stood the idol that had made the Lord so jealous, son of man.
He said, do you see what they're doing?
Do you see the detestable sins?
The people of Israel are committing to drive me from my temple, but
come and you will see even more detestable sins than these.
Then he brought me to the door of the temple courtyard where
I could see a hole in the wall.
He said to me, now, son of man, dig into the wall.
So I dug into the wall and found a hidden doorway go in.
He said, and see the wicked and detestable sins they are committing in there.
So I went in and saw the walls covered with engravings of all kinds of crawling
animals and detestable creatures.
I also saw the various idols worshiped by the people of Israel.
70 leaders of Israel were standing there with Jay as Anaya
son of Shahan in the center.
Each of them held an incense burner from which a cloud of
incense rose above their heads.
Then the Lord said to me, son of man, have you seen what the leaders of Israel are
doing with their idols and dark rooms?
They're saying The Lord doesn't see us.
He has deserted our land.
And then the Lord added, come and I will show you even more
detestable sins than these.
He brought me to the north gate of the Lord's temple, and some women
were sitting there weeping for the God Tamaz, have you seen this?
He asked, but I will show you even more detestable sins than these.
Then he brought me into the inner courtyard of the Lord's temple.
At the entrance to the sanctuary between the entry room and the bronze altar,
there were about 25 men with their backs to the sanctuary of the Lord.
They were facing east bowing low to the ground, worshiping the sun.
Have you seen this son of man?
He asked, is it nothing to the people of Judah that they
commit these detestable sins?
Leading the whole nation into violence, thumbing their noses
at me and provoking my anger.
Therefore, I will respond in fury.
I will neither pity nor spare them.
And though they cry for mercy, I will not listen.
Then the Lord thundered bring on the men appointed to punish the city.
Tell them to bring their weapons with them.
Six men soon appeared from the upper gate that faces North.
Each carrying a deadly weapon in his hand with them was a man dressed in linen
who carried a writer's case at his side.
They all went into the temple courtyard and stood beside the bronze altar.
Then the glory of the God of Israel rose up from between the cherubim
where it had rested and moved to the entrance of the temple, and the Lord
called to the man dressed in linen who was carrying the writer's case.
He said to him, Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark
on the foreheads of all who weep and sigh because of the detestable
sins being committed in their city.
Then I heard the Lord say to the other men, follow him through the city and kill
everyone whose forehead is not marked.
Show no mercy.
Have no pity.
Kill them all.
Old and young girls and women and little children, but do
not touch anyone with the mark.
Begin right here at the temple.
So they began by killing the 70 leaders defile the temple.
The Lord commanded, fill its courtyards with corpses.
Go.
So they went and began killing throughout the city while they were out killing.
I was all alone.
I fell face down on the ground and cried out.
Oh, sovereign Lord.
Will your fury against Jerusalem wipe out?
Everyone left in Israel.
Then he said to me, the sins of the people of Israel and Judah are very, very great.
The entire land is full of murder.
The city is filled with injustice.
They're saying the Lord doesn't see it.
The Lord has abandoned the land.
So I will not spare them or have any pity on them.
I will fully repay them for all they have done.
Then the man in linen clothing who carry the writer's case, reported back and
said, I have done, as you commanded in my vision, I saw what appeared to be a
throne of blue lapis lly above the crystal surface over the heads of the cherubim.
Then the Lord spoke to the man in linen clothing and said, Go between
the whirling wheels, beneath the cherubim and take a handful of burning
coals and scatter them over the city.
He did this as I watched.
The cherub were standing at the south end of the temple when the man went in and the
cloud of glory filled the inner courtyard.
Then the glory of Lord rose up from above the cherubim and went
over to the entrance of the temple.
The temple was filled with this cloud of glory, and the courtyard glowed
brightly with the glory of the Lord.
The moving wings of the cherubim sounded like a voice of God Almighty and could
be heard even in the outer courtyard.
The Lord said to the man in linen clothing, go between the
cherubim and take some burning coals from between the wheels.
So the man went in and stood beside one of the wheels.
Then one of the cherub reached out his hand.
And took some live coals from the fire burning among them.
He put the coals into the hands of the man in linen clothing and
the man took them and went out.
All the cherub had what looked like human hands under their wings.
I looked and each of the four cherubim had a wheel beside him and
the wheels sparkled like barrel.
All four wheels looked alike and were made the same.
Each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it.
The cherub could move in any of the four directions they faced without turning.
As they moved, they went straight in the direction they faced never turning aside.
Both the cherub and the wheels were covered with eyes.
The cherub had eyes all over their bodies, including their hands,
their backs, and their wings.
I heard someone refer to the wheels as the whirling wheels.
Each of the four cherri them had four faces.
The first was the face of an ox.
The second was a human face.
The third was the face of a lion, and the fourth was the face of an eagle.
Then the cherub rose upward.
These were the same living beings I had seen beside the key Bar River.
When the cherub moved, the wheels moved with them.
When they lifted their wings to fly, the wheels stayed beside them.
When the cherubims stopped, the wheels stopped.
When they flew upward, the wheels rose up for the spirit of the
living beings was in the wheels.
Then the glory of the Lord moved out from the entrance of the temple
and hovered above the cherubim.
And as I watched the cherub flew with their wheels to the east gate of the
Lord's temple and the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them.
These were the same living beings I had seen beneath the God of Israel.
When I was by the Key Bar River, I knew they were cherub for each had four faces
and four wings and what looked like human hands under their wings, and their faces
were just like the faces of the beings I had seen at the key bar, and they traveled
straight ahead just as the others had.
Then the spirit lifted me and brought me to the east gateway of the Lord's Temple,
where I saw 25 prominent men of the city.
Among them were Jay as Anaya, son of Azer and Aya Sanda.
Aya, who were leaders among the people.
The spirit said to me, son of man, these are the men who are planning evil and
giving wicked counsel in this city.
They say to the people, is it not a good time to build houses?
This city is like an iron pot.
We are safe inside it, like meat in a pot.
Therefore, a son of man prophesy against them loudly and clearly.
Then the spirit of the Lord came upon me and he told me to say, this is what
the Lord says to the people of Israel.
I know what you are saying for I know every thought that comes into your minds.
You have murdered many in this city and filled its streets with the dead.
Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says.
This city is an iron pot.
All right?
But the pieces of meat are the victims of your injustice.
As for you, I will soon drag you from this pot.
I will bring on you the sword of war.
You so greatly fear says the sovereign Lord.
I will drive you out of Jerusalem and hand you over to foreigners who will
carry out my judgments against you.
You will be slaughtered all the way to the borders of Israel.
I will execute judgment on you and you will know that I am the Lord.
No, this city will not be an iron pot for you and you will
not be like meat safe inside it.
I will judge you even to the borders of Israel and you will know that
I am the Lord for you have refused to obey my decrees and regulations.
Instead, you have copied the standards of the nations around you.
While I was still prophesying Aya son of Benea suddenly died.
Then I fell face down on the ground and cried out, oh, sovereign Lord, are
you going to kill everyone in Israel?
Then this message came to me from the Lord, son of man.
The people still left in Jerusalem are talking about you and your relatives and
all the people of Israel who are in exile.
They're saying those people are far away from the Lord, so now
he has given their land to us.
Therefore, tell the exiles this is what the sovereign Lord says.
Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world,
I will be a sanctuary to you during your time in exile.
I, the sovereign Lord, will gather you back from the nations where you
have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel once again.
When the people return to their homeland, they will remove every trace of their
vile images and detestable idols, and I will give them singleness of heart
and put a new spirit within them.
I will take away their stony stubborn heart and give them a tender,
responsive heart so they will obey my decrees and regulations.
Then they will truly be my people and I will be their God.
As for those who long for vile images and detestable idols, I will
repay them fully for their sins.
I, the sovereign Lord, have spoken.
Then the cherub lifted their wings and rose into the air with their
wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them.
Then the glory of the Lord went up from the city and stopped
above the mountain to the east.
Afterward, the spirit of God carried me back again to Babylonia.
To the people in exile there.
And so ended the vision of my visit to Jerusalem and I told the exiles
everything the Lord had shown me.
Again, a message came to me from the Lord, son of man, you live among
rebels who have eyes but refuse to see.
They have ears but refuse to hear for they are a rebellious people.
So now son of man, pretend you are being sent into exile.
Pack the few items an exile could carry and leave your home to go somewhere else.
Do this right in front of the people so they can see you for, perhaps
they will pay attention to this even though they are such rebels.
Bring your baggage outside during the day so they can watch you then in
the evening as they they're watching.
Leave your house as captive stew when they begin a long march to distant lands.
Dig a hole through the wall while they are watching.
And go out through it as they watch, lift your pack to your shoulders
and walk away into the night.
Cover your face so you cannot see the land you are leaving for.
I have made you a sign for the people of Israel, so I did.
As I was told in broad daylight.
I brought my pack outside, filled with the things I might carry into exile.
Then in the evening while the people looked on, I dug
through the wall with my hands.
And went out into the night with my pack on my shoulder.
The next morning, this message came to me from the Lord Son of man.
These rebels, the people of Israel, have asked you what all this means.
Say to them, this is what the sovereign Lord says.
Bees actions contain a message for kings zakiah in Jerusalem
and for all the people of Israel.
Explain that your actions are assigned to show what will soon happen to them.
For they will be driven into exile as captives.
Even Zakiah will leave Jerusalem at night through a hole in the wall
ticking only what he can carry with him.
He will cover his face and his eyes will not see the land he is leaving.
Then I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare.
I will bring him to Babylon.
The land of the Babylonians, though he will never see it, and he will die there.
I will scatter his servants and warriors to the four winds
and send the sword after them.
And when I scatter them among the nations, they will know that I am the Lord.
But I will spare a few of them from death by war, famine, or disease
so they can confess all their detestable sins to their captors.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.
Then this message came to me from the Lord.
Son of man tremble as you eat your food, shake with fear as you drink
your water, tell the people this is what the sovereign Lord says.
Concerning those living in Israel and Jerusalem, they will eat their food
with trembling and sip their water in despair for their land will be
stripped bare because of their violence.
The cities will be destroyed and the farmland may desolate.
Then you will know that I am the Lord.
Again.
A message came to me from the Lord, son of man.
You've heard that proverb, they quote in Israel, time passes
and prophecies come to nothing.
Tell the people this is what the sovereign Lord says.
I will put an end to this proverb and you will soon stop quoting it.
Now, give them this new proverb to replace the old one.
The time has come for every prophecy to be fulfilled.
There will be no more false visions and flattering predictions
in Israel for I am the Lord.
If I say it, it will happen.
There will be no more delays.
You rebels of Israel.
I will fulfill my threat of destruction in your own lifetime.
I the sovereign Lord, have spoken.
Then this message came to me from the Lord Son of man.
The people of Israel are saying, he's talking about the distant future.
His visions won't come true for a long, long time.
Therefore, tell them, this is what the sovereign Lord says.
No more delay.
I will now do everything I have threatened.
I the sovereign Lord have spoken.
Then this message came to me from the Lord.
Son of man prophesy against the false prophets of Israel who are
inventing their own prophecies.
Say to them, listen to the word of the Lord.
This is what the sovereign Lord says.
What?
Sorrow, awaits the false prophets who are following their own imaginations
and have seen nothing at all.
Oh, people of Israel, these prophets of yours are like
jackals digging in the ruins.
They have done nothing to repair the brakes and the walls around the nation.
They have not helped it to stand firm and battle on the day of the Lord.
Instead, they have told lies and made false predictions.
They say this message is from the Lord, even though the Lord never
sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their prophecies.
Can your visions be anything but false if you claim.
This message is from the Lord when I have not even spoken to you.
Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says because what you say is
false and your visions are a lie.
I will stand against you, says the sovereign Lord.
I will raise my fist against all the prophets who see false visions and make
lying predictions, and they will be banished from the community of Israel.
I will blot their names from Israel's record books, and they will never
again set foot in their own land.
Then you will know that I am the sovereign Lord.
This will happen because these evil prophets deceive my people by saying all
is peaceful when there is no peace at all.
It's as if the people have built a flimsy wall and these prophets
are trying to reinforce it by covering it with whitewash.
Tell these white washers that their wall will soon fall down.
A heavy rainstorm will undermine it.
Great hailstones and mighty winds will knock it down.
And when the wall falls, the people will cry out What happened to your whitewash?
Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says.
I will sweep away your whitewashed wall with a storm of indignation
with a great flood of anger.
And with Hailstones of Fury, I will break down your wall right to its foundation
and when it falls, it will crush you.
Then you will know that I am the Lord at last.
My anger against the wall and those who covered it with
whitewash will be satisfied.
Then I will say to you, the wall and those who whitewashed it are both gone.
They were lying prophets who claimed peace would come to
Jerusalem when there was no peace.
I the sovereign Lord have spoken now, son of man, speak out against the women
who prophesy from their own imaginations.
This is what the sovereign Lord says.
What sorrow awaits you?
Women who are ensnaring the souls of my people, young and old alike.
You tie magic charms on their wrists and furnish them with magic veils.
Do you think you can trap others without bringing destruction on yourselves?
You bring shame on me among my people for a few handfuls of barley
or a piece of bread by lying to my people who love to listen to lies.
You kill those who should not die, and you promise life to those who should not live.
This is what the sovereign Lord says I am against all your magic charms, which
you use to ensnare my people like birds.
I will tear them from your arms, setting my people free, like
birds set free from a cage.
I will tear off the magic veils and save my people from your grasp.
They will no longer be your victims, then you will know that I am the Lord.
You have discouraged the righteous with your lies, but
I didn't want them to be sad.
And you have encouraged the wicked by promising them life even though
they continue in their sins.
Because of all this, you'll no longer talk of seeing visions that you never
saw, nor will you make predictions for.
I will rescue my people from your grasp.
Then you will know that I am the Lord.
Then some of the leaders of Israel visited me, and while they were
sitting with me, this message came to me from the Lord, son of man.
These leaders have set up idols in their hearts.
They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin.
Why should I listen to their requests?
Tell them this is what the sovereign Lord says.
The people of Israel have set up idols in their hearts and fallen into sin.
And then they go to a prophet asking for a message.
So I, the Lord will give them the kind of answer their great idolatry deserves.
I will do this to capture the minds and hearts of all my people who have turned
for me to worship their detestable idols.
Therefore, tell the people of Israel, this is what the sovereign Lord says.
Repent and turn away from your idols and stop all your detestable sins.
I, the Lord will answer all those both Israelites and foreigners who reject
me and set up idols in their hearts and so fall into sin, and who then
come to a prophet asking for my advice.
I will turn against such people and make a terrible example of them,
eliminating them from among my people.
Then you will know that I am the Lord.
And if a prophet is deceived into giving a message.
It is because I, the Lord have deceived that prophet.
I will lift my fist against such prophets and cut them off
from the community of Israel.
False prophets and those who seek their guidance will all
be punished for their sins.
In this way, the people of Israel will learn not to stray from me
polluting themselves with sin.
They will be my people and I will be their God.
I, the sovereign Lord have spoken.
Then this message came to me from the Lord, son of man.
Suppose the people of a country were too sin against me, and I lifted my
fist to crush them, cutting off their food supply and sending a famine
to destroy both people and animals.
Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, their righteousness
would save no one but themselves.
Says the sovereign Lord, or suppose I were to send wild animals to
invade the country, kill the people, and make the land too desolate
and dangerous to pass through.
As surely as I live says the sovereign Lord.
Even if those three men were there, they wouldn't be able to
save their own sons or daughters.
They alone would be saved, but the land would be made desolate.
Or suppose I were to bring war against the land.
I sent enemy armies to destroy both people and animals, as surely as
I live says the sovereign Lord.
Even if those three men were there, they wouldn't be able to
save their own sons or daughters.
They alone would be saved.
Or suppose I were to pour out my fury by sending an epidemic into the land and the
disease killed people and animals alike.
Surely as I live says the sovereign Lord.
Even if Noah, Daniel and Job were there, they wouldn't be able to
save their own sons or daughters.
They alone would be saved by their righteousness.
Now, this is what the sovereign Lord says, how terrible it will
be when all four of these dreadful punishments fall upon Jerusalem war,
famine, wild animals, and disease.
Destroying all her people and animals.
Yet there will be survivors and they will come here to
join you as exiles and Babylon.
You will see with your own eyes how wicked they are, and then you will feel better
about what I have done to Jerusalem.
When you meet them and see their behavior, you will understand that these things are
not being done to Israel without cause.
I, the sovereign Lord have spoken.
Then this message came to me from the Lord Son of Man.
How does a grapevine compare to a tree?
Is a vines wood as useful as the wood of a tree?
Ken, its wood.
Be used for making things like pegs to hang up pots and pans.
No, it could only be used for fuel and even as fuel had burns too quickly.
Vines are useless both before and after being put into the fire.
This is what the sovereign Lord says.
The people of Jerusalem are like grapevines growing among
the trees of the forest.
Since they're useless, I have thrown them on a fire to be burned, and I
will see to it that if they escape from one fire, they will fall into another.
When I turn against them, you will know that I am the Lord and I will
make the land desolate because my people have been unfaithful to me.
I the sovereign Lord have spoken.
This concludes today's immerse reading experience.
Thank you for joining us.