Ezekiel 29, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: THE BETHLEHEM PROMISE

A remarkable gift can arrive in an unremarkable package. One did in Bethlehem.

We don’t often think of Paul in our Christmas reflections, yet we should. His words in Philippians 2:5-11 are the Bible’s most eloquent summary of the Bethlehem promise: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God…but rather made himself nothing by taking the very form of a servant, being made in human likeness, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross. Therefore God called him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father!”

Ezekiel 29

Never a World Power Again

In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day, God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, confront Pharaoh king of Egypt. Preach against him and all the Egyptians. Tell him, ‘God, the Master, says:

“‘Watch yourself, Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
    I’m dead set against you,
You lumbering old dragon,
    lolling and flaccid in the Nile,
Saying, “It’s my Nile.
    I made it. It’s mine.”
I’ll set hooks in your jaw;
    I’ll make the fish of the Nile stick to your scales.
I’ll pull you out of the Nile,
    with all the fish stuck to your scales.
Then I’ll drag you out into the desert,
    you and all the Nile fish sticking to your scales.
You’ll lie there in the open, rotting in the sun,
    meat to the wild animals and carrion birds.
Everybody living in Egypt
    will realize that I am God.

6-9 “‘Because you’ve been a flimsy reed crutch to Israel so that when they gripped you, you splintered and cut their hand, and when they leaned on you, you broke and sent them sprawling—Message of God, the Master—I’ll bring war against you, do away with people and animals alike, and turn the country into an empty desert so they’ll realize that I am God.

9-11 “‘Because you said, “It’s my Nile. I made it. It’s all mine,” therefore I am against you and your rivers. I’ll reduce Egypt to an empty, desolate wasteland all the way from Migdol in the north to Syene and the border of Ethiopia in the south. Not a human will be seen in it, nor will an animal move through it. It’ll be just empty desert, empty for forty years.

12 “‘I’ll make Egypt the most desolate of all desolations. For forty years I’ll make her cities the most wasted of all wasted cities. I’ll scatter Egyptians to the four winds, send them off every which way into exile.

13-16 “‘But,’ says God, the Master, ‘that’s not the end of it. After the forty years, I’ll gather up the Egyptians from all the places where they’ve been scattered. I’ll put things back together again for Egypt. I’ll bring her back to Pathros where she got her start long ago. There she’ll start over again from scratch. She’ll take her place at the bottom of the ladder and there she’ll stay, never to climb that ladder again, never to be a world power again. Never again will Israel be tempted to rely on Egypt. All she’ll be to Israel is a reminder of old sin. Then Egypt will realize that I am God, the Master.’”

17-18 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, has worn out his army against Tyre. They’ve worked their fingers to the bone and have nothing to show for it.

19-20 “Therefore, God, the Master, says, ‘I’m giving Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He’ll haul away its wealth, pick the place clean. He’ll pay his army with Egyptian plunder. He’s been working for me all these years without pay. This is his pay: Egypt. Decree of God, the Master.

21 “‘And then I’ll stir up fresh hope in Israel—the dawn of deliverance!—and I’ll give you, Ezekiel, bold and confident words to speak. And they’ll realize that I am God.’”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Monday, December 21, 2020
Today's Scripture & Insight:

Isaiah 9:2–7

The people walking in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
    a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation
    and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
    as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
    when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
    you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
    the bar across their shoulders,
    the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle
    and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
    will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.

Insight
King Ahaz of Judah, threatened by the armies of Israel and Syria (Isaiah 7:1–7), refused to trust God and instead turned to Assyria for help (2 Kings 16:7–9). Yet God assured Ahaz of victory by giving him the ultimate proof: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel [God with us]” (Isaiah 7:14). God promised to be with His people if they’d only trust Him. Some scholars believe this sign was first fulfilled during the time of Ahaz and fully fulfilled in Jesus some seven hundred years later (Matthew 1:23). Isaiah 9:6–7 describes this child with royal titles: “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Kings often took titles that described their roles. For example, we see this in the title “Defender of the Faith” which British monarchs receive as head of the Church of England. Isaiah prophesied that a descendant of David would rule the whole world “with justice and righteousness” (v. 7).

What to Name the Baby
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

Here’s one conversation Mary didn’t have to have with Joseph as they awaited the birth of the baby she was carrying: “Joseph, what should we name the baby?” Unlike most people awaiting a birth, they had no question about what they would call this child.

The angels who visited Mary and then Joseph told them both that the baby’s name would be Jesus (Matthew 1:20–21; Luke 1:30–31). The angel that appeared to Joseph explained that this name indicated that the baby would “save his people from their sins.”

He would also be called “Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14), which means “God is with us,” because He would be God in human form—deity wrapped in swaddling clothes. The prophet Isaiah revealed additional titles of “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (9:6), because He would be all of those things.

It’s always exciting to name a new baby. But no other baby had such a powerful, exciting, world-changing name as the one who was “Jesus who is called the Messiah” (Matthew 1:16). What a thrill for us to be able to “call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:2)! There’s no other name that saves (Acts 4:12).

Let’s praise Jesus and contemplate everything He means to us this Christmas season! By:  Dave Branon

Reflect & Pray
How does reflecting on the name of Jesus encourage you? Which of His titles from Isaiah 9:6 means the most to you this season? Why?

Thank You, heavenly Father, for sending us One who is our Savior, our Counselor, our Prince of Peace, and our Messiah. I celebrate His birth because I know that His life and death and resurrection purchased eternal life for me.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, December 21, 2020
Experience or God’s Revealed Truth?

We have received…the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. —1 Corinthians 2:12

My experience is not what makes redemption real— redemption is reality. Redemption has no real meaning for me until it is worked out through my conscious life. When I am born again, the Spirit of God takes me beyond myself and my experiences, and identifies me with Jesus Christ. If I am left only with my personal experiences, I am left with something not produced by redemption. But experiences produced by redemption prove themselves by leading me beyond myself, to the point of no longer paying any attention to experiences as the basis of reality. Instead, I see that only the reality itself produced the experiences. My experiences are not worth anything unless they keep me at the Source of truth— Jesus Christ.

If you try to hold back the Holy Spirit within you, with the desire of producing more inner spiritual experiences, you will find that He will break the hold and take you again to the historic Christ. Never support an experience which does not have God as its Source and faith in God as its result. If you do, your experience is anti-Christian, no matter what visions or insights you may have had. Is Jesus Christ Lord of your experiences, or do you place your experiences above Him? Is any experience dearer to you than your Lord? You must allow Him to be Lord over you, and pay no attention to any experience over which He is not Lord. Then there will come a time when God will make you impatient with your own experience, and you can truthfully say, “I do not care what I experience— I am sure of Him!”

Be relentless and hard on yourself if you are in the habit of talking about the experiences you have had. Faith based on experience is not faith; faith based on God’s revealed truth is the only faith there is.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

We have no right to judge where we should be put, or to have preconceived notions as to what God is fitting us for. God engineers everything; wherever He puts us, our one great aim is to pour out a whole-hearted devotion to Him in that particular work. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.” My Utmost for His Highest, April 23, 773 L

Bible in a Year: Micah 4-5; Revelation 12

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, December 21, 2020
Home for Christmas. For Real. - #8856

Our granddaughter couldn't have been more than three that Christmas. Suddenly she appeared in the living room, carrying a long, empty wrapping paper tube. "What's that for, angel?" "I'm a shepherd," she announced emphatically. Silly me. Of course she was a shepherd. I should have known from the "shepherd's staff" in her hand. "Well, Miss Shepherd - what are you doing today?" Her answer went right to my heart. "I'm looking for my lost sheep." I thought to myself, "Man, that's what this Christmas thing is really all about!"

My little angel/shepherd was, without knowing it, echoing the words of Jesus himself when He announced the reason for the manger. For leaving the glories of heaven for this little speck in the universe. And ultimately the reason for that cross where He allowed men He had created to nail Him to a tree He had created.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Home for Christmas. For Real."

So Jesus declared that His rescue mission was "to seek and to save what was lost." Lost - like I was. Without knowing it, my little granddaughter with the wrapping paper tube was a living picture of who Jesus said He was. "I am the Good Shepherd."

I grew up on the south side of Chicago. We didn't have many sheep there. But since the Bible repeatedly says we're like sheep, I've learned a lot about them. My Navajo daughter-in-law grew up shepherding them. I even own a couple now. And a couple of things are pretty predictable about these sweaters with legs. First, they wander away from the shepherd. And the Bible says about us two-legged "sheep" - "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way" (Isaiah 53:6).

Second, a sheep away from the shepherd is "lost." I have to admit, that word is all too descriptive of how many of us feel. Lost, as in "I don't know why I'm here. I don't really know where I'm going - now or after I die. I'm looking for something that's never been anywhere I've looked."

Lost is dangerous. On a reservation, I met 80-year-old Elizabeth who had been shepherding sheep since she was a little girl. Her face was deeply wrinkled, deeply bronzed from all those years with the flock. I asked her, "What happens to a sheep when it gets away from the shepherd?" Her eyes narrowed as she immediately replied with one word - "Coyotes." And so it has been with us human "sheep." In our wandering and searching, we've been hurt and used, diminished, devalued.

One other lesson I've learned about sheep. They don't find the shepherd. Their only hope of getting home is if the shepherd comes looking for them. Enter Christmas. That baby in the hay. That's God come looking for us. For me. For you.

That sinless man on the cross is Him paying the price to get us back - by absorbing all the dying, all the pain, all the hell of our sin against Him. Or, as the Bible says, "Christ died once for all us guilty sinners...that He might bring us safely home to God" (1 Peter 3:18). This is the love that has captured my heart. It's the one love I'll never lose. This will be my fourth Christmas without my precious Karen. I miss her even more this time of year. But this love I found in Jesus - that's my anchor love. Unloseable love.

I want to invite you to begin experiencing that love for yourself by beginning your relationship with Jesus. I think we can help you get there. Just go to our website - ANewStory.com.

I know we'll be hearing the familiar strains of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" again this season. But for someone tired of "lost," that's more than a lyric from a song. They'll finally really be "home" for Christmas. In the love and the relationship they've been looking for their whole life. With the God who is home for the human heart.

The Shepherd is still "looking for His lost sheep." That's why He's come to you today. I think He looks for them, especially at Christmas.