Topic: Reproach of Sin [September 12, 2016]
Text: Ezekiel 4:1-8
Key Verse: “For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel” (Ezekiel 4:5).
Former United States President, Calvin Coolidge, came home from church one Sunday and his wife asked him, “What did the preacher preach about?” In his usual concise manner, he replied, “Sin”. His wife asked again, “What did he say about sin?” The ex- president replied, “He was against it”. That is the point! God is against sin, which is the enemy of man.
The Lord commanded Ezekiel to prophesy against the siege of Jerusalem, which had been having a field day with idolatry. He was instructed to draw the map of the city on a brick, complete with siege ramps, enemy camps, and battering rams. He also placed an iron pan between himself and the city, indicating the real battle against Jerusalem. God also instructed him to symbolically bear the punishment of Israel and Judah. For Israel, Ezekiel laid on his left side for three hundred and ninety days facing the north. A day represented a year, which indicated that Israel would be under siege for three hundred and ninety years. For Judah, he laid on his right side and looked towards the south for forty days, representing forty years of being under siege.
The implication of this symbolic rite is to show God’s displeasure towards sin. Every sin is an offense to Him and He cannot behold iniquity however minute. A sinner can never feel His presence except he repents. For a backslider, the Holy Spirit will stop speaking to him if he refuses to be restored.
Unfortunately, many people have not realized the harmful nature of sin. When a person chooses to run his life instead of letting God guide him, catastrophic events could happen as an indication of God’s wrath. To avoid the Almighty sledgehammer, we must abstain from all appearances of evil.
Thought for the day: Sin pays wages: death!
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalm 119:57-176
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
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