So, by the time this post is published, I’ll be 60-some-odd days into the 90-Day Bible Reading Plan! Honestly, I have surprised MYSELF that I have made it this far!! And I’m super excited about it!! 🙂
Right now, I am knee-deep in the prophets section of the Old Testament. I’ve finished Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. In the coming days I’ll be in Daniel, Hosea, Amos, etc.
So, I have a question for all of you Bible scholars out there. 🙂 No, just kidding, you do NOT have to be a scholar to answer this question!! LOL! Just a student of God’s Word discussing life application stuff with fellow brothers and sisters will do just fine.
I would love to hear your thoughts for LIFE APPLICATION for books like Ezekiel. (or other prophets book with judgement after judgement.)
I can take one verse here and there and apply it to my life, but that is not what I’m talking about – I’m curious as to what you consider the BIG PICTURE of books like this. What is God trying to show us through these passages? I have a few thoughts…but none of them line up in my mind. I’d love to hear some thoughts from others to help me sort through the thoughts in my own head. 🙂
How great that you’ve read so much! Congrats! I’m really enjoying the challenge too. I have no real insight to those books, as they were very hard for me to read and stay focused. I’m excited to be in Daniel now. I think the messages in Daniel are much easier to see…
I am also doing the 90 day challenge and just finished reading Ezekiel. I was also finding it very difficult to read the prophets as well. Judgement after judgement…destruction, disease, famine.
This is what I have taken from the prophets…The Israelites (knowing they were God’s chosen people) kept sinning, but felt that if they went through the motions of the sacrifices that all would be good in the site of God. God was not fooled.
God is basically telling the Israelites that he wants more obedience than sacrifice. That the sacrifices are not going to wipe the slate clean of their sins. They need to obey God’s law everyday, not just once a week. So God brought down harsh judgements, famine, disease, etc.
In other words…in today’s society there are people (Christian and Non-Christian) that go to church on Saturday/Sunday and because they go to church they feel their slates are clean and that they are doing good in the site of God (going through the motions). But during the week, they go on with their lives without once thinking of God and honoring him with prayer and service. They are NOT being obedient to God.
I hope my thoughts weren’t too confusing and if so, I apologize.
I’m looking foward to reading Daniel too.
I’ll end my book of thoughts…
Sue
This is so cool that you have made it this far! How awesome! I am so impressed….I have a feeling that I would give up.
I think Sue’s assessment is dead on. It all goes to our hearts. The sacrificial system established through Moses was not about the sacrifices … it was about a picture of obedience. The sacrifices of animals were a reflection of a heart rightly related to God. And so, as the prophets spoke to the judgment of the Lord on Israel and Judah as well as the pagan nations, God is giving another picture … this one of disobedience. And in that, He is revealing that His concern is always that relationship with us … a relationship that can only be maintained through a heart fully submitted to Him.
That’s my 2 cents, and it may be worth even less!! 🙂
Teri Lynne