August 16, 2012

229 - God's refinery

Kathleen's thoughts

Ezekiel 21: 8-32, 22: 1-31, 23: 1-21

Judgement by the sword A sword! A sword is sharpened and also polished. It is sharpened for slaughter, polished to flash like lightning!
Is is a sword for massacre, a sword for great Massacre it surrounds them!
17... I also will clap My hands together and I will satisfy My wrath. I, the Lord have spoken

The king of Babylon's approach Now son of man, mark out two roads that the sword of Babylon's king can take. At the cross roads mark out that the sword can take to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah into fortified Jerusalem.
The king of Babylon stands at the split in the road and shakes the arrows consults the idols and observes the liver. The answer marked Jerusalem appears in his right hand indicating that he should set up bettering rams. and give order to slaughter,

The Ammonites destruction You will be fuel for the fire. Your blood will be spilled in the land. You will not be remembered for I, the Lord, have spoken.

The sins of Jerusalem You are guilty of the blood you have shed, and you are defiled from the idols you have made. You have brougt your judgment days near and have come to your years of punishment. Therefore I have made you a disgrace to the nations and a mockery to all the lands.
One can understand why the world mocks Israel today just by this reading, most sad! 

God's furnace Refiners fire ...

Zechariah 13:9 ESV / 101 helpful votes
And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”

Malachi 3:1-18 ESV
“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts. ...

Malachi 3:2-4 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
Yes I will gather you together and blow on you with the fire of My fury, and you will be melted within the city. As silver is melted inside a furnace, so you will be melted inside the city. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have poured out My wrath on you.

The sins of Israel's leaders God searched for a man among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before Me and Found no one so He poured out His indignation on them and consumed them with the fire of His fury. He brought their actions down on their own heads.

The lustful sisters Oholah represents Samaria and Oholibah represents Jerusalem.

For thought and contemplation
Israel spent much of their time in God's refinery. This was because as we have seen. they failed to heed His word.Ever been in God's refinery.?

For you God, tested us; You refined us as silver is refined Psalm 66:10

Blessings
Kathleen.

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