November 8 – What Does It Take to Live with God?

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
 Ezekiel 18:1-19:14
 Hebrews 9:1-10
 Psalm 106:32-48
 Proverbs 27:10

Ezekiel 18:2 — This verse should sound familiar. We read about the “sour grape proverb” in Jeremiah 31:29-30.

Ezekiel 18:5-10 — What does it take to live with God?

• Perfect obedience in relationship with God
  1. Not breaking the Second Commandment (Ezekiel 18:6 – mountains)
  2. Not breaking the First Commandment (Ezekiel 18:6 – idols)
• Perfect obedience in relationship with man
  1. Not breaking the Seventh Commandment (Ezekiel 18:6 – defiled)
  2. Not breaking the Eighth Commandment (Ezekiel 18:8 – robber)
  3. Not breaking the Sixth Commandment (Ezekiele 18:8 – shedder)
• Perfect obedience in ceremonial law
  1. Not breaking Torah law of uncleanness (Leviticus 15:19, Leviticus 18:19 – menstruous)
• Perfect obedience in community
  1. Not breaking Torah law of non-oppression (strangers – Exodus 22:21, brethren – Leviticus 25:14, servants – Deuteronomy 24:14)
  2. Not breaking Proverbs law of sharing (Exodus 23:4/Proverbs 25:21)
  3. Not breaking Noahide law of covering (Genesis 9:23 – positive, Leviticus 18:6 – negative).
  4. Not breaking Noahide law of judgment (Exodus 23:2)
• Perfect obedience in contract law
  1. Not breaking Torah law of not keeping pledge (Deuteronomy 24:6, Deuteronomy 24:12-13, Deuteronomy 24:17)
  2. Not breaking Torah law of confiscation (Leviticus 6:2)
  3. Not breaking Torah law of usury (Exodus 22;25, Leviticus 25:36)
  4. Not breaking Torah law of profiting off relatives (Deuteronomy 23:19).

In other words, perfect obedience of the entire Law (James 2:10).

Ezekiel 18:32 — We read the same thing in the New Testament (2 Peter 3:9).

Ezekiel 19:14 — The fire is gone out. One of three examples of disengagement; the others being the enslaved lion (Ezekiel 19:9) and the weak rod (Ezekiel 19:14).

Hebrews 9:8 — As we saw in Ezekiel, the followers of God are in an exclusive club – one person, once a year (Hebrews 9:7) would go to the Tabernacle/Temple seeking forgiveness for his own sins.

Psalm 106:37 — Yes, again we are reminded of this grave sin. The children that belonged to God were sacrificed to devils.

Psalm 106:45 — What is the lesson from reciting all of Israel’s woes? That God is merciful again and again and again and again to us!

Proverbs 27:10 — Sometimes blood isn’t thicker than water!

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