QT 16/08/2024 Fri. Ezekiel 11. Hope for a heart of flesh. 希望有一颗有血有肉的心.

QT 16/08/2024 Fri. Ezekiel 11. Hope for a heart of flesh.
READ http://www.esvbible.org/eze11

MEDITATION: Ezek 11: Hope and comfort mixed with punishment and explanation. The people should have entered the temple FROM the EAST (i.e., faced THE WEST) and worshiped the LORD as they walked towards the bronze altar.

However, the 25 men had "their backs to the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the EAST, worshiping THE SUN TOWARD THE EAST" (Ezek 8:16)! They faced the wrong direction and worshiped false gods even in "the inner court" (Ezek 8:16).

Therefore, the glory of the LORD left the Holy Place, went past the threshold, moved to the eastern gate of the temple compound (Ezek 10:19)--"to the east gate of the house of the LORD, which faces east" (Ezek 11:1).

REFLECTION: Loneliness might come about because of a strained relationship with the LORD. Did this happen because we have turned our backs towards the presence of God, "faced the east", worshiping non-gods/humans?

However, the LORD did provide the comfort and hope and did not "make a full end of the remnant of Israel" (Ezek 11:13).

Memory Verse: And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. (Ezek 11:19-20)

星期五 2024年8月16日 今日读经：以西结书11章. 希望有一颗有血有肉的心.
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/eze/11/
听以西结书11章
https://www.bible.com/bible/41/eze.11

默想：以西结11：希望和安慰参杂着惩罚和解释。这些子民应该从圣殿的东边进入(就是朝西的方向)并在走向铜造的祭坛敬拜耶和华。

然而，那25名男子却“背向耶和华的殿，面向着东方；他们正在朝着东面叩拜太阳”(结8:16)!他们向着错的方向且竟然在“内院”拜假神(结8:16)。

因为这样，耶和华的荣耀离开了圣洁之地，越过门槛，朝圣殿的东门移去(结10:19)---“到耶和华殿朝东的东门”(结11:1)。

反思：如果和神的关系出现问题就会导致孤单寂寞。我们是否背向着神的同在，“朝东”拜非神/人而面对这样的处境？

然而，耶和华给予他的子民安慰和希望且并没有“把以色列余剩的人都尽行毁灭”(结11:13)。

背诵金句：我要把一颗心赐给他们，把新的灵放在他们里面；我要从他们肉体中除掉石心，赐给他们肉心，使他们遵从我的律例，谨守遵行我的典章，这样，他们就必作我的子民，我必作他们的神。(结11:19-20)