RTW 2023

So I said to them, “A message came to me from the LORD, and I was told to give this message to the people of Israel. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will defile my Temple, the source of your security and pride, the place your heart delights in. Your sons and daughters whom you left behind in Judah will be slaughtered by the sword.”
Ezekiel 24:20-21

Recently you repented and did what was right, following my command. You freed your slaves and made a solemn covenant with me in the Temple that bears my name. But now you have shrugged off your oath and defiled my name by taking back the men and women you had freed, forcing them to be slaves once again.
Jeremiah 34:15-16

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From The Archaeological Bible: “Mourners normally removed their turbans and poured dust on their heads. Removing one’s sandals was a sign of grief and covering one’s face a gesture of shame.”

• From The Archaeological Bible: “Ezekiel’s wife died on the same day the temple was burned–August 14, 586 B.C.”
• The Israelites took pride in the Temple in a manner that was idolatrous; they coveted the image, power, and authority that they felt the Temple gave to them, instead of worshiping the one true God who dwelled with them.
• Zedekiah profaned God’s name by covenanting with God in the Temple to set Hebrew slaves free, then revoking that covenant.
• Zedekiah violated the freedom that God gave the Israelites.
• Bearing God’s Name by Carmen Joy Imes: Bearing God’s Name means living as covenant people, a kingdom of priests, in every part of our lives.
• The Church should not be a stronghold of pride. It should not be a place where darkness and sin are protected, where we idolize an image or a reputation or a sense of power. It should be a place where captives are set free in the power of Jesus.

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Seek to bear God’s Name well by creating safety, love, and spiritual freedom in the Church, and finding true security in Jesus.