May 23 ▪ Day 143

Scripture Readings

Proverbs 18:3
Ezekiel 37–38
John 6
Psalms 143

Verse Focus (Proverbs 18:3)

When wickedness comes, so does contempt,
     and with shame comes reproach.

Meditation

Proverbs 18:3 says, in the NIV, “When wickedness comes, so does contempt, and with shame comes reproach.” The proverb is, I think, deliberately ambiguous. Does the contempt come from the wicked person, or in response to the wicked person? Likewise, does the shamed one reproach him- or herself (or others), or do others reproach the one dishonored? I think the answer has got to be both.

Those who are wicked do scorn and revile other people. Part of the wickedness comes from that pride and arrogance, and thus the wicked person holds contempt for others. On the other hand, wickedness is in itself contemptible, so it will draw out that response from other people as well. Thus, wickedness and contempt are inevitably paired together.

Is it even possible to feel shame without considering what mis-steps might have led to the dishonor? The reproach will fall naturally on whomever you consider responsible for the mis-steps, whether that is yourself or someone else. Again, shame and reproach are natural companions.

The question I have to ask myself is what have I learned from this proverb? I suppose it teaches me to be wary when I see or feel contempt. Wickedness is not always immediately obvious; contempt might be the first sign. And it might be a sign for you to be wary of someone else, or it might be a sign that you have something in your heart that needs to be rooted out.

Father God, we pray for protection from wickedness, both in ourselves and from other people. May we recognize contempt as the companion of wickedness and be cautious. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Ezekiel 37 is an extremely famous passage in Scripture. The prophet sees a valley full of dry bones and prophesies to them as the LORD commands. With the sound of rattling, the bones come back together. Sinews and flesh and then skin covers them. But there is no life in them until — as commanded — Ezekiel prophesies to “the breath (v. 9).” And so God’s breath comes from the four winds and breathes on the slain — and they are all raised to life, “an exceedingly great army (v. 10).”

The LORD tells Ezekiel in verse 11 that the house of Israel has been saying, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.” But the LORD promises resurrection. He proclaims in verse 12 that he will open their graves and raise them from the dead.

Ezekiel has an overwhelming vision of literal, physical resurrection. But the complaint that “our bones are dried up” is being made by the living. So perhaps the living took this to be a metaphor for how the LORD would rescue them from their dire situation, rather than as a promise that God would one day raise the dead to life. The Sadducees did not believe in physical resurrection, although, of course, the Pharisees did. And as Christians, we also believe that we will one day inherit eternal life, including resurrection of the body for all those for whom it is necessary.

In the second prophecy of Ezekiel 37 God promises to re-join the people of Israel. No longer will they be divided into two kingdoms (Judah and Israel/Ephraim/Samaria); but they shall become one nation with one king. Again we have the promise of an everlasting covenant of peace — and then “the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel (v. 28).”

There is a lot to ponder in this chapter. Today, however, two things strike me. The first is that command to “Prophesy to the breath (v. 9).” Life is more than just the physical components of flesh and blood, atoms and molecules. To truly live, we must have God’s breath within us. Indeed, this is the mystery of life and death. In death, we are left with a physical body, a husk — but the spirit is gone. Only God can join these two together. Only God makes life and gives life.

We know from other passages that God’s breath is His Spirit. And our spirits need God’s Spirit to live — now and in the future.

Verse 23 also strikes me. “I will save them from all the backslidings,” God declares. This resonates with my heart! As a believer, as one on the path to sanctification, I continue to stumble and fall — to backslide. And it will be so wonderful one day when that sanctification is complete! It won’t happen until we get to that eternal life in Christ, but I long for the day.

Ezekiel 38 begins one of the most controversial Biblical prophecies in the Bible; the prophecy continues tomorrow in chapter 39. In these chapters, the prophet describes a war of Gog of the land of Magog and numerous allies against the re-settled peoples of Israel. Even though the last chapter just talked about how Israel would be redeemed by God, made into one nation, and how they would dwell in the land — now we learn that there will be a threat against them. Further, this threat is one that God actually orchestrates. Verse 16 says, “In the latter days I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when through you, O Gog, I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.” There will be an apocalyptic earthquake: “The mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground (v. 20).” Verse 21 says, “Every man’s sword will be against his brother.” Verses 22 and 23 indicate a kind of judgment that echoes what we read in the book of Revelation.

Just about everything in this chapter is disputed. Who are the people of Magog? Who do they represent? Has this prophecy been fulfilled already? Or is it still a future prophecy? Or both? And how does this prophecy relate to the prophecy of Gog and Magog in the book of Revelation? Answering these questions is beyond the scope of what I can do in these devotionals. I will just say that in Ezekiel’s time, the people of Magog most likely would have been understood to be Scythians — inhabiting a vast geographic region north of India and China. Today we would call this area Central Eurasia. To understand the possible relevance of this prophecy to us today, consider that this region includes countries such as Russia, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Eastern Poland, Ukraine, the Balkans, as well as certain provinces of Iran and Pakistan.

How are we to react to the Biblical prophecy in Ezekiel 38? We can’t possibly hope to fully understand this prophecy without extensive study and much prayer. And yet I believe there are lessons for us to grasp even in our partial understanding of this chapter. Just like the book of Revelation, we understand that there will be a showdown between God and the forces of evil. We know this anyway, even if we don’t fully understand the specifics. It will be a time of great evil, and great distress. And yet God will reveal Himself victorious. This chapter reminds us that there is a cosmic battle going on. In our daily struggles against sin as we focus on our own lives, it’s easy to forget that God is working on a much broader and vaster scale. But it’s important for us to have this glimpse of what’s really at stake. I can only continue to pray for God to reveal Himself to me through these chapters and to pray that I will focus on matters of eternal significance.

John chapter 6 contains two more signs, as well as the first “I am” statement — “I am the bread of life” (verse 35 and 48, as well as the related verses 41 and 51). The fourth sign is the feeding of the five thousand — an incident that we are very familiar with from the other gospels. Most people count the fifth sign to be when Jesus walks on the water. However, there are a few alternate opinions regarding which events constitute the authenticating signs. Some scholars feel that these two signs in chapter 6 should be lumped together as one; they interpret Jesus’ death and resurrection as the final and ultimate sign.

The feeding of the five thousand bears witness to Jesus’ statement that he is the bread of life. Again, we see that Jesus is Lord over the physical universe. He is able to provide for the needs of the people — an attribute he shares with the Father. He creates food in abundance. When Jesus walks on the water, he shows that he is Lord over the forces of nature. He is Lord over the earth.

There were a few verses that stood out to me today as I read this chapter. Jesus says to the people in verse 26, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” Daily necessities trump the supernatural. Jesus provided the people with their most basic need for sustenance. It was real. In the moment. Present. Practical, not theoretical. Perhaps some of them also recognized that Jesus was their spiritual food, too.

When Jesus says he is the bread of life, he is telling us something deeper and more profound that we immediately recognize. He is what we need to live. Scripture says that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word from the mouth of God. Jesus is the Word. He is also our bread. Jesus compares himself to the manna that God provided for the Israelites in the wilderness. Supernatural, from heaven, what you need for each day. And those that partake of Jesus will live forever.

I also really liked verse 37. “Whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” There is a lot of comfort in this promise. However, even though Jesus does not abandon us, that was not true for some of his disciples. They found his teaching difficult to accept; many turned back.

Psalm 143 is a prayer of David. It is similar to many of his other psalms — heartfelt. He starts by asking God to hear him. However, David recognizes that God answers us because He is faithful, not because we are worthy. “For no one living is righteous before you,” says David in verse 2.

David confesses his need. He is crushed, faint, appalled. He remembers God’s prior faithfulness. He yearns for the LORD. “My soul thirsts for you like a parched land,” he prays in verse 6. David prays passionately. He asks for answers, for rescue, for guidance. And then he concludes the prayer by meditating again on the LORD’s faithfulness.

I especially love the sentiment in verse 10. “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!”

Father God, you are the LORD. You are God. And you are my God. Thank you for sending Jesus to us. Thank you for your Word. Thank you that Jesus is the bread of life. Thank you for all we can learn through your Scripture. We pray for your breath to be within us, giving us life and purpose and direction. In Jesus’ name, Amen.