Devotional For the Week

BETWEEN ICHABOD AND YAHWEH-SHAMMAH

Scriptural Text: Ezekiel 10:18-19; 48:35b; 22:30

Do you wish for God to make His presence felt in your life? If the answer is ‘yes’, you need to lead a holy life. God is holy and expects us also to be holy. Further the Bible promises that only the pure in heart will see God (Matthew 5:8). Ezekiel, in this scriptural text, sees God’s kingdom being lifted up and moving away from Jerusalem to a place east of Jerusalem. Let us learn the many lessons that this passage reveals:

Where there is disobedience and unrepentence, God’s glory departs. The Israelites treated the Arc of the Covenant as a good luck charm and, in disobedience to God, brought the Arc with them in their battle with the Philistines. The Israelites were defeated and the Arc was captured. Ichabod’s mother, hearing of the defeat and losing her husband at war, died at childbirth after naming her newborn “Ichabod” which means “God’s glory has departed” (Ezekiel 10:18-19).

We have a gracious God. God’s kingdom moved to the east of Jerusalem where the Israelites were exiled. This encourages us that God loves us and is an ever present help in our hardships, including troubles brought on by our own disobedience.

We must repent. We must move away from disobedience as God dwells in holiness (Yahweh Shammah). We can do this by removing from our lives things that hinder our obedience to God (Isaiah 40:3-5) and repenting from our sins, always remembering to love God first (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, 1 Corinthinans 13:1-3).

God's glory can depart! God's glory can depart from Christians and the Church if they persist in disobeying God by failing to honour and love Him (Rev 2:2-5, 1 Sam 2).

Ezekiel warns of 4 forms of idolatry that outrage God:

sexual immorality, adultery and pornography (Ezekiel 8:5-6, 23, 2 Kings 21)
leaders and elders of the church secretly worshiping idols and being involved in occultic practices (Ezekiel 8:7-12)
forsaking prayer and entertaining fantasy and escapism
intercessors forsaking their duties and secretly worshiping idols

God is looking for intercessors. Often, God finds none that can stand in the gap to intercede for His people (Genesis 12:8, Ezekiel 22:30, Isaiah 59:15-16). However, God can raise up “priests” who will wait on Him on the people’s half and exhort the people with God’s word (e.g. Abraham, Moses, Samuel, Daniel, Nehemiah). Will you rise to the challenge to be an intercessor and pray for the lost?

Application

What secret sin do you need to repent from? What first step will you take to lead a holy life? Which unsaved friend or relative will you pray for this week?

Prayer Response

Thank you for today’s message and the reminder to lead a holy life as you are a holy God. I want to praise you for your steadfast love despite my disobedience and thank you for being an ever present help in my time of trouble. Help me desire to be holy and show me what aspect of my life needs correcting. Please forgive me for my sins and give me the resolve and the discipline to obey your word. I pray for divine appointments with those who are unsaved, boldness to share and persistence in praying for their salvation.

Devotional based on a message by Dr Tan See Seng

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This Week's Devotional \| 2004 Devotionals \| 2005 Devotionals \| 2006 Devotionals Devotional For the Week—17 July 2006 BETWEEN ICHABOD AND YAHWEH-SHAMMAH Scriptural Text: Ezekiel 10:18-19; 48:35b; 22:30 Do you wish for God to make His presence felt in your life? If the answer is ‘yes’, you need to lead a holy life. God is holy and expects us also to be holy. Further the Bible promises that only the pure in heart will see God (Matthew 5:8). Ezekiel, in this scriptural text, sees God’s kingdom being lifted up and moving away from Jerusalem to a place east of Jerusalem. Let us learn the many lessons that this passage reveals: Where there is disobedience and unrepentence, God’s glory departs. The Israelites treated the Arc of the Covenant as a good luck charm and, in disobedience to God, brought the Arc with them in their battle with the Philistines. The Israelites were defeated and the Arc was captured. Ichabod’s mother, hearing of the defeat and losing her husband at war, died at childbirth after naming her newborn “Ichabod” which means “God’s glory has departed” (Ezekiel 10:18-19). We have a gracious God. God’s kingdom moved to the east of Jerusalem where the Israelites were exiled. This encourages us that God loves us and is an ever present help in our hardships, including troubles brought on by our own disobedience. We must repent. We must move away from disobedience as God dwells in holiness (Yahweh Shammah). We can do this by removing from our lives things that hinder our obedience to God (Isaiah 40:3-5) and repenting from our sins, always remembering to love God first (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, 1 Corinthinans 13:1-3). God's glory can depart! God's glory can depart from Christians and the Church if they persist in disobeying God by failing to honour and love Him (Rev 2:2-5, 1 Sam 2). Ezekiel warns of 4 forms of idolatry that outrage God: sexual immorality, adultery and pornography (Ezekiel 8:5-6, 23, 2 Kings 21) leaders and elders of the church secretly worshiping idols and being involved in occultic practices (Ezekiel 8:7-12) forsaking prayer and entertaining fantasy and escapism intercessors forsaking their duties and secretly worshiping idols God is looking for intercessors. Often, God finds none that can stand in the gap to intercede for His people (Genesis 12:8, Ezekiel 22:30, Isaiah 59:15-16). However, God can raise up “priests” who will wait on Him on the people’s half and exhort the people with God’s word (e.g. Abraham, Moses, Samuel, Daniel, Nehemiah). Will you rise to the challenge to be an intercessor and pray for the lost? Application What secret sin do you need to repent from? What first step will you take to lead a holy life? Which unsaved friend or relative will you pray for this week? *Prayer Response* Thank you for today’s message and the reminder to lead a holy life as you are a holy God. I want to praise you for your steadfast love despite my disobedience and thank you for being an ever present help in my time of trouble. Help me desire to be holy and show me what aspect of my life needs correcting. Please forgive me for my sins and give me the resolve and the discipline to obey your word. I pray for divine appointments with those who are unsaved, boldness to share and persistence in praying for their salvation. Devotional based on a message by Dr Tan See Seng
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