THE REFUGE DEVOTIONAL

“The word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar;” Ezekiel 1:3 NASBS

In a time of great spiritual darkness for the nation of Israel, “The word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar.” The nation was serving idols, and not only that, but they raised them up next to the altar of the Lord. The priests had become corrupt and the God of Israel was no more to the people than like that of the false god’s made with human hands. “They were idols of silver and gold, The work of man’s hands. These idols have mouths, but they do not speak; They have eyes, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear.” Oh, how far God’s chosen people had fallen. They were going into exile to be under affliction and under harsh servitude. There they would find no rest and would be in great distress. Jeremiah cries out, “Jerusalem sinned greatly; therefore she has become an unclean thing. All who honored her despise her because they have seen her nakedness; Even she herself groans and turns away.” But even in the midst of their idolatry, the word of the Lord came to them. What a blessing, though God’s judgment was coming upon His people, He had a remnant that He would save, so His word came to them. The Lord said to Elijah, and it was repeated many years later by Paul concerning the Lord’s love for his children, “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” “Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace,“ for nothing shall be able to separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Therefore, Christian, let your heart not become weary, for God has not left His chosen without His word. Though many of the churches around the world today have synchronized to secular notions of mysticism, equating God with unholiness and religious rites, His anger is not turned away from you. His hand is stretched out to you, for He is merciful, kind, and gracious and loves you with an everlasting love. He will preserve His children who are trusting in His Son, Jesus Christ. He will raise up His faithful elect, and they will be more than conquerors in Him. But, rest assured, He will not let the wicked go unpunished, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight! Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink, Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away justice from the righteous man!” For the false teachers teach with stammering lips, “Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little,” yet their minds are filled with corruption like “tables full of vomit and filth.” Their end will soon come, they will be like chaff driven away by the wind to be cast into hell fire. For these priests cry, “Peace, peace! When there is no peace.” They lead the people away from the fountain of living water just to make them twice the sons of hell as they are. God’s bow is bent, and will soon drip with their blood, just as it is written, “Vengeance is mine says the Lord.” But you, oh daughters of Zion, “Shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither, for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.”