Disclaimer

Disclaimer: I am not a Biblical scholar. All my posts and comments are opinions and thoughts formulated through my current understanding of the Bible. I strive to speak of things that can be validated through Biblical Scriptures, and when I'm merely speculating, I make sure to note it. My views can be flawed, and I thus welcome any constructive perspectives and criticisms!

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Antibiotics and Immunity to Evolution


From the March 12, 2013 eNews issue
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Creationists often argue against evolution by noting that we cannot observe evolution occurring on a grand scale today. In response, evolutionary scientists like to point to bacteria.

Many scientists argue that evolution is happening all the time in bacteria. Bacteria, with their brief life cycles and their ability to reproduce vast multitudes of generations within a nice, short, observable time frame, give scientists a chance to demonstrate "evolution in a Petri dish." The ability of bacteria to develop resistance to antibiotics has been trumpeted as evidence of the driving force of evolution and the ability of gene swapping and mutations to make these organisms better able to survive.

However, while bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a reality, it falls far short of demonstrating the theory that all things descended from singlecelled organisms billions of years ago. In fact, bacteria that become resistant to antibiotics often do so at the cost of their "relative fitness" and can lose pre-existing cellular functions.

Bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics in several ways:

Natural resistance
Bacteria already naturally have some degree of protection against antibiotics, which they need when they run into these enemies, like penicillin, out in the great big world. This resistance only goes so far, and most bacteria will be killed off when faced with large doses of antibiotics for a significant period of time. The bacteria with the greatest resistance ability sometimes survive, though, going on to reproduce and make a plethora of antibiotic-resistant offspring. This is why doctors warn patients to take their entire antibiotics prescription and not stop halfway after the symptoms go away. Failing to take the entire course can allow the strongest germs to stick around and reproduce, paving the way for the superbugs we see today.

Of course, the resistance is already present in the bacterial gene pool. While these super strong bacteria offer a basic survival-of-the-fittest demonstration, their resistance to antibiotics is not an essentially new development and therefore doesn't prove evolution in a grander sense.

Horizontal gene transfer
Bacteria have a tremendous ability to swap genes with each other. This is vital for the health of the organisms, since they reproduce by binary fission (dividing into two parts) and do not benefit from the recombination of genes found in sexual reproduction.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria can exchange their genes with other bacteria, and thus pass on the ability to thumb their bug noses at modern medicine. Once again, the resistance is already present in the bacterial gene pool and is not an essentially new development.

Mutations
Mutations occur in bacteria in a variety of ways, including copy errors in the bacterial DNA and exposure to mutagens (chemicals or ionizing radiation) that affect bacteria’s genetic material. Mutations have also enabled bacteria to resist antibiotics or chemical cleansers in some interesting, but not necessarily truly beneficial, ways.

For instance, some bacteria naturally produce the enzyme penicillinase, which they use to inactivate penicillin when they run into it in nature. If a bacterium has a problem with the gene that codes for shutting off the production of penicillinase, that bacterium will just keep producing the enzyme. This is great for the bacterium in the presence of a penicillin-based antibiotic regimen; in a human body filled with penicillin, this organism can survive to reproduce while the normal bacteria around it die. In normal life, though, the bacterium has a problem. It’s putting a lot of energy into producing penicillinase, and because it can’t turn the valve off, so to speak, it will have trouble getting other things on its list done. It will eventually penicillinase-produce itself to death.

Many bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics because something has gone wrong and they simply are not functioning properly. The loss of regulatory proteins is a big one. Some bacteria also lose full functioning in transport proteins. Transport proteins are necessary for bringing certain items into the cell. Bacteria that are resistant to Kanamycin get that way because they aren't correctly producing a transport protein, and therefore the Kanamycin can’t get through the cell membrane into the bacterial cell to destroy it. If a transport protein is not functioning, something is wrong with the cell, even if that lack of function does protect the bacteria from Kanamycin.

In short, broken genes can help bacteria survive in some circumstances, but we always find they do so at the expense of the general health of the bacteria. In a normal environment, these bacteria die off much more quickly than their normal, healthy relatives.


Gaining An Ability? Citrate in E coli

In 2008, evolutionary biologist Richard Lenski of Michigan State University in East Lansing found that a population of E coli, after thousands of generations, had begun to struggle with metabolizing glucose and instead had started to metabolize citrate. This was a big deal, and was touted as an important evolutionary step for the E coli.

As New Scientist put it, "…But sometime around the 31,500th generation, something dramatic happened in just one of the populations - the bacteria suddenly acquired the ability to metabolise citrate, a second nutrient in their culture medium that E. coli normally cannot use."

To the common reader, that sounds as though E coli mutated a brand new trait out of thin air. 

Especially since New Scientist goes on to say, "Indeed the inability to use citrate is one of the traits by which bacteriologists distinguish E. Coli from other species."

It is true that regular old E coli doesn't normally metabolize citrate. However, it does have the ability to do so under specific conditions. In August 1998, the Journal of Bacteriology published an article on the ability of E coli to convert citrate to acetate and succinate under anoxic conditions (the absence of oxygen) when an oxidizable cosubstrate like glucose is present. In other words, if sugar is present and oxygen isn't, E coli does have the capacity to "eat" citrate.

Discovering exactly what happened to "up" this ability was up to Dr. Lenski’s team. He had samples of E coli populations from thousands of generations over the years, and he should have been able to pinpoint the specific changes that led to make E coli’s already existing citrate carrier expand its horizons.

We just find it interesting that these citrate-munching E coli have also lost a lot of their ability to eat glucose, their normal food.

Evolutionists argue that evolutionary change doesn't always have to be a drive upward. They say that evolutionary change can offer benefits at the same time as losing other useful functions. That's fine. At the same time, we never see examples of truly upward change. If there is a new or improved ability in an organism, we have invariably discovered that it was always tucked away there in the genetic code. Otherwise, "new" traits tend to come with a loss of information, a loss of function, a mistake, an error that might temporarily offer some benefit to the creature at hand, but harms it in the long run. The man with no esophagus will have a hard time getting sick from a foodborne illness, but few people will argue that living by feeding tube is a long-term beneficial "adaption." 

Evolutionists keep trying to argue that similar losses or defects offer beneficial traits, but ultimately, we see in these mutations a net deterioration.

In all this, we find that bacteria are still bacteria. They are not developing new organelles that were not previously present. They do not magically erupt with a nucleus to package up their genetic material. For good or bad, fully functioning or not, they continue to behave just like bacteria. Aside from thousands of years of genetic weakening, it appears they are still doing what God designed them to do.


Related Links
• Bacteria Make Major Evolutionary Shift In The Lab - New Scientist
• The Escherichia Coli Citrate Carrier CitT - Journal of Bacteriology
• Is Bacterial Resistance to Antibiotics an Appropriate Example of Evolutionary Change? - Creation Research Society Quarterly
• SuperBugs Not Super After All - Creation.com

Friday, March 29, 2013

Ezekiel 4-5


Bible study with Dr. Chuck Missler

Ezekiel 4-24 document God’s judgment on Jerusalem, all given before the siege of Jerusalem.


REVIEW: THE FALL OF THE NATION


The Babylonian Captivity

The Babylonian captivity actually took place in three sieges, but it had been extensively prophesied well in advance (Isaiah 39:5-7; Jeremiah 25:8-12). Daniel, who had been taken captive as a teenager in the first of the three sieges, came to know from reading the Jeremiah prophecy that the captivity would last for 70 years. That is when he went into prayer, which was interrupted by Gabriel and the famous 70 week vision of Daniel 9. [Daniel took Old Testament prophecy literally, as we should as well! Be aware of teachers who over-allegorize.]

606 BC

Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (Jeremiah 46:1-6).

605 BC

On his way home, Nebuchadnezzar laid siege on Jerusalem. Jehoiakim was captured (2 Chronicles 36). However, upon hearing that his father had died and that he now was the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar released Jehoiakim as a vassal king of Jerusalem. During this first siege of Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar plundered the Temple for gold and treasures, and took captive of Jerusalem’s most promising teenagers, including Daniel and his 3 friends. This was Nebuchadnezzar’s "style," to take from his captives the most promising people of that culture and train them in his/Babylonian ways.

598 BC

A few years later, Jehoiakim rebelled, bringing forth the second siege of Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar thus sent his alliances (Chaldeans, Syrians, Moabites, Ammonites) to destroy Judah (2 Kings 24), raging a 5-year battle. Jehoiakim died (Jeremiah 22:17-19). His son, Jehoiachin (Jeconiah) took over for a few months, ending the siege. Zedekiah, Jeconiah’s uncle, took over as king, though many didn’t consider him king, since he never really fulfilled the role.

587 BC

Zedekiah rebelled, and Nebuchadnezzar’s had enough. In this third siege, Jerusalem was leveled. Both the City and the Temple were destroyed (2 Kings 24-25), and Nebuchadnezzar took everyone as slaves.

Both Ezekiel and Jeremiah wrote during the time of the 3rd siege.


In Jeremiah 32:5, Jeremiah warned Zedekiah that he would be led to Babylon in chains.

He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will remain until I deal with him, declares the LORD. If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not succeed.

Ezekiel 12:13 spoke also of Zedekiah, that Zedekiah would not see Babylon.

I will spread my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare; I will bring him to Babylonia, the land of the Chaldeans, but he will not see it, and there he will die.

It was documented that Zedekiah did not believe either one, since it didn't seem like the two prophets could agree with each other.

2 Kings 25:5-7
The Babylonian army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered, and he was captured. He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where sentence was pronounced on him. They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.

The last thing Zedekiah saw was the killing of his sons. The Babylonians then blinded him, and then took him to Babylon in chains, fulfilling both Jeremiah’s and Ezekiel’s prophecies!

Hallelujah! The fulfillment of prophecy is one of the best evidence of God’s work in our lives!

Ezekiel’s task was to confront Israel with her sin and warn her of impending destruction (Cf. Ezekiel 3:17). Ezekiel employed several means to focus on the people’s need for judgment. These included sins (Ezekiel 4-5), sermons (Ezekiel 6-7), and visions (Ezekiel 8-11). In each case the emphasis was on sin and its ensuing suffering.




EZEKIEL 4: Ezekiel communicated through object lessons, trying to get across to Israel that a siege is coming


GOD USES EZEKIEL TO ILLUSTRATE HOW ISRAEL WILL BE BESIEGED (Ezekiel 4:1-3)

Ezekiel set this up in some public place to dramatize a graphic model of prophecy. God was using Ezekiel to do the very obvious thing, to get it through their heads that Jerusalem was going to be besieged and plundered.

God was using Ezekiel to do an object lesson to get their attention and warn that they were going to be in trouble.


EZEKIEL LAYS ON HIS SIDES TO ILLUSTRATE THE INIQUITY OF ISRAEL (Ezekiel 4:4-8)


"So for 390 days you will bear the sin of the people of Israel" (Ezekiel 4:5)

Ezekiel will lay 390 days on his left side for the iniquity of the Northern Kingdom (House of Israel) and 40 days on his right side for the iniquity of the Southern Kingdom (House of Judah). And as history proves, the Northern Kingdom was indeed in idolatry longer than the Southern Kingdom.

Not the whole of the 430 years of the Egypt state is appointed to Israel—this is shortened by the 40 years of the wilderness sojourn, to imply either that a way is open to their return to life by their having the Egypt state merged into that of the wilderness; or, that by ceasing from idolatry and seeking in their sifting and sore troubles, a restoration to righteousness and peace.

The sum of 390 and 40 years is 430, a period famous in the history of the covenant-people, being that of their sojourn in Egypt (Exodus 12:40, 41; Galatians 3:17).

The 390 years, in reference to the sin of Israel, was somewhat specific, being the years from the setting up of the calves by Jeroboam (1Kings 12:20–33); that is, from 975 BC to 585 BC, about the year of the Babylonians captivity.

The 40 years may allude to the forty years in the wilderness. Elsewhere, God threatened to bring them back to Egypt, which must mean, not Egypt literally, but a bondage as bad as that one in Egypt (Deuteronomy 28:68; Hosea 9:3). So, now God will reduce them to a kind of new Egyptian bondage to the world: Israel, the greater transgressor, for a longer period than Judah (Ezekiel 20:35–38). Alternatively, the 40 years of Judah may refer to that part of Manasseh's 55-year reign in which he had not repented, and which, we are expressly told, was the cause of God's removal of Judah, notwithstanding Josiah’s reformation (1Kings 21:10-16; 23:26, 27).


EZEKIEL’S DIET REFLECTS THE SEVERE FAMINE ISRAEL WILL FACE (Ezekiel 4:9-12)

"...millet..." (Ezekiel 4:9)

This is an annual grass which grows and matures without rain, the seeds of which are ground to flour and mixed with other cereals to form breadstuffs for the poor.

The materials mentioned in this passage represent the common grains in Israel’s diet (2 Samuel 17:27-29). Supplies were so scarce that several foods had to be combined to provide enough for a meal. The best exposition of this part of Ezekiel’s prediction of Jerusalem’s desolation is Jeremiah’s lamentation of it (Lamentations 4:3, 10-11), where he describes the terrible famine that was in Jerusalem during the siege and the sad effects of it.


"...twenty shekels..." (Ezekiel 4:10)

A shekel weighs 0.4 of an ounce, avoirdupois.

That means Ezekiel's food allowance was only about eight ounces a day!


"...sixth part of an hin..." (Ezekiel 4:11)

Ezekiel's water ration was about a pint and a half a day!

"In this way the people of Israel will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them" (Ezekiel 4:13)
Foreign nations and their products were considered unclean (Amos 7:17; Hosea 9:3, 4). 

The Israelites insisted on taking on heathen worship, heathen idols, so God says, "Great, I am going to put you at the level of the heathen."


Ezekiel was a priest. He knew the dietary laws--He knew the above broke just about every dietary law there is. However, the above passages were above such ceremonial issues (Exodus 22:30; Leviticus 7:18, 24; 17:11-16; 19:7; 22:8; Deuteronomy 12:16; 14:21). In these passages, Ezekiel was talking about survival rations.


Ezekiel was trying to illustrate that the Israelites will not have the luxury to comply with the dietary laws of the Lord because of the siege. The mixing of the grains and mixing dung with meat were defiling to the Jews, including Ezekiel, but that was his point: They would be lucky to find anything to eat—Famine was coming!


Note: It’s not really defiling the meat to mix it with dung, since Ezekiel was using it for fuel and heat, not food.


GOD GIVES ISRAELITES OVER TO THE HEATHEN IDOLS THEY HAVE CHOSEN TO WORSHIP (Ezekiel 4:13-17)


Ezekiel said, "Not so, Sovereign LORD! I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead or torn by wild animals. No impure meat has ever entered my mouth" (Ezekiel 4:14)
Ezekiel denies ever having taken part in idol worship (meat sacrificed to idols was unclean meat), in a similar manner that Peter defended himself when asked to eat unclean animals (Acts 10:9-16).

Israel will waste away because of their iniquity (Ezekiel 4:17)



EZEKIEL 5: God's judgment on Jerusalem continues


Ezekiel shaves his head and beard to illustrate great shame (Ezekiel 5:1)
Hair was a sign of consecration of a priest (Leviticus 21:4-5), a symbol of the priest’s commitment to the Lord. It was also the symbol of a Nazarite vow. In Jeremiah 41 it was a sign of catastrophe. From Job 1, Isaiah 22, and Jeremiah 7, it was a sign of mourning.

God deals with the Israelites in thirds (Ezekiel 5:2-12)

Ezekiel was to take three balances, implying the just discrimination with which God weighs out the portion of punishment allotted to each. He was then to divide his hair into three "thirds"; and what happened to that hair was symbolic of what was being predicted would happen to the Israelites.

One third of the hair was to be burned, symbolic of the consuming of pestilence and famine; a second third was to be smitten with the sword, as was to be the lot of many inhabitants; and a third part was to be scattered to the wind, a figure of the scattered exiles, which included those who went down to Egypt taking Jeremiah with them (Ezekiel 5:12).


"... your garment..." (Ezekiel 5:3)

The small remnant of God’s people who eventually returned to the city is pictured by the few hairs that were bound up in Ezekiel’s robe. [Cf. Ezekiel 6:8-10; 9:8; 11:13]

"… Fire…" (Ezekiel 5:4)

Many things are included in the concept of fire. One of the allegorical idioms is being "tried by fire." We are familiar with the refining of silver and gold, but here in Ezekiel's prophecy it is Israel that is being refined by fire. Fire here is tribulation. The idea of fire being used as a method of refining is used throughout the Scripture in many contexts.

Example of the fiery furnace in Daniel: Shadrach, Meshach and Abenego were preserved through the fire by the Son of God, because they did not bow to the image.


Nebuchadnezzar was ruler of the entire known world at that time and was a type of the antichrist (Cf. Revelation 13).


54x in Ezekiel, God makes the claim, "And they shall know that I am the Lord." Ezekiel’s whole theme is the recognition that God is God.


Early on, Ezekiel’s message pointed out that they were to repent of their idolatry. He warns them, but they do not listen. Judgment falls to demonstrate to them, and all the nations around them, that the Lord is God (Cf. Zechariah 13:8-9).


"This is Jerusalem" (Ezekiel 5:5-6)

Jerusalem was the center of God’s providential choice and care (Exodus 19:5, 6; Deuteronomy 7:6-8; 14:2; 26:19).

Ezekiel was always talking of Jerusalem. Being a prophet to slaves in Babylon, Ezekiel was hundreds of miles away from Jerusalem. At the time he was warning them, Jerusalem was still around, yet it was about to be destroyed (Deuteronomy 32:8).

Isaiah 2:1-4

God had an origin for Jerusalem, and He has a destiny for Jerusalem.

Heavy judgment is predicted for Jerusalem (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28; Jeremiah 19; or Lamentations 2), and Jerusalem plays a pivotal role in God’s plan. When Jerusalem fails, He punishes it; and yet when the world is blessed, the blessings come from Jerusalem. [Cf. Isaiah 2:4]


God will vindicate his holiness before the world (Ezekiel 20:9, 14, 22, 41; 22:16; 28:25; 38:23; 39:27) with unparalleled punishments upon Israel from the Lord (cf. Lam 1:12; 2:20; 4:6).

"Parents will eat their children, and children will eat their parents" (Ezekiel 5:10)
Cf. 2 Kings 6:24-29; Leviticus 26:29

Cannibalism had been predicted by Moses (Deuteronomy 28:52-57) and were verified by Jeremiah (Lamentations 2:20; 4:10).


"A third of your people will die of the plague or perish by famine inside you; a third will fall by the sword outside your walls; and a third I will scatter to the winds and pursue with drawn sword" (Ezekiel 5:12)

These judgments are referred to in Ezekiel 5:2 (Cf. Jeremiah 14:12) and were not limited to Zedekiah’s time: 1/3 suffered the Nazi holocaust in Germany (Cf. Zech 13:8-9)!


GOD JUDGES ISRAEL AS A LESSON FOR THE WORLD (Ezekiel 5:13-17)


"Then my anger will cease and my wrath against them will subside, and I will be avenged. And when I have spent my wrath on them, they will know that I the LORD have spoken in my zeal" (Ezekiel 5:13)

This solemn asseveration appears in Ezekiel 5:13, 15, 17; 17:21, 24; 21:17, 32; 23:34; 24:14; 26:14; 30:12; 34:24; 36:36; 37:14; 39:5 and elsewhere in similar phraseology.
(Ezekiel 5:14-17)

The Remnant
The concept of the remnant became the dominant note of prophecy in the Old Testament, from the fall of Jerusalem in 587 BC on. Similar idea is also found in Genesis:
* The flood of Noah: out of the entire world, God saved 8 people.
* In Isaiah 6:12-13, the "substance thereof" is really "stump," referring to the root of Jesse, a prophecy fulfilled by Jesus(Cf. Isaiah 10:20-22).
* The remnant is gathered not from Babylon, but from all countries (Jeremiah 23:3).
* The remnant is going to be intertwined with promises to restore Israelites to their land.
* Isaiah 11 says that when they are called back to their land the second time, it would be the final time—the first time they were called back from Babylon, from one country; the second time was from May 14, 1948 and on-wards.

Jerusalem

Watch the role of Jerusalem in prophecy. In the end of Ezekiel 5, God pronounced on Jerusalem the four scourges of famine, evil beasts, pestilence and sword (Leviticus 26:14-26). The four acts of judgment: famine, evil beasts, pestilence, and sword, also appear in Ezekiel 14:20 (Cf. Leviticus 26:22-26; Deuteronomy 32:24, 25; Revelation 6:7-8). 

These judgments on Israel have significance:

* For the world (Ezekiel 5:5-8)
* For Israel (Ezekiel 5:13-17)
* And for the survivors (Ezekiel 6:8-10)

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Genesis 39-40


Notes compiled with my BSF group and from Bible study with Pastor Damian Kyle

GOD TRAINS JOSEPH IN THE WAYS OF THE EGYPTIANS (Genesis 39-40)

Joseph first learned the politics of Egypt by working under Potiphar. In jail, Joseph learned about the justice system and the socioeconomic of Egypt. When Joseph finally met Pharaoh, he already had a clear idea of how Egypt was run and the culture of Egypt, making him ready to be placed in a leadership position.


Potiphar trusts Joseph (Genesis 39:1-6)
Joseph’s character was based on God. Unlike people back then where each person did things according to their own selfish wants and needs, Joseph’s standard was based on the Word of God. He could be trusted because he didn't operate selfishly. Joseph operated with the love of God for the people.


So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority (Genesis 39:4)

Joseph was being trained by God, being prepared to become the second most highest trained officer in Egypt. Joseph didn't know that at the time. He just followed God. Wherever God put him, Joseph followed faithfully.

Joseph's love for God exceeds the convenience of sinning (Genesis 39:7-12)
Let us make not beat the bush around it: Potiphar's wife was hot (powerful men, especially the Pharaoh, keep beautiful wives) and Joseph was hot (Genesis 39:6). Joseph was young and well-developed. It has been shown that men's greatest sexual desire peaks between 17-20 years of age. Sexual attraction would thus be one of the strongest temptations Joseph would have to face at the time. However, we see that when saying no was not enough, he ran as fast as he could away from the situation.


The idea here is that Joseph was able to resist the greatest temptation in his life at the time, setting us an example of how we should deal with sin.


According to the culture back then, no one would have batted an eye had Joseph taken up the offer from Potiphar's wife. In fact, it would have been conveniently easy to follow through. Joseph was already in a powerful position in the household. To get the lady of the house on his side as well? Even better.

We see, however, that Joseph never lost his way. He never once conceded to man's standards. He continued to follow God and continued to operate under God's standards. 

Joseph asked, "How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" (Genesis 39:9)

Joseph loved God more than sin. Joseph's relationship with God was more sacred to him than satisfying sinful lusts.

God was with Joseph, giving him the power to say no. Similarly, we have the Holy Spirit within us, giving us that same power to resist temptation (Romans 6:1). Love protects us against sinning. Our love and passion for God should be like that of Joseph, a love that would help us conquer temptation of sin.

Joseph continues to trust in God, even when man treats him horribly unfair (Genesis 39:13-20)

Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison (Genesis 39:20)

This suggests that Potiphar did not believe the accusation. If he did, he would have had Joseph beheaded according to Egyptian law back then.


Even though Potiphar's action may show that he may have believed Joseph's innocence, he nevertheless sent Joseph straight to jail. Like Jesus, Joseph was innocent and wrongfully accused of a crime he did not commit. And like Jesus, Joseph was sent to prison even though he was innocent.

This had to have been difficult for Joseph. He's been beaten down so much in his life: He's always done what is right in the eyes of the Lord, yet his brothers sold him as a slave, and now, he was thrown in jail for something he didn't even commit.

Here, Joseph faced another temptation that could be greater than the temptation of Potiphar's wife: Turning bitter against God, because he had been treated unfairly time after time--But he didn't.

Joseph avoided self-pity and bitterness by keeping God’s view on his situation. If all Joseph could do was moan and complain when he was sent to Egypt, he would not have become a trusted servant of Potiphar. If all Joseph did was moan and complain in jail, he would not have bothered to help the chief cupbearer who would later tell the Pharaoh about Joseph. And if the Pharaoh had never met Joseph, Joseph would have never been made the 2nd most powerful man in Egypt. And if Joseph never rose to that position, he would have never been able to save his family from the famine—and then, where would the family that was supposed to bring forth the Messiah be!

We see, instead, how Joseph was able to see God's use of his misfortunes for the greater good. He saw that although he was sold to Egypt, he was able to be positioned by God to save his people. Instead of focusing on his horrible circumstances, he focused on accomplishing God's will. 

But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison (Genesis 39:21)

It is amazing how much we can endure when we know that things are right with God!

Joseph shows compassion even under horrendous circumstances (Genesis 40:1-8)

Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad. So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in the custody of his lord’s house, saying, "Why do you look so sad today?" (Genesis 40:6-7)

Joseph had just been thrown into jail for a crime he didn't even commit. He had every reason to be depressed and not care about the people around him--He had enough problems of his own! However, we see that Joseph didn't just sit in jail feeling sorry for himself and moping in the corner of a jail cell. Instead, he focused on helping others. He saw that the chief cupbearer and the chief baker were both puzzled and sad, and Joseph immediately went to them to help them out.


Joseph faithfully shares God's message (Genesis 40:9-19)
To the chief cupbearer, Joseph had great news. To the chief baker, Joseph had bad news. In each case, we see Joseph telling the news--good or bad--faithfully according to God's revelation. Joseph didn't try to sugar-coat the message to the chief baker. Joseph didn't only say the good so that people would not be offended. He shared whatever God had given him to say. Joseph was not afraid to tell God's truth, no matter how bad that truth may sound to the human ear.

God is all-powerful and all-knowing (Genesis 40:20-22)
Just as Joseph revealed to both the chief cupbearer and chief baker, the chief cupbearer was restored to his position whereas the chief baker was executed.

When prophecies are fulfilled, God's sovereignty is revealed, and his messengers are redeemed.

The chief cupbearer forgets about Joseph (Genesis 40:23)
Although Joseph held up to his end of the deal, the chief cupbearer seemed to have forgotten about Joseph the minute he saw the light. This must have been extremely disheartening for Joseph. Up to now, his life had been fairly rough. His brothers hated him; Potiphar sent him to jail; and now, he was left forgotten in jail. It seemed like people just used Joseph and then tossed him away when they were done. At that moment in time, even the strongest person would get knocked down a bit.

If Joseph was knocked down, we sure don't notice it. As he has continuously shown, Joseph just gets right back up and keeps on following God.

Years later, Joseph's patience would be rewarded. When God gave Pharaoh a dream that no one else could interpret, the chief cupbearer finally remembered Joseph and brought Joseph to the Pharaoh's attention.

Life is funny sometimes. There are so many factors we wish we could control, but the truth is, there are just too many factors we are not aware of. Why do some things happen but not others. Why now, why 10 years from now, why never? Our lives, from where we are, are full of unknowns, but hindsight is 20/20.

Looking back, it seems reasonable why Joseph had to wait a few more years. Joseph needed to be fully mature and capable in the affairs of Egypt when he met the Pharaoh. He might not have been ready when the chief cupbearer got released. But when the timing was right, God provided the opportunity Himself and allowed Joseph to be raised up. This is a lot of guessing, but one thing is for sure, God has His timing, and He knows us better than ourselves. We may not understand what's going on at the time things are happening, but if we turn away from God, then what God has in place for us would not be fulfilled. If Joseph stopped following God, if he didn't have the patience to see God's will through, God would not have been able to place Joseph at the right hand of the Pharaoh -- and then, who would save Joseph's family, THE most important family in the world?

Stay focused on God. In Him, all things will be revealed. If not now, then later. Focus on God instead of our own sorrows, so that God can heal our wounds and work through us to fulfill His will.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Genesis 37-38


Notes compiled with my BSF group and from Bible study with Pastor Damian Kyle


"This is the history of Jacob" (Genesis 37:2)


Although the rest of Genesis focuses much on Joseph, it ultimately has to do with Jacob and his legacy.


Back in Genesis 15, God told Abraham that his people would spend 400 years in the foreign land before He would bring them back to the land of Canaan.


Why did God take Abraham and his family out of Canaan and into Egypt for that period of time?


1. To wait for the iniquities of the Amorites to become completed in Canaan


2. To protect His people

At this period in time, Jacob's family was small, in terms of a nation (70 males are not enough to fill even a village). Any nation in Canaan could have easily overtaken them. And so, they were guided into Egypt for protection. Would Egypt absorb the Hebrews? Most likely not. Egyptians were very proud of their heritage and would have never thought of intermingling with "immigrants," which makes Egypt a safer haven for God's people than anywhere else. The rest of Genesis describes how God brings His people into Egypt.

3. To develop them from a family into a nation

They entered into Egypt as a family and came out as a nation -- a population of millions of people.



"Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father" (Genesis 37:2)


Some people take this to say that Joseph was being a "snitch." Others say he was doing the right thing--tending flocks was his family's livelihood. By doing a horrible job, the brothers were putting his family at risk, and Joseph reported this to his father with the heart to save the family, as opposed to get his brothers in trouble.


My thoughts?


1. It makes sense

Based on the rest of Joseph's story in the Bible, it makes sense that Joseph was just doing the right thing. He was protecting his family's livelihood. This shows the integrity of Joseph, and integrity among people who are immoral generally does not lead to happy endings.

2. However, people grow and mature

So, Joseph could have been immature as all children are, but then he matured into the role that God intended for him to be--as supported by the rest of Joseph's biography. I don't hold this view, because most pastors say that Joseph and Daniel were the two men (other than Jesus) in the entire Bible in which nothing bad was said about them. Further, Leviticus 5:1 details one of the Laws of Moses that one cannot keep silence when something wrong is being done that would hurt the people.

3. At the end of the day, we don't know how it went down. Only God and Joseph know Joseph's heart.

So, speculate all we want, but it's important to remember that it's all just speculation. 


"Jacob loved Joseph more than all his children" (Genesis 37:3)


Jacob committed the same sins that his parents also committed: favoritism. Worse, he went on to make it very well known of his preference for Joseph, such as that colorful coat. If Joseph's brothers didn't like him because of his righteousness, they certainly wouldn't like him any better now.


Jacob's favoritism toward Joseph led to intense jealousy among the brothers. The brothers thus plotted against their father and staged Joseph's death while selling him as a slave into Egypt instead. In short, because of his favoritism for Joseph, Jacob lost Joseph.



GOD GIVES JOSEPH DREAMS (Genesis 37:5-11)


God gave these dreams to Joseph to encourage him

The road ahead of Joseph would prove to be a very difficult one: He would be sold as a slave into Egypt; his father would not come after him because he would be left assumed dead for more than 20 years; he would be accused of a crime he did not commit. However, God is moving Joseph into position to save His people. Joseph would become the second most powerful man in Egypt, so that he would be in place to save His people from a severe famine. To encourage Joseph, to help him see the endpoint, God gave Joseph powerful revelations of what is to come.

Matthew 7:6

Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. 

Do not share sacred things with people who do not have the heart to understand or comprehend. Such people will only ruin God-given treasures just to make our lives miserable.


Joseph's brothers would bow down to him
It wasn't enough that Joseph was the favored son. He even received visions that his brothers would bow down to him.

His brothers wanted to kill Joseph because of his visions.


JOSEPH IS SOLD TO THE EGYPTIANS (Genesis 37:12-36)


Jacob sends Joseph to find his brothers

When Joseph didn't find his brothers where Jacob thought they would be, he went the "extra mile" to find out where they could have gone and went there to find them.

We learn something here:

1. Joseph is obedient to his father's wishes
2. When Joseph's brothers lied to Jacob about Joseph's death, we can only imagine how difficult Jacob must have felt--the doubts that could have gone through his head: "If only I hadn't sent Jacob to find his brothers!" And how does this speak of the heart of Joseph's brothers? That they could bear to have their father deal with this great a sorrow and guilt all those years?

Reuben and Judah save Joseph from immediate death

As Joseph's life unfolds through the rest of Genesis, we will see how blessings will be given accordingly.

Joseph is a type of Jesus

Like Jesus, Joseph was rejected by his own family/people.
Like Jesus, Joseph was betrayed for money.
Like Jesus, Joseph was found guilty when he was completely innocent.
Like Jesus, Joseph brought salvation for his family/people. 

Jesus is the greater Joseph, for He didn't just save His family or a nation; He saved all humanity, abolished sin, and conquered death.


God uses everything and anything to His will

It is naive and silly to think that it might be necessary for Joseph’s brothers to sell him to Egypt and endure all the hardship he endured so that he could have the chance to grow and mature spiritually. It is based on this same logic that people conclude that without Judas, there wouldn't be Jesus. 

We need to realize that God’s Will will be done. Period. There is NO ONE who can prevent it from happening. Not Satan. And certainly not man. 


If we abide by God's will, then our lives will be blessed. We will be able to take part in fulfilling God’s will. Look at Joseph.


If we choose to go against God's will, our lives will be cursed. Look what happened to Satan. Look what happened to Judas Iscariot. 


Man may think we can hinder God's will, but in reality, God always uses what we do to fulfill His will. Jesus would have died on that cross to wash away our sins with or without Judas. Read the Scripture carefully, and we will realize that Jesus permitted Himself to be caught and hung on the cross. That is, Jesus' hanging was carried out on God's schedule, not man's! The Pharisees had several opportunities to capture Jesus, yet Jesus always somehow manage to slip away. On the night of Jesus' capture, Jesus announced to His Twelve Apostles that He already knew the one who would betray Him. That pushed Judas to either act that night or never at all. Clearly, Judas made the wrong decision. But that's not the point. The point is, God's will proceeds whether we abide by Him or not. Our only choice is do we want to be on His side working toward His will or on Satan's side working against God's will.


Similarly, it was God's will that Joseph's brothers would bow down to him, that Joseph would deliver his people. Did God need the help of Joseph's brothers to move His will forward? Let us not be so naive. God created the entire universe. If God wanted to place Joseph in the place of power, no man could prevent that.


Joseph's heart was close to God from the beginning. He stood for righteousness, and he never left God--and God never left him. Because of his love for God, God was able to use Joseph, and Joseph was able to conquer all the extreme challenges he faced through his life. Because Joseph never left God, God was able to lead Joseph into greatness.


Even though Joseph was mistreated by his brothers and the people around him, God was able to use Joseph's circumstances and guide Joseph to become the second most powerful person in Egypt.



When we are in a difficult situation, we may feel like God has abandoned us or that He doesn't care. However, God loves us and is always looking out for us--Otherwise, why would He sacrifice His only Son to save us?

Difficulties in our lives are often the result of the following things:

1. Satan is trying to trip us up: Example, Job.
2. God is disciplining us: Example, Paul.
3. Life happens: Example, When I trip and fall.

When we immediately doubt the love of God, we have just pushed away our only source of support!


If Satan is trying to trip us up, and we push God away, who else can help us against Satan?


If God is trying to teach us or discipline us, and we push God away, how will we ever learn? How will we ever mature in the Word of God?


If it’s just bad luck, and we immediately push God away, how deep is our faith? Do we expect God to prevent every little mistake from our lives? Even kids know that in order to learn how to ride a bike, we all have to fall a couple of times. If we are never given the chance to fall, how do we ever learn to stand? Why would we expect our walk with God to be different?


Hence, whenever we are in a difficult situation, the FIRST thing we should do is SEEK God. Not run away. Like Joseph, we should never lose our focus on God. If Joseph had lost that focus, God would have not been able to work through Joseph, and Joseph would have never become the savior God had intended Joseph become.


And of course, always keep in mind that God’s Will will be done. Whether we are in a good position or in a bad position, God has a way of guiding us through it all to reach our final destination. No matter where we are in life, we should never give up; we should never stop looking to God.




JUDAH VEERS OFF THE PATH OF GOD (Genesis 38)

Genesis 38 uses Judah as the representative of the family of Jacob to show how Jacob’s family is veering off the path of God, showing us why it was necessary that God moved to place Joseph on the path of training him to provide a way out for his family, the family that would bring forth the Messiah.


Jacob's family, instead of bringing God's way to the people, started to adopt non-godly habits of the gentiles around them instead.


Example 1: Sons of Judah found no favor in the eyes of the Lord

Both Judah’s first two sons died because they did not walk with God. It is important to note that Onan was struck dead not because of "contraception" issues but because of deception and manipulation. The wife of Onan's brother made herself available to him solely for the purpose of birthing an heir, but he abused that trust by satisfying his own carnal needs and sabotaging the actual deed.

Example 2: Judah followed paganistic practices

During the season of sheering sheep, which was considered a harvest, it was a religious ritual for the Canaanites to engage in sexual intercourse with the temple prostitutes to ensure fertility for their sheep the following year. Instead of worshiping only God, Judah worshiped other gods, committing a sin that God deems an abomination. He also participated in sinful sexual activities that were clearly commanded by God as a sin against the marital covenant.

God's heart is especially tender toward widows and the poor

Like Ruth (Ruth 1), Tamar was widowed and childless. The life of a widow and childless woman was very difficult back then in the sense that she had no one to provide for her. (It's not like women could go out and get a job in those days.) Widowed and childless women thus often ended up on the streets and left destitute.

Like Rahab (Joshua 2), Tamar was a harlot who saved God's people. Tamar helped Judah realize his sin and guided him back toward the path of righteousness. 


God's love for Gentiles, women, the destitute can be seen through Tamar and Rahab. These two women were both included in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1)!



CHRISTIANS ARE PERSECUTED SO THAT EVIL CAN FLOURISH


From Joseph's early life, we see that living righteously often do not land us in enviable situations. Christians shine God's truth to people. Some embrace it and repent, whereas others hate it and reject it. Those who hate God's Word reject it because God's truth tells them that they can no longer live the way they do, that they can no longer live in sin. Instead of repenting and turning to God, however, these people focus on shutting the Christians up. They persecute Christians to prevent the spread of the Gospel all because they can go back to living in their sin without being reminded of their guilty conscience.


From Joseph's early life, we should also learn that the only way to endure persecution is by relying on God. Persecution is one of Satan's many methods to knock Christians off the path of righteousness, to sever our intimate relationship with God. Persecution is a direct attack from Satan to weaken our faith so that we would surrender and give up. If we go up against Satan on our own, then yes, we will certainly fail. However, if we continue to rely on God, as Joseph has shown us how to, we will endure. God will guide us through the pain and deliver us to His glory.


Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Ezekiel 3


Bible Study with Dr. Chuck Missler

BRIEF BACKGROUND

Even though Ezekiel has been captured, Jerusalem hasn't fallen. Until Jerusalem falls, Ezekiel’s message will be to his people, to urge them to flee idolatry and return to the Lord. They won’t do that, and thus, God will judge them, level Jerusalem, and bring them all into captivity.

Once Jerusalem falls, Ezekiel’s message shifts to the very distant future, our future (Ezekiel 34 and on).


EZEKIEL 3: THE PREPARTION OF THE PROPHET

Background
Jeremiah was a different type of individual from Ezekiel. Jeremiah was the prophet of the broken heart, with tears often streaming from his eyes. At that crucial moment in history God needed Jeremiah to let His people know that it was breaking His heart to send them into captivity. Yet, now the people have gone into captivity, and they are bitter and rebellious. Furthermore, at this time: the temple had not yet been burned, nor the city of Jerusalem destroyed. (It would not be until seven years after this delegation of captives arrived in Babylon that that destruction would occur.) Therefore, the false prophets were still telling the people that they were God’s people, and they would go back home. They said to Ezekiel, "Who do you think you are to tell us these things? We are God’s people, and we are going back to our land. We will not be in captivity a long time." But God had told Ezekiel, "You tell them they are not going back. They are going to be in captivity for seventy years just as Jeremiah said. They are going to be in Babylon seventy years, and they are going to work hard there along the canals, working in the fields and building buildings. It is going to be a hard lot for them."

"… eat this scroll" (Ezekiel 3:1-2)
Similar passages are found in Jeremiah 15:16; Deuteronomy 8:3; Psalms 19:10; 119:103; Revelation 10:8-11.

We should also eat and digest the Word of God.

Missler: "No man ought to preach the Word whose heart is not in it and who doesn't believe every word he says. The pulpit is the place to declare the Word of God."

The concept of "eating the words" may sound a bit strange. Jeremiah said, "Thy words were found and I did eat them" (Jeremiah 15:16). John was also so instructed (Revelation 10:8-11). The Lord Himself, when He was confronted by Satan in the temptations (Matthew 4:4) quoted: "Man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live" (Deuteronomy 8:3).

By "eating His Word," we are to fully digest what the Lord has said; to examine our own daily spiritual diet.

The Word of God is as sweet as honey (Ezekiel 3:3)
When we digest God’s Word, when we apply it to our lives, we will find His Way fully satisfying (Cf. Rev 10:8-11). Until we learn to love God’s Word, we will never be able to truly love God.

"… son of man…" (Ezekiel 3:4)
Do not confuse it with the title of Jesus Christ. Here, it means “son of the dust,” to speak of Ezekiel’s frailty.

Ezekiel will meet great resistance from his own people (Ezekiel 3:6-7)
In this passage, God is telling Ezekiel that the road ahead is a tough one. Being sent to a foreign country speaking a foreign language would have been an easier task! However, Ezekiel is being called to his own people. God tells Ezekiel up front, "They will not hear you, because they would not hear me."

Why would God send Ezekiel if He knew the people won’t listen? So that God might be just when He judges.

Ezekiel was in the second deportation and with the captives in Babylon while Jerusalem remained a vassal city. As long as Jerusalem had not fallen, Ezekiel’s message would be to his people, admonishing them to flee idolatry and return to the Lord. For the remnant who did hear him, that was valuable. However, the period of grace finally ran out, and God’s judgment fell on the city of Jerusalem, and the rest of the people were brought into captivity.

Once the Israelites were brought into captivity, Ezekiel’s message shifted—to the future, our future. Ezekiel was first called to the House of Israel, and then to us, today! This book is more than just Biblical background: it has something to say to us personally. Rather than acknowledging God’s judgment and confessing their sins, the Jewish exiles viewed their time in Babylon as a temporary setback that would be alleviated by their soon return to Jerusalem. They refused to admit their sin or to believe the threat of impending judgment on their disobedient nation.

God prepares Ezekiel for the road ahead (Ezekiel 3:8)
Do we hear God’s Word? Or do we fail to hear?

The living creatures are real, not a type of allegory or hallucination (Ezekiel 3:12-15)
From this verse, we can infer that what Ezekiel saw in Ezekiel 1 was not allegorical, not an hallucination. We see here that Ezekiel continues to try to describe the strange presence he was confronted. This verse gives us the insight of the dimension in which these other living creatures operate.

"...the hand of the LORD" (Ezekiel 3:14)
Cf: Ezekiel 1:3; 3:22; 8:1; 33:22; 37:1

This phrase is used 190 times in the Old Testament.

"I sat among them for seven days—deeply distressed" (Ezekiel 3:15)
With what he witnessed in Ezekiel 1, and the Lord talking to him through Ezekiel 2-3, Ezekiel was physically overwhelmed for seven days. For seven days he has sat among them overwhelmed by how far they have apostatized and turned from God; God now calls him to separate himself.

Why seven days? Perhaps because seven days were appointed for the consecration of the priests (Cf. Leviticus 8:33).

Ezekiel is called to be a watchman for his people (Ezekiel 3:16-21; 33:1-20)
(Cf. 2 Samuel 18:24-27; 2 Kings 9:17-20)

Isaiah 62:6
I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night.

Psalm 127:1
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

Ezekiel 3:18
When I say to a wicked person, "You will surely die," and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.
Cf. Blood accountability (Genesis 9:5-6).


"Die" (Ezekiel 3:18)
To perish in the destruction of the state and being excluded from the restored kingdom of God

"Live" (Ezekiel 3:21)
To being preserved and entering into the blessedness of the kingdom


Four Types of Man
1. The habitual sinner who is not warned (Ezekiel 3:18).
2. The sinner who is warned but does not repent (Ezekiel 3:19).
3. The righteous man who apostatizes but is not warned (Ezekiel 3:20).
4. The righteous man who is warned and remains righteous (Ezekiel 3:21).

Ezekiel is accountable for the faithful deliverance of God’s message, not for its success or failure (Ezekiel 3:17-19)—That is the Holy Spirit’s role!


Under Grace
We are constituted righteous by faith in Jesus Christ. We are saved by grace through faith.

Romans 4:5
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted [reckoned] for righteousness.

The true believer today may fall into sin, but he will not deliberately practice and live in sin:

1 John 3:9
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit [practice] sin.
If a believer falls into sin, a gracious provision is made—we have an Advocate with the Father, and we can come to Him in confession of our sins.

The emphasis in Ezekiel is not so much upon this man living under law but upon the responsibility of the watchman. The watchman is to warn the man who has turned from good works to living in a way that conforms to the standard of the enemy.

The main issue of a watchman was not to deliver results, but to give warning. What the people do with the info, that no longer the watchman’s responsibility. Hence, the role of the watchman is an informational role. It is not our objective to turn others around; that is the job of the Holy Spirit. Our job is to be a witness (Ezekiel 33:1-2 is a parallel passage).


The Call to the Nation
Comparing this passage to some of the other prophets we see that they saw that their mission had a national or corporate purpose (Habakkuk 2, Jeremiah 6, and Isaiah 56). They were to expect a reaction on the part of the Nation.

The Call to Individuals
Ezekiel’s call was to the individual. Compare this with the Letter to Laodicea: In all the letters to the Churches, Jesus was saying something good and also something critical (Revelation 2-3). When He addressed Laodicea and reached the place in the letter where one expects a call to the Church, there is no call to the Church. Instead He says…

Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.


In the letter to Laodicea, where the call to the Church was expected, there was no such corporal call. Instead, the call was PERSONAL. In all the other letters, this part was a promise to the Church, but instead, we see a promise to the individual. This is suggesting that the Church as a whole was dead, but to the individuals that continue to invite Jesus in, there is His promise.

Similarly, Ezekiel here is called to the individual, again, stressing that the people as a whole at the time were dead—but there is still hope for the individual who repents.


It also reinforces the concept of what God said earlier—that the Nation would not repent. Despite all his preaching and all the things he was going to go through, they were going to stay in idolatry as a nation, and thus, go into further judgment with Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians.


GLORY?

The subject of the glory of God will appear again and again in the Book of Ezekiel. Some will say that glory is something you cannot see, that it is intangible. However, Missler is one of those who believe that glory produces a sensation on all five of our senses.

Below are Missler's notes
Source: McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, 1981.

1) Glory has size
How big is it? Is it long or square or round? Glory has the size beyond the infinity of space. The Word of God tells us, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork" (Psalm 19:1). The glory of God is seen in this tremendous universe that you and I live in.

2) Glory also has a beauty to it: Glory is beautiful.
We read in Scripture that He was "… glorious in his apparel …" (Isaiah 63:1). He is really dressed up and lovely in the garb that he wears vs. those "…whose glorious beauty is a fading flower …" (Isaiah 28:1).

3) There is a majesty about glory
"O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens" (Psalm 8:1). This is the majesty of God; it is bright and light, precious and pure.

4) Finally, glory also sets forth honor and dignity
Daniel said, "O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor" (Daniel 5:18). The very name of God suggests His dignity, His glory. Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord.

The Glory’s Impact on Ezekiel
• It gave him a message at Telaviv (Ezekiel 3:12, 22).
• It transported him from his home in the exile to the entrance of the gateway of the inner court of the Temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 8:4,5). 

• It departed from the cherubim in the Temple to the threshold of the Temple (Ezekiel 9:3; 10:4).

• It mounted up from the threshold to the eastern gate of the
Temple’s outer court (Ezekiel 10:15,16,18,19).
• It went up from the midst of the city to the Mount of Olives on the east side of the city (Ezekiel 11:22, 23).
• It will return to fill the new Temple and cleanse the people (Ezekiel 43:2-7; 44:4).



"Go, shut yourself inside your house" (Ezekiel 3:24)
This does not imply that Ezekiel was never to leave his house (Cf. Ezekiel 5:2; 12:3). Instead he was to refrain from open fellowship with the people. Often, the leaders came to Ezekiel at his house to receive God’s word (Cf. Ezekiel 8:1; 14:1; 20:1).
[Pfeiffer, Charles F.: The Wycliffe Bible Commentary : Old Testament. Chicago : Moody Press, 1962, S. Ezek 3:22.]

Ezekiel started his ministry in silence. Ezekiel was struck dumb except as the Lord elects to speak through him.

The Prophet’s Restraint (Ezekiel 3:22-27)
Some scholars understand this section to indicate a pathological element in Ezekiel: that he was afflicted with catalepsy and aphasia and that his countrymen had to bind him with cords after he became demented figurative for an enforced period of silence and inactivity on the part of the prophet.

In reality, however, Ezekiel will act out various parables.

Instead of speaking a great deal, Ezekiel is going to act out the parables that God gives to him. This is one of them: he goes into his house and locks himself in. Why? To show that God has rejected this rebellious people.

He was to open his mouth only in his own house to those who consulted him privately (Ezekiel 3:24; 26:8). This intermittent silence prevailed from the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem until news of the fall of the city was brought to the prophet by a fugitive about two years later (Ezekiel 24:1, 27). Then, when Ezekiel spoke freely, the people were able to realize that God had spoken.