Rembrandt painted a small old house by a river, like Emperor Nebuchadnezzar gave to the slave he had, A High Priest named Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 20:30-44
30 “Therefore say to the Israelites: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images? 31 When you offer your gifts—the sacrifice of your children in the fire—you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, you Israelites? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will not let you inquire of me.
32 “‘You say, “We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.” But what you have in mind will never happen. 33 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. 34 I will bring you from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. 35 I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment upon you.
36 As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord. 37 I will take note of you as you pass under my rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38 I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
39 “‘As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you!
But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols.
40 For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord, there in the land all the people of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings and your choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices.
41 I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy through you in the sight of the nations. 42 Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors.
43 There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done. 44 You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
Our Lord Father God has seen all of us in different situations of life. Ezekiel dealt with a repentant people. They had given God gifts certainly, in His Temple, yet Mark 7 lists God as saying these gifts were given as necessity and not as a gift from a longing heart.
David had lived life beautifully as a shepherd sitting and learning and thinking of God. And had been brave in his anointed state moving to care for his nation for Saul. Earning the disfavor of Saul as he grew. That is a huge step to go from rural young boy to the favor of the king.
David remained God's child. In his mercenary years. In his war years. In his war and hoping years. And on the throne, he was taught to do better and did. To the grief and poor parenthood he displayed. And God saw all of David's changes and expectations of His Father God's goodness - And God wanted His Son to be David's Son. Interesting how lovingly Father God judges. David certainly built Jerusalem - and Father God never faulted David for doing his job or thinking David had turned from Father God.
Only God knows hearts as well as God does.
Psalm 138
1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.a
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased.b
4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.
8The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Father God, We give You thanks for hearing our prayers. We thank You for not only knowing our name, for planning our lives in the last phrase of the Bible - The Book of Life.
Thank You Father God, You delight in Good and we live our days knowing Your plans for us are a hope and a future. We live up the people we Love and we lift up the people You have given us. And our Nation. In Jesus. Amen.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves †
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