Leaders are killed for their sins

EZEKIEL     CHAPTER 9

Then the Lord asked that the men appointed to punish the city be brought to him along with their weapons. Six men came to the upper gate. One man was dressed in linen and carried a writer's case and they all went into the Temple courtyard.  Then the power of the Lord arose between the Cherubim and moved to the entrance of the Temple. The Lord called to the man in linen and asked him to walk thru the streets putting a mark on the foreheads of those who weep because of the sins they see.

Then the Lord said to the other men to follow the man in linen and kill anyone whose forehead is not marked. He asked them to show no mercy and no pity, but to kill them all, old, young, girls and women and children. The Lord asked the men to begin right there in the Temple and so they began by killing the seventy leaders. And the Lord told them to defile the Temple with bodies of the dead.

While they were gone, Ezekiel was alone and fell face down in the dust and cried out to the Lord that he was afraid the Lord would wipe out everyone in Israel. So the Lord spoke to him and said the sins of the people were very great and he would not spare those who sinned or take pity on them. Then the man in linen reported back that he had finished the work the Lord gave him to do.

BIBLE NOTES: The writer's case was a common object in those times. I included a long board with a groove to hold the reed brush used to write on parchment or papyrus. The board was hollowed out to hold cakes of black and red ink.
The Cherubim are an order of powerful angelic beings created to glorify God.

HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? It is interesting to talk about "marking" people. We know that during Exodus, people marked their door frames with blood to save their firstborn from death. In Revelations, we know that people will be marked for salvation. And some followers of Satan will be marked for destruction.

Isn't it ironic that the first men killed in the Temple courtyard were the seventy leaders. But we must realize that the spiritual leaders promoted their own beliefs and people abandoned God and followed them. Spiritual leaders always are set to a high standard and accountable to God because they  are supposed to teach the truth. Can you think of some spiritual leaders in our own community who were held accountable recently?  I can. And we must pray for our leaders today and always. We must continue to expect the best from our leaders. Just as the Lord expects the best from us.

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:


HEALTH:

Pray for my grandson, new baby Gunar who was born with kidney problems.

Pray for my grandson Hunter who is lost and afraid and far away from home.

Pray for Gary and Steve my insurance men who have prostate cancer.

Pray for Arlene’s nephew David and for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life.

Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer and who recently underwent major surgery.

Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with a form of MS.

Pray for Robert Sargent who is quite ill with lung cancer.

Pray for Gary Summers, my friend from church, who has cancer.

Pray too for Charly’s husband Robert who has been undergoing chemo. Pray also for Charly who longs to be 100 percent again and walk without an aid.

Pray for James’s sister Cynthia whose chemo has lost its effect as the cancer grows powerful.

SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary

RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John

LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian

SUPPORT: Pray for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom. Pray for our farmers and those who raise livestock during this terrible drought. Pray for us consumers who will face higher grocery prices and the poor who won’t be able to adjust what little budget they have.