DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 2:
DAILY BIBLE READING
Ezekiel 10-12New King James Version (NKJV)
The Glory Departs from the Temple
10 And I looked, and there in the firmament that was above the head of the
cherubim, there appeared something like a sapphire stone, having the
appearance of the likeness of a throne. 2 Then He spoke to the man clothed
with linen, and said, "Go in among the wheels, under the cherub, fill your
hands with coals of fire from among the cherubim, and scatter them over the
city." And he went in as I watched.
3 Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple[a] when the
man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court. 4 Then the glory of the
Lord went up from the cherub, and paused over the threshold of the temple;
and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the
brightness of the Lord's glory. 5 And the sound of the wings of the
cherubim was heard even in the outer court, like the voice of Almighty God
when He speaks.
6 Then it happened, when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying,
"Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim," that he went in
and stood beside the wheels. 7 And the cherub stretched out his hand from
among the cherubim to the fire that was among the cherubim, and took some of
it and put it into the hands of the man clothed with linen, who took it and
went out. 8 The cherubim appeared to have the form of a man's hand under
their wings.
9 And when I looked, there were four wheels by the cherubim, one wheel by
one cherub and another wheel by each other cherub; the wheels appeared to
have the color of a beryl stone. 10 As for their appearance, all four
looked alike-as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 11 When they
went, they went toward any of their four directions; they did not turn aside
when they went, but followed in the direction the head was facing. They did
not turn aside when they went. 12 And their whole body, with their back,
their hands, their wings, and the wheels that the four had, were full of
eyes all around. 13 As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing,
"Wheel."
14 Each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, the
second face the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth
the face of an eagle. 15 And the cherubim were lifted up. This was the
living creature I saw by the River Chebar. 16 When the cherubim went, the
wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted their wings to mount
up from the earth, the same wheels also did not turn from beside them. 17
When the cherubim[b] stood still, the wheels stood still, and when one[c]
was lifted up, the other[d] lifted itself up, for the spirit of the living
creature was in them.
18 Then the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple and
stood over the cherubim. 19 And the cherubim lifted their wings and mounted
up from the earth in my sight. When they went out, the wheels were beside
them; and they stood at the door of the east gate of the Lord's house, and
the glory of the God of Israel was above them.
20 This is the living creature I saw under the God of Israel by the River
Chebar, and I knew they were cherubim. 21 Each one had four faces and each
one four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their
wings. 22 And the likeness of their faces was the same as the faces which I
had seen by the River Chebar, their appearance and their persons. They each
went straight forward.
Judgment on Wicked Counselors
11 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the East Gate of the
Lord's house, which faces eastward; and there at the door of the gate were
twenty-five men, among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah
the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. 2 And He said to me: "Son of
man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give wicked counsel in this
city, 3 who say, 'The time is not near to build houses; this city is the
caldron, and we are the meat.' 4 Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy,
O son of man!"
5 Then the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said to me, "Speak! 'Thus
says the Lord: "Thus you have said, O house of Israel; for I know the things
that come into your mind. 6 You have multiplied your slain in this city,
and you have filled its streets with the slain." 7 Therefore thus says the
Lord God: "Your slain whom you have laid in its midst, they are the meat,
and this city is the caldron; but I shall bring you out of the midst of it.
8 You have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you," says the
Lord God. 9 "And I will bring you out of its midst, and deliver you into
the hands of strangers, and execute judgments on you. 10 You shall fall by
the sword. I will judge you at the border of Israel. Then you shall know
that I am the Lord. 11 This city shall not be your caldron, nor shall you
be the meat in its midst. I will judge you at the border of Israel. 12 And
you shall know that I am the Lord; for you have not walked in My statutes
nor executed My judgments, but have done according to the customs of the
Gentiles which are all around you."'"
13 Now it happened, while I was prophesying, that Pelatiah the son of
Benaiah died. Then I fell on my face and cried with a loud voice, and said,
"Ah, Lord God! Will You make a complete end of the remnant of Israel?"
God Will Restore Israel
14 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 15 "Son of man, your
brethren, your relatives, your countrymen, and all the house of Israel in
its entirety, are those about whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said,
'Get far away from the Lord; this land has been given to us as a
possession.' 16 Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Although I have
cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them
among the countries, yet I shall be a little sanctuary for them in the
countries where they have gone."' 17 Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord
God: "I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries
where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel."' 18
And they will go there, and they will take away all its detestable things
and all its abominations from there. 19 Then I will give them one heart,
and I will put a new spirit within them,[e] and take the stony heart out of
their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My
statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and
I will be their God. 21 But as for those whose hearts follow the desire for
their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their
deeds on their own heads," says the Lord God.
22 So the cherubim lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them, and
the glory of the God of Israel was high above them. 23 And the glory of the
Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain, which is
on the east side of the city.
24 Then the Spirit took me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of
God into Chaldea,[f] to those in captivity. And the vision that I had seen
went up from me. 25 So I spoke to those in captivity of all the things the
Lord had shown me.
Judah's Captivity Portrayed
12 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 "Son of man, you dwell in
the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and
ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house.
3 "Therefore, son of man, prepare your belongings for captivity, and go into
captivity by day in their sight. You shall go from your place into captivity
to another place in their sight. It may be that they will consider, though
they are a rebellious house. 4 By day you shall bring out your belongings
in their sight, as though going into captivity; and at evening you shall go
in their sight, like those who go into captivity. 5 Dig through the wall in
their sight, and carry your belongings out through it. 6 In their sight you
shall bear them on your shoulders and carry them out at twilight; you shall
cover your face, so that you cannot see the ground, for I have made you a
sign to the house of Israel."
7 So I did as I was commanded. I brought out my belongings by day, as though
going into captivity, and at evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I
brought them out at twilight, and I bore them on my shoulder in their sight.
8 And in the morning the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 "Son of
man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, 'What
are you doing?' 10 Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God: "This burden
concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are among
them."' 11 Say, 'I am a sign to you. As I have done, so shall it be done to
them; they shall be carried away into captivity.' 12 And the prince who is
among them shall bear his belongings on his shoulder at twilight and go out.
They shall dig through the wall to carry them out through it. He shall cover
his face, so that he cannot see the ground with his eyes. 13 I will also
spread My net over him, and he shall be caught in My snare. I will bring him
to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he shall not see it, though he
shall die there. 14 I will scatter to every wind all who are around him to
help him, and all his troops; and I will draw out the sword after them.
15 "Then they shall know that I am the Lord, when I scatter them among the
nations and disperse them throughout the countries. 16 But I will spare a
few of their men from the sword, from famine, and from pestilence, that they
may declare all their abominations among the Gentiles wherever they go. Then
they shall know that I am the Lord."
Judgment Not Postponed
17 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 18 "Son of man, eat
your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and anxiety.
19 And say to the people of the land, 'Thus says the Lord God to the
inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the land of Israel: "They shall eat their
bread with anxiety, and drink their water with dread, so that her land may
be emptied of all who are in it, because of the violence of all those who
dwell in it. 20 Then the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and
the land shall become desolate; and you shall know that I am the Lord."'"
21 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 22 "Son of man, what is
this proverb that you people have about the land of Israel, which says, 'The
days are prolonged, and every vision fails'? 23 Tell them therefore, 'Thus
says the Lord God: "I will lay this proverb to rest, and they shall no more
use it as a proverb in Israel."' But say to them, '"The days are at hand,
and the fulfillment of every vision. 24 For no more shall there be any
false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. 25 For I
am the Lord. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass; it will
no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the
word and perform it," says the Lord God.'"
26 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 27 "Son of man, look, the
house of Israel is saying, 'The vision that he sees is for many days from
now, and he prophesies of times far off.' 28 Therefore say to them, 'Thus
says the Lord God: "None of My words will be postponed any more, but the
word which I speak will be done," says the Lord God.'"
Footnotes:
a.Ezekiel 10:3 Literally house, also in verses 4 and 18
b.Ezekiel 10:17 Literally they
c.Ezekiel 10:17 Literally they
d.Ezekiel 10:17 Literally they
e.Ezekiel 11:19 Literally you
f.Ezekiel 11:24 Or Babylon, and so elsewhere in this book
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James VersionR. Copyright C 1982 by Thomas
Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
