This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock.

Ezekiel 33-36

This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. Ezekiel 34:10

Day 241 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues as I return to Ezekiel as my commentary* indicates how Ezekiel gets his voice back (see Ezekiel 3:26 and Ezekiel 24:27) as a sign that Jerusalem has fallen: "With this dramatic confirmation of his earlier predictions regarding Jerusalem, Ezekiel sets about once again to take God’s word to the people. He reminds them that the desolation has not yet ended, but assures them that it will end soon, and that the promised restoration will begin. The time for healing will come quickly, and so Ezekiel changes his focus to comfort a scattered and defeated people."

*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

God helps Ezekiel understand the judgement that has befallen Israel/Judah and Jerusalem, describing the hypocrisy of God's people: 

As for you, son of man, your people are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the Lord.’ My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice. Ezekiel 33:30-32

In particular, God calls out Israel/Judah's spiritual leaders: 

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them. “‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock, therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. Ezekiel 34:1-10

Ezekiel's message is also one of encouragement, including prophesies of the coming Messiah and a New Covenant, for those in exile:

For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness.  Ezekiel 36:24-29

For me this morning, as the spiritual leader of my household, I am particularly convicted to carry out the role God has carved out for me to lead those in my house.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has helped rescue me from the pit - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love.  My sin continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But Jesus called the children to him and said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. v16

Luke 18

But Jesus called the children to him and said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. v16

John Piper offers great teaching and encouragement on these verses in Luke 18 (v15-17).  I am reminded of my role as spiritual head of the household and that I should be taking time to instruct my sons on scripture.  I need to do more!

Jesus - please help me be effective as spiritual leader of my household!

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You are my Heavenly Father as well as my Lord and Savior.  Thank You for making time for me and for paving the way for me to have salvation, life to the full and so much more...! I am undeserving of such blessings.  I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Luke 2

But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. v51-52

As a parent, the most important thing I wish for my sons is to believe in Jesus.  Zach is old enough now where he makes decisions for himself that I must live with.  Just as Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, Zach and Dustin are growing less dependent on Lisa and myself - and we pray that "grace of God is on them just as it was with Jesus (v40).

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who loves Zach and Dustin...and they are a blessing to our family!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such blessings.  I worry..Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message today and every day.

The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over Ephraim, yet snares await him on all his paths, and hostility in the house of his God.

Hosea 9

The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over Ephraim, yet snares await him on all his paths, and hostility in the house of his God. v8

According to John MacArthur's commentary, prophets such as Ezekiel, as the appointed watchmen, delivered God's message and warning to Israel, yet these messages and warnings were ignored by Israel as they descended into wickedness and sin.

In my role as a father and husband, I often worry about whether I am doing enough as the spiritual head of my household.  To a certain extent this worry is warranted, yet my focus should be not on my worry but on my own spiritual journey with God.  The best thing I can do is to model Jesus for others, including those in my own house.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who gave me Your Son Jesus to save me, and to help me with my own walk - also giving me Your Word, the church, and so much more!  Thank You Jesus.  Yet I am undeserving of such gifts.  I worry and I miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.

Ezekiel 33

Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood. v5-6

About a week ago, I posted about how we will all bow to Jesus as Lord, whether or not we accept Him as Jesus.  Because of this we all ultimately are personally held accountable for our actions.  

Today, I am reminded that when God gives us an opportunity to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and we take it, God will save us from the sting of BOTH sin and death.  Ezekiel's role as watchman (see also v7-9) is to blow the trumpet warning for people to repent to bow to God as sovereign over all.  Just as we are all personally held responsible for our actions, Ezekiel is also held accountable for  his role as watchman.  This is also true for church leadership, parents, etc - all who have a God given role with the church or home.  As spiritual head of my household, I don't take this lightly.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has saved me from the sting of sin and death.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I worry and I am often too harsh with my words and actions.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind, and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Proverbs 22

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. v6

I am blessed to have two sons both of whom I love very much.  It is my desire to have both of them choose Jesus as their Lord and savior.  My role is to be the earthly father that God intends for me...to teach them about Jesus and to demonstrate Jesus' love, mercies, and grace.

Demonstrating Jesus means that He must be visible in our lives...throughout our daily lives:

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (see also Deuteronomy 11:18-21)

Parents, specifically fathers, as spiritual heads of the household must avoid "exasperating" our children - as in their hearts desire to learn about a God whose love is higher and wider than we will ever know (Ephesians 3).

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.  Ephesians 6:4

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God full of love, mercies, grace, and so much more.  You suffered and died for me, knowing everything about me, including my sin.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love as I am broken and I continue to sin.  Please forgive me for my neglect of my relationship with You.  Help me turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer and the side effects from chemo. Help me lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me lead and serve my family and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.

Psalm 78

We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done. v4

As a father, one of my key roles is to be the spiritual leader of the household and I am to teach my children the ways of the Lord.  My hope and prayer is that Zach and Dustin "put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands".
 

He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.  They would not be like their ancestors—a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him. v5-8.

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth. Deuteronomy 11:18-21

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6

There is more I can do.

My Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You have blessed me with Your presence and guidance.  I am lost apart from You and I can do no good thing.  Thank You Jesus for never leaving me.  I need You desperately in my life because I continue to separate myself from You.  I sin.  I worry...I am lazy, selfish, prideful, arrogant, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus!  Help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin....and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.