Through the Bible in 66 Days - Ezekiel

 

Ezekiel — A Prophecy of Glory, Judgment, and Unshakeable Hope

1. God Appears When Everything Seems Lost

Ezekiel begins in a refugee camp by the River Chebar — a place of defeat, dislocation, and despair. The people felt abandoned, their city destroyed, their temple burned, their future gone. Yet there, in the dust of exile, God breaks through.

Ezekiel doesn’t see a God crushed by circumstances but a God riding above them, enthroned in glory, unbound by geography, politics, or human failure.

God still comes to people who feel defeated. Christ steps into our exile — our sin, our brokenness, our hopelessness — and reveals that God has not abandoned us.

Key Verses

• “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — John 1:5

• “But God, being rich in mercy… made us alive together with Christ.” — Ephesians 2:4–5

When everything collapses, God is not absent.

2. God’s Glory Is Above Every Circumstance

Ezekiel’s opening vision is not a puzzle to decode but a message to absorb: God is not trapped in Babylon, nor defeated by Babylon. His throne has wheels — He moves, He reigns, He is sovereign everywhere.

Ezekiel learns that God is not overwhelmed by the chaos of life. He is above it, ruling over it, working through it.

The Lord Jesus Christ shows us the same truth. Even the cross — the darkest moment in history — was not a defeat but the place from which salvation flowed.

Key Verses

• “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” — Matthew 28:18

• “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” — Colossians 1:17

Ezekiel’s vision lifts our eyes. Christ lifts our hearts.

3. Ezekiel’s Message of Judgment Is a Message of Love

Ezekiel speaks plainly about sin, idolatry, and rebellion. God’s people had wandered far, and judgment was not cruelty but clarity — a call to return.

Judgment in Ezekiel is never the last word. It is the doorway to restoration.

The cross shows the same pattern. God takes sin seriously — so seriously that Christ bears it. Judgment becomes the pathway to mercy.

Key Verses

• “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” — John 3:17

• “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” — 1 Corinthians 15:3

God confronts us not to crush us but to bring us to repentance.

4. God Can Change Not Only Our Circumstances but Our Hearts

Ezekiel is full of transformation — dry bones become an army, a ruined temple becomes a pl

ace of glory, a scattered people become a restored nation.

But the greatest miracle is internal: God promises a new heart, a new spirit, and His own Spirit dwelling within His people.

This promise is fulfilled in Christ. Through His death and resurrection, and through the gift of the Holy Spirit, God changes us from the inside out.

Key Verses

• “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17

• “I will put My laws in their hearts.” — Hebrews 10:16

Ezekiel shows that God doesn’t just fix situations — He renews people.

5. God Never Gives Up on Those Who Trust Him

Despite their failures, God promises Israel a future — a shepherd, a covenant of peace, a restored land, a renewed temple, and a river of life flowing from His presence.

Ezekiel ends not with despair but with a name: “The LORD is there.”

Christ is the Good Shepherd, the Prince of Peace, and the source of living water. In Him, God’s presence is not a distant hope but a daily reality.

Key Verses

• “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” — John 10:11

• “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” — John 1:14

• “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” — Philippians 1:6

God’s faithfulness outlasts our failures.

Conclusion — Ezekiel’s Gospel Thread

Ezekiel teaches us that:

• God appears in the darkest places

• God reigns above every circumstance

• God confronts sin to restore us

• God transforms hearts by His Spirit

• God never abandons those who trust Him

In Christ, every one of these truths shines even brighter.

When we sit by our own “River Chebar” — confused, defeated, or displaced — the God of Ezekiel still comes to us. He still speaks. He still saves. He still restores. And He still reigns.

All photos courtesy of Unsplash

Should we be alarmed about war in the Middle East?

 

World events rush upon us and often take us by surprise. As a Christian, I believe that everything is moving towards the end times and that the events described in the Bible will come to pass. It was thousands of years between the initial promises of a Saviour (Genesis 3:15) and the coming of Jesus of Nazareth, but this, plus the fulfilment of other prophecies (see Daniel 2 and 7, for example), gives me the confidence that God's word will always be seen to be authentic in the end and will always be fulfilled.

I do not know (not being a prophet) how this emerging conflict between the USA, Israel and Iran will turn out, and I do not necessarily agree with everything they have done. However, it would appear that things are gathering pace and Biblical prophecy is nearing fulfilment.

In light of current world events, we all need to be aware that time is running out for all of us. Time is a limited commodity, not just in what we can do in any 24 hours, but also in our lifespan. This means we need to take a relationship with God (or the lack of it) seriously.

Through the Bible in 66 Days - Lamentations

Lamentations: A Gospel-Shaped Invitation to Honest Sorrow and Hope

The Weight of a Broken Heart

The book of Lamentations opens a window into the soul of Jeremiah, often called the weeping prophet (Jeremiah 9:1). The word lamentations is not one we commonly use today. Still, it simply means deep sorrow—a grief that shakes the heart. This short biblical book was written soon after the destruction of Jerusalem, when God’s people were taken into exile. Their city lay in ruins, their temple burned, and their identity was shattered.

In these pages, Jeremiah does not hide behind a brave face. He does not pretend. Instead, he pours out raw, devastated, and confused emotions. His honesty gives us permission to acknowledge our own sadness rather than bury it.

When We Want to Hide

It is tempting to hide away when we feel upset. Many of us put on a brave face, especially in public or in church. But Lamentations shows us that God is not honoured by pretence. He invites honesty. 

The people of Judah were overwhelmed by grief, guilt, fear, and shame. Jeremiah captures this with painful clarity:

• “How lonely sits the city that was full of people!” (Lamentations 1:1)
• “My eyes fail with tears… my heart is poured out on the ground” (Lamentations 2:11)

This is not polite sorrow. It is the kind of lament many of us feel but rarely express. Yet Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). The New Testament reminds us that believers “groan inwardly” as we wait for redemption (Romans 8:23). Scripture never asks us to pretend.

What Breaks God’s Heart

As Jeremiah surveys the devastation, he recognises the deeper issue: the tragedy is not only the broken city but the broken relationship with God. Lamentations repeatedly returns to this truth:

• “The LORD is righteous, for I rebelled against His command” (Lamentations 1:18).
• “Our fathers sinned… we have borne their iniquities” (Lamentations 5:7).

Sin breaks God’s heart because it breaks His people. In love, He brought judgment—not to destroy them, but to bring them back. Hebrews 12:6 reminds us, “The Lord disciplines the one He loves.” 

Judgment was not God’s final word. Mercy was.

Hope in the Middle of the Ruins

At the centre of the book, like a beam of light through storm clouds, Jeremiah lifts his eyes:

“This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” —Lamentations 3:21–23

This is the gospel in seed form. Even in judgment, God’s love has not failed. Even in sorrow, His mercy is fresh. Even in exile, He remains faithful.

The New Testament completes this picture:

• “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
• “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Ephesians 1:7).

Lamentations points forward to the cross, where judgment and mercy meet.

Why Lament Leads to Life

Lamentations teaches that lament is not the end—it is the doorway to repentance and restoration. When we stop pretending, when we allow ourselves to feel the weight of sin and sorrow, something beautiful happens:

• We turn back to God.
• We confess honestly.
• We discover His forgiveness afresh.

“Godly sorrow produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret” (2 Corinthians 7:10). Lamentations is not a book of despair but a book of hope. It shows that God meets us in the ashes, not after we have cleaned ourselves up.

A Gospel-Shaped Invitation

For believers today, Lamentations offers three gospel lessons:

• You don’t need to hide your sorrow. God welcomes honesty.
• Sin is serious because God’s love is deep. His discipline flows from His heart.
• Repentance leads to salvation. Through Jesus Christ, forgiveness is full and free.

Lamentations is not simply Jeremiah’s grief—it is God’s invitation. An invitation to bring our tears, failures, fears, and sins to the One whose mercies are new every morning.

All photos courtesy of Unsplash