The Responsibility of Truth

A verse in Ezekiel has me thinking about our responsibility when it comes to sharing the truth; that's what we're going to talk about in this episode.

But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious. Ezekiel 2:7 NASB

I ended up deviating from the "Common Knowledge" theme for this episode, but the topic was heavy on my heart. It is important to find that fine line between being respectful and standing up for God's truth. There are several verses that speak about us beng responsible for the edification of the body, the one that inspired this episode is just the one I was reading at the moment.

If you are interested in the visual aids of the Bible Project (menitoned in the episode), check out their YouTube page.

Would You Rather: 377 Days in the Ark or 430 Days on Your Side

Would you rather is a fun game to play, particularly when getting to know someone. A person is asked to choose betwen two things of equal desiring—making it hard to decide and opening dialouge as to why the person chooses the option they choose. Recently I stumbled accross several versions of "Would You Rather?: Bible Edition" and found the questions quite intriguing. I've decided to answer one every Sabbath. Let me know your answer to today's "Would You Rather?" in the comment section.

Would you rather be couped in the ark for 377 days with the animals or lay on your side for 430 days?

Answer: Be couped in the ark for 377 days

Backstory

Noah & the Ark

If you follow the timeline outlined in Genesis 7-8, you can calculate the number of days Noah was on the ark. The flood began on the seventeenth day of the second month when Noah was 600 years old. However, Noah entered the ark seven days before it started to flood. So the beginning of his tenure in the flood was on the tenth day of the second month. Later we see that it is on the twenty-seventh day of the second month the next year that the Earth is dry and Noah is able to exit the earth. From the tenth of the second month to the tenth of the second month the next year is exactly one year (365 days by our calendar, but 360 days by the Israelite's lunar calendar). We can then add the time from the tenth day of the second month to the twenty-seventh day (17 days) to get a total of 377 days by the Israelite calendar. This is the duration of time that Noah remained inside the ark taking care of the animals.[1]

Ezekiel on His Side

In Ezekiel 4, God tells the prophet Ezekiel to take on the sins of Israel by lying on his side. First he was to lie on his left side for 390 days, representing the North Kingdom. Then, he was to lie on his right side for 40 days representing Judah. This adds to 430 days total that Ezekiel was meant to lay on his side.[2]

Rationale

This would you rather was pretty easy for me to deicde, but there are pros and cons of each once you stop to think about it.

I love animals, and beccause God didn't put fear of man into animals until after the flood, I'm convinced Noah could communicate with the animals he saved. Thus, for me the idea of being with these animals for a little over a year is kind of exciting. As a farm girl, I have experience with taking care of animals and its a very peaceful life—I imagine this is very close to God's original plan for man in the garden. We also know that Noah wasn't alone on this journey, he had his wife, his three sons, and his three daughters-in-law.

And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Genesis 6:13 KJV

The down side of choosing this option is that you also would see the death and destruction of the flood. I imagine people rushed toward the ship when they realized Noah had been right all along. Noah and his family probably lost friends during the construction phase of the ark, but there were probably people they tried to save up until the last moment. If you think about it from a spiritual aspect, we all have friends or family that don't believe. They love us and we love them, despite our differences of belief. If the Lord came back right now, those people would be lost. In Noah's time they probably didn't have this phrase but "survivor's guilt" may have been a major factor in his post-flood life (it also explains why he got drunk).

The upside of Ezekiel's situation is that there wasn't much work involved—the laziness in me appreciates that. However, that's really the only benefit I can see...

Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity. Ezekiel 4:4 KJV

It's selfish, but I wouldn't want to take upon myself "the inquity of the house of Israel." It would be quite boring and tedious to lie on one side for such a duration. Also, there is no mention of a partner, so it's likely Ezekiel did this completely alone, almsot like an exile. During this time, God gave him specific requirements about what and how much he could eat. Nothing about this experience sounds plesant.

Of course it's the sacrifices like these that are the most important. Given the choice, many of us would not have suffered for mankind the way Christ did either. It takes a deeper level of compasion and love to take on the burdens of even one other person and sacrifice your own freedom. Just last night I was discussing "over-population" and the fact that there are people starving. Someone said we don't have enough resources to feed everyone, but the truth is, those of us in wealthy countries are hoarding food. Dirty Money on Netflix has an episode about the avocado business. These avocadoes are coming from places where the population is poor and in one place, the avocado trees are given priority when it comes to water. So, in order for all many of the people who promote vegan and healthy lifestyles to consume the number of avocadoes they consume, those people have to suffer. It is difficult for us to willingly restrict ourselves to a more bland but accessible diet. In this way, I admire Ezekiel because he did something I'm not ready to do yet: sacrifice himself for the good of the people.

Which would you rather do?

References and Footnotes

1. Genesis 7-8
2. Ezekiel 4
3. I found many versions of "Whould You Rather?: Scripture Edition"; this question was found in a version made by Megan Briggs of Church Leaders

Nehemiah and Prophecy

Sometimes you have to sit and think a while on what you've read. Eventually the Holy Spirit will reveal why God left this information for us.

Lessons Learned: The Gates of Jerusalem

Introduction

Nehemiah is mostly about the reconstruction of the wall with a little genealogy thrown in. This is one of those books that its easy to lose the value of. The wall in Jerusalem doesn't seem important initially, particularly from a Christian point of view, and neither does the genealogy. Sometimes you have to sit and think a while on what you've read. Eventually the Holy Spirit will reveal why God left this information for us.
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Lineage

The Jews were meticulous at keeping genealogy. As a descendant of African slaves, I wish there was a book that kept track of my answers, and I can admire the effort taken to keep track of this information. However, it's not just about knowing your ancestors for self satisfaction. This is all setting us up for the New Testament, for the Messiah. Several prophecies tell us the Messiah will be from the line of David and of the tribe of Judah (e.g., Jeremiah 23:5-6), which means we can only validate Jesus as the Messiah if He is from the line of David. Imagine if Jesus' lineage was the only lineage given in the Bible. Would it seem credible? How would someone during Jesus' day record the lineage of Jesus back to David if it wasn't already preserved? Throughout the Bible, God commanded His people to record these lineages so that when the Messiah appeared, there would be no question of His legitimacy.

The genealogy of the Levites was important for Temple duty, as well as, for the priesthood. Although, we don't need this information today it is easy to see why it was included.
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The Wall

The Wall is the main focus, which why we know there has to be some significance. Sure, we can excise sermons on leadership and working together, but surely there has to be more significance to the wall than that. I think there are two ways to look at the meaning of the wall: spiritually and prophetically.
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Spiritually

We know the Temple is significant because it was the house of God. The New Testament tells us that our bodies are the new Temple (1 Corinthians 6:19), which means we should treat our bodies with the same respect the as the Temple of God. We can easily see the link between the Israelites' defilement of the Temple and their fall; we can translate that to spiritual meaning for defiling our bodies. Similarly, we can do the same thing with the wall.

The wall's purpose was to protect God's city, which included His Temple. This wall was created by the hands of God's people. Each family contributed to a section, and as they worked, the enemies of Israel constantly attacked. Similarly, we need a wall to protect ourselves from the devil's constant attack. This spiritual wall, is created by the body of Christ. Each of us much act together to protect each other from the influence of the world, which is controlled by Satan.
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Prophetically

Photocredit: Wikimedia Commons/Wilson44691

The wall also has prophetic significance. It is mentioned in a prophecy in both Ezekiel and Revelation.

Ezekiel 44:1-3 tells us that the God of Israel would enter through these gates and that it would be closed off. Some believe the east gate spoken of in Ezekiel is the gate Jesus used during His final entry and exit of the city. However, others believe the gate Ezekiel speaks of isn't part of the wall, but within the city.^[1]

Confusion about this gate has led to what is currently called the Golden Gate. The Golden Gate is considered to be the east gate that Jesus entered, however, it is actually a reconstruction built many years after Jesus' era. Nonetheless, the Ottomans read this prophecy and decided to do what they could to prevent the Messiah from entering. Not only did that bricked over gate, they placed a cemetery in front of the gate to defile the land. Their logic was that the Messiah would not be able to walk over the uncleanness of a cemetery. Those who believe Ezekiel's prophecy refers to the gate Jesus entered before His death and resurrection, see this as fulfillment of the prophecy. The Ottomans were neither Christian nor Jew, but they were clearly skeptical enough to that they believed the Messiah might come and overthrow their empire. That says something.

I find it funny that the Ottomans thought their actions would stop the prophecy from coming true. God doesn't lie; He tells us continually that the way to tell a true prophet is by the fulfillment of their prophecies. If man could block the entry and prevent the Messiah from coming, God's prophecies wouldn't come true. That would discredit the Bible all together. Rest assured, whatever Ezekiel's prophecy means, God will enter the gate just as He said.

Also, Revelation 21:12-13 tells us that there will be a gate in the New Jerusalem. This gate doesn't match the description of the gate built in Nehemiah, though. Why do the descriptions differ? My guess is, because the New Jerusalem will be perfect and everlasting, whereas the Jerusalem we know exists in a world filled with sin. The old wall needed to accommodate all the problems such a world, whereas the new wall won't.
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References

1. "What is the significance of the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem?". GotQuestions.org; visited April 2017