The prophet Ezekiel was born and raised in Jerusalem.  He was the son of Buzi, a Zadokite priest and therefore it was his earthly destiny to follow in his father’s footsteps.  But storm clouds were looming on the horizon during his youth.  The Northern Kingdom of Israel had fallen in 721 B. C. and Nebuchadnezzar’s soldiers were knocking on the door of the Southern Kingdom.  In 587 B. C. the city of Jerusalem was captured and ransacked.  Ezekiel, as one of the upper class citizens, was taken into exile along with 10,000 others (2 Ki. 24:10-14).  Settled along the Kebar River, a tributary of the great Euphrates, with Jerusalem over 500 miles away lying in ruins, Ezekiel was compelled by the Lord to speak words of prophecy (Ez. 1:1-3). 
            While Ezekiel did not live during Israel’s Golden Age under David and Solomon, the Temple was still at the center of Jerusalem when he was growing up.  It is difficult for us to understand how much was associated with this building.  It was both Israel’s worship center and a symbol of their relationship with the Lord.  His visible Presence was seen in the Cloud which rested upon the Mercy Seat within the Holy of Holies.  Its destruction was equivalent to ripping out someone’s heart and leaving them to die.  The Exile was both morally and spiritually devastating especially for someone like Ezekiel whose life would have been focused on ministering there.  The psalmist wrote, “By the rivers of Babylon we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion” (Ps. 137:1), an apt description of the emotions associated with its loss.
            Ezekiel’s life had been determined at birth.  He grew up knowing that someday he would serve in that beautiful Temple which rose above the city of Jerusalem on Mount Zion.  God’s visible presence had guided Israel through the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Ex. 13:21-22).  God’s promise to dwell with His people began with His instructions to Moses in Exodus 25:8.  It continued on the day when Solomon dedicated the Temple and the Lord’s Glory filled it with smoke (1 Ki. 6:11-13; 8:10-11, 20, 27-29).  But continued desecration and disregard of God’s commands had brought about the unthinkable and exactly what God had forewarned (1 Ki. 9:1-9).  God’s presence departed from the Temple and it appeared He had departed from His people too.  But they could not have been more wrong.  If Ezekiel and his fellow exiles learned anything during their time in Babylon it was that their God was bigger than a building and never limited to a particular place as the pagan gods often were.  Yet they still longed for that special place (Jerusalem) and that Temple that once stood there (Ps. 122:1-9; 137:5-6).  Ezekiel’s final vision gave them hope.  God would restore both His temple (Ez. 40:1-43:27) and His city (Ez. 44:1-48:35) with the name “Yahweh Shammah” (Ez. 48:35), The Lord is There”.
            I am sure there were times during the Exile that Ezekiel felt life to be terribly unfair.  It certainly had not gone the way he or his family had planned.  Life often feels that way.  Whether we are the victim of someone else’s sin and ill-will, a confusing and stormy world, or are living with the results of our own poor choices, we all face times when God appears to be distant and remote because our circumstances seem overwhelming and discouraging.  Some of these events can be so devastating we wonder if we will ever be whole again.  There are people spread out across the pages of Scripture, who like Ezekiel, know exactly how we feel.  While Ezekiel struggled with the unfulfilled mission in his life he may have been reminded of Joseph, who also landed in a place where he did not belong (Gen. 39:19-20), or Gideon who struggled with courage in the face of a formidable foe (Jud. 6:11-16).  He may have been reminded of his contemporary Daniel who ended up in a lion’s den when He would not give up on God (Dan. 6:16-23).
            Be encouraged!  While it may not FEEL like the Lord is with you, He is “The Lord is There”.  He has promised to never leave or forsake you just as He did Moses and Joshua (Dt. 31:6; Jos. 1:5; Heb. 13:5-6).  He has given you a Helper (Jn. 14:15-18; 16:7).  You can draw upon the strength these promises give you when the world seems out of control (Ps. 37; 40:1-3).  He has been where you are and He is in the midst of your struggles walking beside you (Heb. 4:14-16) and He understands exactly how you feel.  It is important to remember in these times of deepest sorrow and strife that you are not alone and that God can use your situation for His glory (Phil. 1:12-13; 4:11-13, 19).  Just as Ezekiel was promised a restored Jerusalem and its glorious Temple, all believers have received the promise that one day there will be no sorrow and shame and we will dwell with the Lord forever (Jn. 14:1-3; Rev. 21:1-5).  I’m sure we are all looking forward to that!
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
Week of 5/1/2016

           Jared watched his father closely.  He stood at the doorway of the stable room and looked intently over their two ewes and the lambs beside them.  Jared held his breath.  He knew he shouldn’t have, but he had become attached to the one with the milky white wool.  Mama had warned him when she saw him stroking its coat one day, “Jared, you know you will not be able to keep him.”  But in spite of his good intentions to listen to Mama’s advice, this one had taken a special place in his heart and his heart shattered when Papa scooped up his “favorite” and strode out the door.  Many years later Jared would tell you that at that moment he came to know just how costly sin was.
            The ancient Israelite home was simplistic but extremely functional in its design.  A central room was the equivalent to the modern day eat-in kitchen/family room.  There was also a room for sleeping, and another to accommodate guests should they arrive unexpectedly (which they usually did!).  The last room functioned as a stable room.  But it was not meant for all the livestock if the family was fortunate enough to have a small flock.  This room was generally used for the animals which would journey to Jerusalem to become a sacrifice.  Sacrifices were required by the Law to be perfect.  No spot or blemish could be found on the animal, therefore it meant special care needed to be taken so that the animal would meet those requirements, hence a small room set apart to do just that. 
            There were basically two major types of sacrifices: burnt offerings and peace (or thank) offerings.  In general these offerings were brought in order to “pay for” both known and unknown sins, offer thanks, or to give God His due (for example the first fruit offering found in Ex. 22:29 and Ex. 23:19).  In the era of the patriarchs sacrifices were fairly straight forward but after the Law had been given to Moses on Mt. Sinai the sacrificial system became more deliberate and elaborate (Lev. 1-7).
            By the time of Jesus and the disciples carrying off the amount of sacrifices being made, especially on a holy day such as Passover, was a science in logistics!  The pivotal component of Passover (the commands of which are found in Ex. 12:1-6 with specific directions on what to do with the blood from that sacrifice in verses 7-13 and 21-22), or of any Biblical sacrifice, was the offering itself- in this scenario, the lamb.  The list of offerings using lambs is quite extensive (Lev. 14:10, 12, 13, 21, 24, 25; 23:12, 18, 19, 20; Num. 7:15, 17, 21, 23, 27, 29, 33, 35, 39, 41, 45, 47, 51, 53, 63, 65, 69, 71, 75, 77, 81, 83, 87, 88 and many more!!).  Lambs with any form of blemish could never be offered as a sacrifice for atonement (Lev. 22:23).  With so much importance placed on the condition of and the necessity of a sacrificial lamb, it then becomes quite apparent how striking it must have been to hear John the Baptist call Jesus “The Lamb of God” (Jn. 1:29, 36).
            The Greek word for lamb, amnos, is only used four times in the New Testament (Jn. 1:29, 36; Ac. 8:32; 1 Pet. 1:19) and in each instance it is used in reference to Jesus.  In the book of Revelation the word is changed to arnion making an even more specific reference to Christ as THE Sacrificial Lamb (Rev. 5:6, 12).  John’s use of the word is also connected to the phrase “of God” (tou Theou) signifying that this Lamb is provided by God, just as He once provided a ram for Abraham’s sacrifice (Gen. 22:7-8, 13-14).  Jesus bears this title because He sacrificed Himself (and by no coincidence) at the time of Passover (Mt. 26:1-2; Mk. 14:12; 15:22; Lk. 22:14-20; 23:33; 1 Cor. 5:7).  Spiros Zodhiates writes, “His deliverance of sinners is likened to the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt.  Thus John the Baptist recognized Jesus Christ as the One who was to bring deliverance when he saw Him that day”.  The blood from the lamb of the Exodus spared the Israelites from judgment as God “passed over” the homes whose doors bore its blood.  Likewise the blood of Jesus is now sparing those who have applied it (so to speak) to their lives.  Jesus lived up to the criteria of the perfect sacrifice (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Jn. 3:5), therefore He is able to literally take up and carry away the guilt and judgment associated with sin (Rev. 5:6, 12).
            The penalty of sin and what it took to remove it was a costly sacrifice.  Although we can somewhat understand it in terms of our imaginary story above, I’m not sure we fully “get it”.  It’s true that many of us have a beloved pet and know how hard it is to lose them to sickness or death but truthfully, we can hardly equate that to what God the Father must have felt when He allowed His Son to become the Sacrificial Lamb which took away the sins of the world (Jn. 3:16-17).  We may catch a glimmer of it when we think of a person we love, but even that could not possibly match the trauma of the cross.  However, even with these weak examples our lives should reflect some understanding of the price that was paid for our freedom.  Are you living in such a way?
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div. 
Week of 4/24/2016

            While I may not have seen the movie “The Blob” in its entirety, I do remember catching a scene or two on TV.  The story involves Steve Andrews and Jane Martin, two teens who witness the crash of an unusual meteor one night while out on a date.  The bulk of the movie involves their desperate quest to find someone to believe that said meteor has unleashed an evil blob which is consuming people at an alarming rate.   There are many stories where something that appears innocent enough proves to be otherwise.  The audience knows “this can’t be good” but the characters are unaware of their impending doom and either ignore or embrace the seemingly innocent appearance of the “alien object”.
            While the issue of Sin may not be as easily solved as discovering that an evil blob can be stopped if it is frozen (which is what Steve Andrews discovers in the movie), Scripture teaches that God the Father has “stopped sin” in two ways.  The first and merely temporary solution to this problem occurred in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:21) and continued with the sacrificial system whereupon the blood of an innocent animal temporarily stopped the deserved punishment for the evil of sin (Lev. 17:10-11).  But just as a supermarket coupon is only good for a limited time, so too, the sacrificial system was limited.  To permanently remove the stigma of sin, God had to “cover it” in the eternal sense.  Enter Jesus Christ, God’s Son, who offers Himself as a sacrifice to cover the eternal damage of sin.  As a man, He is akin to those who should pay the penalty.  As God He is eternal and therefore permanently removes the penalty which should have been placed upon humankind.
            There is no episode in Israel’s history that demonstrates the effects of sin more dramatically than the Exodus.  Moses approaches Pharaoh ten times on behalf of the people.  But each request to release the Israelites is denied and with each denial comes judgment in the form of a plague upon the Egyptians.  The tenth and final plague is the most devastating.  The Israelites are commanded to take a lamb, kill it and spread the blood across the lintel and on the doorposts of their homes.  They are then to cook the meat, eat it with their sandals on being ready to leave at any moment.  Release from their bondage came at a high price- the death of the first born in each Egyptian family including Pharaoh’s.  And with each following year that great and terrible night is remembered through the celebration of Passover; the night when the Lord passed over the homes which bore blood on their doors, but judged those which did not have it.   
            The imagery of sin and judgment is the backdrop of Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 5.  Paul is astounded to learn of a grossly immoral relationship within the church (1 Cor. 5:1-2).  He is also shocked to learn that the incestuous couple has not been confronted about their relationship and continues to fellowship with the body of believers.  Paul’s language may appear harsh to us saying that he has “judged” them and “decided to deliver such a one to Satan” (1 Cor. 5:3-5).  It is important to understand the meaning behind these words from Paul’s perspective.  The verb here means “to separate, distinguish, discriminate between good and evil, select and choose out the good”.  In the New Testament this judgment involves forming or giving an opinion AFTER separating and considering the particulars in a case.  In other words, this judgment is not prejudicial; it is a conclusion drawn from comparing God’s desires and commands against the reality of the situation.  If those being considered are found lacking but refuse to repent, there is nothing that can be done to avoid the consequences of following sinful desires (other than pray!).
            Left unchecked sin issues can multiply like The Blob.  They begin as something quite small but expand to a catastrophic size rather quickly.  Paul likens this to a lump of leaven which only needs to be a small piece in order to make the bread rise and it doesn’t take long for it to get to work (1 Cor. 5:6).  This passage is not the only one which uses leaven to illustrate the insipidness of sin (Mt. 13:33; Lk. 13:21; Gal. 5:9).  But Paul makes a significant connection as to why we should “get the leaven out”.  It is because “Christ our Passover has been sacrificed” (1 Cor. 5:7).  The redemption of Israel from Egypt was a costly one.  By using the terminology of Passover to describe the sacrificial death of Christ, Paul demonstrates that our redemption from sin is just as costly, if not more so.   Letting sin issues remain dominant in our life, or refusing to acknowledge and confront sinful behavior in the church body will have devastating consequences.   Do we want to take Christ’s death so lightly?  No, it is best to understand the truth of God’s commands, correctly discern the sin in our lives, and sincerely correct it (1 Cor. 5:7-8). 
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div. 
Week of 4/17/2016

            The day had been filled with sunshine.  Asher found a good spot midway through Wadi Qilt and the sheep had pleasantly grazed while he watched them from the shade of the canyon wall.  When the sun began its descent Asher had a decision to make.  Should he return to the village or seek out the sheepfold near the end of the wadi?  He decided it would be a shame to pass up grazing here for one more day, so he herded the flock into a sheepfold for the night.  Whoever had built it many years ago had taken advantage of a small cave in the rock walls, building a semi-circle of stone about four feet high extending out into the wadi with just enough room for a small flock like Asher’s.  On top of the stone wall lay a collection of thorny branches designed to discourage predators and at the front of the sheepfold was a narrow opening.  Once he got a small fire going nearby, he ate the food he’d brought for dinner.  Then Asher rolled out his mat in front of the opening making himself a human gate as it were.  He would sleep there all night as a way to protect the flock even further.  His flock was very dear to him and there was nothing that he would ever allow to harm them.  It was as simple as that!
              It is very easy for us to read through Scripture and not take notice of the day to day living across its pages.  The reason for this may be that it is somewhat alien to the kind of lives we live or because it fits the perception we have of how life should be in that context.  Either way, those “prejudices” rob us from fully understanding the richness of many passages.  Such is the case with Jesus’ statement, “I am the door of the sheep” in John 10:7.  I confess that for many years I would just fly past that statement thinking, “That’s nice” and never think beyond it.  But really?!  What person keeps their sheep in a house so that they must go in and out of a door?  Here is where our little story of the fictional shepherd Asher sheds some light.  Even to this day you can find sheepfolds in Israel.  You can still see shepherds at work too.  And for those shepherds who decide to keep their flock out in the field overnight, the sheepfold is the place to do it.  While many translations have used the word “door” for the entrance to these enclosures, there is actually no barrier in them.  The narrow gap that provides passage may not be appealing to the sheep, but they can still wander if there is not something in place to keep them there.  So the caliber of the shepherd is paramount.  If he is a “good” shepherd, he will place himself in the opening.  If he is not, the sheep may or may not make it through the night.
            Jesus claims that He is the “good shepherd” (Jn. 10:11, 14).  Jesus does not use the typical word for good (agathos) here.  Instead He uses the word “kalos”, which not only carries the general meaning of good, but the added nuance of something with a high moral character, that is noble or honorable.  When used in connection with something that is performed, such as shepherding duties, the one who is being described as “kalos” is as we might say, “the best in the business”- both in ability and character.  They are the vendors who get the 5 star ratings on Amazon!  John notes that Jesus used the term “door of the sheep” as a figure of speech (Jn. 10:6) in reference to His role as the Good Shepherd.  Similar to a parable, this word picture is meant to teach us something about Jesus.
            While most shepherds will provide the basics for their sheep (food, water, direction and some defense), the best shepherds go well beyond the basics in two specific ways.  First they know their sheep intimately.  I recently saw this in action while visiting a local sheep farm to take some pictures.  As the farmer and I stood in the pasture to acclimate them to the “lady with the camera”, she told me the names of each of them, who was whose lamb, and all their personality traits!  Secondly “good” shepherds care for their sheep deeply.  Like the shepherd who makes himself a human “door” in front of the sheepfold, Jesus says He will lay down His life for the sheep (Jn. 10:11, 15).  While this blockade keeps the sheep from slipping out, more importantly it blocks predators from getting in.  We are used to the bucolic pictures of a green hillside with sheep peacefully grazing at will.  But in the wilderness area where shepherding takes place in Israel there are some fierce predators to be concerned about.  When Jesus claims that He is the “door” He is telling us that He intimately knows us and cares for us.  He will put His life on the line (and He did!) in order to keep us from being harmed.  While the earthly shepherd is concerned with providing his flock with what they need, Jesus as the “kalos” Shepherd goes above and beyond the basics and brings us abundant life (Jn. 10:9).  Sometimes your life may feel like it is a wilderness filled with danger and the unknown.  But remember this- you have a Shepherd there to guide you.  Listen for His voice and follow Him (Jn. 10:2-5).  He will always be there for you and will never lead you astray (Jn. 10:14-15).
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.  
Week of 4/10/2016