A New Source of Life

March 29, 2009

Background Scripture: Ezekiel 47:1 – 12
Lesson Passage: Ezekiel 47:1 – 12

Today’s lesson is a fitting passage of scripture to summarize God’s ultimate destiny for those that are called by his name. The ultimate goal is abundant life. In previous lessons, God’s people received a new heart, new leadership, new respect, and a new spirit; now they will receive a sustained physical life of abundance. The promise here is for waters that give and sustain life. This passage describes a life-giving river that starts as a stream from the altar in the Temple of God. From the altar it flows out of the east gate of the temple in a steadily increasing flood that produces life where it touches. How different this spiritual flood is from a natural flood. Natural floods destroy life. Even fish in a body of water are destroyed by the sudden deluge of fresh waters from a natural flood. This is not the case with this spiritual flood. Places that are dead will be brought back to life by the life-giving waters. This spiritual flood resurrects the dead as can be seen by its effect on the previously dead Salt Sea. Even waters that were once uninhabitable will teem with life once the river of life touches it. The water would give rise to trees that would be for food and medicine. This is an indication that not only would life be given but it would also be sustained as a result of this life-giving stream. Wherever the waters flow, life would be given or restored. These waters originate at the altar inside of the temple. As the waters flowed, Ezekiel described them as increasing in depth and breadth. Ezekiel had the privilege of being led out into the water. The depth of the water went from ankle deep, to knee deep, to waist deep, then finally to a river that was too deep and wide to cross. What an experience this must have been! I believe that much of what we experience spiritually today is just ankle deep wading. If we would only allow ourselves to be led out a little deeper! When I am aware of a spiritual movement in my life, it is overwhelming. I cannot find adequate words to describe a spiritual encounter. Yet, I believe the spiritual water is only up to my ankles during those experiences. Perhaps this is what the Apostle Paul inferred when he said that eye has not seen nor ear heard neither has entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love him. He did, however, note that God has revealed those things to us by his Spirit. I dare say that Ezekiel’s vision is part of that revelation of God’s ultimate plan for us.

John’s description of the river of life in the book of Revelation sounds just like the vision Ezekiel was given. However, there is a greater witness than both Ezekiel and John concerning this life-giving water. That witness is none other than Jesus. In his teaching, Jesus said “He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” And what is the source of this water? Again, Jesus said “But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” This river will flow from the same place that Ezekiel noted—that is, it will flow from the temple of God. “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost who is in you, who you have of God, and you are not your own? For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Robert C. Hudson
March 21, 2009

A New Breath

March 22, 2009


Background Scripture: Ezekiel 37
Lesson Passage: Ezekiel 37:1 – 14

One of the most vivid memories I have of my youth during summer revival is that of the evangelist preaching about the dry bones in the valley. Even as his voice thundered across the pulpit, “Can these bones live!?” it seems that we were all waiting for the same thing. We knew that towards the end of the sermon, the evangelist was going to paint a picture of bones moving across the ground and connecting one to another beginning at the feet and continuing to the head. I don’t know if those bones were properly connected or not in the evangelist’s message. What I do know is that we enjoyed hearing how the foot bones were connected to the ankle bone. I cannot recall the number of times I have heard some variation of that sermon preached in my lifetime. There is one thing I have come to appreciate in ministry relative to those sermons; the drama in the presentation of those sermons seemed to overshadow and indeed minimize the simple message of that passage of scripture. As I reflect back over some of those messages, I know I would not have enjoyed them nearly as much had I understood a little about homiletics and exegesis. So the dry bones were not really “pimping preachers”, “undependable ushers”, “stuck-up singers”, “messed up musicians”, “tricky trustees”, or “devilish deacons”. Those individuals somehow were portrayed in those sermons as the “dry bones”. This was not the case at all when one takes a closer look at the message God gave to Ezekiel. The dry bones of Ezekiel’s prophecy represented the whole house of Israel that had become spiritually destitute. This is not to ignore Paul’s teaching that historic Israel is the example for the church. But we should first seek to understand and receive the message embodied in the scripture in its context before we dare to apply it in another situation or to other individuals.

In our lesson today, God gave Ezekiel a visual image of Israel’s spiritual condition. Except God gives us instructions on how we are to do a spiritual assessment, we don’t have a way of determining our spiritual state. The bones represented an absence of life that had existed for some time. Furthermore, the dryness of the bones was compared to the total lack of hope for restoration. Israel’s despair was due to the loss of their freedom and land. The missing piece in this is what caused this to come about. Their physical loss was a direct result of years of spiritual indifference and down right spiritual rebellion. Their current situation was the result of past sins and no repentance. Israel would be restored to the land of Canaan but they would first have to be restored spiritually. Those spiritual dry bones would be reconnected and once again covered with muscles and flesh. This would cause them to once again look alive but they would not be. God is the source of life apart from external appearances. As it was in the beginning with Adam, the physical body would be animated only after God breathed the breath of life into it. Can these bones live!? They can only after they receive a new breath which is God’s Spirit.


Robert C. Hudson
March 10, 2009

A New Respect

Background Scripture: Ezekiel 36:22 – 32
Lesson Passage: Ezekiel 36:22 – 32

Today's lesson continues our study of Ezekiel's prophecies of restoration for the Nation of Israel. Each lesson presents some aspect of the total restoration that God is going to provide; however, the restoration will be under God’s control and not left up to their abilities. Our focus in today’s text is on restoring respect. What is respect? It is in fact twofold, i.e., it is how others see us and at the same time it is how we see ourselves. What God is promising in today's lesson passage is described against the backdrop of Israel’s past failures. God reminded Israel that they had brought shame to his name because of their lifestyle before the other nations. Because Israel violated God's laws and defiled his ordinances, the righteousness of God demanded that justice be served. Israel was judged by God because they misused and abused the land of promise once they had possessed it. God used heathen nations to punish Israel. Their punishment was so severe that their destitute state became part of the gossip. God first assured the prophet Ezekiel that those other nations who had mocked and put down the Jews because of their state of punishment, would indeed themselves be punished and at the same time they will witness Israel’s return to prosperity. Not only would Israel return to her previous condition, but conditions would be better than previously.

This good news was tempered with a bit of reality. God commanded Ezekiel to make it clear to Israel that what he was going to do would not be for their sakes but for his own name’s sake. The respect that would be brought about was in fact a new respect for God himself. It would not be enough just to restore Israel and give them a new leader. God demanded that they also abide by his laws and observe his ordinances. This would require two things. On the one hand, Israel would need to be cleansed spiritually. Because of their idolatry as well as their intermingling with other nations, God considered them to be ceremonially unclean. God promised to sprinkle or cleanse them of their spiritual defilement. After this, to insure that they would not go back to their old habits, God reminded them of earlier prophecy that he would give them a new spirit and a new heart. The Spirit of God in them would guide them and cause them to walk according to God's commandments. This is indeed good news. Israel would not have to remember all of the laws or statutes nor would they be required to remember all of the ordinances. The Spirit of God in them would be their guide and teacher; he would bring back to their remembrance all they needed to know so they could walk in the ordinances and laws of God. As changed people, Israel will be able to walk before other nations as godly examples because they will have the Spirit of God living in them. Their land will be fruitful and blessings will again flow from God. Only then would Israel be able to command the respect that God so richly deserved. This would not be a result of their might or strength nor would it be the result of their minds. But this could only come about because of the work of God on the inside of each one of them. They would indeed receive a new respect but it would not be for them. God’s restoration is for his name’s sake; he will be sanctified in Israel before the same nations that had once seen Israel bring shame to God’s name. In all that they would be able to do and all that they would become, it will be to God's glory. It would in fact be God who would receive a new respect.

Robert C. Hudson
March 9, 2009

Sunday School Corner

A New Shepherd
March 8, 2009


Background Scripture: Ezekiel 34
Lesson Passage: Ezekiel 34:23 – 31

Today’s lesson continues our study in the book of Ezekiel. This study progresses as God effects a total spiritual renewal of his people. Our last lesson focused on the individual’s need for a new spirit that subsequently would generate a new attitude and lead to works of righteousness. At this point in Ezekiel’s prophecy the change had not taken place but it was indeed the first change that would need to happen. This would come about as Israel returned to God in truth and sincerity and allowed him to give them a new heart. After this change of heart, God promised them new leadership. Many of the errors that caused Israel to go astray were directly attributed to the spiritual leadership of her kings. God established Israel as a theocracy or God-centered and directed government. Israel’s religious laws were the basis for all of her statutes and ordinances. Put another way, her civil laws were to be governed by those religious laws. Israel rejected this form of government because she wanted to be governed like the neighboring countries surrounding her. Israel demanded a king just as the other countries had kings. Samuel, Israel’s spiritual leader at the time, resisted the desire of the people but God instructed him to give his consent because their rejection was not of Samuel, God’s leader for them, but they were in fact rejecting God’s governance over their lives. This change from a theocracy to a monarchy form of government started a downward spiral that saw an increasing distance between the civil and the religious. Israel’s fate was in the hands of her kings just as Samuel prophesied it would be. As the king’s spirituality went, so too went Israel’s spirituality. Some kings were good kings but most of them were not. The good kings followed God’s leadership and depended on God but the bad kings did as they pleased and refused to listen to those God sent to warn them of impending danger. It was this downward spiritual cycle that led to Israel’s exile in Babylon. The people followed their leaders and their hearts became hardened just like their leaders. God remained true to the covenant he had with Abraham and because of it, he would restore Israel. In addition to promising the people a new spirit, God also promised them new leadership. God would give them a leader that would not lead them astray or away from him.

God instructed Ezekiel to warn the shepherds that he was against them. They had taken advantage of the sheep (God’s people) and had abused them to their own gain. This led to the scattering of Israel among the nations. God promised to gather them from among the nations where they were driven and bind up those that were bruised. Furthermore, God would honor his covenant with David by placing David’s descendant over God’s people as their shepherd. This relationship would not last for a generation but it would be eternal. God ended this portion of prophecy with a statement of clarity. The sheep of God’s flock are men and the shepherd is God.

Robert C. Hudson
February 26, 2009