Leaving :(
This week I have been reading Ezekiel. He was an Old Testament prophet who God spoke through to the exiles of Jerusalem after they were defeated and taken to Babylon. It was a very dark time in Israel’s history as they had rejected God and His ways. Ezekiel saw may strange visions of celestial beings (called cherubim’s) and the temple in Jerusalem. In one vision, he saw something very sad...
“Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim.”
This was upsetting, as the temple in Jerusalem was the physical and spiritual sign of God’s presence. If God had an earthly address, this was it, and all everyone in that day knew it! This vision revealed that God was abandoning the temple, because Israel had not followed His ways and had ‘worshipped’ foreign gods. They had replaced God and now they had to live with the consequences. This is a dramatic and sad tale - so what can we learn from it? I believe a key is to keep God central in our lives - not allowing other ‘foreign god’s’ to take His place. How do you do that? Invest in your relationship with Jesus. Listen and obey His voice. Study and reflect on the Bible. Nurture the presence to of God.
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader