Transcript

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 31-32 NIRV; Ch. 33-36 GNT

Associate Producer

Timothy LaFontaine

Podcast Introduction

Today is Prophecy Friday. We’ll read Ezekiel 31-36. I’m calling this episode “Say It Again.”

Comments on Ezekiel 36-38 

Have you noticed a recurring phrase here in Ezekiel? If you haven’t, you haven’t been listening. Sure, it’s God saying, “Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

One of the time tested, successful teaching methods is repetition, right? The more often you hear information, the more likely it is that you will remember it. The more often you repeat a skill, the better you will get at performing that skill. 

“Then they will know that I am the Lord.” Or sometimes God says, “Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

Time and time again God says this. Why? Why does He put so much emphasis on this? Why does He need to have us know that He is God? Is it an ego thing? Does He need to be the most popular guy in the universe? Is he going for the most “Likes”?

Let’s think for a moment about what we know about His plan. We know that before anything was created, I AM. (Not me, but God.) And I did not misspeak. Not God WAS. God is outside of time. He is always past, present and future. That’s why when Jesus talked of Himself, He said, “I AM.”

So before anything was created, God exists. Because He is the God of creation, He created the universe and all that is in it. And He created mankind. Why did He do that? Because God is also Love. God wanted to love His creation and be loved by HIs creation. And because love involves choice, or free will, mankind was given the ability to choose to love or reject God. 

God is Holy and perfect. By definition, He is without sin. Sin causes a separation from God. Mankind chose to sin, so God’s desire to have a loving relationship with man necessitated a way for the sin problem to be dealt with.

Another of God’s characteristics is Justice. He is a just God. He could not ignore the sin. There had to be a way for the sin to be acknowledged by and answered for, or made reparation for, or punished.

“Steve,” you say, “if God is love, why couldn’t He just ignore the sin? Why couldn’t He just forgive without demanding punishment?” There are at least two reasons. The first reason is because of the Justice part of God that we have already mentioned. The second is that ignoring sin is not love. 

If, as a father, I told my toddler to stay out of the street, knowing that a car might come along and run him over, and then saw him wander into the street, willingly ignoring me, would it be love for me to ignore his disobedience? Of course not.

So God made a way for mankind’s sin to be dealt with. The ultimate act of love was for God’s only Son to take the sin of the world on Himself, and He paid the price for my sin and yours. He was put to the most cruel death that mankind has yet devised. 

And then, on the third day, He was raised from death to life. Why? “So that they would know that I am the Lord.”

Over and over again, throughout the centuries, God’s message is, “I am the Lord”. Why? So that we will know who He is and what He has done in order to bring us into a loving relationship with Him.

Have you accepted God’s gift of forgiveness? Do you know without a shadow of a doubt that you will spend eternity in Heaven? Hoping that your good deeds will outweigh your bad deeds is not the answer. You can’t earn your way to Heaven. One sin disqualifies you. The wages of sin is death. But Jesus died so you don’t have to. He offers forgiveness for all you sins, but you have to accept that gift. A gift does no good unless you accept it. You can look at the pretty box, but unless you accept it, open it and possess it, it isn’t really yours, is it? That’s what you  have to do with the forgiveness Jesus offers you. How do you do it? You have to believe. You have to ask for it. A simple prayer is all it takes. If you believe what Jesus said of Himself, if you believe that He died for your sins, if you believe that He is the Son of God and lived a sinless life, that He died on the cross and was raised again on the third day, and you’re ready to turn from your sins, and you want Him to be your Lord and Savior, you just have to ask Him in.

If you haven’t done that, now is a great time to do it. There’s no time like the present, because tomorrow is not guaranteed to anyone. Pray this prayer with me. Begin your relationship with Him now. You can pray out loud, or in the quietness of your heart.

Jesus, I want to follow you. I know that I am a sinner. I’m sorry. I turn from my sins now, and I ask you to forgive me. I know that you died in my place, and that you rose from death on the third day. Lord, come into my life now, and be my Lord and my Savior. Make me the person you want me to be. I give you my life now. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer and meant it, then congratulations, you are now a child of God. Christianity is not about a religion, it’s about a relationship. And your newest, best relationship has now begun. And there is rejoicing in Heaven right now because of your decision.

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Transcript

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Transcript corrected by Lifespring Family Berean, Sister Denise

Steve Webb 0:00
I don’t think so.

Steve Webb 0:09
Coming to you from Riverside, California, this is the Lifespring! One Year Bible, and podcasting since 2004, I’m your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. It’s Prophecy Friday and we’ll read Ezekiel 31 through 36. And I’m calling the episode “Say It Again.” Let’s pray before we get started. Our heavenly Father, we thank you for your Word, and we thank you for our time together to study and to learn, to get to know you better. I pray that you would bless our time together. In Jesus’ name, amen. Okay, let’s begin.

Steve Webb 0:43
Ezekiel, chapter 31. It was the 11th year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the first day of the third month, a message came to me from the Lord. He said, “Son of man, speak to Pharaoh Hophra, the king of Egypt. Also speak to his huge army. Tell him, “‘Who can be compared with your majesty? Think about what happened to Assyria. Once it was like a cedar tree in Lebanon. It had beautiful branches that provided shade for the forest. It grew very high. The top was above all of the leaves. The waters fed it. Deep springs made it grow tall. Their streams flowed all around its base. They made their way to all of the trees in the fields. So it grew higher than any other tree in the fields. It grew more limbs. Its branches grew long. They spread because they had plenty of water. All of the birds of the air made their nests in its limbs. All of the wild animals had their babies under its branches. All of the great nations lived in its shade. Its spreading branches made it majestic and beautiful. Its roots went down deep to where there was plenty of water. The cedar trees in my garden were no match for it. The pine trees could not equal its limbs. The plane trees could not compare with its branches. No tree in my garden could match its beauty. I gave it many branches. They made it beautiful. All of the trees in my Garden of Eden were jealous of it.'” So the LORD and King says, “The cedar tree grew very high. Its top was above all of the leaves. It was proud of how tall it was. So I handed it over to the Babylonian ruler of the nations. I wanted him to punish it because it was so evil. I decided to get rid of it. “The Babylonians cut it down and left it there. They did not show it any pity at all. Some of its branches fell on the mountains. Others fell in all of the valleys. They lay broken in all of the stream beds in the land. All of the nations on earth came out from under its shade. And they went on their own way. All of the birds of the air settled on the fallen tree. All of the wild animals moved among its branches. “So trees that receive plenty of water must never grow so high that it makes them proud. Their tops must never be above the rest of the leaves. No other trees that receive a lot of water must ever grow that high. They are appointed to die and go down to the earth below. They will join the other nations that go down into the grave.” The LORD and King says, “Assyria was like a cedar tree. But I brought it down to the grave. On that day I dried up the deep springs of water and covered them. I held its streams back. I shut off its rich supply of water. Because of that, Lebanon was dressed in darkness as if it were clothes. All of the trees in the fields dried up. “I brought the cedar tree down to the grave. It joined the other nations that go down there. I made the nations on earth shake because of the sound of its fall. Then all of the trees of Eden were comforted in the earth below. That included the finest and best trees in Lebanon. And it included all the trees that received plenty of water. Others also went down into the grave along with it. That included those that lived in its shade. And it included those nations that were going to help it. They joined those who had been killed with swords. “Which one of the trees of Eden can be compared with you? What tree is as glorious and majestic as you are? But you too will be brought down to the earth below. There you will join the trees of Eden. You will lie down with those who have not been circumcised. You will be among those who were killed with swords. “That is what will happen to Pharaoh and his huge armies,” announces the LORD and King.

Steve Webb 4:33
Ezekiel, chapter 32. It was the 12th year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the first day of the 12th month, a message came to me from the Lord. He said, “Son of man, sing a song of sadness about Pharaoh Hophra, the king of Egypt. Tell him, ” ‘You are like a lion among the nations. You are like a monster in the sea. You move around wildly in your rivers. You churn the water with your feet. You make the streams muddy.'” The LORD and King says, “I will use a large crowd of people to throw my net over you. They will pull you up in it. Then I will throw you on the land. I will toss you into an open field. I will let all of the birds of the air settle on you. I will let all of the wild animals eat you up. I will scatter the parts of your body all over the mountains. I will fill the valleys with your remains. I will soak the land with your blood. It will flow all the way to the mountains. The valleys will be filled with the parts of your body. When I wipe you out, I will put a cover over the heavens. I will darken the stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud. The moon will stop shining. I will darken all of the bright lights in the sky above you. I will bring darkness over your land,” announces the LORD and King. “The hearts of many people will be troubled. That is because I will destroy you among the nations. You had never known anything about those lands before. Many nations will be shocked when they see what has happened to you. Their kings will tremble with fear when they find out about it. I will get ready to use Nebuchadnezzar as my sword against them. On the day you fall from power, each of the kings will tremble with fear. Each will be afraid he is the next to die.” The LORD and King says, “I will send against you the sword of the king of Babylonia. I will destroy your huge army. They will be killed with the swords of Babylonia’s mighty soldiers. The soldiers will not show them any pity. They will bring Egypt down in all of its pride. Its huge armies will be thrown down. I will destroy all of its cattle from the places where they have plenty of water. Human feet will never stir the water up again. The hoofs of cattle will not make it muddy anymore. I will let the waters of Egypt settle. I will make its streams flow like olive oil,” announces the LORD and King. “I will turn Egypt into an empty land. I will strip away everything in it. I will strike down everyone who lives there. Then they will know that I am the Lord. “That is the song of sadness people will sing about Egypt. Women from other nations will sing it. They will sob over Egypt and its huge armies,” announces the LORD and King. It was the 15th day of a month near the end of the 12th year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. A message came to me from the Lord. He said, “Son of man, sob over the huge army of Egypt. Tell the Egyptians they will go down into the earth below. The women singers from the other mighty nations will go down into the grave along with them and others. “Tell them, ‘Are you any better than others? Since you are not, go down there. Lie down with those who have not been circumcised.’ “They will fall dead among those who were killed with swords. Nebuchadnezzar is ready to use his sword against them. Let Egypt be dragged off together with its huge armies. “The mighty leaders who are already in the grave will talk about Egypt. They will also speak about the nations that were going to help it. They will say, ‘They have come down here. They are lying down with those who had not been circumcised. They are here with those who were killed with swords.’ “Assyria is there with its whole army. Its king is surrounded by the graves of all of its people who were killed with swords. Their graves are deep down in the pit. Assyria’s army lies around the grave of its king. All those who spread terror while they were alive are now dead. They were killed with swords. “Elam is also there. Its huge armies lie around the grave of its king. All those who spread terror while they were alive are now dead. They were killed with swords. They had not been circumcised. They went down into the earth below. Their shame is like the shame of others who go down into the grave. “A bed is made for Elam’s king among the dead. His huge armies lie around his grave. They had not been circumcised. They were killed with swords. They had spread terror while they were alive. So now their shame is like the shame of others who go down into the grave. They lie down among the dead. “Meshech and Tubal are also there. Their huge armies lie around the graves of their kings. They had not been circumcised. They had spread their terror while they were alive. So they were killed with swords. “They lie down with the other dead soldiers who had not been circumcised. They and their weapons had gone down into the grave. Their swords had been placed under their heads. They had spread their terror while they were alive. But now the shame of their sin covers their bones. “Pharaoh Hophra, you too will be broken. You will lie down among those who had not been circumcised. You will be there with those who were killed with swords. “Edom is also there. So are its kings and all of its princes. In spite of their power, they lie down with those who were killed with swords. They lie down with those who had not been circumcised. They are there with others who went down into the grave. “All of the princes of the north are there too. So are all of the people of Sidon. They went down into the grave in dishonor. While they were alive, they used their power to spread terror. They had never been circumcised. But now they lie down there with those who were killed with swords. Their shame is like the shame of others who go down into the grave. “Pharaoh and his whole army will see all of them. That will comfort him in spite of the fact that his huge armies were killed with swords,” announces the LORD and King. “I let Pharaoh spread terror while he was alive. But now he and his huge armies will be buried with those who had not been circumcised. They will lie down there with those who were killed with swords,” announces the LORD and King.

Steve Webb 10:50
Ezekiel, chapter 33. The Lord spoke to me. “Mortal man,” he said, “tell your people what happens when I bring war to a land. The people of that country choose one of their number to be a lookout. When he sees the enemy approaching, he sounds the alarm to warn everyone. If someone hears it but pays no attention and the enemy comes and kills him, then he is to blame for his own death. His death is his own fault, because he paid no attention to the warning. If he had paid attention, he could have escaped. If, however, the lookout sees the enemy coming and does not sound the alarm, the enemy will come and kill those sinners, but I will hold the lookout responsible for their death. “Now, mortal man, I am making you a lookout for the nation of Israel. You must pass on to them the warnings I give you. If I announce that an evil person is going to die but you do not warn him to change his ways so that he can save his life, then he will die, still a sinner, and I will hold you responsible for his death. If you do warn an evil person and he doesn’t stop sinning, he will die, still a sinner, but your life will be spared.” The Lord spoke to me. “Mortal man,” he said, “repeat to the Israelites what they are saying: ‘We are burdened with our sins and the wrongs we have done. We are wasting away. How can we live?’ Tell them that as surely as I, the Sovereign Lord, am the living God, I do not enjoy seeing sinners die. I would rather see them stop sinning and live. Israel, stop the evil you are doing. Why do you want to die? “Now, mortal man, tell the Israelites that when someone good sins, the good he has done will not save him. If an evil person stops doing evil, he won’t be punished, and if a good man starts sinning, his life will not be spared. I may promise life to someone good, but if he starts thinking that his past goodness is enough and begins to sin, I will not remember any of the good he did. He will die because of his sins. I may warn someone evil that he is going to die, but if he stops sinning and does what is right and good— for example, if he returns the security he took for a loan or gives back what he stole—if he stops sinning and follows the laws that give life, he will not die, but live. I will forgive the sins he has committed, and he will live because he has done what is right and good. “And your people say that what I do isn’t right! No, it’s their way that isn’t right. When someone righteous stops doing good and starts doing evil, he will die for it. When someone evil quits sinning and does what is right and good, he has saved his life. But Israel, you say that what I do isn’t right. I am going to judge you by what you do.” On the fifth day of the tenth month of the twelfth year of our exile, someone who had escaped from Jerusalem came and told me that the city had fallen. The evening before he came, I had felt the powerful presence of the Lord. When the man arrived the next morning, the Lord gave me back the power of speech. The Lord spoke to me. “Mortal man,” he said, “the people who are living in the ruined cities of the land of Israel are saying: ‘Abraham was only one man, and he was given the whole land. There are many of us, so now the land is ours.’ “Tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying: You eat meat with the blood still in it. You worship idols. You commit murder. What makes you think that the land belongs to you? You rely on your swords. Your actions are disgusting. Everyone commits adultery. What makes you think that the land is yours? “Tell them that I, the Sovereign Lord, warn them that as surely as I am the living God, the people who live in the ruined cities will be killed. Those living in the country will be eaten by wild animals. Those hiding in the mountains and in caves will die of disease. I will make the country a desolate wasteland, and the power they were so proud of will come to an end. The mountains of Israel will be so wild that no one will be able to travel through them. When I punish the people for their sins and make the country a wasteland, then they will know that I am the Lord.” The Lord said, “Mortal man, your people are talking about you when they meet by the city walls or in the doorways of their houses. They say to one another, ‘Let’s go and hear what word has come from the Lord now.’ So my people crowd in to hear what you have to say, but they don’t do what you tell them to do. Loving words are on their lips, but they continue their greedy ways. To them you are nothing more than an entertainer singing love songs or playing a harp. They listen to all your words and don’t obey a single one of them. But when all your words come true—and they will come true—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

Steve Webb 15:45
Ezekiel, chapter 34. The Lord spoke to me. “Mortal man,” he said, “denounce the rulers of Israel. Prophesy to them, and tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, say to them: You are doomed, you shepherds of Israel! You take care of yourselves, but never tend the sheep. You drink the milk, wear clothes made from the wool, and kill and eat the finest sheep. But you never tend the sheep. You have not taken care of the weak ones, healed the ones that are sick, bandaged the ones that are hurt, brought back the ones that wandered off, or looked for the ones that were lost. Instead, you treated them cruelly. Because the sheep had no shepherd, they were scattered, and wild animals killed and ate them. So my sheep wandered over the high hills and the mountains. They were scattered over the face of the earth, and no one looked for them or tried to find them. “Now, you shepherds, listen to what I, the Lord, am telling you. As surely as I am the living God, you had better listen to me. My sheep have been attacked by wild animals that killed and ate them because there was no shepherd. My shepherds did not try to find the sheep. They were taking care of themselves and not the sheep. So listen to me, you shepherds. I, the Sovereign Lord, declare that I am your enemy. I will take my sheep away from you and never again let you be their shepherds; never again will I let you take care only of yourselves. I will rescue my sheep from you and not let you eat them. “I, the Sovereign Lord, tell you that I myself will look for my sheep and take care of them in the same way as the shepherds take care of their sheep that were scattered and are brought together again. I will bring them back from all the places where they were scattered on that dark, disastrous day. I will take them out of foreign countries, gather them together, and bring them back to their own land. I will lead them back to the mountains and the streams of Israel and will feed them in pleasant pastures. I will let them graze in safety in the mountain meadows and the valleys and in all the green pastures of the land of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will find them a place to rest. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken. “I will look for those that are lost, bring back those that wander off, bandage those that are hurt, and heal those that are sick; but those that are fat and strong I will destroy, because I am a shepherd who does what is right. “Now then, my flock, I, the Sovereign Lord, tell you that I will judge each of you and separate the good from the bad, the sheep from the goats. Some of you are not satisfied with eating the best grass; you even trample down what you don’t eat! You drink the clear water and muddy what you don’t drink! My other sheep have to eat the grass you trample down and drink the water you muddy. “So now, I, the Sovereign Lord, tell you that I will judge between you strong sheep and the weak sheep. You pushed the sick ones aside and butted them away from the flock. But I will rescue my sheep and not let them be mistreated any more. I will judge each of my sheep and separate the good from the bad. I will give them a king like my servant David to be their one shepherd, and he will take care of them. I, the Lord, will be their God, and a king like my servant David will be their ruler. I have spoken. I will make a covenant with them that guarantees their security. I will get rid of all the dangerous animals in the land, so that my sheep can live safely in the fields and sleep in the forests. “I will bless them and let them live around my sacred hill. There I will bless them with showers of rain when they need it. The trees will bear fruit, the fields will produce crops, and everyone will live in safety on his own land. When I break my people’s chains and set them free from those who made them slaves, then they will know that I am the Lord. The heathen nations will not plunder them any more, and the wild animals will not kill and eat them. They will live in safety, and no one will terrify them. I will give them fertile fields and put an end to hunger in the land. The other nations will not sneer at them any more. Everyone will know that I protect Israel and that they are my people. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken. “You, my sheep, the flock that I feed, are my people, and I am your God,” says the Sovereign Lord.

Steve Webb 20:09
Ezekiel, chapter 35. The Lord spoke to me. “Mortal man,” he said, “denounce the country of Edom. Tell the people what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying: “I am your enemy, mountains of Edom! I will make you a desolate wasteland. I will leave your cities in ruins And your land desolate; Then you will know that I am the Lord. “You were Israel’s constant enemy and let her people be slaughtered in the time of her disaster, the time of final punishment for her sins. So then—as surely as I, the Sovereign Lord, am the living God—death is your fate, and you cannot escape it. You are guilty of murder, and murder will follow you. I will make the hill country of Edom a wasteland and kill everyone who travels through it. I will cover the mountains with corpses, and the bodies of those who are killed in battle will cover the hills and valleys. I will make you desolate forever, and no one will live in your cities again. Then you will know that I am the Lord. “You said that the two nations, Judah and Israel, together with their lands, belonged to you and that you would possess them, even though I, the Lord, was their God. So then, as surely as I, the Sovereign Lord, am the living God, I will pay you back for your anger, your jealousy, and your hate toward my people. They will know that I am punishing you for what you did to them. Then you will know that I, the Lord, heard you say with contempt that the mountains of Israel were desolate and that they were yours to devour. I have heard the wild, boastful way you have talked against me.” The Sovereign Lord says, “I will make you so desolate that the whole world will rejoice at your downfall, just as you rejoiced at the devastation of Israel, my own possession. The mountains of Seir, yes, all the land of Edom, will be desolate. Then everyone will know that I am the Lord.”

Steve Webb 22:05
Ezekiel, chapter 36. The Lord said, “Mortal man, speak to the mountains of Israel and tell them to listen to the message which I, the Sovereign Lord, have for them: Israel’s enemies gloated and said, ‘Now those ancient hills are ours!’ “Prophesy, then, and announce what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying. When the neighboring nations captured and plundered the mountains of Israel, everyone made fun of Israel. Now listen to what I, the Sovereign Lord, say to you mountains and hills, to you brooks and valleys, to you places that were left in ruins, and to you deserted cities which were plundered and mocked by all the surrounding nations. “I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken out in the heat of my anger against the surrounding nations, and especially against Edom. With glee and contempt they captured my land and took possession of its pastures. “So prophesy to the land of Israel; tell the mountains, hills, brooks, and valleys what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying in jealous anger because of the way the nations have insulted and humiliated them. I, the Sovereign Lord, solemnly promise that the surrounding nations will be humiliated. But on the mountains of Israel the trees will again grow leaves and bear fruit for you, my people Israel. You are going to come home soon. I am on your side, and I will make sure that your land is plowed again and crops are planted on it. I will make your population grow. You will live in the cities and rebuild everything that was left in ruins. I will make people and cattle increase in number. There will be more of you than ever before, and you will have many children. I will let you live there as you used to live, and I will make you more prosperous than ever. Then you will know that I am the Lord. I will bring you, my people Israel, back to live again in the land. It will be your own land, and it will never again let your children starve. “I, the Sovereign Lord, say: It is true that people say that the land eats people and that it robs the nation of its children. But from now on it will no longer eat people and rob you of your children. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken. The land will no longer have to listen to the nations making fun of it or see the peoples sneer at it. The land will no longer rob the nation of its children. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.” The Lord spoke to me. “Mortal man,” he said, “when the Israelites were living in their land, they defiled it by the way they lived and acted. I regarded their behavior as being as ritually unclean as a woman is during her monthly period. I let them feel the force of my anger because of the murders they had committed in the land and because of the idols by which they had defiled it. I condemned them for the way they lived and acted, and I scattered them through foreign countries. Wherever they went, they brought disgrace on my holy name, because people would say, ‘These are the people of the Lord, but they had to leave his land.’ That made me concerned for my holy name, since the Israelites brought disgrace on it everywhere they went. “Now then, give the Israelites the message that I, the Sovereign Lord, have for them: What I am going to do is not for the sake of you Israelites, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have disgraced in every country where you have gone. When I demonstrate to the nations the holiness of my great name—the name you disgraced among them—then they will know that I am the Lord. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken. I will use you to show the nations that I am holy. I will take you from every nation and country and bring you back to your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you and make you clean from all your idols and everything else that has defiled you. I will give you a new heart and a new mind. I will take away your stubborn heart of stone and give you an obedient heart. I will put my spirit in you and will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you. Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your God. I will save you from everything that defiles you. I will command the grain to be plentiful, so that you will not have any more famines. I will increase the yield of your fruit trees and your fields, so that there will be no more famines to disgrace you among the nations. You will remember your evil conduct and the wrongs that you committed, and you will be disgusted with yourselves because of your sins and your iniquities. Israel, I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake. I want you to feel the shame and disgrace of what you are doing. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.” The Sovereign Lord says, “When I make you clean from all your sins, I will let you live in your cities again and let you rebuild the ruins. Everyone who used to walk by your fields saw how overgrown and wild they were, but I will let you farm them again. Everyone will talk about how this land, which was once a wilderness, has become like the Garden of Eden, and how the cities which were torn down, looted, and left in ruins, are now inhabited and fortified. Then the neighboring nations that have survived will know that I, the Lord, rebuild ruined cities and replant waste fields. I, the Lord, have promised that I would do this—and I will.” The Sovereign Lord says, “I will once again let the Israelites ask me for help, and I will let them increase in numbers like a flock of sheep. The cities that are now in ruins will then be as full of people as Jerusalem was once full of the sheep which were offered as sacrifices at a festival. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Steve Webb 27:47
Beloved, have you noticed a recurring phrase here in Ezekiel? If you haven’t, you haven’t been listening? Sure, it’s God’s saying, “Then they will know that I am the Lord.” One of the most time-tested successful teaching methods is repetition, isn’t it? The more often you hear information, the more likely it is that you’ll remember it. The more often you repeat a skill, the better you’ll get at performing that skill. “Then they will know that I am the Lord.” Or sometimes God says, “Then you will know that I am the Lord.” Time and time again. God says this. Why? Why does he put so much emphasis on it? Why does he need to have us know that he is God? Is it an ego thing? Does he need to be the most popular guy in the universe? Is he going for the most likes? Well, let’s think for a moment about what we know about his plan. We know that before anything was created, I AM. (Not me, but God, of course.) And I did not misspeak nor did he. Not God WAS. God is outside of time. He is always past, present, and future. That’s why when Jesus talked of himself, he said, “I AM.” So before anything was created, God exists. Because he is the God of creation, he created the universe and all that’s in it. And he created mankind. Why did he do that? It isn’t something I would have done knowing how mankind would turn out, but God created mankind because he is love. God wanted to love his creation and be loved by his creation. And because love involves choice or free will, mankind was given the ability to choose to love or reject God. Now, God is holy and perfect. By definition, he’s without sin. Well, sin causes a separation from God. Mankind chose to sin, so God’s desire to have a loving relationship with man necessitated a way for the sin problem to be dealt with. Another of God’s characteristics is justice. He is a just God. He couldn’t just ignore the sin. There had to be a way for the sin to be acknowledged by and answered for or made reparation for or punished. You say, “Steve if God is love, why couldn’t he just ignore the sin? Why couldn’t he just forgive without demanding punishment?” Well, there’s at least two reasons. The first reason is because of the justice part of God that we’ve already mentioned. The second is that ignoring sin isn’t love. If as a father, I told my toddler to stay out of the street, knowing that a car might come along and run him over, and then I saw him wander into the street, willingly ignoring me, would it be love for me to ignore his disobedience? I don’t think so. So God made a way for mankind’s sin to be dealt with. The ultimate act of love was for God’s only Son to take the sin of the world on himself. And he paid the price for my sin and yours. He was put to the most cruel death that mankind has yet devised. And then on the third day, he was raised from death to life. Why? “So that they would know that I am the Lord.” Over and over again throughout the centuries, God’s message is, “I am the Lord.” So that we will know who he is, and what he has done in order to bring us into a loving relationship with him. Have you accepted God’s gift of forgiveness? Do you know without a shadow of a doubt that you’ll spend eternity in heaven? Hoping that your good deeds will outweigh your bad deeds isn’t the answer. You can’t earn your way to heaven. One sin disqualifies you. The wages of sin is death. It doesn’t say the wages of a lot of sin is death, or it doesn’t say if your good deeds just aren’t enough to make up for your bad deeds. The wages of sin is death. But Jesus died so that we don’t have to. He offers forgiveness for all of your sins, but you have to accept that gift. A gift does no good unless you accept it. You can look at the pretty box, but unless you accept it, open it, and possess it, it really isn’t yours is it? That’s what you have to do with the forgiveness Jesus offers. How do you do it? You have to believe. You have to ask for it. A simple prayer is all it takes. If you believe what Jesus said of himself if you believe that he died for your sins if you believe that he’s the Son of God and lived a sinless life and that he died on the cross and was raised again on the third day, and you’re ready to turn away from your sins and you want him to be your Lord and Savior, you just have to ask. Have you done that? If not, now’s a great time to do it. There’s no time like the present because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed to anyone. Pray this prayer with me. Begin your relationship with him now. You can pray out loud or in the quietness of your heart. Now don’t misunderstand. There’s no magic in these words. What’s important is what is in your heart. But by saying this prayer, you’re putting a mark on the calendar. This is the day that I accepted Jesus. So pray after me. Jesus, I want to follow you. I know that I’m a sinner, and I’m sorry. I turn from my sins now, and I ask you to forgive me. I know that you died in my place and that you rose from death on the third day. Lord, please come into my life now and be my Lord and my Savior. Make me the person you want me to be. I give you my life now, Lord. Amen. Well, if you prayed that prayer and you meant it, then congratulations, you are now a child of God. Christianity is not about a religion. It’s about a relationship. And your newest best relationship has now begun. And there’s rejoicing in heaven right now because of your decision. Now, I want to help you get a great start with God. I would like to send you a copy of the New Believer’s Bible at absolutely zero charge. It’s the New Living Translation, which I like very much, and it’s full of hundreds of notes written by Greg Laurie of Harvest Ministries. If you prayed that prayer, send me an email at st***@*************ia.com. And I’ll send it right out to you. I just need your name and address. I won’t share your information with anybody and I won’t put you on a mailing list. You’ll get no spam, nothing like that. I just want you to have this Bible so that you can get started on the right foot. I would love to hear your thoughts your questions. Call the Lifespring Family Hotline at +1-951-732-8511, or go to comment.lifespringmedia.com or send a boostagram with your comment or question. Tomorrow will be Gospel Saturday and we’ll read Luke 21 and 22.

Steve Webb 34:43
We’ve got an Associate Producer to thank today. Timothy LaFontaine came in with his monthly $20 donation. Thank you Timothy and God bless you.

Announcer 34:51
Boostagram.

Steve Webb 34:53
And also Sister Denise sent of 5000 sat Loaves and Fishes boostagram for the “Leviticus 16-18: Go and Sin No More” episode and she just said, simply, “Thank you for your courage.” And the day before she sent a 20,013 sat boostagram on the “Psalms 84-86: Do It Anyway” episode, which was episode 200 of this season. And she sent this message, “Congratulations on 200 episodes in season 13.” Well, thank you for those, Sister Denise. God bless you. And thank you so much, Denise, too, for doing all the transcripts. That is not a small amount of work. I appreciate you. And the last time I looked the Lifespring!, One Year Bible was at number six on the Fountain Top 50 list. How cool is that? Thank you to everyone who’s boosting and streaming those sats. And by the way, Fountain is doing a lot to promote this list in an effort to help people find podcasts to listen to. So, praise the Lord! This is a really awesome thing. This list is not based on popularity on numbers of downloads, but on the amount of support, real people send to their favorite podcasts. So again, thank you so very much, and keep it going because you can be sure that now that Fountain is really promoting this list, other shows are going to be encouraging their listeners to crank it up. So don’t let up. It’s all about value-for-value. That’s why people support their favorite podcasts. They’re returning some of the value they get from the shows back to the podcasters for a lot of reasons, one being to encourage them to keep going. And another is because it’s fun, and it feels good to support the people that add to your life. And an added bonus when you support this show is that you’re having a very direct impact in helping the ministry of sharing God’s Word and the Good News to a world that desperately needs it. So to donate, here’s where to go:

Jingle 36:42
Lifespringmedia.com/support

Steve Webb 36:45
I’ll thank you and I believe that God will bless you.

Steve Webb 36:52
Remember, this coming Sunday will be the next time of prayer requests and praises. So call in your prayer request at 951-732-8511 or go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com or email me at st***@*************ia.com. And that’s also where you can go to share praises that would encourage the rest of the Lifespring family to hear how God is working in your life.

Steve Webb 37:22
Thanks again to Sister Denise, and Michael Haner, Scott Snider, Jason Paschall, today’s artists, and Sister Brittaney. And thanks to today’s Associate Producer, Timothy LaFontaine, and the Lifespring family members who stream sats and send boosts because you guys helped to make this episode possible. And, Beloved, thank you for continuing to make the Lifespring! One Year Bible part of your day. I don’t take it for granted, believe me. And now, until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb. Bye.

Jingle 37:56
Boost. Boo-oost! Boost? Boost. Boost represents the future of podcasting!

Transcribed by https://otter.ai