Today’s Reading:  Ezek 23:1–49, Rev 11:1–14, Job 35:9–16

Today’s Theme: The Destruction of Lust

Today’s theme is the destruction wrought by sexual and spiritual lust. Our society is plagued by sexual dysfunction through the proliferation of sexualised images and the lack of godly sexual standards, it can only lead to personal and social destruction.

We need to guard against lust in our own lives and beware spiritual lusting after idols and replacements for God.

Ezekiel 23:1–49

Don’t lust after the world

“Oholah played the whore while she was mine, and she lusted after her lovers the Assyrians, warriors(Ezekiel 23:5, ESV)

As God’s redeemed children, we should not be lusting after the world. We should desire and be satisfied in God.

The trap of pornography

And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoring lust. And after she was defiled by them, she turned from them in disgust.(Ezekiel 23:17, ESV)

This was like the drug of pornography as it started with pictures on the wall and ended in self hate. Pray for those bound by this deceptive and destructive addiction.

The superficial nature of lust

and lusted after her lovers there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses.(Ezekiel 23:20, ESV)

This shows the rank baseness of lust and associated spiritual adultery. It is motivated by the most superficial and selfish desire

Lust leads to destruction

and they shall deal with you in hatred and take away all the fruit of your labor and leave you naked and bare, and the nakedness of your whoring shall be uncovered. Your lewdness and your whoring have brought this upon you, because you played the whore with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.(Ezekiel 23:29–30, ESV)

Compromise and lusting after the world will bring destruction

Don’t have double standards

For when they had slaughtered their children in sacrifice to their idols, on the same day they came into my sanctuary to profane it. And behold, this is what they did in my house.(Ezekiel 23:39, ESV)

Compromise and double standards will destroy our children’s lives in the church and in knowing the Lord

Lust is idolatry

And they shall return your lewdness upon you, and you shall bear the penalty for your sinful idolatry, and you shall know that I am the Lord God.”(Ezekiel 23:49, ESV)

This is a bad way to get to know who the Lord is, Lord keep us from idolatry, giving anything or one the worship that only you deserve

Revelation 11:1–14

The victory of God and the prophethood of all believers

And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.(Revelation 11:13, ESV)

This reads like a victory of the Lord as he protects his persecuted church (Jew and Gentile) and as we stand as prophets like the two witnesses.

Job 35:9–16

Mankind, specially created by God

who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’(Job 35:11, ESV)

We are not just advanced animals, we have knowledge the animals do not have

Don’t talk a lot without knowledge

Job opens his mouth in empty talk; he multiplies words without knowledge.”(Job 35:16, ESV)

God says this of job too. See James 1:19