The Seven Streams Method

John 13:31-16:4 We are in the Christ Stream reading from The Message. 7streamsmethod.com | @serenatravis | Donate Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis Jesus, you are such a dear Savior, comforter, friend, instructor. Your love is overwhelming, we can but be inspired to live all our days for you. Amen.

13:31-38 - With Judas now gone Jesus can make the statements He needs to make, now that the group had been cleansed of its traitor.  They must love one another. It was now time for Jesus to proceed alone into a baptism that most of them would follow into within a generation or two.  He would die alone on a hillside while being mocked. Jesus knew what was coming in the next 18 hours. And notice that He says He will be glorified at this point, not crucified.  The disciples' hearts were still telling themselves, "say it isn't so..."

14 - all of this chapter was spoken to the 11 remaining disciples while they were still at the Communion Table of the Last Supper. This was in an Upper Room in the SW corner of the city of Jerusalem.  It is the most heart-warming material in the whole Bible. God/Jesus promised them that there was a wondrous celestial reward waiting for them, for certain, at the end of this pilgrimage. And Jesus' words were true because Jesus is the Truth. Their understanding of Jesus meant an understanding of God the Father. The Holy Spirit was coming to them to walk them through everything, to teach, and strengthen, and guide them all the way as they lived out their Calling. They will have peace. They need not fear anything. They must be loving; filled with love, and obedient to God. These two matters are verification of each other: to love is to obey - to obey is to love [and vice versa!] 
15 - They had left the Upper Room and Jesus kept talking to them all the way to Gethsemane [ch's 15,16,17].The main points here are that we, his followers, are like branches of a main vine.  We are pruned so that we can be productive. We must be like pruned vines that are productive, not the prunings that are gathered and burned. "Abide" in Me means to stay attached/connected. The Message version this week says "stay joined with Me" (Jesus). This means to stay in God's love. Your joy will be the proof that you know God's love. You're being elevated to where I Am/Jesus is. Realize how special/chosen you are. And know this about the world: they don't know God, thus they hate Jesus, and they are going to hate you. That is simply the succession.  Just decide to be o.k. with it. 16:1-4 - Jesus told them about being hated by worldly souls so that the disciples were fairly warned.  And the disciples were violently hated. It's sobering that they all died from such cruel, criminal treatment and all of them were so completely loving to the end - even to their executors.  To be so hated and to be so loving at the same time. Perhaps this can inspire us all to do better with unpleasant people.

Zechariah 9:1-11:3 We are in the Exile Stream reading from The Message. 7streamsmethod.com | @serenatravis | Donate Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis Lord, today's reading led us on such a wild tour of where the human heart ends up being taken when it has so many priorities .... ahead of you. Give us hearts that are filled with faith; faith that seeks you first.  Amen. The marvelous, mystifying, and exciting verbiage of Zechariah continues as he jumps ahead 200 years to when Greece trounces through the entire Eastern Mediterranean (Israel included). Zechariah jumps further ahead to Christ entering Jerusalem.  Some of what Zechariah says today is illustrative of Israel's becoming a nation; 'could even be talking about the Millennium when "all" Jews are there and it's a mini-paradise for centuries. 'All" Jews? I'm not even going to try to comment as to what 'all' might mean.  Hey, it's Zechariah!  He's all over the map and all over the centuries and all over history as usual! So here we go diving into more visions from the Exile Stream

09 -  Greece came through (200 years after Zech. wrote this) and in the order that the cities are listed in the first half of the chapter, that is the order in which Greece galloped through and took command of these cities. Intriguingly enough however, they spared Jerusalem, .  Verses 8-9 tell of this preservation and also describes what we call "Palm Sunday" - about 450 years before it happened! And this person who rides into Jerusalem on a donkey will one day bring peace to the world - peace that has never been known - someday. And without skipping a beat Zechariah jumps to the Messianic Kingdom era when there is complete victory at the end of the age.

10 - The time will come when the Hebrews, who have been scattered will return to Israel.  So many things that have been a frustration for them will be matters of days-gone-by: poor leadership, shame, looming enemies, gloom, lack, tribes scattered. weakness, fear, instability, aimlessness.  All that is gone now as God is among them in favor of them. 11 - Lebanon and the partnership with Lebanon, especially the First Temple Period, was such a time of mutual blessing. That is all long gone. Lebanon is going to see fire soon. The derelict shepherds are equally doomed.  Their complete waste of their calling and position had caused the Jews to slouch into wretched sinfulness and suffering and the scattering of the Hebrew people.  Yes, some of them were returned from Exile now, but the situation that led to Exile was abysmally unnecessary. They could have obeyed in those days, but the shepherds of God's People did not lead them. And you caught the reference to Judas, right? The thirty pieces of silver in vv. 12,13 that is quoted in Matthew 26 & 27...  Though these people were in a recovery period of rejecting God's leadership, sadly, it wasn't the end of that problem. The Sanhedrin and Pharisees in Judas' day (during Jesus!) didn't want to listen to God either - nor His Son. Their favor is therefore going to be lost as is their unity as a nation. This is thought to be the days that Rome will come and empty Jerusalem, burn it, destroy the Temple and scatter the Jews 70 A.D.  It would be 1,878 years before they would be able to regroup again.  This is the grave results that poor leadership leads to.  This is where the sorry shepherds had led the people of God.

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Ezekiel 36-38 We are in the Prophetic Stream reading from The Message. 7streamsmethod.com | @serenatravis | Donate Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, You raise up the fallen, you rebuild the broken, you renew the ruined and we praise you for what you are.  May we be agents of yours that do your work.  Amen. 36 - Going back a week in our Prophetic Stream reading, news of the fall of Jerusalem (to those already in Babylon) has hit the Jewish people hard. Their derelict shepherds are to blame. The neighbors of Judah are yet worse and will get treatment that is worse yet. So between chapters 35 & 36 there is a great "BUT". The news has been bad - but - [in 36]  the land is going to be reinhabited. The Babylonian siege had flattened cities, scorched the whole place and killed or removed most all living things. God had this to happen and it was for a good reason. But! The desolation will end. There will be life in Israel again. Their sinful ways will be abandoned, and God is going to bring back the Israelites. Israel will be bustling with life, well irrigated, lush and green [Eden-like], and productive. God is doing this. There's no talk of anyone deserving anything. God is doing this for the glory of God. 37 - This vision of dry bones coming together, being reassembles and covered to be full bodies that then breathe and come to life and march forward to form an army is a legendary vision that is told to young and old for over 25 centuries now. It is the basis of a folk song that VBS and men's quartets sing as well. It is told in a time when Judaism appeared destined for the compost heap. But as we know with God, all is not lost because when there is God, all is never lost. God has plans to resurrect the hope of Israel and return all of them [branched together] to their land; the land that Joshua conquered, that David expanded, and Solomon adorned. In that day God would be wholly worshipped and idolatry would be forgotten. The glory days, like when King David reigned, will return. The literal/figurative/future/end times/symbolism/reality discussions that are related to this chapter cannot be summed up in a month of Sundays. There are End Times allusions entailed here, Second Coming references, Millennium descriptions and there have been endless PhD dissertations written about all of this. Let's just be encouraged and excited that our God is a Resurrection God. 38 -  This [and 39] are distinctively prophetic chapters. Some insightful ministers claim with complete confidence that 38/39 are the "next thing set to happen" along the pathway of biblical prophecy.  It is about the vast array of peoples gathering who are resolutely against Israel, the Jews, God's people and want them decimated.  And so they assemble and rally together and march west and south to remove Israel from the earth and from history.  Rosh/Meshech/ & Tubal are repeated names. Rosh in Hebrew means "head" or "beginning". M & T are names of Japheth's sons mentioned in Genesis 10 & I Chron. 1.  Gog are sworn enemies of Israel. And "Magog" means "the place of Gog".  So the people of Gog and the others of their land will be united in their thirst to exercise their rage against the Jews. Apparently they will reach the border, even enter the land of Israel when God unleashes pure horror on these enemies of the Jews. He will bring a greatest of earthquakes.  Troops who've come to fight Israel will turn on each other. There will be torturous hail come down, judgment and pestilence.  This vast army will realize that they are fighting God and His people. They will then know who The LORD is!  But God has more vengeance to pour out on this frothing army - and He will - next week. Remember that the impressions that trigger the writing of chapters 33-35, and what will happen in 38 and 39 are thousands of years apart.

Proverbs 30-31 We are in the Wisdom Stream reading from The Message. 7streamsmethod.com | @serenatravis | Donate Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis Lord, your wonders are all around us. Your wisdom runs the earth and sky.  We praise you for your mighty works and love for us. Amen. Agur is likely a contemporary of Solomon. There is no reference to who exactly he was except that his father is Jakeh. His material is intriguing for it's keen observation of life, earth, and God's ways. So much so that it fits in with the rest of the literature found in Proverbs.  So it is included. 30 - Agur has no notion of being some sage himself.  In an admirable statement, he knows and states that God is the source of wisdom. Did you catch that question? --> "What is His Name or His Son's Name?". We read this and we know, but Lemuel is asking this magnificent question around 950 B.C.!  His opening wishes are basically, 'don't lie to me, don't tempt me, don't let me forget God. Here's Agur's advice: don't trash talk people - it's not your role. Bless your parents - beyond that, shush up. Be sober about your own virtue - or lack thereof. Be aware that there are mean people out there! There are also "gimme/gimme" types. Agur spells out five lists that are observations about life that we best know, and try to ingest, understand, and abide by. Don't try to fix these issues - just be aware of them. These lists are like terrain when blazing a trail. Just work with it v.s. work against it. 31 - This is the words of Lemuel. Some scholars posit that Lemuel was a nickname or term of endearment that Solomon received from his mother. Whatever the case may be, it is timeless advice about how society ought value its females v.s. "put them in a pumpkin shell [or hut] where you can keep them very well."  Keep in mind that the regions of the world where the women are valued v.s. used and abused as if to be sub-human commodities, it is these places on earth where people enjoy a better society, better facilities, better amenities, provision, civic pleasantries, domestic tranquility. There is also greater wealth, greater function, happier children, healthier and more humane men who govern with virtue, wisdom, and compassion.                    This woman has untold value, she elicits trust, is deeply and eternally good. She understands fabric, shipping, the culinary world. Her help is cared for, she knows real estate, agriculture, and is obviously attentive; knowing the seasons.  Her management skills frees her husband to master his craft... and she's not done: she designs and markets clothing too.  She speaks wisdom, is kind, and raises children who emulate her.  Her reverence for God is evident. Her abilities inspire her town. Her life is the stuff of legend.

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Ezra 9 - Nehemiah 4 We are in the Nation Stream reading from The Message. 7streamsmethod.com | @serenatravis | Donate Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Dear Lord, What a marvel it is to see what can be done when we see that you are in what we do and that we are in your will; perfectly.  Thank you Lord for calling all of us to something greater and promising to be with us. Amen.

Ezra 9 - The issue had arisen that there were men of Israel who had married foreign women. These wives of theirs were nonbelievers.  The children they were raising were drifters among the covenant.  God is not a drifter! He does not want us to be drifters.  We have a call, an assignment, we have God Almighty pulling for us, the Holy Spirit is our constant aid, strength and comfort, we've a world to share this Good News with and if anyone thinks we can be mixing our agendas at this point is gravely mistaken. My husband was heading to speak at a church years ago and he got a call enroute that changed his plans instantly. It was another pastor who heard my husband was going to speak at this certain "church" and the pastor (a friend of his) was nearly yelling on the line, "don't go speak there - the pastor's wife does voodoo and is into witchcraft!" How long do you think it took my husband to do a U-turn? This garbage situation was not O.K. The pastor, who claimed to be evangelical, married a lady who did voodoo on the side "just to spiritually cover more bases" and make some money moonlighting. This is a mixed marriage and it is a mess!  This rabid foolish disobedience should not be.

10 - So the issue is encountered, the drama ensues, Ezra is confessed to by a leader of the Jews. He then makes his official statement and the matter of solving this grand error is commenced upon. Any man who had a foreign wife had three days to come forward or forfeit his possessions. The investigation is thorough and complete in a matter of weeks. The long list of offenders is stated and told and they were to put away their foreign women plus the children they had with them.  Not easy stuff here, but God meant business when He ordered that they be a holy people.  He could not proceed with them if they would not purify their situation. Nehemiah 1 - Nehemiah, though in Persia, is very concerned that the wall of Jerusalem is in ruins, the gates burned, and the city wall is still crumbled with the city open and vulnerable. It had been almost 95 years since the exiles came back and the wall is still not rebuilt! Imagine almost a century of sloughing off on this matter.  The returned Israelites had been looking at a broken wall so long, they paid it no mind anymore. Nehemiah, however, is distraught to learn of this neglect and goes straight to fervent prayer over the matter. Nehemiah is a stalwart man of prayer. This is his first of six times in this book that he has a prayer session that gets serious attention. 2 - Nehemiah's heart for Jerusalem is impossible to conceal from the King of Persia, whom he waits upon. It isn't long before they discuss it and Nehemiah is sent back to Jerusalem with documents, guards, and horsemen. It is 444 B.C. at this time. [Ezra had returned 14 years prior, and it had been 34 years since Esther was made queen.]  Nehemiah peruses the city and inspects the wall. Meanwhile an Ammonite leader and his sidekick become abundantly nervous as they sense action about to begin. 3 - The men began their great work of repairing and rebuilding the gates all around this roughly 35 acre area called Jerusalem. One after another, all along the wall, the work went on. We see them consecrating their work and then seeing it to completion. It is not a ManPower Program nor a "demonstration of human muster", it is inspiration. It is Nehemiah's prayer being heard and God pressing upon hearts to get going on the things of God. There are a lot of names and projects mentioned in this chapter. "Search"  -Map of the wall and gates that Nehemiah rebuilt-  This will put you miles ahead in understanding the activities that happened in this chapter.  And keep in mind this is a project of God. Again, it's different than a movement led by hearts that say "if it's to be, it's up to me", or "I am the captain of my soul/master of my fate" invictus type of thing. If it were just humans spurring on humans, then why was nothing accomplished toward this repair in 95 years? The King of Persia didn't get this going either. He merely permitted and endorsed it. It was God moving upon a godly man who listened: Nehemiah. 4 - Not long into the wall rebuilding, opponents of the Jews rallied themselves and threatened to make war on Jerusalem if the wall repairs didn't stop. The encroachers that snuck into Israel during the exile are angry because the Chosen people were back on their land and history shows that when God is behind them and they are operating with Him, they are an invincible team!  The wall is half done and the tension caused by the discouragement of Samaritans, Moabites, Ammonites, Philistines, and Arabians is impossible to ignore. However, Nehemiah leads in prayer again, the workers arm themselves, set up rotations, become strengthened heart and soul and all is "FORWARD!!"  There were as many guards with swords and spears as their were laborers and masons. The people were duly reminded that this was the work of God. You'll be amazed next week at how quickly they get this wall up! [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700"] From http://www.bible-architecture.info[/caption]

Deuteronomy 16-20 We are in the World Stream reading from The Message. 7streamsmethod.com | @serenatravis | Donate Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis "Lord God, we do all these things to remember you. We know you never forget about us. Help us to be more faithful in remembering you; to acknowledge you in all our ways. Amen." Remember Jesus telling the Disciples at the Last Supper to "do this as often as you do this and to remember Him"? You remember that, right? That is all God is getting at in the reading today - to remember what He told us to remember. 16 - Remember the Passover and all the tenants of it. And observe the Passover.  Celebrate it where I say. Start and stop when I say. Remember to rest from everything on the Sabbath, the festivals surrounding the harvest. We're going to always do this to keep you from worshipping the harvest. You will remember me; your God who brings you the harvest. All men appear before God three times a year. You shall bring offerings, be organized, judge fairly, and do right. 17 - Offerings are to be the best you have to bring to God. All idolaters must be executed. The nation must not tolerate idolaters or idolatry. Justice must be handled with all prudence and the lessons learned must be taken seriously by all. One day you will all be crying out for a king. I wish you wouldn't but you are going to. When you do, do as I command. He must be of your own. He must not be motivated by power, women, money. And he must be a biblical student. 18 - Take care of the Levites. They must be fed and provided for without fail. It is good when they have plenty. Honor them wherever they are or wherever they are from.  All the pagan practices of all the other people you encounter must be avoided permanently.  Their transgressions and witchcraft will never be legal for you to do.     The prophets I raise up among you, listen to them. And there will be a specific one centuries from now -   l i s t e n  to Him! 19 - Again, the "cities of refuge" concept is stated. Accidents happen. And Israel must not be a place of raging revenge and such madness. Those who commit manslaughter and were not intentional need a place to go and live sheltered in peace. As the nation grows, so must the cities of refuge. Other contingencies and bylaws are also stated in 19 so that schemers don't come to rule the country. Justice must rule Israel, not criminals, not even passively or deviously. 20 - Rules for War: Never be afraid. God is right there for you ensuring victory. Anyone distracted with a new house or a new vineyard or a new wife may leave. Cowards - please leave!  Towns that make peace with you, they become your servants. Towns that God tells you to decimate, consult no one and do as you're told. But don't get crazy and cut down orchards though, duh!

I John 1-4 We are in the Church Stream reading from the New American Standard Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @serenatravis | Donate Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis Dear Lord Jesus:  We are so blessed to be your children, to be so dearly loved and to be able to love one another and  to be free to love the lost and unlovely. Thank you Lord. Amen. In the Christ stream, we are reading John's account of our Savior; Jesus. In the Church Stream, we are reading also from John the Apostle. In his Gospel, he sounds like an endeared historian. In his letters he John sounds like a heart warming elder or favorite uncle who just wants to know that you are well, getting along in a fine manner and that your soul is healthy. In Revelation, he is the impassioned narrator giving a responsible account of a war-zone and a world-class theater production simultaneously.  John is quite old come these writings -it is about 90 A.D.- and he is simply doing his dutiful best to make sure that we all seek to understand Jesus too...like he knows Jesus. 1 - He gets right to it that Jesus is God's Son (stated 21 times in this book), God is our Father (stated 12 times). God sent Him to us and all this is real. I saw Him, I touched Him, He loves us, it's all the joy that you need to know. And God IS the realm of light and truth; reality, confession, forgiveness, and rich fellowship. 2 - John wants all of us to not fall short of what God has for us by remaining in sin. Come to God now and know that Christ Jesus pleads our case for forgiveness.  There's forgiveness provided we confess, the Commandments are followed, God's Word is kept, and we love one another. John lays down the dividing line: we either love the world OR do the will of God. Those who preach that we are to do something instead of follow Christ alone are anti-Christ. [There were many trolling the Empire and teaching Jesus was to be mixed in with the religions of the day.] Shun all these people! And know that only those who abide in Christ shall live eternally. 3 - John describes the wonder of simply knowing that we are God's children; in simply looking to Christ therein is purification. And John also delineates the difference here between the sins of error and weakness (prior chapter) and the habitual, deliberately deceptive, willful sins here in ch. 3. This includes teachers of heresy.  These are the marks of one occupied by evil: refusal to live in God's righteousness, and love 'your brother'. Signs we have God's love are: sacrifice for each other, love with deeds, we please God, our requests are heard for we believe in Jesus. 4 - Do not be gullible but test the spirits; make sure they confess Jesus, so you don't follow strange creeds. Our great test in life is loving God, loving others, testifying to Jesus - this is what perfects us. Living by love eliminates fear in our lives.  

John 12:1-13:30 We are in the Christ Stream reading from the New American Standard Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @serenatravis | Donate Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis Lord Jesus, you are worth pouring ourselves out for. You serve us so that we may serve others for your Kingdom and glory.  May we be wholly yours.  Amen. Just a bit of review before we proceed in John: a week ago was Jesus' last miracle found in John. Excluding Jesus' own Resurrection, these are the seven miracles that John weaves into his "story of Jesus". There are 41 total healing events that Jesus performed in his three-year ministry. John included four of these 41 in his gospel plus three nature miracles. John is employing just enough to prove who Jesus is. These are enough to inform the world that Jesus is sent from God and is The Savior of the world. Jesus is also the Master over the World.  Here is how Jesus shows his mastery as described in John: Jn. 2 - Turning Water to Wine               Jesus has mastery over quality Jn. 4 - Healing the Official's son          Jesus has mastery over distance (the child was 20 miles away) Jn. 5 - Healing LameMan [38 years]   Jesus has mastery over time Jn. 6 - Feeding Multitude                       Jesus has mastery over quality Jn. 6 - Walking ON the water                Jesus has mastery over gravity Jn. 9 - Healing the Man born blind      Jesus has mastery over misfortune [and light] Jn 11 - Raising Lazarus from Dead    Jesus has mastery over death And with that, John proceeds to tell us the rest of the story.  The first 11 chapters of John cover 35 months.  The last 10 chapters take place during the final seven weeks of Jesus' time on earth.

12 - After Jesus' healed Lazarus it became expedient to escape for a couple of weeks and let the hub-bub die down. [By now the Pharisees wanted to kill Jesus and Lazarus.]  But when Jesus returned to Bethany, there were still many many people who simply wanted to meet this man who was brought back to life. When in the house, Mary anoints Jesus with 12 oz. of very expensive perfume that cost a year's wages. What do you make per year? $40K? $110K? Will you pour out an amount like that into God's kingdom so that Christ is glorified? Most everybody will not. We carry on like Judas and start doing critical math and make sure that Jesus only gets a little bit of it. We can scuttle and skate and excuse all we want, but our priorities are very evident to God.  And we ask Him to bless us ... hmm            When He enters Jerusalem the word spread as if 100,000 text messages got forwarded and everyone came to welcome Him into the city. The praise was ecstatic - ... and the Pharisees only grew more anxious. Some Greeks had come from Galilee too and wanted a moment with Jesus. Jesus uses such a moment to teach that Jesus was not just 'the next man along the trail' of life. Meeting Him was a fork in the road.  If they wanted to just use meeting Jesus to add to their list of "selfies' with a star" they were mistaken. Today people still need to decide what they are going to do about Jesus in their own lives.  As Jesus tells again of His imminent death, He makes statements that are epic to put it lightly.  Jesus would be lifted up on a Cross. The battle of darkness against Light would rage as never before. As Calvary draws closer and closer, sentiments about Jesus would be deeply divided. What side of reality would the men of Jerusalem find themselves on?

            Choose wisely. Eternity is at stake.
13 - The time for their last supper had arrived. The spiritual battle was thick as a cloud in the room. Judas had already negotiated to trade in his friendship with God for a handful of coins. The other 11 were committed to stay with Jesus but hadn't yet realized how frail their spirits were.  Jesus uses the occasion of them being enraptured with Him (they were that locked in focus upon Him) to teach that they are to be servants to all; to the whole world. Every leader who has gone amok on earth has forgotten this story that Jesus demonstrated.  It hits so hard and cuts to the core. Peter doesn't know what to do except to be come sarcastic. Jesus calmly finished the task however.  Jesus knows that his betrayer is still in the room. The events ensue and eventually Judas is at the point of no return. He leaves into the night - truly the man was more committed to darkness than anything. Once someone leaves Jesus, they step into darkness that only grows darker and darker until the grip of Darkness is inescapable.

Zechariah 7-8 We are in the Exile Stream reading from the New American Standard Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @serenatravis | Donate Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis Dear Lord Jesus - we are glad you don't give up on us even though hard-heartedness is a big problem with us; your people. .  We are grateful that you intend to restore and celebrate with us as we worship in your presence. Amen. The two chapters are linked into an intertwined theme.  They had been doing their dutiful deeds to commemorate Zion.  They longed to get back there. Their fasts in (what we call) April, May, July, October were for grieving the destruction of the Temple.  But their hearts were wrong. The fasting wasn't bringing them to God. It was souring into just being a show of personal piety rooted in ... they didn't even know what anymore. The practice of this and the brand new religion of Buddha in Asia about this same time was queerly similar, btw. 7 - The prologue is soon over and God is inquiring, "are you fasting for me? are you celebrating for me? Are you serious?"  God saw the activity that may have appeared religious, but he was not impressed.  They were cruel to each other as widows and orphans and neighbors were destitute among them and the population basically didn't care.  They seemed to enjoy pretending not to notice those suffering around them They were being evil to one another and aloof to God.  Their spirituality was a empty, boring, human-centered expression that God was not impressed with.  They had forgotten that God had to scatter them because of their hard-heartedness.  This still was not remedied.  And it needed to be. 8 - The abrupt alternating between distress from their sins and jubilation at God's renewal continue here, as is Zechariah's trademark.  Amid all the folly that was yet to be reckoned with and abandoned, there is a coming Day foretold where God was going to come and dwell in Jerusalem in a glorious manner. God loved Zion and he would abide there. Truth and holiness would prevail.  The old and young would be joyful as children played in the streets. God will save His people. All will have provision. Enemies will be gone.  And you will all have stopped lying to each other, yes?!. There will be food aplenty, strength, and blessing. God will do good in Judah so do not be afraid. After this the fasts will be renewing and cleansing, not spiritual weirdness.  The feasts will be joyful celebrations, not mere food festivals of excess. The shame of the Jews' behavior in past will be gone. And as blessing floods the land, many nations will be inspired to seek the same blessing that the Jews have since they walk anew with their God.  Praise be to the Lord.

Ezekiel 33-35 We are in the Prophetic Stream reading from the New American Standard Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @serenatravis | Donate Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis Lord, give us your pastoral heart that Ezekiel tells us about.  Amen.

33 - The Lord makes it quite clear that a Believer has a duty to warn one who is straying in disobedience. If we, in God's safe keeping, look out and see one proceeding into perdition, that man's blood is on us if we do not take the responsibility to warn him that destruction lies ahead if he does not repent and make amends.  Yes, we are guilty for what he does if we play the politically correct game and remain aloof dismissing the matter with platitudes of "respecting others views", minding one's own business, honoring their privacy, live and let live, blah blah and such gobbledy. Regardless of their response to our warning, we are absolved of any guilt as long as we speak to them what God would have us say as corrective direction.    18 months or thereabouts after Jerusalem was sacked [586 B.C.] the first exiles from Judah arrived in Ezekiel's territory of Babylon. His tone to the arrivals is more or less, "what did you think was going to happen. You are [top to bottom] as idolatrous as witchdoctors, you murder with glee, you swap wives like you were exchanging coupons at a store,  Did you want God to bless this?!" God had it to wipe out all of you for your sedition. You're fortunate to be alive. So don't even intimate the 'gee, doesn't God love us?' malarkey!" God had to strip Israel/Judah because of your sinfulness. Don't act aghast." As the rest of the Judeans arrived in Babylon, they admired Ezekiel, but they didn't listen to him either - just like they hadn't been listening to God.  They would, however, come to revere Ezekiel in time.

34 - God wants Ezekiel to deliver the mail to the "shepherds" of Israel; the priests and kings who led the people into wretched idolatry.  Imagine how things could have been different had they stuck to the Covenant? As in most settings of the world, leadership is the answer. And it would be the sound answer, except that leadership was the problem in Judah. The shepherds were using the sheep to provide themselves with possession. The sheep hadn't been shepherded into God's Presence as the priests and leaders were supposed to do.  So the sheep went gravely astray. The leaders would have cared about the problem but they were lounging in palaces, nibbling on roasts, and sinning themselves.     The marvelous scenario is then told of when God is going to shepherd His people.  What a fascinating contrast God provides against what the derelict priests let the population slouch to. Every Pastor needs to be reminded of what is written here.  This is how God loves His sheep - and leaders are to love God's people the same way. 35 - With Judah falling silent and uninhabited, the neighboring country of Edom [Mt. Seir] thought it was time to go in and take possession as they saw fit.  Judah was attacked with finality in 586 B.C.  So Edom was staging to move in and call Judah (and beyond) their own. They were delighted to have the Jews extricated and gone "forever" so it appeared. Well, being people who are ignorant of the things of God, they were all excited making plans to absorb Judah when in 583, B.C., Babylon rushes in and lays the country out.   The dead were everywhere.  God needed the land of Israel to lay fallow for 70 years. No peoples were going to intercept this plan of God.