The Park Forum

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Ezekiel 28 Listen: (4:32)
Read: Ephesians 6 Listen: (3:17)

Scripture Focus: Ezekiel 28.12-19

12 “Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“ ‘You were the seal of perfection,
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden,
the garden of God;
every precious stone adorned you:
carnelian, chrysolite and emerald,
topaz, onyx and jasper,
lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl.
Your settings and mountings were made of gold;
on the day you were created they were prepared.
14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub,
for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God;
you walked among the fiery stones.
15 You were blameless in your ways
from the day you were created
till wickedness was found in you.
16 Through your widespread trade
you were filled with violence,
and you sinned.
So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,
and I expelled you, guardian cherub,
from among the fiery stones.
17 Your heart became proud
on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth;
I made a spectacle of you before kings.
18 By your many sins and dishonest trade
you have desecrated your sanctuaries.
So I made a fire come out from you,
and it consumed you,
and I reduced you to ashes on the ground
in the sight of all who were watching.
19 All the nations who knew you
are appalled at you;
you have come to a horrible end
and will be no more.’ ”

Reflection: Tyre, Eden, the Temple

By John Tillman

Ezekiel references Adam’s fall from Eden and the Temple in Jerusalem to describe judgment on the king of Tyre.

Tyre’s relationship with Israel blessed both kingdoms. The friendship started with David and continued (as trading partners) throughout the history of Israel and Judah. Tyre’s religious practices and beliefs, however, followed Ba’al and other Canaanite gods. Tyre never worshiped Yahweh other than acknowledging David’s God in the perfunctory way a business partner would and supplying many of the materials that were used to build the Temple. Still, God held this foreign king responsible to him for justice and the welfare of others. God holds him responsible for violence and using dishonesty to gain wealth in addition to gloating over Israel’s fate.

Ezekiel’s metaphor of the king being cast out of Eden implies that the sin of Tyre and Adam are similar. Adam didn’t sin by thoughtlessly taking some fruit his wife handed him. Like the king, he wanted to be “like God,” wanted to declare himself wise, and wanted to say for himself what was right and wrong.

The stones mentioned are ones from the breastplate of the high priest in Jerusalem’s temple. This implies Ezekiel’s thoughts about the pride and corruption of the priests and religious leaders. The trappings of power, items of glamour and beauty intended to glorify God, were turned toward themselves. Beauty birthed pride. Splendor corrupted wisdom.

This lament leaves no doubt that, regardless of an individual’s beliefs or the culture’s moral outlook, God will not give a pass to anyone who follows the way of Tyre, Adam, and Jerusalem.

If Tyre, Adam, and the spiritual leadership of the Temple can fall, so can we. The same sins they tripped on strike at our heels. Wealth, power, and pride make us indifferent to suffering. They have us turn a blind eye to corruption. They lead us to accept violence as a means to an end. No ruler of a nation, no CEO, no pastor, staff member, or volunteer leader of a church is exempt.

Let us test our pride: Are we glorifying God or ourselves?

Let us test our power:  Are we serving others or ourselves?

Let us test our wealth: Are we blessing others or ourselves?

And let us have hope in Jesus. When we fail, for the repentant, there is forgiveness. His promises of mercy are as sure as his promises of judgment.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Request for Presence

O Lord, watch over us and save us from this generation forever. — Psalm 12.7

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more about The Empire Has No Clothes

Isaiah confronted people with the truth, “The empire has no clothes!” Isaiah’s constant nakedness would not let Judah escape the image.

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Read more about A Love Affair with Power

We are bombarded with messages about power…why we should support it…utilize it for our own benefit.

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Links for today’s readings:

Read: Ezekiel 25 Listen: (2:50)
Read: Ephesians 3 Listen: (3:42)

Links for this weekend’s readings:

Read: Ezekiel 26 Listen: (3:45), Read: Ephesians 4 Listen: (3:58)
Read: Ezekiel 27 Listen: (5:15), Read: Ephesians 5 Listen: (3:42)

Scripture Focus: Ezekiel 27.3-7

3 Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Sovereign Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you said “Aha!” over my sanctuary when it was desecrated and over the land of Israel when it was laid waste and over the people of Judah when they went into exile, 4 therefore I am going to give you to the people of the East as a possession. They will set up their camps and pitch their tents among you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk. 5 I will turn Rabbah into a pasture for camels and Ammon into a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 6 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet, rejoicing with all the malice of your heart against the land of Israel, 7 therefore I will stretch out my hand against you and give you as plunder to the nations. I will wipe you out from among the nations and exterminate you from the countries. I will destroy you, and you will know that I am the Lord.’”

Reflection: Participating in Violence

By John Tillman

Violence is a complex topic in scripture.

God used violence for his purposes, but also condemned it, even when it accomplished his purposes. He used David’s violence to defend his kingdom but condemned that violence when he refused to allow David to build the Temple. (1 Chronicles 22.8) When David’s kingdom became evil, God used Babylon’s violence to destroy it, but condemned the Babylonians for what they did. (Isaiah 47.6)

In this section of Ezekiel God curses and condemns nations and tribes who didn’t commit violence against Jerusalem—they just celebrated it. God treated them as participants.

Violence is being normalized in culture and politics today. Calls for violence are frequent. Leaders on the left and the right have been threatened and attacked. Some (including Christians) have celebrated this.

Jesus clarified and redefined his followers’ relationship with violence. We are to have no flesh and blood enemies. We must love, pray for, and do good to our enemies. We are not to resist insults and not return evil for evil. Christians must be different than the world.

If our hearts bear malice towards humans, it doesn’t matter if we don’t commit violence against them. Jesus says we are guilty. (Matthew 5.21-22) God will treat us as participants, even if we are on the sidelines.

What does participating in violence “from the sidelines” look like?

Provoking or inciting violence. This can be subtle or overt. A person might just imply that it would be good if something bad happened to someone. Or someone might openly state that someone deserves harm. Even if no one carries out what was said, it is still inciting violence.

Supporting or promoting violence. This means organizing, planning, or providing the means for violence. One can provide the place, opportunity, or information needed for it to happen. One can allow it to continue or refuse to act to stop it. This is supporting violence even if we never swing a fist or wield a weapon.

Celebrating violence. This means cheering it on, enjoying the suffering of the victims, or joking about the outcome. It also means glamorizing it or defending it. It also means repeating the rhetoric of violence, using the slogans, and endorsing those who do.

Violence is part of our world but should have no place in our hearts or our leaders’ mouths. No matter how malicious our foes, there must be no room in our hearts for malice.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting

But you, O Lord my God, oh, deal with me according to your Name; for your tender mercy’s sake, deliver me.
For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. — Psalm 109.20-21

Read more about Victory Over Violence

As someone who experienced and participated in violence, I’m shocked at the glorification of violence in our culture and among Christians.

Victory Over Violence

Read more about Sticks and Stones and Scorpions

Of course words can harm. Stones may strike, sticks may swing, or scorpions sting. Fear not. The gospel’s words of healing are for us and them.

Sticks and Stones and Scorpions

Scripture Focus: Ezekiel 24.18-24

18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded. 19 Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things have to do with us? Why are you acting like this?” 20 So I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: 21 Say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary—the stronghold in which you take pride, the delight of your eyes, the object of your affection. The sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword. 22 And you will do as I have done. You will not cover your mustache and beard or eat the customary food of mourners. 23 You will keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep but will waste away because of your sins and groan among yourselves. 24 Ezekiel will be a sign to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’

Reflection: What Mourning Demonstrates

By John Tillman

Demonstrative mourning was important in Ezekiel’s culture. It showed the importance of a loss.

To tear one’s clothing, to put ashes or dust on one’s head, and to fast from food, drink, and personal hygiene was typical. Yet, when Ezekiel’s wife died, he was only allowed to quietly groan to himself.

Known for extravagant public demonstrations and shocking language, Ezekiel sat quietly, mourning in near silence. This silence was as shocking as anything he ever did.

God sometimes got uncomfortably involved in prophets’ personal lives. Jeremiah was commanded to have no wife or children. Hosea married an unfaithful wife and remained faithful to her. The similar stories of Hosea and Jeremiah shed light on God’s command to Ezekiel.

Hosea’s marriage became a metaphor of God’s relationship with Israel, filled with betrayal on one side and faithfulness and tender love on the other.

Jeremiah was commanded not to marry or have children because of the coming destruction and not to mourn traditionally when destruction arrived. Because of the people’s betrayal, sin, and wickedness, God withdrew his blessing, love, and pity from the people, and this included not mourning as expected. (Jeremiah 16.1-15)

Jeremiah’s singleness, Hosea’s faithfulness, and Ezekiel’s silence spoke volumes about the severity of Israel’s sin but all three included a promise of restoration.

What is there for us to learn from this? To emulate? Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Hosea demonstrated different ways God mourns and deals with our sins.

We shouldn’t build our lives around exceptions and special cases in scripture but we can be ready for the exceptions. Mourning is the norm. When we have losses, whatever they are, we can and should mourn them and cry to God with all the pain and emotion in our hearts. The psalms teach us how to do this.

But there may come times when we must suffer things quietly. Perhaps, as with Jeremiah we should quietly mourn losses tied to sins. Perhaps, as with Ezekiel, we must demonstrate quiet acceptance and a determination to trust God.

Demonstrative mourning, whether quiet or loud, demonstrates something we believe about God.

Let us demonstrate, sometimes with loud cries and sometimes with quiet groaning, that God suffers with us and cares for our losses.

Let us demonstrate that God is with us in every loss.Let us demonstrate our hope in his promise that our losses will be restored. (Joel 2.25)

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Praise

Open my lips, O Lord, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise. — Psalm 51.16

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

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Read more about Calling the Kettle

We are blessed with a God who refused to simply toss away the worthless pot.

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Links for today’s readings:

Read: Ezekiel 23 Listen: (7:48)
Read: Ephesians 1 Listen: (3:10)

Scripture Focus: Ezekiel 23:35

35 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, you must bear the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution.”

Reflection: A Love Affair with Power

By Erin Newton

We come once again to another uncomfortable passage in Ezekiel. The imagery and allegory of God’s people as prostitutes is the focus for the story. The details of this chapter are difficult and offensive to both ancient and modern readers. It is important that we note once again that this is not the condemnation of women in general, but the use of a female figure as a metaphor for the entire nation, men and women alike.

In a lengthy exposé of the sins of Israel and Judah, Ezekiel talks about the lewdness of these sisters fawning and throwing themselves at powerful men—superpowers Egypt and Assyria. I think we will always struggle to understand why the prophet chose this type of imagery, but what we can see here is the error that was caused by the nations. To substitute trust in God for somebody who claims to have more power is akin to an unfaithful marriage.

What Ezekiel seemed to dance around in chapter 16 is placed on full parade here in chapter 23. The sisters (Israel and Judah) have been like shameless lovers who seek after any possible recipient to their seductions. They are taken and abused and cast aside. And the tragic thing is that even in the worst consequences, they had yet to learn to stop running after these powerful lovers.

What makes power so attractive? Why do we trade the ones we love for the affection of something else? When we look at our spiritual lives placing ourselves in the shoes of these women, who or what is it that we find so much more appealing than God?

At the time of the prophets the nations were struggling back and forth between incursions and battles with all the nations around them. There were promises of peace, promises of a better life—if only they would give up truth and the God that they loved. In return, they embraced the way of life offered by idolatrous nations.

Everywhere we go right now we are bombarded with messages about power—messages that herald someone or something’s power and why we should support it, messages about how to gain our own power and utilize it for our own benefit.

But what does it mean if we strive for power when the Son of God Almighty showed us only what it meant to be humble? Let us not lust for power … or its leaders.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Request for Presence

Test me, O Lord, and try me; examine my heart and mind — Psalm 26.2

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

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Our distraction with sexual language and content in scripture can cause us to lose sight of the passages’ intended message.

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When was the last time someone was disfellowshipped from a church for greed? When was the last time Christians boycotted something due to greed?

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Links for today’s readings:

Read: Ezekiel 22 Listen: (4:58)
Read: Philemon Listen: (2:52)

Scripture Focus: Ezekiel 22.2-12

2 “Son of man, will you judge her? Will you judge this city of bloodshed? Then confront her with all her detestable practices 3 and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You city that brings on herself doom by shedding blood in her midst and defiles herself by making idols, 4 you have become guilty because of the blood you have shed and have become defiled by the idols you have made. You have brought your days to a close, and the end of your years has come. Therefore I will make you an object of scorn to the nations and a laughingstock to all the countries. 5 Those who are near and those who are far away will mock you, you infamous city, full of turmoil. 6 “ ‘See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood. 7 In you they have treated father and mother with contempt; in you they have oppressed the foreigner and mistreated the fatherless and the widow. 8 You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths. 9 In you are slanderers who are bent on shedding blood; in you are those who eat at the mountain shrines and commit lewd acts. 10 In you are those who dishonor their father’s bed; in you are those who violate women during their period, when they are ceremonially unclean. 11 In you one man commits a detestable offense with his neighbor’s wife, another shamefully defiles his daughter-in-law, and another violates his sister, his own father’s daughter. 12 In you are people who accept bribes to shed blood; you take interest and make a profit from the poor. You extort unjust gain from your neighbors. And you have forgotten me, declares the Sovereign Lord.

Matthew 5.14

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

Reflection: What Kind of City on a Hill?

By John Tillman

In 1630, Puritan John Winthrop referenced Jesus’ “city on a hill” image (Matthew 5.14) in a famous sermon while sailing to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Since then, many politicians, including presidents Kennedy, Reagan, and Obama, have quoted Winthrop, identifying the United States as a “city on a hill.”

There are some problems with this.

One is that Jesus never intended “city on a hill” to apply to any nation. Not Israel. Not Rome. Not the United States. Winthrop also didn’t intend a political application. He focused on the Christian community they intended to build.

Another problem is leaving out part of the message. Politicians use the image to inspire hope and to advocate for a better “city” for all people. That’s not bad. It’s a good thing when politicians lead with hope and inspiration rather then fear and intimidation. However, Winthrop’s “city on a hill” included admonition, not just inspiration. It included a warning, not just a pretty picture.

Being a city on a hill is not about patriotism or pride. In a city on a hill, whether we become righteous or wicked, God and the world are watching.

In Ezekiel 22, God watches and describes Jerusalem. What should be a shining city on a hill is a city of darkness, blood, and dross. What kind of “city on a hill” do we live in? Bright and righteous? Or dark and bloody?

Being a “shining city” begins with repentance, and repentance with seeing what God sees.

Pray solemnly through the following list of what God saw in the city of blood and dross:

Shedding blood (v3)
Making idols (v3)
Abuse of power (v6)
Contempt for family and parents (v7)
Oppressing the foreigner (v7)
Mistreating the vulnerable (v7)
Despising what is holy (v8)
Despising the day of rest and worship (v8)
Spreading slander that causes bloodshed (v9)
Benefiting from evil and idolatry (v9)
Lewdness, sexual abuse, promiscuity, and perversion (v9-11)
Taking bribes to do harm or shed blood (v12)
Financially abusing or unjustly profiting from the poor (v12)
Extortion from neighbors or community (v12)
Forgetting the Lord (v12)

Don’t lose hope. Christ’s shining city is not a country and is not built by winning elections or serving a political party. The city we build affects this world, but is not of this world. You are the shining city. But remember, the silver goes through the furnace too.

Let God melt away deeds of dross so the world sees their opposites shining among us. Be Christ’s shining city.

Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading

Jesus taught us, saying: “I tell you, if anyone openly declares himself for me in the presence of human beings, the Son of man will declare himself for him in the presence of God’s angels. But anyone who disowns me in the presence of human beings will be disowned in the presence of God’s angels.” — Luke 12.8-9

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

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Babylon thought itself to be a light to the world…Do we, as Christians from around the world, think of our own nations in this way?

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May we leave sin and doubt in the desert, crossing the Jordan toward God’s calling to be his city on a hill.

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