Jeremiah lamented his cruel experience in the cistern. He thought he would die, but he prayed to God and was saved. Jeremiah asked God to curse those who had intended to kill him.
Gold and jewels had lost their luster as the people had lost their value. Wild animals took better care of their young than the people did. Jerusalem's punishment was worse than Sodom, because it took longer. Starvation is a cruel death. Even crueler, loving mothers boiled and ate their own children. Jerusalem was punished because the prophets and priests had sinned. They left, but no other nation would let them stay with them. They were hunted like prey. The people of Jerusalem had paid for their sins and they would soon return home, not so for Edom.
The people of Jerusalem prayed and asked God to remember them. They were homeless and water and firewood cost too much. They were tired and mistreated. They surrendered because they were hungry. The people were abused, the women were raped, the men were strung up by their arms. They were forced into slavery. Sadness and mourning had taken the place of dancing and singing. The glory was gone. Only after they had driven God away from them could they see how He had improved their lives.
EZEKIEL
Five years into Jehoiachin's captivity in Babylon, Ezekiel received a vision from God. Ezekiel looked and saw a windstorm coming from the north. There was lightning flashing from a huge cloud. It lit up the whole sky. The center of the cloud was firey and looked shiny as chrome. There were what looked like 4 creatures in the center of the cloud. Each creature had a face on each side of it's head. In the front, the face of a human, on the right, the face of a lion, on the left, the face of a bull and in the back, the face of an eagle. Each had two sets of wings. One set folded against the body and the other was spread so that it touched tips with the creature's wings next to it. Though the creatures faced straight ahead, they all moved together as quick as sparks jumping from a fire. The creatures glowed like hot coals and something like a flaming torch moved amongst them.
There on the ground beside each creature was a wheel which sparkled like jewels. The wheels were identical and had a second wheel cut through the middle so they could move in any direction without turning. The wheels had large rims which had eyes all around. The creatures controlled the wheels. When they moved the wheels moved so that they stayed right beside them on the ground or in the air. When the creatures flew their wings roared like the ocean. The creatures folded their wings against their bodies whenever they stopped. Then Ezekiel saw a throne of sapphire and he saw the figure of a human. From the waist up it shone like hot metal, from the waist down it looked like flames. The figure was surrounded by bright light like a rainbow after a storm. He realized he was seeing the glory of the Lord and he bowed down with his face to the ground and he heard a voice speaking to him.
The Lord called him by name and told him to stand up and listen. Then the Spirit lifted him to his feet. Then the Lord told him that He was sending him to speak to the people. They might not listen, but Ezekiel was to talk anyway. God told him not to be afraid of them or anything they say. Even if he was scared, he was to be brave and preach God's message to them. Then God told Ezekiel to open his mouth and eat what God was going to give him. Then Ezekiel saw a hand moving toward him holding a scroll. The hand opened and both sides of it were filled with words of sadness, mourning and grief.
Tomorrow read Ezekiel 3-8
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