Judgment
Day 415, Tuesday, Sept. 30
Ezekiel Chapters 22 – 23
Both of the chapters today are prophecies of judgment.
Chapter 3 returns—often in explicit terms—to the image of Samaria and Israel prostituting themselves with other nations.
Chapter 2 is less explicit in its imagery, but clear in its teaching that the judgment on Jerusalem comes largely from its treatment of the poor.
In verses 12-13 we read, “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. I will surely strike my hands together at the unjust gain you have made and at the blood you have shed in your midst.”
In our day of extremes of both wealth and poverty this hits home: the wealthy often find ways to profit from the desperation of the poor, bringing upon themselves exactly the kind of judgment Ezekiel spoke of in his day.
Whether we look at slumlords or predatory lenders, we don’t have to look far to find real-world examples.
Most of us don’t shed the blood of the poor in person, but can even without realizing it contribute to the frustration and hopelessness that plays a part in the violent society we live in.

-Rev. Mark Fleming

Tuesday meditation

Job 40:15-24
“Look at Behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox. What strength it has in its loins, what power in the muscles of its belly! Its tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of its thighs are close-knit. Its bones are tubes of bronze, its limbs like rods of iron. It ranks first among the works of God, yet its Maker can approach it with his sword. The hills bring it their produce, and all the wild animals play nearby. Under the lotus plants it lies, hidden among the reeds in the marsh. The lotuses conceal it in their shadow; the poplars by the stream surround it. A raging river does not alarm it; it is secure, though the Jordan should surge against its mouth. Can anyone capture it by the eyes, or trap it and pierce its nose?

Prayer focus
Lord, increase our awareness of the poor among us, and show us ways to ease their burden.