Readings:
Ezekiel 24-25
Titus 2

Ezekiel 24-25

The Word of the Lord comes to Ezekiel now in the year 588 BC when the siege of Jerusalem begins. God gives another allegory about Jerusalem, but this time he uses a rusty pot and essentially it’s uselessness. That is what Jerusalem has become, so there’s nothing left to do with it but cast it into the fire.

He is also told that his wife is about to die that evening, but he isn’t allowed to mourn her in the traditional way, and this will be another of the strange behaviors that people notice about him and when they ask him why he’s doing what he’s doing, then he can give them the message that just as he’s lost his closest loved one they’ll soon loose their loved ones they left behind because Jerusalem is about to be destroyed.

He follows with a prophecy against several of the neighboring countries to Israel and that they won’t escape this coming storm unscathed. They rejoiced when Jerusalem was besieged and now that’s coming back around on them.

Titus 2

Titus is urged to teach the people good behaviors and principles, according to their stations and time of life. Right living aligning with right doctrine bears much fruit and keeps one on the right path.

Titus himself is also urged to practice what he preaches and be a morally upright example for the people. There’s not many things as demoralizing for a group of people as a hypocrite for a leader. If Titus is urging the old men to be temperate and sensible, the women to be sober and reverent, and for the younger men to practice self control as Paul recommended, but he is going out carousing and being the town drunk then nobody will take his preaching seriously. Lead by example, that’s the advice Paul is giving Titus here.

Tomorrow’s Readings:
Ezekiel 26-28
Titus 3