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In Order. Discernment

September 11, 2017. Ezekiel 44-45.

 

“Things are going to be different.”  That is the theme of these two chapters.  The glory of the Lord has returned to His temple and things are going to be different.  In the midst of all the details of this difference, is this statement about “the priests, who are Levites and descendants of Zadok.” Something that will impact everyone.

Ezekiel 44:23 And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

That in a nutshell is what the Lord desires of His leaders and His people.  What He desires for His leaders to teach, and how He desires for His people to live.

In the Lord’s letter to His people who have stepped out of Judaism into Christianity He uses the analogy of baby food and adult food to describe how His people should live and it sounds very much like this passage in Ezekiel.

Hebrews 5:13-14 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to discern good from evil. (NIV)

The life the Lord wants for His people is a mature life of righteousness.  That kind of a life is only possible when His people are acquainted with His teachings about righteousness.  But the key isn’t just the knowledge.  There are plenty of knowledgeable individuals who do not have a mature life of righteousness.  They are still infants.  The key is the constant use of these teachings.   

God’s people today, in the 21st century, need to constantly use the teachings about righteousness that are clearly in His word.  Doing this, will enable them to discern what is good and evil when it comes to the aspects of life that are not specifically addressed in God’s word.  Things and situations that would have been totally foreign to the writers God used to write His word, but are a part of our everyday life.

 

The Lord wants His people to live a mature life of righteous discernment.

 

The personal question becomes, “Do I want to live a mature life of righteous discernment?”

 

If the answer is yes then there are three things that must be done.

  • Become “acquainted with the teachings about righteousness.”  Read God’s word looking for His specific guidance for how He wants His people to live.
  • Having become acquainted with these teachings, constantly use or practice what you specifically learn.
  • Finally, for those areas that are not specifically mentioned in God’s word, use what you have learned and practiced to enable you to discern what is good and evil for your personal life and your relationship with your Heavenly Father.

Robert McClendon

Bob McClendon grew up in Pennsylvania, spent most of his adulthood in Colorado, and is now ready to learn how to be a Texan. He married his high school sweetheart, Tracy, in 1975. They have two...more