“After seven months, teams of men will be appointed to search the land for skeletons to bury, so the land will be made clean again. Whenever bones are found, a marker will be set up so the burial crews will take them to be buried…
And so the land will finally be cleansed.”
And so the land will finally be cleansed.”
The prophet Ezekiel describes “the actual invasion of Palestine by a great northern confederacy, ostensibly headed by Russia [or nations of central Asia in the region of Turkestan]. The scene depicts a gigantic outburst of anti-Semitism and a colossal attempt to overrun Palestine and annihilate the Jews.”[1]
Ezekiel’s prophesy recorded in chapters 38-39 belongs to the future “Day of the Lord” (Isaiah 13.6-9) and evidently precedes the battle of Armageddon described by John in the last book in the Bible (Revelation 6.16; 20.7-10). The invading force led by prince Gog from the land of Magog will suffer an overwhelming defeat and their bodies will litter the Palestinian landscape. “Teams of men will be appointed to search for skeletons to bury… and so the land will be finally cleansed.”
This news of victory may benefit devoted followers of Christ in the end times. But how does the text relate to believers here and now?
Some days my mind is a battlefield. I am embroiled in a personal Armageddon where the Word of God collides with my (sense of) reality. Old and decaying bodies of thought litter my mental landscape like the rotting corpses in Ezekiel’s vision. On days like that, I need my brain “cleansed.”
These prophetic verses inspire me to take action. I will ask Jesus to dispatch angelic “burial crews” charged with the task of disposing the decomposing remains of ugly thoughts. “Whenever bones [of unhelpful patterns of thinking] are found,” I will set up “a marker” so they may “be buried” and my mind may “be cleansed.” Some memories, images, and notions need to be buried and forgotten so I can make space for the good thoughts of God.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever
is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable —
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.”
Philippians 4.8 NIV
____________
[1] The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, Merrill F. Unger, Moody Press, 1988.
[1] The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, Merrill F. Unger, Moody Press, 1988.
Posts
4 comments:
Noodling.....The process of worrying something to death. Often coupled with the inability to set it aside and move on. Which upon ocassion distracts the noodler from paying proper attention other things. Frequently accompanied by a thump on the head. Well at least that is the way Mom got my attention.
Noodling served work well, I often resolved problems that had presented a roadblock when I was susposed to be involved in other activities. Like listen to my wife, helping my daughters with homework and even sleep (I was known to keep paper and pen at my bed side).
Thank you for your understanding words.
Your Fellow Noodler,
Dave
Dave,
That is where I feel I am these days, hunkers down in my own mind's battlefield. Bones seem to have piled up and I can't seem to pull my head up out of the fox hole I've crawled into to see where my enemy is.
This is not a place I like nor a place I am use to being. keep writing your words that I can concentrate on praiseworthy things.
Larry
Thanks Larry. I will keep writing. I stuggle pulling my head out of the foxhole as well.
Post a Comment