DCLM DAILY MANNA DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR SEPTEMBER 8, 2022 (THE RULING SCEPTRE)

TOPIC: THE RULING SCEPTRE

TEXT: Ezekiel 19:1-14
1. Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,

2. And say, What is thy mother? A lioness; she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.

3. And she brought up one of her whelps; it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.

4. The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.

5. Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion.

6. And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.

7. And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his roaring.

8. Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him; he was taken in their pit.

9. And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.

10. Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters; she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.

11. And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.

12. But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit; her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them.

13. And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.

14. And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.

KEY VERSE:
“And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.” – (Ezekiel 19:14).

MESSAGE

Our text reveals the comparison of Judah to a lioness and the kings of Judah to a lion’s whelps. These kings of Judah were very cruel and oppressive to their own subjects. Jerusalem was described as a vine, flourishing and fruitful. The vine was destroyed and forsaken by God because of wickedness, though a remnant remained.

She had, by wickedness, made herself like tinder to the sparks of God’s wrath, so that her own branches served as fuel to burn her. She was plucked up in fury and cast to the ground. Her strong rods were broken and withered; fire consumed them. She was now planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground. In spite of the lamentation of the destruction of Jerusalem and Judah for the lack of a strong rod to be a sceptre, God remembered His promise to David that his kingdom and throne shall be established for ever (2 Samuel 7:16).

God raised one Branch of the vine. This true and living Vine is our Lord and Saviour, Jesus, whose Kingdom shall be forever. After the Church is raptured, the great tribulation of seven years would take place. Thereafter, Christ will reign on earth for a thousand years. His millennial reign will be a time when the purpose of God will be fully realised on earth. It will witness unprecedented era of national and individual peace as there will be no more wars.

In addition, the original curse placed on humanity at the Garden of Eden will be removed; there will be no sickness. Those who are expected to partake of Christ’s millennial reign are true believers who are watchful and steadfast until the end.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Christ’s reign on earth will end man’s wicked system.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Leviticus 25-27