When the Christian reads Ezekiel 18, he or she should be shocked at the arrogance and hardheartedness of the church in Ezekiel’s day.

They complain to Yahweh, “The way of Yahweh is not just!” Can you imagine saying that to Jesus? To Yahweh in the flesh, who demonstrates the absolute righteousness of God by laying down his life for ransom for his people, to make their salvation rock solid?

What was Yahweh’s failure in Israel’s eyes? He was justly willing to take into consideration a man’s ways and faithfulness.

Yahweh makes his argument to his church like this: up through verse 20, the wicked die for their iniquity, and the righteous live for their faithful obedience (9).

In verse 21, if a previously wicked man repents and turns from his sins he is forgiven and accepted and his past is not remembered. In verse 24, if a previously righteous man turns away and does injustice and abominations, what happens? None of his righteous deeds are remembered. These two situations are the at the bottom of Israel’s attack on Yahweh.

We learn at least two lessons here. First, perseverance is demanded by God. He calls you to be faithful, and to continue in that humble faithfulness (Micah 6:8). Secondly, we see the righteousness and mercy of the Lord mixed together. If you’ve been wicked, but repent, he will accept you. But if you’ve turned from him, you have been unfaithful and have left him (Hebrews 3:12—14).

Can the church today get so arrogant? Can you? Yes! So soften your heart, continuously make a new heart and new spirit, and continuously cast away your transgressions. And urge your church to humble itself before God’s word.

This past Sunday Pastor Shade and his family attended Kings Kirk Presbyterian Church in Cartersville, GA, having volunteered to preach for them after meeting the three young leaders of the year old church plant at our last Presbytery during Council. The three leaders are pastor hopeful Benji, and elder hopefuls Shawn and Noah. All three are thirty-two years old or younger, and have made major transitions the past two years from Baptist backgrounds to being whole-Bible Christians of reformed persuasion. I think they enjoyed our presence as older CREC’ers with history of the denomination and the practice of reformed liturgical worship and government. We were also the first non-Georgian CREC’ers to visit their body, so they enjoyed the ‘family’ fellowship.

After being planted by the CREC church in Newnan, Georgia, they have grown to 50 members with another 20 or so regular visitors. They use a covenant renewal worship pattern with robust singing and responses, and like St. Mark, the kids all worship with their families, learning and singing and responding loudly.

Every Sunday after worship they have a fellowship meal as well, and almost all stayed and enjoyed the fellowship. Meeting at 4 pm, the meal becomes dinner. The only negative was the food was in the sanctuary during the service, and I could smell it during my preaching!

Please pray for their continued growth theologically, in fellowship, and in wisdom for them and their oversight elders as they prepare to elect officers for the church. Because of their youthfulness, I encouraged them to retain at least one older elder as an advisor to their session in order to throttle any youthful misdirection as they begin to guide the church!

If you are in the Atlanta area on a Sunday and are looking for a church for worship, please consider them. They are a lively group and you’ll be blessed!

Pastor Joe is always teaching us to notice biblical themes to increase our faith in God’s kindness, goodness, truthfulness, and perseverance with his people. Books he often recommends are Peter Leithart’s “A House for My Name” or James Jordan’s “Through New Eyes,” which point out these repeating patterns of Gods care and revelation.

One such text where several of these patterns lie on the surface is in Jeremiah 52:31-34. There the new Babylonian king Evil-Merodach took Israeli king Jehoiachin, grandson of righteous Josiah, and prisoner from the days of Nebuchadnezzar whom he had surrendered to, and honored him. Merodach elevated Jehoiachin in the 37th year of his captivity (cf 2 Kings 24).

Jehoiachin had done evil, but Yahweh reversed his situation. How so?

• Lifted up the head—victory – Psalm 110:7
• Brought him out of prison/pit-death and resurrection 
• Spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above other kings at his table-exaltation/ascension
• Dined regularly at the king’s table-a friend of the king/counselor (like Joseph, Daniel, Mordecai, etc)
• Put off his prison garments-resurrection, like Joseph
• Regular provision till he died-versus Zedekiah (who didn’t surrender, had his eyes put out after watching his sons be slain, and was imprisoned and dragged to Babylon and never heard of again).

This is how the book of Jeremiah ends—not on the destruction of Jerusalem, but on the exaltation of God’s people as represented by the king’s reversal. God brings life and hope and peace to his church through his loving sovereign ways; and he remembers his people! Including you in your dark days.