1The word of the Lord came to...

1The word of the Lord came to me:

2"Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell it to the Israelites as a parable.
- P80

1The word of the Lord came to me:

2"Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell it to the Israelites as a parable.
- P81

The Lord gives Ezekiel a parable: a great eagle breaks off the topmost shoot ofa cedar and plants it in fertile soil. It grows into a low, spreading vine. Anothergreat eagle appears, and the vine turns toward it. The Lord declares that thevine will not thrive. It will be uprooted and stripped of its fruit. It will withercompletely and die. - P81

A vivid parable illustrates the fall of Judah. The great eagle with powerful wings and long, colorful feathers represents Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. The eagle takes hold of the top of the cedar, plucks the topmost shoot, and plants it in a foreign land, demonstrating the way Judah’s king, Jehoiachin, was taken to Babylon. - P82

Through this parable, God communicates the reality of Judah’s judgment. Ezekiel is entrusted with the difficult task of delivering this sobering message to the people. The parable is not just for dramatic effect; it serves to awaken the rebellious nation. - P82

As God’s messengers today, we, too, sometimes face the challenge of speaking difficult truths. We can prayerfully rely on His wisdom to communicate them clearly and compassionately. - P82

Ezekiel continues the parable, shifting focus to the vine that is planted bythe eagle. The vine represents Zedekiah, who is placed by Nebuchadnez-zar as a vassal king in Jerusalem. At first, the vine begins to flourish, butanother eagle comes, and the vine reaches out to this second eagle instead.
- P82

The parable describes the disloyalty of Zedekiah, who violated the politicaltreaty with Babylon by turning to Egypt. The rebellion brings destruction,
not only to the king but also to the city he is entrusted to protect. We arereminded that rebellion and disloyalty bring ruin. Zedekiah‘s trust in Egyptreveals his heart.  - P82

In our relationship with God and people, we must con-sider carefully where we place our trust in God, in others, or in ourselves. - P82

When we face challenges, it can be tempting to take matters into our ownhands rather than seek God and trust in His plans. We may want a faster oreasier way to deal with our sufferings, but in doing this, we make the samemistake discussed in the parable of today‘s passage. The story of the twoeagles and the vine shows Judah‘s error of allying with Egypt instead of ac-cepting God‘s judgment through Babylonian rule. The parable emphasizesthat the king will not be successful in his quest as he takes matters into hisown hands because he has not been faithful to keep his side of the treaty.
- P83

Some of us might sympathize with the king. He seems to be doing whathe thinks is best for his people. However, the king is disregarding God‘sauthority as well as Babylon‘s. It is God who decreed for Judah to be sub-ject to Babylon at that time, and His people should accept His judgment.
when we try to take complete control over the outcomeIn a similar way,
of our lives, we can end up ignoring God in the process. We become soconcerned with our own worries that we forget that His will is truly for ourgood. Therefore, we should continually remind ourselves that we can trustGod in whatever circumstance, and hope that He will work things out forHis glory and for our good. - P83

Dear God, thank you for speaking to me, even when the message is hard to receive. Give me the courage to declare Your truth with grace and love. Help me not to shrink back from what You have called me to share, and to trust in Your wisdom. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P83

The Lord decrees judgment aga...

The Lord decrees judgment against Jerusalem for having exposed herselfand shed blood. He gathers her lovers and enemies to shame her publicly.
Jerusalem is compared to her sisters, Samaria and Sodom, and is said to havebecome even more depraved than they. Jerusalem bears her disgrace becauseshe made her sisters seem righteous by comparison. - P71

We sometimes experience the negative consequences of our poor choices.
However, when we humbly realize our mistakes and remember God‘s lovefor us, we are able to receive His restoration, knowing that true life can onlybe found in Him.
- P75

PrayerAdoration Confession Thanksgiving-SupplicationMerciful God, forgive me for the times I‘ve been consumed with myself and ignoredthe needs of others. Open my eyes to injustice and soften my heart toward thevulnerable. Lead me to live justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with You each day.
In Jesus‘ name I pray, amen. - P75

59"‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant.

60Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.

- P77

62So I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord.

63Then, when I make atonement for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign Lord.’"

- P77

The Lord promises to restore the fortunes of Sodom, Samaria, and Jerusalem.
Jerusalem will remember her shame and be humbled. The Lord will remem-ber the covenant He made and will establish an everlasting covenant withher, atoning for all she has done. Then, Jerusalem will remember her waysand be ashamed. - P77

Despite the severity of sin in the cities, God promises to restore the fortunes of not only Jerusalem but also Samaria and Sodom—cities synonymous with rebellion and ruin—so that His people will recognize what they have done in disgracing themselves. The people of Jerusalem will be humbled among their neighbors as they receive this undeserved restoration. We see a reminder of how sin affects us and others and how God does not overlook sin. In His mercy, God decides to discipline by extending restoration. - P78

The grace of receiving what we do not deserve humbles us as we recognize more clearly how good God is to us even when we have sinned against Him. - P78

God promises to remember His covenant with His people despite their sinand rebellion. Though they have broken faith, God remains faithful. Hewill establish His covenant and make atonement for all their sins. God‘speople will be humbled as they remember the past and recognize His lord-ship.  - P78

This passage points us to the ultimate fulfillment of God‘s covenant:Jesus Christ. Through His death, we have received atonement for our sins,
not because we deserved it, but because God is merciful. Like Jerusalem,
we, too, were rebellious and undeserving, yet God pursued us with covenant love. We are called to humbly remember our past, acknowledge God‘sfaithfulness, and respond with gratitude for His amazing grace. - P78

Father, thank you for remembering Your covenant even when I was unfaithful to You. I confess that I have strayed many times, yet You continue to show mercy and forgiveness. Help me to live with gratitude, walk humbly in Your grace, and honor You in all I do. In Your Son’s name I pray, amen. - P79

15˝‘But you trusted in your b...

15"‘But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his.

16You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places, where you carried on your prostitution. You went to him, and he possessed your beauty.

- P66

22In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, kicking about in your blood.

23"‘Woe! Woe to you, declares the Sovereign Lord. In addition to all your other wickedness, - P66

28You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians too, because you were insatiable; and even after that, you still were not satisfied.

29Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia, a land of merchants, but even with this you were not satisfied.

- P67

33All prostitutes receive gifts, but you give gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.

34So in your prostitution you are the opposite of others; no one runs after you for your favors. You are the very opposite, for you give payment and none is given to you.

- P67

Jerusalem trusts in her beauty and becomes unfaithful. She offers her adorn-ments to idols and builds high places to engage in prostitution. She sacrificesher children and fails to remember the misery of her youth. - P67

In His anger, theLord reduces her territory and gives her over to her enemies, but she actsworse than a prostitute, paying lovers instead of receiving payment. - P67

God accuses Jerusalem of squandering His gifts to pursue adulterous relationships and, in doing so, mocking His love. Even more horrifically, she engages in child sacrifice, killing God’s own children. What makes this even more tragic is that Jerusalem is not unaware that this is sin because she was once a victim of the same abuse. She has forgotten what it was like to be mistreated, and in her forgetfulness, became the very thing she was rescued from. - P68

When we forget the depths from which God saved us, we are at risk of reverting to our sinful ways. When we begin to take His grace for granted, we may even perpetuate the very evils we once suffered. - P68

Ezekiel bluntly portrays Jerusalem as a promiscuous spouse, not merelyfor shock value, but to highlight the depth of betrayal and heartbreak Godexperiences. Marriage is meant to be a covenant of mutual self-giving, andthere is nothing more unsettling than witnessing a relationship where onepartner exploits the other‘s love. Yet we so often do so in our relationshipwith the Lord.  - P68

While God gives endlessly out of His abundant grace, weoften take His blessings and spend them trying to win the world‘s approval.
Like Ezekiel‘s prophecies, our reflection on such a betrayal should stir inus a holy discomfort at how easily we abuse the love God so freely offersus, not so we will wallow in self-condemnation, but so we will runback toGod in repentance. - P68

Faithful God, I thank you for Your unfailing love. Even though I constantly fall short and so easily get entangled by the same sins, You are a gracious Father who leads me back to You. Keep my heart so that I will always remain in Your love. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P69

8˝‘Later I passed by, and whe...

8"‘Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.

9"‘I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you.

10I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put sandals of fine leather on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments.

11I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck,

12and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.

13So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oil and the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen.

- P63

14And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord.

- P63

God tells Ezekiel to speak against the detestable practices of Jerusalem bybeginning with a parable about how He once cared for the city. He paintsa striking image of Him adopting a neglected child, speaking life into herso that she might flourish. God then describes His relationship with Jeru-salem as a marriage. He covers her nakedness, symbolizing a love rooted insincere care and protection, The city‘s riches and abundance were not herown, but gifts flowing from God‘s love and lavish generosity.  - P64

This passagereminds us that no matter our heritage or background, God adopts us intoHis family and loves us as a husband cherishes his bride. Not only doesthis parable describe God‘s covenant love for His people, but it also modelswhat God-fearing relationships should look like, marked by self-giving love. - P64

Dear Jesus, thank You for adopting us into Your family and transformingus by Your love. Help our family love others like You have loved us. In Yourname, amen. - P65

[오늘의 한문장] 리빙라이프 Living Life 2025.8 (영문판)

7I will set my face against them. Although they have come out of the fire, the fire will yet consume them. And when I set my face against them, you will know that I am the Lord.

8I will make the land desolate because they have been unfaithful, declares the Sovereign Lord."

- P57

The Lord compares Jerusalem to a useless vine. Unlike other trees, its woodcannot be used to make tools, and when burned, it is worth nothing. The Lorddeclares He will treat Jerusalem as a useless vine. They will know He is the Lordwhen He sets His face against them.  - P57

He then declares that He will make theland desolate because of their unfaithfulness. - P57

God’s message through Ezekiel elaborates on the uselessness of vines. Strong, thick wood from a tree can be used to build things; it serves a valuable purpose. However a grapevine does not provide enough wood to build useful things like tools or furniture. God explains that such wood is only good for fueling a fire, and it is poorly suited even for that purpose. In this illustration, we see that the people of Israel have become like a useless vine. - P58

Rather than being selfish and sinful, God’s people should have fulfilled the purpose for which He created them: to faithfully love and serve Him, to love and serve others, and to work diligently for His kingdom so that He may receive all the glory He deserves. - P58

God‘s people have turned away from their Lord. He has saved, protected,
and provided for them, but they have remained unfaithful and become likeuseless vines. They have become useless, not because they are unproductiveor without any talent but because their lives are spiritually futile. They donot represent the words or actions of God because they have forsaken Him.
This warning should awaken us to examine our own lives.  - P58

We should reflecton our faithfulness to God by considering what He would deem most im-portant rather than what the world would value. Let us not become uselessvines but remain diligent in our faithfulness to the Lord and encourageothers to do the same. - P58

Dear Lord, I confess that I sometimes allow worries and distractions to keep me from fulfilling Your purposes. I want to be faithful to bring You glory and honor through my words and actions. In Your name I pray, amen. - P58

God converses with us primarily through His words in Scripture.
We can also use His words to respond to Him.
Use the following guide to pray through this week‘s memory verse.
"Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Repent!
Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!" - Ezekiel 14:6 - P59