[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 10

[Donnie Parrett]

DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 10

SPECIAL NOTE: Starting this coming Monday September 12, I will have a new
email address. My new email address will be preacherdp1961 at gmail.com.
My "Donnie Daily Gems" will come from this new address.
Please make the change in your address book.

___

DAILY BIBLE READING

Ezekiel 34-36
New King James Version
Irresponsible Shepherds
34 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, prophesy
against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the
Lord God to the shepherds: "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed
themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 You eat the fat and
clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not
feed the flock. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed
those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was
driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and [a]cruelty you
have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and
they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. 6
My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My
flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking
or searching for them."

7 'Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 "As I live," says
the Lord God, "surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became
food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My
shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not
feed My flock"- 9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord! 10 Thus
says the Lord God: "Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require
My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and
the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock
from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them."

God, the True Shepherd
11 'For thus says the Lord God: "Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep
and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is
among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from
all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. 13 And I
will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and
will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of
Israel, [b]in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14
I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high
mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in
rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed My flock, and I will
make them lie down," says the Lord God. 16 "I will seek what was lost and
bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was
sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment."

17 'And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord God: "Behold, I shall
judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats. 18 Is it too little
for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with
your feet the [c]residue of your pasture-and to have drunk of the clear
waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet? 19 And as for My
flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what
you have fouled with your feet."

20 'Therefore thus says the Lord God to them: "Behold, I Myself will judge
between the fat and the lean sheep. 21 Because you have pushed with side and
shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them
abroad, 22 therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a
prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 I will establish one
shepherd over them, and he shall feed them-My servant David. He shall feed
them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My
servant David a prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.

25 "I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to
cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep
in the woods. 26 I will make them and the places all around My hill a
blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall
be showers of blessing. 27 Then the trees of the field shall yield their
fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their
land; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands
of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them.
28 And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of
the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make
them afraid. 29 I will raise up for them a garden[d] of renown, and they
shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of
the Gentiles anymore. 30 Thus they shall know that I, the Lord their God, am
with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people," says the Lord
God.'

31 "You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your
God," says the Lord God.

Judgment on Mount Seir
35 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, set your
face against Mount Seir and prophesy against it, 3 and say to it, 'Thus says
the Lord God:

"Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against you;
I will stretch out My hand against you,
And make you [e]most desolate;
4 I shall lay your cities waste,
And you shall be desolate.
Then you shall know that I am the Lord.

5 "Because you have had an [f]ancient hatred, and have shed the blood of the
children of Israel by the power of the sword at the time of their calamity,
when their iniquity came to an end, 6 therefore, as I live," says the Lord
God, "I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you; since you
have not hated [g]blood, therefore blood shall pursue you. 7 Thus I will
make Mount Seir [h]most desolate, and cut off from it the one who leaves and
the one who returns. 8 And I will fill its mountains with the slain; on your
hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines those who are slain by the
sword shall fall. 9 I will make you [i]perpetually desolate, and your cities
shall be uninhabited; then you shall know that I am the Lord.

10 "Because you have said, 'These two nations and these two countries shall
be mine, and we will possess them,' although the Lord was there, 11
therefore, as I live," says the Lord God, "I will do according to your anger
and according to the envy which you showed in your hatred against them; and
I will make Myself known among them when I judge you. 12 Then you shall know
that I am the Lord. I have heard all your blasphemies which you have spoken
against the mountains of Israel, saying, 'They are desolate; they are given
to us to consume.' 13 Thus with your mouth you have [j]boasted against Me
and multiplied your words against Me; I have heard them."

14 'Thus says the Lord God: "The whole earth will rejoice when I make you
desolate. 15 As you rejoiced because the inheritance of the house of Israel
was desolate, so I will do to you; you shall be desolate, O Mount Seir, as
well as all of Edom-all of it! Then they shall know that I am the Lord." '

Blessing on Israel
36 "And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, 'O
mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord! 2 Thus says the Lord God:
"Because the enemy has said of you, 'Aha! The [k]ancient heights have become
our possession,' " ' 3 therefore prophesy, and say, 'Thus says the Lord God:
"Because they made you desolate and swallowed you up on every side, so that
you became the possession of the rest of the nations, and you are taken up
by the lips of talkers and slandered by the people"- 4 therefore, O
mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God
to the mountains, the hills, the [l]rivers, the valleys, the desolate
wastes, and the cities that have been forsaken, which became plunder and
mockery to the rest of the nations all around- 5 therefore thus says the
Lord God: "Surely I have spoken in My burning jealousy against the rest of
the nations and against all Edom, who gave My land to themselves as a
possession, with wholehearted joy and [m]spiteful minds, in order to plunder
its open country." '

6 "Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the
mountains, the hills, the rivers, and the valleys, 'Thus says the Lord God:
"Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and My fury, because you have borne
the shame of the nations." 7 Therefore thus says the Lord God: "I have
raised My hand in an oath that surely the nations that are around you shall
bear their own shame. 8 But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot
forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are
about to come. 9 For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you
shall be tilled and sown. 10 I will multiply men upon you, all the house of
Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.
11 I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and
[n]bear young; I will make you inhabited as in former times, and do better
for you than at your beginnings. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. 12
Yes, I will cause men to walk on you, My people Israel; they shall take
possession of you, and you shall be their inheritance; no more shall you
bereave them of children."

13 'Thus says the Lord God: "Because they say to you, 'You devour men and
bereave your nation of children,' 14 therefore you shall devour men no more,
nor bereave your nation anymore," says the Lord God. 15 "Nor will I let you
hear the taunts of the nations anymore, nor bear the reproach of the peoples
anymore, nor shall you cause your nation to stumble anymore," says the Lord
God.' "

The Renewal of Israel
16 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 17 "Son of man, when
the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own
ways and deeds; to Me their way was like the uncleanness of a woman in her
customary impurity. 18 Therefore I poured out My fury on them for the blood
they had shed on the land, and for their idols with which they had defiled
it. 19 So I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed
throughout the countries; I judged them according to their ways and their
deeds. 20 When they came to the nations, wherever they went, they profaned
My holy name-when they said of them, 'These are the people of the Lord, and
yet they have gone out of His land.' 21 But I had concern for My holy name,
which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went.

22 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord God: "I do not
do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake, which
you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. 23 And I will
sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you
have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the
Lord," says the Lord God, "when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. 24
For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries,
and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on
you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and
from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit
within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a
heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in
My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 28 Then you shall
dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I
will be your God. 29 I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will
call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. 30 And I
will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so
that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations. 31
Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and
you will [o]loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and
your abominations. 32 Not for your sake do I do this," says the Lord God,
"let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O
house of Israel!"

33 'Thus says the Lord God: "On the day that I cleanse you from all your
iniquities, I will also enable you to dwell in the cities, and the ruins
shall be rebuilt. 34 The desolate land shall be tilled instead of lying
desolate in the sight of all who pass by. 35 So they will say, 'This land
that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted,
desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.' 36 Then the
nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the Lord, have
rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have
spoken it, and I will do it."

37 'Thus says the Lord God: "I will also let the house of Israel inquire of
Me to do this for them: I will increase their men like a flock. 38 Like a
[p]flock offered as holy sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem on its
[q]feast days, so shall the ruined cities be filled with flocks of men. Then
they shall know that I am the Lord." ' "

Footnotes
Ezekiel 34:4 harshness or rigor
Ezekiel 34:13 Or by the streams
Ezekiel 34:18 remainder
Ezekiel 34:29 Lit. planting place
Ezekiel 35:3 Lit. a desolation and a waste
Ezekiel 35:5 Or everlasting
Ezekiel 35:6 Or bloodshed
Ezekiel 35:7 Lit. a waste and a desolation
Ezekiel 35:9 Lit. desolated forever
Ezekiel 35:13 Lit. made yourself great
Ezekiel 36:2 Or everlasting
Ezekiel 36:4 Or ravines
Ezekiel 36:5 Lit. scorning souls
Ezekiel 36:11 Lit. be fruitful
Ezekiel 36:31 despise
Ezekiel 36:38 Lit. holy flock
Ezekiel 36:38 appointed feasts