toebah

It's a year of Rabbit this year. There are 12 animals represented for each year and come back to the first animal after the twelfth. Therefore, the years are in a cycle of twelves. I personally don't care about what year it is for Chinese New Year because I believe it has to do with superstitions. I remember before I come to know God, I would read articles pertaining to the different animals especially related to the year and to the year which I was born and represented and do what they say accordingly. Yes. It's kinda like zodiac. They tell you if you are lucky this year, if you are going to have good health, if you should get married, etc. After knowing Christ, I believe my life is in God's hand and only He determines how my life should work. I have all that I have in Christ and I don't need anything other than Christ. Therefore like Ezekiel 8, the remnants, elders and men of God did detestable things in the temple and provoked God's anger. God is a jealous God and He will not tolerate idolatry. People may be innocent about what they are doing but for some they know what they are doing. In this case, the elders said in verse 12 that 'the Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.' So, they all did what they think it is right to them because the Lord does not see them. What more the elders were committing idolatry in God's temple!! In verse 16, they bowed to the sun in the east and their backs toward the temple of the Lord. Sometimes we think what we do in the church (temple of God) is honoring God but God sees our hearts. What a danger!

Toebah is a Hebrew word translated as abominations or detestable things. This word appears in OT over 100 times and of all these times, 41 in the book of Ezekiel. The Israelite people has been influenced by other pagans who worship idols and they even integrated and practiced the pagan worship in God's holy temple. This is called syncretism. For us today, some churches have gone far to incorporate different practices so that the church can accommodate and look less weird to the unbelievers. We tolerate or compromise the practice of homosexuality, and even for different beliefs, we think it is alright to yield to some of the practices. Know the truth and the truth will set you free. Arise church, for biblical teaching and expose the false teaching!!!

My prayer for this year is that I will refrain from all the detestable things and honor Him alone. May God help me to love Him with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my strength.