I'm Like Israel: SOAP on Ezekiel and Jeremiah

Denise and I have been sticking to our church's two-year Bible reading plan. I'm in a small "life group" that discusses the Bible readings from the preceding week. Each person shares for about five minutes a verse or section of scripture that stands out to them. We follow the SOAP method of journaling/meditating on scripture.

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S is for Scripture. "Write down a verse or passage that particularly spoke to you." 

O is for Observation [and interpretation]. "What do you think God is saying to you in this scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal Jesus to you. Paraphrase and write this scripture down in your own words." [I might add an I for Interpretation here. This requires using your God-given brain--considering things such as context (how the passage relates to those verses that precede and follow it), word definitions and historical context. In essence, don't interpret an isolated passage out of context from the rest of the Bible.] 

A is for Application. "Personalize what you have read, by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now.... Write how this scripture can apply to you today." 

P is for Prayer. "This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this scripture, or it may be a greater insight on what He may be revealing to you." Also, listen to God as well. Write it down.

Here's the SOAP on Ezekiel 20:31 and Jeremiah 32:35-42:

Scripture:

Ezekiel 20:30-31  "30 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and go whoring after their detestable things?31 When you present your gifts and offer up your children in fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you."

Jeremiah 32:35-42 "35 They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. 36 “Now therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence’: 37 Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. 38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. 40 I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. 41 I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul. 42 “For thus says the LORD: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them." 

Observation and interpretation:

Israel and Judah deserved the judgment of the Babylonian captivity. Part of their idol worship included sacrificing their children to the idol Molech. But as bad as their sins were, God promised to restore Israel and bring them back to their land. God even promised Israel an everlasting covenant where he would "put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me." It seems to me this could be a reference to the New Covenant under Christ, where we have the Holy Spirit in our hearts to instill a Godly fear within us and enable us to serve and obey God. Is this Godly fear more of an awe inspired reverence toward the Lord or fear of punishment? Let me know, dear reader.

Application:

I'm like Israel. Although my past life deserved punishment, God instead chose to intervene and rescue me from my sin; He made me a partaker of His New Covenant under Christ. The Holy Spirit gave me a new heart that respects the awesomeness of God; and the Spirit empowers me to love and obey Him.

Prayer:

My prayer is first one of thanksgiving to God for rescuing me from the Babylonian captivity of my old life and restoring me through the New Covenant. I pray that God will continue to empower me to love and obey Him.