Day 330..."Two Faithless Sisters...Dreams...Paul's glory and joy"

Today is one of the longest reads of all. Three long chapters and the reading from First Thessalonians. Ezekiel devotes most of chapter 23 to a metaphor of two faithless sisters. The imagery is one filled with disobedience. Samaria is Oholah and Jerusalem is represented through Oholibah. Both fates are the same and in the end God has the final word..."Thus will I put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not commit lewdness as you have done. And they shall return your lewdness upon you, and you shall bear the penalty for your sinful idolatry, and you shall know that I am the Lord God.” One other passage in chapter 22 reveals a problem of this era with holy and unholy not being distinguished..."Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them." There is a distinction between the holiness of God and our lives. Holiness (and the sacred) must be respected in the end...then and now.

Daniel gains favor by interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream. I feel sorry for all the wise men that would not interpret. Can we imagine the tension, when the King asked to interpret his dream? It would have been a good era to play dumb. Notice how the historical periods are in the interpretation including Persia, Rome, and the reference to the Kingdom that would not end...the Kingdom of God.

Paul writes to Thessalonica with great affection..."But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy." They had a special place in Paul's thoughts and heart.