*Scripture: Ezekiel 38:1-23 (NKJV)*

1 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, set your face
against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal,
and prophesy against him, 3 and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am
against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. 4 I will turn
you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army,
horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers
and shields, all of them handling swords. 5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are
with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6 Gomer and all its troops;
the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops—many people are
with you.

7 "Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are
gathered about you; and be a guard for them. 8 After many days you will be
visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought
back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of
Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations,
and now all of them dwell safely. 9 You will ascend, coming like a storm,
covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples
with you."

10 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "On that day it shall come to pass that
thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: 11 You
will say, 'I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a
peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and
having neither bars nor gates'—12 to take plunder and to take booty, to
stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited,
and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock
and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land. 13 Sheba, Dedan, the
merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, 'Have you
come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry
away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great
plunder?'"'

14 "Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, 'Thus says the Lord
GOD: "On that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it?
15 Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many
peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a
mighty army. 16 You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to
cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against
My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog,
before their eyes." 17 Thus says the Lord GOD: "Are you he of whom I have
spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied
for years in those days that I would bring you against them?

18 "And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the
land of Israel," says the Lord GOD, "that My fury will show in My face. 19
For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: 'Surely in
that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, 20 so
that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the
field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on
the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be
thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the
ground.' 21 I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My
mountains," says the Lord GOD. "Every man's sword will be against his
brother. 22 And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed;
I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are
with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 23 Thus I
will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of
many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD."'"

*Devotion*

Why do bad things happen to God's people? In short, they don't!

What does this mean? Whatever 'bad' happens to the Christian cannot end
bad. The Lord brings every evil counsel and purpose of the devil, the
world, and our own sinful flesh to naught, no matter how ferocious their
attack may be.

The description of God's People in today's reading is enlightening: those
gathered from all the nations (verses 8 and 12) and who live "without
walls," having no need of physical boundaries or protective armaments to
keep their faith pure. Thus, the battle to be waged will not be against a
physical Israel, but against Christ and His Church, which lives in the
midst of every nation—and it is the very war that has been waged since His
Incarnation.

Consider the description of the day of Gog's attack and the Lord's counter
to it. The very things that you were called upon to do during Advent are
accomplished at the time of the Earth's quaking. And recall that the Earth
quaked at the death of our Lord (Matthew 27:51) as the veil of the Temple
was torn in two to show that the entire sacrifice had been made. The
mountains fell in the crucifixion, all being made a smooth path, no matter
how insurmountable they had seemed before, as now the Lord's holy mountain
is lifted up above all others so that the nations may flow to it.

In this way, the Lord truly magnifies and sanctifies Himself in our midst:
He allows us enemies only so that He may slay them for us!
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