Spirit And Life Devotional: Our Sins Were Laid On Jesus

 

Ezekiel 4:4-6 NLT “Now lie on your left side and place the sins of Israel on yourself. You are to bear their sins for the number of days you lie there on your side. I am requiring you to bear Israel’s sins for 390 days—one day for each year of their sin. After that, turn over and lie on your right side for 40 days—one day for each year of Judah’s sin."

Following God, especially working for Him, is a life of sacrifice. But it is also rewarding. Some people want the rewards without the sacrifices; but it isn't so. In the Scripture above, we see Ezekiel being made to lie in a certain position for over a year! If you read subsequent verses, God restrained him from moving and made him eat rubbish. God laid the sins of Israel on Ezekiel and made him pass through all that as a sign of what the Israelites were to suffer as a result of their sins.

Now Isaiah 53:6 says, "All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all." Just as Ezekiel bore the sins of the Israelites and was made to eat defiled food, on Jesus was laid the sins of the world and He suffered in our place. Ezekiel bore their sins for only 430 days, but what Jesus did was forever! The Lamb of God took away the sins of the world! Hallelujah!

That happened about two thousand years ago, but many of us are yet to comprehend what He did. By taking away our sins, first He made us righteous so that we can stand before God and commune with Him without fear or guilt, He secured our redemption forever, set us free from the penalties of sin, and made it possible for us to receive our eternal inheritance promised by God! He carried our weaknesses and sorrows, He was pierced for our rebellion and crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!! Hallelujah!!! Glory to the Lamb!

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