Ezekiel: The Problem Of Times Of Trouble

A word list at the end explains words with a *star by them.

About these units

Paul says: 'Everything that people wrote in the past was to teach us. They wrote
those things so that we could have hope. That hope comes from the patience and
strength that the Bible gives to us' (Romans 15:4).

Here Paul suggests reasons why we should study the OT. (OT means Old
Testament, the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before Jesus' birth.) The
OT is history. It also has stories about people's lives. These great OT stories:

teach the mind. (Read 2 Timothy 3:16 and 1 Corinthians 10:11.)

encourage the heart. One translation of Romans 15:4 uses this word. The OT stories
encourage us. We all have times when we desire some word from God. We know
that this would encourage us. It would help us in our difficulties.

make the will strong. (Note: The will is the part of us that makes us able to choose).
The Holy Spirit gives us the strength to continue when things are hard.

Jerome K. Jerome writes funny books. His most famous one is 'Three Men in a
Boat'. The man who is telling the story visits a library. He wants to know what to do
about a minor illness. He finds that he seems to have 101 serious diseases! That is
not the purpose of this book! Nobody will have all the problems that are in this book.

But all of us have bad times. We may have problems. We may feel sad. One trouble
often leads to another too. Some of the subjects are very similar. They may go with
each other. So, fear and worry may go together. But they are separate here. One
situation may not be the same as the reader's situation. Another one will be. There is
something else important. We may not have these difficulties ourselves. But we may
need to help people who do have them.

The Problem Of Times Of Trouble

Introduction
God called Ezekiel to be a *prophet. God had a special task for him to do. It was at a
most difficult time in the *Jews' history. His service was to a particular group of
people. They were *Jews who were far away from their own land. Their enemies had
taken them to Babylon. So, they were feeling very hopeless and sad. They thought
that God did not care about them any more.

Ezekiel's task was to declare God's message to them. He had to tell them the reason
why they were in Babylon. God was punishing them. This was a very serious matter.
Ezekiel must also call them to a holy life. Then he could give them the good news.
God had a better future for them.

The people did not have hope about the things of God. They did not have much
national hope. So, the task would be very hard. It was natural for the *prophet to
hesitate about doing it. He must speak in a helpful way. In times of serious trouble,
this is never easy.

We can all learn from the *prophet. He had to deal with the national problem. He had
an awful personal experience too. There are certain principles that can guide us. We
learn how to help other people when they, too, are in trouble.

Two things were special to every *Jew. First, there was their capital city, Jerusalem.
Then, there was something else. This was even more important to them. It was the
*Temple. They felt that the building itself was important. (Read Jeremiah 7:10, 12.)

But their last sight of that *Temple was an awful one. The huge and beautiful building
was burning. The flames went high into the sky. Huge stones fell. The great
wooden parts crashed as they burned. The *Jews' enemies from Babylon
burned the king's palace. They burned all the homes in Jerusalem. (Read 2 Kings
25:9.) It must have been a terrible sight.

The *Jews had to leave their city and land. They had to walk more than 700 miles
through the desert. So, the burning city was behind them. An unknown future was
ahead of them. But there was something even worse. They felt that God was against
them.

God calls Ezekiel to serve these people. They were not all prisoners. We know this
from Jeremiah 29:1-23. Many of them had a lot of freedom. But something else was
upsetting hundreds of them. They knew why all this had happened. It was God's
punishment. They had offended God. But they still knew that God had a purpose in it
all. He would use this time in a foreign land. God would use it for good in the life of
their nation.

The enemy king was proud of himself. He had defeated the *Jews. His military plan
was clever. He thought that this must be the reason for his success. But really, it was
all part of God's plan. God was using the king as his servant. (Read Jeremiah 25:9;
27:6 and 43:10.) God had done something like this before. He had used the armies
of Assyria (Isaiah 10:5). He would do it in the future too. He would use Cyrus to save
them. (Read Isaiah 44:28; 45:1 and 2 Chronicles 36:22-23.)

We read about Ezekiel's reactions to this situation. Then, we can learn how to help
people who are in trouble.

1 God always reminds us that he never changes

This is true in any kind of trouble. Our circumstances may change. Our attitude to life
may change. But God is the same. He knows all about our trouble. He has not left us
alone in our world. He is with us in our suffering and despair. He also gives us all the
power that we need to deal with life. This is true whatever those problems may be.
Ezekiel sees a *vision. This is before he speaks to the people. A great picture fills his
mind. It is a picture of God's throne. (This is a special king's chair.) It was like a very
unusual vehicle. The picture language is clear. But it sounds complicated. (Read
Ezekiel 1:1-28.)

We will study 3 things in the *vision. These 3 things emphasise that God never
changes. The *Jews needed to be sure of this in their trouble. We need to know it too
in our bad times or sad times.

Ezekiel was a priest (1:3). So, it was natural for God to speak to him as he did. God
used picture language. He used the language of the *Temple. He used the traditions
of their religion too.

1.1 The 'living beings' (1:5-13)

They were probably special *angels of God. (Their name was cherubim.) There were
many pictures of them. So they were famous to *Jews. Pictures of them were on the
doors and walls of the *Temple. (Read 1 Kings 6:25-36.)

The fire burnt the whole *Temple. But all that it represented remained. The *Jews
saw these *angels as servants of God. They were always serving God. (Read Isaiah
6:2, 3.) The fire burned the *Temple doors too. But God was still the same. The
*angels were still serving God. So, it was these *angels who spoke to the *prophet.
They reminded him that God never changes.

We may be in times of trouble. We, too, should remember this great fact. Our
circumstances can change. But God is always the same. (Read Malachi 3:6;
Hebrews 1:11; 13:8; James 1:17 and Revelation 1:4.)

We can feel that we have lost everything. We have lost all that really matters. This
can happen when we are suffering and in pain. Sometimes it may even seem that
God has left us too. But this is not so.

1.2 The wheels of the throne vehicle

(Read Ezekiel 1:15-21; Daniel 7:9.) The wheels show that God is *sovereign. The
*Jews were feeling depressed. They were in a foreign land. So, they were far away
from home. Perhaps they felt that God was still in the burnt city. The wheels
reminded them that God rules the whole world.

Nothing happens to us by chance. God has full control of each part of our lives. He is
not just in some situations. H. L. Ellison wrote a study on the book of Ezekiel. He
notes a strange fact. The throne vehicle is coming 'out of the north' (1:4). Yet,
Jerusalem was in the west.

The north was the direction that the prisoners themselves came from. They took that
route to avoid extra hard areas of the desert. In this *vision, the throne vehicle comes
along the same way. So, God was ruling over their lives. But it was more than that.
God felt sympathy and pity for them. He was sharing their troubles.
There is something else that is interesting. It is about something that the people in
Babylon believed. They believed that 'the north' was where their gods lived. Ellison
gives a meaning for these words. God was showing that he had defeated any gods
that might live there. (Note: the book by Ellison is: 'Ezekiel: the Man and his
Message'.) So, the great God feels for his people. He also defeats their enemies.
You may be in trouble now. Then you, too, must accept this truth.

1.3 The Rainbow (1:28)

This declares that God is *faithful. (Read Genesis 9:12-17 and Revelation 4:3; 10:1.)
The rainbow in the clouds has a message. It continues to remind us about God. He
makes promises and keeps them. When he promises to do something, he does it.
You may feel depressed. Life may be very hard. But God is faithful. He will never
leave you alone. (Read 1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 10:23; 11:11 and 13:5-6.) The
rainbow of promise is there. It surrounds the *prophet. As he realises its meaning, he
feels encouraged.

These 3 parts of Ezekiel's first *vision are special. They are vital in any time of
trouble. We need to remind each other about them in hard times. Our God is
*sovereign. Our God is *faithful. He never changes.

2 We must always accept God's total authority

God is *sovereign. So, we must choose to follow his purposes. This must be so,
whatever our troubles may be. There were various parts of the throne *vision. (A
throne is a king's special chair.) They were not just for the mind to think about.
Ezekiel must react to them. His reaction was to fall to the ground, with his face close
to the ground.

We often make things worse for ourselves. When trouble comes, our reactions are
wrong. There is resistance to God's authority. We become bitter and angry. We look
at our awful troubles. Then we see that other people always seem to have success.

It is much better to do what Ezekiel did. God loves you. Tell him that you are nothing
and that he knows best. Amy Carmichael was a great Christian. She suffered very
much. But she said that when we accept things, we have peace.

You want your life to be content. You want to be calm. Here is the solution. Come to
the throne of a holy and loving God. Declare that he is *sovereign *Lord of your life.
Dr. W. E. Sangster was a famous church leader. He tells about an old lady in one of
his churches. Troubles often surrounded her. She would sigh, then smile. Then she
would say slowly: 'Well, have it your own way, Father.'

Ezekiel recognised 3 things about God. There was the fact that God never changes.
There was the fact that God is *sovereign. Then there was the fact that God is
*faithful. When Ezekiel did this, he heard God speaking to him. The proud person
can never expect to receive a word from God.

3 What to do if we really want to help other people in their troubles

We must recognise certain things. They are important things. We must have pity
and sympathy for them. We must share their suffering. Read Ezekiel 3:15, 16.
He says: 'I sat where they sat…'

For a whole week, he did nothing. He noticed the awful state of his own people. They
did not share his trust and confidence in God. He just sat among them. He shared
their pain and despair. The *prophet had no easy solution for their situation.

We want to be of use to the *Lord. We want to serve those in trouble. Then we must
learn to be quiet. We must not speak immediately. Charles Lamb lived from 1775–
1834. He was a famous English writer. He once asked his friend a question. 'Have
you ever heard me preach?' (This usually means to speak God's word in public. It
can also mean to tell people what they ought to do.) The friend's reply must have
made him feel very upset. The friend said 'I have never heard you do anything else.'
We must learn to listen.

4 God often allows us to have serious trouble

Then we can help other people better. (Read Ezekiel 24:15-27.) It is a very sad story
about Ezekiel. What an awful day it must have been. (Read 24:16, 18.) His situation
was very hard anyway. Now, he knew that his wife would be dead by evening. But he
still went to his work in the morning. He accepted God's purpose. The evening came.
His very dear wife was dead. His first reaction to this news was vital. It would be a
lesson to the *Jews.

God does not use only our words. He uses us as a model. He uses our actions. He
uses our reactions to life's troubles. Ezekiel must not cry aloud. (Read Jeremiah
16:5.) The day after his wife's death was the same as usual. He did his work as a
*prophet (24:18). So, he had a great chance to speak God's word. His own sad loss
became part of his message. It can be the same with our troubles. We can use them
to show truths about God.

5 There is one more great fact

It is true whatever our troubles may be. God is eager to lift us out of our pain and
despair. He wants to give us new life. We began this brief study with Ezekiel's first
*vision. We end it with his most famous *vision. It is in Ezekiel 37:1-14. It is the
*vision of the valley of dry bones.

The *Jews' present state was as bad as these bones (37:11). The bones were' very
dry' too (37:2). There was no hope. This is just how the *Jews felt. They were in a
foreign land. Everything was ruined. They felt depressed and hopeless. Someone
needed to remind them about God's power. They needed to know about God's Spirit.
They needed certainty about the future too.

Better days were coming. They would return to their own land. God says: 'I have
promised that I would do this – and I will. I, the *Lord, have spoken' (37:14). So, God
used Ezekiel. He encouraged the people to hope. He made their trust and
confidence in God stronger.
This *vision referred to the *Jews' national life at that time. But it has importance for
us too. We may feel very depressed. But God is sufficient for us. This is true
whatever our personal pain and despair. He desires to make our love for him new
again. He wants us to have a stronger confidence and trust in him.

Word List (Words with a *)

AD ~ these letters are for 2 Latin words; the words are Anno Domini; they mean 'in
the year of our *Lord'; so AD is any date after the birth of Jesus.

angel ~ a being from heaven; God especially created angels to serve him; God
sends them to serve people too (Hebrews 1:14).

faithful ~ loyal; true; God is always faithful; we can trust God completely; he will
never disappoint us; he always does all that he promises; he wants his people to be
faithful too.

Jew(s) ~ person or people from the Jewish nation; God chose them to be his special
people (read Deuteronomy 7:6-8); our Old Testament (the first part of the Bible) tells
their history; their language is Hebrew; Jesus was a Jew.

Lord ~ a name that we call God or Jesus; we call God or Jesus Lord when we do
what they say.

prophet ~ a person whom God chooses; he gives special messages from God.

sovereign ~ a ruler with all authority and power; this can be a name for a human
king; but God is the only true Sovereign.

temple ~ the *Jews' special building for God; it was in Jerusalem; the enemy
destroyed it in *AD 70; since that time, *Jews' special buildings are called
synagogues.

vision ~ it is like a dream; but the person is often awake; the person sees things
happen; but nobody else can see them; God sometimes speaks to people in this
way.

The Book of Ezekiel, Part 1

The Holiness and Judgment of God
Chapters 1-24

What is the most basic relationship that a Christian can have? You would agree with
me that the most basic relationship the Christian can have is his relationship with
God.
But the question is, how can we develop that relationship with God? Developing a
personal relationship with God, as with any other person, requires a personal and
intimate knowledge of the person. Knowledge of God is the basis of eternal life, as
John notes Jesus saying, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the
only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (John 17:3). Not only is
the knowledge of God the basis of eternal life, but continued growth in the
knowledge of God is the basis of a life that is pleasing to Him.

On the other hand, the lack of the knowledge of God is the basis of a life that is not
pleasing to Him. One of the most basic weaknesses of the church today is not
having enough emphasis on the knowledge of God. J. I. Packer, in the preface of his
book Knowing God, writes:

The conviction behind the book is that ignorance of God – ignorance both of His
ways and of the practice of communion with Him – lies at the root of much of the
church's weakness today. . . The modern way with God is to set Him at distance,
if not to deny Him altogether; and the irony is that modern Christians,
preoccupied with maintaining religious practices in an irreligious world, have
allowed God to become remote.

Knowing God is the basic theme of the Book of Ezekiel. The phrase, "They/you
shall know that I am the Sovereign Lord" is used around 70 times in this book.

On the one hand, the book presents God as holy and sovereign. On the other, it
provides the picture of the sad predicament that the people of God – in a sense the
whole world – has come into because of their lack of the knowledge of God.

It is not just the lack of the knowledge of God; it is a lack of desire for the knowledge
of God. The picture is of willful ignorance and rebellion in spite of God's clear
revelation. The Apostle Paul writes in the New Testament:

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and
wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may
be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
For since the creation of the world God's invisible
qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being
understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For
although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to
him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools (Romans 1:18-23).

If God holds the heathen accountable for their willful ignorance of the knowledge of
God, how much more His own people, who in spite of His clear revelation in His
Word would ignore Him?

Ezekiel's message is not much different from his older contemporary, Jeremiah, who
wrote:

This is what the Lord says: Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or
the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his
 riches, but let him who boasts boast about this that he understands
and knows me, that I am the Lord who exercises kindness, justice and
righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, declares the Lord
(Jeremiah 9:23-24).

Jeremiah then follows up in verses 25-26 to spell out the result of the lack of the
knowledge of God.

Likewise, Ezekiel's message is not much different from his predecessor the prophet
Isaiah. Actually, the first few verses of the Book of Isaiah provide a concise overview
of the Book of Ezekiel!

Right after the first introductory verse, the Book of Isaiah begins with God's lament
about His people not knowing Him:

Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the Lord has spoken: I reared
children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. The
ox knows his master, the donkey his owner's manger, but Israel does
not know, my people do not understand (Isaiah 1:2-3).

Right after this, verses 4-7 describe the sinful condition of the nation, which is the
direct result of the lack of the knowledge of God. Then verses 7-8 describe the
judgment of God on the nation because of their sinfulness. Finally, verse 9 provides
the message of hope, "Unless the Lord almighty had left us some survivors, we
would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah." This is
not only the concise overview of the Book of Isaiah, but also of the Book of Ezekiel,
except that Ezekiel adds one more principle, the principle of individual responsibility
which was also touched by the prophet, Jeremiah.

Ezekiel preached to Israel from 592 to 570 B.C. for 22 years during their Babylonian
captivity. During the later years of the monarchy, before the Babylonian captivity, the
people of God had taken Him for granted. They assumed that God's covenant with
their forefathers was irrevocable, the ownership of the land was permanent, and that
they were immune to any foreign captivity as long as God was in their midst because
of the temple in Jerusalem.

But to their utter shock, Jerusalem was captured, and the nation was exiled from the
land to live in captivity. How could this happen? Is our God impotent before the
Babylonian gods? Has He forgotten us? Why has He abandoned us? They became
angry. They became disillusioned. Bitter. Cynical.

To these people, Ezekiel is called to bring God's message to the people who have
constantly rebelled against God.

I am sending you to the Israelites, to the rebellious nation that has

rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against
me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are
obstinate and stubborn (Ezekiel 2:3-4).

They are repeatedly described as a rebellious house or a house of rebellion.

Ezekiel has a two-fold message. On the one hand, he brings the message of
judgment. The holiness of God cannot tolerate sin, especially sin in the life of His
own people, people known by His name. So He has to bring judgment on them. God
seems to be saying, "I have not forgotten you, you have forgotten Me; I have not
been unfaithful to you, you have been unfaithful to Me." If God seems far away,
before blaming Him, consider who has moved! The first half of the book, chapters 1-
24, presents this message of judgment.

On the other hand, Ezekiel brings the message of hope. God cannot forsake His
people. God cannot forget His covenant.

God is not a man that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should
change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise
and not fulfil? (Numbers 23:19)

God is going to restore the faithful ones back to the land, back to the worship that will
come from their hearts and He will be their God, and they will be His people. The
second half of the book, chapters 25-48, presents this message of hope.

The book is filled with many visions and allegories and the prophet's strange actions
and behavior. Because of this, for many Christians, Ezekiel is too strange and the
book too complex and bizarre to deserve serious attention. So the prophet remains a
mystery. Liberal scholars have branded Ezekiel as ecstatic, visionary, neurotic,
someone who periodically practiced acts of levitation, and the one who was
psychotic and schizophrenic. However, no other prophet in the Bible is so creative in
his presentation and forceful in his message as the prophet Ezekiel.

The book begins with a vision, with the call of the prophet which is not much different
than the prophet Isaiah's call in Isaiah chapter 6. We cannot and do not need to go
into explaining all the details and symbols of the vision. But similar to Isaiah's vision,
Ezekiel's vision reveals the character of God.

Isaiah saw God seated on a throne, high and exalted. Similarly, Ezekiel saw God
seated on a throne high above. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords, the
sovereign ruler of the whole universe. The faces of the four living creatures, of a
man, a lion, an ox and an eagle, represent aspects of the creation over which God
rules.

The other aspect of God's character revealed in the vision is the holiness of God.
Ezekiel does not describe His holiness as much as He brings it out by powerful
symbols. God is surrounded by flashing lightening and brilliant light (Ezekiel 1:4).
"He looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire . . . and brilliant light surrounded
him" (Ezekiel 1:27). All this shows His glory, His holiness, His judgment and wrath.

The most natural response of Ezekiel was, "When I saw it, I fell facedown"
(Ezekiel 1:28). It was just like the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation, "When I
saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead"(Revelation 1:17).

In contrast to God's awesome glory, Ezekiel is addressed as "son of man." This

phrase is used around 93 times in the book, which expresses the idea of man being
formed from the dust, as it was said to Adam,"for dust you are and to dust you
will return" (Genesis 3:19). Several other places, especially in the Book of Psalms,
the fact of man being created from dust is presented to bring out the contrast
between God's eternal character and man's transitoriness (e.g., Psalm 90:2-3;
103:14-17; 104:29-30).

When we have a true vision of God and see Him in His glory, we cannot help but
realize that God is so exalted, so awesome, and we are but dust and we cannot
stand before Him. We are filled with awe and fear and reverence. And when we
know God in that manner, we will live a life that is pleasing to Him, a life that honors
His name. We will not approach Him lightly, but with awe and reverence, with far
more awe than queen Esther had before the king, her husband (Esther 4:11, 16). No
wonder the wise man said, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and
knowledge of the Holy One is understanding"(Proverbs 9:10).

But the sad reality is that the holiness of God and sinfulness of His own people are
placed
side-by-side. The darkness and awfulness of man's sin is presented against the
brilliant light of the glory of God. The major part of the first half of the Book of Ezekiel
is spent in presenting the sinfulness of the people known by His name and God's
wrath against them because of that. As Moses wrote in his psalm,"You have set our
iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence" (Psalm
90:8).

The emphasis in the New Testament is upon the love of God, and the grace of God.
We do not talk much about the holiness of God and the wrath of God. However, why
would we need the grace of God if there was no cause for the wrath of God? The
tendency in the church today is to give them the "good" news; why talk about the bad
news? However, the good news is good news only in the background of the bad
news. But we do not want to scare the "seekers" away by preaching the wrath of
God!

The result is that we have produced a wishy-washy Christianity that talks only about
the promises of God, without mentioning commitment to God, and brings God down
to the level of a vending machine. Again, hear what Packer says about the subject of
God's wrath:

The modern habit throughout the Christian church is to play the subject down.
Those who still believe in the wrath of God (not all do) say little about it; perhaps
they do not think much about it. To an age which has unashamedly sold itself to
the gods of greed, pride, sex and self-will, the church mumbles about God's
kindness, but virtually says nothing about God's judgment.

There is no other book in the whole Bible that presents the sins of God's people in as
much detail as the Book of Ezekiel. Do you want to get the full picture of the
sinfulness of man? Do you want to get the full picture of the hopeless situation of
man? Do you want to get the full picture of the awesome character of God and His
holiness? Do you want to get the full picture of the wrath of God? Study the Book of
Ezekiel, and your life will be transformed.
In the beginning of his book, Isaiah described the awful situation of the people of
God:

Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. From the sole of
your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness – only wounds
and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with
oil (1:5b-6).

What Isaiah described through symbols, Ezekiel describes in gory details.

The Sin of Idolatry

Their sin of idolatry takes the most prominent place. Idols are mentioned more often
in the Book of Ezekiel than any other book of the Bible (52 times). Chapter 8
describes the idol worship by the leaders of Israel right in the temple. God asks the
prophet, "Is it is trivial matter for the house of Judah to do detestable things
they are doing here?" (8:17) Chapter 16 describes Israel's idolatry in most graphic
terms. In spite of God's love and tender care, they lusted after other gods.

Idols are the things we create to take care of our needs so we do not have to depend
on God or anybody else. That is why idol worship in Israel was always connected
with their foreign alliances:

You engaged in prostitution with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors,

and provoked me to anger with your increasing promiscuity. . . . You
engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians too, because you were
insatiable; and even after that, you still were not satisfied. Then you
increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia, a land of merchants,
but even with this you were not satisfied . . . . You adulterous wife! You
prefer strangers to your own husband! (Ezekiel 16:26-32).

The prophet Isaiah too noted:

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who
trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their
horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from
the Lord (Isaiah 31:1).

What they were looking for was safety and security – outside God. What they really
found was spiritual bondage that led them into the physical bondage. Instead of
trusting God, they trusted their idols and perished because of the lack of their
knowledge of God,

My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have

rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests" (Hosea 4:6).

The Sin of Bloodshed

The lack of fear of God led them into the lack of fear and respect for man. Those
who do not fear God do not care about men (Luke 18:4). Like all the other prophets,
Ezekiel takes note of the social sins of the people of God:

The sin of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land
is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice. See how each of the
princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood. In you
they have treated father and mother with contempt; in you they have
oppressed the alien and mistreated the fatherless and the widow. . . . In
you one man commits a detestable offense with his neighbor's wife,
another shamefully defiles his daughter-in-law, and another violates his
sister, his own father's daughter. In you men accept bribes to shed
blood; you take usury and excessive interest and make unjust gain
from your neighbors by extortion. And you have forgotten me, declares
the Sovereign Lord (Ezekiel 9:9; 22:6-7, 10-12).

The Sin of Desecrating Sabbaths

One of the sins noted both by Jeremiah and Ezekiel is the sin of desecrating
Sabbaths:

I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, for the
man who obeys them will live by them. Also I gave them my Sabbaths
as a sign between us, so they would know that I the Lord made them
holy. Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They did
not follow my decrees but rejected my laws – although the man who
obeys them will live by them – they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. I
am the Lord your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my
laws. Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us.
Then you will know that I am the Lord your God. But the children
rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not
careful to keep my laws – although the man who obeys them will live
by them – and they desecrated my Sabbaths (Ezekiel 20:11-13, 19-21).

In the New Testament economy, we feel we are not under the law, and so we are not
under the law of keeping the Sabbaths. However, the concept of keeping the
Sabbaths is not based on the law, it is based on the character of God. In the creation
account:

By the seventh day God finished the work he had been doing; so on the
seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh
day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of
creating that he had done (Genesis 2:2-3).

This is the same reason given behind keeping the Sabbath holy in the Ten
Commandments:

. . . For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea,
and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the
Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy (Exodus 20:11).
There was a time in the United States when most everything was closed on Sunday
except the necessary services. All the department stores were closed on Sunday.
Grocery stores were open, but you could buy only foodstuff from the grocery stores.
If you needed to buy a pen or a paper or a hammer, you would have to wait for
Monday. Now everything is open not only seven days a week, but also many places
24 hours and 7 days a week. Behind all this, the main reason is greed, "For their
hearts were devoted to their idols" (Ezekiel 20:16).

One of the main reasons behind the breakdown of our family structure, the social
structure, and the moral structure of our nation, is not keeping the Sabbath holy.
Because with all of this, there is no time left for the family or for moral instruction to
the children, and the vicious cycle of greed continues leading to the total breakdown.
We have really ignored this important aspect of the Word of God.

The Results

A holy God cannot tolerate sin, especially sin in the people who are known by His
name.

One of the results of their sin is the impending judgment:

Yet in her wickedness she has rebelled against my laws and decrees
more than nations and countries around her. She has rejected my laws
and not followed my decrees. Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord
says: You have been more unruly than the nations around you and
have not followed my decrees and kept my laws. You have not even
conformed to the standards of the nations around you (5:6-7).

What an indictment on the people of God that their heathen nations are morally
better off! Like Paul said, quoting from Isaiah and Ezekiel, "God's name is
blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you"(Romans 2:24; Isaiah 52:5;
Ezekiel 36:22).

And so, "They will go into exile as captives" (12:11). Babylon will be God's sword
of judgment.

Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because you

have defiled my sanctuary with all your vile images and detestable
practices, I myself will withdraw my favor; I will not look on you with
pity or spare you (Ezekiel 5:11).

Another result of their sin was that the glory of God departed from among them.

The glory of God was in the temple, "And the glory of the Lord was standing
there" (3:23). From there it moved to the threshold of the temple" (9:3). "Then
the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and
stopped above the cherubim at the entrance to the east gate of the temple"
(10:18-19). "Finally the glory of the Lord departed from within the city and
stopped above the mountain outside the city" (11:23). And the sad fact was that
the people of God did not even know it or care that it happened.

The moving of the glory of God in stages and also the hovering of the glory of God
before it moves away seem to indicate the hesitation of God in leaving His people.
God never leaves His people willingly and cheerfully. It breaks His heart. He leaves
them as a last resort. But leave He will, because He cannot tolerate sin in His own
people.

That departed glory is still not returned. Ezekiel later describes the return of the glory
of God to Jerusalem in the millennial kingdom. But until then, as Jesus said, "Look,
your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until
you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord'" (Matthew 23:38-39;
Luke 13:35).

The Soul that Sins Shall Die

The people said, "That's not fair! We have not done anything wrong! We can't help it
if our forefathers sinned! Why are we punished for the sins of our forefathers?"
Ezekiel sets down the principle, "The soul that sins shall die." Jeremiah had
already laid down this principle, "Everyone will die for his own sin; whoever eats
sour grapes – his own teeth will set on edge" (Jeremiah 31:30). Ezekiel expands
this principle with illustrations from three successive generations (chapter 18). The
son is not punished because of his father's sin, nor is he spared for his wickedness
because of his father's righteousness.

The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share
the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be
credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged
against him (Ezekiel 18:20).

Of course, they had been warned earlier that, "I the Lord your God, am a jealous
God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth
generation of those who hate me"(Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 5:9). And it is true
that the children suffer for the sinful lifestyle of parents and also that the parents are
responsible for raising children the way they should go so when they are old they will
not turn from it (Proverbs 22:6). Children coming from broken homes many times
suffer the consequences of their parents' mistakes. In the case of the Israelites, a
whole generation was born in the exile because of their parents' sin as Jeremiah
noted, "Our fathers sinned and are no more, and we bear their punishment"
(Lamentations 5:7).

However, both Jeremiah and Ezekiel note here the principle of personal
responsibility. A person cannot excuse his sinful lifestyle by saying that he was raised
in a sinful environment. A person raised in a broken home does not have to go that
way. He himself is responsible to take charge of his own life. Today we live in a
society where people are very eager to take credit for anything good that happens in
their life, but always find fault with someone or something else when they mess up
their own life. Of course, there is nothing new, as we saw in Genesis when Adam
blamed God when he said, "The woman you put here with me – she gave me
some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." She in turn tried to shift the blame when she
said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate" (Genesis 3:12, 13).

Ezekiel also speaks about a person's responsibility before God. When we stand
before God, we will give account of our own life, not of the messed-up lives of others.

God's Love through Judgment

The question that may be asked is why God is so cruel in His judgment. Why would
God be so cruel to His own people? Ezekiel brings out that God does not delight in
judgment. We choose the judgment of God; God does not:

Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your
downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and
get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel?
For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign
Lord. Repent and live! (Ezekiel 18:30-32).

Also,

Son of man, say to the house of Israel, 'This is what you are saying:
"Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away
because of them. How then can we live?" Say to them, 'As surely as I
live, declares the sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the
wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn
from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?' (Ezekiel
33:10-11)

God does not delight in the death of the wicked. God provides them the way of life.
People choose death, God does not. Even through His judgment, He shows His love
for us so we would know Him and His loving concern for us.

When we know God as the holy One who cannot tolerate sin, we are forced to live a
life that is pleasing to Him. But when we know God's fatherly love, we WANT to live a
life that is pleasing to Him.

In his epistle, Peter brings out both these aspects of God's character when he says,
"Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your
lives as strangers here in reverent fear"(1 Peter 1:17), and he presents God both
as a Judge to be feared and a Father Who loves.

WHAT Did Ezekiel See?

PROMISE: "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the
word I speak and give them warning from me." (2:17)
Ezekiel was already an exiled Jew in Babylon when the Word of the Lord called him to be a
prophet. His "burning bush" experience was a windstorm coming from the north, flashing
like fire, lightning, electricity. Ezekiel saw and described unusual living beings (later called
"cherubim" in 10:20) moving inside the fire. They moved forward and back, up and down,
with bright light flashing between them. The wheel on the ground next to each cherubim had
another wheel intersecting wheel, with eyes on their rims. The spirit of each cherubim was in
its wheel, and the sound of their wings was like the roar of rushing water, the voice of the
Almighty, or of a tumulting army. Whatever was above their heads sparkled like ice. Two of
their wings, when spread, touched the wings of those next to them. Their other two wings
covered their body. Overhead, high above the sparkling area, more radiance like fire and a
rainbow surrounded the figure on the throne. When Ezekiel realized he was seeing what
looked like the glory of the Lord, he fell facedown.

The figure on the throne spoke to Ezekiel, and the Spirit raised him to his feet. The one on the
throne had work for Ezekiel to do among his own people, the rebellious house of Israel.
Ezekiel was not to be afraid. He was to tell his people what the Lord told him to say. Whether
they would listen or not, Ezekiel was to listen and obey. The Lord gave him a scroll to eat. It
was covered with words of lament, mourning, and woe, but tasted sweet. Ezekiel obeyed and
ate. The Lord said people in foreign countries would be more apt to listen to Ezekiel's
message than Israel would. But the Lord wanted Israel to be told, so He would make Ezekiel
as unyielding and hard as Israel was. Don't be afraid, Ezekiel. The Spirit transported him to
the exiles at Tel Abib near the Kebar River. The whole experience left Ezekiel bitter with an
angry spirit, and he sat among the exiles overwhelmed for 7 days.

The Lord returned to Ezekiel, calling him a watchman for the house of Israel. The
watchman's job was to hear what the Lord said to a wicked man then repeat the warning,
dissuading him from his wicked ways. Ezekiel was also to watch for stumbling blocks the
Lord put before any righteous man turning toward evil, and warn him not to sin. But there is
no evidence that Ezekiel went off on his own to find and confront wicked or righteous
people. Instead, the Lord told Ezekiel to meet Him somewhere else, and Ezekiel went. The
watchman was to shut himself in his house and have others tie him up with ropes. Ezekiel
would be made mute except when the Lord gave him a message for Israel.

On a clay tablet, Ezekiel was to draw Jerusalem then lay siege to it, step by step. Afterwards,
Ezekiel was to lay on his left side for 390 days, to bear the sin of Israel - 1 day for each of the
390 years of their sin. Next he was to lie on his right side to bear the sin of Judah 40 days,
one day for each year of their sin. The Lord gave specific instructions what and how Ezekiel
was to eat during all the days. They debated over what kind of excrement to use for baking.
This would show how Israel and Judah were on rationed food before eating defiled food in
other nations. This would demonstrate the people wasting away because of their sin.

The Lord Deals With Rejection

PROMISE: "Then in the nations where (the Jews) have been carried captive, those who
escape will remember me - how I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts, which have
turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their idols. They will loathe
themselves for the evil they have done and for all their detestable practices. And they will
know that I am the Lord; I did not threaten in vain to bring this calamity on them." (6:9-10)
Calling Ezekiel "Son of man" (ben-adam), the Lord showed him how to illustrate messages.
Even the hair from Ezekiel's shaved head and beard would be used. The Lord said He had
chosen Jerusalem to be in the center of the nations, but its residents' standards were even
worse than the surrounding heathen nations. Israel followed detestable idols, so the Lord had
withdrawn His favor from them in a unique way. (5:9) After the Jews turned from the Lord,
He turned from them and horrors like canabalism resulted. When the Lord's wrath was over,
He would be avenged, and for many - too late the people would know He is the Lord. But the
results of the Lord's punishment would continue for years to come. Surrounding nations
would see that casual treatment of the Lord does not go unpunished, even for His chosen
people.

Ezekiel was to prophesy against the mountains of Israel. The Lord was at war against places
supporting idols and idolatry, and against His idolterous people. Because of the calamity of
being scattered among many lands and nations, some Jews would survive and recognize the
Lord as their God. No matter where they were, when the Jews realized they were surrounded
by death and desolation despite their idols, wouldn't they recognize the Lord as God?

The Lord, following His plan, sees the end coming in an unprecidented disaster. Any one still
believing in coincidence will finally see the Lord's punishment, promised to the whole crowd.
Silver and gold made them stumble into sin, and couldn't be used to save them. Did they see
the Lord turning away from His treasured place, before others desecrate it? Using the most
wicked of the nations, the Lord planned to end the Jewish pride of strength. Would they miss
the Lord's benefits of providing prophets with visions, priests teaching the law, and getting
counsel from the elders? Instead of using mercy, the Lord began judging them by their own
standards.

While sitting in his house with the elders of Judah, Ezekiel had a vision of being in Jerusalem
at the entrance to the north gate where the idol of jealousy stood. The glory of the Lord with
the cherubim appeared. Then the Lord showed Ezekiel secret drawings of crawling things and
detestable animals that the 70 elders of Israel worshiped, claiming that the Lord was gone
from the land and couldn't see them. Back at the north gate and close to the temple, Ezekiel
was shown more Jews ignoring the Lord and worshiping other things. If this weren't bad
enough, the people filled the land with violence and "put the branch to their nose". [Likely
that had nothing to do with hard drug addiction at that time.] So now, even were the people to
shout at the Lord, he would ignore them.

Derailed In Jerusalem

PROMISE: "This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you (scattered house of
Israel) from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been
scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again. They will return to it and remove
all its vile images and detestable idols. I will give them an undivided heart and put a new
spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.
Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people
and I will be their God. But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and
destesable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the
Sovereign LORD." (11:17-21)
In the vision, the Lord called the guards of Jerusalem to come armed. A man in linen with a
writing kit came with them, and his job was to mark the foreheads of anyone grieving and
lamenting over the detestable things being done in Jerusalem. The guards were told to follow
and kill without mercy anyone not marked. (Note that these people are not killed
indiscriminately or recognized by outward appearance.) Starting in front of the temple, they
are allowed to defile the temple with the dead. The Lord explains how great the sin of Israel
and Judah was, even to the extent of saying that the Lord was gone and no longer watching
the people. So He used their standards of no pity to deal with them.

The Lord directed the man dressed in linen to get burning coals from the cherubim and scatter
them over Jerusalem. Soon, the glory of the Lord left the temple, stopped above the
cherubim, then moved to the east gate of the temple. 25 men were there plotting evil and
giving wicked advice in Jerusalem. The Lord told Ezekiel what to say against them, quoting
something they said to each other in private, and exposing their injust murders. The Lord will
bring the sword they fear, and deal with them as they leave the country borders. Hearing this,
one of the men died on the spot, and Ezekiel was afraid that all of the remnant would die. The
Lord told him that the people of Jerusalem had said people like Ezekiel who were scattered
into other countries were far from the Lord. They thought possession was nine tenths of the
law, so to speak, and that if they stayed in Israel the land was still theirs. Perhaps they thought
they were still the Lord's people, no matter what.

But the Lord corrected that thinking. The remnant had stayed in Israel against the Lord's
instructions through Jeremiah and Uriah. The scattered captives had obeyed the Lord and
now He was a sanctuary for them in the foreign countries. These were the people who would
receive the land of Israel back from the Lord. They would return and destroy any remaining
idols. The Lord planned to replace their hardheartedness with a soft heart and a new spirit.
These Jews will follow the Lord's decrees and carefully keep His laws. They will be His
people, and the Lord will be their God. Anyone whose heart remains devoted to idols will get
back whatever he has done to others. Ezekiel told the Babylonian exiles all the Lord showed
him in this vision.

The Lord had Ezekiel pantomime a man packing for and going into exile. The people back in
Jerusalem, even the prince, would soon be going into exile as captives. The prince would
leave through the wall, but not see Babylonia when he got there, and would die there. (See
Jeremiah 39:7) In the foreign nations, the Jews would begin to acknowledge all their
detestable practices, and begin to know the Lord. Ezekiel was shown things to tell the exiles
that would soon be happening in Jerusalem. Later when the news came, they would know the
Lord had said it would happen. The Lord said, "The days are near when every vision will be
fulfilled." (12:23b) The Lord told Ezekiel that because the exiles were saying the Lord's
prophesies were for the far distant future, they would no longer be delayed.

False Prophets and Forgotten Love

PROMISE: "By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not
have died and have spared those who should not live." (13:19b)
The Lord showed Ezekiel another group of men to prophesy against and warn: the false
prophets of Israel. Rather than acting this out, he was given parables to communicate with
them. These prophets had followed the wishes of their own spirits rather than dealing with
breaks in the wall needing repair. Had they repaired breaks and not just whitewashed over a
flimsily built wall, the defenses would have stood strong during battle on the day of the Lord.
Instead, they had claimed to have visions they made up, and let the people believe lies
received by divination. They practiced "positive mouth confession," expecting their words to
be fulfilled. (13:6) They looked at dangerous times and called them "Peace." Someday they
will say, "Didn't we prophesy in your name?", but the Lord will not have them listed in his
records of the house of Israel. Too late they will know who the Sovereign Lord is. The Lord
will send a violent wind with hailstones and torrential rain, and that whitewashed wall, along
with those who whitewashed it, will fall. Appearing strong, their protection was weak.
Appearing wise, the false prophets would fall, and fail. Too late, they'll know the Sovereign
Lord. Ezekiel was also to prophesy against women who prophesy their own imaginations, use
magical charms, and dress to ensnare people. Because of them, some people had died who
should have lived, and vice versa. They disheartened the righteous with lies, and encouraged
the wicked to keep doing evil. Too late they would know the Lord is Lord.

Some elders came to Ezekiel to inquire of the Lord, who saw the idols they had set up in
their hearts. So to recapture their hearts, the Lord would not answer them except to warn
them to repent, turn from their idols, and renounce all their detestable practices. For their
audacity, wanting the "best" of both idols and of the Lord, the Lord promised to cut them off.
Too late they'll know Him. In the same way, both the idolator and the prophet who tries to
consult the Lord for an idolator will be charged with their own guilt. A country that is
unfaithful to the Lord will have its food supply cut off, will send wild beasts to kill children,
will bring a sword against it, or send a plague. Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job lived in that
country, their righteousness would only save themselves from this judgment. The Lord will
save a few survivers when Jerusalem undergoes the four judgments (sword, famine, beasts,
and plague) who will be proof to exiled Jews that the Lord didn't destroy Jerusalem without
cause.

Perhaps because people remember and repeat stories, the Lord begins to illustrate His
messages with parables and allegories. Compare the usefulness of the wood of a vine with
wood of a tree branch. The vine is good for fuel, but being charred in the fire doesn't make it
useful for anything else. When the Lord sets his face against the people in Jerusalem, those
who come through the fire will still be worthless, not refined. When the exiled Jews see this,
they will know the Lord did what He promised.

As a story, the Lord describes his intimate relationship with Jerusalem as an infant born in
Canaan to an Amorite father and an Hittite mother. Neither parent wanted the newborn, so
Jerusalem was abandoned in the trash to die. But the Lord chose to intervene and provide life
and care for Jerusalem, so she grew and matured. (Genesis 18:18-19 describes the Lord's
plans for those He chooses.) When Jerusalem was old enough for love, the Lord made her His
own. He provided her with fine clothing, grooming, and jewelry, and she became beautiful.
Jerusalem became impressed with her own beauty and fame, and began trusting that, losing
interest in her Lord and provider. Did she think of Him as a husband away on business? Or
did she lose connection with the sense of His presence? Whatever, Jerusalem became
unfaithful to her first love - the One who truly loved her. She became a prostitute with anyone
passing by, and even killed and sacrificed her children - who belonged to the Lord - as food
to idols. Jerusalem forgot her early history when the Lord found her kicking about in her
blood.

"Like Mother, Like Daughter"

PROMISE: "For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son - both alike
belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die." (2:19)
Jerusalem's promiscuity increased. When she "ran off" with lustful Egypt, the Lord pulled
her back, allowing enemies like the Philistines to reduce her territory. Even the Philistine
women were shocked at Jerusalem's lewd behavior. Insatiable, Jerusalem chased after a
relationship with Assyria, and later with Babylonia, a land of merchants. Still, this wasn't
enough. Jerusalem became a weak-willed, adulterous wife, and lost her beauty and appeal
along with her reputation. So when "men" stopped coming by to pay her for prostitution, she
began giving herself away free, offering gifts and bribes to get lovers. Did she think the
Lord's patience meant He didn't see or care? He found her guilty of both adultery and the
murder of their children. Then the Lord determined to cause Jerusalem's "lovers" - as well as
enemies - to come and strip her naked in punishment, not lust. The Lord had a plan to end
Jerusalem's unfaithfulness until His jealous anger subsided.

"Like mother, like daughter," the saying goes. Jerusalem's mother (a Hittite) not only left her
to die at birth, but despised her husband (an Amorite) and her other children. Jerusalem's
older sister was Samaria to the north, and younger sister was Sodom to the south. All three
behaved detestably, but Jerusalem became the most depraved. The sin of Sodom was
arrogance, being overfed, having no concern for the poor and needy, and doing destestable
things. (Homosexuality isn't specifically mentioned here.) At first Jerusalem was too proud to
even talk to sister Sodom, assuming the upperhand. But when the coverup of Jerusalem's sins
was exposed, her behavior made her sisters appear almost righteous. Her lifestyle had
changed as she broke her agreement with the Lord, and her neighbors Edom and the
Philistines had more reason to despise her. The heart-altering "home remedies" of worshiping
idols hardened and poisoned until Jerusalem - hitting bottom - had to enter a unique addiction
treatment program, made ashamed, and forced to bear her own disgrace. The Lord would
remember the covenant He made and Jerusalem broke, and He would establish an everlasting
covenant with her. This covenant would remind Jerusalem of her pre-exile ways. The Lord
would restore Samaria and Sodom and give these sisters as daughters to Jerusalem, not on the
basis of the covenant. As the Lord establishes the covenant with Jerusalem, they will know
Him as Lord. He will make atonement for all Jerusalem had done, and she will be silenced by
her humiliation.

To the house of Israel, the Lord told a story of two great eagles and a transplanted tree that
grew into a spreading vine. The Lord explained how the story was of Jerusalem breaking its
treaty with Babylon and looking for help from Egypt. Can you break a covenant with any
ruler and escape retribution? Can you break a covenant with the Lord and escape notice?
Israeli exiles would get news that those who escaped exile, the unfaithful, had died and their
survivors scattered. All the trees of the field (different groups of people, 17:22-24) would see
the Lord's intervention, bringing down the tall tree and making the low tree tall.

The world was changing. In the law of Moses, the Lord had promised He would punish "the
children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me."
(Exodus 20:5 and Deut. 5:9) The Lord, saying "Every living soul belongs to me", was
changing the basis of punishment for sin from collective to individual. He describes a
righteous man doing what is just and right, and his son who sins. Each is responsible for his
own life choices.

Changing the Covenant Agreement

PROMISE: "The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of
the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous
man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him.
But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees
and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. None of the offenses he
has committed will be remembered against him. Because of the righteous things he has done,
he will live. Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord.
Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?" (18:20-23)
Still explaining the change to individual responsibility for righteousness or wickedness, the
Lord answers why the son doesn't share the guilt of his father. "The soul who sins is the one
who will die." The new plan changed from collective to individual self-discipline and
responsibility. A wicked person can turn away from his sins, live righteously, and live - his
sins forgotten. Conversely, a righteous person can turn to wickedness, and none of the
righteous things he did will be remembered. You don't have to be cut off from the Lord and
die. Repent! Turn from offenses so sin is not your downfall. The Lord has a special offer to
Israel: Take individual responsibility for practicing ethical behavior. Get a new heart. Get a
new spirit.

Ezekiel was given a lament over the princes of Israel who the Lord compared to young lion
cubs who roared fiercely, but were trapped, caged, and silenced. Israel was like a fruitful,
high vine that was uprooted, stripped, and planted in a dry place, where it was suddenly
weak.

Elders came to Ezekiel to inquire of the Lord. Good news? Not really. The Lord refused to
respond to them. Instead, He gave Ezekiel the history of His relationship with Israel, to whom
and through whom He chose to reveal Himself to people on Earth. He was the Lord their
God. He brought them out of Egypt to the land He had chosen for them. Their part was to get
rid of vile images they had seen, and not to defile themselves with idols of Egypt. The Lord's
part sounded good to them, but they quickly rebelled about their requirements. They didn't
want the responsibilities of being the Lord's chosen people. By then, other nations had heard
of the Lord Almighty because of news on how He freed his people from Egypt. So for the
sake of his Name, the Lord kept his promise even though Israel didn't keep theirs. He then
gave them specific laws and decrees. "The man who obeys them will live by them." (20:11b)
He gave them Sabbath rests and celebrations as a sign that He had made them holy. (20:12)
Collectively, the people of Israel rebelled through the generations. When the Lord said they
would be scattered through other nations because of their disobedience, as a group they didn't
change their ways. The Lord even let them live, using laws that wouldn't work, so they would
return to the Lord. They continued defiling themselves with idols whose laws they preferred.
The Lord continued using judgment to purge Israel from the rebels. Immeasurably stronger
than Israel, the Lord would deal with them for His Name's sake rather than according to
Israel's evil ways. The Lord will set an unquenchable fire to the "trees" of the south.

No One In the Gap

PROMISE: "I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before
me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. So I
will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on
their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord." (22:30-31)
Setting his face against Jerusalem, Ezekiel was told to preach against the sanctuary, and
prophesy against the land of Israel. Both righteous and wicked still living in the land were
going to be cut off, killed by the Lord's command. Ezekiel was to groan and grieve with the
Lord in advance of the news of the coming slaughter of that portion of the Lord's people, who
will die tested and terrified. In time the Lord's wrath would subside. But in the meantime,
Ezekiel drew a map of the fork in the road, one toward Rabbah of the Ammonites, and
another toward Judah and fortified Jerusalem. The King of Babylon will stop there, and
consult his idols and other means to decide which road to take. When the lot directs to
destroy Jerusalem, some will oppose the choice, but the Lord is in control of this decision.
The prince of Israel will be taken captive. "The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be
brought low." (21:26b) The ruin of Jerusalem's line of Davidic kings won't be restored until
someone the Lord has already chosen comes to restore it. The Ammonites will be handed
over to brutal, destructive men who will kill and wipe them out, until they are no longer
remembered.

Ezekiel was to judge Jerusalem, confronting her with the detestable practices of murder,
making idols, and bringing their end on themselves. What else? Contempt for parents. Poor
treatment of aliens, fatherless, and widows. Despising the Lord's holy things and the Sabbath.
Using lewd behavior. The Lord details all the commandments which have been broken. The
people have forgotten their Lord. So when the people of Israel are dispersed through all the
nations, they will be defiled -- and they will remember when the Lord warned this. The Lord
described the people of Israel as dross to be heated and melted in His fiery wrath. The Lord
described the drought bringing in the day of wrath, with the viciousness of leaders, priests,
officials, prophets, and people of Israel. When the Lord looked for someone among these
leaders and people who would build up the wall and stand before Him in the gap so He
wouldn't need to destroy the land, there was no one still in Jerusalem prone to do that. So
fiery destruction was coming.

When Wasting Away Reveals The Lord

PROMISE: "Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would
not be cleansed from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you
has subsided." (24:13)
Still looking collectively at the Jews of the two kingdoms of Israel, the Lord described
Samaria and Jerusalem as sisters who had learned prostitution in Egypt while they, and those
attractive to them, were young. Both belonged to the Lord, and both preferred others.

Had they never read the verdict ("meaningless") on lust, in Ecclesiastes?

Samaria (Oholah), the older sister, wanted intimacy with Assyria. When the Lord removed
His protection of her in punishment, the Assyrians stripped her and killed her children as well
as herself. Seeing this, the younger and more depraved sister, Jerusalem (Oholibah) saw her
chance to lust after the Assyrians. But besides them, she also called the handsome
Babylonians to come to her. They defiled her, and she turned away from them, looking to
satisfy her lewdness elsewhere. But the Lord was ready to bring all the handsome young
warriors of Babylon, Chaldea, Pekod, Shoa, Koa, and Assyria to Jerusalem, when "she" no
longer wanted them. But now they were coming with torture and terrorism. Now the Lord
Almighty was permiting them to expose Jerusalem's lewdness and promiscuity in
punishment. No matter that all of these countries had already rejected the Lord Almighty for
idols. Jerusalem had even begun murdering children she had from the Lord to feed her idol
habit, right before entering the Lord's sanctuary. Wanting the best from both, Jerusalem
defiled the Lord's sanctuary by continuing idol worship. So the actions and punishment of
Jerusalem and Samaria became warnings for other cities and countries to expect punishment
from the Lord for their own lewdness and idolatry.

The Lord spoke to Ezekiel in Babylonia on the exact date when Jerusalem's defeat began. The
news would come days later. He described Jerusalem as a cooking pot from which the food is
emptied but left on the fire to burn away impurities and deposits.

The Lord instructed Ezekiel not to mourn for the dead when the delight of his eyes is taken
away. In the morning he told the people what his orders were, and that evening his wife died.
Then the people asked how his loss and his response applied to them. Ezekiel said he was to
be a sign to the Jews in Babylonian exile. He was not allowed to appear to be in mourning
with clothing or weeping, and could only groan and waste away. The Jews in exile were not
allowed to mourn when they hear that sanctuary in Jerusalem has been destroyed. When they
see their number wasting away due to their sins, they will know that the Sovereign Lord
made it so. Ezekiel would not be able to speak again until the exiles hear the news confirming
the temple's destruction.