Ezekiel Lesson 5

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Ezekiel Enough is Enough

Lesson # 5 January 3rd, 2010 Page 1

Scripture: Chapters 12-14

Key Verse: Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: None of My words will be postponed any

more, but the word which I speak will be done, says the Lord GOD., (12:28)

Overview: Judahs leaders faced judgment first. God had charged them with the responsibility for

Biblically based leadership among His people. They had failed miserably! They misdirected Gods people

because of the deficiencies of their character, as shown in their lack of trust in God and His Word.

Theme: God holds spiritual leaders accountable for their leadership!

Chapters 4-24 cover the period from Ezekiels call to the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem

Chapters 4-11, the certainty of Gods judgment

Chapters 12-19, the necessity of Gods judgment

Their confidence that the kingdom and the capital would be spared was baseless

God desires the remnant to be aroused to repent

Outline:

1. Dont rationalize God does what He says (Ezekiel 12)2. Dont trust the religion offools God deals in truth (Ezekiel 13)3. Dont make your own God Repent before the true God (Ezekiel 14)

Detail:

1. Dont rationalize God does what He says (Ezekiel 12)a. Dramatizing Gods Word (12:1-10)

i. A new series of messages: Now the word of the LORDcame to me, saying (1)ii. Gods view of Israel: Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house,

which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; for

they area rebellious house (1)

1. Question: how does God view me? You?2. 1 Sam 16:7, For the LORD does not see as man sees;for man looks at

the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart

3. Hebrews 4:13, And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but allthings are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give

account

4. Psalm 139:1-3, O LORD, You have searched me and known me.2

You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my

thought afar off.3

You comprehend my path and my lying down, And

are acquainted with all my ways.


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iii. Ezekiel to act out the escape from Jerusalem (vss 3-6)1. Just the basic stuff for moving!2. 3: prepare your belongings for captivity3. So little that it could be easily carried: you shall bear them on your

shoulders (6)

4. Something literally acted out proof asked about it in the morning!iv. Ezekiel obeys asking no questions!v. A wonderment to the exiles: What are you doing? (vs 9)vi. Dramatization of the fate of the inhabitants of Israel!

vii. Face covering (vs 6):1. Humiliation of one of noble birth!2. Cf 2 Kings 25:4-7: Then the city wall was broken through, and all the

men of warfledat night by way of the gate between two walls, which

was by the kings garden, even though the Chaldeans were still

encamped all around against the city. And the kingwent by way of the

plain.5

But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they

overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his army was scattered from

him.6

So they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon

at Riblah, and they pronounced judgment on him.7

Then they killed the

sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, put out the eyes of Zedekiah, bound

him with bronze fetters, and took him to Babylon

b. Explained (10-16):i. This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who

are among them. (10)

1. Ezekiel called Zedekiah the prince2. Regarded Jehoiachin as the true King (17:13)

ii. Israel shares the calamity!iii. Impacts exiles as dashes hopes of early return!iv. Cf 2 Kings 25:1-7v. Note Zedekiah would die in Babylon but not see the land: I will bring him

to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he shall not see it, though he shall

die there. (vs 13)

vi. Purpose! Our God is God Who acts according to His divine purpose!1. Knowledge of God: Then they shall know that I amthe LORD (15)2. The remnant (vs 16): that they may declare all their abominations

among the Gentiles wherever they go

3. Note threefold: they shall know that I amthe LORD (15,16,20)


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c. Distress in the siege (12:17-20):i. Portrayed by Ezekiel: eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with

trembling and anxiety (18)

ii. Message for captives: They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink theirwater with dread, so that her land may be emptied of all who are in it, because

of the violence of all those who dwell in it (19)

d. The timing of Gods Word (12:21-28)i. A perception that with the great time span (humanly speaking) between earlier

prophecies of doom and fulfillment

ii. Proverb: The days are prolonged, and every vision fails (22). God says I willlay this proverb to rest, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel. (23)

iii. Sound familiar?1. 2 Peter 3:4, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers

fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of

creation.

2. I find myself amazing that people are surprised that people die! Ortragedies befall men!

a. 1 Peter 1:24, All flesh is as grass,And all the glory of man as theflower of the grass.The grass withers,And its flower falls away

b. James 4:14, For what is your life? It is even a vapor thatappears for a little time and then vanishes away

iv. God says : For I am the LORD. I speak, and the word which I speak will come topass; it will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will

say the word and perform it (25)

v. Even in that very day, people had a perception that Gods Word would fail! heprophesies of times far off. (27)

vi. Application:1. Death (personal)2. Judgment3. Rapture4. Tribulation5. Etc


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2. Dont trust the religion of fools God deals in truth (Ezekiel 13)a. Identification of fools (13:1-7)

i. False prophets1. They prophesy out of their own heart (13:2)2. The foolishly follow their own spirit and have seen nothing (vs 3)3. They have envisioned futility and false divination (6)

ii. They offered no real defense or power . But were there to feed off the detritusand debris of the crushed nation!

iii. Todays fools:1. The atheist: Psalm 14:1, The fool has said in his heart, There is no

God.

2. The blasphemer: Psalm 74:18, a foolish people has blasphemed Yourname

iv. Every generation is called to be vigilant in defending the truth and on guardagainst false teachers!

b. Judgment on fools (13:8-23)i. God is against them (vs 8)

ii. They have no true inheritance with the people of God (vs 9)iii. What they did:

1. Seduced the people (vs 10)2. They falsehoods like untempered plaster (vs true mortar)3. They had a form of beautiful religion: sew magic charms on their

sleeves and veils for the head (vs 18)

4. But really they are only in it for themselves! - They hunt the souls ofMy people

iv. God will judge them: I am against your magic charms (20)v. Purpose: God wants truthful faithful leaders of His people: I will deliver My

people out of your hand, and you shall know that I amthe LORD (23)

c. Comment: Gods desire for His NT peoplei. True shepherds!

ii. Standards (1 Timothy 3)iii. We should pray for, respect, follow them!


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3. Dont make your own God Repent before the true God (Ezekiel 14)a. The command (14:1-11)

i. The sins or the leaders present in the people at large!1. Ezekiel approached by elders of Israel (vs 1)2. Gods complaint against them: these men have set up their idols in

their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble

into iniquity (vs 3)

3. Their very sins present in the people of God (vs 4)4. God wonders: Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?

ii. Command: Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away fromall your abominations (vs 6)

iii. Observations:1. The leaders sinned . And people followed them!2. Idolatry (sins in the heart that dethroned God) lead to abominable

practices

3. Orthodoxy leaders to orthopraxy!iv. What does true repentance look like?

1. Repentance is a changing to the mind2. A mark of repentance is a change of behavior

v. Gods purpose in judgment: that the house of Israel may no longer stray fromMe, nor be profaned anymore with all their transgressions, but that they may

be My people and I may be their God (v 11)

b. The consequence (14:12-23)i. Judgments (vs 21I send My four severe judgments on Jerusalemthe sword

and famine and wild beasts and pestilence):

1. Famine: Vs 13, when a land sins against Me by persistentunfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its

supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it.

2. Wild beasts: (15) If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, andthey empty it, and make it so desolate that no man may pass through

because of the beasts,

3. Sword: (17); Sword, go through the land, and I cut off man and beastfrom it

4. Plague: (21) and pestilence


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ii. So wicked was the land that even if Job, Noah or Daniel were there they alonewould escape with their lives! (vs 20)

1. Interesting that these held up as examples2. NoahNoah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked

with God (Genesis 6:9)

3. Job the great sufferer (Job 1:8, a blameless and upright man, onewho fears God and shuns evil)

4. Daniel a contemporary of Ezekieliii. Again Gods purpose: (22-23)

1. Yet a remnant to join the current exiles: there shall be left in it aremnant who will be brought out, both sons and daughters; surely they

will come out to you, and you will see their ways and their doings.

2. Comfort knowing God is sovereignly working: Then you will becomforted concerning the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem,

all that I have brought upon it.

3. Knowing that God always acts in accord with his justice, holiness, mercyand love: you shall know that I have done nothing without cause that I

have done in it

4. Application:a. We need to value true Spiritual leadersb. Specific actions in Hebrews 13:

i. Remember them: Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken theword of God to you (13:7)

ii. Follow them: whose faith follow, considering the outcome oftheirconduct(13:7)

iii. Obey them: Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watchout for your souls (13:17)

iv. Greet them: Greet all those who rule over you, (13:24)c. How does a Pastor lead?

i. By teachingii. By moral excellence (the power of example)iii. By directing (bishophric)

Ezekiel Lesson 5

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