Ezekiel 21
COMMENTARY:
: 3 And say to the land of Israel, Thus says the LORD, Behold, I am against you, and will draw forth MY sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked. (3772 “cut off” [karath] means to cut down, to fell, to exterminate, root out, destroy, or to take away.)
DEVOTION: Here we find that the LORD is predicting judgment coming on the land of Israel because of their sins. The righteous and the wicked are going to face the army of Babylon.
It is sad that the righteous have to be judged with the wicked when the nation was attacked by Babylon but that is what happened because the people would not obey HIM and turn from their wicked ways.
The LORD promises that those who are obedient to HIM will not face the same future as those who are disobedient but that doesn’t mean that hard times can’t come to both groups because of the way those who are righteous are not speaking out against those who are doing what is wicked.
Nations are made up of both types of individuals. Today we have Christians in many nations that are under the judgment of God because the majority are not worshiping HIM in spirit and in truth.
However, eternity is a different story. Those who are genuine believers are promised eternity with the LORD. Those who are believers in Israel are going to face the hard times but the LORD can protect them from not only HIS judgment on the wicked but also their eternity is different from the wicked.
It is hard to see the righteous suffer because of the sins of those who are not followers of the LORD. It happens when the majority are not following the LORD and the voice of the righteous are not heard, in spite of, their trying to turn the nation back to the LORD.
Today we have righteous people who are in nations that are not honoring the LORD. The LORD is going to have to send judgement on those nations where the majority are against HIM. HE can protect the righteous even while judgement is falling on these who are not believers.
Those who are righteous need to continue to witness for the LORD even during times of judgment on their nation. We know that judgment has to come when the sins of a nation get to the point where the LORD has to judge or as some say “apology to those in the past who have been judged for their wickedness.” God doesn’t apology for HIS actions because HE is always RIGHTEOUS.
CHALLENGE: Those who were in Israel during this that were righteous still have to trust the LORD to protect them from judgment. HE is a righteous Judge! Eternity is what really matters – Where are you going to spend eternity?
: 13 Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemns even the rod? It shall be no more, says the Lord GOD. (976 “trial” [bochan] means tested, examine, examination of the characteristics of something, prove, or scrutinize.)
DEVOTION: Here the nation of Judah was going to be scrutinized to see if it would turn from its wicked ways and return to the LORD. The test would involve the coming of the king of Babylon to their land to conquer their land. What would they do?
The test was real and they failed the test. They didn’t turn back to the LORD. They didn’t listen to the prophet of the LORD. They just complained. They thought that if they had the Temple and a king they would be good in the eyes of the LORD. They were wrong.
It was a genuine turning point in the nation. They could have repented but they chose to continue on the path they were on.
Was the examination of their reaction real? YES!! Had they repented would the LORD have changed the outcome of the nation? YES!! HE loved them and was willing to forgive them but they didn’t want to return to service to HIM.
This can happen to any nation where the LORD is present. HE is present in any nation and if the people of that nation repent and return to a proper relationship with HIM HE will bless them.
Nations today are turning further and further from the LORD. Many nations were founded on the principles of the TEN COMMANDMENTS of the LORD. This didn’t make the nation a Christian nation but it encouraged them to study the Word of God to see what HE expected of them for them to receive blessings.
Can revival happen in Israel at this point? YES!! Can revival happen in our nation? YES!! Will it happen? Not likely because a majority of people are only interested in their own lives and not the life of nation.
God wants us to be a people that are willing to encourage one another but this is not even happening in our Biblical churches in many cases. Those that attend a Bible teaching church should be willing to work together to see that their church brings glory to the LORD. This only happens when each individual is willing to submit to the Word of God and to those around them for the glory of LORD.
CHALLENGE: We face a testing each day as to whether we will act like a believer before God and others. What do our actions say to others today? What do they say to the LORD?
: 24 Therefore thus said the Lord GOD; Because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because, I say, that you are come to remembrance, you shall be taken with the hand. (2142 “remembered” [zakar] means mention, recorder, mindful, remind, make a memorial, or proclaim.)
DEVOTION: We can build good memories into our life or bad memories. Most lives have a combination of good and bad memories. We like to keep the good memories and forget the bad memories.
Each wedding that I do I preach a sermon of marriage being W.O.R.K. The W stands for worship. Each couple should make it a practice to worship the LORD together in the home and in a local body of believers. This will help them find couples that should give them a good example of what marriage is all about.
The O stands for organization. Each house to have things done in it and there needs to be an individual responsible for each action. The bills have to be paid – it is good for someone who is not a spender to be in control of the money. There needs to be cleaner, cook, etc. in every home. If there is no organization the house will look a mess and the bills will not be paid on time. It causes problems in a marriage.
The third letter is R which stands for routine. Sometimes there are times of boredom in a marriage. Nothing is happening but day in and day out the same routine. Couples can fall into a routine that might cause problems in the marriage but routine is good if things get down on a regular basis.
The fourth letter is K which stands for keepsakes. There are memories that are built around vacations or special occasions. It is good to take pictures of these occasions for the simple reason that when the routine of marriage hits these pictures remind the couple of the good times they had together.
Here we find that the LORD had only sinful keepsakes regarding the children of Israel. They were causing HIM to remember only their sins because they refused to confess their sins and seek HIS forgiveness. It is because of these actions that the LORD had taken HIS sword out of its sheath.
Judgment had arrived. The fire had been started that would only end in their going into captivity for the seventy years. There would not be a king on the throne until the Messiah came.
CHALLENGE: When the LORD thinks about us what does HE remember? Does HE see most of our actions as ones that are pleasing in HIS sight? We need to build good memories in the sight of the LORD.
: 27 I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him. (5754 “overturn” [avvah] means distortion, wreckage, rubble or ruin.)
DEVOTION: The LORD tells Ezekiel set his face toward Jerusalem. He is to tell the city that the LORD is against them. He is to tell them that all flesh is going into captivity.
The LORD next illustrates the coming destruction by the use of a sword. It has been sharpened and ready for use against Jerusalem. Thirdly, he is to make map to show that the king of Babylon could go in one of two directions. The king of Babylon uses divination to find out which way he should go. The direction is toward Jerusalem.
The LORD informs the people that it is because their sin is obvious and open. HE has no choice but to judge them for their sins. They were headed in the wrong direction and that had to change. The kingly diadem had to be removed from Jerusalem until the righteous one came.
In the meantime, Jerusalem’s judgment was sure. It was going to be ruined. The one Hebrew word is used three times for emphasis. It was utterly impossible for it not to happen.
However, even with this emphasis, the LORD tells them through Ezekiel that someone is coming in the future that will judge righteously. That individual will be given the kingdom.
There is only one interpretation that makes sense regarding this individual who will rule in Jerusalem righteously. It was predicted in Genesis 49: 10. This individual is none other than the Messiah.
Christ is the Messiah. HE is going to return and rule in Jerusalem. Those who are followers of HIS now will reign with HIM during the time period called the Millennium.
For a thousand years there will be no temptations from the devil as he will be in chains. There will be perfect ruler on the throne. However, there will still be a sin nature in those who come out of the tribulation. There will be a sin nature in those who are born during the Millennium. That is why we have a final battle at the end of the Millennium before the Great White Throne judgment when all those who are outside of Christ will be judged.
We need to realize that our responsibility is to reach as many as we can for Christ before we die or HE returns.
Our churches need to reaching out to all those in their neighborhood with the Good News of the Gospel. Are we doing a good job in our areas? Are we praying for the return of Christ? What if it happened today?
CHALLENGE: Let us reach out and touch someone with the Good News of the Gospel today!! Let us pray “Even so come Lord Jesus.”
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