Ezekiel 6
COMMENTARY:
: 7 And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and you shall know that I am the LORD. (3045 “know” [yada‘] means knowledge, notice, hear of, learn, revealed, realize, observe, perceive, or to be cognizant.)
DEVOTION: Throughout the Old Testament God has warned HIS people of judgment if they are unfaithful to HIM. HE will send warnings. HE will send prophets to warn them of their coming judgment. HE used faithful priests to warn the people. Judgment never comes without warning from the LORD.
So we find the children of Israel under the judgment of God which is called evil because it is what the people desire rather than what God wants to give HIS people. HE is longsuffering toward them and us. HE doesn’t want anyone to spend eternity in hell but there comes a time of judgment for the actions of those who refuse to confess their sin and follow HIM.
HE uses the judgment of Israel to help those who remain and also people of other nations that there is a God who is true and holy. The nations around Israel will see what happens to even HIS people when they refuse to follow HIS commandments.
God wants people to know that HE is the ONLY TRUE GOD of the universe. There is no other. HE informs Ezekiel that the reason for the judgment is for both Israel and other nations to know that HE is a God that keeps HIS word regarding judgment.
Now we have time today to become a follower of Jesus Christ but there will be a day when the offer has ended and judgment will come on those who reject HIM as their personal Savior. Then all will understand that HE is the LORD!!
CHALLENGE: Don’t wait for judgment day to come before you realize that you have never made a genuine commitment to the LORD!!
: 8 Yet will I leave a remnant, that you may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries. (3498 “remnant” [yathar] means remainder, behind, leave, preserve alive, that which is left, spare, make survive, or left behind.)
DEVOTION: The children of Judah had many places of false worship. They were worshiping idols. They were making images. They were going to high places to worship false gods. They were making altars to their false gods. The LORD was displeased.
HE was going to break down all of their places of false worship. HE was going to see that the bones of those who worshiped false gods were right there beside their places of worship.
Why was HE making this all happen? HE wanted them to realize that that HE was in control. HE wanted them to know that HE was the LORD. LORD means Sovereign over the universe. HE could bring blessing or HE could bring cursing depending on the actions of those who were claiming to be HIS followers.
HE did leave a group behind to show HIS mercy. HE promised to bring the remainder back to the Promised Land in the future. Jeremiah gave this promise to the people from the LORD. HE was never to be without a witness to HIS greatness.
Today we have a group of individuals who are faithful to the LORD that will be kept by HIS power. These individuals will serve the LORD until HE calls them home. They will be faithful.
God wants each of us to be these type of individuals. These are the ones that are obeying HIS commands with the help of the Holy Spirit. This group is not sinless but they will be the ones who keep short accounts with God. Their days will include a time of meditation on the Word of God or Bible. They will have a time of prayer. They will have a time of witness. Those around them will notice a difference.
Do these characteristics represent you as one that is a true follower of the LORD? Does our heart testify that we are serving the LORD in a way that shows spiritual growth on a regular basis?
CHALLENGE: The LORD wants a group who are faithful to HIM. Be a part of this group. Help others to join this group.
: 9 And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which has departed from me, and with their eyes, which go whoring after their idols: and they shall loathe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations. (7665 “broken” [shabar] means rent violently, destroyed, be smashed, suffer, be grieved, wreck, crush, or quench.)
DEVOTION: This is a chapter in which the LORD is speaking of judgment and the reasons for the judgment. A key phrase in this chapter was “they shall KNOW that I am the LORD.” Four times in fourteen verses this phrase is used to inform the people of WHO was in CONTOL.
The children of Israel were setting up false worship every place they could set up altars or images. They thought they could escape the punishment of the LORD but HE states that they will not escape. There will be sword, famine and pestilence. The land will be laid waste. All the images were going to broken and destroyed. All their works would be abolished. Reason: they would KNOW that HE was the LORD. HE was Sovereign. HE was keeping HIS word regarding judgment.
The LORD promised a remnant would escape death and that they would remember the LORD. Those who would be judged had quenched HIM with their wandering heart.
HIS long-suffering with the people had come to an end. HE had given them enough mercy and grace. HE had sent enough warnings. HE had watched as they mistreated HIS prophets. HE had watched as they listened to false prophets. Enough was enough. They were not going to listen. HE gave them over to their evil desires.
They didn’t want to stay true to the LORD because the grass looked greener someplace else. We have the same tendency in our lives. We think that serving ourselves would be better than serving the LORD.
In the end, we will receive the same reaction as the children of Israel, we will loath ourselves. Sin seems good for the moment. Serving self seems good, for the moment, but when we come to our senses we realize that serving the LORD brings greater joy and blessing.
Are we causing the LORD to grieve because of our idolatry? Are we worshiping money instead of HIM? Are we setting up false gods and listening to false prophets today? Are we not heeding the LORD’S warning? We need to wake up and smell the judgment coming!!!
CHALLENGE: Repent and start a REVIVAL!!! Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit with your life.
: 11 Thus says the Lord GOD; Smite with your hand, and stamp with your foot, and say, Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! For they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence. (8441 “abominations” [tow’ebah] means a disgusting thing, abhorrence, detestable thing, offensive, idol, wickedness, something that is an abomination which causes horror and disgust in others.)
DEVOTION: This is the people of the LORD doing things that should never be done when they are in a proper relationship with the LORD.
The LORD deserves proper worship but the children of Israel were worshiping anyone and anything that was not the Creator of the Universe. They thought they could get away with it because as of yet they were not judged for their actions.
The LORD is longsuffering and not willing that any should perish but there is still a limit for the children of Israel and for believers of today.
Too often we read the Old Testament and see that the LORD doesn’t judge HIS people right away but gives them a chance to repent and then HE judges. However, we need to realize that the LORD sends HIS prophets to warn HIS people that judgment is coming if they don’t turn from their wicked ways and repent.
Israel didn’t repent and sad to say many people who attend good churches don’t repent of their sins and follow the LORD and still think that they can get away with more sinning without judgment. They are wrong.
The LORD is longsuffering but HE is still going to judge those who claim to be HIS people. HE will not allow them to go to far before judgment comes and they realize that if they don’t repent SOON they will not see heaven.
Too many people think they are going to heaven just because they attend church once in a while and pray once in a while but never really turn their life around for the LORD. If there is no genuine repentance than there is no genuine salvation.
CHALLENGE: To many people today that attend even a good church have never genuinely repented and turned from their sinful ways and followed the LORD. These individuals will be surprise in eternity!
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of the LORDverse 1
Prophesyverse 2
Word of the Lord GODverse 3
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 1, 7, 10, 13, 14
Lord – Adonai (Master, Owner)verses 3, 11
GOD – Jehovahverses 3, 11
Lord GODverses 3, 11
Speaks to the mountains, hills and rivers
and valleys
I, even I, will bring a sword upon you
and I will destroy your high places
I will cast down your slain men before
your idolsverse 4
I will lay the dead carcases of the children of
Israel before their idolsverse 5
I will scatter your bones round about
your altarsverse 5
I am the LORDverses 7, 14
I will leave a remnantverse 8
They that escape shall remember MEverse 9
I am broken with their whorish heartverse 9
Judgment of the LORDverses 10-12
they shall know that I am the LORD
I have not said in vain that I will do this evil
I will accomplish MY fury upon Israelverse 12
Know I am the LORDverse 13
I will stretch out MY hand upon Israel
and make the land desolateverse 14
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Countriesverse 8
Nationsverse 9
Wilderness toward Diblathverse 14
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
High placesverses 3, 6, 13
Altars to false gods – desolateverses 4-6, 13
Images of false gods – brokenverses 4, 6
Idolsverses 4-6, 9, 13
Whoring heartverse 9
Departed from the LORDverse 9
Departed with their eyesverse 9
Evilsverses 9, 10
Abominations verse 9
Evil abominationsverses 9, 11
False worship upon every high hill,
In all the tops of the mountains,
And under every green tree
And under every thick oak
Offer swee savor to all their idolsverse 13
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Hear word of the LORDverse 3
Know that I am the LORDverses 7, 10, 13, 14
Remnantverse 8
Remember the LORDverse 9
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Son of man = Ezekielverse 2
Set your face and prophesy
Mountains of Israelverse 3
Hear the word of the Lord God
Israelverses 2, 3, 5-12, 14
All your dwelling places the cites
Shall be laid waste
High places shall be desolate
Your altars may be laid waste and made desolate
Your idols may be broken and cease
Your images may be cut down
Your works may be abolished
Your slain shall fall in the midst of you
You shall know that I am the LORD
You shall be scattered through the countries
Carried away captive
They shall lothe themselves for the evils
Evil abominations of the house of Israel
Fall by the sword
Fall by the famine
Fall by the pestilence
They shall KNOW that I am the LORD
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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