Ezekiel 12
COMMENTARY:
: 2 Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, but here not: for they are a rebellious house. (4805 “rebellious” [mariy] means bitterness, obstinacy, obstinate, contentiousness, defiance, resistance to one in authority, animosity, loathing of another or state of disobedience.)
DEVOTION: Ezekiel ministered in a very hard time period in the history of Israel. He was sent of God to speak to the people of Jerusalem about the coming invasion of Judah because of the disobedience of the people to worship the LORD alone.
They thought he was wrong. They didn’t believe him. They were obstinate to the point that they would not see what was really going on or hearing what the prophet had to say to them from the LORD.
We live in a time period where this is true too. There are many people who don’t believe the Bible and don’t even want to hear anything it has to say or what those who follow Christ have to say. They think that everything is great.
The children of Israel were wrong and most of the people in our world are wrong. Things are not getting better and better. Almost ninety percent of the people don’t what anything to do with the LORD in our world.
The state we are in today is the same state of disobedience that the children of Israel were in Ezekiel’s day.
Can we do anything about it? YES!! We can still give a message from the LORD that is found in the Bible. We can still warn people of what is coming. We can live as if we believed the Bible is true. Ezekiel did in his generation and we need to do the same in our generation even it they can’t see it or want to hear it.
Our country needs consistent believers who will not give in to the spirit of this age. We have to believe what the LORD wants us to teach and spread the word even if no one will listen.
CHALLENGE: It wasn’t easy for Ezekiel to speak to those around him but he did with courage. We need the same courage today!!!
: 11 Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove and go into captivity. (4159 “sign” [mowpheth] means miracle, symbol, wonder, portent, or token of future event.)
DEVOTION: Ezekiel has been seeing visions about what was going to happen to the children of Israel. He saw the glory of the LORD leave the city in the last couple of chapters. He knew that the reason for the glory of the LORD leaving, it was because of the sin of the people. Here we find the LORD introducing a new message with the fact that the children of Israel are rebellious.
Ezekiel was made a symbol of what was going to happen in the near future. He was to pack some belongings and move it from one place to another to symbolize people taken away in captivity. He was even to dig a hole to crawl through to escape the captivity. The king and some of the princes tried to escape but were caught by the Babylonians.
The LORD said HE was going to leave some behind to tell their captors that they had disobeyed God and were paying the consequences.
Through all this the LORD wanted them to know that HE was Sovereign. HE had not forgotten them.
They thought they had a lot of time but the LORD said it was near. No more time!!! Judgment was NOW!!!
The warnings have been given to us that the LORD is going to return. We don’t know the day or the hour. However, we can see how what we thought could not happen is happening in our lifetime.
Sin is not sin anymore. Living right is not praised anymore. Marriage is not important anymore. Children are not disciplined anymore. Government wants to control what we hold dear. Government wants us to forget our personal convictions when we go to work or school. Government wants us to not say anything about sin according to the Word of God.
Many churches and leaders are NOT rendering unto God the things that are God’s. Christianity is made up of an exclusive family. Only those who follow the LORD Jesus Christ as the second person of the Triune God are members. Only those who are seeking daily fellowship with the LORD are listening to the Word of God. Only those who will NOT bow down to the world may enter heaven.
CHALLENGE: Being a proper follower of the LORD takes work. We have to walk against the grain. Learn to walk uphill!!!
: 19 And say to the people of the land, Thus says the Lord GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their breed with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein. (1674 “carefulness” [da’agah] means heaviness, anxiety, care, a vague unpleasant emotion akin to worry that is experienced in anticipation of some misfortune, dread, or worry.)
DEVOTION: The children of Israel were going to see the enemy coming and know that there was nothing they could do on their own to win a battle against them but also know that because of their improper relationship with the LORD that HE would be no help to them.
It is hard to see an enemy army coming once you know that you have had help in the past because of a proper relationship with the LORD but now knowing that you have sinned against the LORD and deserved judgment and saw it coming.
Too often we know what we are supposed to do but think we can get away with just one more sin and think that the LORD would overlook it one more time but realize that HE was not going to do it again.
The LORD is longsuffering and doesn’t want one man or woman to perish in hell for eternity but HE has one requirement. The requirement is a proper relationship with HIM which includes confession of sin and turning from it.
Israel as a nation had received forgiveness many times but continued to practice the same sin over and over again. We tend to do the same in our life.
HE gives us a choice and we need to realize that there is a limit between parents and children that can be reached that will cause there to be consequences that get our attention.
For Israel the consequence was to go into captivity in a foreign land for a time period the LORD thinks is necessary to get their attention. It is also true today.
God allows us to sin and suffer the consequences, so that, we will turn from our sins and return to HIM. Confession with actions has to happen for us to learn our lessons and live a life that is pleasing to HIM.
CHALLENGE: Is the LORD at HIS limit with our sins? Is HE going to have to let us see consequences of our sins here before we see the consequences for eternity? HE gives each person a chance to ask for forgiveness and change their ways before it is too late.
: 25 For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, says the Lord GOD. (4900 “prolonged” [mashak] means draw out, be delayed, be extended, to be drawn out, or it will not be postponed.)
DEVOTION: The LORD has given Ezekiel object lesson after object lesson to show the people that HE meant business. HE was going to send judgment. The people didn’t care. They loved to worship false gods and listen to false prophets. They liked a lifestyle that was displeasing to the LORD.
Now HE has given Ezekiel a couple of visions regarding the future of Jerusalem. He has gone to the leaders of the nation with these visions but they would not listen. He was already in captivity and showed the people with him what was going to happen to the rest of the children of Judah because of their disobedience to the LORD.
The LORD continually sent warnings to HIS people throughout their history. It didn’t prove successful most of the time. HE was long suffering because HE was not willing that any should perish but they made their choice and HE allowed them to receive the consequences of their sins.
HE also made a point of showing that the sins of one generation affect the next three generations. This was proven many times in the lives of the descendants of Abraham, Lot, David and the list goes on and on in the lives of the kings of Israel.
Today we need to realize that the Old Testament is written for our education as to how things happen in our world. Our children are affected by the sin we commit. Our grandchildren are affected by the sins we commit.
There is hope for each generation as they lean on the LORD HE can deliver them from the sins of their past generations. Also there is the promise that it only affects three generations or maybe four.
We can’t use the excuse of our up brings when we stand before the LORD. We each have to answer for our own sins. Yes, our parents can train us wrong but the LORD can retrain us if we allow HIM to. Allow the LORD to make you part of the remnant that will not go into captivity because of the sins of your parents.
Remember that the LORD does prolong judgment but it will still come in HIS time. HE controls the time of HIS judgment. We control our walk with the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Think the right thoughts regarding your relationship to the LORD. Be part of the remnant.
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 LORDverses 1, 8, 17, 21, 23, 26
Prophesy fulfilledverse 28
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 1, 8, 15-17, 20, 25, 26
Lord – Adonai (Owner, Master)verses 10, 19, 23, 25, 28
GOD – Jehovahverses 10, 19, 23, 25, 28
Lord GODverses 10, 19, 23, 25, 28
MY net will I spread on Israelverse 13
I will scatter toward every wind all that
Are about him to help himverse 14
I will draw out the sword after themverse 14
They shall know that I am the LORDverse 15
I shall scatter them among the nationsverse 15
I shall disperse them in the countriesverse 15
I will leave a few men of them
from the sword
from the famine
from the pestilence
they will declare all their abominations
among the heathen whither they comeverse 16
I am the LORDverses 16, 20, 25
LORD’S words come to passverse 25
There shall none of MY words be prolonged
any more, but the word which I have
spoken shall be done verse 28
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)
Babylonverse 13
Land of the Chaldeansverse 13
Nationsverse 15
Heathenverse 16
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Rebellious houseverses 2, 3, 9, 25
Not seeing truth of Godverse 2
Not hearing the truth of Godverse 2
Abominationsverse 16
Heathenverse 16
Violenceverse 19
Vision failsverse 22
Vain visionverse 24
Flattering divinationverse 24
Not believing prophesiesverse 27
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Teach through object lessonsverses 3-6, 18-20, 23
Obedienceverse 7
Cause people to ask questionsverse 9
Give message from the LORDverse 10
Believers life is a sign to othersverse 11
Know the LORDverses 15, 16, 20
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Son of man = Ezekielverses 2-7, 9-11, 18–20, 22-28
Told to dig through the wall in sight of people and carry out
Told to cover his face
Carried a pack on his shoulders
He did as he was told by the LORD
In the morning the word of the LORD came to him
People asked him what he was doing
He was to tell people what the LORD said to him
Told them – I am your sign, like as I
have done, so shall it be done
to them – they shall remove
and go into captivity
Told to eat his bread with quaking
and drink water with trembling
and with carefulness
Told to say to the people of the land
Thus says the Lord God of the
Inhabitants of Jerusalem
And of the land of Israel
They shall eat their bread with
carefulness and drink their
water with astonishment
Her land may be desolate from all that
is therein because of the violence
of all them that dwell therein
All cities shall be desolate
Days are prolonged and every vision
Fails
Thus says the Lord GOD
I will make this proverb that you
have in he land of Israel saying
The days are prolonged,
and every vision fails
They would know that I am the LORD
Captivityverses 4, 13
brought in Babylon the land of
Chaldeans
House of Israelverses 6, 9, 10, 12, 19, 22, 24, 27
Not see the ground with eyes
Jerusalemverses 10, 19
Prince of Jerusalemverse 10
They shall know that I am the LORDverse 16
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Die in land of captivityverse 13
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