Read Ezekiel
20-21 & James
1
To discover:
As you read note the form
God’s judgement takes.
To ponder:
Chapter 20 records
another time (as 14v1) when elders came to enquire of God through Ezekiel.
God’s response is that he will not let them do so, asking Ezekiel whether he
will judge and confront them for their idolatry. He relates how he chose Israel ,
revealed himself to them as the LORD when in Egypt ,
and swore to bring them to the promised land, calling them to get rid of their
idolatry. But they rebelled by not doing so. God therefore said he would pour
his wrath out on them, but for the sake of his own reputation before the
nations, he continued with them, taking them into the desert and making known
to them his laws by which those who obey might live. He gave them the Sabbath
as a sign of his covenant agreement with them too – a reminder that they were
holy and so to be set-apart and different for God, just as the seventh day is
(20v1-12).
But in the desert the people
rebelled, rejecting God’s laws and desecrating is Sabbath (see Numbers). Again,
God therefore said he would pour out his wrath on them. And again, to keep his
name from being profaned amongst the watching nations he continued with them.
He swore not to give them their land, but looked in pity on them and did not
destroy them. Instead, he told the children not to follow the ways of their
fathers, but carefully keep his laws and Sabbath, so that they will know that
he is the LORD their God – presumably by what he would do for them (20v13-20).
Now, we read that the children
rebelled too, as their fathers had. So God promised to pour his wrath on them,
but withheld it for the sake of his reputation amongst the watching nations.
With hand uplifted in readiness to strike Israel, he swore that he would
scatter them, and gave them over to their sinful practices, letting them even
be defiled by their sacrificing of their firstborn children to the god Molech.
His intention was that this would so horrify them that they would know he was
God after all (20v21-26). The whole section demonstrates how the people had
always sinned as they now were in Jerusalem
and even in exile, and so how justified God’s judgement was, having again and
again held it back in the past. It reveals the nation of his wrath in handing
people over to sin (see Rom 1v18-32). It also shows God’s concern throughout Israel ’s
history that the watching world would acknowledge his reality and holiness
through his acts for Israel ,
just as he now desires that as they see his acts through Christ.
At this point God tells Ezekiel to
tell Israel how
their fathers also blasphemed God’s name, by forsaking him and turning to
idolatry in the land. He is to challenge the exilic elders over whether they
will sin in this same way, and declare that because they do God will not let
them enquire of him (20v27-31). It is presumptuous indeed if we persist in sin
to think that God will hear or respond to our prayers. God adds that whereas
the Israelites do this because they want to be like the nations in the form of
their religion, that will not happen, as he with a firm hand he will assert his
rule over them and actually separate them from the nations they have been
scattered to. As in the Exodus, he will take them into a “desert of the
nations” (perhaps the land between these nations and Israel )
where he will judge them. The “rod” refers to the means of discipline, and
“bond of the covenant” to him dealing with them according to their agreement
(see Deut 28-30). The sense is that during the return, he will purge the
rebellious Israelites from the people, so only a faithful remnant reach Israel
itself (20v32-38). It’s unclear how this was fulfilled. It may refer to an
event not mentioned in scripture during the return, or to Ezra’s punishment of
those not keeping the law as commanded by Artaxerxes (see Ez 7v26). To
certainly looks to how Christ will separate the sheep from the goats on the
last day (Matt 25v31-46).
God continues by telling Israel
through the elders to carry on in their idolatry, but promising that when
finally on Mount Zion ,
they will listen, no longer profane his name, but serve him. And he will accept
them, and so require right worship from them, and show himself holy to the
nations – presumably by the holiness he works within his people, as then, they
will know he is the LORD and loathe their previous conduct. What is striking
however, is that we are told this will take place because God does not deal
with them as they deserve, but for his name’s sake – that is for the sake of
his own reputation and glory (20v39-44). This is of course the only grounds for
his willingness to show such mercy to us. And it makes our holiness that bit
more important, that it would display his holiness to the world.
With all this said, Ezekiel is
called to preach against a forest in the south, that it is about to be consume
by an unquenchable fire. Previously the kingdom
of Israel has been referred to as a
cedar (17v3-4), and this is no doubt a prophetic prediction of the coming
devastation of Jerusalem and Judea .
In chapter 21, Ezekiel is then told
to preach against the sanctuary (temple) and land, declaring God’s sword will
come against both the righteous and the wicked throughout the land. Although
chapter 18 has affirmed the righteous will not suffer specific punishment,
because this one is against the nation they are included. We’re told that on
experiencing this, the people will know God is acting in judgement. Ezekiel is
to groan before those in exile, explaining how what will happen will cause
every heart to faint. What follows states that there will be no rejoicing in
the kingly line from Judah
as God’s sword is against them too, causing the fulfilment of God’s promise to
David to come into question (21v1-13). Having been called to stress the coming
slaughter (21v14-17), Ezekiel seems to be required to draw a map with two
roads, one to the Ammonite city of Rabbah, and one to Judah and Jerusalem, with
a signpost to the city. He is to say how Nebuchadnezzar will consult his idols
for guidance at the crossroads and God will ensure the lot signals for him to
besiege Jerusalem . This will seem a
false omen to those in Jerusalem
who have made a treaty with Nebuchadnezzar (ie. Zedekiah), but his actions in
enslaving them will remind them that they are guilty before God (21v18-24).
Ezekiel continues, that Zedekiah’s time for punishment has come. So those
exalted in Jerusalem will be
brought low, whilst the lowly, who trust God will be exalted, presumably in
their return from exile. The king is therefore to remove his crown. And it is
stressed that it, and by consequence, the kingly line, will be a ruin until the
one to whom it belongs comes. This refers to the awaited Messiah (see Gen
49v10). And Zedekiah was the last king of Israel
before Christ. (21v25-27).
The final oracle is against the very
Ammonites who seem to have been spared because God moved Nebuchadnezzar against
Jerusalem (see 21v20). The LORD
declares that they too will be slaughtered by the sword despite false
prophecies that they would not be. However, he then declares that the one
wielding the sword (Nebuchadnezzar) will return to his land of origin (Babylonia )
where he himself will face God’s wrath, being judged and killed by others so
that he is no longer remembered in the sense of not being acknowledged (21v28-32).
None escape God’s judgement.
Praying
it home:
Praise God that in
his concern for his own glory he doesn’t treat us as we deserve. Pray that you
would nevertheless acknowledge your sin before him.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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