Read Ezekiel
38-39 & 1
Peter 4
To discover:
As you read note why God is
going to act as these chapters predict.
To ponder:
These chapters are
notoriously difficult to understand, and we should note they come as the book
becomes increasingly figurative in nearing its end. Ezekiel is to set his face
against a king called “Gog” of “Magog” (literally, land
of Gog Judah ,
that were known for their barbarity (see Ps 120v5-7). Through Ezekiel God
declares he is against Gog and will force him to do his will with hooks, like a
captured beast or monster, bringing him and his army (described in a way that
stresses its greatness) to invade Judah
(38v1-9). The significance of his allies is probably that they are from the
extremities of the known world from Judah ’s
perspective. And there are 7 of them (38v2, 5-6), implying completeness. The
sense may therefore be of the whole world gathering against God’s people. This
is supported by the names coming from the lines of Japheth and Ham, but not
Shem, from whom Israel
were descended (Gen 10v2-3, 6).
The picture is of a vast hoard
covering Israel
as it advances on God’s people, with God stating that Gog will devise the evil
scheme in order to plunder the richness of the land, which, in context, is a
sign of God’s covenant blessing on his people. The onlooking merchant nations
(38v13) are also a selection from the extremities of the world, and seem to
represent those seeking an opportunity to gain materially from Gog’s attack. It
is stressed that the land had recovered from its devastation by Babylon ,
and the people now lived in safety and without protection, no doubt because
they trusted the LORD to be their refuge (38v9-16). The question, then, is
whether Israel
will be cast from the land again, or whether God’s promise that they would
dwell there forever will be kept (see 37v25-28). So we are told that God is
bringing this invader so that he may show himself holy to the nations – ie.
show he is set-apart in being the only true and powerful God (see 37v23).
37v17 records God telling Gog that
his prophets had for years predicted him coming against Israel .
As the timing of this is a future date, this stresses the importance of Israel
referring back to Ezekiel’s own prophecy here. It may also suggest that the
many prophecies predicting the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests from the north
were paradigmatic for a final attack by the nations of the earth. And what God
predicts is that in anger, there will an earthquake that will mark his presence
and cause all creatures and peoples to tremble, and he will bring a sword
against Gog in the form of causing his troops to kill one-another. He will also
execute judgement on him and the troops of the nations with him, with plague,
bloodshed, rain, hail and sulphur. These are pictures of judgement, but may be
literal as sulphur was for Sodom
and Gomorrah . The point is that
God’s people don’t need to lift a finger, God fights for them, and by this
means makes known to the nations that he is the LORD (37v18-23).
Revelation 20v8-9 teaches this is
fulfilled as the nations of the earth are gathered against God’s people by
Satan, just before the final judgement. Some see this preceded by a millennium
in which the people enjoy a secure and righteous life with Christ, fulfilling
Ezekiel’s words in 37v15-28. The alternative would be to see Ezekiel’s
description of life in the land as fulfilled in the church, as Christians
anticipate the eternal state in their fellowship. Gog’s invasion would then
imply a final great persecution of the church. However, we have seen hints that
the account is figurative. So it could simply refer to God’s ultimate protection
of his people from such threats whenever they come after the return from exile (as
Rom 8v35-39). This would mean the events of chapter 38 don’t follow
chronologically from those of chapter 37.
God continues reiterating that he is
against Gog, and will drag him against Israel
only to defeat him, causing his army to be food for animals, and even sending
fire against those who live safely in Magog and haven’t engaged in the battle.
It’s probably a picture of his judging all. By this means he will cause his
name no longer to be profaned, as Israel
and the nations know come to know that it is holy – ie. that he is set-apart
from all others (39v1-8). The picture of Israel
using their enemy’s weapons as fuel for 7 years, stresses God’s supremacy in
actually using the invasion for the good of his people, who are able to plunder
the army (39v9-10).
39v11-16 describes how Israel
will carefully ensure all the slain are buried east of the Mediterranean
sea in Israel ,
so that the land is cleansed. They will complete the work in 7 months, but then
begin a search for any bodies that have been missed, ensuring they are buried
too. The sheer amount of bodies is highlighted, as the mound will hinder
travellers. But the focus seems to be on the fact that nothing of these people
will remain in Israel .
This is further stressed by the burial being preceded by scavenging animals
feasting on the bodies as they lie on the ground (39v17-20, see 39v4). Ezekiel
is to call them as the feast is portrayed as one God has provided, with the
army being a sacrifice to him, like the fellowship offering the people would
feast on as a sign that through the penalty for sin being paid they are at
peace with God. This may be intended to stress the supreme fellowship the
people will enjoy now the unbelieving world has been punished for its sin.
However, the animals are invited to eat the fat and blood which was usually
reserved for God (Lev 3v16-17). This emphasizes both how utterly destroyed the
enemy are, and how degraded in this destruction – as will be the case with
hell.
We are told that the day God is
glorified in this defeat of Gog, will be a memorial – so forever remembered
(39v13). And by this means God will display his glory (his excellence) to the
nations, and from then on Israel
will know he is the LORD. This has been God’s intent throughout. When Israel
went into exile, the nations assumed this was because their God had rejected
them or was unable to protect them. But now he has displayed his faithfulness
in defeating the greatest army, the nations will know that the exile could not
have been for these reasons, but must have been because the people’s sin caused
God to hide his face and hand them over to their enemies (39v21-24). So God
declares he will bring the exiles back from their captivity, have compassion on
them, and act in passionate concern for that his name is seen as holy. It is
uncertain whether 39v26 refers to Israel
forgetting or bearing their shame when in the land, but the latter has been
stressed previously (36v31). Whatever the case, when they are in the land, God
will show himself holy to the nations through what he has done in gathering
them, and pouring out his Spirit so that they will follow his law and therefore
receive his blessing (see 36v24-32). Then Israel
will certainly know he is their God (39v25-29).
Whatever our uncertainties, the key
point throughout is that faithful Israelites, who after Christ are marked out
by the fact they have become his followers, can be sure that God will never
turn against them as his people (nor against Gentiles, who have joined them in
following Christ). Their inheritance is therefore certain. They will never be
ultimately overcome by the forces of evil. And when God judges the world and
raises them to inhabit it, the world will see that their exile (and any
subsequent trial Jews or now Christians might suffer) was not because of the
unfaithfulness or inability of their God. The prophecy would therefore have
caused the exiles to keep hoping in the LORD, as it would those who returned to
the land, when oppressed by Persia ,
Greece and Rome .
And it should cause us to do the same as we face oppression too.
Praying
it home:
Praise God that he
has defeated evil through the cross and so this final deliverance of his people
is certain. Pray that those who are persecuted would be encouraged by it.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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