Ezekiel 21:1-7 - Perfected through trials

In the last verse of Ezekiel 20, the people sarcastically suggest that the prophet was speaking in a parable and not making sense. When the prophet turned to the Lord, God in Ezekiel 21:1-7 then provided the interpretation of the forest fire. The Prophet was told to set his face toward Jerusalem and prophesy against the whole land of Israel. The forest fire would be the impending Babylonian sword God would use to bring about Judah’s destruction. He said, “Behold, I am against you; and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off from you the righteous and the wicked. Because I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore My sword will go forth from its sheath against all flesh from south to north. Thus, all flesh will know that I, the Lord, have drawn My sword out of its sheath. It will not return to its sheath again.”

In short, the Lord was explaining that the whole nation would be impacted by the sword with the Babylonians would wield against them. God Himself was taking full responsibility for the judgment on them. In this judgment, no one and nothing would be left out. Both the righteous as well as the wicked would be dealt with. There would be no abating of the judgment because God was not putting the sword back into the sheath. This meant that God there was not going to be any pause till the judgment had been completed and there would be a recognition that this was the Lord’s reckoning.  And it would be made clear to everyone that it was indeed the Lord who had acted.

In verses 6-7, God then instructed Ezekiel to start mourning. He was to go public and groan as a mourner in mourning. When people asked what he was doing? He was to tell them that everyone would be mourning and groaning like what he was doing now. For God’s judgment was looming. And “Every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water.” Ezekiel was to make known that the Lord had declared it, and the scheduled judgment would certainly come to pass.

The purpose of this judgment was to make known that it was the Lord who had acted.  It would become clear and leave everyone with no question that God was truly the Lord and that He had and would be faithful to the covenant.

Everything, positive or negative, that God allows us to experience is to bring us to recognize His hand in our lives. When God is in control of our lives, everything good or bad is His way of molding and perfecting us. We should never complain about any tough circumstance. We must consider it all joy when facing trials. Enduring them will bring maturity and stability to our lives and we will found be lacking nothing.   

Ezekiel 20:45-49 – Be receptive to God.

Ezekiel 20:45-49 should rightly be seen together with the next chapter. In the Hebrew Bible, this final section is part of Ezekiel 21 because it naturally leads into the message of that chapter. In this paragraph, God told Ezekiel to set his face toward three locations. Toward Teman, towards the south, and finally towards the Negev. In referencing these three locations, God was pointing to the southern kingdom of Judah. This prophecy of Ezekiel 21 focuses on Judah.  

What was God going to do to Judah? In verse 47 He said, “Behold, I am about to kindle a fire in you, and it will consume every green tree in you, as well as every dry tree; the blazing flame will not be quenched and the whole surface from south to north will be burned by it. All flesh will see that I, the Lord, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.”

God was talking about the judgment of Judah. He was going to start a fire that would consume every green and dry tree, meaning every righteous and wicked in Judah would be burned up. From the south to the north of Judah, everywhere would be affected. God would not distinguish between the good and the bad in this judgment so that none would escape.  The fire in this judgment was to make known to all flesh knowing that the Lord had brought about this calamity.  The real character of the Lord would be revealed.

These verses point to the third invasion of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. They were the unstoppable enemy force coming mercilessly to attack Judah from end to end, leaving no city and only a few survivors standing. Judah would be wiped out. As Ezekiel was warning them, he heard their unbelief in sarcasm asking, “Is the prophet speaking in parables?” Their question implied that what he was saying made no sense to them.  So, Ezekiel relayed it to the Lord, seeking an answer from Him.

The people who had heard Ezekiel’s message accused him of speaking in parables. It was their excuse to dismiss what they had heard. When His message spoke to their conscience, they would accuse him of spreading falsehood. When he spoke to them about God’s judgment, they would say he must be crazy. It’s obvious that they had refused to see the truth, hence they were unreceptive. This shows us how needful it is for us to evaluate the word of God that what we have heard and respond appropriately. We must not dismiss what He is saying to us. We must learn to accept the truth concerning ourselves, deal with them, and not seek to excuse our wrongs. 

 

Ezekiel 20:39-44 – To become who He has made us to be

In Ezekiel 20, we see that the people of Israel had been rebellious from the very start. Verses 5-9 describe their rebellion in Egypt. To deal with them, God then led them into the wilderness. Even there in the wilderness, they did not stop rebelling against God. Verses 10 -17 describe the rebelliousness of the first generation before verses 18-26 describe the same tendency of the second generation. According to verses 27-29, their rebelliousness continued in the promised land. The lives of God’s covenant people were marked by a series of disloyalty to their covenant Lord.

Even during the time of the Prophet Ezekiel, God had to deal with and judge His covenant people. Verses 30-32 show the present group as disloyal, much like their ancestors before them. As their King, the Lord in verses 33-38 says He would cause another exodus not to deliver them but to judge and purge them. After that, as their King, He would restore and set them on His mountains as described in 39-44.    

In our reflection on Ezekiel 20:39-44, we first sense God’s exasperation as Ezekiel spoke with the elders who came to inquire of him. In verse 39, God sarcastically challenged them in an irony. He was telling them not to pretend that they were worshipping Him when they were not. Hypocrisy, God asserted would multiply their sins.

When God had dealt with the people’s idolatrous tendencies in Babylon, those He had purged and those who had renewed their bond with Him would return to worship Him in Jerusalem. Their renewed life would lead them to live for God. Verses 40-44 look beyond the exile. They would return to the land and many things would be set in order between God and them. The house of Israel would then serve the Lord in faithfulness on the mountain, meaning Mount Zion. There the Lord would accept them, their worship, and the sacrifices they would offer to Him. He would show Himself holy to them by His presence. The renewed bond would cause them to regret their past. Then they would fully understand the Lord and His grace.  They would know that He dealt with them not according to their evil ways but according to His mercy and grace. Not to destroy them but to develop them. 

It is true that the grace of God will never leave us where we are but take us to where we should be. God’s dealing with His people is the story of what God wants to do for and through us. He wants to transform us so that we will truly know Him. As the gardener, God will prune and purge us to make us more fruitful. He does it not to destroy us but to help us become the person we should be in Him.   

Ezekiel 20:33-38 – There will be a sorting so, remain true to God

Remember what happened in the time of Prophet Samuel? First Samuel 8:19-20 tells us that the people then asked the Prophet Samuel to give them a king like all the other nations. They told him saying, “…We must have a king over us. Then we’ll be like all the other nations, our king will judge us, go out before us, and fight our battles.” The thoughts of the people then and the thoughts of the people Ezekiel was addressing had not changed and God knew it. In Ezekiel 20:32, what the people wanted was “We will be like the nations, like the tribes of the lands, serving wood and stone.” The crux of the matter was their refusal to acknowledge God as their king, they wanted to be in control of how they would run their own lives.  But God would never allow them to do it without any consequence.

Their thinking showed how far off they were from what God had for them. In the covenant relationship with God, He had solemnly pledged to be their God and them, His people. And He was not about to let them ruin His plan. He is God and He would not allow them to sabotage His plan. God was not giving up on Israel, He vowed to make it work. So began in Ezekiel 20:33 God declared to them, “As I live …surely with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I shall be king over you.” In other words, I (the sovereign Lord) am in control, and I will rule over you, notwithstanding all the stubbornness.  

To accomplish it here God used the term was going to bring another exodus. In the first exodus, He delivered Israel from their bondage in Egypt. However, the purpose of this “second” exodus would be one of judgment, not deliverance. In this judgment, He would gather them into the wilderness.  God was referring to the exile in Babylon where He would be dealing with them like a shepherd. They, like sheep would pass through the shepherd’s rod as He sort out the obedient from the disobedient sheep.  In other words, this judgment was a purging. The obedient would be brought into the covenant bond. And the disobedient would not be part of His covenant plan. And without a doubt, the renewed and obedient ones would know His true character as their Lord.

What a thought to know that the King wants to be involved in our lives. He is our shepherd. With Him as our shepherd, Psalm 23 tells us that we will have a life without lack, without evil, and without end. What a blessed thought! Be sure we continue to abide in Christ and remain in His sheepfold.   

 

Ezekiel 20:27-32 – True worship sanctifies

In Ezekiel 20:27-32, the prophet was addressing the present generation that God had brought into Canaan. Unworthy as they were, God kept His word. Despite all that He had done for them, they also did not serve Him. Verse 27 says they blasphemed and acted treacherously against Him.  Acting as their fathers did, they served the other gods.

In God’s own words in verse 28, “They saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and they offered there their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering. There also they made their soothing aroma and there they poured out their drink offerings.” They went to every pagan shrine on every green hill and every green tree and participated in worshipping those pagan idols.   They had the audacity to provoke the Lord by offering sacrifices and incense to those false and foreign deities. Bluntly God told them off and called out their unfaithfulness.  They were found in “bamah” which means high place.

Rhetorically God pointed to their propensity. They had defiled themselves and played the harlot as their fathers did. They had the impudence to come and inquire of God despite all that they had done - offering sacrifices to those deities and making their children pass through the fire. God vehemently made known that He refused to entertain them for acting as the pagans did. No longer would they be the unique covenant people of God, no longer would they be guided by His Word. He even guaranteed them that their desire would come to pass. That they would be “like the nations, like the tribes of the lands, serving wood and stone.”

When the object we worship is not God, we are guilty of idolatry. Who we worship will determine our outcome. Worshiping the true God always brings about restoration, and worshiping idols brings ruin. The contrasting outcomes cannot be starker. This is what Psalm 115:8 has to say for those who indulge in the worship of idols. “Those who make them will become like them, everyone who trusts in them.” They would be like those idols, dumb and lifeless. These verses give us a very sobering reminder not to worship idols or become like them. We are called to worship God alone and in worshipping Him we find sanctification.  

Ezekiel 20:18-26 – Stay within the boundary grace.

As God had chosen Israel as His covenant people, He told them to cast away the idols of Egypt. They were told not to have anything to do with them, but they did not obey. Not wanting to shame Himself before the eyes of the Egyptians, He led them into the wilderness to deal with them. In the wilderness, He gave them decrees and regulations to follow and the instruction to observe the Sabbath. This was to demonstrate that they were His sanctified people. They not only did not obey but also continued to serve the idols. And instead of annihilating them, God once again chose to show mercy for His name’s sake. Disappointingly the first generation failed God.  

What we see in Ezekiel 20:18-26 is God continuing to provide evidence to show the wicked tendencies of His covenant people. God had hope that the second generation of His covenant people that grew in the wilderness would fare better, but He was disappointed. In His grace, God urged them to be faithful to Him, not to follow in their father’s footsteps by dabbling and defiling themselves with idols. He admonished them to adhere to the divinely revealed statutes and decrees and to observe the Sabbath, the signs of their covenant relationship with God. If they had obeyed His instruction, God was certain that they would personally know and experience Him, as their Lord.    

Verse 21 said, “But the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to observe My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live; they profaned My sabbaths.” They did as their fathers before they did. Not wanting to dishonor Himself before the Gentiles, again God did not destroy this second generation for His name’s sake. Instead, God swore that He would scatter them among the nations for their rebellion. They would have to contend with regulation and a culture that they would find difficult to live with. They would be influenced by practices that caused death. Practices such as child sacrifice and sorcery would lead the land into desolation.  

God’s judgment begins when He gives up on a person. Romans 1:26-32 shows us what will result to a person when that happens. First, would be the loss of objectivity.  Then the loss of all logic before the loss of a sound moral compass.   It is frightening to end up with a depraved mind doing what verses 28-32 say a depraved person will do: “things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,  slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”

 

 

 

 

Ezekiel 20:1-17 – The need for consecrated living

God had established Israel as His own covenant people and promised to take them into a land of rich provision. Alongside the promise, He warned them against idolatry. This was a propensity of the people God knew they would easily succumb. The very purpose of making Israel His people was to make them His witnesses among the pagans that He alone was and is the only true God. Hence, we see that God’s first command in Exodus 20:2-3 to them was, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before Me.”

God’s warning to them was that if they rebelled and pursued other gods, harsh consequences would follow them. They would experience His wrath. God would deal with their sin to purge them of their idolatry. In the interest of His own name, He did not destroy His wayward people in Egypt because He did not want the Egyptians to conclude that He did not keep His word and shame His own name. So, in verse 10, He acted and brought them into the wilderness to instruct and train them.

Verses 10-17 said that in the wilderness, the covenant people were given decrees and regulations so that they could lead meaningful and fruitful lives. Besides, He also gave them the Sabbath as a sign that they were His covenant people, and that He had set them apart unto Himself. Observing the Sabbath is critical in a believer’s life because it is a sign that one is set apart unto God. As God's set-apart people, it is important that we keep the Sabbath to honor Him.

Sadly, the people again did not keep their part of the bargain even in the wilderness. They disregarded the instruction of God and disobeyed the decrees and regulations. They also did not observe the Sabbath and continued to serve the idols. In His anger, God wanted to eradicate them in the wilderness but decided against it in the interest of His name. Instead, He pledged not to allow them into the rich land He had promised them. God showed His mercy and spared them and they were not immediately destroyed in the wilderness.

If we read the account of their wilderness wandering in the wilderness, we would know why God did not annihilate them there. Moses was key to why they were not destroyed. He was a praying man. Throughout the wilderness journey, we have seen how he would turn to God on behalf of the people. Exodus 32 shows an occasion of him interceding with God for the people. He asked God to forgive the people and was even prepared to die to take their place. Verse 32 had a dash after he asked God to forgive their sin. A dash signifies a long pause. It was said that perhaps at this point, Moses felt the hurt of God. He could not go further so he broke down and wept. That long pause was represented by a dash.

Obedience is important if we are to experience the kind of life that God has promised. Walking with the Lord requires that we obey His instruction. It is important that we observe the day of rest. Sabbath observance shows that we are God’s set-apart people. Do not neglect Sabbath observation. Set the day apart to connect with God, renew our minds, and reboot for a brand-new week. This weekend set a day apart to honor and connect with God.

Ezekiel 20:4-9 – Responding to God aptly.

Ezekiel 20 began with some leaders of Judah in exiles coming before the prophet seeking to inquire of God. In response, Ezekiel was told not to waste his time with their inquiry. Instead, he was to judge them and make known to them the detestable sins of their forefathers. He was to reveal to them the privilege God had accorded to their forefathers right from the start in Egypt. The Sovereign Lord, had personally chosen Israel and revealed Himself to Jacob’s descendants and by a solemn oath made Himself their Covenant God. 

The Lord personally pledged to take them out of Egypt and bring them into the promised land, a land of His own choice. this land He promised would be far more glorious than all other lands. It would be a land flowing with milk and honey, meaning that it would be a land of rich provision. However, God told them that it was necessary for them to get rid of their detestable practices, and not to continue to defile themselves with the idols of Egypt. And God, Himself would be their covenant Lord.  

Sadly, instead of responding rightly, these chosen people acted rebelliously. They did not obey Him.  They did not get rid of their abominations nor abandon the idols of Egypt. So, in His anger, God wanted to deal with them in Egypt. But He decided against it because He did not want the Egyptians to misunderstand Him. He did not want His own reputation to be stained and be known as one who did not keep His word. For He had promised before the Egyptians that He would deliver His people from Egypt and bring them into the promised land and be their God.

Knowing God is a privilege. It would be impossible for us to know Him if He did not initiate to make Himself known to us. His purpose in revealing Himself to us is for us to live in His glorious ways and avert our own destructive ways. However, to walk harmoniously with God requires faith and obedience. Once we have accepted the privilege, we must live responsibly and discard whatever would come between our relationship with Him.  Destructive habits that will prevent a fruitful relationship with Him must be dealt with. And it is wise to do so willingly. Don’t wait for a God-sent painful moment to have them removed.  Respond wisely to the gracious overtures of God.            

 

Ezekiel 20:1-3 – Are we in the right posture to listen?

Ezekiel is a long book of 48 chapters. Before we get lost in our pursuit to grasp its key messages, it’s necessary to pause for a recapitulation of the book. Essentially, there are three broad sections in this book. Chapters 1-24 deal with the judgment of Judah and Jerusalem; Chapters 25-32 deal with the judgment of foreign nations; and 33-48 deal with the restoration of Israel and the restoration of the temple.

Israel as a nation was divided into two kingdoms after Solomon. His son Rehoboam caused the split. The north comprising of ten tribes of the sons of Israel was referred to as Israel and the south, comprising two tribes, as Judah. Due to their disobedience and unfaithfulness, God used the Assyrians and finished off Israel in 722 BC. Not learning from Israel, Judah was also found to be unfaithful to the Lord, leaving God with no option but to deal with them as well.

The Prophet Ezekiel was God’s messenger to the people of Judah in exile. He was from the priestly line and was at an age that he would have begun his service in the temple. But he was in exile and since there was no temple of the Lord, he was re-directed into the prophetic ministry.  

The book of Ezekiel began with his vision of the throne-chariot of God and the cherubim and wheels in Chebar River. God wanted them to know that His presence was with them even though they were in exile and not in Jerusalem. But God had to deal with the people’s disobedience and unfaithfulness. God’s messages to them were given through a series of Ezekiel dramatizing and acting the messages out, as well as in parables. He was essentially signaling to them the need for God’s judgment and how it would be executed.

As we come to Ezekiel 20-24, these chapters essentially trace the stormy relationship God had with His people since they became a nation. On God’s part grace was extended again and again to His people. Whereas disobedience and unfaithfulness of Israel and Judah seemed to be the way they had chosen to respond to God.  

In the very first verse of Ezekiel 20, we are told that some elders of Judah in exile came and sat before Ezekiel “in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month…” of Jehoiachin’s capture. They came to inquire of the Lord. But God made clear His sentiment in verse 2 saying he was not going to answer them. He felt that Ezekiel should not waste time answering their questions. 

God knows us through and through. We are flawed beings. Unless we come to Him with an attitude of wanting to obey, it is pointless to go for deeper truth. To be consistent with God, we all need a clear perspective of the crux of the matter. Attitude and posture to learn matters to God.  

Ezekiel 19:10-14 – Abiding in God

This second dirge in Ezekiel 19:10-14 is about the plight of the people of Judah under the reign of King Zedekiah. Judah was a flourishing vine planted by the Lord. Because of her waywardness, her people were plucked up and brought into exile in Babylon. Whatever little that was left of her back home was destroyed by a consuming fire. King Zedekiah proved to be that fire. And with him dealt with, the line of David to the throne seemed to have ended.  

The behind-the-scenes of this dirge can be found in 2 Kings 24, 2 Chronicles, and Jeremiah 21. Babylon’s first siege of Jerusalem took place during the 3^rd year of Jehoiakim’s reign. In that siege, the Prophet Daniel, some bright youths plus many valuable treasures from the house of the Lord were carried to Babylon. The second siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar took place during the reign of Jehoiachin. Second Kings 24:10-16 said that Nebuchadnezzar personally came to the city and “Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he and his mother and his servants and his captains and his officials. So, the king of Babylon took him captive in the eighth year of his reign.”

The third siege took place during the time of King Zedekiah. Nebuchadnezzar had put him on the throne as his vassal king in Jerusalem in the place of his nephew Jehoiachin. But he rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar by refusing to pay the tribute promised to the latter and even had the gut to seek the help of Egypt to deal with Babylon. In response to what he did, the Babylonians came and laid a siege on Jerusalem. He then sent messengers to seek Jeremiah’s help to intercede for them hoping that the Lord would be willing to deliver them from the hand of the Babylonians.   

The prophet’s response to Zedekiah can be found in Jeremiah 21.  God not only refused to deliver him and Judah from Babylon but he Himself would also fight against them to bring about their defeat.  God said, “He was going to war against the king with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, even in anger and wrath and great indignation.” God warned that He would also strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they would die of a great pestilence. Jeremiah 21:7 guaranteed them that those people in Jerusalem who survived the initial bombardments of pestilence, famine, and sword would be delivered into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar as well as their foes to be struck down by “the edge of the word.” Neither pity nor compassion would be shown to the people. All these happened as God had warned.

Judah was once a flourishing vine but how lowly had she fallen. How did she end up in such a plight?  One way to explain the root cause of their fall would be complacency. They had taken their relationship with God for granted. They forgot that their ability to survive as a luxuriant vine depended on staying connected to God. This passage is a call to avoid complacency and to stay connected to Jesus the true vine. In John 15, Jesus said that are only the branches of His. Our fruitfulness depends on how connected we are to Him, the true vine.  Let us never let complacency slip into our relationship and lose grip on our relationship with Him.         

Ezekiel 19:1-9 – God is patient but don’t test Him.

In poetic language, Ezekiel 19 contains two lamentations or dirges. A dirge is a funeral hymn. The first dirge in verses 1-9 speaks of the fate of the kings of Judah. The second in verses 10-14 speaks of the plight of the people of Judah. The first is illustrated with young lions and the second, is by the vine in a vineyard.  

The first lament opens with a question that is immediately followed by the answer. The lioness refers to Judah and the cubs are the princes of Judah. Verse 3-4 tells us that one of the cubs became a young lion meaning one of the princes became a king. But he was captured and brought to Egypt. 

This is referencing King Jehoahaz. And his back story can be found in 2 Kings 23 and 2 Chronicles 36. According to 2 Kings 23:31-33, Jehoahaz succeeded his father King Josiah who died. He was shot by an archer while on the way to Carchemish. The people of Judah made his son Jehoahaz king in his place (2 Chronicles 36:3). But he only ruled in Jerusalem for three months. Second Kings 23:32 said he did evil in the sight of the Lord. Hence, it was not surprising to read that he was deposed by Pharoah Neco, taken and imprisoned in Riblah in the land of Hamath.

Jehoahaz as the first young lion was disappointing. So, another cub was raised and became a ferocious and ruthless lion. Its atrocities are described in verses 6-7. It is said to “tear his prey…devoured men…destroyed their fortified towers…laid waste their cities… the land and its fullness were appalled because of the sound of his roaring (meaning his boasting).”

This second lion refers to Eliakim who was renamed Jehoiakim. We can find details of his reign in 2 Kings 24. He was made Nebuchadnezzar’s vassal king in Jerusalem while his brother Jehoahaz was languishing hopelessly in a prison in Egypt. But he rebelled, against Babylon which then proceeded to attack Judah. In 2 Kings 24:2, we find the words of Ezekiel 19:8 affirmed. “The Lord sent against him bands of Chaldeans, bands of Arameans, bands of Moabites, and bands of Ammonites. So, He (God) sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken through His servants the prophets.”

In Jeremiah 22:13-17, the prophet denounced Jehoiakim’s evil. He was not only an oppressive king but one whose interest was only for himself.  Jeremiah 22:18-19 described his death this way, saying, ‘He will be buried with a donkey's burial, dragged off and thrown beyond the gates of Jerusalem.’” His son Jehoiachin who succeeded him was deported to Babylon after a brief of three months.

Here is an adaption from a quote by Friedrich Von Logau: “Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceedingly small; Though with patience He stands waiting with exactness grinds He all.” When the kings were committing their evil, they did not think that everything would come to such an end. But when judgment fell, it was sure, swift, and thorough. God is patient and don’t take it for His nonchalance. Justice may seem slow in coming but it will come. Therefore, it behooves us to walk sagaciously and perceptively.

 

Ezekiel 18:21-32 – Exercise our will and choose rightly!

In the first portion of Ezekiel 18, God through the prophet was dealing with the issue of individual accountability. Like the exile, we each are also responsible for our own life. In verses 21-32, God made known to His people in exile that they have the freedom of choice, but they would have to bear the consequence of the choice they make.

God has made man with a free will. We all have the capacity to choose.  We are not robots with no ability to make decisions. Therefore, it is important that we make the right choices. While we can choose what we want to do, we cannot choose the result we want. The consequence is always determined by the choices we make. We cannot choose to eat an orange but want the taste of a durian. The taste is determined by what we choose to eat. This is essentially the message of Ezekiel 18:21-32.

God here also made clear that He is the God of the second chance. His forgiveness and blessings in life can be experienced if one chooses to repent.  In verses 21-23, God states categorically to His people that no matter how wayward a person could be, he still could repent and choose to return to God. When he does that and returns to live righteously, he can still find life in God. However, the opposite is also true. When a man who had walked with God righteously then chooses to turn away and live wickedly, He will have to face the consequences of his choice.

The exile had accused God of being unjust to punish them for the sin of their fathers. God made it explicitly clear that He has no pleasure in punishing sins. He would rather that His people repent find forgiveness and walk uprightly before Him. When we make the choice to obey God and follow through with our decision to live wisely, we will have His promise of everlasting life.  

How should we live knowing that we each have a free will and that we will be held accountable for how we choose to live? In Ephesians 4:21-24 Paul tells us Christians what we each must do. Here is how the New Living Translation of the Bible puts it: ^“Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” 

Ezekiel 18:14-20 – Living accountable life consistently.

Ezekiel 18: 14-20, God continues to explain the truth of individual accountability. If a son unlike the one described in verses 10-13 did not walk in his father’s wicked ways, he will not be held accountable for the latter’s wicked ways.

Verses 14-18 put it this way. If the son walks righteously and “…does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor’s wife, or oppress anyone, or retain a pledge, or commit robbery, but instead gives him his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, he keeps his hand from the poor, does not take interest or increase, but executes My ordinances, and walks in My statutes; he will not die for his father’s iniquity, he will surely live.” Conversely, the son’s righteous act cannot exonerate his wicked father’s sin. His father would be held accountable for his own wrongdoings and die for His iniquity.  

God here was showing that He would hold every individual accountable for his own sins. Each one must bear the responsibility for his own behavior and conduct. A person's righteous acts would account for himself, just as a person who acted wickedly would have to be accountable for himself. With the illustrations of both a wicked as well as a righteous son, God proved to the exile that their slur was wrong. He debunked the notion that the children had to pay for the sins of the previous generation.

Like what we have been discussing in Ezekiel 18:5-20, both Romans 2:6 and 14:12 also make it unmistakably clear that God will hold each person accountable for his or her own deeds. We must strive to make is lifestyle of accountability. Living responsibly should not just be in a spur of the moment but a conscious consistent daily habit.  Biblical accountability must be an ongoing habit in life. To stay in check, here are some questions we can ask ourselves frequently: “What am I thinking?” “What am I feeling?” “What am I doing?” “What am I thinking of doing?” Let us cultivate a lifestyle of consistent accountability.   

Ezekiel 18:10-13 – The importance of training our children right

In Ezekiel 18:5-9, God gave us two lists of conducts. One list revealed what a man who lives for God would not do and another list showed the conduct he would be engaged in because He considers God in his life.       

Having painted the portrait of the righteous man, Ezekiel 18:10-13 affirms how God would act with the man’s wicked son. Here we are told the kind of outcome the wayward son of a righteous father would receive. God asserted here that if this son lives wickedly, even if he has a righteous father, he would be accountable for himself. If he has committed the list of evil activities that his righteous father did not do, he would have to pay for the consequence of his wicked deeds. He would  have to face the penalty of death.     

As established, God holds each person accountable for his or her own sin because He sees each of us as a separate entity. He does not make us accountable for the sins of our father. While we may not be accountable for what our children do, we are responsible for teaching and training them to walk in the ways of God.  As parents who love our children, training them to live right must be one of our priorities.

Proverbs 22:6 exhorts us to train up our children in the way they should go so that when they grow up, they will not depart from the righteous ways. We must train them while they are still young and pliable and are still not yet set in their ways. It is true that good habits cultivated when a person is still young have a higher rate of ensuring a person would live through life practicing them. For God and our children’s sakes train them well so that they will always walk in the ways of God.  

Ezekiel 18:4-9 – Acting right for God

In response to the exile’s slur that one could be punished for the sins of the previous generation, God made the declaration in Ezekiel 18:4. He said, “Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.” God was making clear that He views everyone separately. Each person is a separate entity on his or her own. And every soul belongs to Him. Each one is responsible and accountable for himself or herself. This is how God operates.

Having stated His premise, God then went on to discuss two very important issues for the rest of Ezekiel 18. Verses 5-2o, deal with the issue of individual accountability, and verses 21-32 deal with the issue of one’s free will. We will examine the two issues in manageable portions.

 

For this reflection, we will focus on verse 5 to verse 9. In these verses, God defines for us what a righteous man looks like. They are two lists. One lists the things that a righteous man would not commit and then the other lists the practices a righteous man would commit to do.

 

First a list of what righteous man would avoid.

-         He would not participate in pagan rituals or cast his eyes on idols.  

-         He would eye his neighbor’s wife or sleep with a menstruating woman.

-         He would not oppress anyone or cheat or defraud them.

-         He would not commit robbery but would provide for the needy.

-         He would not take advantage of the needy by lending money with exorbitant interest.

 

Second a list of what a righteous man would strive to do and be.

-         He shows justice and practices righteousness.

-         He returns what he holds as collateral so that the needy would not have to suffer.

-         He feeds the hungry clothes the naked.

-         He avoids committing iniquity.

-         He shows fairness and acts judiciously.

-         He observes the laws of God.

-         He is sincere and deals faithfully.

 

What do we take away? If we are to be truly blessed, we must decide what kind of person we want to be. We thank God in Christ; we can be and act right. All glory to His name!

 

 

 

Ezekiel 18:1-4 – There is a need for personal introspection.

In Ezekiel 18 God dealt with the mistaken notion that the exile had. They were probably reacting to the messages of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Hence, there was a slur being spread among them. It was essentially a complaint. The smear found in Ezekiel 18:1 says, “The fathers eat the sour grapes, But the children’s teeth are set on edge.” This slight implied that God was unjust. They were insinuating that God was punishing them for the sins of the previous generation.

God was appalled by such absurd thinking and then set out to show them the truth. Where did they get this idea? How could they think that God would punish them for the sins of the previous generation? Undeniably, their fathers had sinned, but they themselves were not without guilt. They too had their fair share of waywardness and sins.

Hence in verses 2-4, God asserted that everything they experienced would reveal the truth. His judgment would prove His fairness. After they had gone through their punishment, this slur would be fully refuted. It would prove God’s justice once and for all and this foolish saying could not be used as an excuse to justify their failure.

Isn’t it true that when one’s sin is exposed, that person would seek to find ways to excuse his or her sin? We all have blind spots when it comes to our flaws. When we are experiencing a bad patch, one common predictable reaction would be “I don’t know what I did wrong to warrant this?” This reaction unwittingly implies that it is unfair for “me” to have such an experience. Such a reaction is inevitably an indication of self-denial because of a lack of self-reflection. It is good for us to pray this prayer at the end of each day:

 

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

If we are to progress in our spiritual walk, there is a need for us to set aside time daily to do a personal examen. At the end of each day, our continual walk with God can be greatly enhanced by asking ourselves these three questions:

1. Is the Lord well pleased?
2. Is His Word well-used?
3. Is my life well-lived?

Ezekiel 17:22-24 – We are Kingdom people.

In the covenant God made with King David, He promised him in 2 Samuel 7:16 that his house, kingdom, and throne shall be established forever. This we know was in preparation for the coming of the Messiah through his line. In this second parable on the stately cedar tree in Ezekiel 17:22-24, the prophet was referring to the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom. This is a prophecy concerning Christ the Messiah and the Kingdom He had established.

In this parable, it was no longer an eagle but God Himself who would take a twig from the top of a cedar and plant it on the top of a high and lofty mountain in Israel. This twig would grow strong branches and become a huge, luxuriant, fruit-bearing, and stately tree. This tree would provide branches and shades for all kinds of birds to nest and find their rest. The tree that God had planted and established is the Kingdom of the Messiah. All other trees of the field meaning all other kingdoms would come to recognize Yahweh as the true God. He would end all proud and high kingdoms such as Egypt and Babylon. But He would exalt and flourish those in the Kingdom of the Messiah.

In three verses, we get to see the quality of the Messianic Kingdom. Firstly, it’s a Kingdom established by God Himself. Verse 22 said that God Himself would pick the twig. Secondly, it would begin from a tender twig. The tender twig speaks of a Kingdom marked by tenderness. Thirdly, it would be a powerful Kingdom indicated by the huge, luxuriant, and fruitful tree it would become. Fourthly, it’s a kingdom that would provide great hope for all. This is illustrated by the birds of all kinds finding a place to rest. Fifthly, the proud will be humbled, and the humble will be exalted.

This Kingdom we know began with the tree at Calvary. On that tree outside the city wall, Jesus our Saviour was crucified to die for us all. His sacrifice has unlocked the door for us to get into this eternal Kingdom. Hear what Cecil Frances Alexander said in the closing words of the hymn titled “There is a green hill far away.”

Oh dearly, dearly has He loved!
And we must love Him too.
And trust in His redeeming blood
And try His work to do.

Ezekiel 17:11-21 – Be people who keep our word.

In Ezekiel 17:1-10, the prophet at the instruction of God told the parable of the two eagles. The first eagle represents Babylon and the second represents Egypt. Here in Ezekiel 17:11-21, the meaning of the parable is unfolded. They were events that were described in 2 Kings 24. The parable of the two eagles was told to point to the treachery of King Zedekiah.  Because he swore allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar in God’s name, his treachery was as good as being committed against the Lord. Here we are reminded that our word is our bond. If our word is not good, we are unworthy of trust.

Nebuchadnezzar was said to personally come to the city. Verse 12 says Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he and his mother and his servants and his captains and his officials. Nebuchadnezzar then took him captive in the eighth year of his reign. What the latter carried with him to Babylon was enumerated in verses 15-16. The people and possessions taken into exile in Babylon included Jehoiachin the king, his mother, his wives and officials, the leading men of the best of the land, 7,000 men of valor, 1,000 craftsmen and smiths, and 1,000 strong men, who were fit for war.

Nebuchadnezzar then made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, his vassal king in Judah and renamed him Zedekiah. Second Chronicles 36:12-13 said that he rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar whom he had pledged his allegiance to in the name of God. We are also told that Zedekiah also stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord God of Israel. Though he had pledged allegiance to Babylon, he turned to Egypt for help to deal with Nebuchadnezzar. This was indeed a treacherous act.  

How did Zedekiah end? Second Kings 25:6-7 said that in his attempt to escape, he was caught and brought to Riblah in Babylon. The Babylonians slaughtered all of the sons before his eyes. Then his eyes were gouged out before they bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon. 

Jesus reminds us that we will have to render an account of the careless words we spew out. Jesus also said in Matthew 5:37 “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.” Take heed to what we are told in James 5:12, “But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.” We must always say what we mean and mean what we say and be sure to keep our word.

Ezekiel 17:1-10 – Discerning God’s voice

Like chapter 16, Ezekiel 17 also contains two parables. The first is found in verses Ezekiel 1-21. In verse 1, Ezekiel was especially told to give an encrypted parable. So Ezekiel told the parable is on two eagles before he explained the meaning.

In this reflection, we will look at the parable found in verses 1-10. Here the prophet describes a great eagle with multi-colored feathers, great wings, and long pinions coming to Lebanon. There the eagle, verses 4-6 say, “…plucked off the topmost of its young twigs and brought it to a land of merchants; he set it in a city of traders… and also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil …placed it beside abundant waters; he set it like a willow.” The willow, according to verse 6 “…sprouted and became a low, spreading vine with its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So, it became a vine and yielded shoots and sent out branches.”

Verses 7-10 then describe a second eagle with great wings and many feathers came along. The vine could have grown and flourished if it had not leaned toward the second eagle. But he did. So, it became fruitless because the first eagle came and plucked the vine off, withering it.

This parable essentially deals with the political movement in Jerusalem during the reigns of Jehoiachin and Zedekiah and what they did. The details of which are found in 2 Kings 24. We shall deal with them in our next discussion.  

It is interesting to note that God would want Ezekiel to encrypt the message. What could be the reason? Why give a message in an encrypted parable? The reason is that when an audience hears messages in an unencrypted form too often, they tend to become numbed and dull of hearing. In such a situation, a parable would be better in seeking to get their attention. The hearers need to pay attention if they want to get the gist of the message. In the Gospels, we find Jesus using lots of parables to get His message across. This parable underscores God’s desire to have our attention. We need to be receptive, and discerning. God is speaking are we hearing. Or have we become dull and numb to what God is saying to us? Hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to us. We must hear the voice of God and not harden our hearts.

 

 

Ezekiel 16:60-63 – Experiencing God’s glorious grace

In Ezekiel 16:60-63, God once again demonstrates His faithfulness. Although God’s people in Judah had broken the oath they made with Him in the early days, God had never forgotten the promise He made to them in that covenant. The people would indeed be punished for not keeping their part of the bargain, yet judgment would not be the final word for them. God would never forget the promise He made with them and would establish and new and everlasting covenant with them after the judgment.  

With the everlasting covenant two qualities lacking in the people of God would be created. They would not forget how they had failed the Lord and be ashamed of their failings. In the everlasting covenant, God would include the Gentiles represented by Sodom, and Samaria. However, they would no longer be their sisters but daughters instead. In the new covenant that would include the Gentiles, every believer would be on equal standing as God’s child. In this everlasting covenant, everyone would indeed recognize and know their covenant Lord.  This gracious act of God would cause Jerusalem to remember her shameful past and keep her humble.   

This new everlasting covenant anticipates its fulfillment in the coming of Christ who came to initiate it. Through Him, we are included in God’s great plan.  What a glorious privilege. Let us seek to know God, and diligently follow and serve Him.      

  

 

 

Ezekiel 16:53-59 – Let's be faithful to our Lord

As we have discovered, most prophecies essentially have a message of judgment as well as a message of hope. We saw this in the messages of Isaiah and Jeremiah, and these two essential elements are also seen in Ezekiel’s messages. In this chapter, we have been given the account of how Jerusalem, the wife of the Lord turned against Him and was unfaithful and engaged in harlotry. From her sordid past, God granted her the privilege over that of her sisters Sodom and Samaria. But she spurned His love and committed sins, so atrocious that far outweighed that of her two sisters. In comparison, Jerusalem’s sins would make Sodom’s and Samaria’s look righteous.

However, in God’s plan for His people, He all along had their ultimate restoration in perspective.  So, after giving the message of judgment, Ezekiel 16:53-63 now turned to give the message of hope. He saw hope for the restoration of the Lord’s unfaithful wife. He saw the fulfillment of God’s ultimate plan for her - the restoration of Jerusalem after she had endured the judgment that was meted out to her.

Verse 53 is saying that if God would restore Jerusalem, whose sin far exceeded those of Sodom and Samaria, He would surely also restore the latter two cities. Why? Because God is just. Not only would Sodom and Samaria and her people be restored, but Ezekiel also envisioned that their restoration would take precedence over that of Judah in verse 53.  What we see here is astonishing. God would restore Sodom and Samaria though they had the reputation of being the symbols of evil on which God’s judgment had fallen. The irony of what’s happening is this: in times past Judah had viewed Sodom and Samaria with disdain, but now she herself would become the scorn of her neighbors, especially Edom and Philistia. Judah’s and Jerusalem’s reputation was no better off than that of Sodom and Samaria.

What’s puzzling about this passage is that Sodom as we know had already been destroyed (Genesis 19:24-25).  Yet God would speak of her restoration. This suggests to us that the rebuilding of Sodom and Samaria should not be taken literally. To speak of their restoration was perhaps God’s way of saying that there would be a time when other cities would be restored as well. This is a prophetic message that placed Christ in the picture of mankind’s restoration. Jesus Christ came so that Gentiles like us could receive our forgiveness and repent. This is a prediction of widespread repentance of the Gentiles of which we are all included.

Verse 59 can be seen as a summary statement of what would happen when a person becomes unfaithful. Judah’s breaking of her covenant with God was seen as a wife who had been unfaithful to her husband for which she would be punished. Even as a husband would not ignore his unfaithful wife, God also would not ignore our unfaithfulness. If we live a compromised life, we would be guilty of not taking our commitment to our Lord seriously. Let us be found faithful in our walk with Him.