Ezekiel 29:1-7 – Learn to rightly appraise ourselves

Of the messages of judgment that Ezekiel had for all the foreign nations that had oppressed Israel, the one to Egypt and the Pharaoh was the longest. It begins in Ezekiel chapter 29 all the way to chapter 32. There are seven segments to the message. The message started by exposing the sin and the call for judgment in Ezekiel 29:1-16. Verses 1-6, paint the Pharoah of Egypt as a monster, and verses 7-16, declare the judgment Egypt would have to face.

Verse 1 said that the message came to Ezekiel “in the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth of the month.”  This would be approximately seven months before the fall of Jerusalem. The Pharoah is referred to here as a monster of the Nile. The monster would be the legendary crocodile. And Nile of course is Egypt. Those fishes that were caught in the scales of the crocodiles are her citizens.  

The way hunters would catch a crocodile was by using hooks and hooking the jaws to render it helpless. Like a crocodile being caught by a hunter’s hook, God caught Pharaoh and the citizens of Egypt and left them helpless in the desert without burial. They would be left in the open field as food for scavengers.

Why did God judge Pharoah and Egypt? In verse 2, Pharoah is said to be boastfully claiming to himself that Egypt is his and that it is he who had made it. But he was clueless of the power that was not his. Verse 7 said that he was only a staff made of reed. Pharaoh and Egypt were not as strong as they thought they were.  Verse 7 shows their unreliability. For his foolish self-exaltation, Pharoah and Egypt would be judged and made to realize who is God overall.   

It is needful for us to have a proper estimate of ourselves. Think of what Jesus said in Matthew 23:12, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” We must not think more highly of ourselves than we ought.  When we think more highly than we are, we run the risk of becoming self-centred. So according to the grace granted us, let us have a proper and right evaluation of ourselves.      

Ezekiel 28:25-26 – Sanctifying God in our lives

Israel, the people of God have a special place in His heart. He would treat them differently from those of the other nations. While He would deal with their waywardness, He would not allow their oppressors to scornfully treat them. God’s messages of condemnation on the other nations take a break in Ezekiel 28:25-26. These two verses tell of how God's people would end up finding His favor. 

God’s plan was to gather them from the nations where they had been scattered. He would manifest His holiness in full view of the nations as He gathers the people to the land, which He had promised to Jacob, His servant. There they would dwell securely, build houses, and plant vineyards.  The nations that had treated them with contempt, would be judged. God’s intention was to let His people know that He is their covenant Lord.

God gathered His people from all over the nations to make Himself known to them as well as to manifest His holiness. The church is also assembled from all over to know and experience God and to make manifest His holiness. God wants us to be sanctified and He be sanctified by us. Are we living a sanctified life and sanctifying His name among others? At all costs, let us give our total allegiance to God and worship Him only. Let us determine to live a consecrated life God’s so that He will be sanctified in our midst.   

 

Ezekiel 28:20-24 – Dealing with our briers and thorns

The message of judgment from God through Ezekiel 28:20-24 was directed at Sidon. It was a seaport along the Mediterranean coast in modern Lebanon, about 36 kilometres south of Tyre. Like Tyre, Sidon was both an influential as well as a wealthy Phoenician city.  Sadly, she was one of those who oppressed the people of Israel.  

Sidon had a long history of involvement with the life of the covenant people of God. Joshua 19:28 indicates that among other places, Sidon was apportioned to the tribe of Asher. Unfortunately, the tribe of Asher did not eradicate them leaving a trail of problems that descendants of Asher had to encounter.

In David’s preparation to build a temple for God, 1 Chronicles 22:4 tells us he obtained a large quantity of cedar wood from Tyre and Sidon. It was also here that the infamous Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab, hailed from. Hence, it would not be a surprise to find elements of Baal worship in this city.

It was also in the Sidonian city of Zarephath that 1 Kings 17 tells us that a widow took care of Elijah. It was here that Elijah was used by God to provide flour and oil to help that widow through a time of famine. Here God, through Elijah, also raised that widow’s son from the dead.

However, besides Ezekiel, other prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, Amos, and Zechariah had also prophesied Sidon’s demise. Because Sidon had oppressed the covenant people, God in Ezekiel 28:20-24, sent them a message of judgment. The purpose of the judgment was to glorify God and enlighten the people. Through it, they would know that the Lord He is God. And that He would manifest his holiness among them through the judgment.

In the judgment, pestilence would be sent upon Sidon. And there would be much bloodshed on her streets. And the wounded would fall by the sword everywhere. In bringing the judgment, verse 24 said that God was removing “a prickling brier or a painful thorn.” God would save His people from having to encounter their malicious oppressors. In doing so, God would be acknowledged as the only true Lord.  

Sidon represents the depth of sins and idolatry that was “the prickling brier and painful thorn” to the people of God then. Are there “prickling briers and painful thorns” in our walk with God? Learn to identify them and then bring them to the Lord in prayer. “O, what peace we often forfeit, O, what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer.”  

Ezekiel 28:11-19 – Don’t be ruined by pride

Prophecies often have a double reference. This is one of those prophecies. While the lament in Ezekiel 28:11-19 concerns the prince of Tyre, the implication of another being cannot be missed. We can make a sanctified guess here. He is none other than Satan or Lucifer, referred to here as the fallen cherub. While we do not want to be dogmatic, the description given makes it hard not to see Lucifer or Satan, the fallen archangel being referred to.

Before his fall, he had the seal of perfection and was wise and beautiful. Not only that he was found in the Garden of Eden covered with all kinds of precious stones. These precious stones made him dazzle. The shine and the glisten of the stones must have made him into a bright light which made Paul referred to as “an angel of light.”

 

He was a cherub could not be more obvious. For God in verse 14 said that he was placed there “on the holy mountain of God and walked amid fire.” He was perfect until he was corrupted by sin. According to verse 17, his was pride.  He became proud because of his beauty and used it to abuse his wisdom. Pride became the root of all sins. An intelligent guess will tell us that this cherub was so impressed with his own beauty, wisdom, power, and position that he started to covert the honour and place that belonged to God alone.  Because of her corruption, Tyre as well as the fallen cherub would be shamefully removed.  His selfish greed and arrogance would all come to a humiliating end. 

It was pride that had caused the ruin of this anointed cherub and cost him his place. Won’t it be foolhardy for us mortal men made in God’s image hope to gain by being full of pride? As Billy Graham once said, “Pride comes in looking at oneself, meekness comes looking at God.” Where is our focus today?  No matter how good-looking, how clever, and how powerful we think we are, learn not to focus on them. Focusing on them will make us proud. Besides, these are temporary things. We must turn our eyes on Jesus and behold His beautiful face. Then all these things will become strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.    

Ezekiel 28:1-10 – Seek true wisdom to advance with God

Before addressing Sidon, the message of Ezekiel 28 addressed Tyre in verses 1-19. This is the third and final message to the prince of that proud city. Prophecies often have double references, and this is one of those times that a double reference is found. On one hand, in verses 1-10, the message addresses the physical ruler of Tyre, and on the other in verses 11-19, the message condemns the fallen cherub of God. He is none other than Lucifer or Satan.

Ezekiel 28:1-10 focuses on the physical prince or ruler of Tyre. Verse 1 tells us that he was so proud that he considered himself to be a deity. His earthly wisdom caused his head to swell, for through his earthly wisdom he had amassed great wealth. What he had, caused him to think more highly of himself than he ought. He thought he was a god. But the Lord God here said that he was a mere man and not a deity. His wisdom was thought to be more than the Prophet Daniel, who had wisdom surpassed many of his age.

 

It is appropriate here to differentiate knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is often wrongly thought to be wisdom, but it is not. For wisdom is knowledge applied. We can know what a tomato is, but if we include it in our fruit salad, we have wrongly used that knowledge. However, this ruler of Tyre had applied his wisdom to gain wealth and riches and became proud.   

 

God would not tolerate arrogance. So, the ruler of Tyre would be judged. He, together with the splendour of the city would be destroyed. God was going to bring ruthless men of the nations against him and the city. And he would be slain and made to die a violent death. There is a hint that this king was circumcised. The Phoenicians practised circumcision but not for the same reason, the people of Judah had.  

 

Two lessons for us. Firstly, we need to know that earthly wisdom is different from heavenly wisdom. People can use earthly wisdom to advance their careers and increase their wealth. Think of the many godless rich in the world who can scheme to exploit others and get rich but are cruel and merciless. James 3:10 said, “This (kind of) wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.” True wisdom James said from above. It is “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.  And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (James 3:17-18).   

Secondly, true wisdom has to do with how we relate to God and our fellow men. It is one thing to have wisdom to exploit others and gain wealth but quite another to use it to advance our relationship with God and others. James 1:5 tells us that we can ask God for the right kind of wisdom that will help us to advance our relationship with Him and others rightly. “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”      

Ezekiel 27:25-36 – Pride sets us up for destruction

As we have said, Ezekiel 27 is a second dirge, a funeral song of Tyre. Using the metaphor of a ship, the dirge contains three parts. Verses 1-9 show Tyre as a glorious ship. In verses 10-24, Tyre is seen as a ship of great commercial enterprise. Then in verses 25-36 Tyre, the magnificent ship is destroyed by the east wind, leaving her trading partners mourning its loss.

Again, the fact of Tyre’s pride cannot be missed. She was a magnificent ship made of the finest materials from all over the world. Overloaded with merchandise, she proudly set sail into the sea, into the deep waters. Deluded, Tyre the proud ship was oblivious that she was not in control. While she could dictate the trade, she had no control over the wind. So unexpectedly, in the heart of the sea, she encountered the east wind. This is by way of saying that she was attacked by Babylon. And everything was lost in that attack, the merchandise, the wealth, as well as every mariner on deck. Remember the handlers of the ship were wise and skilful sailors from the ancient world, yet they were of no help.  Everyone sank into the sea, leaving the world to lament and mourn her loss.

 

In verses 35-36, the reactions of the people were variedly described. The inhabitants in the coastland are said to be greatly appalled; the kings, are greatly troubled; and the merchants greatly astonished.  And Tyre herself would be greatly terrified because she would cease to exist forever.  

 

Speak of Tyre and pride will come to mind. And pride is an attitude that we must not have. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.” When we are proud, we will not be able to rightly appraise ourselves.  The warning of God through Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:12 still stands. He said, “Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.”

Ezekiel 27:10-24 – Never stop relying on God.

Ezekiel 27:10-24 gives us a sense of the greatness and prosperity of Tyre. Verses 10-11 show the prosperous city hiring mercenary armies for her defence. Men of war from Persia, Lud and Put were engaged for her protection. Their watch towers were being manned by the sons of Arvad and Gammadim. We get the feeling that it was a well-guarded and secure place.

Verses 12-14 give away that Tyre was a great city of unparalleled commerce. Countries from all over were her trading partners. Their business was comprised of all ranges of products and merchandise. From minerals to animals, from spice to slaves. No need for us to itemize the different countries or the kind of trade the city engaged in, everything was available. We get the feeling that whatever we name, Tyre would have it.

We cannot get away from the fact that Tyre was not only secured but was also very self-contained and self-sufficient to the point that it had become proud. It is here that we find an application for Christian living. We must never reach a point where we allow our self-sufficiency to keep God out of our lives. The moment we stop factoring Him in our walk will be the moment we start regressing.  

Never forget what Jesus said in John 15:4-5. He said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Our growth is very dependent on our abiding Him. In life, our fruitfulness is determined by the depth of our rootedness in Him. Learning to abide requires the first of the “Be-attitudes” of Jesus. He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for there is the Kingdom of heaven.” Only when we feel spiritually inadequate will we turn to rely on Him.  This is the paradox of Christian living. To be rich, we need to become poor, to gain all things, we must give up everything. The day we stop relying on Him is the day we stop growing in Him. 

Ezekiel 27:1-9 – Don’t be self-conceited.

In Ezekiel 27, the dirge of Tyre’s demise continues. Tyre is seen as a glorious ship admired by all. What was wrong with her, was her conceit. In Ezekiel 27:1-9, this self-serving city is being personified as boasting of her glory and beauty.

She claimed to be a perfect beauty, made of the finest materials supplied by her trading partners everywhere. This was how Tyre as a ship saw herself:

1. Her planks were made from the fir from Senir. 
2. Her mast was made from the Cedar of Lebanon. The coast of Elishah
3. Her oars were made from the oaks from Bashan.  
4. Her deck was made from Cypress wood from the coast of Cyprus and was inlaid with ivory.
5. Her sail serving as her banner was made from the finest embroidered linen from Egypt.
6. Her awning of blue and purple fabric came from the coastland of Elishah. 
7. Her oarsmen were inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad.
8. A crew of wise and skilful sailors and craftsmen were drawn from all countries to navigate her.

It is true that in life, we can look at the good things that we are endowed with and forget that they are gifts from the Creator God. Never forget that God has a hand in all that we are and all that we can potentially become.  When we forget that we become self-conceited that will make us feel entitled. Never forget Jeremiah 9:23-24. Memorise and constantly keep these two verses in view. “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things.”  

Ezekiel 26:19-21 – Set for glory in the land of the living

God’s word concerning Tyre’s judgment in Ezekiel 27:19-21 refers to her demise. Tyre would be an uninhabited ruin after the destruction. The destroyed ruin would be washed over by the sea. In the Bible, the sea is used to picture the dark, bottomless pit of sheol. Ezekiel 26:20 suggests that Tyre would fade away from history and her citizens would join other ancient civilizations that had passed on and gone there.

Verse 20 describes Tyre as being brought down into the pit. This is a figure of speech, which depicts Sheol or Hades. This is the place where the departed spirit of mankind would go before God’s great white throne judgment takes place at the end of the ages. Sheol is said here to be in the “lower parts of the earth.”

The good news for us Christians is that after Christ’s coming, the departed spirit of the believers will go to paradise. In Luke 16, in the account of the rich man and Lazarus, the Lord differentiates Hades from Abraham’s bosom. What Jesus said to the dying man on the other cross beside His “Today you will be with me in paradise,” suggests that  Abraham’s bosom most probably is paradise.  

The waiting place for the departed spirit of people who did not believe in Christ is Hades or Sheol. Those who had acknowledged Jesus as Lord, their departed spirit go and wait in paradise. What about the spirit of the believers of God before Christ came? In Ephesians 4:9-10, Paul tells us that Christ descended into the lower parts of the earth and ascended from there leading captives with Him. The captives we surmised were the departed saints of those who had believed in God before the coming of Christ. Praise God that, unlike the people of Tyre, we who belong to Christ are set for glory in the land of the living.

 

 

Ezekiel 26:15-18 – Only with God can security be assured.

Tyre was a wealthy city. Strategically located, it controlled the trade route and was a thriving city of commerce. Since Tyre presided over the whole network of trading partners it was prosperous. Being well-fortified many of the city’s partners depended on it for their own security. And when Tyre fell, many of its trading partners were greatly affected. Ezekiel 27:15-18 reveal their reaction and lament.

Those partners who were trading with Tyre, when heard of the fall of the city, went into a mourning and fearful panic. Verse 16 describes how they reacted. It says, “Then all the princes of the sea will go down from their thrones, remove their robes and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground, tremble every moment and be appalled at you.”  They shook and trembled and were greatly astonished at the news of what had happened to Tyre.

Verses 17-18 describe how they lamented Tyre’s demise. The words of their lament were set in a poetic dirge like a funeral song. The words depicted their trepidation. If the great Tyre could be defeated, how could they with lesser power be safe? Wouldn’t they be at risk of falling too?

The fall of Tyre reminds us that earthly structures and riches are only façade and can easily crumble. Nothing or no one is unassailable, no matter how strong and wealthy. While we celebrate life don’t ever forget that earthly riches and security are fleeting. The Lord’s call in Matthew 6:18-21 is, “…store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Go for what’s eternal, and overly place our focus on the transitory.  

 

Ezekiel 26:7-14 – Earthly possessions and powers are transient

The prophecy on the destruction of Tyre in Ezekiel 26 now turned to focus on the instruments of the Judgment in verses 7-14. It would begin with Nebuchadnezzar. He was the dominant power of the day. Hence, he was referred to as the king of kings. He brought the full force of his fully equipped army on Tyre.

He had at his disposal horses, chariots, horsemen, and a whole host of men. Like  what they did to Jerusalem they lay siege to Tyre. Remember this took place one year before the siege of Jerusalem ended. He broke down the tower of the city. His mighty army was said to have kicked up the dust of the city. They marched into the city, annihilating the city, slaughtering the inhabitants and bringing down the strong pillars of the city.  Verses 12-14 show the subsequent attacks on the s city. Forces would ravage the city. Besides taking away the spoil of the main city, they would also dump the rubble and debris of the destroyed city into the water forming a causeway into the island segment of the city.   

Tyre literally became a bare rock and a place for fishermen to spread their nets. Verses 12-14 indicate that Tyre would not celebrate again, and the song and sound of the harp would be absent and not be heard again. Its eminence would be removed and never to return to its former prominence again.

What can we take away from these verses? Earthly wealth, possession and wealth have no durability. They are fleeting and can only provide temporary fame and no lasting value. Everyone that has wealth will have to art with it at some point. Don’t be too overly obsessed with earthly prominence and possession. Choose faithfulness and obedience to the Word of God. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 24:35 saying, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”

 

Ezekiel 26:1-7 – What goes around always comes around.

We are amid our discussion on God’s messages of judgment on Judah’s surrounding nations. In Ezekiel 25, God’s messages were directed at Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia. Now from Ezekiel 26:1-28:19, the message of God’s judgment was directed at Tyre. Ezekiel 26:1-7 foretells Tyre’s impending destruction.  

Where is Tyre? Tyre had often been mentioned in conjunction with Sidon in the Bible. These two were ancient cities of Phoenicia (modern-day Lebanon) on the Mediterranean coast. Tyre and Sidon were Gentile cities north of Israel and Joshua 19:29 tells us that this region was assigned to the tribe of Asher. And Judges 1:31 tells us that Asher did not possess these twin cities. In the ancient world, Tyre was a leading commercial centre comprising two sections. One part was on the mainland coast and the other part was offshore on an island a short distance from the mainland.  

The message of God’s judgment on Tyre came to Ezekiel in “the eleventh year, on the first of the month.” It would be about two years into Nebuchadnezzar’s three-year siege of Jerusalem.  Verse 2 gives us the reason for Tyre’s destruction. She had rejoiced at Jerusalem’s plight. Their words in verse 2 were “Aha, the gateway of the peoples is broken; it has opened to me. I shall be filled, now that she is laid waste,” In other words, they were gloating over the fall to Jerusalem because it meant that they would take over the important trade route that passed through that fallen city.  

For gloating over Jerusalem’s woe, God through Ezekiel detailed the extent of their destruction in verses 3-6. In these four verses, the prophet specified the calamitous experiences that would destroy Tyre. Many nations would come against her breaking her walls and tearing down her towers leaving it a city of rock and debris. The destroyed city would become a place where fishermen would come and spread their nets. She would be plundered and become spoil for the nations and her citizens would be ravaged by the sword. Through the experience, the people of Tyre would come to recognise God’s sovereignty.   

Tyre was marked by two things. Instead of seeing the plight of Jerusalem as a warning, she gloated at her loss. Instead of being compassionate about what God’s people were going through, they gleefully cherished their advantage at Jerusalem’s expense. They not only gloat over Jerusalem’s misfortune but also selfishly seek to exploit Jerusalem’s downfall. From Proverbs 17:5, take a piece of advice not to mock someone going through calamity. It says, “Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.” What goes around always comes around!

 

Ezekiel 25:15-17 – There will be a time of reckoning.

The message of Ezekiel 25:15-17 was for Philistia located on slightly north of Joppa along the Mediterranean coast known as today’s Gaza strip. The people of Philistia were migrants from the Island of Crete and were known as Cherethites. Among David’s guards who fled with him from Absalom’s revolt, 2 Samuel 15:18 said there were some Cherethites.

Although there were some faithful Cherethites among the guards of David, by and large, they were Israel’s enemy. In these verses in Ezekiel, they were said to have acted like the Edomites. Their hostility toward Judah was out of revenge. Apparently, they had deep enmity towards God’s covenant people and were bent to destroy them. God’s words to them were, “Behold, I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, even cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant of the seacoast.” 

As God had promised, Philistia was wiped out. They had vanished from the scene. What remains of Philistia are the names of the cities such as Gath, Ashdod, and Ashkelon, which became modern Jewish cities.  Those who were impacted by the judgment of God then knew that God had poured out His wrath on them. The impact made them realize the judgment of the Lord as He laid out His vengeance on them.   

The Philistines had a history of troubling God’s people. Much of what they had done could be traced to the time of King Saul and King David and even during the time of King Hezekiah. In these verses in Ezekiel on the judgment of Philistia, we learn that cruelty will always be paid back in full. For the despair one brings upon others, there will be consequences that shall not be averted till God’s purpose is reached. How we treat others matters. There is a time for divine reckoning. 

Ezekiel 25:12-14 – Don’t be bound by unforgiveness.

In Ezekiel 25:12-14, God’s message was directed at Edom. The Edomites were descendants of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob.  Edom was situated in the South-East of Israel, where the South Jordan of today is. The Edomites had been the earliest and longest historical enemy of Israel. The struggles between the two people started the day Esau sold his birthright to Jacob, and instead insisted that it was stolen from him.

Verse 12 said that they acted against the house of Judah. How did they do it? They joined Babylon in fighting against Judah. They inflicted Judah causing grievous hurt to the people out of vengeance. The message of Amos 1:11 suggests that instead of being sympathetic towards Judah, Edom pursued the people of Judah with the sword. They chose to fight them when they were already down.

In fighting Judah, the Edomites were taking revenge on the children of Judah. Unwittingly, they had committed grievous guilt to their relatives. Hence God declared that their men and beasts would be cut off from the land. And invaders would make Edom into a wasteland. According to the wrath of the Lord, Edomites would fall by the sword of Israel from Teman in the north to Dedan in the south.  

Concerning Edom’s judgment, the Living Translation of the Bible paraphrased Jeremiah 48:20-22 this way:

Listen to the Lord’s plans against Edom
    and the people of Teman.
Even the little children will be dragged off like sheep,
    and their homes will be destroyed.
The earth will shake with the noise of Edom’s fall,
    and its cry of despair will be heard all the way to the Red Sea.
Look! The enemy swoops down like an eagle,
    spreading his wings over Bozrah.
Even the mightiest warriors will be in anguish.

One clear lesson we can draw from the message to Edom is about forgiveness. It is about not harboring or nursing a hurt. Obviously, Edom had not recovered from the hurt which began when their father Esau felt that his birthright was stolen by Jacob, his brother. Scrutiny will tell us that his birthright was sold to Jacob and not stolen from him. Not recovering from that hurt, the Edomites continued to nurse it for centuries. Nursing led to resentment and resentment to needless acts of vengeance. To harbor resentment is like drinking poison and hoping the person we resent will die. Forgiveness may not change our past, but it certainly will enlarge our future. When we come before God praying, Jesus’ word to us is - forgive.       

Ezekiel 25:8-11 – Don’t be upended by pride.

In Ezekiel 25:1-7, we have God’s message of judgment for Ammon. His message of judgment for Moab is found in verses 8-11. Moab as we know was the other incestuous son of Lot whom his other daughter had borne for him. In the Scripture, both the destiny of Ammon and Moab are linked. The descendants of these brothers had opposed Israel right from the start. Even at this point, the animosity had not abated.

Their offense according was their cluelessness that what happened to God’s people in Judah was the Lord’s doing. Hence, they concluded that like the world, Judah was a helpless victim of Babylon.  So, like Ammon, Moab also jeered, mocked, and rejoiced at Judah’s calamity.

Bear in mind that Lot their ancestor was linked to Abraham. They should have considered their tie in history and have some feelings for the patriarch’s descendants. Yet they were totally heartless toward them. They chose to be blind to the plight that they were going through.  So, God’s judgment of Moab would be the same as what God had for Ammon. Her border cities of Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim would be intruded upon by the tribesmen of the east. Moab was wiped out by Babylon and the land was possessed by Bedouins from the east.  

In Jeremiah 48:46-47, the Prophet Jeremiah made known that the key cities in Moab would end up being burnt and the people captured and taken into captivity. But in God’s mercy, He promised to restore the fortune of Moab in the latter days.   The Lord’s purpose for judgment on Moab would be the same as what He had for Ammon – that “they will know that I am the Lord.”

Moab’s key problem was her pride which led to her arrogance. Pride is dangerous because it is the cause of one to be blind to what God is doing. Pride also makes one to be self-centered and self-conceited. It always causes one to make foolish decisions to outdo others needlessly. Pride goes before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction. Knowing that God is in control and living a life of thanksgiving to Him will help us to curb pride.   The chief cause of pride is the letter “I” in the center of the word. Remember Proverbs 11:2, “When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom.”  

Ezekiel 25:1-7 – Don’t rejoice at other's misery.

The Prophet Ezekiel was among the people of Judah who were brought into exile during Babylon’s second invasion of Judah. He was from the priestly stork. At an age where he should be installed as a priest serving in the temple, he was redirected into the prophetic ministry. All because he was in exile and the temple was in Jerusalem. He was ushered into the prophetic vision to minister to the people in exile. For many years he relentlessly prophesied to the people of God in exile. His message was on God’s much-needed judgment to cleanse and purify His covenant people for the centuries of their misconduct and unfaithfulness to Him.

In Ezekiel 24, he gave the message concerning Babylon’s final siege of Jerusalem on the day it happened. The siege lasted three years before the temple and Jerusalem finally fell to the oppressor. During those three years, the people of Judah went through unimaginable suffering. They became the scorn of the nations. Was God going to stand idly by and allow His people to be derided by their enemies all around? Of course not! Because the final siege lasted three years, while Ezekiel was to remain mute concerning Jerusalem, he did not refrain from talking about God’s judgment on the enemy nations.

Chapters 25-32 are his prophecies of the judgment of God concerning the nations that mocked God’s people. The known nations that derided the covenant people were Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, Egypt, Damascus, Babylon, Ethiopia, and Assyria. But Ezekiel only prophesied and dealt with seven of them in these chapters. The rest were dealt with by other prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and the minor prophets. However, of all the minor prophets only the Prophet Hosea said nothing about the enemy nations.

Ezekiel didn't deal with Babylon. Perhaps, it was because he wanted to protect the people of God in exile. In Ezekiel 25:1-7, he started by prophesying God’s judgment on Ammon. Earlier in Ezekiel 21:18-32, reference was made concerning Ammon’s judgment who chose to gloat over Judah’s misfortune. Picking up from there, Ezekiel 25:1-7 continues to prophesy the judgment of Ammon.  

In these verses, we see what the Ammonites did when Jerusalem’s temple was desecrated, when Judah was disseminated, and the people captured. Because they delighted in the misfortune of God’s covenant people they would be dominated by the “sons of the East.” These desert tribes would come and set their camps and make Ammon their dwelling place and would take liberty to partake of the fruits and milk of the land. Rabbah, the capital of Ammon would become pasture ground for those tribesmen’s camels and flocks.  In other words, Ammon would be overrun by the desert tribesmen making her into their animals’ pastureland. All these would only prove that the Lord is the only true God.  

Our propensity is to rejoice and take delight in the misfortune of the people we dislike. Let us not repay evil for evil but be like God to overcome evil with good.      

 

Here are thoughts worth our mussing:

If we repay evil for evil, we only do what an animal would do.

If we repay good for good, we only do what a human would do.

If we repay evil for good, we only do what the devil would do.

But if we repay good for evil, we will do what God would do.  

 

 

Ezekiel 24:25-27 – Everything happens according to God’s schedule.

Ezekiel 24 started with God giving the prophet the exact day of the final siege of Jerusalem. He was told to take note of that day. Then in verses 2-14, Ezekiel was told to give the people a message in a parable concerning what happened leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem. Then in verses 15-24, God used the death of Ezekiel’s wife as a sign of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, which the people treasured and cherished.

From the day Ezekiel was told of the event till Jerusalem was captured for the final time, the siege lasted three years. Ezekiel had said all he needed to say. In Ezekiel 24:25-27, God added a burden for the prophet to bear. He was not to remain mute and not talk about what would happen to Jerusalem and the final siege. He could only speak about it when a survivor of the siege came to him. In other words, only when that survivor arrived and his prophecies were confirmed, then he could begin to speak concerning Jerusalem. From all that had come to pass, God wanted the people to know that He is God and that He alone is the Lord.

From everything that had taken place, we know that God is a keeper of time. He is in total control of all of it. Nothing happens to us outside of God’s supervision. There is not a moment of our life that God is not aware of. Not only is God in complete control of time, but He is also the regulator of time. In Him, there is precise orderliness and that tells us that He is a God of precision. He does things just at the right time. There is no misplaced activity with God. He has a timing for everything. He put everything in its place so what He wants to be made known will be made known. A right word said at the wrong time will certainly be missed. Only when the right words are released at the appropriate time will they be rightly received and appreciated.

Ezekiel 24:18-24 – Shaped through trials.

In Ezekiel 24: 15-17, the prophet was told by God of his wife's impending death.  She would be seized by death suddenly. And when that happens, Ezekiel is told not to mourn her passing. Verse 18 tells us that in that morning even though he was told of his wife's impending death, he went about ministering as usual. Just imagine what must have gone through his mind as he was speaking to the people. How could he speak with such calmness knowing what would be happening to his wife?  

And as God had told him, when he returned him that evening, his wife died suddenly. The next morning, he obeyed as he was instructed. He did not mourn the death of his wife. Naturally, by not mourning the tragedy caused the people to raise the question.  Wondering why he was not mourning his wife’s death, they asked, “Will you not tell us what these things that you are doing mean for us?”

So, in verses 20-24, Ezekiel then explained what he was going through meant. Judah was about to lose everything they loved, just as much as a man who had lost his wife to death. Jerusalem was about to lose the temple the nation loves, treasures, and cherishes.  And the people of Judah, their sons and daughters, who were not taken into exile would fall by the sword. Even as that happens, the people Ezekiel was talking to would be stunt. And being in Babylon, they would not be given the space to mourn publicly. Instead, they would groan and pine away in their sin with indescribable grief.   

The crux of the message of verse 24 is this. What happened to Ezekiel was a sign to the people. Whatever he had experienced would be the experience of the people. Just as Ezekiel lost his precious, the temple which the people cherish, and love would be lost.  Just as Ezekiel was not allowed to mourn, so the people would also not be given the space and latitude to mourn. What a tragedy!

The lesson: obeying God does not immune us from tragedy. In fact, in Christian living along with the good and pleasant moments, we will have some unpleasant ones. When unpleasant things happen to us, we must learn to see it in the light of Romans 8:28. Paul said, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”  Our hard moments are the “all things” that God will use to bring about our good. What “good” does God bring out of our lives through those hard moments? God is using them to shape us and make us more like Christ. Remember Christlikeness is God’s goal for our lives and hard moments cause us to draw nearer to Him. Therefore, we must learn to exult even in tribulation.

But God hath promised strength for the day,

Rest d for the labor, light for the way,

Grace for the trials, help from above,

Unfailing sympathy, undying love.  

(Annie Johnson Flint)

Ezekiel 24:15-17 – Living a life of full surrender to God.

In the discussion of Ezekiel 25:1-14, we refer to an unusual event that was going to happen. In these last two paragraphs of Ezekiel 24, God was uncovering the unusual event. He was going to use the wife of the prophet to send a message to His people.

In Ezekiel 24:15-17, the impending personal tragedy of the prophet was told to him. God was going to use the death of his wife to let His people know the tragedy the nation would have to undergo. In verse 16, the Lord made known to Ezekiel that He would be taking away from him someone personal and dear. He was going to take away “the desire of his eyes with a blow.” Here God was speaking of the sudden death of his wife. We are not told how his wife would die but it would be a sudden one.

It would be natural for anyone to mourn if he has someone he has loved so dearly dies suddenly. Yet for Ezekiel, God forbade him to mourn the sudden death of His beloved wife. As if the tragedy was not bad enough, Ezekiel was also told not to mourn nor weep over her death. He was not to shed a tear. God’s specific words to the prophet in verse 16 were, “…you shall not mourn, and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not come.” Instead, verse 17 said, he was to only “groan silently; make no mourning for the dead.” And he was to wear his turban as usual, put on his shoes, and not shave off his mustache. And He was not to eat the bread of men. In other words, he was not to do things as others would do in a similar situation.  

Refraining from mourning must surely have burdened the prophet’s heart. It would certainly cause his reputation to be questioned. His wife’s honor would also be questioned by his silence and refusal to mourn. But her death was to be a message for the people of Jerusalem. Just as sudden as his wife’s death, the beloved city would also face a sudden destruction. Not mourning his loss was also the way God would not show pity nor mourn the destruction of Jerusalem.

We can be assured that God would not do such a thing for every one of us. Up till today, what God had asked of Ezekiel is something few have been told to do.  Yet in the prophet's tragic experience, his unflinching commitment to God is a lesson for us. Any lesser person would have caved in and given up. But Ezekiel did not. He did as He was instructed.  Loving God and serving Him wholeheartedly was everything to Ezekiel. What about us? Will we be willing to give God all that we are and all that we have? Remember what Jesus said in Luke 9:23. “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Are we willing? 

 

Ezekiel 24:1-14 – Awareness is the first step to change

Ezekiel 24 concludes the first segment of the book dealing with the judgment of Judah and Jerusalem. It starts with the Lord telling Ezekiel the exact day of the final siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. According to verse 1, the siege took place “in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month.”

This is a significant date because it was the day the final siege of Jerusalem began. The exactness of the day of the event confirmed the accuracy of the prophecies of Ezekiel. Remember the prophet was miles away from Jerusalem. Hence, his knowledge of the exact date verifies his prophetic calling as well as the accuracy of the Scripture. So significant is this day that even up to this day the people of Israel still call for a yearly fast in commemoration of that fateful day.   

The images used in verses 1-14 are like those that were used to refer to the judgment of Jerusalem and Judah in the previous chapters. Many of the images used here repeat what had been said in those chapters. The meat refers to Israel, the heated pot signifies the fire of judgment, and the rust of the pot points to the sinful decaying hearts of the people. The blood indicates the shed blood of the child sacrificed to the pagan god and the violence carried out on their brethren. The blood on display on rocks and not covered by the dust is by way of referring to the judgment in full display. The covenant people like the pot of boiling meats would be cooked and boiled alive. So hot was the turned-up heat of the Lord’s judgment that even bones were bleached. This speaks of the severe, relentless, and merciless invasion of Nebuchadnezzar’s army to devastate Jerusalem.  

The intensity of the heat was to consume and remove the rust from the pot. It is hard to imagine the intensity, yet it was needed to remove the filth of the covenant people. What they had committed for so long requires that severe a judgment to remove what they had accumulated.   To seal the certainty of the judgment, God declared in verse 14 saying, “I, the Lord, have spoken; it is coming, and I will act. I will not relent, and I will not pity, and I will not be sorry; according to your ways and according to your deeds I will judge you.”  To confirm what He had said, God would be doing something unusual. What is the usual event? We will look at it in our next reflection.   

Ezekiel was a true prophet. He was true and faithful to God despite the intensity of the suffering he had to endure. The instruction to Ezekiel to record the exact date the judgment took place shows how important it is to record key events in our lives. Exact dates were indicated in every critical moment in the history of God’s people. In Genesis 7 - 8, the exact dates Noah and the entourage entered the Ark and when they came out of it were indicated. In Exodus 12:41-42, we are given the exact moment that the people of God exited Egypt. Joshua 4:19 gave the moment the people of God cross over the Jordan. Remembering key events in our lives will help us to chart our future course. The first step to change is awareness. If we are unaware, we cannot change because we don’t know where to start. Awareness is the first step to change.      

Ezekiel 23:36-49 – Don’t approach God with our uncleanness

The crimes of both Oholah and Oholibah had committed against the Lord were patently obvious. None of them could deny the atrocities they both had committed. Hence, they both deserve the judgment. Israel or Oholah had already received their just dessert when she was eliminated by Assyria. Yet here in Ezekiel 23:36-39, the Lord summarised the northern sister’s abominable practices together with that of Oholibah, her southern sister. Both were equally guilty and were equally deserving of His judgment. In these verses, Ezekiel was asked to call out their abominations. 

They both had committed adultery and had blood on their hands. Verse 37 went on to elaborate on how far they had gone in their adultery. Israel and Judah’s atrocities of copying their treaty partners included adopting their repulsive practices. They offered their children as blood sacrifices to the foreign gods. As if that was not bad enough, they even broke the Sabbath law and defiled the holy place. They brought their sacrificed children into the temple on the same Sabbath and partake of them in the sanctuary. They had deliberately desecrated God’s house.

 

Using graphic language, verses 40-44 describe how Judah like Israel lured and enticed foreign nations and had illicit, immoral, and unbecoming union with them. The foreign nations she had enticed were likened to pleasure-seeking men who came with their precious ornaments to pay her for the services she would provide. She even indiscreetly invites drunkards to share her bed. The irony of Oholibah’s escapade was that she had the guts to use the gifts that God and bestowed on her to entice the foreigners.

 

Judah’s illicit relationship had worn her out and it was hope that no one would want her service, yet ridiculously the suitors of Oholah and Oholibah couldn’t care less. They had their flings with both the sisters, nonetheless. As righteous judges who would sentence a prostitute for her atrocious acts, God also would judge Judah for her atrocities. Just as a prostitute who would be executed, stoned to death, and her property burnt up, so also will Jerusalem and her citizens be thus punished. Lord was declaring that Judah would be attacked by Babylon.  

 

Do not profane the things of God. He takes notice of all activities, even when it is camouflaged with religious jargon and activities. James 4:8 encourages us to “Draw near to God” and He will draw near to us. But when we approach Him, we must “cleanse your hands and purify your hearts. Don’t be double minded when we approach God, otherwise He will not draw near to us. 

Ezekiel 23:22-35 – Th price of being unfaith to God.

Having established Oholibah’s deplorable unfaithfulness, The Lord  now in Ezekiel 23:22-35 describes the just dessert they deserved. He showed what Babylon, her lover whom she was so besotted and given herself so freely to, would now turn and do to her. This would be the third and final invasion that the Babylonians undertook against Jerusalem. Verse 23 identifies Judah’s invaders. In referring to her attackers as “the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them” God was saying that the whole Babylonian empire, the dominant power of the day would come against her. The whole empire and culture, which Judah found so attractive and was so obsessed and infatuated with, would now not turn on her.   

 

Allegorically, the Lord depicts the attractive Babylon that Judah the harlot had fallen in love with, turning against her.  With unimaginable hatred, the Babylonians would beat her and the people of Judah up. Many would lose their lives and survivors would find themselves without ears and noses. In the culture of the ancient Near East, punishment for an adulteress included cutting off her nose and ears so that she could not wear any ornament of attraction on them. Hence, she would no longer be attractive to any man anymore.  

 

The “cutting off of the nose and ears” is by way of saying that their significant people would be removed from Jerusalem. Many would be taken into captivity. Meanwhile, Jerusalem would be stripped of her possessions by the people she came to loathe. Jerusalem would be like a harlot being left naked and bare.  In what God had done, their harlotry which began with Egypt would be forgotten.  In other words, their hope of rescue from Egypt would not be realized.

 

For emphasis, in verses 28-31, Ezekiel repeated he had already warned what would happen to Jerusalem. She would be given into the hand of Babylon whom she had come to hate. The latter would reciprocate Judah’s hatred with hatred. Oholibah’s possessions would be confiscated, and she would be left bare and naked. In all that Jerusalem was made to go through, the full extent of her harlotry would be exposed. Oholibah’s had defiled herself. Her idolatry led her into the same path that her sister Oholah had embarked on.      

 

Since she had chosen to follow the path of her northern notorious sister, the judgment her sister had experienced would also be what Oholibah would receive.  Verses 32-25 illustrate the wrath of God which Judah would receive with the metaphor of a drinking cup. It would be in the same way as Israel in the north had drunk. When Israel fell into the hand of Assyria, Judah had unwisely celebrated her defeat. She gloated over Israel’s misfortune too early. Now the rooster had returned to roost. She would share the same fate as her northern sister, drink and empty the cup that her sister had drank. And she would become a laughingstock.  Oholibah would experience what Oholah had experienced and even worse.  

 

Conscious of it or not, like how He dealt with Judah, God will also educate us through discipline. “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12:11).”  When we are receptive to God, we will realize the purpose of His discipline. He wants us to never forget Him or to turn our back on Him. He wants us to know that He alone deserves our worship and allegiance. And He truly is.      

Ezekiel 23:11-21 – Stay faithful and committed to God

The sad description God had of Judah in Ezekiel 23:11-21 was that she was worse than Israel, her northern sister. Oholah was bad, Oholibah was worse. Although late to their wild living, Judah degenerated further than Israel, her older sibling. Judah saw all that Israel had done and was rightly judged for all her misconduct toward God, yet she did not restrain herself. She copied the wickedness of Israel. She was also attracted by the might of Assyria. Like Oholah, Oholibah also played the harlot with Assyria.  They both took the same route.

But Judah did not stop her from fooling around with Assyria. She went even further.  Verse 14 said that when Judah saw some mural on the wall depicting the Babylonian army in all its grandeur, her fascination for Babylon started. That led her to pursue her fascination. She then sent messengers to woo the Babylonians who gladly accepted the invitation, came, and had a fling with Judah and engaged in her idolatry. After a time of fling, she became disgusted with Babylon. Meanwhile, God also became appalled and disgusted with Judah as He did Israel for what she had done.   

 

With her disgust for Babylon, Judah then courted Egypt. Not satisfied with just recalling their past with Egypt, she once again went after her. In graphic sexual description, God referred to Judah's escapade with Egypt in the past. Now Judah once again yearned for those past elation that she had experienced with Egypt in the past.  

 

History showed that Judah tried to court Assyria with her unsolicited help to deal with Egypt. In 2 Kings 23, King Josiah needlessly tried to meddle in the conflict Pharoah Neco had with Assyria in the battle at Carchemish. In that incident, Josiah was shot by an arrow and later died in Jerusalem. That did not stop her escapade with Assyria, she also courted Babylon and had a fling with her. Then when she became dissatisfied with Babylon, Judah turned to Egypt.

 

God alone is trustworthy. Yet Judah in her waywardness had shown herself unfaithful. She vacillated from one partner to another seeking security. She had chosen to violate her covenant promise. When we fail to stay focused and faithful to God, there is a tendency for us to grasp at the straw and rely on what is unreliable and untrustworthy. We must stay faithful to God and not pivot to trust any other.