Ezekiel 20

Introduction

I never know when Wednesday nights because it’s so hard for some people to get home from work and get here. We still may have a few to come in, but it is time for us to begin. And our class tonight is in uh chapter 20, which in your workbook is lesson number 12. It’s just one chapter. So you might say, Oh, well, you know, we’ve been having three last Sunday, so we kind of went from the extreme to the poor. But anyway, um I want us to kind of look back quickly. We reviewed, uh went through chapters uh 17 and 19 Sunday morning and spent more time in chapter 18, which 18 is an easier chapter to be remembered, and I think to be marked, you ought to go because it has so many applications even in New Testament times about uh if a righteous man sins uh and if a if he becomes wicked, does his righteousness pay?

Does it matter? Well, it sure matters. He’ll be judged for what he does at the time. And you can’t store up righteousness, so to speak. And neither can a child inherit what the father does, either good or bad. Uh and that’s a verse that has so much application, and really you ought to be able to say, Oh, and you’re con in your conversation with people today who indeed know they practice infant baptism. Not all people know why maybe the church they attend practices it, but uh at least to to uh to teach them that you know you just don’t read about it in the Bible at all. And certainly this it does not it fit the Bible doctrine to say that well the child has uh inherited sin, and that’s why the baptism, because Ezekiel 18 and verse 20 clearly says the soul that’s in it shall die.

The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, nor the father bear the iniquity of the son, the righteous and the righteous be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon him. It’s a great verse to memorize, and certainly if you didn’t memorize it, know where to go and find it. Let’s look real quickly at the questions though on pages uh 46 and 47. From chapter 17, started with a parable and uh about two eagles, and uh we’d had an allegory in chapter 16 and went to a parable in chapter 17, and I think this sometimes makes Ezekiel a little bit harder to read and to comprehend. But it illustrates over and over again how Judah deserved the punishment that God was bringing upon him.

So, question number one in what did the seed of the land grow for the first eagle? Uh all right, a spreading vine of low stature, uh became a vine, and he brought it forth, its shoots, its branches and shoots from chapter 17, verse 6. If you are didn’t get it and just want to write down the scripture. Number two, what was represented by this first eagle and the vine? What did it represent? What the eagle is. Yes, the king of Babylon, he explained. Chapter 7 and verse 12. Came to Jerusalem, took the king and the princess, took them back to Babylon. At that point, probably uh Jehoracam. To whom had the king in Jerusalem sent for aid? Instead, what should he have done? What should he have done?

What? Well, but what did God through his ego tell him to do? Submitted. Yeah, submit to Nebuchadnezzar. Don’t try to resist. But he out, he thought he knew that uh, well, if I turn to Egypt, I’ll conquer, and I won’t have to worry about what God I won’t have to submit to anybody. But in effect, he lost both on both accounts. Number four, what would happen to the fugitives? Fall about the soul. Yeah, from verse 41, chapter 17 to 1, they fall by the sword, and those who remain would be scattered to every wind. Number five, what would all the trees of the field know?

The Lord have brought down the high tree, exalted the low, dried up the green, and made the dry tree flourish. From chapter 17, verse 24. Now, end of chapter 18, pro question number six, if a just man had a wicked son, what would happen to each of them? A just man has a wicked son, the just shall what? Live. The wicked son died and shall die. Each man accounting for his own sins. Number seven, what if the righteous man turned and committed iniquity?

Yeah, he would perish. All his righteousness shall not be remembered. Chapter 18, verse 24. He shall die because of the sins he commits. Number eight, how would God judge the house of Israel?

Is that a principle in the New Testament? Absolutely. Over and over we have that of the New Testament judgment. Every man according to his own ways or works, the New Testament would say. Number nine, what did the mother lioness? This is in chapter 19. Uh, what did she do when her young was taken to Egypt?

Took another of her cubs, made him a king, make him a young lion who became a king. And finally, then number 10, what was Israel’s later condition as a vine?

Planted in the wilderness in a dry and thirsty land or ground. Verse 13. By breaking the covenant with Babylon, Israel had despised God’s old and broken his covenant. That’s true. A son inherits the sins of his father. Israel said, The way of the Lord is not equal or right or fair, you may have said.

Number four, in the lamentation for the princes of Israel, the lioness is represented as having her whelps taken captive to Egypt and Babylon. True. Judah was also represented as an exalted vine that was plucked up and cast down to the ground. Okay, uh that’s true. From chapter 19, 4 through 12. Find in Jeremiah, where he said the people would no more use the proverb according to Ezekiel 18 and 2. Jeremiah 31, 29. 31 verse 29. What did they mean by this? No longer children. Excuse themselves, and there’s excuses. That way they just blame their troubles on the sins of their fathers. And then thought question we talked with it, but I don’t think they had a problem. Do children inherit the father’s sins? No. No one explains Ezekiel 18 20 in light of.

Why not put Exodus 20 5 through 6 here? Because Exodus 25 through 6 said uh something like the third points to the third and fourth generation. So that means that so if someone uh does an evil act, the ramifications of that evil act may pass on. The consequences of it of it. Yeah, somebody they still may be righteous and be saved, but there they will perhaps bear the shame of that father who did this sin, and therefore the consequences. And in that sense, did his did uh Judah go into captivity as a consequence of whose sin? Yes. Well, there’s they can’t blame, they said our fathers have eaten sour grapes and set our teeth on edge. They themselves were there. He said, but who had sinned earlier that God said because of it?

1. Certain of the Elders Came to Inquire of the Lord

Manasseh. Alright, into chapter 20. I put up on the chart here on the board some dates here. Uh because chapter 20 starts off, it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders came to inquire of the Lord and sat before me. Uh I uh I put this up what we’ve already talked about, Ezekiel taken captive in 597. Uh that’s in 2 Kings 24. At that time he was only 25 years old. He was five years later. In fact, the book starts, chapter one, but verse one, in his 30th year. But then he dates it as the fifth year, so it’s the fifth year of their captivity. The fourth month, fifth day, he saw the vision.

So now at age 30, he begins prophesying. In our chapter 8 and in verse 1, sixth year, sixth month, fifth day, the elders came to him. This is another example of the elders came to him. And at this point, how long has he been in the land? 14 months, right? One year plus two months. So about 14 months. And so he’s how old? 31. 31. And these elders are asking him. Do you remember what happened at that point in time? He’s taken up by a vision to Jerusalem. And he sees all the desecrations that are there. Uh he sees uh the image of jealousy. He’s taken in this secret room, and he sees portrayal of all the unclean animals and their 70 men bowing down, worshiping.

He sees the women weeping for Tammuz, idol god of the Babylonians. And it says, top it all off. He kept saying in that chapter, you know, just wait and you’ll see greater abominations. And it just seemed like it grew worse. Which was the last of you? Remember the last one? Kathy?

Yeah, with their back to the temple, worshiping the sun god. So you think Ezekiel had anything to tell these elders when he got back? This is why, you know. So, but then uh in chapter 20, our lesson number today, it’s the seventh year, the fifth month, the tenth day. So how far since he started prophesying? Two years, two years. Yeah, two years in a month, or just what, 14? Is it uh now where I’ve got one? One eleven, isn’t it? From the six-year-six months. To the seventh year. So it’s about an eleven month, not even full year. Between you say eleven months, is that right? Between between here and the elders come again in our lesson here today. They’re coming again and saying, hmm, the Lord have any more to say.

Is something going good happen off us? Makes me think about King Zedekiah too, Jerubal, uh Jeremiah. Zedekiah, I think there’s at least three, maybe four instances where Zedekiah kept saying any more word from the Lord. And uh, and don’t tell these other people that I’ve asked you, Jeremiah, one time he said, But uh, you know, uh, and Jeremiah just kept saying, No, same message, same word, repent or else. Uh, I don’t know how many of you caught my mistake. I gotta say to the class tonight that I have been making a mistake on the dating of this. Doug wrote me a note on Monday and I said he caught it, and I asked John, John said he’d cut it all along, just hadn’t corrected me. How long was Jerusalem besieged before it fell?

I’ve been saying two and a half years. And I’ve been wrong every time. It was 18 months, is a year and a half. And I’m not quite sure why I had that in my mind. I’m not sure if if I thought, well, you know, from the ninth year to the eleventh year, that’s two years, isn’t it? So I don’t know whether that was it in my mind, I got it mixed up. But in my mind, I went, no, it was nearly three years. And then I more I thought about this actually, as I was working on my sermon for Sunday. In the sermon, I said it right. I said 18 months. That’s why I said, anybody catch that in the sermon Sunday? After I worked, I don’t know why I I hadn’t caught it earlier, but I did correct myself and in the lesson.

I said, Oh, it’s just 18 months, which was right. But uh in 70 AD when Jerusalem fell, you know how long how long it was besieged at that time? It was about three and a half, yeah. And I think I kept, I don’t know whether I confused it with that that later in 70 AD. Whatever, I was wrong, I just said that way. 18 months. So from chapter 24, when uh he was to write it down. Ninth year, tenth month, tenth day. And this is the point I was making in the lesson Sunday. How could he have known to write it down? And for what purpose did he write it down? That it proved he was being told, Lord, he’s 300 miles away. He certainly didn’t have the kind of communication means that we have today.

So he wrote it down when Jerusalem was besieged by the Babylonians. It came to pass 18 months later that it fell. We know that from 2 Kings 25. But the word came to him, and we’ll get to this when we get to chapter 33, 21. You might say it was three years later that the word was confirmed that Jerusalem had fallen. Another 18 months passed, really. So why did it take that long? I do not know how to explain that, other than when Jerusalem was in fact captured and taken. That it was such disarray. I’m sure it was not people running, oh, let’s go tell Ezekiel. You know, we got to let him know it wasn’t, you know. But it was at least another 18 months before word came to him.

And it was at this point that those who were in captive captivity in Babylon then said, Boy, you know, Ezekiel, he really isn’t the Lord. We ought to listen to Ezekiel. Ezekiel’s a good preacher. That’s the point I was making Sunday. But in that same chapter, it says they were saying this about him, but they weren’t obeying. You know, it’s kind of like, boy, we love this preacher, but uh the word goes in one ear and out the other. And it’s kind of like they did Jeremiah back in Jerusalem the same way. Just tell us, Jeremiah, what we should do. Jeremiah said, You stay right here. Don’t flee to Egypt. And they said, Well, you’re lying, Jeremiah. We’re gonna go to Egypt anyway. So both on both accounts, people over in Babylon as well as in Jerusalem, really said they believed these both these men were inspired and men of God, but their words were not followed.

2. I Will Not Be Inquired of by You

Well, in chapter 20, I found it interesting, though, at this point, that these elders come back again, and this is where we are in our lesson today. That these elders come back again to say uh to inquire of the Lord. In verse 2 and 3, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, Thus says the Lord God, have you come to inquire of me? As I live, says the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you. What do you think they’re when he says they’re inquiring of God, and why wouldn’t he respond? What do they what do you think they’re asking of the Lord? What would you what do you mean they’re inquiring of God through Ezekiel?

What are they asking Ezekiel to find out? Why is this happening? Yes. And is is the Lord going to bless us? Is he going to bring favor to us? And just let us know God’s side of this whole point. And God said, I’m not going to listen. And you can’t inquire of me. Why would God respond like that? Because he’s already told them multiple times. Number one, he’s already told them. I think you I found it interesting if you went all the way over to verse 31 of this chapter, chapter 20 and verse 31. For when you offer your gifts and make your sons pass through the fire, you defiled yourselves with all your idols, even to say, So shall I be inquired of by you?

O house of Israel. And others, their hearts were still full of rebellion, and so it rather hypocritical, really, to come and say, Ezekiel, tell us God’s side of this. What’s going to happen? And God says, I don’t have any relationship with you. You have cut yourself off from me. Your rebellious heart is such. So there was no protection promise from God. In verse 4, the Lord would say, Will you judge them, Son of Man? Will you judge them? Then make known to them the abominations of their father. Noah remind them. He didn’t make known as though they never heard of it, but remind them. And so really the most of this chapter from here point forward is a historical review. What has Israel been like? I think that Jeremiah early, those who were in class, Jeremiah raised the God raised the question, What have I done?

3. Throw Away the Idols of Egypt

God would say, you know, I’ve blessed you, I’ve done everything I can to bless you, and yet you you’ve uh you’ve hewed up cisterns that hold no water. Why? Why have you turned away from God? And so in this chapter 20, it’s a rehearsal of their past, of their history. Verses 5 through 7, for example. Say to them, thus says the Lord God, on the day when I chose Israel, raise my hand in an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob, made myself known to them in the land of Egypt. I raised my hand in an oath to them, saying, I am the Lord your God. On that day I raised my hand in an oath to them to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all the lands.

Then I said to them, Each of you, throw away the abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. That’s pretty simple, isn’t it? You think about what has God done? He’s chosen them. What could they do in Egypt? They were slaves. They couldn’t get out of Egypt had it not been for the Lord’s hand. So in rehearsing this, can you remember? You know, it’s kind of like God says, Ezekiel reminded me. You remember what states you were in? And I searched out. I’m the one who found this land that flows with milk and honey. I’m the one who not only got you out of Egypt and brought you over there, or promised it to you, and all I asked was, What?

Put away your idols. You’ve had idols in Egypt, but put them away. Is that a is that an impossible request? Is that too much? Is that hard to understand? You know, sometimes there are people today to say, Oh, you know, the Bible is just so hard to understand. Well, I’ll tell you, God’s word isn’t that hard when you really want to do it. It’s hard to understand when you don’t want to do it. Sometimes what people say is hard to understand comes up with, I just don’t believe that. You know, I just don’t think that’s the right thing. But when our minds are open to it and willing and ready, I don’t think we can understand it, frankly. I think God will help us understand it if we want to, and help us not understand it if we don’t want to.

Because 2 Thessalonians 2 says, Those who reject the love of the truth, God shall send a strong delusion, they should believe a lie in the place of truth. So he’ll help us if we don’t want it, to believe a lie in the place of the truth. So it’s so important that we examine our hearts in the mirror of God’s word. Am I really open-minded to it? Or have I just been in a, you know, I’ve done this for so long I just can’t say no. Can’t say I was wrong. Sometimes we have to be able to say I was wrong and move forward. Well, from verses 8 and 9, uh the but after God said, Here’s what I did for you, but they rebelled against me and will not obey me.

4. I Acted for My Name’s Sake

They did not all cast away the abominations which were before their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said, I will pour out my fury on them and fulfill my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. What do you remember that they did? They come out of Egyptian bondage, and what proved that they really hadn’t left their idolatry? What did they do at Mount Jordan? All right, built the golden calf. Moses is delayed too long up there. Aaron, would you? So they brought their gold rings and jewelry or whatever. They had him build a golden calf. So here’s God again. They rebelled against me. But verse 9, I acted for my name’s sake. I acted for my name’s sake.

What does that mean? What does he mean his name’s sake? Preserving it. Pardon? He didn’t want it to be profaned in front of the other nations. Well, how could it have been profane?

Their God brought them out here to die. So some God that is, or something like that. Alright, first of all, I’ll point out verse this is verse 9, verse 14, and in verse 22. That statement is found three times in this chapter. But let’s let’s go read a case of that. Let’s go to Numbers chapter 14. Numbers chapter 14, I believe it’s verses 11 through 23, where God at one point got ready to just, you know, say this is this is it. I’ve had enough. Numbers 14 is really after they’ve gotten to Cadith Baronia and they sent out twelve spies. And you know the story. Uh, after they had uh spied out the land by for 40 days, they came back, and ten of them said, Oh, we can’t go in there.

And only two, Joshua and Caleb said, Let us go up at once. And so in Numbers 14 and verse 11, when when they when they said, Oh, let’s stone Moses and let’s just go back to Egypt. We’d be better off if we turn and go back to Egypt. So, verse 11, the Lord said to Moses, How long would these people reject me? How long will they not believe me with all the signs which I have performed among them? I’ll strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you Moses, a nation greater and mightier than they. Would God be just in that? Yes. And Moses said to the Lord, Then the Egyptians will hear, or by your might you brought these people up from among them.

And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They’ve heard that you, Lord, are among these people, that you, Lord, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands above them, and you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Now, if you kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of your fame will speak, saying, Because the Lord was not able to bring this people to the land which he swore to give them, therefore he killed them in the wilderness. In other words, they’ll blame that you’re in able. And now I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as you’ve spoken, saying, The Lord is long suffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.

Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of your mercy, just as you have forgiven this people from Egypt even until now. And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to your word, but truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. Because all these men have seen my glory in the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded my voice. They certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected me see it. Well, that’s in a gist uh just a summary form. We understand what Ezekiel is reminding them of.

5. I Also Gave Them My Sabbaths as a Sign

It’s a story that sure they all knew. If they read the scripture at all, and sure they knew of how God had brought them out of Egypt. But now, did they rebel? And would God have in his anger poured out fury on them? Except I acted for my name’s sake. Well, that should have been enough, but that’s not enough. Verses 10 through 12. Therefore I made them go out of the land of Egypt, brought them into the wilderness, I gave them my statute, showed them my judgments. And those the language, which if a man does, he shall live by them. What does that mean? If you follow God’s judgments, what’ll happen? You shall live. I think it’s much like uh in the Beatitudes. Um the meek shall inherit the earth.

And a Job’s witness come to my door a couple of weeks ago and used that passage. Don’t you know that’s really what we’re going to get? We’re going to get the earth in the world to come. Is that what it means? And when I explained, she said, Well, what do you think it means? I said, Well, I believe it means that when you follow the will of God, you enjoy life to the fullest. You’re going to have the best marriage, you’re going to be the best neighbor, and you’re just going to find a happiness and joy in this in this life. You know, there’s that’s the sense in which you uh inherit this earth. God intended for men to be happy. He didn’t intend for us to go through life with all the struggles.

We do have struggles of the flesh, curse of sin, the curse of the devil. But the meek shall inherit the earth in the sense that there is hope and there’s a sense of rejoicing in the heart of Christian. There’s a peace that even surpasses understanding. She said, That’s an interesting explanation. In a few minutes she left. But uh, in the nevertheless, uh, you know, I think that’s exactly what he’s saying, even under the old testament. You follow the laws of God, and there was God’s blessing upon them. So you shall live by them. But then in verse 12 is a particular verse that maybe you might want to mark somewhere. And it says, moreover, I also gave them my Sabbaths. For what purpose? To be a sign between them and me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.

I say, mark that. You notice on page 50 of your workbook on the application for the day. I made a point about that verse, and I think it is significant. The Sabbath was given as a sign between Israel and the Lord. No scripture teaches that it was given before this time, that is, for man to observe. And therefore the Seventh-day Adventists are in error by binding it as though it were given at creation to all men for all ages. We know the creation story in Genesis, and on the seventh day God rested. The word Sabbath literally means rest. But there is no record at all that it was given to Abraham or Noah, or you go back to any of the men preceding. At this point, God said, I made it known to them.

Why don’t you read another verse online with this? It’s Exodus chapter 31, verses 13 through 17. Exodus 31. It’s one of the verses that you have there in that application. Exodus 31, 13 through 17. And let me say that.

Work shall be done for six days, but the Sabbath is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Therefore, the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It’s a sign between me and the children of Israel forever. These verses therefore, describe how God gave the Sabbath. He gave it to Israel. He gave it for their generations. Why don’t we observe the Sabbath day now? We do. How? We enter the Lord’s rest by being holy for He is holy. Being perfect as He is perfect or striving to. I thought you were going to use Hebrews 4. There’s a Sabbath rest to come, and that since the Christians have a Sabbath.

But we don’t keep Saturday, the seventh day, as a Sabbath. I find that the Sabbath day Adventists talk to many people today, they may start with, don’t you believe we ought to keep the Ten Commandments? Most of us say, Yeah. Well, they’re rather shocked when you say, No, we don’t keep the Ten Commandments. If you do, you’re going to keep the Sabbath day, because it says the fourth is remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. The Sabbath fell on the seventh day, didn’t it? So if you’re going to keep the Ten Commandments, then they’re right. Friday at 6 p.m. starts the Sabbath to Saturday at 6 p.m. And you shouldn’t do any work on that day. And in fact, uh, why don’t we, what verse would you use to show we do not keep that?

Anybody know it right off? You’re talking to one? Don’t know what verse it is, but I can fetch some things that Jesus did to teach that you don’t have to do it. Of course, what they would say is Jesus kept the Sabbath, and he did. And that’s one of their arguments. Nailed to the cross, the old law was made obsolete. That let me give you quickly because I don’t want to spend all the time I’m about to do that. And uh Colossians chapter 2. How the law was nailed to the cross. Uh and in verse 14, Colossians 2 14, he’s taken out of the way, having nailed it at the cross. In verse 16, let no one judge in food or drink or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbath.

I want to say this one word. The word Sabbath, or even the plural, is found 60 times in the New Testament.

59 of them, Seventh day Adventists, will admit that it refers to the seventh day. This passage in Colossians 2.16 is the one they say, no, it is not talking about the seventh-day Sabbath. You wonder why. Actually, there’s a form in the Septuagint version, which is the Greek version translation of the Hebrew text, is found in what’s called genitive plural form. And that’s the same same form this word in Colossians 2 is found. Which really is simply saying it is the same word. It is in the same form, both Greek and English. It’s talking about in Colossians 2, that law came to an end, nailed to the cross. Now, the passage that I think more than any other explains it is 2 Corinthians chapter 3. And again, this is in your workbook.

But if you look quickly at 2 Corinthians chapter 3, there the apostle is speaking about the glory that is in Christ Jesus. You remember when Moses came down off Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments, what did he have to do? And to cover his face because he’d been in the presence of the Lord. And so was that a glorious occasion? In 2 Corinthians 3, the apostle trying to teach why, you know, we don’t keep the law of Moses and the command circumcision for Christians now, and those Judaizing teachers who were demanding it were mishandling the scripture. But he says in verse 7 of 2 Corinthians 3, if the ministry of death written and engraven on stones was glorious. I’ll say that just enough. What was written on stones?

Ten commandments. So he says, Was that glorious? Yes. And he said, So the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away. And you go right on through the rest of this chapter, particularly through verse 16, he describes how the glory of that was being done away. You know the point? That was glorious. But compared to the gospel, this is greater. And that’s his point in 2 Corinthians 3. And if you study the text, you’ll see. The point, though, is you can’t mistake that he was talking about the Ten Commandments when he says that which was written and engraved in stones. That was passing away. So the Sabbath was a holy day, and so much so that in fact there was a man found violating the Sabbath, and what they do, picking up sticks on the Sabbath, and what God have them do, stoned them.

6. I Gave Them Up; I Will Plead My Case

So it was very important that they keep the Sabbath. So, anyway, I felt like that was an important point as we go through chapter 20, and you might want to mark it and kind of remember if you’d like to talk about it more later, we will do so. Let’s go back to chapter 20, though, where really the argument much fruit follows what we’ve just read. That God is saying, Look, I have given you opportunity and you rebel. Gave you opportunity and you rebel. I want to go to verse 14 and read from there. I acted for my name’s sake that it should not be profane before the Gentile, in whose sight I had brought them out. So I also raised my hand in an oath to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them flowing milk and honey, the glory of all lands, because they despised, I think that’s a pretty hard word.

They despised my judgments and did not walk in my statutes, but profane my Sabbath. For their heart went after their idols. Nevertheless, my eyes spared them from destruction. I did not make an end of them in the wilderness. I could have, but I did not. But verse 18, what did he say to their children? Don’t walk like your fathers, nor observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves of their eyes. So over and over, this chapter is really, I think, easily read and understood. He’s just simply saying over and over the much the same thing. Look at your history. Here’s Ezekiel telling the elders now. If you look at the time of the past, God has been merciful when He could have could have easily. He could have easily said, Look, I’ll pour out my fury on you.

But I want to drop down to verse 25, where God just finally says, Therefore I also gave them up to statutes that were not good and judgments by which they could not live. And I pronounced them unclean because of their ritual gifts, and that they caused all their firstborn to pass through the fire, that I might make them desolate, and that they might know that I am the Lord. What do you think it means when God said I gave them up to do that? Is He approving? Just the opposite, really. But I didn’t keep them from it. God could have stopped it. There are three times in Romans chapter 1 where the scripture says, God gave them up. He’s talking about the immorality of people. God gave them up to vile passions, which was sexual immorality.

God gave them up, and then he talks about homosexuality. God gave them up finally to a reprobate mind, which said they got to what they couldn’t tell good from evil, right from wrong. God allows men, if you’re going to pursue evil, he’s not going to say, stop, can’t do that. He allows us to make the choice of life. And this is in history, he just says, look back at this. You people, God has blessed you. You’ve chosen this. I allowed it to happen, but I in every way had the right to completely take you away and pour out my fury upon you. I’m going to go to verse 30. Therefore say to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord God, are you defiling yourselves in the manner of your fathers?

Committing harlotry according to their abominations. When you offer your gifts and make your sons pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols, even to this day. So shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord God, I will not be inquired by you of by you. That kind of recaps what I said earlier. When no doubt, you know, God said, Here’s why you can’t come ask me, and I’m going to just give you everything. Look at your history, you should know. Verse 32, what you have in your mind shall never be when you say, We will be like the Gentiles, like the families in other countries serving wood and stone. As I live, says the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm and with fury poured out.

I will rule over you. God had enough. Here was people who deserve his wrath. And yet in verse 34, it turns. I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out. I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead my case with you face to face, just as I pleaded my case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt. So I’ll plead my case with you, says the Lord. I’ll make you pass under the rod, and I’ll bring you into the bond of the covenant. I’ll purge the rebels from among you. And those who transgress against me, I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel.

Then you shall know that I am the Lord. I believe what he’s saying in that is what’s he doing with these people who are over now in Babylon by the river Kebar. You remember we we’ve made the point from Jeremiah 24. They represent they are represented by the basket of good figs in Jeremiah 24. But to all of them, are they are they good? No. But is he purifying them? He is winnowing, you might say.

Conclusion

There’s Ezekiel, we know, and there will be others. And as much as to say, I’ll make you pass under the rod. You know, you have to see what the consequences are of rebelling against God, and what the blessings are of turning to God. And therefore, in that sense, I’ll bring you into the bond of the covenant. God had an everlasting covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, with Jacob. And indeed, we know that was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ. So in this chapter, he keeps saying, I could have wiped you out, should have, but I didn’t. I I kept you as a people, but I’ve had over and over opportunities for you to repent, and you have not. You think God gets frustrated with people? Don’t we wonder?

I wonder sometimes how can he put up even with our generation now? How much longer? God is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But people of the past as well as people of our day ought to read chapters like this and stop and think, How could God keep on allowing us to keep on keeping up? Well, I didn’t get through all the chapter. I hope the side trailer I’ve took.