Milo

JUNE 17

Reading 168

GOD’S GLORY RETURNS Ezekiel 40–48

“The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when He came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. The glory of the Lord entered the temple” (Ezek. 43:3–4).The last chapters of Ezekiel describe the worship of a restored Israel, and a return of the glory of God. Here, Ezekiel looked ahead and assured the exiles, God’s glory will return.

Background

Puzzling prophecy.

This is one of the most difficult of all Old Testament prophecies. For those who spiritualize biblical prophecy, the problem lies in the multitude of details provided concerning the construction of the new temple. It’s not just a question of what each detail might mean. The careful verbal blueprint reminds us of the instructions Moses was given for constructing the tabernacle—and those were intended to be literally carried out. The main detailed specifications offer no problem for the literalist. Yet for the person who views Ezekiel’s description here as a prediction of what will actually happen in the future, there are other difficulties. For instance, where do the scenes described here fit in Scripture’s overall vision of Israel’s future? And particularly, how does it relate to Revelation 21–22’s similar description of the eternal state. And, what about the sacrifices to be offered on the future altar? Doesn’t the New Testament teach that Christ’s one sacrifice of Himself did away forever with the need for animal offerings? (cf. Heb. 7:18; 9:12, 25–28) Such questions can, of course, be answered. The sacrifices of the Mosaic era were intended to simply portray redemption. Apparently the sacrifices of Ezekiel’s temple also serve as reminders of Christ’s work. Since several of the feasts of the Old Testament era are not mentioned in Ezekiel, it seems that he describes a whole new system of worship, to be conducted in the very presence of the Messiah. Though many delight to speculate on such issues when reading these chapters, our purpose is different. Rather than try to fit Ezekiel’s final vision of the future into any prophetic scheme, we want to see what that vision suggests to us for our lives today. And there is something here for us to apply.

Overview

Ezekiel gave details of a new temple to be constructed in Jerusalem (40:1–42:20). God’s glory will fill that structure (43:1–12), and commemorative sacrifices will be offered on its altar (vv. 13–27). Priests and Levites will again serve God (44:1–31) in sacred precincts (45:1–12). Israel will celebrate God’s festivals (46:1–24) as a river flowing from the sanctuary waters the land (47:1–12), which once again has been allotted to Israel’s tribes (v. 13–48:35).

Understanding the Text

“He took me to the land of Israel” Ezek. 40:1–5.

In the year 573B.C Ezekiel saw the last vision reported in his book. In it he was transported to Israel, and told to communicate everything he saw to the house of Israel. The very first thing that the prophet saw was a glorious temple. He was guided through it, and given every relevant dimension of what he saw. One day these words may serve as a verbal blueprint to be followed by God’s people. Many believe so. But to us today the immediate fixation on the temple reminds us that God is to have priority in our lives. As Ezekiel went on, his wondering gaze would shift to the king’s palace, the city, the changed geography of Jerusalem, and ultimately to the land itself, once more divided among the 12 tribes of Israel. But the most wonderful sight of all, the most compelling, the thing that demanded his initial attention, was the temple. You and I may be blessed in many ways, and the sights we see around us may be glorious. But there is nothing more beautiful, nothing more worthy of our attention, than God Himself. If God is the center of our lives, as the temple is the focal point of future Israel, everything else will fall into place. “I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east” Ezek. 43:1–12. This is the most significant element in Ezekiel’s vision. In chapters 8–11 we have a report of Ezekiel’s vision of the departure of God’s glory. Now the prophet described a return. Once again the living, vital presence of the Lord Almighty would reside among His Old Testament people. What is the significance of God’s instruction to the prophet to “describe the temple . . . that they may be ashamed of their sins”? Simply that the description of future splendor will so powerfully demonstrate what Israel will become, that the very contrast would drive God’s people toward holiness. We find a similar thought in the New Testament. In 1 John 3 the apostle looked foward to Christ’s coming, and announced that though we do not now know what we will be, we know that when Jesus returns we will be like Him. And, John said, “Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (v. 3). To know what God intends for us, to realize what we are becoming, is a powerful motivation for holy living. This same theme is seen later in Ezekiel 45:9–12, a passage addressed to Israel’s current “princes” (leaders). Ezekiel had just described the land to be set aside for the city of Jerusalem and its ruler, bordering on the temple itself. The rulers of the people would be the closest of all to the Lord. Thus God said through the prophet, “Give up your violence and oppression and do what is just and right.” With a clear vision of what the future holds for us, the grip of selfish gain is relaxed, and we begin to act in harmony with who we truly are and will become in the Lord. “I am to be the only inheritance the priests have” Ezek. 44:1–26. The duties of priests and Levites mimic their responsibilities in the Mosaic era. But after outlining their duties, the Lord added the verse above. In past and future, Israel’s priests were not given tribal land. They had no earthly inheritance. They were to belong to the Lord, and the Lord Himself was to be their inheritance. What a blessing to be freed from the tyranny of possessions. How wonderful to focus only on God, to desire only to please Him, to know that while the material things we own are ours on loan, we do not possess them—and they do not possess us! “You are to divide it equally among them” Ezek. 47:13–48:35. The prophecy of Ezekiel ends with God’s people back in their land. There is an equal place set aside for each tribal group. In the time of Joshua the territories allotted the tribes were unequal. Some clans were larger than others, and had need for more space. But now, at history’s end, all such distinctions will be lost. None is greater, none smaller. And each has an equal place in the glorious kingdom of God. There are many distinctions that people make between themselves and others now. Distinctions of wealth, of education, of position or prestige. We even make such distinctions in our churches, mentally ranking our fellow believers as up or down the spiritual ladder. That is a mistake. A mistake that will never be repeated in eternity. There too God’s grace will be divided equally, for each of us will gladly stake a claim to fame on one thing, and one alone. We are sinners. Saved by grace.

DEVOTIONAL

Worship the Lord(Ezek. 43–44)

As Ezekiel wandered in his vision through the future temple, he was amazed at its size and beauty. The careful detail in which he recorded every measurement tells us that. But there is one verse that tells us more—about the temple, about Ezekiel, and about ourselves. The verse, Ezekiel 44:4, describes the prophet coming to the front of the temple and there he said, “I looked and saw the glory of the Lord filling the temple of the Lord, and I fell facedown.” What do we learn about the temple? In his vision, Exekiel had been impressed by the temple. He had looked in wonder at the portico of the outer court. He’d wandered through the rooms set aside for the priests. But when he came around front, and caught a glimpse of the glory of the Lord, Ezekiel fell facedown, and worshiped. You and I may be impressed by the beauty of our churches. We may look in wonder at the crowds gathered there. We may be impressed by the qualifications of our ministers. But all such things are external; just the facade. What we need to do is figuratively come around to the front. We need to forget what we see looking at our faith from the back and side, and peer in the front door. When we do, everything else seems to disappear, for there, in the heart of the sanctuary, we too are able to see the glory of the Lord. Many things about our churches are important. But the only thing that is truly essential is that when we come to worship we see and respond to God. What do we learn about Ezekiel? That he was a searcher. He was impressed by the structure he examined. But he was not satisfied. Only when he was brought around to the front and saw the glory of the Lord did he fall down and worship. Ezekiel wanted God Himself, and finding Him worshiped. What do we learn about ourselves? Like Ezekiel we can’t be satisfied with the temple, however impressive it may be. Our destiny like Ezekiel’s, the end of our quest, is realized when we see the Lord, and worship Him.

Personal Application

In church and in personal devotions, seek to meet and worship God.

Quotable

“Some people praise God for the good feelings it gives them; they praise Him because they think it makes everyone else feel good; they praise Him because they think that is simply what every good Christian should do. They do not focus their minds on God. The result is that their false praise drives out the true. Praise becomes mere pleasant-feeling babble. “We need to speak directly to God, not to ourselves or our neighbors. As we look at Him, we will naturally praise Him for the real qualities we see. Our awkwardness will fade into the background as our attention is less and less on ourselves and more and more on Him.”— Tim Stafford

JUNE 16

Reading 167

DRY BONES LIVE Ezekiel 37–39

“I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord” (Ezek. 37:6). People who find it hard to believe warnings of divine judgment also find it hard to believe God’s good news.

Background

Prophetic overview.

Biblical scholars tend to take one of two views of passages like the one we explore today. They either see the passage as a visionary’s use of highly symbolic language to affirm some spiritual reality, or they see the passage as a literal, though often obscure, description of events which will actually take place in the future. One who takes the first approach will see these chapters in Ezekiel as a symbolic affirmation of God’s power over all the forces of evil throughout history, and an affirmation of His ultimate victory. In God’s time evil will be put away, and only good will reign. One who takes the second approach sees these chapters in Ezekiel as a preview of history. The timetable may be obscure, and the exact sequence of events uncertain, but what the prophet describes—a regathering of God’s Old Testament people to Israel, invasion of the Holy Land, direct divine intervention, a national conversion of Israel, the rule of earth by a Descendant of David—all this is understood to lie ahead, perhaps just beyond the headlines of tomorrow’s news. Whichever view a person may hold today, there is no doubt that Ezekiel and the other Old Testament prophets expected a literal fulfillment of their visions of the future. Their belief was rooted in the conviction that the God of the covenant would be utterly faithful to His promises to Abraham, which included possession of a Jewish homeland as well as the spiritual blessing of intimate relationship with the Lord. And the prophets speak with a unified voice when describing the earthly future of God’s Old Testament people. They may have misunderstood the meaning of what they foresaw. But each prophet, whether crying out about the destruction of Jerusalem, the fall of Nineveh, or the restoration of scattered Israel, expected his words to be literally fulfilled. I don’t want to come down too hard on the literalist side. But it is fascinating to note. Just 60 years ago if anyone had suggested that the Jewish people might have a nation of their own in Palestine, all would have scoffed. Yet today that nation is firmly established: struggling, yes, but there. The dry bones have begun to come back together. Perhaps even tendons and flesh have appeared. But again using Ezekiel’s words, we might well say there is yet “no breath in them.” Still a secular state, still relying on the arm of flesh rather than on God, Israel awaits the miracle that Ezekiel said would then surely come. And then the dry bones will live. And we too will live. For these events, which the flow of history suggests may lie just beyond tomorrow, mean that Christ, David’s Successor and Son, will appear. Then God’s time for celebration by the redeemed of every age will at last have come.

Overview

The vision of a valley of dry bones emphasized God’s power to revitalize and restore Israel and Judah (37:1–14). There will again be a united nation under a Davidic king (v. 28). But the restoration was linked with invasion by a great northern power (38:1–17), whose destruction by God Himself (v. 18–39:21) would precipitate lasting national conversion (vv. 22–29).

Understanding the Text

“These bones are the whole house of Israel” Ezek. 37:1–14.

The text interprets Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones that come together at his command, are fleshed out, and finally come to life. The bones in the vision represent Israel, whose people are scattered and hopeless among the nations. Though devoid of hope, God will “bring you back to the land of Israel” (reassemble the bones). The graves (representing the nations to which the Jews have been scattered) will be opened, permitting the return, and God’s Spirit will be given to His people. Whatever the prophetic meaning, the application to our lives is clear. All too often we too give up. We feel deadened, dried up. All seems bleak; we feel utterly doomed. When those emotions come, we need to remember the dry bones. God can take our dead and scattered hopes, pull them together, and breathe life into them again. Because we know the Lord, and because He loves us dearly, we do have hope and a future. “They will never again be two nations” Ezek. 37:15–27. This powerful messianic prophecy again looks forward to a return of the Jews to their homeland, and establishment of a nation ruled by a Davidic King. Once united under David and Solomon, the Hebrew nation split into Northern and Southern Kingdoms in 931B.C The population of the north (Israel) was deported by the Assyrians in 722B.C, and scattered through many cities. The south (Judah) was crushed by the Babylonians, and its population taken in a series of deportations ending in 586B.C Now Ezekiel said that God intends to unite the scattered tribes of Israel, bring them back to the homeland, and establish a united kingdom to be ruled by a Descendant of David. To date this has not happened. There have been partial returns, and a kind of semi-independence under the Maccabees. But no independent, united kingdom has emerged in the nearly 2,600 years since Ezekiel’s time. In fact, the only known lineal descendant of David who yet lives is Jesus Christ! Thus this prophecy, which links a restoration of Israel to the land (v. 21), spiritual renewal (vv. 23–24), rule by a Descendant of David (v. 24), and a rebuilt sanctuary (v. 26), is one of the many that makes those who take a literal view of prophecy to believe that what is described here still lies ahead, and will be fulfilled when Jesus returns. “Set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog” Ezek. 38:1–16. Now Ezekiel described an invasion force assembled from many nations about to strike a peaceful and unsuspecting Israel. Several Hebrew phrases woven into the message fix the time. What Ezekiel foresaw will happen “after many days” (v. 8), “in future years” (v. 8). Another phrase, translated “in days to come” (v. 16) helps locate the prophecy in the end times, near history’s end. Some see this as an attack to come just before the establishment of a Millennium of peace at Christ’s return; others place it after the Millennium and identify it with a Satan-stimulated, final rebellion of humanity against God (cf. Rev. 19:17–21). Etymologically “Gog” and “Magog”are impossible to identify, though many students of prophecy teach that these represent Russia. Of more significance is the fact that the enemy forces are drawn from nations at every point of the compass: the east (Persia), the southwest (Cush: Ethiopia), the west (Put: Libya, and the “islands of the sea”), the north (Gomer: Cimmerians?). You and I may at times feel, “Everybody’s against me.” What Ezekiel is saying is that at history’s end, “everybody” will be against God’s people. But the text shows something else. The Lord says to His enemies, “I will bring you against My land,” and then adds, “so that the nations may know Me when I show Myself holy through you.” God will use the evil intent of the wicked to bring them to a place where He can act openly against them. What a reminder for you and me. Everybody may actually be against us. But God isn’t against us. He has permitted our enemies to attack, only to put them in a position where they will be vulnerable to judgment. So the next time you feel a little persecuted, don’t feel sorry for yourself. Feel sorry for your persecutors! “In My zeal and fiery wrath” Ezek. 38:17–39:24. In a series of announcements (38:17–23; 39:1–16, 17–24) God told what He would do to the invading forces. He Himself would intervene and, with miracles that recall His acts for the Exodus generation, would utterly destroy the enemy. These acts will forever establish the Lord as God in the sight of both Israel and the nations (39:22). But is God fair to establish His identity at the cost of so many human lives? The text answers us. In all that God has done, to Israel and to the nations, He has “dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses” (v. 24).

DEVOTIONAL

What to Forget(Ezek. 39)

My wife tells our nine-year-old that God has a video recorder focused on her. One day, when we meet the Lord, He’s going to show the tape, and give her her rewards. And, every once in a while when she does something especially nice, Sue tells her, “That’s on your video tape.” I like her emphasis. So many mom’s might turn this around, and when a child did something bad, shriek, “Now, that’s going on your video tape!” I couldn’t help thinking of Sue’s practice when I read Ezekiel 39. The passage so powerfully portrays God’s hatred of sin and the judgment that sin merits. Reading it, we almost cringe at the thought of our own faults and the memory of our failings. But then we read God’s summary, in the last paragraph. There, nestled in verses that express the compassion God will show when judgment is past, is a verse that says, “They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward Me” (v. 26). What a wonderful promise! Yes, we’re weak. We stumble, and sometimes fall. And then what a burden of shame and guilt we bear. But God promises that when we see Him, when we truly “know that I am the Lord,” no shred of memory of our sins will remain to mar our joy.

Personal Application

Forgiven means forgotten! Even now we can put our past behind us, and live in joy.

Quotable

“One day a Christian visited a minister in his home. As he sat in the study, he began to read one of the minister’s books. Suddenly he cried, ’Glory! Praise the Lord.’ The minister hurried into the study, asking, ’What’s the matter?’ ” ’Why, this book says that the sea is five miles deep! The Bible says my sins have been cast into the depth of the sea, and if it’s that deep, I’m not afraid of their coming up again!’ “Nor do we need to bring them up!”—Walter B. Knight

JUNE 15

Reading 166

RESTORATION AHEAD Ezekiel 33–36

“I will place over them . . . My servant David, and he will tend them . . . and be their shepherd” (Ezek. 34:23).Though Jerusalem was in ruins, God had not abandoned His people. However grim present circumstances may appear, there is always a future for the people of God.

Background

From chapter 33 on, the prophecies in the Book of Ezekiel look forward. Prior to that Ezekiel focused his listeners’ attention on the history of sins that made Jerusalem’s imminent fall certain. But with the city fallen and the homeland depopulated, the prophet was able to speak about the future. God would restore scattered Israel. Many wonderful promises in these four chapters underscore this glorious hope. Yet the fate of the individual still rests on his or her personal choice, to hear and obey God’s Word, or to ignore and reject. For us too, Scripture is filled with promising tomorrows that we can claim. But today as in ancient Babylon, the experience of God’s blessing requires us to hear and to live by His Word.

Overview

Ezekiel began a new phase of his ministry by restating key truths: he was a watchman (33:1–11), and each individual was responsible to respond to God’s Word (vv. 12–20). To avoid Jerusalem’s fate, God’s people must take His Word to heart (vv. 27–33). God would replace wicked leaders with the Messiah (34:1–24), and there would be peace (vv. 25–31). Edom would fall (35:1–15), but the mountains of Israel would be cleansed and repopulated by a people transformed by the Lord (36:1–38).

Understanding the Text

“I have made you a watchman” Ezek. 33:1–11. We see it even in nature. As the herd grazes, one male stands alert, head raised, sniffing the air. The watchbeast stands aloof from the crowd, and the welfare of the herd depends on how vigilant he is. Ezekiel was a watchman for Israel. This was established in chapter 3, and the charge is repeated here. Ezekiel was faithful in warning the people of Judah before the city fell: he must continue to warn. Ezekiel was required to be alert, to warn his people of spiritual dangers. The responsibility was heavy: Ezekiel would often be alone, standing apart from the crowd. But the very lives of his fellow Jews depended on his faithfulness. Are we ready to pay the cost of being watchmen for our friends and neighbors? Are we prepared to share Jesus, warning others of the eternal cost of rejection, inviting them to accept the forgiveness and renewal Christ died to provide? “He has done what is just and right; he will surely live” Ezek. 33:12–20. The message of personal responsibility was also found in the first half of Ezekiel, in chapter 18. There Ezekiel warned that responsiveness to God’s word was the key to survival for those under siege in Jerusalem. That siege was over now, and the bones of the wicked of Judah were scattered in Jerusalem’s ruined streets. But the principle of personal responsibility had not been altered. In the future too, God will make a distinction between the good man who hears and obeys His Word, and the wicked man who turns his back on the Lord. God’s promises are for all His people. But they can be claimed only by those who trust—and obey. “The people living in those ruins in the land of Israel” Ezek. 33:21–29. The few thousand Jews left in Judah had learned nothing from the recent devastation. Despite continued sinning (vv. 25–26), they supposed they had inherited Abraham’s title to the land! But God does not reserve His gifts for the wicked. What He reserves for them is punishment. The Book of Jeremiah tells how the remnant in Judah refused to accept God’s guidance, and fled toward destruction in Egypt after the assassination of their Babylonian-appointed governor (cf. Jer. 40–44). “A beautiful voice” Ezek. 33:30–33. Ezekiel had suddenly become popular among the exiles in Babylon! Everyone came to listen to him, and they were all full of compliments. Ezekiel heard, “Fine sermon, Ezekiel,” everywhere he went. Folks just loved to come out every time Ezekiel held a meeting! The trouble was, it was entertainment to the exiles (cf. v. 32). They listened and smiled and shouted, “Amen”—and probably had the gaunt preacher over for after—service dessert—all without taking his words to heart. “They hear your words,” God told Ezekiel, “but do not put them into practice.” The true measure of a modern ministry isn’t how popular a preacher becomes, or how many thousands come out to hear him. The true measure of a modern ministry is hearing. Does the congregation then put God’s words into practice? “Prophesy against the shepherds of Israel” Ezek. 34:1–10. The term “shepherd” is often used in the Old Testament to designate Israel’s kings and her spiritual leaders. Now Ezekiel looked back and identified the leadership flaws which contributed to Judah’s recent disaster. The real purpose Ezekiel had in mind, however, was to create a background against which a coming Shepherd he was about to describe would stand out. What flaws in Israel’s and Judah’s leaders brought the nation to disaster? The Hebrew kingdom’s rulers had thought only of themselves rather than the flock (v. 2). They greedily exploited the flock for personal gain (v. 3). They refused to intervene on behalf of the weak and injured (v. 4). And they permitted the flock of God to be scattered throughout the nations (vv. 5–6). Because of these sins, God would “remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves” (v. 10). James 3:1 warns against stepping presumptuously into a leadership role, “because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” Any person who views leadership as a position “above” others, rather than a position of service “under” them is not yet ready to be a spiritual leader. “I Myself will tend My sheep and have them lie down” Ezek. 34:11–23. Human leaders have failed miserably to protect God’s flock. In this powerful messianic passage God promises to intervene directly. He Himself will tend His sheep. God will “place over them one shepherd, My servant David.” When the promised Descendant of David appeared, God’s flock would at last have a Leader whose sole concern was their well-being. How beautifully this thought is picked up by Jesus, who identified Himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10. In Christ, at long last, the people of God have a Shepherd who willingly “lays down His life for the sheep.” Rather than grasp, this Shepherd gives. He is no hireling, but cares deeply for the sheep. His sacrifice of Himself proves once and for all that we are loved and secure. As we hear His voice, and follow Him, He will do us nothing but good. “I will make a covenant of peace” Ezek. 34:25. Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel introduced the concept of a New Covenant which God will make with His people. In this chapter Ezekiel emphasized the material blessings associated with that covenant, while Jeremiah stressed the spiritual. What material blessings are foreseen for that future time? The prophet emphasized a rescue of the Jews from the lands where they have been scattered. Then, in their ancient homeland, they will know a time of peace, safety, and prosperity. This picture of the Jews restored to an abundantly fertile homeland is frequently found in prophetic images of a coming golden age (cf. Hosea 2:22; Joel 3:18; Amos 9:13–15; Zech. 8:12). All this is promised to Israel when at last David’s promised Offspring appears as Ruler of every land. Many understand such prophecies to teach a literal restoration of the Jewish people to the land of Israel at Christ’s second coming. But there is a spiritual application too. When Christ reigns in a person’s life, whatever the outward strife, there is peace within. Hidden in our hearts, beyond the reach of circumstance, there is a garden to which we can retreat, and there find rest.

DEVOTIONAL

God’s Holy Name(Ezek. 36)

Looking around our little Phoenix congregation, I saw so many familiar faces. There was the young man who’d been so driven by sex that he lost his job and family, and almost his mind. There was the ex-hippy, who’d thought nothing of buying a record he wanted when his kids were without shoes. There, near the front, was the wife who’d been caught in adultery with a family friend, sitting by her husband. Everywhere I looked there were people I loved. People who brought honor to God’s holy name. Many people would be shocked at that last statement. But this is just the sort of thing Ezekiel was talking about in this 36th chapter of his book. Earlier, in chapter 6, Ezekiel prophesied “against” the mountains of Israel. Their high places, the sites selected for orgiastic pagan worship rituals, were to witness the destruction of God’s rebellious people. Judah had dishonored the Lord, and He would proclaim His holiness by punishing them (36:16–21). But now, Ezekiel prophesied “to” these same mountains. Their slopes will again be populated and fruitful (vv. 8–15). The mountains will observe the descendants of sinners, dancing and rejoicing in the Lord. And in that repopulation, God will affirm His holiness. As the Lord said through Ezekiel, “I will show Myself holy through you before their eyes” (v. 23). How? What is it that the mountains and surrounding peoples will witness that demonstrates God’s holiness? The next verses tell us, as the Lord continues to speak through His prophet. As for the returned exiles, God said, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws” (vv. 26–27). That’s what I saw in church Sunday morning. People who were sinners. But people whom God had changed. And the glory of God’s holiness was revealed in their transformation.

Personal Application

Transformed sinners still bear witness to the holiness of God. And sinning saints remain a blot on His holy name.

Quotable

“God never asks us to do anything we can do. He asks us to live a life which we can never live and to do a work which we can never do. Yet, by His grace, we are living it and doing it. The life we live is the life of Christ lived in the power of God, and the work we do is the work of Christ carried on through us by His Spirit whom we obey.”—Watchman Nee

JUNE 14

Reading 165

AGAINST NATIONS Ezekiel 25–32

“All the princes of the north and all the Sidonians are there; they went down with the slain in disgrace despite the terror caused by their power” (Ezek. 32:30).God is Ruler of the whole earth. Those who do not believe in Him, as well as we who do, are subject to His power. And we will be judged.

Background

This series of predictions against foreign nations was apparently given while the exiles in Babylon awaited word of Jerusalem’s fate. Ezekiel had announced the commencement of that city’s siege: now all the Jewish captives in Babylon could do was anxiously await word of what was happening in their homeland, some 700 miles away. During that interim Ezekiel raised his voice against other nations who would become victims of Babylon. The implication for the Jewish captives was twofold. First, their God was God of the whole earth. He was not powerless against the nations that had historically troubled Judah, as Israel’s and Judah’s present subjection might imply. Second, God is Judge of the whole earth. National sins of aggression and atrocity, of treaty-breaking and arrogance, would be punished wherever they might be found! Judah and Jerusalem, about to fall to Babylon, were not being treated unfairly, but were being held accountable to a standard of righteousness that God requires of all humankind. These chapters on the judgment of nations millenniums ago remind us, as they did the Jewish captives then, that countries are morally responsible to God for their international behavior. Nations that support terrorism, that break treaty commitments, that adopt policies of repression, and rely on force to coerce neighbors bring themselves inexorably under the judgment of a God who does act in history, and who will repay.

Overview

While awaiting word of Jerusalem, Ezekiel predicted the judgment to fall on pagan nations. He touched on the fate of states close to Judah (25:1–17), and focused in-depth on Tyre (26:1–28:26) and Egypt (29:1–32:32).

Understanding the Text

“Rejoicing with all the malice of your heart against the land of Israel” Ezek. 25:1–7. The Ammonites were one possible victim of the current Babylonian campaign, but were spared when Nebuchadnezzar turned west toward Judah (cf. 21:18–23). Their delight at Jerusalem’s fall, however, was rooted as much in malice against an ancient enemy as in relief. Now Ezekiel announced that their turn would soon come—as indeed it did. The passage also reflects one element of God’s promise to Abraham: those who bless his descendants will be blessed, and those who curse them will be cursed (cf. Gen. 12:3). The rise and fall of nations up to our own time suggests that God continues to bless those who welcome and support His covenant people. “I will inflict punishment” Ezek. 25:8–17. The same thought is emphasized in prophecies against other nations close to Israel and Judah. Moab ridiculed Judah in her disaster (v. 8); Edom “took revenge on the house of Judah and became very guilty” (v. 12); Philistia “with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah” (v. 15). In each case the nation not only was antagonistic to the Jews but had discounted her God. In each case, God said, “They will know that I am the Lord.” The capitalization of Lord in the English text tells us that the Hebrew reads YAHWEH. This unique personal name of God has great significance, and identifies Him as “The One Who Is Always Present.” This is the name associated with God’s great Exodus miracles, and with His later interventions in history on behalf of His people. It suggests a vision of God as living, active, present, and all-powerful. The pagan nations around Judah, and indeed Judah herself, failed to see God in this way. But when judgment fell, then the true nature of God would be realized. How wonderful that through Jesus you and I know God as living, active, present, and all-powerful in our own lives. With the eyes of faith we see constant evidence of His work in us and for us. Only those who forget who God really is, and behave as though He were not present, need punishment to remind them. “O Tyre . . . I will bring many nations against you” Ezek. 26:1–21. Tyre lay only a hundred miles from Jerusalem, and on a clear day could be seen from its heights. The city was built half on the mainland, and half on an offshore island, and possessed two secure harbors. Tyre was a famous commercial center, and possessed a dominant fleet that was thought to make the sea-wrapped city impregnable. While other states in Syria-Palestine were being crushed by northern powers, Tyre retained her independence and prospered. The prophecy against Tyre is complex, and has five major divisions. Chapter 26 describes the city’s destruction. Chapter 27 is a lament, picturing Tyre as a trading-vessel loaded with goods that is suddenly wrecked. Chapter 28:1–10 is an oracle about the prince of Tyre, verses 11–19 a lament over the king of Tyre, and verses 20–26 a prophecy against nearby Sidon. The date at the beginning of the prophecy (26:1) suggests Ezekiel spoke out against Tyre about a month after the fall of Jerusalem, with word possibly brought by traders from Tyre itself. “I will make you a bare rock” Ezek. 26:14. This is one of the most quoted of Old Testament verses, referred to often by those who study Scripture’s predictive prophecy. It reads, “I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishnets. You will never be rebuilt, for I the Lord have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.” Despite the scarcity of good natural harbors on the eastern Mediterranean coast, and despite the natural harbors at that site, Tyre has never been rebuilt. Where the grand city once stood a few fishermen still dry their nets. But the bare rock remains desolate and empty, as the waves roll endlessly against the shore. “Merchant of peoples on many coasts” Ezek. 27:1–36. One of the most fascinating features of this chapter is the trade directory in verses 10–25a. The list of Tyre’s trading partners, beginning with Tarshish in the west and moving east, is the most important existing document used by those who study commerce in the ancient Mediterranean world. What a unique book our Bible is! People often say such things as, “The Bible is not a science textbook,” as if it were all right to find our religion there, but everything else must be discounted. Yet Ezekiel’s writings about Tyre describe in great and accurate detail Nebuchadnezzar’s military campaign, and carefully and accurately reflect trading practices and trade goods of the era. The utter authenticity of such historic detail reminds us that the Bible is not a book of religious myth and mystery. It is a historical and accurate report of what God said and did in space and time. We can trust the Bible completely and in every detail, despite the attempts of some to challenge Scripture’s accuracy and deny its character as a divinely inspired work. “The king of Tyre” Ezek. 28:11–19. The shift in midchapter from addressing the ruler (naged) of Tyre to addressing the king (melek) of Tyre seems significant to many commentators. They believe that the focus of the prophecy shifts at this point from the human ruler of the contemporary city-state to Satan. This conviction is supported by the text’s references to Eden (v. 13), to the subject’s position as a “guardian cherub” (vv. 14, 16), and to the reference to his creation by God (v. 15). If this view is correct, what we have here is an analysis of Satan’s fall, and a unique insight into the entry of evil into God’s universe. Again, if this view is correct, it suggests that even before man’s creation earth was the focus of God’s purposes in our universe. Satan, then a ranking cherub, strode the heavens above earth in a crystal Eden, all asparkle with glorious jewels. Though created “a model of perfection” and “blameless,” pride corrupted this angelic being, and he was cast down to earth’s surface. Untold ages later God refashioned the planet, and beneath original Eden planted a Garden, filled with frolicking beasts, where He placed Adam and Eve. There they were tempted by the deposed angel, and led by this now hostile foe of God and man to make the choice of sin. Is this what we really have here, or are the words and phrases simply poetry, filled with symbols, not intended to be taken literally? Whichever view we hold, we can be sure that the sin of pride, that emphasis on the almighty “I,” remains at the root of Satan’s and man’s fall. (See DEVOTIONAL.) “Set your face against Pharaoh, king of Egypt . . . and against all Egypt” Ezek. 29:1–32:32. The last four chapters of this section, and indeed one twelfth of Ezekiel’s words, are directed against Egypt. Why? Historically tiny Judah was subject to the whims of the great world powers of that time, Babylon and Egypt. Less than a pawn in the game of international chess, Judah had been manipulated and betrayed by Egypt. But as powerless as Judah seemed, the God of Judah is God of the whole earth. Now through Ezekiel the Lord announced that He would use His power to execute judgment on this manipulator of His people. People with power tend to look down on the weak. What can the powerless person do against men of wealth and position? Nothing. But the God of the powerless is unimpressed by any human being. He can, and will, act. Thus, Ezekiel said, Egypt would be destroyed, and her ruler would fall.

DEVOTIONAL

The Almighty “I”(Ezek. 28:11–19)

She was crying as she spoke with the late-night hostess of “TalkNet.” She was 17 and pregnant. And things had been going so well. She was home with her dad again, after being sent off to boarding school. She had friends. She was having fun. Real fun. And then this! She had to have an abortion, of course. Everything was going too well to spoil. Her question was, should she tell her dad? He’d tell her to get the abortion, but he might get mad and send her away again. The talk show hostess gushed sympathy. That was really a hard decision. She had a regular therapist? Good. Why not talk it over with the therapist first, and ask him about telling her dad. All I could mutter was, “Poor baby.” No, not the unborn child the caller had already determined to kill. Poor little 17-year-old. Poor little girl, thinking only about her fun, and the pregnancy’s threat to her good times. Never the slightest glimmer of an idea that the life she carried should be considered. Never a thought that possibly she should accept responsibility for the consequences of her fling at sex. Only the tears, only the terror, that she might lose the chance to keep on having fun. Poor baby. How fragile that universe we create, with ourselves as sole inhabitant and every other person just something to use for our amusement. How threatening when only “I” count, and then something comes along to threaten our self-indulgence. Poor baby. How is she ever to discover that God is the center of the real universe. How is she ever to realize that she is a Creature, whose true identity can only be found in putting Him first, and whose happiness depends on choosing to live by the standards He says are right and good. I must confess I was upset by the talk show hostess. She clucked and cooed and sympathized, and never once even imagined that the pregnancy was a chance for this teen to consider another human being. The hostess, never in her wildest dreams, would suppose that putting self aside and acting responsibly might be the way this 17-year-old could find both her better self, and peace. I know. I shouldn’t have expected more. We live in a society where self is assumed to be the rightful center of each person’s life. Why shouldn’t the calling teen have thought only and always of herself? Doesn’t everyone? Poor baby. Who will ever help her realize that the most insidious expression of Satan’s original sin of pride is self-centeredness. That our greatest spiritual flaw, and most persistent enemy, is our own concentration on the almighty “I.”

Personal Application

The old prescription still works: God first, others second, self last.

Quotable

ILLUSION There’s a heap o’ joy in living, When we’re living as we should; And the greatest joy is giving, Where it does the greatest good; And we come to this conclusion, As the more of life we see, It is merely an illusion, When we live it selfishly. It’s the old, but truthful story, If we strive for great success, And we win, it lacks the glory, If we won by selfishness, For we find life’s sweetest pleasure, After all is said and done, When we give in fullest measure, Of the riches we have won.-Frank C. Nelson

JUNE 13

Reading 164

DEFECTIVE LEADERSHIP Ezekiel 20–24

“See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood” (Ezek. 22:6).Leaders carry heavy responsibility. They set the moral tone of a nation or community, and are accountable for the flaws and failures of the people they rule over.

Overview

Israel’s history was one of rebellion (20:1–31), yet after punishment the nation would be restored (vv. 32–44). Ezekiel prophesied immediate judgment of fire (vv. 45–49) and sword (21:1–32), to descend on Jerusalem and her corrupt leaders (22:1–31). The people’s sin was portrayed in a famous allegory (23:1–49), and even as the siege of Jerusalem began in faraway Judah, Ezekiel announced the event (24:1–15). When Ezekiel’s wife died, he was told to “groan quietly,” even as the people of Jerusalem would be struck dumb in their grief (vv. 16–27).

Understanding the Text

“Confront them with the detestable practices of their fathers” Ezek. 20:1–31. In July/August of 591B.C elders of the people came to “inquire of the Lord.” The phrase means to consult the prophet about the outcome of plans they were considering. God would not even listen to them, but told Ezekiel to lay out clearly the charges against them. So Ezekiel demonstrated from history that the people of Israel had always been rebellious. And charged that the present generation defiled itself in the same way “to this day” (v. 31). The point of the passage was clear. It was time to repent, not to make plans! The elders of Judah formed committees and set up contingency plans, when what they should have been doing was calling the people of Judah to abandon idolatry and return to God. You and I too must put first things first. It’s fine to make careful plans for the future. But man’s first priority is his personal relationship with the Lord. If that relationship is wrong, whatever plans we may make are irrelevant. It is futile to ask God for guidance, or pray about plans we’re struggling to make, if serious sin has interrupted our fellowship with God. At such times repentance is a first priority. This was one of the most serious flaws in Judah’s leaders. They seemed totally unaware of their own and of their people’s spiritual condition. Insensitive leaders, out of touch with God, can only lead God’s people to disaster. “Afterward you will surely listen” Ezek. 20:32–49. God is as determined to pursue us as we ever are to escape Him! Judah would experience judgment. But there was no way that God would let His people stray permanently into idolatry and sin. (See DEVOTIONAL.) “I will draw My sword from its scabbard” Ezek. 21:1–17. The Old Testament frequently pictures enemy nations as a rod of discipline. Here Babylon was pictured as a “sword.” In Hebrew the word for sword indicates a “destroying instrument.” Thus Ezekiel cried: A sword, a sword, sharpened and polished— sharpened for the slaughter, polished, and flashing like lightning (v. 9). Judah had “despised the rod” of lighter punishments. Now she must bear the greater punishment inflicted by God’s sword. We see the same peculiar trait in some children. One child will respond to a stern glance or slight slap. Another will grimly endure a severe spanking, refusing to break or to give in. Stubborn Judah was like the strong-willed child, determined to have its own way despite correction. As a result, an anguished God must increase the intensity of the punishment. Judah must be taught to respond. “Mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take” Ezek. 21:18–32. Ezekiel was told to draw a map on the ground, marking clearly the route from Babylon to Syria-Palestine. There, above Damascus, the road forks, with one route leading to Judah, and the other along the highlands across the Jordan to the land of the Ammonites. Ezekiel was told that the king of Babylon, reaching that fork in the road, would call on his wise men to divine for a sign showing him which people to war on. God would see to it that the omens directed him to Judah! The point Ezekiel made here was that the Babylonians did not have to invade Judah. God intervened to cause Nebuchadnezzar to select the Jews as his current victims. But why? The spotlight is on Judah’s leadership. The prince of Judah is “profane and wicked” (v. 25). In the coming judgment this exalted person will be stripped of the symbols of royalty, and they will not be restored “until He comes to whom it rightfully belongs” (v. 27). “Each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood” Ezek. 22:1–31. Again we see a recurring theme. Leaders are to serve God’s flock, not fleece it! Those who use power to treat “father and mother with contempt” and to oppress the alien and mistreat the fatherless are users, not servants. The sins of the people of Jerusalem are listed (vv. 9–12), and rather than stand against such behavior the leaders conspire to profit from the situation (vv. 23–29). It is no wonder that God “will pour out My wrath on them and consume them with My fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done” (v. 31). Any person who accepts the role of a spiritual leader takes on dreadful responsibility. He or she must purge himself of every selfish motive, and stand before the Lord “in the gap [of the wall] on behalf of the land.” Spiritual leaders must be dedicated to standing before the Lord and to serving God’s people. No other commitment can preserve us from straying—and from judgment. “You will drink your sister’s cup” Ezek. 23:1–49. In an extended allegory Israel and Judah were likened to two adulterous sisters. Judah had not learned from the punishment of Israel, and so would suffer the same terrible fate. You and I can learn from both nations. They “have forgotten Me and thrust Me behind your back.” We remember the Lord daily, and keep Him and His Word always before us. “This very date” Ezek. 24:1–14. On January 15, 588B.C, Nebuchadnezzar began the siege of Jerusalem. On that very date in Babylon Ezekiel announced what was happening in the homeland, and likened Jerusalem to a pot about to be brought to a boil, and the inhabitants to meat that is cooked until all the water is gone from the pot and even the remains are charred and useless. “The time has come for Me to act,” God said: “I will not hold back.” God has fixed a date for the judgment of our world too. When that date comes, nothing can hold God back. “I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes” Ezek. 24:15–27. Before Ezekiel’s wife died, the prophet was warned, and told to make no outward sign of mourning. He was only to groan quietly. When the devastation ended in Jerusalem, and death took the sons and daughters of the few survivors, they too would be too stunned and crushed to mourn. Why should Ezekiel have to suffer the death of his wife? The best answer probably is, “Why not?” God’s dearest saint is not immune from the anguish that is common to all men. God’s most intimate friends often experience the darkest trials. During such times we sense our identity with the rest of humankind, and out of shared suffering often grows the most effective ministry. In our trials we, like Ezekiel, are often God’s sign to others, pointing the way to comfort, and to Him.

DEVOTIONAL

“It’ll Never Happen!”(Ezek. 20)

What is the most unlikely thing you can imagine? You walking on the moon? Being visited by little green men? Well, those are pretty unlikely, I confess. In fact, they probably fit into the same category with something God scoffs at in this chapter. The category of “Never!” We find the category in verse 32: “What you have in mind will never happen.” That “never happen” is one of the most comforting phrases in Scripture, especially for parents whose children seem to have abandoned the faith. You see, the people of Judah wanted to abandon God. They wanted to adopt other ways and be “like the nations, like the peoples of the world.” They were running away from God as fast as their legs could carry them. And despite this, God said, “What you have in mind will never happen.” We might paraphrase this way: “You don’t want to be My people, or live the good life I’ve chosen for you? Well, you can run—but I won’t let you get away. Even though you reject Me, I won’t reject you. You’re Mine, and I’ll never let you go.” God was determined to rescue His people from paganism in spite of themselves. This passage is comforting to parents whose children make unwise choices. A son or daughter drifts away from God, adopts a doubtful morality, makes mistake after mistake, and suffers painful consequences. It’s so easy then for parents to give in to despair. My child is lost. All hope is gone! But this passage tells us not to give up! Run away from God? “What you have in mind will never happen!” Abandon Mom’s and Dad’s values? “What you have in mind will never happen!” Make such a mess of life that there is no way back to God and goodness? “What you have in mind will never happen!” Oh, there will be the pain of discipline until the wanderer turns back. The people of Judah were soon to discover just how painful the divine discipline could be. But to be abandoned? Never! God is a ferocious Lover. He never gives up, but fiercely pursues His loved ones until they return to Him. And so if your children or mine make a bad turn along the road of life, let’s not give up hope. What they had in mind when they turned away from the Lord will never happen! God doesn’t let His loved ones get away.

Personal Application

Put your hope where your faith is. In God.

Quotable

I fled Him down the nights and down the days; I fled Him, down the arches of the years; I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears I hid from Him, and under running laughter. Up vistaed hopes, I sped; And shot, precipitated Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears, From those strong Feet that followed, followed after. But with unhurrying chase, And unperturbed pace, Deliberate speed, majestic instancy, They beat—and a Voice beat More instant than the Feet— “All things betray thee, who betrayest Me.” I pleaded, outlaw-wise, By many a hearted casement, curtained red, Trellised with intertwining charities; (For though I knew His love Who followed, Yet I was sore adread Lest, having Him I might have nought beside). . . . . “Whom wilt thou find to love ignoble thee, Save Me, save only Me? All which I took from thee I did but take, Not for thy harms, But just that thou might’st seek it in My arms. All which thy child’s mistake Fancies as lost, I have stored for thee at home: Rise, clasp My hand, and come.” -Francis Thompson