Milo

JUNE 12

Reading 163

NO BASIS FOR HOPE Ezekiel 12–19

” ’In your days, you rebellious house, I will fulfill whatever I say,’ declares the Sovereign Lord” (Ezek. 12:25).Maybe someday, but not now,” and “Maybe somebody else, but not me,” are still common reactions to warnings about the consequences of sin. This passage reminds moderns that such hopes are empty.

Background

The Jewish exiles expected an early return to their homeland. Optimism was fostered by false prophets, and encouraged by popular notions—that a God of love would never really judge; that the visions of Ezekiel would not come true; that if judgment did come it would strike a different generation. In this section of Ezekiel the prophet dealt with the false hopes of God’s still stubborn people. Through him the Lord announced that the judgments prophesied would strike the present generation. In an address on personal responsibility that is vitally relevant to us today, Ezekiel showed that individual choices affect individual destiny. It was too late for Judah as a nation, but the individual could still respond to God, and be safe.

Overview

Ezekiel acted out the imminent deportation of Jerusalem’s population (12:1–20). Hope of delay was futile (vv. 21–28): the prophets who stimulated such hope lied (13:1–23), for purifying judgment (14:1–11) is inescapable (vv. 12–23). Two allegories show the justice of the coming judgment (15:1–16:63), while a third shows the futility of a military alliance against Babylon (17:1–24). Ezekiel then proclaimed that each person would live or die according to his own decision to obey or disobey God’s word (18:1–32). The section concludes with a dirge poem for Judah’s rulers (19:1–14).

Understanding the Text

“While they watch” Ezek. 12:1–16.

Again Ezekiel acted out a prophecy. This time he played the role of an inhabitant of Jerusalem, packing his few belongings in the morning, and in the evening digging through the mud-brick wall of his house to crawl out with them and move to another location. In just this way the few survivors of Jerusalem’s siege would crawl out of the ruined city on the way to Babylon. But Ezekiel’s actions had a more direct reference to the “prince among them.” This is Zedekiah, called a prince because Judah’s rightful king, Jehoiachin, was alive in Babylon. Zedekiah was to leave through a hole in the wall, his head covered (indicating a disguise), only to be snared by the Babylonians and brought to the land of the enemy, though “he will not see it.” Within a few short years, when the city of Jersualem fell, Zedekiah tried to make his escape. He fled toward the Jordan, but was caught by Nebuchadnezzar’s forces. There his sons were slaughtered as he watched, and he was blinded. Zedekiah did go to the land of Babylon as a captive. But, in accord with Ezekiel’s words, the eyeless king never saw the land of his exile. The word of the Lord is sure. What God says is utterly trustworthy. How desperately the exiles needed to hear, and to believe. Even as today our generation needs to hear, and to believe, the words of Scripture. “Tremble as you eat your food” Ezek. 12:17–20. Ezekiel was told to shudder as he ate and drank to portray the utter terror soon to be felt by the inhabitants of Jerusalem. People who fail to fear the Word of the Lord will feel fear—when the things foretold in that Word come to pass. “Every vision comes to nothing” Ezek. 12:21–28. Ezekiel now began to deal with the false hopes held by the captives in Babylon as well as by the Jews left in the homeland. One basis for these rests on the observation that past warnings by God’s prophets seem to have “come to nothing.” Ezekiel did not bother to explain that judgment had been delayed by a gracious God, whose loving-kindness had been expressed in His long-suffering attitude toward an unrepentant people. Ezekiel simply said that the disasters foretold by the former prophets would be fulfilled “in your days.” This thought is reemphasized, for another popular saying is that prophetic visions of judgment are “for many years from now.” It might be that God would do what He had said. But surely not now! Again God spoke through Ezekiel: “None of My words will be delayed any longer.” There’s a carelessness here that is often reflected in the Christian church. When Christ taught His disciples about His return, He emphasized the importance of being ready (see esp. Matt. 25–26). The Lord might appear at any time, and so His servants are to actively go about His business, eager and excited at the prospect of His sudden return. It’s to be this way for us: we’re to be constantly aware that Jesus may come today—this morning, this afternoon! Yet as the years pass, and we begin a career, marry, and plan for our children’s college and for our retirement, the sense of imminence is somehow lost. Some, looking back over two millennium, dismiss the whole idea, saying “every vision comes to nothing.” Others, more conservative, simply assume the return “is for many years from now.” And so we settle down in this world, adopt its values, and lose sight of our calling as servants of a Master who may appear at any moment. A Master who expects to find His staff ready, actively involved in doing His business. We do not know, as Ezekiel did, that this vision is for our generation. It may not be. I clearly remember my mother telling me, when I was a child of just five or six, that she expected the Lord to return in her lifetime. He did not. But I expect Him to return in mine. And if He delays beyond the length of my years, not one thing will change. The vision of Jesus’ return is still for each believer today. And the expectation that Christ might come at any moment remains one of the most purifying doctines in the Word of God. “Foolish prophets who follow their own spirit” Ezek. 13:1–16. False prophets are a major theme addressed in Jeremiah and in Ezekiel. The emphasis reminds us to be very careful in our response to modern spiritual leaders. Ezekiel noted that such persons may be totally sincere: they “expect their words to be fulfilled!” He also observed that they tend to preach popular messages. People want to hear about peace? OK, the theme of today’s sermon is peace, even though there is no peace (v. 10). Sincerity without truth is as useless as a map of Kentucky when you’re traveling through Texas. A good many people, totally sincere in what they believe, are on the highway to hell, and all too many totally sincere preachers are busy erecting signs along the roadway. “They cover it with whitewash” Ezek. 13:10. What a powerful image. Build a flimsy wall, cover it with whitewash, and everything seems all right. But no matter how good it looks under all that trim, a flimsy wall remains flimsy. The teachings of false prophets may look attractive. But however thick the coat of whitewash they are given, the teachings are still flimsy, and will be carried away in the torrent of God’s judgment. “I am against your magic charms” Ezek. 13:17–23. I suppose Shirley Maclaine is sincere in her “new age” writings and lectures. The crystal craze, the notion that there is power in pyramids, fascination with “channeling” and supposed contact with beings who lived long ago, all relate to the theme Ezekiel touched on here. Divination. Magic. Charms. Efforts to find and manipulate the supernatural while ignoring God. Whatever the fad, Scripture has a simple message: God is “against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination.” “They could save only themselves” Ezek. 14:12–23. Another argument raised by the exiles and by the population of Jerusalem against imminent judgment was rooted in Genesis 18. God heeded Abraham’s prayer, and promised to spare Sodom if even five righteous men might be found in it. Surely God would not destroy a nation that must possess at least some godly men and women! Ezekiel destroyed this notion—which by the way has remained popular in Judaism—by saying that even if several of sacred history’s most righteous persons (Noah, Daniel, and Job) lived in Jerusalem, the city would perish even though they would be saved. Similar thinking about our own country is just as erroneous. You’ve no doubt heard, or thought, something like . . . God will spare the United States because (a) We supply most of the world’s missionaries, (b) We have the highest percent of churchgoers in the Western world, (c) We are a “Christian” nation, (d) Democracy is closer to the divine ideal than any other form of government, (e) Any other, similiar reason. Ezekiel suggested that such notions foster false hope. God deals with any nation as its deeds require. The righteousness of the few will in no way preserve the wicked. “The wood of a vine” Ezek. 15:1–8. The Old Testament frequently portrays Israel and Judah as a vine (cf. Gen. 49:22; Ps. 80; Isa. 5:1–7; Hosea 10:1). The vine was prized for the fruit it bore, and so was an appropriate symbol of God’s people as His prized possession. But the vine was prized only for its fruit. The wood is stringy and twisted, and has no use in construction or value for fashioning furnishings. All a fruitless vine is good for is to be burned. Fruitless Judah, already charred by the flames of God’s judgment, was totally worthless, and destined to be consumed. “You prostitute, hear the word of the Lord” Ezek. 16:1–63. In an extended allegory the Lord compared His people to an unwanted girl-child, discarded at birth. God saved her life, nurtured her, and ultimately accepted her as His wife and showered her with presents. Then unfaithful Judah broke the covenant relationship by seeking out pagan gods to worship, and by turning to immorality. God would punish Judah for her spiritual adultery and prostitution, and for being “arrogant, overfed and unconcerned” with “the poor and needy.” Yet when the time of punishment is past the Lord would again “establish My covenant with you” and make atonement for Judah’s sins. “The soul who sins . . . will die” Ezek. 18:1–32. In reading this chapter it’s important to understand that “soul” is used in the common Hebrew sense of “person” or “individual.” Also, death in this chapter is physical rather than spiritual. Ezekiel’s message is that those who obey God will be spared in the coming devastation of Jerusalem, while God will use the Babylonian invasion to take the life of the wicked. Thus each individual’s choices will determine his own fate. (See DEVOTIONAL.) “His roar was heard no longer” Ezek. 19:1–14. The section ends with a dirge poem, a lament intended to express grief and sorrow. This poem is about the rightful kings of Judah, and particularly Jehoiachin, who was pulled into a cage with hooks and brought to Babylon. The Promised Land, once so fruitful, has become a desert, as shriveled as a vine torn from the earth and left, unrooted, on the burning sand. Yes, judgment does come. It comes on individuals as well as nations. And when it does, even though judgment is deserved, we are free with Ezekiel to mourn over what was, and what might have been.

DEVOTIONAL

Who Done It?(Ezek. 18)

A columnist recently made an acute observation about the gang of boys who raped and nearly killed a woman jogger in New York’s Central Park. The columnist noted that already some psychiatrists had popped up, eager to explain away the attack, to call it an expression of frustration and anger by disadvantaged youths who had been forced by society to hate. What the columnist noted was that the boys involved, when asked “why?” at the time of their arrest, had just shrugged and said, “It was fun.” No doubt, the columnist suggested wryly, by the time of the trial the teenagers would know enough to redefine their act, and blame society for victimizing them. The argument that society is at fault when a person acts in a criminal way isn’t new. Even back in Ezekiel’s time, people were saying that if judgment came, it would be their father’s fault, not theirs (vv. 1–2). That’s what “my teeth are crooked ’cause dad ate sour grapes” means. What happens to me, what I do, isn’t my responsibility. My acts are determined by what others have done to me. Ezekiel 18 confronts this still popular view, and flatly denies its validity. Yes, we may be influenced by others. But we remain responsible for our choices. What we choose to do is not determined by anyone else at all. When someone asks, “Who done it?” there’s no use pointing the finger of responsibility at someone else, and crying, “It wasn’t really me.” To drive home this point Ezekiel set up a number of cases. What about the good man who has a bad son? The dad’s merits will not save the son from the consequences of his acts. What about the good son of an evil father? The dad’s sins will not be held against the son. Each person is responsible for his own choices. So the message is clear. Don’t blame dear old Dad for what you do, even if Dad isn’t such a dear. And don’t blame society, even if society hasn’t given you a fair shake. Most important, don’t buy the notion that you haven’t got a chance because of your past. You do have a chance. You can succeed. Because you can choose.

Personal Application

The freedom to choose is one of the many gifts that God has given to you.

Quotable

“The power of individual choice is the secret of human responsibility. I can choose which line I will go on, but I have no power to alter the destination of that line once I have taken it—yet I always have the power to get off one line on to the other.”—Oswald Chambers

JUNE 11

Reading 162

THE EMPTIED TEMPLE Ezekiel 8–11

“Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim” (Ezek. 10:18).No church building, however spectacular, has any value at all unless God’s presence is there. Churches, like Judah’s temple, are vacant unless the Lord is honored, and His presence felt there.

Definition of Key Terms

The glory.

The Hebrew word translated “glory” means “heavy” or “weighty.” Figuratively it suggests impressiveness: the social weight of a rich man, or the symbols of a ruler’s majesty, are both identified as “glory.” When the Old Testament speaks of the “glory of God” the term is typically linked with powerful images. God is seen in blazing splendor. Raw power and burning holiness are impressed on those permitted to glimpse His revelations of His essential nature. But the “glory of God” is most of all associated with God’s intrusions into our world of space and time. The fabric of the universe is torn, and for a moment God’s elemental power is seen—as lightning flashing at Sinai, in the cloudy-fiery pillar that guided Israel in the wilderness, as an unknown brilliance settling down on the tabernacle as God took up unique residence among His Old Testament people (cf. Ex. 29:43). It is this, the unique presence of God which originally filled Solomon’s temple and then located itself in the holy of holies, the temple’s inner room (2 Chron. 7:1–3), that Ezekiel describes in these chapters. There is a tragic significance in Ezekiel’s vision of the glory of God leaving the temple. Those who had looked to that consecrated building for protection would from now on depend on what was merely an empty shell. With the glory of God withdrawn, the temple was nothing more than gilded stone, stripped of meaning and power.

Overview

Ezekiel saw a vision of idolatry in the Jerusalem temple itself (8:1–18). In the vision he witnessed the death of the idolaters (9:1–11) and the gradual withdrawal of God’s glory from the temple (10:1–22). The people inhabiting Jerusalem would be punished (11:1–15), yet in the future the exiles’ hearts would be changed, and they would be restored to their land (vv. 16–25).

Understanding the Text

“The elders of Judah were sitting before me” Ezek. 8:1–4. The vision reported in these chapters was given just 14 months after Ezekiel’s call. In that time he had been recognized as a prophet, so that the elders of the exiled Jewish community came to consult with him. There is no indication they welcomed his words, or that they responded. But they knew that a prophet was among them. As a new convert in the Navy, I began to talk to other sailors about the Lord. One day our commanding officer was holding a court martial, but couldn’t find a Bible to swear in witnesses. Immediately one of the officers said, “Go see Richards. He’ll have a Bible at his desk.” The earnest Christian, like Ezekiel, may not win converts immediately. But how quickly others realize that God has placed a spokesman among them! “Do you see what they are doing?” Ezek. 8:5–18 While the elders of Judah were present Ezekiel was transported to Jerusalem in a vision, where he observed worship in the temple. The things he witnessed demonstrated the complete religious corruption of the people, and served as the basis of God’s announcement that “I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them” (v. 18). An idol and altar to a pagan deity had been erected within the temple court at the north gate (vv. 5–6). This gate led to the royal palace, and so suggests the active participation of the king in pagan rites. Within one of the temple storerooms some 70 of Judah’s elders were gathered to worship images of animals (vv. 7–13). This was not an official group, like the Sanhedrin. Yet it’s very size, and the fact that it was composed of acknowledged leaders who also practiced idolatry in the privacy of their homes (v. 12), suggests how pervasive the apostasy in Judah had become. Ezekiel also saw women “mourning for Tammuz” (vv. 14–15). Tammuz was a Summerian agricultural deity, who “died” with winter and “came alive” again each spring, and was the forerunner of a host of pagan nature gods. Both mourning and fertility rituals were associated with the worship of Tammuz. Finally Ezekiel was shown 25 men in the temple’s inner court worshiping the sun (vv. 16–18). What is so significant about this? First, their backs were to the temple. It was the practice in Judaism to pray toward the temple, the site of the Divine Presence. Second, being in the inner court marks these men off as priests and Levites, who alone would have had access to its confines! Not just the royal house, not just the elders, not just the women, but the very religious leaders of Judah were corrupt, practicing idolatry in Judah’s only and most holy shrine. Yet what strikes us most as we read the chapter is that as Ezekiel was carried toward the Holy City and its temple, he noted that “the glory of the God of Israel” was still there! (v. 4) Despite every provocation, God had not yet abandoned His people. God is so gracious to us. He continues to exercise kindness long after we deserve punishment. Yet even as gracious a God as ours cannot be impudently treated with contempt forever. God will judge when human actions force Him to deal with our sins. “Those who grieve and lament” Ezek. 9:1–11. Ezekiel saw a mark placed on all in Jerusalem who had a heart for God, and grieved over the spiritual condition in Judah. In his vision Ezekiel saw the rest of the population slaughtered. The bloodshed was so great that Ezekiel despaired of any surviving. Two thoughts are of note here. First, the mark placed on true believers reminds us that God is able to care for His own even when there is devastation all around. Second, God told the destroying angels, “Begin at My sanctuary” (v. 6). Christianity is not to be used as a cloak for sin. Those who misuse religion for personal gain or merit will receive greater condemnation. “The radiance of the glory of the Lord” Ezek. 10:1–22. In his vision Ezekiel saw the visible glory of the Lord, which rested as in his earlier vision on a vehicle propelled by guardian angels, here identified as cherubim. As Ezekiel watched, the glory of God rose from the temple and moved beyond its threshold, preparing to leave the city itself (cf. 11:23). As it departed, burning coals from its red-hot center were scattered over Jerusalem. Hot coals, representing divine judgment, are frequently found in apocalyptic passages of Scripture that describe history’s end (see Rev. 8–9). Utter devastation is a biblical mark of God’s judgment, a reminder that a day of recompense awaits all who refuse to heed or to worship the Lord. “Leaders of the people” Ezek. 11:1–12. The 25 men described in this chapter represent the aristocracy, which served as Judah’s leaders. Comparison with Jeremiah 37 shows that even King Zedekiah lacked the power to overrule their political decisions. While their comment in Ezekiel 11:3 is obscure, it’s best to understand it as a consensus for war rather than peace, and an arrogant affirmation that they themselves are the worthy members of the nation (the “meat”) and the exiles merely offal. They say this despite the fact that Jeremiah had faithfully spoken God’s word in Jerusalem and counseled surrender to Babylon rather than resistance! Through Ezekiel God announced that those Jews the leaders had wickedly slain were the true worthy members of the nation (v. 7). In Judah of that day, the “only good Jew was a dead Jew!” But, God told Ezekiel that since the leaders liked to think of themselves as Judah’s “flesh,” He would humor them. He would make Jerusalem a pot, and as the fires of judgment burned around her, they—the flesh within the caldron of judgment—could seethe in anguish! A Robert Burns poem describes a woman sitting proudly in church, head held high, so all can see her new bonnet. Burns wryly observes that what the congregation noted was a louse, clinging to one of its bright ribbons. “O that God the gift would ge [give] us,” the poem concludes, “to see ourselves as others see us.” Burns’ poem stops just short of the point made by Ezekiel. The ultimate gift is to see ourselves as God sees us! Stripped of pretense, stripped of self-deceit and shared delusions, we, like the people of Jerusalem, need to realize the true nature of what we are, and what we do. Like the leaders of Judah, some people today tell each other, “We are the flesh.” They insist on protection for alternate lifestyles in the name of tolerance; they wrap media immorality in the mantle of free speech; and they accuse those calling for public standards of decency of censorship. And then arrogantly they tell one another, “We are the flesh.” What they fail to do is to see themselves as God sees them. And what they fail to realize is that they too will be placed in the caldron of divine judgment. “As I was prophesying, Pelatiah . . . died” Ezek. 11:13. Ezekiel apparently described his visions out loud as he experienced them. As he spoke in Babylon Pelatiah, in Jerusalem, fell dead. The event unnerved Ezekiel, and he cried out, asking if the remnant of Judah would be completely destroyed. The death of Pelatiah served another purpose besides drawing out Ezekiel’s anguished query. Later, when word arrived from Jerusalem that Pelatiah had died, the community in exile would realize it happened at the exact moment it was observed by the prophet. Ezekiel’s message would thus be authenticated as a true vision from the Lord. “I will . . . give them a heart of flesh” Ezek. 11:16–25. The heart of flesh is contrasted with a heart of stone. The one is responsive, the other unresponsive. The ultimate and only solution to Judah’s problem was inner transformation. And God, whose supreme attribute is grace, would give the remnant of His people a new heart despite their centuries-old tradition of straying from His ways. But all this lay in the distant future. Ezekiel was jolted back to his present by a final vision of the glory of God, going up from within the city, and hesitating above the mountains to the east, where the coming devastation of Jerusalem might be easily viewed.

DEVOTIONAL

You Will Know(Ezek. 10–11)

Devotionals are supposed to be warm and fuzzy. At least, I always thought so. There’s supposed to be some positive bit of Scripture at the top, then a happy little story, followed by a one or two-line prayer. We read them, feel good, and then can go on our way complacent because we’ve shared a little time with God and received our daily spiritual shot in the arm. The trouble is, so much of Scripture just isn’t warm and fuzzy. It doesn’t even make us feel good, much less complacent. Look at these chapters of Ezekiel, for instance. Chapter 10 describes the glory of God, His vital presence, departing from the temple. And the people of Judah didn’t even know! They went to the temple, worshiped at what was now just a heap of polished stones, and never realized that God wasn’t around anymore. Now, what kind of fodder is that for a devotional? Who wants to be warned to watch out for superficiality in religion? Who wants to be challenged to examine whether or not their own practices are merely going through motions that have no impact on their relationship with God at all? The next chapter is even worse! Who wants to be told that what he or she thinks of himself, and what others think, is meaningless? Who wants to be reminded that what God thinks of him is all that counts? And who wants to be warned that, if her opinion is way off base, and she is unwilling to change, God’s judgment will strip away all illusions and leave her crushed and exposed? Those words of threat and warning, “You will know [then] that I am the Lord,” simply aren’t the kind of words you expect to find in a devotional book! No warm fuzzies in them! Only a certain gruesome chill. Perhaps though it would be better if our devotionals featured fewer fuzzies and, like Scripture itself, called us to confront the truly critical issues of life. That’s what these chapters of Ezekiel do. They confront us, and make demands. Is God real in your life? Is He really there, or are you fooling yourself going through empty rituals in great, empty rooms. And, are you honest with yourself? Do you see yourself as God does, and evaluate your acts by His standards of love and goodness? Not many warm fuzzies in that, are there? Of course there might be something even more important. There might be a real meeting with God.

Personal Application

Use devotions to explore the whole counsel of God, and to expose yourself to God.

Quotable

“Some people want to see God with their eyes as they see a cow, and to love Him as they love their cow—for the milk and cheese and profit it brings them. This is how it is with people who love God for the sake of outward wealth or inward comfort. They do not rightly love God, when they love Him for their own advantage. Indeed, I tell you the truth, any object you have in your mind, however good, will be a barrier between you and the inmost Truth.”—Meister Eckhart

JUNE 10

Reading 161

SWORD, FAMINE, PLAGUE Ezekiel 4–7

“Because of all your detestable idols, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again” (Ezek. 5:9).There are times when the most severe of judgments is absolutely necessary. It was so in Ezekiel’s day. As God’s watchman, the prophet began his ministry by uttering dark and terrible words.

Background

It was not unknown for prophets to act out their messages. In Jerusalem, Jeremiah placed a yoke on his shoulders when calling for submission to Babylon. In Babylon, Ezekiel communicated a certainty of divine judgment by making the street in front of his house a stage, and performing strange acts there. How quickly the gossip would have spread, and members of the captive community would have come by to see and puzzle over the peculiar acts of their eccentric prophet. And, when everyone was talking and wondering what it all meant, Ezekiel would explain in blunt and powerful words. The drama drew the audience. The explanation must have aroused the utmost horror, as well as denial and disbelief. For over a year Ezekiel lay before a rough model of Jerusalem under siege, portraying the final Babylonian attack on the Holy City. It was unnecessary for Ezekiel to explain what his actions meant: the terrible meaning was plain to every observer.

Overview

Ezekiel publicly acted out the siege of Jerusalem (4:1–17) and shaved his head and beard to symbolize the city’s fate (5:1–17). He prophesied against the mountains of Israel where pagan worship services were performed (6:1–14), and then announced plainly that judgment day was here: doom had burst forth (7:1–27).

Understanding the Text

“This will be a sign to the house of Israel” Ezek. 4:1–8.

For some 400 days Ezekiel lay bound, first on one side and then the other before a model of Jerusalem under siege. Each of the 400 days represented a year during which Israel and Judah were to “bear their sin.” If we calculate ahead from the dating Ezekiel uses, the first year of Jehoiachin’s exile, the 400 years ended in 167B.C-the initial year of the Maccabean revolt, which won Judah limited independence from foreign powers. “I will cut off the supply of food” Ezek. 4:9–17. Bread was commonly made of barley or wheat. Bread made by scraping together “wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt” was “bread of affliction.” That is, it was eaten only when a people were starving, mixing every scrap of food they could find. During the months Ezekiel was to act out the siege, he was allowed only eight ounces of this bread a day! This tiny ration, and Ezekiel’s own deteriorating condition, spoke powerfully of famine and suffering, to be experienced as Jerusalem fell. The drama Ezekiel performed reminds us that when God judges a society even those who speak up against its sins suffer with the rest. There is no safe place anyone can hide when judgment comes. How much better to speak out before it is too late, and turn our own nation back toward righteousness. “Shave your head and your beard” Ezek. 5:1–17. It was considered shameful in Old Testament times for a man to shave either head or beard. Ezekiel was told to bear the ridicule and reproach. His hair was divided into thirds, and disposed of in ways that illustrated the fate God intended for Jerusalem’s inhabitants (vv. 11–12). Again we sense the horror of sin, not so much by the listing of evils, but by descriptions of the punishments Judah would experience. As the desperate people of Jerusalem turned to cannibalism, eating even members of their own families, we sense a revulsion that captures something of God’s feelings about the acts of sin which led to these terrible consequences. If you and I fail to be horrified at sin itself, and draw back, God will horrify us with the punishment our sins bring! “The mountains and hills” Ezek. 6:1–14. The mountains and hills are singled out in this prophecy because pagan worship sites were located in “high places.” These locations would be the scene of slaughter, and the worship centers constructed there would be demolished. The prophecy is not at all peculiar, in view of the fact that locations have always had symbolic significance to human beings. In our own nation we need only think of Bunker Hill, Valley Forge, and Gettysburg, to realize what great meaning is often attached to places. A place takes on an aura linked to the events that took place there. This is something to consider when we think about our own homes. The mountains of Judah were associated with paganism and immorality. Do we guard our activities at home—and control our TV sets—so that in the minds of family members the place we live is associated forever with love, caring, hospitality, ministry, and righteousness? “Violence has grown into a rod to punish wickedness” Ezek. 7:1–27. The symbolic messages acted out by Ezekiel now give way to an announcement in plain and terrible words. God was about to pour His wrath out on Judah. There would be no escape, for the sword would ravage outside, while plague and starvation stalked their victims within the Holy City. The warning Ezekiel gave is as valid for today as it was nearly 600 years before the birth of Christ. God will certainly “judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices” (v. 8).

DEVOTIONAL

Symbolic Acts(Ezek. 4)

How in the world do we get through to people? It’s a question that’s plagued prophets and preachers as well as ordinary believers from the beginning. Adam couldn’t reach Cain—and Cain killed his brother Abel. Moses couldn’t turn the Exodus generation, and they perished in the desert for their persistent disobedience. Isaiah and Micah and Jeremiah all called on the people of Judah to repent and change their ways. But their exhortations were ignored, and God’s people skipped merrily along sin’s highway—only to die by sword and famine and plague. How do we get through? All too often words just aren’t enough. That’s why Ezekiel acted out God’s message to the exiles in Babylon. They wouldn’t listen to words? Well, they did come to gawk at the gaunt prophet, lying bound beside toy Jerusalem. And to watch him wordlessly grind grains and cook his tiny daily portion of rough bread. They may not have listened. They may not have repented. But at least Ezekiel got their attention. At last they heard what the earlier prophets had been shouting stridently for centuries. That’s why recently my wife and I signed a pledge card, and sent it to the offices of two large companies identified by an impressive coalition of Christian groups as sponsors of TV shows relying on excessive portrayals of sex and violence. That pledge card says that for the next year, we’ll buy no more of their products. And, hopefully, millions of other Christians will sign, and carry out, that same pledge. Oh, the boycott probably won’t win any converts. It may not even bring about any restraint in TV-land. But it is a symbolic act; an act that sends a message a little louder than words. At the very least this act, multiplied by millions, may get someone’s attention. It may say what desperately needs to be said. That the moral boundaries of our society have been shrinking. That sins once publicly decried are now portrayed as normal behavior. And that unless Christians take a stand, and unless our voice is heard, God will surely act against our country too, to “judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices.”

Personal Application

If Christians do not take a public stand for righteousness, who will?

Quotable

“We all like the twilight in spiritual and moral matters, not the intensity of black and white, not the clear lines of demarcation—saved and unsaved. We prefer things to be hazy, winsome, and indefinite, without the clear light. When the light does come difficulty is experienced, for when a man awakens he sees a great many things. We may feel complacent with a background of drab, but to be brought up against the white background of Jesus Christ is an immensely uncomfortable thing.”—Oswald Chambers

Ezekiel

JUNE 9

Reading 160

EZEKIEL’S CALL Ezekiel 1–3

“You must speak My words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you” (Ezek. 2:7–8).Ezekiel’s call reminds us that any person who realizes who God is, is obligated by that knowledge to communicate His Word—whether others choose to listen or not.

Background

Ezekiel was a member of a priestly family deported to Babylon with the captives taken there in 597B.C He was 30 (1:1), the age when qualified descendants of Aaron were permitted to take their place as ministering priests, when God appeared to him in a vision and called him to serve as a prophet. The year was 593B.C, and until the destruction of Jerusalem in 586B.C Ezekiel emphasized Judah’s sin, warning of the coming destruction of the Holy City and its temple. This message was as unpopular in Babylon as Jeremiah’s words were back in Judah. The exiles hoped desperately for a return to their homeland; a hope that was encouraged by false prophets. Yet until the people of Judah acknowledged the full extent of their sin, and gave up all hope of divine reprieve, no spiritual healing or restoration could begin. In Judah, Jeremiah called on the nation to repent. In Babylon, Ezekiel emphasized the importance of individual repentance and recommitment. Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel would face resistance, and know discouragement. There was little glory in being a prophet whose words brought about little change. Yet like Jeremiah, Ezekiel remained faithful to God. And the words he spoke so long ago have great meaning for you and me today. May we, unlike the exiles among whom Ezekiel lived, hear—and respond.

Overview

Ezekiel saw the glory of God in a vision (1:1–28), and was told to speak God’s words to His rebellious people (2:1–9). The reluctant Ezekiel ate a scroll containing God’s words, and was again warned that the Israelites would not listen (3:1–15). Yet Ezekiel was to be a watchman, giving warning, and had to speak when God gave him a message to convey (vv. 16–27).

Understanding the Text

“The likeness of the glory of the Lord” Ezek. 1:1–28.

Ezekiel’s vision has fascinated biblical scholars. It was not unusual for prophets to have visions (cf. Isa. 6). But the content of this vision is unique, and the Hebrew describing it difficult to translate. Briefly, Ezekiel described a great wheeled crystalline platform, resting on four upright living creatures. Each creature had four faces, representing God’s creative work in human, wild and domestic animal, and bird kingdoms. The whole structure moved nimbly but noisily in any direction. Despite the wonder these details may create, the focus of the vision is One seated on a throne resting atop the crystalline platform (called an “expanse” in the NIV). This Person, clearly God, appeared humanoid, but His figure burned so brightly that Ezekiel could see no other details. Even the light surrounding Him, encompassed by rainbow-like radiance, was too overwhelming for Ezekiel to bear, and he fell facedown before the Lord. Artists have toyed with representations of this vision. Scholars have struggled with the Hebrew, and argued alternate translations. Yet Ezekiel moved quickly in his description from the vehicle to its Rider. As awe-inspiring as his details of wheels within wheels and strange living creatures may be, the focus of Ezekiel’s vision is God Himself. It is Ezekiel’s glimpse of God—too glorious to be scrutinized or described—that caused the prophet to fall to the ground in the traditional posture of worship and praise. There are times when our attention is drawn to spectacular settings—grand cathedrals, stained glass, crowds of thousands singing, beautifully staged TV shows—all may perhaps enhance our worship. But at times they may distract our attention from the Lord. The challenge you and I face is to look above these “platforms” for worship, and to view the intrinsic glory of the One they are intended to honor. For our worship to be meaningful, we need to see the Lord and, in awe of His splendor and love, fall down with Ezekiel before Him. “Son of man, stand up on your feet, and I will speak to you” Ezek. 2:1–2. What a stunning verse! “Son of man” here simply means “human being.” In Hebrew “son of” has the meaning, “sharing the nature of.” Here the text emphasizes the fact that Ezekiel, a mere man, is accepted by God! Not only was Ezekiel addressed, but he was told to “stand up.” In the ancient East a person prostrated himself before even a human ruler or overlord. To be told to stand in such a person’s presence was a mark of acceptance and honor. Here God is the One who told Ezekiel, “Stand up on your feet.” Finally, the apparition told Ezekiel, “I will speak to you.” God not only pays attention to a mere man, and lifts him up, but communicates as well! In this one verse we sense the wonder of God’s love for all mankind. God comes to us, for we cannot find or approach Him. He calls to us, despite the fact that we corrupt and puny beings run from Him. He lifts us up, though we should only grovel at His feet. And He speaks to us, communicating His will, that we might participate in bringing righteousness to His universe. It’s good for us to fall down with Ezekiel before the holy God. But it is good too to remember that this God invites us to stand and, even though we are merely human beings, to serve Him as messengers to the rest of mankind. “Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them” Ezek. 2:3–8. Even in biblical times words seemed fearful. It’s not as though Ezekiel were in danger of execution. Or of being put in prison. What Ezekiel had to face was simply harsh and hostile words. Angry words, yes. Ridiculing words, yes. But just words. It’s like this in our day. Fear of witnessing to others isn’t quite rational when we stop to think about it. We’re not likely to be beaten for speaking about Jesus. We’re not likely to be fired from our jobs or lose our homes or be imprisoned. The worst that’s likely to happen is that someone may hurl a few hostile words at us, or talk about us behind our backs. And yet so many Christians are literally afraid to speak out. God didn’t ridicule Ezekiel’s fears, and He doesn’t ridicule ours. He simply told the prophet, whose society was far more hardened than our own, “Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them.” And then God reminded Ezekiel of the obligation which was his because of his own personal experience of the Lord: “You must speak My words.” How people respond to our sharing of the Gospel is irrelevant. God’s command to speak is not. “Eat this scroll” Ezek. 3:1–3. Eating the scroll symbolized digesting and applying the words of God. Only when we have taken God’s words to heart can we share them with others. “You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and difficult language, but to the house of Israel” Ezek. 3:4–15. Ezekiel is the model of an unheralded missionary: a man who evangelizes in his own country. Yes, there’s a need for foreign missionaries. But most Christians are called to minister to people in their own society, whose language and customs are familiar. The eager 20-year-old applying to the mission board for overseas service was asked how many people he had witnessed to during the preceding week. His answer was, “Well, none.” How about the preceding month? Six months? Again, the answer was, “No one.” The chairman of the interviewing board then asked him, “Young man, what makes you think being overseas will make you into a missionary, when you do no missionary work at home?”

DEVOTIONAL

Watchman, Watchman(Ezek. 3)

Some job descriptions are complicated, and others are relatively simple. To help Ezekiel understand the nature of his ministry, God gave him a title belonging to a person whose responsibilities were absolutely clear-cut. Ezekiel was to serve as a “watchman.” This post, though one with heavy responsibilities, required no special skills or training. In biblical times the watchman simply stood on the city walls and, if any danger approached, raised the alarm to warn the city’s citizens. They then were responsible to rally to the city’s defense. Oh, I suppose a loud voice might be necessary. And the ability to stay awake nights. But beyond that, there wasn’t much to the watchman’s job at all. How was Ezekiel to be like a watchman? Well, he was to warn the people of Judah of impending doom: to shout about the danger that approached. Then it was up to those who heard his cries to heed and deal with the danger. As God told Ezekiel, “If you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin” (v. 19). No one could blame the watchman if the citizens, warned about the danger, plugged their ears, rolled over, and went back to sleep! But the watchman, while his job was easy, carried a heavy responsibility. What if danger approached, and the watchman didn’t cry out? In biblical times that watchman rightly forfeited his life! And so the Lord told Ezekiel, if “you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood” (v. 18). Today it’s helpful if we think of each Christian’s “job description” in the same way. It takes no special qualification to serve our neighbors as a watchman. No seminary degree is required. Not even mastery of Scripture, or great spiritual depth. All that’s called for is awareness that friends without Christ are in terrible peril—and a voice to lift to give them warning. We can’t guarantee that any individual will respond. But if we remain silent, we carry some responsibility for that other’s fate.

Personal Application

A word of warning to another clears us of guilt, and may lead him or her to eternal life.

Quotable

“Jesus Christ didn’t commit the Gospel to an advertising agency; He commissioned disciples. And He didn’t command them to put up signs and pass out tracts; He said that they would be His witnesses.”—Joe Bayly

Ezekiel

INTRODUCTION

The Prophet Ezekiel ministered to the exiles in Babylon. His carefully dated prophecies fall between 593 B.C. and 585 B.C. In poetry and in prose rich in allegory, parable, proverb, and prophetic vision, Ezekiel echoed Jeremiah’s call for submission to Babylon. Serving as a watchman, called to give warning of impending danger, the prophet uttered a series of dark predictions concerning Jerusalem’s sin and fall. These ceased when that city fell in 586 B.C., and were replaced by promises of hope for the future. In the first half of the book the theme of Ezekiel’s messages is seen in his review of the moral and religious history of Israel; in the second the theme of hope is expressed in visions of Israel’s restoration and future worship. Three additional themes with particular relevance to today are also woven throughout Ezekiel. These themes are the nature of God, the purpose of divine judgment, and each individual’s personal responsibility for his or her own actions.

OUTLINE OF CONTENTS

I.	Ezekiel’s Call	Ezek. 1–3
II.	Judah’s Judgment	Ezek. 4–24
	A. A watchman’s warnings	Ezek. 4–7
	B. God’s glory departs	Ezek. 8–11
	C. Excuses condemned	Ezek. 12–19
	D. Leadership’s faults	Ezek. 20–24
III.	Foreign Nations’ Fate	Ezek. 25–33
IV.	Future Blessings	Ezek. 34–48
	A. Restoration of Judah	Ezek. 34–39
	B. Restoration of worship	Ezek. 40–48