Ezekiel continues to speak to the elders of Israel about the coming judgement on Jerusalem. His words were recorded only 3 to 4 years before 587BC. Be blessed as you read and pray.
Ezekiel 20: Israel's Continuing Rebellion
1 In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me.
2 And the word of the LORD came to me:
3 "Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD, Is it to inquire of me that you come? As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you.
4 Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Let them know the abominations of their fathers,
5 and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: On the day when I chose Israel, I swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob, making myself known to them in the land of Egypt; I swore to them, saying, I am the LORD your God.
6 On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands.
7 And I said to them, Cast away the detestable things your eyes feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.
8 But they rebelled against me and were not willing to listen to me. None of them cast away the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. "Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
9 But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt.
10 So I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.
11 I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live.
12 Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not walk in my statutes but rejected my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned." Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make a full end of them.
14 But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out.
15 Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands,
16 because they rejected my rules and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols.
17 Nevertheless, my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or make a full end of them in the wilderness.
18 "And I said to their children in the wilderness, Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor keep their rules, nor defile yourselves with their idols.
19 I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules,
20 and keep my Sabbaths holy that they may be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.
21 But the children rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes and were not careful to obey my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; they profaned my Sabbaths. "Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness.
22 But I withheld my hand and acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out.
23 Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries,
24 because they had not obeyed my rules, but had rejected my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were set on their fathers' idols.
25 Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and rules by which they could not have life,
26 and I defiled them through their very gifts in their offering up all their firstborn, that I might devastate them. I did it that they might know that I am the LORD.
27 "Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: In this also your fathers blasphemed me, by dealing treacherously with me.
28 For when I had brought them into the land that I swore to give them, then wherever they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering; there they sent up their pleasing aromas, and there they poured out their drink offerings.
29 (I said to them, What is the high place to which you go? So its name is called Bamah to this day.)
30 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and go whoring after their detestable things?
31 When you present your gifts and offer up your children in fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you.
32 "What is in your mind shall never happen---the thought, 'Let us be like the nations, like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and stone.'
The LORD Will Restore Israel
33 "As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out I will be king over you.
34 I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out.
35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face.
36 As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord GOD.
37 I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.
38 I will purge out the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against me. I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
39 "As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD: Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols.
40 "For on my holy mountain, the mountain height of Israel, declares the Lord GOD, there all the house of Israel, all of them, shall serve me in the land. There I will accept them, and there I will require your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your sacred offerings.
41 As a pleasing aroma I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered. And I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations.
42 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the country that I swore to give to your fathers.
43 And there you shall remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves, and you shall loathe yourselves for all the evils that you have committed.
44 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for my name's sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD."
45 And the word of the LORD came to me:
46 "Son of man, set your face toward the southland; preach against the south, and prophesy against the forest land in the Negeb.
47 Say to the forest of the Negeb, Hear the word of the LORD: Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree in you and every dry tree. The blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from south to north shall be scorched by it.
48 All flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it; it shall not be quenched."
49 Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! They are saying of me, 'Is he not a maker of parables?'"
Ezekiel 21: The LORD Has Drawn His Sword
1 The word of the LORD came to me:
2 "Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel
3 and say to the land of Israel, Thus says the LORD: Behold, I am against you and will draw my sword from its sheath and will cut off from you both righteous and wicked.
4 Because I will cut off from you both righteous and wicked, therefore my sword shall be drawn from its sheath against all flesh from south to north.
5 And all flesh shall know that I am the LORD. I have drawn my sword from its sheath; it shall not be sheathed again.
6 "As for you, son of man, groan; with breaking heart and bitter grief, groan before their eyes.
7 And when they say to you, 'Why do you groan?' you shall say, 'Because of the news that it is coming. Every heart will melt, and all hands will be feeble; every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming, and it will be fulfilled,'" declares the Lord GOD.
8 And the word of the LORD came to me:
9 "Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord, say: "A sword, a sword is sharpened and also polished,
10 sharpened for slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! (Or shall we rejoice? You have despised the rod, my son, with everything of wood.)
11 So the sword is given to be polished, that it may be grasped in the hand. It is sharpened and polished to be given into the hand of the slayer.
12 Cry out and wail, son of man, for it is against my people. It is against all the princes of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with my people. Strike therefore upon your thigh.
13 For it will not be a testing---what could it do if you despise the rod?" declares the Lord GOD.
14 "As for you, son of man, prophesy. Clap your hands and let the sword come down twice, yes, three times, the sword for those to be slain. It is the sword for the great slaughter, which surrounds them,
15 that their hearts may melt, and many stumble. At all their gates I have given the glittering sword. Ah, it is made like lightning; it is taken up for slaughter.
16 Cut sharply to the right; set yourself to the left, wherever your face is directed.
17 I also will clap my hands, and I will satisfy my fury; I the LORD have spoken."
18 The word of the LORD came to me again:
19 "As for you, son of man, mark two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come. Both of them shall come from the same land. And make a signpost; make it at the head of the way to a city.
20 Mark a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah, into Jerusalem the fortified.
21 For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination. He shakes the arrows; he consults the teraphim; he looks at the liver.
22 Into his right hand comes the divination for Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open the mouth with murder, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, to build siege towers.
23 But to them it will seem like a false divination. They have sworn solemn oaths, but he brings their guilt to remembrance, that they may be taken.
24 "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have made your guilt to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your deeds your sins appear---because you have come to remembrance, you shall be taken in hand.
25 And you, O profane wicked one, prince of Israel, whose day has come, the time of your final punishment,
26 thus says the Lord GOD: Remove the turban and take off the crown. Things shall not remain as they are. Exalt that which is low, and bring low that which is exalted.
27 A ruin, ruin, ruin I will make it. This also shall not be, until he comes, the one to whom judgment belongs, and I will give it to him.
28 "And you, son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach; say, A sword, a sword is drawn for the slaughter. It is polished to consume and to flash like lightning---
29 while they see for you false visions, while they divine lies for you---to place you on the necks of the profane wicked, whose day has come, the time of their final punishment.
30 Return it to its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I will judge you.
31 And I will pour out my indignation upon you; I will blow upon you with the fire of my wrath, and I will deliver you into the hands of brutish men, skillful to destroy.
32 You shall be fuel for the fire. Your blood shall be in the midst of the land. You shall be no more remembered, for I the LORD have spoken."
Things to think about…
1. Ezekiel 20 is prophesied only 3 or 4 years before the destruction of Jerusalem takes place, around 590BC. Ezekiel reminds the Elders of Israel about their history. The Lord has never left them. He has always protected and delivered them even when they were rebellious after leaving Egypt. The Lord says He will manifest His holiness in them to all the nations. God’s people will be holy, even if they rebel against it. How does He do this in our day with Christians? Only through the righteousness of Christ.
2. Israel was a land flowing with milk and honey, Ezek 20:6, 15. The Lord delivered them from the house of slavery and gave them a land that they were to inherit, a land of abundance. Ezekiel 20 gives a history lesson of what Israel was like in the wilderness before they inherited the land. They rebelled against the Lord, they profaned His Sabbaths, they rejected the Law that had been given. Nevertheless, the Lord brought them into a land of abundance. Still their cry was “wherever they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering”, Ezek 20:28. Their heart had not changed. The Lord knew this of His people. As such even when they were in the wilderness the Lord said, “I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries, because they had not obeyed my rules, but had rejected my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths”, Ezek 20:23, 24. Only in our day do we see this judgment being reversed. The Lord is doing a new thing, but their heart remains the same.
3. But we see a restoration will occur and the Lord will return the people to Israel and restore the land for purity, Ezek 20:33-44. We see this is setting the scene for what Ezekiel will prophesy towards the later end from Ezekiel 36 to the end of the book.
4. Ezek 20:49 suggests the people think that Ezekiel is just telling parables ‘stories’. These things will not come to pass – they believe Ezekiel is just making them up. Jesus of course spoke in parables. Many did not believe His words and yet they have proved, and are proving, to be true.
5. The king of Babylon consults diviners and consults the liver (a blood sacrifice looking at entrails) and decides to destroy Jerusalem. But this is all from the hand of the Lord. He has appointed Jerusalem to be destroyed. Often, we attribute secular events to secular means, but the Lord’s sovereign hand is over all. He appoints governments and rulers and judgements. He appoints seasons for drought and rain. There are dry spiritual times and then times of revival. Pray for the season to turn here in Australia. We have received lots of rain and more on the way. May it be symbolic of a heavenly flood of the Spirit over our land.
6. The Babylonians would destroy from the north to the south, Ezek 20:46; 21:20. I.E not just Jerusalem. Rabbah of the Ammonites is where modern day Amman, Jordan is situated is where the Babylonians would also attack. Judgement would happen for the king of Israel there. He would see his sons slaughtered and then his eyes would be put out by the Babylonian commander. Other nations would be destroyed by the Babylonians as they come in judgement against Jerusalem. God raises up superpowers who have a desire to make their own rule the new law. America is still today’s superpower, but China is wanting more influence on the world stage, as America’s influence around the world is declining. Pray the gospel will continue to have an influence over world leaders.
7. Ezekiel 21 speaks of a sword over Jerusalem. This imagery was not unknown to the ancient Jews. Remember when David sinned by numbering Israel the Lord started to judge and destroy. At one point the angel of the Lord was standing over Jerusalem with an unsheathed sword, 1Chr 21:16 ready to destroy. Ezekiel is saying the time is up and Jerusalem will now be destroyed.
8. The ancient Israelites did not believe the words of Ezekiel. The them it seemed as if it was a false divination, Ezek 21:23 or a false vision, Ezek 21:29 while they continue to believe lies from their wicked prince, Ezek 21:25 and false prophets. We see the same today. Any church that exalts the truth and is faithful with the word of God is seen a voice to be ignored. This is discouraging for any faithful church or minister of the gospel, but the comfort is that they are in good company, and this has always been the case for those wanting to live out and give over the truth of the Lord to a rebellious people.
Vision Point for cell groups
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Title was “What do we do with Lazarus?” – Reading Jon 12:1-11
1. The raising of Lazarus was an incredible miracle that nobody could deny. Martha showed incredible faith. Discuss her faith after reading John 11:21-27.
2. Her sister Mary also displayed incredible devotion, John 12:3-8. Discuss the different reactions to the raising of Lazarus.
3. In what ways can we fall into the same areas of control that the Pharisees fell into?
4. Pray for each other and the outreach of the gospel
Prayer Points
1. Pray for the people who have been affected by hurricane Ian in Florida. It is believed hundreds may have lost their lives.
2. Pray for the people of Iran. There is horrible oppression of women who are being beaten and killed by a corrupt government, simply for refusing to wear a head covering.
3. Pray for Ukraine and the final defeat of Russian aggression.
4. The right choice for a full time Youth and Young Adults Pastor to start Jan 2023 and the finances to support them.
5. More young families and youth into the church.
6. Ministry leaders within the church.
7. Our One for Israel ministry.
8. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof.
9. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. Visitors to church on Sunday.
2. Some returning back to church after a while away.
3. Worship on Sunday – thankyou Paul, Suzy, Gina. Maddison on Words and Doug on sound. Thankyou. Suzy and Maddison in café always do a stellar job. Thankyou for those who welcomed at the door.
4. All those who faithfully serve in ministries, Worship, Sound/Technical/Kids Church/ Cell Groups/Admin - Bulletins/Finances/Property/Welcoming/Spiritual Leadership/Cafe
5. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Remember to check your duty rosters.
2. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
3. Tune in again this week on our youtube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
