G’day folks. May our great God continue to confirm His love, grace and promises over you today. The Word of the Lord is finally confirmed as we see in our reading today. Ezekiel had a great personal cost to him as the Lord took away his wife “the delight of his eyes”.
Ezekiel 24: The Siege of Jerusalem
1 In the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:
2 "Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.
3 And utter a parable to the rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: "Set on the pot, set it on; pour in water also;
4 put in it the pieces of meat, all the good pieces, the thigh and the shoulder; fill it with choice bones.
5 Take the choicest one of the flock; pile the logs under it; boil it well; seethe also its bones in it.
6 "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose corrosion is in it, and whose corrosion has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, without making any choice.
7 For the blood she has shed is in her midst; she put it on the bare rock; she did not pour it out on the ground to cover it with dust.
8 To rouse my wrath, to take vengeance, I have set on the bare rock the blood she has shed, that it may not be covered.
9 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great.
10 Heap on the logs, kindle the fire, boil the meat well, mix in the spices, and let the bones be burned up.
11 Then set it empty upon the coals, that it may become hot, and its copper may burn, that its uncleanness may be melted in it, its corrosion consumed.
12 She has wearied herself with toil; its abundant corrosion does not go out of it. Into the fire with its corrosion!
13 On account of your unclean lewdness, because I would have cleansed you and you were not cleansed from your uncleanness, you shall not be cleansed anymore till I have satisfied my fury upon you.
14 I am the LORD. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; I will not spare; I will not relent; according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord GOD."
Ezekiel's Wife Dies
15 The word of the LORD came to me:
16 "Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down.
17 Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban, and put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men."
18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded.
19 And the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?"
20 Then I said to them, "The word of the LORD came to me:
21 'Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword.
22 And you shall do as I have done; you shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.
23 Your turbans shall be on your heads and your shoes on your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but you shall rot away in your iniquities and groan to one another.
24 Thus shall Ezekiel be to you a sign; according to all that he has done you shall do. When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.'
25 "As for you, son of man, surely on the day when I take from them their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes and their soul's desire, and also their sons and daughters,
26 on that day a fugitive will come to you to report to you the news.
27 On that day your mouth will be opened to the fugitive, and you shall speak and be no longer mute. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD."
Things to think about…
1. The date calculated from Ezek 24:1 is January 15, 588BC. This spelled the beginning of the end. The King of Babylon had begun the process of his siege of Jerusalem, Ezek 24:2. The Word of God will not fail. We are told it will achieve the purpose it was set out to achieve, Isa 55:11. Jesus also says that He is building His church. Praise God that when there is a time to tear down, there is also a time to build up.
2. Those who were left in Jerusalem were the choice parts of the body so to speak, Ezek 24:3,4. These would then be taken out, vs 6. The Lord would destroy the princes, priests and false prophets. Even the bones would be burned up, vs 10. The pot would continue to burn after it was empty to purify the pot. Jerusalem itself had become corroded. It needed purifying, but it would not be purified in the fire, Ezek 24:11-13. When the Lord’s refining fires start, they do not stop until they have finished what was started. Jerusalem would ultimately be destroyed and left desolate for 70 years. What has been burned up and taken away in your life that was not healthy or productive in your walk with the Lord?
3. Living the life of an OT prophet could cost you greatly. In Ezek 24:15-18 we see Ezekiel is told the ‘delight of his eyes’, vs 16, his wife would be taken from him. Does this sound fair? What did Ezekiel or his wife do to incur this judgement? The answer is absolutely nothing, except be faithful to the word of the Lord. Sometimes God’s message and grace is most vividly on display throughout our times of suffering and sorrow. If these characteristics were on display with Christ, surely they are on display through us as His witnesses and ambassadors.
4. Ezekiel was not to mourn his loss. He delighted in his wife, but he was not to mourn, why? As a sign that the Lord would do the same to Jerusalem, the delight of the captives in Babylon, vs 21. They would not mourn or weep, Ezek 24:23 but will be consumed by their own iniquities and groan to one another when they hear of the fall of Jerusalem. One day a messenger will come from Jerusalem and tell them the news, vs 26. Ezekiel was then to open his mouth and speak. We are called to do this as Christians, to speak into the lives of people even through suffering and pain. Often this pain can be a result of the way they were living. Our response should always be to lift up truth as well as grace.
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. Over one hundred lives have been lost.
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. Members Meeting – AGM 6th November after the service.
2. Combined Churches meeting at Riverlife this Sunday, 5 pm.
3. Remember to check your duty rosters.
4. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
5. Tune in again this week on our youtube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
