EZEKIEL 11-18 TURN AND LIVE2013 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Ezekiel 11-18 Turn And Live

Well, this evening we're looking at Ezekiel chapters 11 through 18.

And these are the chapters that we read this week as we go through the Bible in three years. We're working our way through the major prophets currently. We've gone through Isaiah and Jeremiah's writings. Now we're in Ezekiel. We're about halfway through. And we'll be here in Ezekiel for a couple weeks. And then we'll be heading into the book of Daniel and finishing up, wrapping up the major prophets and some exciting things that God has in store for us here. But then also hitting the minor prophets. And

We spend a lot of time in the major prophets because they're called major prophets because of the length of their work. And then all of a sudden you're going to be like trying to like, whoa, trying to keep up because we're going to go like book, book, book, book, book, book, book when we hit the minor prophets. So you want to make sure you stay up with the reading. There's schedules on the back table. And if you're reading along each day, then these things will be a lot, make a lot more sense and it'll be confirmation for what God is speaking to you throughout the week as you're reading.

The book of Ezekiel is written by Ezekiel who ministered around 593 to 571 B.C. And he wrote with a three-fold purpose. First of all, to declare the fall of Jerusalem. And that's chapters 1 through 24 where we're at currently and we'll continue to see that this evening. Then in verses, or chapters 25 through 32...

He pronounces judgment on some of the surrounding nations and so we'll see the other nations and what the Lord speaks about them. And then in chapters 33 through 48, he ends the book giving the hope of restoration and talking primarily about the millennial kingdom and what's going to be happening during that time.

He ministered alongside of Jeremiah as well as Daniel. Although Ezekiel was in Babylon, Daniel was in Babylon as well. Jeremiah was back in Jerusalem, but they were around the same time. As you can see here,

Their ministries kind of overlapped. And so it all takes place right at the end of the nation of Judah. When Babylon conquers the nation of Judah and Jeremiah is there ministering to the nation, to the city of Jerusalem in the midst of the siege. And while it's happening, Ezekiel is in Babylon ministering at the same time and Daniel is in Babylon ministering at the same time. So

Ezekiel is there in Babylon along with several, or not several, but there was a couple times that Jews were taken captive to Babylon. And so he's there with them in Babylon. And then Jeremiah is in Jerusalem ministering there to the remnant that is there, the few that are left in the city of Jerusalem, while Babylon is coming against Jerusalem for the third time.

So here's what it looks like on our timeline. Remember that Israel was at one time one kingdom, one nation, but it was divided after Solomon's reign. And so it was divided in 933. Both kingdoms basically turned away from God at that point. There was some revivals in the nation of Judah, but the northern kingdom was wicked from the get-go, and so they were conquered in 722. And so they were

The southern kingdom, Judah, they basically were...

In a downward spiral, turning away from God. And they would also have some revivals, some good kings like Josiah or Hezekiah. You know, they were good kings. But they were on the same path as the northern kingdom in their rebellion against God. And so Jeremiah came on the scene as kind of like the last call to repentance. But Babylon conquered Judah in about 605 B.C. At that time, Daniel as well as many other captives are taken to Babylon.

And then in 597, Jerusalem rebels against Babylon again and gets captured or gets conquered again. Ezekiel and other captives are taken to Babylon at that point. And so now in 593, it's a few years after Ezekiel's been in Babylon, he begins to prophesy and share the things that we'll be looking at this evening.

And then it's soon after his ministry in 586 that Babylon conquers Judah for the third time and destroys the city and the temple. Now we finished up last week with chapters 8, 9, and 10, and I just want to recap those briefly. These are all happening around the second year of Ezekiel's ministry. In Ezekiel chapter 8, if you remember, he was taken by the Spirit from Babylon to Jerusalem and

And God shows him the abominations that are happening in the temple. Four different abominations that God shows him of the elders worshipping these idols within the temple and men worshipping in the courtyard of these false gods and women worshipping Tammuz in the courtyard as well. And so there's all these different idolatries and abominations that are going on that God shows to Ezekiel.

Then in chapter 9, we see that scene where the righteous are preserved. The mark is put upon their heads, but the rest are marked for slaughter and they're going to be put to death. And so they go throughout the city of Jerusalem to mark those who are righteous and prepare the wicked to be slain.

And then in chapter 10, we saw this glorious scene of the glory of the Lord once again, similar to what we saw in chapter 1, where you had the four living creatures and the wheels and the platform and the throne and then the glory and the presence of God there. And we saw this glory of the Lord, this presence of the Lord depart from the temple. And so it was kind of like coming out, you know, in phases. He sees the glory depart from here to there and then leave the temple and

And it's right there outside of Jerusalem at that point. And so that's leading up to now chapter 11, which continues on. It's still part of the same vision that Ezekiel is receiving. And here in chapter 11, verse 17 is the key verse. It says, therefore say, thus says the Lord God, I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.

And so as we go now into chapter 11, remember we've just seen the glory of the Lord depart from the temple. But here in chapter 11, God also wants to let the people know that he is not done with them. God is demonstrating his amazing grace. He shows Ezekiel all these abominations and this great rebellion and this judgment that is about to be brought.

But then he's also making sure to point out he disciplines, he brings this judgment so that he might restore the people and bring them back into right relationship with him. So verses 1 through 4 we see that men give wicked counsel. So before he gets to that hope part, he is still dealing with some of the issues. In verses 1 through 4, he names some of the specific leaders who are there at the east gate.

And in verse 2 it says, he said to me, son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give wicked counsel in this city. So there at the temple is this gathering of leaders and people would come for advice and seeking counsel and they are not giving good counsel. They're giving wicked counsel.

It's an important lesson that you need to learn. Not everyone at the Lord's house gives good counsel. And you must verify the counsel that you receive with the word of God. The message that these guys were sharing was that the time is not near to build houses. Now remember what's going on here. The captives in Babylon are expecting, the false prophets are telling them that they're going to be set free and allowed to return to Jerusalem because Babylon is going to be conquered.

The Jews in Jerusalem are hearing the same message from their false prophets. And so the elders are saying, don't build houses. You don't need to build houses because we're going to win this battle here. Babylon is going to be conquered. And so don't get settled. You know, you can return back to Jerusalem very soon. But that's not the message that God was giving to his people that were in captivity. And so in verse 4, he tells Ezekiel, prophesy against them.

What is the prophecy against him? Well, he's clearing it up. He's saying in verses 5 through 12, you multiplied your slain in this city.

He says, I'm going to bring a sword upon you. You've multiplied the slain with your wicked counsel. And I'm going to deliver you into the hands of strangers. Verse 12 says, and you shall know that I am the Lord, for you have not walked in my statutes, nor executed my judgments, but have done according to the customs of the Gentiles, which are all around you. God says, I'm going to bring this judgment upon you, bringing the sword and delivering you to the hands of strangers, and

This is a common phrase throughout the book of Ezekiel. Over 60 times in the book of Ezekiel, he says, And it prompts me to ask us this evening, when will you know that he is the Lord? You and I tonight, this evening, when will we know that he is the Lord? What will it take?

What will it require for us to be submitted and obedient to God? When will you know? Will it require the sword? Will it require being delivered into the hands of strangers? What's it going to take for you to know that he is the Lord and to be fully surrendered to him? That's a question you need to ask and consider. And it's one that you'll be asked over and over as we go through Ezekiel.

In verses 13 through 21, though, he also gives the hope. He says, I will gather you from the peoples. Now this happened. God is really encouraging Ezekiel because in verse 13, as Ezekiel is, you know, going through these things, one of the guys right there dies. And Ezekiel kind of panics. He says, oh, Lord God, will you make a complete end of the remnant of Israel? Are you going to just like wipe them out completely?

And God says, no, I scattered them, but I'm going to be a little sanctuary for them. I'm going to protect them in all the places where they've been dispersed. And then in verse 17, he says, I will gather you from the peoples. So the remnant is those who are sent out. They're amongst the different nations. They've been in captivity. They've been conquered. And God says, I'm going to be a little sanctuary. I'm going to protect them. And then I'm going to bring them back. They thought that the remnant was the people in Jerusalem that were left.

But that's not what God's plan was. God's plan was the remnant was going to be those who are in captivity. And the people who are in Jerusalem, they were going to be put to death because of their rebellion. And so the people who are in captivity in various places, they're going to be brought back as the remnant that God had preserved.

And he says in verse 19, when he brings them back, he will put in a new spirit and a new heart. And there will be an exchange, the heart of stone for the heart of flesh. And there's going to be a right relationship with God once again. Well, that's for the future. But for now, verse 22 through 25, we see the glory departs from Jerusalem.

And so the glory is departing. We saw it be removed from the temple, you know, outside of the temple into the courtyard and from the courtyard to the mountain next to it. But now the glory departs from Jerusalem altogether. And God's saying the glory has departed, but with that message of hope. It's not for forever. I do have a plan to bring you back, but I have to bring this judgment now because of your rebellion against me.

In verse 24, we see that Ezekiel is brought back by the Spirit. Remember, he was taken from Babylon to Jerusalem by the Spirit to receive this vision. And now he's brought back to Babylon. And it says in verse 25, So I spoke to those in captivity of all the things the Lord had shown me.

And so he recounts for them this vision from chapters 8, 9, 10, and 11 that he had seen in Jerusalem. So he's talking to the people in Babylon about what's going on in Jerusalem. Because they're thinking that Jerusalem is going to hold, that they're going to be strong, and that they're going to be victorious over Babylon, and then they'll be allowed to return. Well, that brings us now to chapter 12, verse 15 is the key verse.

It says,

And why is it that God does that? Why does he use these illustrations that way? Well, he explains to him in verse 2. He says, Here's the lesson we learn. When rebellious people are not listening...

God will use illustrations to give them another opportunity to repent. They're not listening to the message anymore. They didn't listen to Jeremiah. They're not listening to Ezekiel. But God says, do something that I'm telling you to do. Do a visual demonstration because it will give you another opportunity to reach out to them and to give them an opportunity to repent. And so he says in verse 3, here's the instruction.

Therefore, son of man, prepare your belongings for captivity and go into captivity by day in their sight. You shall go from your place into captivity to another place in their sight. It may be that they will consider though they are a rebellious house. And so he tells them, pretend like you are going into captivity. So pack up all your bags, pack up all your belongings and carry it out of your house. And then in verse 5 he says, dig through the wall of

And so, you know, I mean, he's doing this. He's digging through the wall. Then he's like climbing through the wall, bringing his luggage through the wall. And the people are like, what is this guy doing? What's going on here? Why is Ezekiel doing this? But verse 7, he says, so I did as I was commanded. Now, these kind of statements always stand out to me.

I would ask you, can you say that? Verse 7, so I did as I was commanded. I really want to be able to say that. That is where we need to be. That we just, it's just a simple statement. I did as I was commanded. Usually it's, well, I tried to negotiate. Then I wrestled with the Lord. Then I fought with the Lord. Then I ran from the Lord. Then finally I came back and I did what I was commanded. Like Jonah, right? But Ezekiel just says, I did what I was commanded.

And so it causes them to ask questions and he gives them the message in verses 8 through 16. He says, this burden concerns the prince of Jerusalem. The illustration worked and the people are wondering, why is Ezekiel behaving this way? And so in verse 9, God tells Ezekiel, son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, what are you doing? It stirred them up. They want to hear now. They want it. They're

They're going to Ezekiel to hear what is happening. And so he explains in verse 10, this burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem. Now the false prophets were declaring that Babylon would be defeated and that the Jews would return to Jerusalem. So this message was exactly opposite of what the people around Ezekiel were expecting from

And so God instructs Ezekiel to say, hey, I'm assigned to you. As I have done, that's what's going to be done to the people of Jerusalem. Specifically, the king of Jerusalem. And they will be carried into captivity. And then in verse 15 he says, then they shall know that I am the Lord. When will you know that he is the Lord? Ezekiel knew this.

He was the Lord. And that's why in verse 7 he says, I did as I was commanded. But when will you know that he is the Lord? What's it going to take? What's it going to require for you to be able to just say, I did as I was commanded? To not try to negotiate or get out of it, but just do exactly what God wants you to do. Well, he gives him another illustration in verses 17 through 20, and he tells Ezekiel to eat your bread with quaking.

He says in verse 18, eat with quaking and drink with trembling. And so here's Ezekiel trembling, scared, making a mess. Why? Well, verse 19 he explains, the inhabitants of Jerusalem will eat and drink with fear. They're going to be afraid. They're going to be trembling. They're going to be eating and quaking for a couple reasons. First of all, because they're under siege. So

They're going to be fearful of running out of food and running out of drink, but then also fearful because of the army that comes against them. He asked Ezekiel to eat with quaking and drink with trembling. Now this isn't just like a little bit of shaking, I think, because the people are supposed to notice. I mean, everybody, like Ezekiel, do this in a way that everybody knows that you're quaking and you're trembling. Spill water everywhere. Make a mess. I'm still all wet. Okay.

I like what Wiersbe has to say about this. He says, God does not ask you to do bizarre things as he did Ezekiel, but can others tell by your lifestyle that you believe that Jesus is coming and that he will one day judge the world? Maybe he's not asking you to eat with quaking and drink with trembling, but our lives are to be an example and can people tell what the message is?

He says in verse 20, Then the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall become desolate, and you shall know that I am the Lord. Jerusalem is going to be laid waste. And then you will know that I am the Lord. They were refusing to know that he is the Lord. They were continuing on in their rebellion. And so God says, I'm going to bring my judgment. I'm going to lay waste to the city.

So that you will know that I am the Lord. Because you're not responding to me, so this is what it requires. And again, we must ask, when will you know that He is the Lord? What's it going to take? Will God need to lay waste to your life for you to finally submit and recognize that He is the Lord? For you to stop living in rebellion?

What's it going to take? What will it require for you to know that he is the Lord? For you to say, I did what I was commanded and stop fighting against God. In verses 21 through 28, God tells Ezekiel, none of my words will be postponed. In verse 22, it tells us that the people were saying, hey, the days are prolonged and every vision fails. They're saying,

Ezekiel is giving this message. Jeremiah gave his message. You know, these are the prophecies that are going forth. But they're not going to be happening for a long time. These judgments, you know, that's not for right now. These are for later. The things that are being said are of the Lord. They're just, they're not happening. The visions fail. And so God says in verse 23, I'm going to lay this proverb to rest. Verse 25, he says, for I am the Lord. I speak.

And the word which I speak will come to pass. It will no more be postponed, for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and perform it, says the Lord God. God says, this is going to happen in your lifetime. This is going to happen in your days. I speak it, I'm saying it, and it's going to happen. But they were thinking, that's for a long time off. Like today, the people of Judah mistake God's patience for

For acceptance of their life or indifference to their practices. And we can make that same mistake. Listen, God warns us for a reason. God has us in Ezekiel for a reason. He has you here this evening to hear this message for a reason. Do not ignore him. He will fulfill his word. Remember what Paul said in Galatians 6, 7, and 8. That we're not to be deceived. Because there's a temptation to be deceived. And we would like to be deceived.

But God cannot be mocked. Whatever you sow, you will reap. And if you sow to the flesh, you will reap corruption. If you sow to the spirit, you will reap life. So don't be deceived. God cannot be mocked. Chapter 13, now verse 22. Because with lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad, and you have strengthened the hands of the wicked so that he does not turn from his wicked way to save his life.

Here in chapter 13, God is addressing the false prophets through Ezekiel. This is an important chapter, and this is a chapter that the Lord really used to open my eyes when we went through it a couple years ago to the motivation of false prophets and the

It kind of was different than I was thinking when I would consider the false prophets that were speaking to the people. And so verses 1 through 7 starts us out saying, foolish prophets hope their word may be confirmed. In verse 2 we see that Ezekiel is to prophesy against the prophets who God says they prophesy out of their own heart. The problem with these false prophets is

Is they were prophesying out of their own hearts. Now we learned in Jeremiah that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. And so there's a problem when somebody prophesies or speaks out of their own heart. This is a little bit scary. Because understanding what's happening here with these false prophets. Makes me realize that I am capable of becoming a false prophet in this same way.

That I don't have to have malicious intentions. I don't have to want to destroy your life. I don't have to desire to see you suffer. I just have to speak from my own heart. And I will follow in their path and be a false prophet. If I just speak from my own heart. Proverbs 28, 26 says, He who trusts in his own heart is a fool. But whoever walks wisely will be delivered. Listen, you and I, we have to be very careful about

About telling other people what God wants for them. Sometimes we're too carefree with this I think. And we just say you know what God wants for you. Or you know what God wants you to do. And we need to be very careful.

That when we speak on God's behalf, that it really is from the Lord and it's not from our heart. These false prophets, they didn't want to see the people hurt. They weren't looking for the people to be destroyed. They weren't, you know, rejoicing as people were put to death or laughing as people are dying of hunger and thirst and the famine from the siege. They just spoke from their own heart. That was their mistake. That was their issue.

Was they spoke forth what they thought. They spoke from their own heart instead of hearing from God. Verse 6. They have envisioned futility and false divination saying, Thus says the Lord. But the Lord has not sent them. Notice this. Yet they hope that the word may be confirmed. These false prophets are proclaiming what they want to happen. And they're hoping that it happens that way.

And so as part of, you know, kind of trying to manipulate the situation and make it turn out that way, they're attaching God's name to it. Thus says the Lord, this is what I hope is going to happen. And so I say, thus says the Lord. Now God, you know, you're obligated to do what it is I've said because I've attached your name to what I hope is going to happen.

And so for me, this is something I very seriously consider all the time. And so if you're around me a lot, you know, we're talking about maybe talking through some issues or talking through some plans or whatever, you'll often hear me say, this is not a thus says the Lord. And I try to make a distinction when it's like, look, this is just Jerry talking. And then this is what the Lord says. And I have to make that distinction. And I would suggest you need to make that distinction as well.

We have to be careful to not attach God's name to the things that come from our own hearts. Listen, you represent God. As a Christian, you are Christ-like. You are His representative, His ambassador. You represent Him, so be careful what you say on His behalf. Do not speak out of your own heart. Do not speak what you think, but speak Christ.

What God has said. Do not speak when God has not spoken. Do not just say what you hope. But say what God actually says. Well verses 8 through 16. He goes on to say. I am against you because you spoke nonsense. See here's the issue. They're speaking nonsense. Now I'm fully capable of speaking nonsense. And that's why this chapter causes me to be concerned. And be alert and pay attention. And make sure that.

Verse 10. Now here's the thing. We always want to give a message of peace. But that's not always the message that needs to be given.

We want to give a message of peace. And so you know what we say a lot of times is, hey, it's going to be okay. People are struggling. They're going through something. And we tell them, it's going to be okay. Now, it's one thing to comfort people. But be careful that you don't attach God's name to something that's not really from the Lord. We say things like, hey, God's going to help you get a job.

Well, maybe he is, but did he tell you that? Is that something, a word from the Lord, or is that just what you hope is going to happen? And so you're saying it, trying to bring comfort, but that's not really what God wants to do. Well, doesn't God want them to get a job or have a job? You know, I don't know.

In Jerusalem's case, because of their rebellion and because God had to deal with their hearts, he brought destruction upon them. That wasn't God's ultimate plan for them. But because of their rebellion, that's what he had to do. In the same way, God might be working in someone's heart. He might be wanting to do something and there's resistance. And so he's not giving them a job. He's not doing that work because they're not recognizing that he is the Lord.

And so we can't just say that, hey, God wants to help you get a job or he's going to help you get a job. We can't make those promises on God's behalf if he hasn't actually spoken. We can't just say what we hope is going to happen. Or we say, God's not going to let you lose your home. How do we know that? Is that something God has actually spoken to you? Or we tell people, you know, God has a spouse for you. There's someone special for you. How do you know that?

Is that really something God has told you, has given you, or is that just what you hope? God will provide. Now God does promise to provide, but there's conditions to that promise. It's seek first the kingdom of God and then he provides. And so we can't just say God will provide and hope that that's going to be confirmed and fulfilled if that's not what actually God is saying because, well, there's not the seeking first of the kingdom of God first.

And so God says, you're building up this wall, offering these promises of peace, but there is no peace. And the people need to be warned, not comforted. But you're building this wall, he's giving another illustration here, so that they think they have peace. It's a false peace, a false sense of security. And I'm going to break down the wall, he says in verse 14, and then you're going to know that I'm the Lord.

When I break down all those lies and all those things that you were told that you hoped would be confirmed or they hoped would be confirmed, when I break it down, then you'll realize and recognize that I am the Lord. Verses 17 through 19, again he says, prophesy against those who prophesy out of their own heart. He's talking specifically about, in verse 18, the women who sew magic charms.

And so there was the false prophets who were declaring things. And then there was ladies who were selling, hey, if I sew this magic charm into your garment, you're going to be protected. And you're going to, you know, have everything you need and have all your provisions. And God said in verse 19, your lies kill the people who should live. And they keep alive people who should not live. You're working exactly against what God is doing.

And so verse 20 through 23, he says, you made the righteous sad and you strengthened the wicked. The problem with these false prophets speaking what they hoped and speaking from their heart was they made the righteous sad. So they spoke against the ones who were right with God and the ones who were not right with God, they strengthened in their wickedness so that they felt no need for repentance. And so they continued on in their wickedness

And so God says in verse 23, And so once again I say, when will you know that he is the Lord? When will you submit to the Lord in your words? When will you realize that you're not free to say whatever you think, you're not free to say whatever you feel, you're not free to say whatever's in your heart,

that you are to speak his words and represent him well. When will you know that he is the Lord? Chapter 14 now of Ezekiel, verse 14 is the key verse. He says, even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness, says the Lord God. In verses 1 through 5, he talks about the elders who have set up idols in their hearts.

In verse 1, there's elders that come and sit before Ezekiel. So leaders there in Babylon come to Ezekiel. They sit before him and God reveals to Ezekiel what's happening within. He says in verse 3, These men have set up their idols in their hearts and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let myself be inquired of at all by them? They were dealt with in Jerusalem because of their idolatry.

Now in Babylon, they're continuing in idolatry, not necessarily with the wooden statues, but they have idols in their hearts. And this is one of the ways that we recognize today as we talk about idolatry in the scriptures. We're not just talking about bowing down to a statue, but there is idolatry that happens in the heart. And it's something that we are prone to, and you and I have to guard against this. When we are trusting in anything more than we trust in God...

There is an idol in our heart. When we are passionate about anything more than we are passionate about God, there is an idol in our heart. When we are devoted to anything more than we are devoted to God, there is an idol in our heart. When we are listening to anything more than we listen to God, there is an idol in our heart.

And so God says in verse 5, they are estranged from me by their idols. This idolatry that takes place in the heart separates us from God because our attention is divided. Our passion is divided. And there's a separation as we turn to these false gods. And how can you tell when you have set up an idol in your heart? Well, notice what he says there in verse 3. It's when you allow in your life

things which cause you to sin. He says they've put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. They're allowing in their lives things that cause them to sin because they've set up idols in their hearts. And if you allow in your life things that cause you to stumble into iniquity, but you continue to keep it, you protect it, you preserve it, that's an idol.

You've put something else before the Lord. And so he calls them in verses 6 through 11 to repent and turn away from idols. He says in verse 6, repent, turn away from your idols and turn your faces away from all your abominations.

He says in verse 8, I will set my face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb. And I will cut him off from the midst of my people. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. Those who have idols in their hearts, God says, I will set my face against them. I will set my face against them and cut him off. Why? Because he says, then you shall know that I am the Lord.

God sets his face against those who set up idols in their hearts so that those idols get knocked down so that they recognize that he is the Lord and they have an opportunity to get right with him. When will you know that he is the Lord? When he's knocked down all those idols that have been set up in your heart? Is that what it's going to take? It doesn't have to be the hard way. You can go the easy way which is

To repent and turn. Turn from those idols and turn to God. Now, I don't mean the easy way as in like, you know, it's easy, no problem. But it's easier than the hard way, okay? It's easier than the hard way. Trust me, I've tried both ways. I'd rather have the easy way. I'm sure you've tried both ways. And yet still, we choose the hard way so many times.

In verse 11, we see the purpose that God brings this judgment. He says in verse 11, This is what God is working towards. This is why he's bringing judgment. This is why he disciplines us.

That we might be his people and he would be our God. That he would have that rightful place and that we would know that he is the Lord. Well then in verses 12 through 20 he goes on to give some various examples that the righteous will only save themselves in the midst of a land of persistent unfaithfulness. He says in verse 13, look, when a land, when a nation sins against me,

By persistent unfaithfulness. They're continuing to rebel against God. He says, I will stretch out my hand against it. I'm going to cut off the supply of bread. I'm going to send famine. I'm going to cut off man and beast. God's going to bring judgment upon persistent unfaithfulness. That's consistent. God always does that. But as he talks about this process of judgment, he also brings up three guys. Three examples. Noah, Daniel, and Job.

And he says, if those guys are in this land that is persistently unfaithful, I mean, these are righteous guys. But their righteousness would only count for themselves, God explains. So the existence of Noah, Daniel, or Job would not save the nation. He also says in these verses, it wouldn't even save their own sons or daughters. Even though these are super righteous guys, their righteousness would only save themselves.

Not the nation, not their children. In verses 21 through 23, he says a remnant will be left. And so once again, he's announcing judgment, but then he also gives the glimmer of hope and says, look, I'm not done with you completely. There's going to be a group that I preserve through the midst of this. Well, now Ezekiel chapter 15 verse 8 is the key verse. He says, thus I will make the land desolate because they have persisted in unfaithfulness, says the Lord God.

So Jerusalem, he's still talking about, is this land that is in persistent unfaithfulness. They're continuing to insist on their way and refusing to turn to God. And so now he gives another illustration of the vine. Verses 1 through 5 he says, how is wood of the vine better than any other wood? He says in verse 3, can you make anything out of the wood from the vine?

You know, have you ever heard of, you know, you go to the store and you get a solid grapevine desk? You can't make anything. He goes on to say, you can't even make a peg out of wood from the grapevine. It's not useful for anything except in verse 4, fuel for fire. That's what it's good for. And then after it's burned, it's not any more useful. The vine is only beneficial in two ways. Number one is producing fruit.

But in order to produce fruit, the vine has to be attached. When it's not attached, it's only useful as fuel for fire. You can't build anything out of it. You can't make anything out of it. It's not useful. In verse 6 through 8, he explains the illustration. He says, I will set my face against the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

In verse 6 he says, Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They have separated themselves from me, and so they're not producing fruit. They're only useful then for the fire. So God says, I'm going to give them up to the fire because they have persisted in unfaithfulness.

Chapter 16, now verse 25, he says, In chapter 16, God tells Ezekiel, Ezekiel, you need to help them understand how wicked they've been.

And so he gives him the picture of an abandoned baby that's given birth to but then just left to fend for itself. And he talks about the nation of Israel as this abandoned baby. He says in verse 6, I saw you struggling in your own blood and I told you to live.

In verse 7, he says, I made you thrive. In verse 8, he says, I covered your nakedness. In verse 9, he says, I washed you. In verse 10, I clothed you. Verse 11, I adorned you. In verse 14, your beauty was perfect. And so this picture of this abandoned baby and God took it in, cleansed it, washed it, clothed it, adorned it, made it beautiful and mature. But then, what does this baby do? Verses 15 through 30, no longer a baby anymore.

He says, you've multiplied your harlotry. In verse 15, he says, you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it. Now, God goes through a series here and says, look what you've done. I made you beautiful, and then you trusted in your own beauty. And he's illustrating, he's telling them, listen, you've been rebelling against me,

With the very things that I have given to you. Verse 17, he says, you made images from my gold. I gave you gold and then you made idols out of it. Verse 18, you covered your images with my garments. I gave you clothing, I gave you covering and then you attached that to your idolatry. Verse 19, he said, you set my food before them. I provide food for you and you set it before these idols. Verse 20,

In verse 20 he says, you sacrificed sons and daughters from me. You gave birth to them unto me. And then you took them and you sacrificed them to these gods that you were worshipping. Quite literally they were sacrificing their children on these idols. And so he's illustrating how he has given them everything. And they've taken those things and used them to rebel against God.

And there's a truth there that we need to recognize. You cannot rebel against God with your own resources. When you rebel against God, it's always with His resources. It's always with things He's given to you. You take the things that God has given to you and you use those in your rebellion against Him. It's

A double insult in that way. Verse 23. Then it was so, after all your wickedness, he says, woe, woe to you, says the Lord God. So he's not finished yet with what they've done. And in the midst of, like, he's about to continue on and say more things, but it's just horrible. And so he pronounces, woe, woe to you, says the Lord God.

Why? Well, verse 25, you built high places. Verse 26, you committed harlotry with the Egyptians. Verse 27, I diminished your allotment, trying to call you back, wake you up. You know, your land is shrinking, but you still persisted on. Verse 28, you played the harlot with the Assyrians. And so he exclaims in verse 30, how degenerate is your heart? How degenerate is your heart? You've been

You've been involved in great abominations against me with the very things that I've given to you. In verses 31 through 43, he says, I will judge you as women who break wedlock. He calls them harlots, but then he also says in verse 31, you're not actually like a harlot because you scorned payment. A harlot receives payment, but instead in verse 32, he says, you are an adulterous wife who takes strangers instead of her husband. Now,

In the worship of these false gods, God is consistent throughout the scriptures. He refers to that as harlotry and adultery. It's spiritual harlotry, spiritual adultery, as well as literal in their case. They were involved in sexual immorality. But he's talking about how they would pursue these false gods and trust in other nations instead of trusting in God.

And trust in their own resources. And trust in what they had. And trust these idols that they worshipped. And so God says in verse 37. I'm going to gather your lovers. And I'm going to judge you as women who break wedlock. And they're going to see you naked and bare. And they're going to stone you. And they're going to burn your houses. All those that you turned to. And those things that you worshipped. Are going to be your destruction. Why? Verse 43 says.

Because you did not remember the days of your youth. But agitated me with all these things. Surely I will also recompense your deeds on your own head. Says the Lord God. And you shall not commit lewdness in addition to all your abominations. God says look. The path that you're on. The things that you've done. They're abominations. They're horrible. But you're not done yet. I got to intervene. I got to put a stop to this. Because if I don't put a stop to this. You're going to go even worse. Because.

And so I'm going to bring this judgment. I'm going to deal with you according to your abominations. Because if I don't, you'll keep going to get worse and worse. In verse 44 through 49, he says, Samaria was more righteous than you. Now Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom. Remember it was split in two? The northern kingdom, capital of Samaria, was wicked from the get-go. And God says, they were more righteous than you.

He says, they're your sister. And then he says, Sodom is your younger sister. You're just like Samaria and Sodom except for you're worse. Verse 47, you did not walk in their ways nor act according to their abominations. But as if that were too little, you became more corrupt than they in all your ways. You were worse than they were. You turned against me more than they did. He says in verse 51, Samaria did not commit half your sins.

And so he tells them, you're going to bear the shame and the disgrace for all that you did. Then in verse 63, 63, again, he says a little message of hope. Nevertheless, I will remember my covenant with you. I'm going to remember my covenant. You're going to go through. I mean, it's not like, don't worry, everything's going to be okay. That's not what God is saying. But he's saying, I'm not done with you. I'm not cutting you off permanently. I am going to have a small remnant. I'm going to remember my covenant. And I'm going to restore the people back into the land.

Chapter 17, now verse 16 is the key verse. So he gives another illustration here in verses 1 through 6. It's a great eagle who plants a twig.

Then there's another eagle who comes on the scene. So this first eagle takes a twig. He plants it in a fertile field by abundant waters. You know giving it everything that it needs. And it began to grow and it turned towards this eagle. But then in verses 7 through 10 the vine bends towards another eagle. There's another eagle that comes on the scene. And it begins to grow towards this other eagle. And focus on that other eagle. And God says is that enough?

twig is that vine going to thrive or will not the first eagle pull it up by its roots and cut it off is it going to survive now he explains what this illustration is all about in verses 11 through 21 when he says the king that is the king of jerusalem rebelled against babylon he says do you know what these things mean so he explains it the first eagle is babylon the other great eagle is egypt

Babylon set up Zedekiah as king. The second time Babylon conquered Jerusalem, King Nebuchadnezzar set up Zedekiah as king. And Zedekiah had a covenant with Babylon. I'm going to be obedient to you. I'm going to pay you tribute. But then he broke that covenant. He rebelled and made an alliance with Egypt. So he turned from the great eagle to the other great eagle. And so God says, will he prosper?

No he won't. In verse 16 he says he will die in Babylon. In verse 20 it's interesting. He says because he's committed treason against me. When he broke his covenant with Babylon. He committed treason against me. Because Babylon is God's instrument. God's tool. That's what he's been saying all along. He's been very clear about it. And so.

Those things in our lives which bring judgment upon us, we don't like very much. But when we turn away, when we refuse, when we break off from those things, it's rebellion and treason against God. Then again, he gives a glimmer of hope in verses 22 through 24. He says, I will plant the twig on a high mountain. And here's a prophecy, a look forward at Jesus and how he will become the cedar and he will establish his glorious kingdom.

Well we finish it off this evening with chapter 18 of Ezekiel. Verse 30 is the key verse. He says,

In verses 1 through 4, he says, the soul who sins shall die. Now this is God responding to something that they are saying. He says in verse 2, what do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel saying, the fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge. So this was a saying that the people in Jerusalem, in Babylon, they were saying this proverb.

The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge. And God says, what is this proverb that you're using? You're not going to use this proverb any longer, he says in verse 3. In verse 4 he says, all souls are mine. We all belong to God. And God says, the soul who sins shall die. And then he explains what that means in the rest of the chapter. He says in verse 5 through 9, if a man is just, he shall live.

If he's been obedient to me, if he's walked with me, kept my word, he will live, God says. But if he has a son who's a robber, verses 10 through 13, then he's going to die. And so if his son is wicked, the righteousness of the dad doesn't save him, he will die because of his wickedness. God says his blood shall be upon him. But then, if that wicked son has a son,

and he sees his father's wickedness, and he doesn't do likewise, well, then he will live. So if he learns the lessons from his dad and say, well, I don't want to live that way, I'm going to turn to God and do what's right, God says, then he shall live. Verses 19 through 32, God says, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, therefore, turn and live. So God's saying, the soul who sins shall die. Verse 20, the soul who sins shall die,

So everyone is dealt with as an individual. Nobody else's wickedness affects you as far as God is concerned. Nobody else's righteousness affects you as far as God is concerned. But then he also goes on to say in verse 21,

So there's opportunity to repent. You might remember a couple weeks ago, I talked about the man I met at Carl's Jr. who said, hey, a person is either good or bad. And if they're bad, they can't become good. But that's not what God says. No, look, if you're wicked, you have an opportunity to turn. And you won't die. I won't deal with you as a wicked person.

If you turn, he says in verse 22, none of the transgressions which you've committed shall be remembered because of the righteousness which you've done, you shall live. And so this is God's amazing grace. There's opportunity to repent because he says, look, I don't have pleasure in the death of the wicked. My pleasure is that he would turn from his ways and live. But likewise, if a righteous man turns, he shall be put to death. He shall die.

Well, what about all the righteousness that he did? None of that will be remembered. Now, verse 25, he says, Yet you say the way of the Lord is not fair. Here now, O house of Israel, is it not my way which is fair and your ways which are not fair? They say, look, this is unfair. Their thinking is along the lines of our thinking, I think. We want to live however we want, do whatever we want, and still have all the blessings from God.

And if God doesn't operate according to that, then we say, that's unfair. Because God, I've done so much for you. And God says, yeah, but you're living in wickedness. Yeah, but I've done so much for you. You should bless me. Yeah, but you're not listening to me and you're behaving wickedly. Yeah, but I've done so much for you.

It's unfair, God. Why are you treating me this way? Why are you allowing this to happen in my life? And God says, look, you're confused. My ways are fair. Your ways are unfair. My ways are, I will judge each one according to his ways. And so in verse 30, he says, repent and turn from all your transgressions so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Here's what's fair. I'm going to deal with you according to your ways. So turn from sin so that it doesn't ruin your life.

Again, because I have no pleasure in the death of the one who dies. Therefore, turn and live. So I wanted to just lay this out visually to just bring this point home and we'll finish with this thought. So he talks about in Ezekiel chapter 18, the righteous man. And he says, the righteous man shall live. The righteous man, the one who's right with God, the one who, like Ezekiel says, I did as the Lord commanded. Or I did what I was commanded. Right?

He knows that he's the Lord and so he's righteous. He's walking with God. He shall live. However, if he turns from his righteousness, he shall die. If the righteous man turns from his righteousness, turns away from God, God says, I'm not going to hold myself to the promise of life any longer because I'm dealing with each one according to his ways.

And so if he turns from his righteousness, he shall die. Now if this righteous man has a wicked son, that wicked son shall die. It doesn't matter how righteous the dad is. No son will be saved by the righteousness of the dad. We are not saved by anybody else's righteousness. It doesn't matter who your family is, who your friends are. Their righteousness does nothing for you as far as God is concerned. It doesn't compensate for your wickedness.

And so a wicked son, even if they have a righteous father, he shall die. However, God says, if he turns from wickedness, then he shall live. So you don't have to die. You have the opportunity to repent and have life by turning from your wickedness. He also went on to say, okay, so if the wicked son has a righteous son, the righteous son shall live. The wickedness of the father...

Doesn't affect the son in the way that he doesn't now have a chance to have life. No, the son of the wicked father can say, I don't want to be like that. I want to walk with God. And so if he walks with God, he shall live. Even if his dad's wicked. Even if his spouse is wicked. Even if his brother's wicked or sister's wicked. Or friends are wicked. It doesn't matter. If he's righteous, he shall live.

But if he turns from his righteousness, he shall die. This is what God says. This is what's fair. I'm going to deal with you according to your ways. So once again I ask, when will you know that he is the Lord? There's a lot of things in life that are not up to you. If you have a wicked father, that wasn't your choice. You don't have any control of that. But what you do have control of is what you do. And how you handle situations.

You have control of the choices that you make. It's up to you. And God deals with you according to that. According to what you do. You're not stuck in your condition. God offers to wash away the past, the sin, the old life. He says that repentance pleases Him. He'd rather you repent, not die. And He also warns, hey, past righteousness is not a covering for present wickedness.

Not only can other people's righteousness not cover up your wickedness, but your old righteousness can't cover up your wickedness. What God is calling for is right now, today, in this moment, turn and live. Turn to Him. Turn to Him. Submit to Him. Surrender to Him. Know that He is the Lord.

He says in verse 31, Now, as we go through Ezekiel, you're like, Jerry, I mean, we're all here at church.

So we've already turned. I mean, why are you telling us all these things and spending so much time on this? Well, because you know what? The people that Ezekiel was ministering to were going to church too. They were going to the temple. They were sitting before Ezekiel. But remember, God says they have idols in their hearts. There's issues in their hearts. And so I share all these things because, well, God wants us to know he sees our hearts. He knows what's happening. He knows the idols that are set up there.

And he, through Ezekiel, once again, is giving us an opportunity to repent. And he says, my ways are fair. I'm going to deal with you according to your ways. So don't live in wickedness. Know that I am the Lord. And be obedient to me and walk with me. Turn and live. Heavenly Father, we do pray that you would help us. Lord, as the nation of Israel and Judah would not receive your words, and so you had to use these words

illustrations and demonstrations in front of them. I pray, God, that you would help us not to have such hardened hearts. Help us, Lord, to not have to learn the hard way with you bringing judgment and severe discipline to us. But help us, Lord, as you speak to our hearts now to respond to your prompts to turn from our ways to follow you. Help us, God.

To know you are Lord. I pray that you would be magnified in our hearts and lives. That you would override all. That you would be our passion. That you would be the one that we trust in. That you would be our strength. That you would be the one that we look to for everything that we need. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.