Latest / Journey Elgin / Journey Through Scripture- Ezekiel 33-37
Transcript
- Phillip Thomas: Right, good to see you today. Welcome to our edition of our journey through scripture. My name is Philip Thomas, Pastor of Journey here in Elgin. And ⁓ we are kind of beginning a a ⁓ little bit different direction. So our chronological walk through Scripture has ⁓ led us up to the exile and the destruction of Jerusalem. So so now we enter into the time of the exile and the eventual return back to Jerusalem. ⁓ this would have been a very tenuous time for the people. See the their relationship with God had been ⁓ established through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, ⁓ and then Moses, remember bringing the people out of Egypt, ⁓ and then establishing the temple and establishing the nation. That was the how the people s saw themselves relating to God, is that they hadn't received this covenant ⁓ and that that God had blessed them with the land. And frankly they took that for granted. ⁓ they were not faithful to God and so therefore they lost it. So their whole identity of how they had been relating to God has now been completely destroyed. And so there were gonna be a couple of different directions that the people could go. One, they could kind of just well, I guess I guess that God doesn't care about us now. Let's just start Blending in and engaging with the countries that we're now in. Because remember, we're we're dealing with ⁓ the people from Judah that are in exile in Babylon, but there were also all the other people from the northern kingdom ⁓ who had fallen to Assyria years and years before. They're scattered around as well. And and so though the people had a choice are we going to continue to follow this God? ⁓ that made these wonderful promises to us that now we're not experiencing because we are being punished, ⁓ or are we just going to ⁓ blend in with ⁓ with the r the rest of the nations. and and so this was a time that the people's relationship with God was definitely challenged and stretched, ⁓ and there were a few key characters that we will see who were ⁓ integral in Keeping the people faithful to God and and in in many ways kind of redefining ⁓ their their faith. ⁓ they ⁓ they are definitely going to to have a a different view of God ⁓ after after the exile and it's gonna either be ⁓ strengthened and purified, ⁓ or it could go the other direction. And Ezekiel is going to be talking about that. So Today we're going to read Ezekiel 33 through 37. These are s man, there's a lot in here, and so I encourage you to read ⁓ these these chapters 33 through 37. ⁓ they're just r really awesome, and there's some wonderful things in here. So it starts off and it ⁓ mentions again that Ezekiel is being called to be the watchman. ⁓ and I I love it. It says the the watchman is there ⁓ to to warn. Says ⁓ when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, ⁓ then his blood shall be on his own head. But if the watchman doesn't s sound the alarm, then he's responsible. Right, and ⁓ verse eleven say to them as ⁓ as I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his ways and live. Turn. Turn from your evil ways, for why should you die, O house of Israel? So God is wanting them to turn. Yes, they've experienced ⁓ devastation and difficulty, but he wants them to turn from their evil ways, and he's giving them another chance. Starting in verse twelve, I'm just I'm gonna read ⁓ verses twelve through twenty. ⁓ this just really talks about The the fairness of God's judgment. You know, we we get uncomfortable with God's judgment and and we don't like talking about that. ⁓ but God is just and he is fair in his dealings. Says, Therefore, you, O Son of Man, say to the children of your people, the righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression. So y you're never righteous enough. As for the wickedness of the wicked, He shall not fall because of in the day that he turns from his wickedness, nor shall the righteousness be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins. When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trust in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered, but because of the iniquity that he has committed he shall die. Again, when I say to the wicked, you shall surely die if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right. If the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has stolen, walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him, and he has done what is lawful and right, he shall surely live. Yet the children of your people say the way of the Lord is not fair, but it is their way which is not fair. When the righteous turn from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. Yet you say the way of the Lord is not fair. O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways. Right? So this is so important. And and again, there you you hear a lot of New Testament type things here is that our our righteousness is not good enough. We have to rely on God. We have our behavior has to ⁓ has to ⁓ reflect our belief and our understanding and our trust in God. And God judges us as individuals. He doesn't judge us as a group. ⁓ that that is important to to understand. Each one of us will be judged according to our own ⁓ relationship with him. ⁓ and just because ⁓ we are ⁓ ⁓ righteous or self righteous, you know what, we still are sinful. And so all the all the righteous acts in the world ⁓ are not are not enough if we haven't ⁓ entered into a relationship, a covenant relationship ⁓ with God. And and I I I love that he says that ⁓ y'all don't like the way that I'm judging, but ⁓ but my way is fair because each one is judged according to to their own ⁓ on their own merits. And ⁓ and and it's it's extremely important to understand that, to to see how this leads into and ties into the New Testament. And that that Jesus provides ⁓ that that forgiveness, that relationship with God. He provides that covenant relationship with him, ⁓ where we do not have to rely on our own righteousness. ⁓ and and ⁓ when we experience a new relationship with him, we desire to be righteous, not not to save ourselves, ⁓ but because of who God is and what he has called us to do. chapter thirty four, ⁓ Ezekiel is kind of blasting the leadership, ⁓ the shepherds of Israel, that they have not done what they were supposed to do. ⁓ the Lord God says to the shepherds, Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves, should not the shepherds feed the flocks? ⁓ so they were scattered because there was no shepherd, they became food for the beast of the fields when they were scattered. ⁓ verse eight, as I live, says the Lord, surely, because my flock became a prey, and my flock became fruit for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did my shepherds search for my flocks. ⁓ therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord, thus says, Be so behold, I am against the shepherd. So he's really bashing the leadership ⁓ of of Israel, that they the priest The kings, they have failed the people because ⁓ they r looked out for themselves more than for the flock. They were not out there protecting the flock, feeding the flock, nourishing the flock. ⁓ then ⁓ it it kind of transitions to God being the true shepherd. ⁓ verse eleven, for thus says the Lord God, indeed I myself will search for my s sheep and seek them out, right? That God is the is the shepherd. Again. Thinking about what does Jesus say all the time? I am the shepherd. I'm here to feed my sheep. You know, that you you see all of that is that's directly connected back here with Ezekiel. Verse fifteen, I will feed my flock, I will make them lie down, says the Lord God, I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken, and strengthen what was sick, but I will destroy the fat and the strong and feed them in judgment. Right. So that God is is going to ⁓ to tend to the flock and he's also going to start attacking the wolves. and as for you, O my flock, says the Lord God, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between ram and goats. Everyone is going to be judged ⁓ equally and and according to their own ⁓ deeds and actions. Verse twenty three, looking forward, it says, I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them. My servant David, he shall feed them and be their shepherd, and I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David, prince among them, I the Lord have spoken. Verse thirty-one, You are my flock, the flock of my pasture, and you are men, and I am your God, says the Lord God. ⁓ So this is ⁓ again looking looking forward and how God is going to ⁓ come and rescue the people that he will be their shepherd. They will not ⁓ r rely on the the fail failed shepherds that have ⁓ failed in their leading of them in the past. Then in ⁓ chapter thirty-five it says judgment on Mount Sayr. ⁓ that is talking about judgment on Edom, ⁓ the Edomites. ⁓ we talked about that on Tuesday as well, so you can read ⁓ through there it talks about ⁓ that ⁓ that they will be held accountable because they kind of help Babylon. ⁓ you know, they would ⁓ pretend to be connected with ⁓ Israel but use every ⁓ opportunity they could ⁓ to push back against them and to ⁓ to damage them. Chapter 36 ⁓ talks about the blessings ⁓ that Israel will receive, ⁓ the that ⁓ that God is going to ⁓ to bless them again. You know that they have endured all this difficult hardship, but it was for a purpose, and God is going to renew ⁓ them. And verse twenty two says, Therefore says say to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord God, I do not do this for your your sake, O house of Israel, but for my holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. Okay, so what's the that word profane is is kind of connected with sacred, you know, whenever it's the opposite of sacred. So you when you had the temple, ⁓ everything within the temple was sacred and it was cleansed and it was holy. And so it was to be used ⁓ to ⁓ in the service of God. Well if it was used for something outside of that per ⁓ purpose, it wa it became profane. ⁓ and it needed to may be made ⁓ holy and cleansed again in order to be used ⁓ in the service of God. So what this is kind of talking about is the people of God, Israel, that they were supposed to be sacred. They were supposed to be an example to the rest of the world, that that they would point the rest of the ⁓ of the world to to God. They would be ⁓ God's representative. However, as they dispersed and ⁓ mingled among the nations, they became profaned. Right. They they did not ⁓ reflect the image of God in any in any way. And so what God is saying is I'm going to bring you back, but not for your sake, but for my sake, because you have been profaned, which means you have profaned my name, and so therefore I will cleanse you and ⁓ so that you can be the people that I ⁓ have called you to be, and so that you can be a a voice to the nations. It sa it continues on, it says, and I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst, and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when I am hallowed in you before their eyes, for I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness, from your idols. I will give you a new heart. Put a new spirit within you. I will take out the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep my judgments and do them. Right? That you will actually start living out what is on the inside. But it starts, it's gonna have to clean the inside. They've become hardened. And he's gonna have to remove the heart of stone, give them a heart of flesh that the where they have a heart for God, and then that will lead to them living the and following God's statutes. I if you don't change what's on the inside, you're never going to follow God's statutes the way they were intended. ⁓ you may decide to follow them ⁓ in a in a very ⁓ pharisaical way. Right. Yes, I'm following these in order t so that I can wield power over others. That is not why God wants us to follow his statutes. He wants us to follow us our statutes because our hearts are of flesh and our hearts are in tune with his. That is why we follow his statutes. ⁓ encourage you just continue to read that. It's ⁓ about this restoration. ⁓ of of Israel. Verse thirty seven, Thus says the Lord God, I will also let the house of Israel inquire of me to do this for them. I will increase their men like a flock, ⁓ like a flock offered as a holy sacrifice, like the flock of in Jerusalem on the feast in its days, so shall the ruined city be filled with flocks of men. Then they shall know that I am the Lord. So he's saying, I will restore you, I will cleanse you and make you holy again. CHAPTER thirty seven This is one that is very familiar. There's a song Dry Bones, Dry Bones, you know, the them dry bones, whatever the however the song goes. This is from Ezekiel, and it's a vision that he's seeing, and it's a vision that is reminding him, and it's kind of prophesying and saying, Okay, I am going to revive that which is dead. ⁓ I'm going to bring it to life again. and so the the image here is him in a valley. ⁓ where there's been a battle and the bones are just scattered everywhere of people who have been completely destroyed ⁓ in battle. ⁓ but he prophesies to them and he speaks to them and they come back and they grow ⁓ flesh and and ⁓ and then they begin ⁓ to be to to follow God again. It says verse eleven ⁓ he said they indeed say our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off. Therefore prophesy and say to them, Behold, ⁓ O my people, I will open your graves, cause you to come from your graves, bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up from your graves, I will put my spirit in you, and you shall live, I will place you in your own land, then you shall know that I the Lord have spoken it and performed it, says the Lord. Right? And ⁓ what does God do with Jesus? He raises him from the grave. He ⁓ the imagery of us being baptized as we are buried with Christ. We are raised to live a new life. This is this is who God is. This is what he is going to be doing. This is what he desires for us is is to not to not to stay those dry bones, but to allow him to rejuvenate us, to give us new life. ⁓ then you continue in ⁓ chapter thirty seven. It says ⁓ ⁓ talking about a stick as for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and ride on it for Judah, for the children of Israel and his companions. Then take another stick and ride it ride on it for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim for the house of Israel and his companions, and join them together ⁓ for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand. So all right, so there's two sticks representing the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom. This is a pretty big shift that's gonna happen right here. ⁓ i in in terminology anyway. So previously we've t we've either talked about ⁓ as the northern kingdom or the southern kingdom. Northern kingdom was called Israel, the southern kingdom was called Judah, right? The northern kingdom, remember Assyria took them out. They were called Israel. ⁓ but now they are no more. ⁓ then you have Judah and the southern kingdom. They now they're in exile. ⁓ and so everyone is scattered. But now those two are becoming one. So the two sticks are being merged together. ⁓ and and it's interesting how God ⁓ says this. He says, ⁓ the ch Judah and the children of Israel and the Ephraim, ⁓ and and the house of Israel and his companions. So both of them were from the house of Israel, right? So so now the people are going to be be called the people of Israel. and and you're going to see that ⁓ reference ⁓ through here much much more often. Says ⁓ verse eighteen, and when the children of your people speak to you saying, Will you not show us what you mean by these? Say to them, Surely I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions, and I will join them with it and the stick of Judah and make them one stick, and they will be in my one hand. And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes. ⁓ and it says, Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them to their own land. I will make them one nation in the land. One king shall be over them, they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. They shall not defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions, but I will deliver them from their dwelling places in which they have sinned, I will cleanse them. Then they shall be my people, and I will be their God. So God is bringing the people back together. That's what is happening as a result of the exile and that God will be returning the people and they will be one. Okay, so let's read ⁓ Ezekiel thirty eight through Ooh thirty eight through forty Let's do thirty eight through forty two.