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TH1193: On-Line

EZEKIEL

Ezekiel 12-15

Please turn in your Bibles to Ezekiel chapter 12, as we continue our study through the Word of God. And as we shall see tonight, God is going to pronounce judgment upon Jerusalem, the false prophets and prophetesses, and the elders who outwardly appeared sincere, but inwardly their hearts were far from God. Keep in mind the third and final siege by the Babylonians has not taken place yet, but it is fast approaching. The captivity of the nation for their refusal to repent of their sins, to come out of their idolatry, is at the door.

EZEKIEL 12

VERSES 1-2

1. The blindness of the people was willful. The deafness of the people was willful. They chose not to see or hear what God was showing them and saying to them.

VERSES 3-6

1. Here is another one of those action sermons by Ezekiel. First of all he was showing the captives in Babylon how the rest of the nation will be taken into captivity, just as they were several years earlier.

2. Secondly, all his belongings he brings back inside, and he digs a hole through a wall in his house, and with his face covered he is to carry his belongings outside, through this hole in the wall, under the cover of night. Obviously he has an audience, all wanted to see what he was going to do next and what this all meant.

3. Now why did Ezekiel do this? Doesn’t it sound a little extreme? And did Ezekiel understand why he was doing this? Lets read on and I think we will see.

VERSE 7a

1. First of all, as I have said, this was an object lesson for the people to see. And yes it was extreme, but God was trying to get their attention. And, interestingly enough, Ezekiel, at this point, did not understand the significance of this lesson, he just did as he was commanded. Understand this, God does not always give you an explanation why He is having you do something, He just wants you to take that step of faith and then He will show you.

2. A good example of this is found in Acts chapter 8. In this section of Scripture we see Philip go down to Samaria and revival breaks out. Things were happening. People were getting saved. And then the Lord tells Philip to leave Samaria and go down to Gaza, a desert! Philip is not given any reason why, and it seemed foolish to leave Samaria and go to a place where there was no one at, a desert. But Philip obeyed the Lord, he went down to Gaza, and then the Lord showed Him the reason. Fist he took the step of faith. You see, traveling through this area was an Ethiopian eunuch who was reading from Isaiah and he didn’t understand what he was reading. And as Philip caught up with him, he explained the Scriptures to this eunuch, he got saved, baptized and took the joy of the Lord back home with him. You see, it is a matter of trust, of faith on our part to take those steps of faith and then God will show us the reason many times.

VERSE 7b-9

1. Do you see how this got the peoples attention. And now God will explain to Ezekiel what this means so he could tell the people.

VERSE 10

1. This object lesson is speaking of the captivity of the nation and specifically, the last king in Judah, Zedekiah.

2. Think about this for a minute. If Ezekiel did not take that step of faith, if he was not obedient to the Lords commands, this lesson would not have occurred or God would have raised up someone else to speak through and Ezekiel would have missed out on the blessing of serving the Lord. I wonder how many times we miss out on the blessings that God has for us because we don’t take those steps of faith?

VERSES 11-13

1. Ezekiel is speaking of the vain attempt by Zedekiah to escape. You see, the night before the city fell, Zedekiah packed his bags, got his family together, covered his head to look like a common person and not the king, and he tried to escape through a break in the wall. He did not make it too far, only to the plains of Jericho. There they were captured by the Babylonians and taken to Nebuchadnezzar who was in Riblah, to the north of Jerusalem. And there the king of Babylon killed Zedekiah’s sons right before his eyes and then he blinded Zedekiah and took him away as a captive to Babylon, even though he never saw it because he was now blind! And it was in Babylon that Zedekiah spent the remainder of his life, he died in captivity.

VERSE 14

1. There is no place to run, no place to hide, you can’t escape the judgment of God!

VERSES 15-16

1. God could have wiped them all out. But there were the faithful remnant and those that still had hard hearts. And I believe God was protecting His name, His character, showing that He could protect His people, but because of their rebellion, this judgment came upon them, costing many their lives.

VERSES 17-20

1. I tend to believe Ezekiel once again did this out in the open so all could see. And Ezekiel is showing them the terror of their people as the Babylonians break through the walls and capture them, and killing many of the people.

VERSES 21-22

1. This proverb that was going around was against the prophets of God. They were saying these visions have failed, they are not going into captivity. Now understand a good portion of the nation was already in captivity. And thus, as we started out saying tonight, they had eyes but they didn’t see, they had ears but they didn’t hear the things of God, their hearts were hard and cold towards the things of God.

VERSE 23

1. This proverb will be put to silence when the judgment of God is poured out. In fact, the Lord is saying the time is short, He is about ready to pour out His wrath upon them.

VERSES 24-28

1. They had mistaken the patience and longsuffering of God for God delaying His judgment, that it won’t happen for a long time. How many people, in their own lives, have mistaken the patience and longsuffering of God and have received His wrath? Tragically, many have. Peter even warns us about the days we are living in and how people will deny the wrath of God being poured out. He said, "knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’ For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." II Peter 3:3-7. It is their choice, and many willingly forget what the Lord has done in the past and what He is going to do once again, His wrath that is going to be poured out upon a Christ rejecting world.

2. Now the Lord is going to come against the false prophets, who were not only in Jerusalem, but many had already been taken into captivity and yet they still were speaking forth lies. And you can read about these two groups of false prophets in Jeremiah chapters 28 & 29 on your own, but what a sad statement in the face of all these warnings!

EZEKIEL 13

VERSES 1-3

1. They had seen no vision and what they spoke came from the imagination of their own hearts. Denis Lane explains what the preaching was like back then and you will see that for the most part, things have not changed much over the years. He said:

"It never rose higher than the preacher’s own minds. It deceptively claimed to be God’s Word. It had not practical or useful effect. It offered cheap grace and a false peace. It simply endorsed the latest world view."

VERSE 4

1. Foxes are sly, cunning, and they love to prey on dead carcases. How does that relate to Judah and these false prophets? The nation was as good as dead, and these false prophets, acting like foxes, were not giving the people anything to eat, anything to live on in terms of spiritual food, but instead they were feeding off the people.

VERSE 5

1. What wall is the Lord speaking of? Ezekiel 22:30-31 tell us. We read "‘So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,’ says the Lord GOD." They were to be leading the people in repentance but instead they lead the people away from God. Thus, there was no wall of protection around them.

VERSE 6

1. They were telling the people the things they wanted to hear, they were tickling their ears, and then hoping it would come to pass. It was wishful thinking on their part and not of the Lord. Listen to what the Lord has to say regarding the false prophets in Jeremiah chapter 23, beginning in verse 16. We read "Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; they speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the LORD. They continually say to those who despise Me, ‘The LORD has said, "You shall have peace"’;and to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you.’"..."I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in My counsel, and had caused My people to hear My words, then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings."...

...‘I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart, who try to make My people forget My name by their dreams which everyone tells his neighbor, as their fathers forgot My name for Baal. The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?’ says the LORD." ‘Is not My word like a fire?’ says the LORD, ‘And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,’ says the LORD, ‘who steal My words every one from his neighbor. Behold, I am against the prophets,’ says the LORD, ‘who use their tongues and say, ‘He says.’ Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,’ says the LORD, ‘and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all,’ says the LORD." Jeremiah 23:16-17, 21-22, 25-32.

2. And things are no different today. Peter tells us in II Peter 2:1-3, "But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber." I have to admit I get angry when I hear these teachers prey on people. One pastor told his people that if you don’t tithe you won’t get into heaven! How sad, and I’m sure many believed what he said, but it was not of God, it was a lie of the devil. People will try to make a profit off of God, but in the end these Christ merchants will have to answer to God!

VERSE 7

1. They were not speaking for God, but God says they were using divination, occult practices, things not of God! Again, we see this with tarot cards, fortune tellers, Ouija boards, horoscopes and-so-on. Be careful, God warns us to stay away from these things!

VERSES 8-12

1. These people had built their lives around these lies that were given by these false prophets. It was like using untempered mortar to repair the walls. It won’t hold, it is not strong, and in the end everything you placed your trust in will come crashing down. It was a false security.

2. A sad example of this was seen in World War II when the Jehovah Witnesses were told not to side with Hitler and that if they were captured and placed before a firing squad, that before the bullets hit them, the bullets would stop. The bullets would not enter them or kill them. This idea was given to them from the Watch Tower, which is a group of Jehovah Witnesses that have a direct line with God, and what they say is supposedly gospel, even though they have been wrong many times, they are nothing more than false prophets! And many Jehovah Witnesses stood with complete confidence in this lie, and these people not only died physically, but spiritually, believing the lies of these false prophets!

VERSE 13

1. They had built their lives upon a unstable foundation, and it was not going to be able to stand God’s wrath. The judgment of God was coming!

VERSE 14

1. Again, if your faith is not built upon the Rock, Jesus Christ, it will fail. Jesus makes that point in Matthew 7:24-27, when He said, "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. Now everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

VERSES 15-16

1. God is holding them accountable for what they were teaching the people. And yes, people are accountable for what they believe, but God does hold the teacher to a higher standard, for he is leading the people. James 3:1 says, "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment." I wish more teachers would understand that and it would cause them to speak the truth instead of telling people lies, tickling their ears. And also understand that this goes for anyone who teaches the Word, shares the Word of God, you are accountable to give an accurate representation of Him!

VERSE 17

1. Not only were the men speaking lies from their heart, but the women were doing the same thing. (You can find prophetess in both the Old Testament, Exodus 15:20; and in the New Testament, Acts 21:8-9, as a couple of examples).

VERSE 18

1. These were nothing more than good-luck charms and these women were preying on the gullibility of the people so they might make a profit off of them. But they were giving people a false hope so they could fill their pockets with money.

VERSE 19

1. They were destroying lives by their lies. The reality was, according to the Law, these false prophetess should have been put to death!

VERSE 20

1. Please understand this, false prophets, false doctrines are nothing more than hunters and destroyers of mens souls. Remember the story of Nimrod back in Genesis chapter 10. It says that "He was a mighty hunter before the Lord." Literally that can be translated, "He was a mighty hunter of mens souls before the Lord." You see, with Nimrod came false religion and what he started continues on today with many different branches. There are many false prophets waving people down the broad way that leads to hell. These people are dangerous! Be careful!

VERSES 21-23

1. God is going to expose their lies by bringing judgment upon the people. You see, these false prophets used a white plaster to cover over the defects, the sin in the lives of God’s people. And instead of exposing sin, they covered it over, and judgment came! Yes, the people were accountable for what they believed, but these false prophets were in no way excused in what they were teaching.

EZEKIEL 14

VERSES 1-2

1. Ezekiel had established himself as a prophet of God among the Jewish captives in Babylon. And now these elders have come to Ezekiel to hear from God, which sounds good. The problem, as we are going to see, it was all superficial, outward, and their hearts were still full of evil and idolatry, they were far from God.

VERSE 3

1. I n Jerusalem they practiced their idolatry in the open, but now that some are captive in Babylon, they still are practicing it, but now in their hearts, where sin begins. Yes, outwardly it looked good, but inwardly they still were rebelling against God. It is like the story of the little boy who was being punished by his father. And the father wanted him to sit in the chair, but he kept refusing. Finally, the boy obeyed his dad, sat down in the chair, and said, "I may be sitting down on the outside, but on the inside I’m still standing!" That was the heart of these elders!

VERSES 4-9

1. Is God making these prophets speak lies? I don’t believe so. Remember the story in I Kings chapter 22, as Ahab was the wicked king in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and the many false prophets that he had in his kingdom. And yet God had a faithful prophet by the name of Micaiah. And in I Kings 22:19-23 we read "Then Micaiah said, ‘Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left. And the LORD said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ The LORD said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the LORD said, ‘You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.’ Therefore look! The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has declared disaster against you.’"

What I believe is going on here in I Kings and here in Ezekiel is this. When people harden themselves to the truths of God, God will allow these lying spirits, these demons to speak to them, and they will believe them. It was their choice and God allowed them to receive what they wanted to hear, even though it was a lie, because they rejected the truth. You see, God doesn’t lie, He is light and there is no darkness in Him at all! But if you reject the truth, there are plenty of these demons, fallen angels that will give you what you want to hear, even though it is a lie!

VERSES 10-11

1. God is giving them one last chance to turn to Him, but they refused.

VERSES 12-14

1. The land was so wicked at this point that nothing was going to stop the judgment of God from coming, not even these three righteous men; Noah, Job and Daniel who was a contemporary with Ezekiel.

VERSES 15-21

1. God’s judgment is severe but it is never greater than the sins of the people. In fact, God’s judgment is always tempered with grace and mercy. We never fully get what we deserve!

VERSES 22-23

1. God is going to save a remnant that will love Him and serve Him. And these words were to be an encouragement, a comfort, as we see in the midst of this judgment, God’s grace and mercy come shining through.

EZEKIEL 15

VERSES 1-3

1. God is saying that a grape vine is really not good for making any furniture, not even a small peg to hang things on.

VERSE 4

1. It doesn’t even burn well because it is consumed so quickly. Then what in the world is a grape vine good for? To bring forth grapes, of course! But, the nation was not bringing forth any fruit and thus God was going to judge them with fire.

2. In John 15:4-8 Jesus said, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples." God has also designed us to bring forth fruit in our lives. And there is joy in doing what your were created for. Paul said in Ephesians 2:10 "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." As we abide in Him, we will produce fruit. It is what we were created for and that fruit then brings glory to God.

VERSES 5-8

1. God wanted to awaken them out of their spiritual sleep so they would return to Him. But they continued to refuse and God was going to have to hurt them to heal them! God’s desire is to bring us to Him, and He will do whatever it takes. Don’t fight Him, receive Him into your life and you will be fruitful in your endeavors.