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TH1201: On-Line
TH1201: EZEKIEL
Please turn in your Bibles to Ezekiel chapter 33, as we continue our study through the Word of God. Ezekiel chapter 33 begins the third and last division of this book. In chapters 1-24 we looked at the nation of Israel’s past judgment. In chapters 25-32 we dealt with God’s judgment of the nations that surrounded Israel. And now, in chapters 33-48 we are going to be looking ahead to a future restoration of the nation and her people. The nation, in a sense, is going to be reborn!
EZEKIEL 33
VERSES 1-5
1. Back in Ezekiel chapter 3, God commissioned Ezekiel as a watchman. And now God is re-commissioning Ezekiel here in chapter 33. And a watchman was very important for they were to warn the people of any danger that was coming upon the city. If you failed to warn the people, it could have deadly consequences!
2. A prophet of God, a man or woman of God, is to warn the people of God’s coming judgment because of their sin or to encourage them as they live for God. But here it is speaking of God’s judgment coming upon them because of their sin. Now if they heed this warning and turn from their wicked ways, they shall live. But if they refused to heed the warnings and get right with God, they will die in their sins. And if they do, it is their own fault, they won’t be able to blame anyone for what has come upon their lives.
VERSE 6
1. Now God tell’s us if the watchman see’s danger, judgment coming and does not warn the people, the people will die because they are accountable for their actions, and the watchman is also accountable for not warning the people. We have seen this in our studies through Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel as the false prophets refused to warn the people of God’s coming judgment, and the judgment came!
VERSE 7
1. God now is re-commissioning Ezekiel as the watchman for the nation. And notice this, first Ezekiel is to hear the Words of God, and then he is to speak them to the people. The idea here is we need to open our ears to the things of God before we open our mouth! You can’t give what you don’t have!
VERSES 8-9
1. Too often people take Old Testament words and make them into New Testament doctrine. Some, in reading this, say that if we don’t warn people, we can loose our salvation. I don’t believe that for a minute. You see, if that were true then our salvation would be based upon our works instead of the finished work of Christ on the cross of Calvary.
2. Then how does this apply to us today? We do have the responsibility of speaking forth the Words of God, even those things that are difficult, those things that might not be politically correct. There are those today that won’t speak out against sin, homosexuality, immoral lifestyles, those things that tend to offend people. Why? As Proverbs 29:25 says, "The fear of the man brings a snare..." And thus, to be popular, to fit in, to keep the big tithers coming into the church, they water down the Words of God. That is wrong. We are to give them the truths of God whether they want to hear them or not. As Paul warned Timothy, "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." II Timothy 4:2-4.
3. I don’t believe these verses here in Ezekiel are speaking of our position, but they are speaking to us in a practical sense. Remember Paul’s last meeting with the Ephesian elders in Acts chapter 20. He spent 3 years with these people, teaching them the things of God, sharing with them at the school of Tyrannus. And he say’s to them beginning in verse 26 of Acts chapter 20, "Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God." Acts 20:26-27. Paul did not hold back but spoke forth the whole council of God. He was not guilty before God in fulfilling his responsibility towards man. He spoke forth the truths of God even when they were unpopular and went against what society was saying. And thus, it was now up to them to take those words and heed them.
He continues on by saying in verse 28, "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood." Paul is speaking to pastor’s here, and he is telling them to "feed" or "shepherd" the flock that God has given to them. We can look at David, his love for the sheep he watched over in the fields. And God saw those qualities of a shepherd would be needed to watch over the sheep, His people, as David became king over Israel. The word for "shepherd" is the Greek word POIMAINO, and it carries with it the idea of not just feeding the sheep, but guiding them, leading them, guarding them, and-so-on.
And Paul is trying to instill in these pastors a shepherds heart. He continues to say in verse 29, "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified." Acts 20:29-32.
Two important points Paul makes here. First of all they are to watch out for their sheep. Why? Because savage wolves are lurking around to pick them off and gobble them up. Secondly, they are to warn their sheep. Why? Because wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing will rise up to capture them. Those are some of the responsibilities of a pastor today, to watch over and warn his people.
If you have been here at Calvary for any length of time, you know that I have no problem speaking against false doctrine that has been creeping into the church at large. If I refused to do that, if I was more concerned about my own popularity rather than the truths of God, I would not be a good watchman but I would be leaving the people that God has entrusted to me vulnerable for attack.
One of the area’s today that truly troubles me, besides many others that the church is embracing that goes against the Word of God, is Psychology. Over the past 100 years or so we have taken in the teachings of Freud, a cocain addict and truly a sick man. Jung, who had a spirit guide named Philemon who terrified Freud. Carl Rogers who speaks to dead spirits. And the world and many in the church are telling us that these men, and others like them, have the answers to man’s mental health. Hey, listen carefully, these guys were so screwed up and yet they are supposed to have the answers for us. Psychologists, Psychiatrists have the highest suicide rate in any profession. Why? Because they are suppose to have the answers and the reality is, they don’t!
Think about this for a minute. What did Christians do for the 1800 years or so before Freud, Jung and Rogers were around? A lot better! Paul, in Colossians 2:8-10 said, "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power." Don’t be fooled, don’t be cheated by their lies! Peter tells us "as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." II Peter 1:3-4.
God has given to us all we need for this life, and that is found in His Word. Don’t let the garbage of this world cover up the truths of God. Thus, as I get off my little soap box here, we need to point people to Jesus Christ according to what the Word of God has to say. The Word of God is sufficient for us today, just as it was in Paul’s day. Don’t be fooled by the lies that the so-called professionals try to tell you. God knows what is best for us and He has given it to us!
VERSE 10
1. Keep in mind these people were mocking, putting down, ignoring the Words of God that were spoken by the prophets of God. But now they are seeing all that the prophets of God said coming to pass before their very eyes, and they saw it as a hopeless situation for them. They were ready to just give up and die! How sad a perspective of God they had developed. And, tragically, many today feel the same way. But listen to what verse 11 says and you will see the heart of God for sinful man!
VERSE 11
1. You may hear people today speak of God sending people to Hell, but that is not a correct statement. Man goes there by choice. God is pleading with man to turn from his sinful ways so that he may live, but if they refuse, they will die in their sins! Jesus said in Matthew 18:11, "For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost." You see, He comes looking for us. And as John 3:36 tells us, "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." God has done everything possible to save man, He sent His Son to pay the penalty for our sins, and if we reject that we will die in our sins and we only have ourselves to blame for where we will spend eternity!
VERSES 12-16
1. Now, once again, some will read this and come to the conclusion that our salvation is not secure. That you must continue to walk in righteousness, that you must continue to walk your way into heaven. If you don’t you will die! Think about that for a minute. You can be doing really good and then blow it, and you are out of the kingdom of God! Not true! First of all, the Old Testament economy was based upon man’s faithfulness in keeping the Law. If he transgressed the Law, he could die. But we are not under the Law. James says "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all." Thus, you could not keep the entire Law, the Law was to show us our sin and show us our need for a Savior!
Secondly, once we are in Christ we are saved forever! Now I am not speaking of pretenders, or counterfeits, but those who sincerely have come to Christ. You see, our good works don’t get us into heaven, it is all predicated upon Christ’s finished work. Paul makes that very clear in Ephesians 2:8-9, when he said, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." So if you have done nothing to get saved but receive the free gift of God by faith, I don’t believe you can do anything to cause you to loose your salvation because then our salvation is based upon our faithfulness and not God’s!
2. One of the sad things I see in the church today is what is called legalism. And that only keeps us in bondage. You have to cut your hair, dress a certain way, not wear make-up, and-so-on. You can’t do this and you can’t do that is the mentality, like it makes you more holy or something. To me, that is not freedom that Christ has given to us. As Paul said in Galatians 5:1, 4 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage...You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace." You see, legalism is like a ball and chain that keeps you bound to this earth. But grace gives to us wings to sore for God, to be truly free. Don’t mix Law and grace because they don’t mix. It would be like trying to mix oil and water, it doesn’t work. And if you try it will only mess you up. I had one person come and tell me that they have never met a person with long hair that was intelligent! How sad, and it just shows you the foolishness of legalism, the bondage these people are in.
VERSES 17-20
1. Make no mistake about it, God is absolutely fair! "But what about the Aborigines in Australia? Or the Pygmies in Africa? How can God judge them if they have not heard of Jesus?" Make no mistake about it, God is absolutely fair! As Psalm 96:13 says, "For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with His truth." And in Psalm 98:9 we read, "For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, and the peoples with equity."
2. I think the bigger issue is "What have you done with the truths of God that you have heard?" You see, you are accountable for what you know. When you stand before the creator of heaven and earth you will be asked only one question, "What have you done with My Son, Jesus Christ?" And you are not going to respond by saying "But, what about...?" You sins will be before you and you will be cast out of His presence for eternity. God is fair, make no mistake about it!
VERSES 21-22
1. This takes us back to what happened in Ezekiel chapter 24. You remember the story, God told Ezekiel that he was to speak to the people all day long, and then, when evening came, his wife, the one who was the desire of his life, the one he loved dearly, was going to die. And in her death he was not to mourn over her as an example of what was to happen to Jerusalem, the place that the Jews loved dearly. Now after Ezekiel spoke these words to the people, God makes him a mute, he was unable to speak forth the Words of God to them anymore, and this lasted 3 years. Yes, Ezekiel did speak judgments against the gentile nations that surrounded Israel, but to the people of God he was silent for those 3 years.
2. Now Jerusalem has fallen and it has taken some 18 months for this messenger to make it from Jerusalem to Babylon, those 700 miles or so. It was a difficult journey, he could have been weak and wounded from the battle against the Babylonians. But finally he makes it and as he arrives, God opens Ezekiel’s mouth to once again speak forth the truths of God to the Jewish people.
VERSES 23-24
1. In 586 BC, during the third and final siege against Jerusalem, the Babylonians leveled the city and took most of the people into captivity, only leaving a few in the land. And the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, placed Gedaliah as governor over these people. But those Jews who remained in the land were wicked, the good ones were taken captive to Babylon for the most part because God was not done with them. He was going to do a mighty work in them and bring them back into the land once again. But the wicked ones who remained in the land killed Gedaliah, the one whom Nebuchadnezzar placed in charge, and now the people are worried that the king will come after them and destroy them.
So they come running to Jeremiah asking him to seek God’s counsel on this matter, what they should do, to remain in the land or flee down to Egypt. And as Jeremiah comes to them he tells them to remain in the land, don’t flee down to Egypt. And you think great, they finally are seeking God’s counsel in their lives. But their response is strange. They basically tell Jeremiah, "God didn’t speak to you! You are a liar!" How frustrating that must have been for Jeremiah. Speaking forth the Words of God to his people for 46 years and even though all that Jeremiah said came to pass, they refused to listen and obey. They fled to Egypt and were destroyed by the Babylonians when they came down upon the Egyptians, just as God had said. These rebels were saying they would take over this land again, for if Abraham being one person inherited it, how much more we should since we are many! But their rebellion drove them out and finally destroyed them!
VERSES 25-26
1. God is reminding them that they lived contrary to His Law, they lived like the devil and then expected God to bless them. Yes, God does cause the rain to fall upon the just and the unjust. But He is not bound by that. How many times have you heard someone complain about some adversity that has come upon them and they can’t understand why God is doing that to them. The interesting thing is they could care less about God, they are doing their own thing, and only when trouble comes does God get blamed, it is not their actions that have brought this upon them.
VERSES 27-29
1. What God is doing here is purging the land of the wickedness that permeated it, and He will then bring home a faithful remnant to start a new work in and through them.
VERSES 30-31
1. This is interesting to me. The people mocked Ezekiel, refused to listen to him, laughed at him, but now all the things he spoke of came to pass. He is a prophet of God! Now it was a popular thing to do, to go and listen to Ezekiel. It was entertaining. It was a big social event. If you didn’t go, something was wrong with you. So they loved to hear what Ezekiel was saying. But it never moved their hearts. It never changed their lives. James tells us in James 1:22-25, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." It is not only hearing the Word of God but the application of the Word of God to our lives!
VERSES 32-33
1. During the time of Wesley and Whitefield, they had huge gatherings. They would set up their soap box or whatever, and begin to speak and crowds would gather from all around. And you read stuff like that and you wonder why we don’t see that today? Interestingly enough, during that period of time, the people loved to hear people speak. They loved the way people would articulate a message. Tragically, many of those people never let the message sink deep into their heart. There was no transformation taking place, only a building up of knowledge, which only puffs up and eventually explodes.
2. Churches are filled with people who like to hear what is being spoken. Week after week they come in and they go out but nothing changes in their lives. They may say, "Great message!" But the reality is, they should be saying "God spoke to me, He pierced my heart, I must do something about it!" May God’s Word go forth in power and change peoples lives. If you don’t allow it to, you will be swept away by the winds of doctrine that come blowing through the church. God’s Word is going forth, what are you doing with it? And I guess, as a pastor, you can say that I have come to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable! It is as Isaiah 55:11 says, "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." May you allow God, by His Spirit, to transform your life!