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TH1202: On-Line
TH1202: EZEKIEL
Please turn in your Bibles to Ezekiel chapter 34, as we continue our study through the Word of God. And as you are turning there, keep in mind that beginning in chapter 33 and through chapter 48, the end of this book, we are in the third and last division of this book. We have now entered a section that deals with the future restoration of the nation of Israel and her people.
EZEKIEL 34
VERSES 1-3
1. Here God is inditing the leaders, both political and religious leaders in Israel, for not shepherding over the flock that God had entrusted to them. These leaders were more interested in themselves, what they could obtain from their position, instead of what they were to do, what God desired them to do. They were to care for, guard over, protect, feed and-so-on these people. You see, they added to their own wealth at the expense of others.
2. And what God said to His leaders back then, He is also speaking to the church at large today. We see leaders fleecing their flocks so they can eat the best food, wear the most expensive clothing, drive those fancy sports cars, and live in mansions while their own people are suffering. And yes, they use the Scriptures many times to justify their actions. They twist the Scriptures to make them say what they want them to say instead of what God intended them to say. They even make what they have to say so spiritual, but the reality is, they are fleecing the flock that God has entrusted to them. It is so bad out there that one pastor told his congregation that if you don’t tithe you won’t go to heaven! Another said "Not only is worrying a sin, but being poor is a sin when God promises prosperity!" And how do you obtain that wealth? By giving money to the church, to these leaders, and the more you give the more money God will give back to you. That my friends is greed! And these leaders are making a profit off of people’s lust for wealth. We are to be feeding the flock of God, not fleecing them!
3. In the early church, around 100 AD, they came out with a document called The Didache which means "teaching." And in it we see statements about church order to help guide the people from those that would take advantage of them. Listen to some of what this document says. We read "Let every apostle, when he cometh to you, be received as the Lord; but he shall not abide more than a single day, or if there be need a second, but if he abide three days, he is a false prophet. And when he departeth let the apostle receive nothing save bread, until he findeth shelter; but if he ask for money, he is a false prophet...And whosoever shall say in the spirit, give me silver or anything else, ye shall not listen to him; but if he tell you to give on behalf of others that are in want, let no man judge him."
4. I wonder how many televangelist’s today would be labeled false prophets according to The Didache? Here at Calvary Chapel we don’t ask for money. If you want to give to the Lord, you are free to do so. But I don’t know what anyone gives, nor do I want to know. That is between you and the Lord. And I feel very strongly that where God guides, He will provide for us, and He has! If you are involved in a ministry that is always asking for money, look out! Paul told Timothy, in I Timothy 6:6-12, "Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."
Don’t get caught up with the false doctrine of health, wealth and prosperity. Get caught up with Jesus and be satisfied with what He has given to you. And you give freely of your time, your resources, out of a cheerful heart, and you will be blessed beyond belief, because you are giving back to the Lord that which is already His so that His kingdom may grow!
VERSES 4-6
1. Again, God continues with this very sad inditement against His leaders. Not only do they place their own interests above those they were to watch over, but they also have no compassion, no concern for them. The weak are not built up. The sick needed healing and they received none. Those that were broken, their lives a mess, were not mended. They didn’t care about the lost but they did love to lord over the people, and they did so in a cruel way. They told them lies, they laid all kinds of rules, all kinds of regulations, laws before them, things that they themselves couldn’t even keep. And the end result of that was the people were scattered, they were hungry and they went searching for food. And whenever a sheep is in isolation he is vulnerable to annihilation! And the leaders did not care what happened to them.
2. Let me say this, and this is one of those things that drives me nuts. In the church today there is a disregard for the Word of God. People are not being fed but entertained. Paul, in Acts 20:27-28 said to the Ephesian church leaders, "For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. 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 telling them to feed their flock with the Word of God, for it will keep them healthy, well nourished, they will reproduce, and they will be satisfied. I have seen this with people, how they are starving to death, spiritually speaking, because their pastor is not feeding them the Word of God or they give a watered down message that is nothing more than a snack food, spiritually speaking. And the sheep are not healthy, they are not well nourished, and they tend to be scattered when difficult times come because they have nothing to stand upon!
3. And this is not only for pastors, but for leaders, for parents, for bosses, for people in government, for teachers, and-so-on. You are responsible for leading them, caring for them, protecting them, and-so-on. Yates, in his description of this section in Ezekiel, said that this is "A heart-rending picture [that] is painted of the unfaithful preachers of Ezekiel’s day. The flock are scattered, untended and hungry while selfish shepherds pamper themselves and loll in idleness and luxury without any thought of their responsibility. They are careful to look out for their own food and clothing, and comforts, but no one else is to be considered for a minute." You see, this is in stark contrast to what Jesus desires of us. He said in Mark 10:45, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." May that be our heart!
VERSES 7-10
1. God again explains what they were doing to the people and He hold’s them accountable. They had hearts filled with greed and they were not concerned, there was no compassion for the people they were to watch over. And because of that God removes them from their position, because they brought God’s people to ruin with their lies, they caused them to go into captivity. It is as James says, "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment." James 3:1.
2. Now that God has exposed the hearts of the false prophets, the false shepherds, He is going to speak of the True Shepherd!
VERSES 11-12
1. God’s people were scattered as they were taken into captivity by the Assyrians and then by the Babylonians. Yes, God came down hard upon His leaders because they should have known better. But He did have compassion towards the people. He did not condemn them, or call them stupid sheep. But He does go out looking for them, searching for them so that He can restore them, return them, revitalize them by feeding them and caring for them.
2. In the New Testament we read in Luke 15, beginning in verse 3, "So He spoke this parable to them, saying: ‘What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.’" Luke 15:3-7.
Our Lord goes out seeking and saving that which was lost. And when we come to Him, when we receive Him, heaven itself rejoices over this miracle! You can jut hear the angels talking, "Joe got saved! Unbelievable! God is so good even Joe got saved!" And there are shouts of joy when a sinner turns to Jesus because that which was lost is now found! And notice, God carries us on His shoulders, the only problem is that many times we jump off, we go our own way, and we get ourselves into trouble. Let Him carry you, let Him guide you, for He has what is best for you, He is our Great Shepherd!
VERSES 13-15
1. Our Lord does not come looking for us and once He catches us puts us into a forced labor camp. Ezekiel tells us that God brings us home, to a place where we will be feed, nourished and He makes us to lie down and rest. Isn’t the Lord good! It is just as Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
2. Too often in our Christian lives we are like Martha, always busy, no time to sit down at the Lord’s feet, and angry of those who do. Turn to Luke chapter 10, and lets look at this little problem that occurred between Mary and Martha. In verse 38 we read, "Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.’ And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.’" Luke 10:38-42. Mary chose the better thing, to spend time with the Lord, sitting at His feet and allowing Him to teach her. May we learn from that. May we not be so busy that we don’t have time for the Lord!
VERSE 16
1. All the things the false shepherds did to God’s people He was going to rectify, He was going to heal them.
VERSES 17-22
1. This is a time of future restoration and it is speaking of a time after the tribulation period just prior to the setting up of the Millennial kingdom. It is during this time that the Lord will judge the sheep from the goats. Those that have come to Christ during the tribulation period and have survived through the tribulation period, the sheep, will enter into the kingdom age with Jesus. Those who have rejected Jesus and make it through the tribulation period, the goats, will be cast into Hades until the Great White Throne Judgment and then they will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. And as we are going to see in our study in the book of Ezekiel, many Jews will come to Jesus, they will believe in Him as their Messiah on a national level, and they will enter into the kingdom age with Him.
VERSE 23
1. Some try to say that David is going to be resurrected and he will shepherd the people once again. I do not believe that this is speaking of the resurrection of David. This is speaking of the Son of David, one of his descendants, Jesus Christ! Listen to just a couple of examples of our shepherd found in the Scriptures. In John 10:11, 14 we read "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep...I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own." In I Peter 5:4 we read "and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away." Hebrews 13:20 tells us, "Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant." And in John 10:16 we are told, "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd." So our Shepherd, Jesus Christ, is the Good Shepherd, the Chief Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, and the One Shepherd. And one day He will rule and reign over this earth!
2. Many today like to lord over people, place themselves in a superior position. We even see that happening in the early church, and it continues on today. In Revelation 2:6 we are told, "But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate." Jesus hates that attitude, that lording over people. There is only One Good, Chief, and Great Shepherd, and that is Jesus Christ. May we listen to the words of Paul in II Corinthians 1:24, when he said, "Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand." Don’t lord over the people, love them and care for them, and feed them.
VERSES 24-29
1. Once again we are looking into the future, the kingdom age, when Israel will be restored to the Lord once again. And as they dwell among the living God, He showers down upon them blessings. There is a abundance of food that they can feed upon. There is safety, protection. What a beautiful picture that God is painting for His people. It is words of hope for them. Why do I say that? Because at this point in time the nation was in captivity in Babylon. Jerusalem was a wasteland. The temple was destroyed. The land was barren. And yet God said He will not only restore the land but His people! What a loving God we have!
2. This too can apply to us in our own lives. Are you dwelling in the presence of God? Is He the focus of your life? If He isn’t, He wants to be. He wants to feed you with His Word. He wants to protect you from the enemy. He wants to give you rest. He wants to make your life fruitful. But, if you, as a branch, are not attached to the Vine, Jesus Christ, you will dry up, become brittle, and produce no fruit, you will not find that true rest that is in Him alone!
VERSES 30-31
1. Again, keep in mind that at this time they were in rebellion against God, that is why they were taken into captivity! And in all of this, God is saying to them, "I love you! I will restore you! I will feed you! I will set up My Shepherd over you!" It is interesting, in verses 11-29 the phrase "I will" or that idea is mentioned some 18 times. God is going to do it, and that day is drawing closer. On March 14, 1948 Israel became a nation. In June of 1968 they recaptured the old city of Jerusalem. And God is going to breath life back into this once dead nation - they will be reborn! It is just as Paul said in Romans chapter 11 regarding the Jewish people coming to their Messiah, Jesus Christ, as a nation one day. Beginning in verse 25 of Romans chapter 11, we read "For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.’" Romans 11:25-27.
2. Now, in chapter 35 the Lord is going to speak against the nation of Edom, and I believe God is using Edom as an illustration of what will happen to all nations, all people who come against Israel, God’s chosen people!
EZEKIEL 35
VERSES 1-5
1. The Edomites occupied the area of land to the south of the Dead Sea. They are the descendants of Esau, the brother of Jacob. And it seems that all the deceit, all the conniving that Jacob perpetrated upon Esau resulted in anger and bitterness towards Jacob and ultimately the Jewish people. And what Esau felt was passed on to his people, the Edomites. They had an "ancient hatred" or an "everlasting hatred" towards the children of Israel. That hatred, that bitterness continued to grow and be passed on to future generations. In 588 BC the Edomites sided with the Babylonians in her assault upon Judah, never letting go of that anger, that bitterness, but just trying to get back at them for what was done to Esau, their father! And now God was holding them accountable for their actions against His people.
2. We as Christians can allow bitterness to affect us, and it can grow until it is manifested in our actions towards others. We need to deal with those feelings, give them to God or we can let those bitter feelings get the better of us. But what can we do about them? In Exodus chapter 15, as the children of Israel are wandering in the wilderness, we read beginning in verse 22, "So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’ So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet..." Exodus 15:22-25.
As they came to this water, they found it to be bitter, and the only solution to this problem, the Lord said, was to cast a tree in the midst of it and those bitter waters will be made sweet, and they were! What in the world does that mean to us today? Simply, as you are going through bitter times, difficult situations, instead of murmuring, instead of complaining, instead of retaliating, place a tree, or should I say a cross right in the middle of the situation you are in. You see, it is only Jesus who can take a bitter situation and make it better, make it sweet. It is as Paul said in Hebrews 12:14-15, "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking diligently lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled." The choice is ours, but there are consequences to our choices, as the Edomites found out.
VERSES 6-9
1. God is going to wipe out the Edomites because of the way they treated the children of Israel, God’s people. Destruction was coming upon them from the Lord. We get an idea of what they did to the children of Israel in Obadiah, where we read "For violence against your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. In the day that you stood on the other side-- in the day that strangers carried captive his forces, when foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem-- even you were as one of them. But you should not have gazed on the day of your brother in the day of his captivity; nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; nor should you have spoken proudly in the day of distress...You should not have stood at the crossroads to cut off those among them who escaped; nor should you have delivered up those among them who remained in the day of distress." Obadiah 10-12, 14.
VERSES 10-15
1. In Genesis 12:3 the Lord said to Abraham, "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." The Edomites will never rise again, they will not have a place in the millennial kingdom. As they rejoiced in Israel’s judgment so too will the earth in theirs!
2. As I bring this to a close this evening, understand this. God’s hand is upon His people, the Jew’s. The gentiles occupy the entire world except for this tiny portion of land that God gave to the Jew’s. A piece of land the size of New Jersey, and yet look at the groups that want Israel out so they can get in. Be careful. Any nation that comes against Israel will fall in power, they will be brought down. We in America must also take heed to this warning by God. May we see the blessings we have as we have supported Israel in the past and may we continue to do so. As wickedness fills our nation, I have to believe this is one of the things that is holding God’s judgment from falling upon us, our support of Israel. But it does seem like we are moving away from supporting Israel, I pray we don’t! As Psalm 122:6 says, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you.’" If you don’t believe it, look at the object lesson God has given to us, the Edomites, who represent all nations, all people who come against the Jewish people, God’s people! May we as a nation and a people learn the lesson.