Psalm 150 (continued, part 23)
Promises to Israel (28:20–26) After delivering a message of judgment, Ezekiel sometimes "dropped in" a message of hope for God's hurting people. Even though the Lord was chastising His own people by destroying Jerusalem and the temple, He was still their God and had a loving concern for them. "But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more" (Rom. 5:20 nkjv).
Judgment on Sidon (vv. 20–24). Sidon was a rival city located about twenty-five miles north of Tyre. Usually the two cities are mentioned together (Isa. 23:1–4; Jer. 47:4; Joel 3:4), but here Sidon is singled
Judgment on the king of Tyre (vv. 11–19). The previous declaration was one of Ezekiel's "because … therefore" (vv. 6–7) statements, such as you find in
Ezekiel 28—29
out for judgment by the Lord.7 The people of Sidon despised the Jews and often caused trouble for them, but now that opposition would end. "They shall know that I am the Lord God" (Ezek. 28:24). Ezekiel makes the startling statement that God would be glorified in the destruction of the city (v. 22; see 39:12–13). How could the Lord be glorified by such carnage? Because it would demonstrate His holiness in rejecting false gods and punishing sin. The swords of the Babylonian soldiers would kill many of the people, and those who escaped would die of the plagues that often accompany wartime slaughter.
Jacob and his mother. Both Jacob and Rebekah suffered for what they did, but God overruled their unbelief and fulfilled His plan (Rom. 9:10–16). When they finally met, Jacob's treatment of his brother was hardly honest and loving (Gen. 32–33). He tried to appease (bribe?) him with gifts, he refused to travel with him, and he lied when he said he would follow Esau. Instead, he went in a different direction! They met again at Isaac's funeral (35:28–29). 4 The word Palestine comes from Philistine. 5 Amos rebuked Tyre for selling slaves to other nations (Amos 1:9–10). 6 Isaiah 14:12–23 is a declaration of God's punishment of the king of Babylon, but there are certainly strong suggestions that the passage also involves Satan, the god of this age, who through his demonic forces is working in and through world leaders (Dan. 10). 7 For other prophetic denunciations on Sidon, see Isaiah 23; Jeremiah 25:22; 47:4. During our Lord's ministry, He visited the region of Sidon (Matt. 11:21–22; Mark 7:24–31), and people from Sidon came to see Him (3:8). 8 See Ezekiel 11:17; 20:34, 41–42; 29:13; 34:13; 36:24; 37:21; 38:8; 39:27.
The regathering of Israel (vv. 25–26). One of the major themes of this book is the deliverance of the Jewish exiles from Babylon and the future regathering and reuniting of the nation.8 After the seventy years of exile and the Persian conquest of Babylon, God did cause Cyrus to allow the Jewish people to return to their land and rebuild the temple (2 Chron. 36:22–23; Ezra 1). But the return of about fifty thousand people (2:64–65) in 538–537 BC didn't completely fulfill the promises in Ezekiel, for they have an application in the end times. Certainly the Jewish remnant that returned with Zerubbabel didn't "dwell safely" (Ezek. 28:26) because they had all kinds of problems with the people in the land. Furthermore, Ezekiel mentioned "nations" (plural) and not just the one nation of Babylon, where the Jews were in exile.
CHAPTER NINE Ezekiel 29—32 EGYPT WILL FALL! E
There is coming a time when God will call His chosen people together into their own land, judge them, cleanse them, and establish His glorious kingdom (Zech. 10:8–12; 12:9—13:1; Matt. 24:31). God gave the land of Palestine to Abraham and his descendants (Gen. 13:14–18; 15:7–17), and He renewed the promise to Jacob (28:10–15; 35:12; Ps. 105:8–11). The Jews owned the land because God gave it to them, but they possessed the land only when they obeyed the terms of the covenant God gave them. During the exile in Babylon, they were out of the land because they had rebelled against the Lord.
gypt is the seventh nation in Ezekiel's "judgment cycle" and receives more attention than any of the other nations the prophet addressed. Centuries before, Egypt had made the Jewish people suffer greatly as slaves, and even after the division of the Jewish kingdom, the Egyptians were a thorn in the flesh to the Jews and a most undependable ally. But the Jews were like their father Abraham (Gen. 12:10–20) and their ancestors (Ex. 14:10–12; 16:1–3; Num. 11:4–9, 18; 14:1–5) in that, whenever a crisis loomed, they were prone to look to Egypt for help. The longer the Jews were away from Egypt, the more they idealized their experiences there and forgot about the slavery and the toil. Of course, King Solomon had married an Egyptian princess and did a considerable amount of business with Egypt, but after he died, those bonds began to unravel. "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help," warned Isaiah during an international crisis (Isa. 31:1 nkjv; see 30:1–2), and he would give the same warning to God's people today. Believers who look to the world for help, instead of trusting in the Lord, commit the same sin that the Jews often committed.
Ezekiel will have more to say about Israel's future in chapters 37—48, but this brief promise must have brought encouragement to the faithful remnant among the exiles, just as the sure promise of Christ's return brings encouragement to His people today.
1 In Amos 1:3—2:3, the prophet passed judgment on the Gentile nations on the basis of their inhumanity, their barbaric treatment of their enemies; but when Amos came to judging the Jewish people, it was on the basis of God's law and their covenant relationship to Him (Amos 2:4, 10; 3:1). See Romans 2:11–16. 2 See Isaiah 15—16; Jeremiah 48; and Amos 2:1–3. Note that "Seir" is another name for the land of Moab (Gen. 32:3; 36:20–21). 3 God had already told Isaac and Rebekah that both the blessing and the birthright were to be given to Jacob (Gen. 25:23), and He would have accomplished it apart from the scheming of
G.Egypt—29—32
These four chapters are composed of seven messages (or oracles) that God gave to Ezekiel to deliver to the Egyptians and to the Jewish exiles. The phrase "the word of the Lord came," or a similar statement, marks off each message. Six of these seven messages are dated (the third one is not—30:1–19), so we are able to fit them into the chronology of the book. Each of the
Ezekiel 28—29
of Seveneh even unto the border of Ethiopia" is the Egyptian equivalent of Israel's "from Dan to Beersheba" and signifies the whole land, from top to bottom. The NIV translates it "from Migdol [in the north] to Aswan [in the south]."2 Nebuchadnezzar would make a clean sweep of the land, and the desolation would last forty years (vv. 11–13). Nebuchadnezzar attacked Egypt in 568–567 BC and fulfilled that prophecy.
messages presents a picture—or metaphor—of the impending judgment of Egypt.
The Monster Slain (29:1–16) The first message was given on January 7, 587 BC, about seven months before Jerusalem was destroyed. The prophet set his face against Pharaoh Hophra, who ruled Egypt from 589 to 570 BC (See Jer. 44:30.) The picture here is of killing a sea monster.1
Divine mercy (vv. 13–16). After forty years, the Lord would (1) regather the scattered Egyptians to their land and permit them to establish their kingdom, but (2) their kingdom would not regain its former power and glory. It would become a "base kingdom." The Jews would learn that Egypt couldn't be trusted and would not put their confidence in Egypt. (Compare 28:24 and 29:16.) Note that the statement "they shall know that I am the Lord" is repeated three times in this message (vv. 6, 9, 16). This statement is one of the key affirmations in the book of Ezekiel and is used some sixty times. The Lord reveals His attributes through His judgments just as much as He does through His blessings, and sometimes His judgments get our attention much more quickly.
Pharaoh's sins (vv. 1–7). The Lord compared Hophra to a monster that dwelt in the waters of the river and claimed the river for himself. The Nile River was so essential to the life of Egypt that it was treated like a god; but Hophra claimed that he was the one who made the river and that it belonged to him. In this oracle, Pharaoh was compared to a ferocious crocodile, guarding the waters of the land—the Nile and all the canals—and attacking anybody who dared to challenge his claims. His major sin was pride (vv. 1–5), taking credit for what the Lord God had done. Whatever greatness belonged to Egypt, it was because of the gracious gifts of God and not because of what Pharaoh and his people had accomplished.
But the Lord wasn't impressed by the crocodile or afraid of him! He promised to catch him, put hooks in his mouth, and drag him and the fish clinging to him (the people of Egypt) out to the fields where they would be exposed to the sun and die. They would become food for the beasts of the field and the carrion-eating birds. The Egyptian pharaohs were diligent to prepare their burial places, but Hophra would be buried like an unwanted dead animal. What a humiliating way to bury a man who claimed to be a god!
The Wages Paid (29:17–21) This second oracle was given April 26, 571 BC, which is the latest date mentioned in the book of Ezekiel. However, the prophet included it here because it related to Egypt. Since Nebuchadnezzar3 was a servant of the Lord (Jer. 25:9; 27:6; 43:19), he deserved his pay; but the spoils of war from the conquest of Tyre couldn't begin to compensate him for the time and work his army put into the siege. ("Great service" in Ezek. 29:18 niv is "hard campaign.") They spent fifteen years building ramparts and attacking Tyre, but they couldn't prevent the city from using their large navy to transport their treasures elsewhere. Egypt had even assisted the people of Tyre in resisting the attack and relocating their wealth.
Hophra's second sin was his disloyalty to Israel (vv. 6–7). Egypt was like a weak reed that couldn't be trusted. The Jews should never have turned to Egypt for help, but when they did, the Egyptians should at least have kept their word. The Egyptians had a reputation for making promises and not keeping them (2 Kings 18:20–21; Isa. 36:6). It was Egypt who encouraged Judah to break their agreement with Babylon, and this foolish act on King Zedekiah's part is what incited the Babylonian attack against Jerusalem. While Nebuchadnezzar was attacking Jerusalem, the Jews negotiated with Egypt to send their army to deliver Judah, and for a short time, the Babylonians turned away from Jerusalem so they could deal with Egypt. But the scheme didn't work. The people in Jerusalem rejoiced that the siege was ended, but God warned His people that the army would return to Jerusalem to finish the job. (See Jer. 34:21–22; 37:8.)
God determined that Egypt should provide the wages for the Babylonian army that had grown bald and bruised during the siege. God is sovereign over the nations and can accomplish His will without destroying either their freedom or their accountability to Him. In 568 BC, Nebuchadnezzar did invade Egypt, sweeping through the country and leaving it desolate (see vv. 8–12). Thus God punished both Tyre and Egypt and rewarded Babylon.
But what does all this have to do with God's people Israel? The prophet added a word of promise for the Jews (v. 21), assuring them that there would come for them a time of restoration when He would give them new strength (the budding horn) for their new challenges. After the Medes and Persians conquered Babylon in 539 BC (Dan. 5), Cyrus issued the edict that permitted the Jews to return to their land and rebuild the temple (Ezra 1). Whatever the other nations may do, God sees to it that His people
Nebuchadnezzar's invasion (vv. 8–12). This is a prophecy of the coming of the Babylonian army to Egypt, where they would fulfill God's word and destroy man and beast as well as ravage the land (Jer. 43:8–13; 46). The people would either be slain or scattered, and the land would be left "utterly waste and desolate" (Ezek. 29:10). The phrase in verse 10, "From the tower
Ezekiel 29—30
rivers and make them dry, a great catastrophe for such an arid land.
maintain their witness and accomplish their assigned work on earth.
The statement about opening Ezekiel's mouth doesn't refer to his enforced dumbness (Ezek. 3:26; 24:27), because that had been removed when the news arrived in Babylon that Jerusalem had been taken (33:21–22). That was on January 8, 585 BC, but the prophecy in 29:17–21 was given on April 26, 571 BC, which was fourteen years later. The promise to Ezekiel in verse 21 indicates that when his prophecy came true and the remnant returned to the land, they would respect Ezekiel's words and profit from them. The Jews in Babylon didn't take Ezekiel's ministry seriously (33:30–33), but the day would come when God would prove him right. "[T]hen at last your words will be respected" (29:21 nlt).
Nothing shall escape God's wrath (vv. 13–19). Ezekiel has told us what would happen and how it would happen, and now he reveals the vast scope of God's wrath. Note the repetition of the phrase "I will" as the Lord describes His work of judgment in both Lower Egypt ("Noph" = "Memphis," v. 13) and Upper Egypt (Pathros). Instead of a land of pride, Egypt will be a land filled with fear. "Zoan" is "Rameses," "No" is "Thebes," and "Sin" is "Pelusium." The verbs used make it clear that the Lord will permit total devastation: destroy, make desolate, set fire, pour fury, cut off, the day darkened. The Jews were led out of Egypt by a bright cloud (Ex. 13:21), but the Egyptians who once enslaved them will be under a dark cloud. As a result of God's judgment, the power and pride of Egypt will be destroyed, and the nation would never rise to its former heights again. The young men would be slain and the young women taken into slavery, so the future generation would be given into the hands of the enemy.
Ezekiel will return to the "monster" theme in 32:1–16.
The Storm Announced (30:1–19) This third oracle isn't dated but was probably delivered about the same time as the previous one. It pictures the judgment of Egypt in terms of a great storm that shakes the very foundations of the land.
Nations never seem to learn that God is serious about what happens to His people Israel. The devastating judgment that God sent to Egypt before the exodus should have taught the Egyptians a lasting lesson, but apparently they forgot it. In opposing God's purposes for Israel, Egypt invited God's judgments on their own nation, for the Lord always keeps His covenant promises.
The storm is coming (vv. 1–5). "The day of the Lord" (v. 3) is a biblical phrase that describes any period of divine judgment, such as the judgment of Egypt. It particularly refers to the time of tribulation in the last days when the Lord will punish the nations (Isa. 65:17–19; Joel 1—3; Zeph. 1—2; Rev. 6–19) before He returns to earth to establish His kingdom. Whether this judgment is local, as with Egypt, or global, as in the last days, it is the Lord's work, and nobody can stop it or control it. It is "a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations" (Ezek. 30:3 niv). In the end times, all the nations will experience this time of wrath, but in Ezekiel's time, judgment would fall on Egypt and her neighboring allies. This would include Ethiopia (Cush, the upper Nile region; see vv. 5, 9), Put (an African nation), Lud (Lydia), the Arabian nations, Cub (Libya), and "the people of the covenant" (v. 5 niv), who are probably Jews serving as mercenaries in the Egyptian army (see 27:10).
The Bones Broken (30:20–26) This oracle was delivered on April 29, 587 BC and refers to God's crushing the Egyptian military power. The arm is a symbol of power, but God would break both of Pharaoh's arms and leave Egypt helpless. Nobody would apply splints or even bandage up the wounds to promote healing.
The first "breaking" took place at Carchemish in 605 BC, when Nebuchadnezzar defeated Pharaoh Necho (2 Kings 24:7; Jer. 46:2). It was also at Carchemish that godly King Josiah was slain. The second "breaking" occurred when Pharaoh Hophra tried to help Judah when Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem (37:5ff.). With both arms "broken," Egypt would not be able to wield a sword, and that would put an end to the battle. Pharaoh Hophra had a second title, "The Strong-Armed," but that title would not apply anymore.
Egypt will be desolate (vv. 6–9). When the Babylon sword invades the land, not only with Egypt fall, but so will their allies. Those areas were desolate enough before, but now they would be even worse as the land is devastated. God will crush Egypt's allies and light a fire that will destroy the land. The people of Cush will think they are secure, so the Lord will send them messengers to wake them up, but it will be too late.
While the Lord was permitting the Babylonians to break the arms of Egypt, He was also strengthening the arms of the Babylonians! He even put His own sword into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar! The Egyptians would be either slain or scattered and their land would be left desolate. "They shall know that I am the Lord" is repeated twice (Ezek. 30:25–26). During Israel's sojourn in Egypt, Pharaoh wouldn't recognize the Lord; but now the nation would learn that the Lord God of the Hebrews was indeed the only true and living God.
Babylon will do God's work (vv. 10–12). When the Lord punished Egypt during the time of Israel's slavery, He did the work Himself; but now He would use Nebuchadnezzar as His appointed servant to punish the proud Egyptians. His army would be ruthless (28:7, "terrible" kjv; see 31:12; 32:12) and fill the land with corpses. But His judgments would also affect the
Ezekiel 31—32
The Tree Felled (31:1–18) The date of this message is June 21, 587 BC, and the image in the message is that of a great tree that is cut down. In Scripture, a tree is sometimes used as the image of a nation or an empire (chap. 17; Dan. 4). The argument the prophet presented was simple. Egypt boasted in its greatness, yet Egypt wasn't as great as Assyria, and Assyria was conquered by Babylon. Conclusion: if Babylon can conquer Assyria, Babylon can conquer Egypt.
being mocked. God had to teach Assyria a lesson (v. 14), that those who exalt themselves will eventually be abased, a lesson nations and individuals need to learn today (Prov. 29:23; Isa. 2:12; Mal. 4:1; Matt. 23:11–12; 1 Peter 5:5–7). Assyria's burial (vv. 15–18). As with Tyre in chapter 28 and Babylon in Isaiah 14, Assyria was brought down to the underworld along with all the other rulers and nations that rebelled against God. When Assyria fell, a shock wave went through the nations, but the king of Assyria had this comfort: he wasn't any different from the rulers who had preceded him. They were all in the same place. In verse 18 the prophet addressed the ruler of Egypt: "To which of the trees in Eden will you then be likened in glory and greatness? Yet you shall be brought down … to the depths of the earth …" (nkjv).
Assyria's greatness (vv. 1–9). Egypt boasted of its greatness, so the prophet asked Pharaoh to name a nation that compared with Egypt. "Who can be compared to Egypt?" Ezekiel asked, and then he answered his question: "Only Assyria!" The Egyptians would agree and be happy to have their country rated so high.
The cedars in Lebanon were widely known for their quality and their height. Assyria was like one of those cedars, impressive in height and expansive in growth. It was nurtured by many waters, which symbolize the nations under Assyria's control that contributed to her wealth. (These nations are also symbolized by the fowl and the beasts that had security because of the tree.) The Lord allowed Assyria to achieve greatness because He had a work for her to do. The northern kingdom of Israel had rebelled against the Lord, so He used the Assyrians to chastise them and conquer their land (722 BC). In the days of King Hezekiah, the Lord used the Assyrians to discipline the kingdom of Judah, but He didn't allow them to take Jerusalem (Isa. 37; 2 Kings 19; 2 Chron. 32). God is sovereign over the nations and is able to use even the pagan peoples to accomplish His purposes.
The Egyptians were very careful in their practice of circumcision, but their ruler would be lying in sheol with the dead from nations that didn't practice it at all. What humiliation! (See 28:10.) He thought he and his kingdom were as great as Assyria, so God humbled him by putting him with the Assyrians in the world of the dead.
The Monster Trapped (32:1–16) The date of this oracle is March 5, 585 BC two months after the exiles in Babylon received the news that Jerusalem had fallen (33:21–22). The "monster" theme was used in 29:1–16, but Ezekiel uses it again to bring out some additional spiritual truths.
The monster captured (vv. 1–10). This is an "official lamentation" for the king of Egypt who thought he was a great lion but in God's sight was only a crocodile.4 Pharaoh thrashed about in the water and made a big scene, but all he did was muddy the waters and create problems by disobeying the Lord.
No other kingdom could compare with Assyria. In a burst of poetic exaggeration, Ezekiel said that even the cedars and other trees in the Garden of Eden paled into insignificance beside Assyria. But it was the Lord who made Assyria beautiful and great (v. 9), yet the Assyrians did not recognize or acknowledge this fact.
In chapter 29, God caught the Egyptian "crocodile" with a hook, but now Egypt is so weak, it can be easily caught with a net. (See 12:13; 17:20; 19:8.) God would take the crocodile to the land and leave him there to die, and the vultures would devour the carcass, reminding us of 29:3–5. But he adds two more images: the land drenched in blood and the heavens shrouded in darkness (vv. 6–8). These are reminders of the first and ninth plagues before Israel's exodus from Egypt, the turning of the water into blood and the darkness for three days (Ex. 7:20–24; 10:21–29). According to Revelation 8:8–9, a similar judgment will fall during the great tribulation.
Assyria's fall (vv. 10–14). As we have seen before, God hates pride and judges it severely. He judged the pride of Judah and Samaria (chap. 16), Ammon, Moab, and Edom (chap. 25), and especially Tyre (23:3; chaps. 26–28), and also Assyria, and He would eventually judge Egypt. The logic of this judgment, what hope was there for a lesser kingdom like Egypt? God would call "the mighty one of the nations" (v. 10) to humble Assyria, and this is, of course, King Nebuchadnezzar (30:11).
The description of the signs in the heavens makes us think of the future day of the Lord described in Joel 3, Amos 5:18–20, and Matthew 24. It has well been said that past events cast their shadows before, and so it will be with the fall of Egypt. It was a dress rehearsal for the judgments of the last days. Once again, Ezekiel explained that just as the fall of Assyria caused a shock wave to go through the nations (30:16; see 27:35; 28:19), so the fall of Egypt will frighten the nations
The tree was very tall and stately, but it would be cut down and left on the land to decay. The smaller nations would abandon Assyria and seek help elsewhere. From the highest heights, Assyria would end up in the deepest depths of the underworld (sheol). From a position of great strength, the kingdom would fall into utter weakness, and from sustaining the lives of others to experiencing death and decay. Whereas once Assyria was admired and praised, it would end up
Ezekiel 32
(32:9–10). But will they learn from this experience and turn to the Lord? No, they will go right on sinning and rebelling against His truth.
1 Many ancient peoples had myths concerning great sea monsters that fought one another to gain control of creation, and this imagery occasionally shows up in Scripture (Job 9:13; Ps. 74:13–14; Isa. 27:1). One of Egypt's names in Scripture is "Rahab," and Egypt is portrayed as a water monster (Ps. 87:4; 89:10; Isa. 51:9–10). Of course, the ancient mythology is not approved by the biblical writers but only used in an illustrative way. 2 When you look at a map of ancient Egypt, keep in mind that "lower Egypt" is at the top of the map (north) in the delta region, and "upper Egypt" is at the bottom of the map (south). 3 The alternate spelling of his name (Nebuchadrezzar) may be more correct than the spelling we're most accustomed to in Scripture. Both identify the same person.
The monster punished (vv. 11–15). Here the prophet repeated the prophecy that the sword of Babylon would leave Egypt desolate and that all of Egypt's pride and pomp would vanish. Even the animal life in the land would be destroyed as it was during the plagues of Egypt in Moses' time. With no people and animals available to work the land and draw the water, the streams and canals wouldn't be muddied and the water would "run like oil" with nothing to impede its flow. This is in contrast to Pharaoh's behavior described in verse 2. Ordinarily, the flowing of oil is a picture of peace and prosperity from God's blessings, but in this case, it speaks of peace because of God's judgment. No humans or animals are there to stir up the mud and defile the water. But the picture also reminds us that Egypt's defeat would help to bring peace to the "pool" of nations.
INTERLUDE C
hapters 33 to 48 of Ezekiel focus on the hope of Israel as found in the promises God has made to His chosen people. In chapter 33, God reminds His prophet that he has been commissioned to be a watchman whose task it is to protect and inform the people by keeping his eyes open to what is happening and his ears open to what God is saying.
The Corpse Is Buried (32:17–32) This is the seventh oracle and since no other date is recorded, we assume it was given two weeks after the previous message—March 17, 585 BC. It follows the style of 31:15–18 and describes the people of Egypt descending into sheol, the world of the dead. Ezekiel was instructed to wail because of the multitudes of people who would be slain by the swords of the Babylonians.
In the previous chapters, the Lord revealed His judgments on His own people and on the neighboring nations. Ezekiel told the exiles in Babylon that the city of Jerusalem would be taken by the Babylonians, the land would be ravaged, and the temple would be destroyed. But in this closing section of the book, he had the happy privilege of announcing a bright future for the people of God. The Holy City and the Promised Land would be restored (chaps. 33—36), the divided kingdom would be united and protected (chaps. 37—39), and there would be a new temple in which the glory of the Lord would reside (chaps. 40— 48). The glory that he had seen depart from the defiled temple (11:23) he saw return to the new temple (43:4–5; 44:4). The kingdom promised by the prophets would be established, and the Messiah, the Son of David, would reign from Jerusalem.
The picture is grim and almost macabre as the other nations welcome Pharaoh and his hosts and taunt them as they arrive in the underworld. We might paraphrase their words, "So you thought you were so beautiful and strong? Look at you now! You prided yourselves in being a circumcised people, but now you are lying down in death with the uncircumcised. Like us, you thought you were invincible, but now you have joined us in death and decay. You are no longer on a throne— you are in a grave! Your bed is a sepulchre."
Ezekiel named some of the nations, great and small, that welcomed Pharaoh and his people to sheol: Asshur (v. 22), which is Assyria; Elam (v. 24), an area in Iran; Meshach and Tubal (v. 26), probably located in Asia Minor; and Edom and the Sidonians, neighbors of Israel (vv. 29–30). Like the king of Assyria before him (31:16), Pharaoh would see all these princes and common people and be comforted that he wasn't the only one defeated and slain.
Some students prefer to interpret Ezekiel 33—48 idealistically or symbolically, applying these descriptions "spiritually" to the church today rather than literally to Israel in the future. But if we've been interpreting Ezekiel's prophetic word literally up to this point, what right do we have to change our approach and start interpreting his words symbolically? As Dr. David Cooper said, "When the plain sense of Scripture makes good sense, then we need no other sense." We must face the fact that both approaches—the symbolical and the literal—present problems to the interpreter, but taking Ezekiel's prophecies at face value seems to present fewer problems. Furthermore, seeing literal fulfillment of these prophecies accomplishes the purpose for which God gave them, the encouragement of the people of Israel. Few nations if any have suffered as
Death is the great leveler; and as John Donne reminded us, when the funeral bell tolls, "it tolls for thee." There are no "kings and commoners" in the land of the dead, and we can't enter that land in peace and safety without faith in Jesus Christ. "'O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?' The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:55–57 nkjv).
Ezekiel 33
God had called Ezekiel to be His watchman (3:19–21) and it was his task to hear God's word of warning and declare it to the people. The faithful watchman had clean hands, but the unfaithful watchman had hands that were stained by the blood of the victims who died because he didn't warn them. Isaiah compared unfaithful watchmen to blind men, dogs that can't bark, and people who can't stay awake (Isa. 56:10). Ezekiel was a faithful watchman who delivered God's message to the Jews in Babylon as well as those back in Judah, and that message was "Repent—turn from your sins!" The word turn is used eight times in this chapter and it describes "repentance." The biblical words translated "repent" simply mean "to change your mind," but this change of mind also involves a change of life. If a thief truly repented, he or she would restore what had been stolen. The liars would confess their deception and ask for forgiveness, and the drunkards would stop their alcohol abuse.
Israel has suffered, and to rob God's chosen people of their hope is to make their suffering meaningless.
Our approach will be to assume that these prophecies will have a literal fulfillment and that Israel will one day see her Messiah and share in the glorious kingdom promised by Ezekiel and the other prophets. At the same time, we will seek to apply the basic spiritual lessons taught in these chapters, truths that apply to God's people in the church today.
CHAPTER TEN Ezekiel 33—35 WARNINGS AND PROMISES FROM THE WATCHMAN I
t has well been said that the most important thing about prophets is not that they have hindsight or foresight but that they also have insight. Prophetic hindsight is important because it helps us deal with the past and understand better what God did and why He did it. Foresight helps us avoid trouble and have hope for the future. But insight helps us better understand ourselves and those around us, and what we must do to become better men and women who do the will of God. In these chapters, Ezekiel exercises all three gifts as he exposes sin, analyzes history, and gives promises for the future. He deals with the sins of the Jewish people (chap. 33), the sins of their leaders (chap. 34), and the sins of the neighboring land of Edom (chap. 35).
The discussion in Ezekiel 33:10–20 reminds us of 18:1–32, where Ezekiel explained human responsibility before God. The Jews had blamed the older generation for what had happened to the nation, but Ezekiel made it clear that God didn't punish the children for the sins of their fathers. Each person was accountable for his or her own sins and couldn't blame somebody else. But 33:10 suggests that some of the Jews were now feeling the pain of their sins like a heavy weight on their shoulders, and day after day were "wearing away." However, this feeling of remorse fell far short of real repentance.
IV. The glorious future of Israel (33—48) A.The city of Jerusalem restored—33—34
We must correctly distinguish regret, remorse, and true repentance. Regret is an activity of the mind; whenever we remember what we've done, we ask ourselves, "Why did I do that?" Remorse includes both the heart and the mind, and we feel disgust and pain, but we don't change our ways. But true repentance includes the mind, the heart, and the will. We change our mind about our sins and agree with what God says about them; we abhor ourselves because of what we have done; and we deliberately turn from our sin and turn to the Lord for His mercy.
The Sins of the Nation (33:1–33) This chapter reaches back into some of Ezekiel's previous messages and brings together truths that were important to Israel's understanding of God, their situation, and what God wanted them to do. You will find here references to 3:15–27; chapters 5 and 6; 11:14–21; 18:1–32; 20:1–8; and 24:25–27. It's as though the Lord led His servant to combine these basic spiritual truths in one message so that nobody could say, "I didn't hear what the Lord said to us!" Ezekiel turned the light of God's Word on the nation as a whole (33:1–20), the people left in Judah and Jerusalem (vv. 23–29), and the exiles in Babylon (vv. 21–22, 30–33), and he revealed what was in their hearts and lives.
When Peter remembered his sin of denying Christ, he repented and sought pardon; when Judas remembered his sin of betraying Christ, he experienced only remorse, and he went out and hanged himself. "For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death" (2 Cor. 7:10 nkjv). If the sinner turns from his sins and turns to the Lord in faith, he will be forgiven. Paul's message was "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21), and that message is still valid today.
The entire nation (vv. 1–20). Every Jew who had ever lived in a walled city knew what Ezekiel was talking about when he referred to the watchmen on the wall, for these watchmen were important to the city's defense. Faithful watchmen kept their eyes focused on the horizon and gave the warning when they saw the enemy approaching. If the watchmen were alert and faithful and the people obedient, lives would be saved; if the watchmen were careless, or the people unconcerned, the city would be captured and people would die.
As they did previously (Ezek. 18:21–29), the Jews debated with Ezekiel and affirmed that God wasn't being fair and that His ways were unequal. This response in itself proved that they had not really repented, because repentant sinners don't argue with God's Word. The Jews were saying, "God isn't using
Ezekiel 33—34
with people and have a "pastoral" ministry among them apart from his prophetic preaching. For about seven and a half years, Ezekiel had been under this constraint, but now he was free to speak. Certainly the exiles noticed this and would be curious to know what had happened to him.
standard weights on His scales! He's got the scales fixed!" But their accusation against the Lord was false. As Ezekiel had already told them (vv. 21–29), it wasn't God's ways that were false but their own ways! It wasn't their responsibility to prove God wrong but to admit that they were wrong!
But Ezekiel knew that the people who came to his house to hear him speak didn't appreciate his ministry or obey what they heard. As the exiles met one another during the day, they would step out of the hot sunlight and discuss the prophet's ministry (v. 30). They even invited people to come with them to hear the preacher! But going to hear the Word of God wasn't a serious thing to them. "Come on, let's have some fun! Let's go hear the prophet tell us what the Lord is saying" (v. 30 nlt). But they weren't concerned about God's truth or their personal responsibility; all they wanted to do was get up-to-date information so they could make money! They listened to God's preacher but refused to obey what God told them to do (James 1:22–25; Ps. 78:36–37; 1 John 3:18). They saw Ezekiel as an entertainer who sang love songs, not as an exhorter who sought to convey God's love to them.
The people of the land (vv. 23–29). The Babylonians had left some of the poor people to take care of the fields and the ruins (Jer. 52:16), while the rest who survived the siege were taken to Babylon. The Lord heard what these people were saying: "We have a right to this land because the Lord spared us to live here." After all, when Abraham was just one man,1 God gave him the land; but the survivors were many and had lived on the land a long time. The very fact that they had survived proved that they were special to the Lord. Therefore, they could claim the land for themselves because the former owners were either dead or in exile.
They had forgotten that Jeremiah had already settled the question of which group was God's choice people, the exiles in Babylon or the survivors in Judah. As recorded in Jeremiah 24, God showed Jeremiah two baskets of figs, one filled with very good figs and the other with very bad figs. The very good figs represented the exiles in Babylon, the remnant God would use to rebuild the temple and restore the nation. The very bad figs were King Zedekiah and the leaders in Jerusalem who disobeyed the Lord by breaking the treaty with Babylon. It's obvious that the remnant in Judah was not considered "special" or "choice" by the Lord.2
This information could have discouraged the prophet, but the Lord added a message of faith and hope: The day would come when the fulfillment of God's prophetic word would convince careless people that a prophet had truly been among them. This would mean personal privilege (hearing the word), personal responsibility (obeying the word), and personal accountability (being judged by the word that they had heard, John 12:48).
But Abraham was a righteous man, and the people left in Judah had been living in defiance of God's law! In Ezekiel 33:25–26, Ezekiel listed some of the sins they were committing: eating meat with the blood still in it (Deut. 12:16, 23; Lev. 17:10); worshipping idols (Ex. 20:4–6); murder (v. 13); relying on violence ("stand upon your sword" kjv); and doing abominable things, like committing adultery (v. 14). No, instead of inheriting the land and becoming rich, the people would be slain by the sword, the beasts of the field, or the pestilence that often accompanies war (Ezek. 33:27; see 5:12; 7:15; 12:16; 14:12–21). Instead of the land becoming their prize possession, it would become desolate and enjoy its sabbath rest (Lev. 26:32–35, 43; 2 Chron. 36:21). The exiles in Babylon (vv. 21–22, 30–33). The Babylonian army set fire to Jerusalem on August 14, 586 BC, and about five months later—January 8, 585 BC—a fugitive arrived in Babylon to announce the sad fact that Jerusalem and the temple had been destroyed. This validated the prophecies of Ezekiel and proved that he was indeed the prophet of God (Deut. 18:20–22). The night before he received this news, Ezekiel had been in a prophetic state with God's hand upon him, so he knew that something special was about to be revealed. The hearing of this news brought about the opening of Ezekiel's mouth so that he was no longer mute when he wasn't declaring the message of God (Ezek. 3:26–27). He was now able to converse
Believers today have the Word of God readily accessible not only in public meetings, but also in literature, on the Internet, over radio and television, as well as on video and audio tapes and CDs, and we will have much to answer for when we see the Lord. The important thing at the judgment seat of Christ won't be how much Bible we studied or learned, but how much we loved and obeyed.
The Sins of the Leaders (34:1–31) Ezekiel had already exposed the sins of the nation's leaders (chap. 22), but he returned to this theme because it had a bearing on Israel's future. While this message applied to Israel's current situation in Ezekiel's day, it also hass application in that future day when the Lord gathers His scattered people back to their land. This message certainly must have brought hope to the exiles as they realized the Lord had not forsaken them but would care for them as a shepherd for his sheep.
When the Lord spoke about "the flock," He was referring to the nation of Israel (34:31). "We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture" (Ps. 100:3; see 77:20; 78:52; 80:1). Moses saw Israel as a flock (Num. 27:17; see 1 Kings 22:17) and so did Jeremiah (Jer. 13:17) and Zechariah (Zech. 10:3). Jesus spoke of "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt. 10:6; 15:24).
Ezekiel 34—35
that none of the "fat cattle" who preyed on the weaker ones will push them around, muddy their drinking water, or tramp down their pastures. The "fat [sleek] and strong" in Ezekiel 34:16 refers to the leaders who took advantage of the people. Don't read into "rams and he-goats" (v. 17) the New Testament image of "sheep and goats" as found in Matthew 25:31–46, because in Bible times, it was customary for shepherds to have both sheep and goats in the flocks.
Because Jesus called Himself "the Good Shepherd" and "the door of the sheep" (John 10:7, 11), the image of the flock carried over into the church (Acts 20:28–29; 1 Peter 5:2–3). Our English word pastor comes from the Latin and means "shepherd."
Exploiting and abusing the sheep (vv. 1–10). Kings and officers in government were referred to as "shepherds" (2 Sam. 7:7–8; Ps. 78:70–71; Isa. 56:10–11; 63:11; Jer. 23:9–11; 25:18–19). It was their responsibility to care for the people, protect them, and see to it that their needs were met. But the selfish leaders of the kingdom of Judah had abused and exploited the people because they thought only of themselves. They milked the sheep and ate the curds, fleeced the sheep and made garments of the wool, and butchered the sheep and enjoyed the meat, but they failed to care for the sheep and meet their needs. Whenever leaders take from their people but don't give them something in return, they are exploiting them. But true leaders don't exploit their people—they sacrifice for them. Jesus the Shepherd set the example by laying down His life for His flock (John 10:10).
Protecting the flock (vv. 23–31). This is definitely a prophecy of future events, because the returned remnant didn't have an august ruler caring for them, nor did "showers of blessing" come to the land. The economic situation at the beginning was difficult, the harvests were poor, and the peoples of the land were opposed to any Jewish presence there. But when Israel is regathered to her land in the end times, the Messiah will rule over them and be their Shepherd-King. The "prince" (v. 24) will not be King David, resurrected and enthroned, but the Lord Jesus Christ whom Israel will receive and trust when they see Him (Zech. 12:9–13:1; see Jer. 23:5; 30:8–10; Hos. 3:5). Ezekiel mentions "David the prince" in 37:24–25; 45:22; 46:4, and these references point to the Messiah.
The leaders not only exploited the sheep but they also abused them by neglecting to meet their needs. Sheep require constant care, but the leaders didn't manage the nation's affairs for the sake of the sheep but for their own profit. They didn't care for them at all. If the leaders' sins of commission were bad, their sins of omission were worse. They didn't minister to the sick and injured, nor did they seek for the lost and scattered sheep. They ruled only with force and cruelty. Three times Ezekiel accused them of allowing the sheep to be scattered, and a scattered flock without a shepherd is vulnerable and easily attacked by beasts of prey (Jer. 50:6). Because the leaders made selfish and unwise decisions, the nation fell apart and the flock was scattered.
Agriculture in the land of Israel depended on the early and latter rains from the Lord, and He promised to send the rain faithfully if the people honored His covenant (Lev. 26:1–5; Deut. 28:9–14). But if they disobeyed Him, the heavens would turn to brass and the ground to iron (Deut. 11:13–17; 28:23–24). If the people repented and sought His forgiveness, He would send the rain and heal the land (Deut. 30; 2 Chron. 7:12–14). The Lord also promised that the people would be safe in the land and not be oppressed by the peoples around them. Except during the reigns of David and Solomon, the nation of Israel has been attacked, conquered, and ravaged by one nation after another, but this will cease when Messiah is on the throne. A "covenant of peace" would govern the land (Ezek. 34:25; see 37:26), which probably refers to the new covenant that Jeremiah promised in Jeremiah 31:31–34. The law of God would be written on the hearts of the people and they all would know the Lord and obey His will.
Rescuing the flock (vv. 11–22). Was there any hope for God's scattered people? Yes, because the Lord would come to deliver His flock from their oppressors and gather them to Himself. In Ezekiel's time, the Lord brought His people back from Babylon; but the picture here is certainly much broader than that, for the Lord spoke about "countries" (v. 13). Ezekiel promises that in the end times, the Lord will gather His flock "from all places where they have been scattered" (v. 12) and bring them back to their own land where He will be their Shepherd (Matt. 24:31).
Neither the pain of scarcity nor the shame of defeat will rob the Jewish people of the blessings the Lord has planned for them. In the past, their sins forced the Lord to turn His face against them; but in the future kingdom, He will smile upon them and dwell with them. Ezekiel had watched the glory of God leave the temple (Ezek. 11:22–23), but he would also see God's glory return (43:1–5). The name of the Holy City would become "Jehovah Shammah—the Lord is there" (48:35).
It's difficult to apply this prophecy to the return of the remnant after their exile in Babylon, and even more difficult to "spiritualize" it and apply it to the church today. The prophet was speaking about a literal future regathering of Israel, a topic that is mentioned frequently in Ezekiel's book (Ezek. 11:17; 20:34, 41–42; 28:25; 36:24; 37:21–25; 38:8). This promise of regathering is a part of God's covenant with the Jews (Deut. 30:1–10), and the Lord always keeps His promises. (See also Isa. 11:11–12; Jer. 23:3–8; and Mic. 2:12; 4:6–8.) After He gathers His people, He will see to it
B.The land of Israel renewed—35—36
The Sins of Edom (35:1–15) The Lord had already pronounced judgment on Edom through Isaiah (Isa. 34; 63:1–6), Jeremiah (Jer.
Ezekiel 35—36
"You will be desolate, O Mount Seir, you and all of Edom" (35:15 niv).
49:7–22), and Ezekiel (Ezek. 25:12–14), but now He did it again and added some details. Mount Seir is another name for Edom, the nation founded by Esau, Jacob's twin brother. "Edom" means "red" and was a nickname given to Esau (Gen. 25:30). Esau was a man of the world who had no spiritual desires and willingly sold his birthright to his brother Jacob. Esau fought with his brother even in their mother's womb (vv. 21–26) and hated his brother because the Lord had chosen Jacob to receive the blessings of the covenant. This hatred was passed on from generation to generation and the Edomites maintained what God called "a perpetual hatred" (v. 5; 25:15; Amos 1:11–12; Obad.). This hatred was no doubt like some of the "ethnic wars" that the world has seen today.
1 The Jews might have been thinking of Isaiah 51:2. Actually, Abraham didn't inherit the land during his lifetime (Acts 7:5). All he owned was a tomb where he had buried his wife (Gen. 23) and where he himself was buried (25:7–10). 2 Instead of following Abraham's example of faith, the Jews sometimes used their connection with Abraham as an excuse for disobeying the Lord. Because they were "children of Abraham," the religious leaders refused to submit to John's baptism, and they also argued with Jesus, using the same excuse (John 8:33ff.).
Once again, the Lord reminded the Edomites of their great sin against their brethren when they assisted the Babylonians in attacking the Jews during the siege of Jerusalem. What their founder Esau vowed to do in his day, they accomplished in their day when they killed their own blood relatives (Gen. 47:41). In Ezekiel 35:6, the word "blood" in the KJV should read "bloodshed." The Edomites pursued the Jews to kill them, so bloodshed would pursue them. The Edomites carried on a perpetual hatred against Israel, so the land of Edom would receive a perpetual desolation. Edom would be no more.
CHAPTER ELEVEN Ezekiel 36—37 FROM RESTORATION TO REUNION O
ur hope is lost!" That's what the Jewish exiles were saying to each other as they "pined away" in Babylon (37:11; 33:10), and from the human point of view, the statement was true. But if they had listened to their prophets, they would have had hope in the Lord and looked forward with anticipation. Jeremiah had written to them that they would be in Babylon for seventy years, and that God's thoughts toward them were of peace and not of evil (Jer. 29:10). Ezekiel had given them God's promise that He would gather His people and take them back to their land (Ezek. 11:17; 20:34, 41–42; 28:25). A Latin proverb says, "Where there is life, there is hope," but the reverse is also true: where there is hope, we find reason to live. Swiss theologian Emil Brunner wrote, "What oxygen is to the lungs, such is hope for the meaning of life."
Was this a just judgment? Yes, it was, and the prophet gave the reasons why the destruction of Edom was an act of righteous judgment. For one thing, the descendants of Esau were greedy and wanted to claim the conquered nations of Judah and Samaria for themselves, completely ignoring the will of the Lord. God had given the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants, and that meant Jacob and not Esau. During Israel's march to Canaan, they were warned not to meddle with the Edomites because God had assigned their land to them and they would not inherit any land in Canaan (Deut. 2:1–7). But the Edomites wanted to change God's plans and annul God's covenant and take the land for themselves. When the Babylonians invaded Judah in 606 BC, the Lord was there fulfilling His own purposes (Ezek. 35:10), and He saw what the Edomites did.
In his previous messages, Ezekiel looked back and reproved the people because of their sins. Now he looks ahead and encourages the people by telling them what the Lord will do for Israel in the future. These promises go beyond the ending of the Babylonian captivity and anticipate the end times. The Jewish people will be gathered to their land, the land will be cleansed and restored, and the nation will have a new temple and the presence of the glory of the Lord. The future of Israel can be summarized in four words: restoration, regeneration, resurrection, and reunion.
The Lord also saw their anger (v. 11) and promised to repay them in kind, for nations as well as individuals reap what they sow. He heard their blasphemous words against their brothers the Jews, how they rejoiced because the land of Israel was being ravaged and plundered by the Babylonian invaders. But they weren't blaspheming men, they were blaspheming God and boasting in their pride as though they would escape judgment. In their arrogance, Edom rejoiced over the fall of Israel; but one day, the whole earth would rejoice over the fall of Edom!
Restoration: The Land Healed (36:1–15) God gave the land of Israel to the Jews as a part of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 12:1–3; 13:14–18; 15:7–21). That settled their ownership of the land, but their possession and enjoyment of the land depended on their faith and obedience (Lev. 26). The Christian life is similar. We enter God's family by trusting Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Eph. 2:8–9), but we enjoy God's family by believing His promises and obeying His will (2 Cor. 6:18—7:1). Disobedient children have to be chastened
God's promise to the Jews was that one day they would no longer be a prey to the other nations (34:28), and this chapter explains why: God will deal with their enemies and remove them from the face of the earth.
Ezekiel 36
Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel's pastures and the plain of Sharon. There the Lord will display His glory, the splendor of our God" (Isa. 35:1–2 nlt).
(Heb. 12), and God often had to chasten the people of Israel because of their rebellion and disobedience.
Ezekiel had set his face against Mount Seir, which represented the land of Edom (Ezek. 35), but now he addressed "the mountains of Israel" as representative of the land of Israel. The Babylonians had ravaged and plundered the Promised Land, and the neighboring nations (especially Edom) had tried to possess the land (36:10). Instead of assisting the Jews, the neighbors had ridiculed them and even helped the Babylonians loot the city of Jerusalem. Why? Because of their long-standing hatred of the Jews and a desire to possess the land of Israel. "Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession" (v. 2).
Regeneration: The People Cleansed (36:16–38) The Jewish people forgot that the land belonged to the Lord, for He said, "The land is mine" (Lev. 25:23). In fact, the whole earth belongs to the Lord (Ex. 19:5; Ps. 24:1), and we have no right to abuse the natural resources He shares with us.
God's indictment against His people (vv. 16–23). Israel was guilty of two great sins, the first of which was polluting God's land (vv. 16–19). Long before the Babylonians had swept through the kingdom of Judah, the sins of the leaders and the people had polluted the so-called Holy Land. When God's people disobeyed God's law and behaved like the heathen nations around them, they defiled the land and broke the covenant (Lev. 18:26–30). Not only did they worship idols and sacrifice their children's innocent blood, but they also shed blood when they falsely accused the poor and needy in court and led them out to die. Each act of disobedience only polluted the land more, until the Lord was so grieved by their rebellion that He had the land vomit them out, and He sent them to Babylon. In our contemporary world, we wonder how much land is being polluted by the destruction of innocent babies, the murders of innocent people, including children in school, and the general disregard for both the laws of man and the law of God.
But the Lord knew what the enemy was saying and doing, and He determined that there would be serious consequences because of their decisions. That's why you find the word therefore six times in this section (vv. 3–7, 14). First, the fire of God's jealous love would burn against Israel's enemies because of the way they had treated His people and His land (vv. 4–6; Lev. 25:23). He even took an oath (Ezek. 36:7) that the nations would be repaid for the way they treated the Jews. They had taunted and ridiculed the Jews, but now they themselves would be put to shame.
Ezekiel described that future day when the land would be healed and once again produce abundant flocks, herds, and harvests (vv. 8–9). This was a part of God's covenant with Israel (Lev. 26:3–5). The land would not only be fruitful, but it also would be safe and secure (Ezek. 36:10–12). The combination of war, pestilence, and wild beasts had decreased the Jewish population (6:1–8; 7:15; 12:16), but God had promised they would be as numerous as the dust of the earth and the stars of the heavens (Gen. 13:16; 15:5). If the nation was to fulfill its divine purposes on earth, the people had to multiply.
Their second sin was that of profaning God's name before the Gentiles (Ezek. 36:20–23). It was bad enough that they had polluted the land God allowed them to enjoy, but they also profaned God's holy name instead of being godly witnesses in the Gentile lands where He sent them (vv. 20–23). They had imitated the pagans for so long that they felt right at home among them and adopted more of their ways. During the exile, there was a godly remnant that remained true to the Lord, but in general, the Jews tended to forget their calling as the people of God. Five times in this paragraph we're told that the Jews profaned the name of God before the pagans before whom they had been sent to be a light (Isa. 42:6; 49:6). In spite of their disobedience, what an opportunity the Lord gave the Jews to introduce the Gentiles to the true and living God!
God accused the mountains of Israel of depriving the Jews of their children (Ezek. 36:12–14, see niv). This may refer to the fact that the pagan shrines were in the high places, and there some of the Jews offered their own children to the heathen gods. But that would end, because the exile in Babylon cured the Jews of their idolatry, and in the future kingdom, only the true and living God would be worshipped. In Ezekiel 40— 48, Ezekiel will have more to say about the restored land of Israel when Messiah reigns on the throne of David in Jerusalem.
The Jews were separated from their temple, now destroyed, and from the things necessary for Jewish worship, but the Lord was still with them and could see their hearts. The Jews had profaned God's name by defiling the sanctuary (Ezek. 5:11; 22:26), but He had promised to be "a little sanctuary" for them there in Babylon (11:16). They had profaned the Sabbaths (22:8; 23:38), but they knew what day it was in Babylon and could still seek to obey God. The still had the law and the Prophets and could meditate on the Word and praise the Lord. Instead of the Jews sanctifying God's name among the heathen, they profaned His name by their lack of separation and godly witness; but
Since the founding of the nation of Israel in 1948, great progress has been made by the Jewish people in reclaiming the land. There has been a great deal of reforestation and irrigation, and the waste places are being transformed. As wonderful as this is, it is nothing compared with what the Lord will do when His people are gathered back to their land from the nations of the world. "Even the wilderness will rejoice in those days. The desert will blossom with flowers. Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of
Ezekiel 36
spirit and also a new desire to love the Lord and obey Him. The Holy Spirit is given like refreshing water upon parched ground, and this produces the "fruit of the Spirit" in our lives (Isa. 44:3; Gal. 5:22–23). The witness of the Spirit in the heart is proof that the person has been born of God (Rom. 8:9, 14–17; Eph. 1:13–14). Because you have God's Spirit within, you share in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:1–4) and therefore want to obey the divine will. It is nature that determines conduct. Dogs act like dogs because they have a dog's nature, and God's people act like they belong to God because they have God's nature within (1 John 3:9). Ezekiel will deal again with this gift of the Spirit in Ezekiel 37:14 and 39:29.
is the church today any different? Do we live in such commitment to Christ that the world sits up and takes notice and wants to hear what we have to say?
The Lord promises to change the people only because He desires to sanctify and glorify His great name (36:22). In the last days, when the Lord gathers His people back to their land, everything the Lord will do for them will be because of His grace and not because they deserve it. God didn't give them the land because of their righteousness (Deut. 9:6), and He won't restore the land because of anything good they have done. God in His grace gives us what we don't deserve, and in His mercy He doesn't give us what we do deserve! All that we have in Christ comes from God's grace (Eph. 1:7; 2:8–10) and was designed for God's glory (1:6, 11, 14).
Fourth, the Lord will claim them again as His people (Ezek. 36:28). It will be like a renewal of the covenant, for they will live in the land, He will be their God and they will be His people. This will be a permanent arrangement, for they will no longer rebel against the Lord and disobey His will.
God's transformation of His people (vv. 24–38). In the last days, when God brings His chosen people back to the Promised Land (v. 24), He will change them spiritually; for, after all, only a transformed people can enjoy a transformed land. The spiritual experience described in this section illustrates what happens to every sinner who trusts Jesus Christ.
Fifth, the Lord will cause the land to flourish (vv. 29–30, 33–35). Under the covenant God made with Israel before they entered Canaan, He agreed to bless them and meet their needs if they would obey Him (Lev. 26:1–13; Deut. 28:1–14). When you read these promises, you are amazed at what the Jews gave up when they turned from serving God to serving idols. But when Israel enters into the promised kingdom, God will bless them and make the land like the Garden of Eden (Ezek. 36:35). The land will yield its harvests and the people will be enriched by the blessing of the Lord. The cities will be rebuilt and the ruins removed. It will be a wonderful new land for the new people of God. The beauty and fruitfulness of the land will be a testimony to the nations (v. 36).
First, God will cleanse them from their sins, and this is pictured by "sprinkling" (vv. 25, 29; 37:23). According to the Mosaic law, every Jew who became defiled1 had to be cleansed before he or she could return to the camp and the blessings of the covenant community. This was accomplished either by bathing in running water or by being sprinkled with water prepared for that purpose (Lev. 14:1–9; Num. 19; 8:5–7; Heb. 10:22). Of course, water can never change the heart, but this is only a picture of the gracious forgiveness we have through faith. God forgives trusting sinners because of the death of Jesus on the cross (Eph. 1:7). When believers confess their sins to the Lord, they are cleansed because of Christ's blood (1 John 1:9). Second, the Lord will give them a new heart (Ezek. 36:26). Ezekiel had already spoken about this inward change (11:18–20; 18:31), the kind of change that the Lord yearned for Israel to experience before they entered the Promised Land. "Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments" (Deut. 5:29 nkjv). The prophet Jeremiah shared the same promise that Ezekiel gave: "Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God" (Jer. 24:7 nkjv). Jeremiah spoke about the new covenant God would make with the Jews, a covenant not written on stones but on their hearts and in their minds (31:31–33; 32:29; see Isa. 59:21; Heb. 8:8–13). A "stony heart" is a hard heart, one that doesn't receive God's Word and nurture spiritual growth (Ezek. 2:4; 3:7).
Sixth, the people will abhor their sins (Ezek. 36:31–32). When some people remember their sins, they enjoy them again in the dirty depths of their imagination. This is evidence that they really haven't judged them and repented. When true children of God remember their past disobedience, they're ashamed of themselves and abhor themselves because of what they have done to the Lord, themselves, and others. "You who love the Lord, hate evil" (Ps. 97:10 nkjv). "Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good" (Rom. 12:9). One of the evidences of the Spirit's presence within is a growing sensitivity to sin and a strong desire to turn away from it.
A seventh blessing will be fellowship with the Lord (Ezek. 36:37). In Ezekiel's day, the people couldn't inquire of the Lord or pray and be heard because they had sin in their hearts (14:1–5; 20:1–3, 30–31). God even told the prophet Jeremiah not to pray for the people (Jer. 7:16; 11:14; 14:11). But under the new covenant, the people will have fellowship with the Lord and be able to pray to Him.
Third, the Lord will give them the Holy Spirit within (Ezek. 36:27). It is the Spirit who accomplishes these divine miracles in the hearts of those who trust the Lord for salvation. He gives us a new heart and a new
The eighth blessing will be the multiplication of the population (Ezek. 36:37–38). As in chapter 34, God pictures His people as a flock of sheep, and every
Ezekiel 36—37
ence. "The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. … Your carcasses shall be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and no one shall frighten them away" (Deut. 28:25–26 nkjv). Jeremiah was preaching this same message in Jerusalem: "I [the Lord] will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. Their dead bodies shall be for meat for the birds of the heaven and the beasts of the earth" (Jer. 34:20 nkjv).
shepherd wants to see his flock increase. The Jewish population was greatly reduced during the Babylonian invasion, but the Lord will bless His people and cause them to be fruitful and multiply (see 36:12–13). The picture here is of the men going to Jerusalem for the annual Passover feast, bringing animal sacrifices with them. The number of animals in Jerusalem would increase greatly, and that's the way the Jewish people will increase in their kingdom.
Finally, as the result of all these blessings, the Lord will be glorified. Israel didn't glorify God in their land or the temple, nor did they glorify Him in the countries to which they were scattered. But the day will come when God will be glorified by His people and the glory of the Lord will return to the land.
The Lord told Ezekiel to walk around among the bones so he could appreciate their vast number and see how dry they were. As a priest, Ezekiel was never to be defiled by the dead, but this was a vision and the bones were not toxic. The prophet must have been wondering why the Lord gave him this vision, but the Lord's question gave him the answer: "Can these bones live?" From the human point of view, the answer is no, but from the divine point of view, nothing is impossible. It is God who "gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did" (Rom. 4:17). Ezekiel's reply didn't question the power of God; it only expressed the prophet's conviction that God knew what He was going to do and was able to do it.
Every born-again believer sees a parallel here with his or her own experience of faith in Christ. The Lord has washed us (1 Cor. 6:9–11), given us new hearts and His Holy Spirit within, and because of this, we should have a holy hatred for sin. We have the privilege of communion with God and prayer for our needs, plus a desire within to do His will. God wants to make our lives abundantly fruitful so we will glorify His name. The Lord has made us a part of His new covenant (Heb. 8; 10) so that our union with Him through Christ is eternal and unchanging. Hallelujah, what a Savior!2
C.The nation of Israel resurrected and reunited—37—39
The dead army (vv. 4–8). Ezekiel had prophesied to the mountains (6:2; 36:1) and to the forests (20:47), and now he is commanded to prophesy to the dead bones. The Word of the Lord is "living and powerful" (Heb. 4:12); it not only has life but it imparts life (1 Peter 1:23). "The words that I speak to you, are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63 nkjv). God's word of command in Ezekiel 37:4 is followed by His word of promise in verses 5 and 6. Ezekiel believed the promise and obeyed the command, and the bones came together. Then the skeletons were covered with flesh and skin so that what was lying there in the valley looked like a sleeping army. The bodies lacked only one thing: life.
Resurrection: The Nation Reborn (37:1–14) Ezekiel has told the people the Lord's promise to restore the land and regenerate His people. But what about the nation itself, a nation divided (Israel and Judah) and without a king or a temple? The remnant would return to the ravaged land and rebuild the temple and the city, but none of the blessings Ezekiel promised would come to them at that time. No, the prophet Ezekiel was looking far down the corridor of time to the end of the age when Jesus the Messiah would return and claim His people. Ezekiel told the people that the dead nation would one day be raised to life, and the divided nation would be united!3