Ezekiel

On July 31, 593 BC, Ezekiel sees a vision. In this chapter, Ezekiel shares the description of four heavenly beings.

Principles: God is concerned with details and systems.

Ezekiel is divinely called by God in direct, clear, and personal fashion. He is told to speak the words given to him to speak and not worry about the response from the people of Israel because they are rebellious. God tells him they won’t listen because they’re rebellious.

Principles: Our calling is to be carried out regardless of the results. Sometimes we won’t have “success” as measured by the world.

Ezekiel is given a scroll of God’s words to eat, fed to him by God. It was sweet in his mouth. God sent Ezekiel to his own people that would understand him. God made Ezekiel as stubborn as the people of Israel. Then God took him physically to the place where Israel was in captivity. There God appointed Ezekiel as a watchman over Israel. He gave him the responsibility to speak the words he gave him. If he spoke the words, then he was free of their deaths if they disobeyed. If he didn’t speak the words and they died, their deaths would be his fault. Then he took Ezekiel out to a valley to speak to him. Ezekiel recognized God’s presence and fell down in worship. God lifted him back up and told him that he would bind his tongue until he had words for him to speak.

Principles: God’s words are sweet to us. God’s directives to us have consequences for others and for us.

God tells Ezekiel to demonstrate to Israel and Judah the coming siege and there sins. He is to lay one side for 390 days representing a day for each year of Israel’s sins. He’s to lay on his other side for 40 days, a day for each year of Judah’s sins. He has to measure out food and water to last the whole time and eat and drink at specific times. He was to use human dung to cook his food which would have made it unclean but he asked God to let him not do that because he had always been faithful in that area and never eaten unclean bread. God allowed him to use cow dung.

Principles: God will use object lessons with us to teach us.

God has Ezekiel do another object lessons. He has him shave the hair from his beard and head with a sword. God has Ezekiel with his hair into the equal amounts and then use the piles in three different ways to demonstrate the famine, siege, and scattering that would come. God says they are receiving this punishment because their sins were worse than the other nations and they will be a public example to others. God says that after this their discipline would be complete.

Principles: Our sins bring consequences.

God tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the mountains, the location of many of Israel’s idols, about the impending judgement against Israel and those that have sinned. God says He will bring death, destruction, and exile to Israel in judgement for their worship of false gods. Those in exile are saved from destruction but scattered around to allow them time to repent and turn to God.

Principles: God always saves a remnant. Our sin brings judgement.

This chapter outlines the coming destructive judgment coming as promised. God will totally uproot the systems in place for those in need of judgment who have not followed God.

Principles: God spares those who are living in obedience to Him.

God sends an angel or some angelic being to get Ezekiel and takes him to the north gate of Jerusalem. Then Ezekiel feels God’s presence there and God shows him the sins that are causing the judgment.

Principles: God sees our secret sins.

Lorem ipEzekiel sees a vision of God’s servants going through Jerusalem and rendering judgment. There are servants with weapons to kill and one person that is going through marking those that are heartbroken because of the sin. Those that are heartbroken because of this sin are spared. Those that are not are killed, young and old, male and female. Ezekiel falls before God in anguish asking if any will be spared. God notes that their sins are very great and they think that He doesn’t see it.sum dolor sit amet, at mei dolore tritani repudiandae. In his nemore temporibus consequuntur, vim ad prima vivendum consetetur. Viderer feugiat at pro, mea aperiam

Principles: Despite our heartache for the sin in the world, sin has consequences.

Ezekiel sees a vision of God and cherubim in the temple and God’s anointing leaving the temple. Ezekiel sees the whirling wheels and features of the cherubim further. God asks the man in linen to take burning coals from the under the cherubim and scatter them across the city.

Principles: The man in linen is preincarnate Christ. Jesus does the will of the Father.

Ezekiel is taken to the East gateway of the temple in Jerusalem where some of the leaders were telling the people that they were safe from attack. Ezekiel prophesied what God told him to say in direct opposition to what the leaders were saying. Then one of the people he was prophesying to fell face down and died. God also shared with Ezekiel that those still is Jerusalem and not in exile were saying they got to keep the land of those in exile. God gave Ezekiel a message for those in exile saying He would take care of them and give them back their land. When they are back from exile, they will remove all the idols from the land. Then God’s glory left Jerusalem and Ezekiel was taken back to Babylon.

Principles: Listen to God, not leaders, and stay tender-hearted before Him.

God gives Ezekiel several prophecies one of which is an object lesson. God starts by having Ezekiel pack his belongings as if he is being taken into exile. God has him do it during the day in front of everyone so they see him and wonder what’s going on. Then at nightfall, he has him dig a hole in his wall and leave through that prophesying what the king of Israel will do when besieged. God gives Ezekiel several other prophecies that talk of their impending doom based on their rebellion. God says He will save a remnant that will admit their sins.

Principles: God saves a remnant. God’s words come true.

God has Ezekiel prophesy against the false men and women who claim to have words from God that didn’t actually hear from from God. The men seem to do it for power and the women seem to do it for profit.

Principles: Do not take the Lord’s name in vain.

Several leaders come to Ezekiel for a prophecy but God reveals to Ezekiel that they have set up idols in their own hearts before God embracing things that will lead them into sin. God calls this out generally to all the people of Israel that have done this. Then God points out to Ezekiel that even if some very righteous individuals were amongst the Israelites they would not be able to save them, only themselves. As it was, the remnant that was saved would be evidence of how bad the rest of the people are.

Principles: Don’t let idols build up in your heart.

God gives Ezekiel a word comparing the people of Jerusalem to the wood of a grapevine. The wood is not useful to make anything. It can be used for fuel but it burns too fast. Because they have been unfaithful, God will throw the useless wood (the people of Jerusalem) on the fire. If they escape one for, He will throw them on another.

Principles: Our usefulness to God is determined by our faithfulness to Him.

God gives Ezekiel another word to Jerusalem comparing her to a prostitute and showing how He has cared for Jerusalem only to have her reject Him.

Principles: While God has provided for us we reject Him for what we think we want.

God gives Ezekiel a story about two eagles representing the leaders of Babylon and Egypt. The first eagle plucks the top of a cedar from its place and takes it back to its home to plant it. It grew and flourished. Then another eagle comes to pluck the top of the cedar. It had been growing well but God would not allow the cedar to grow well after the second eagle took the top. In the case of the second eagle, the leaders of Israel were trying to circumvent the treaty with Babylon.

Principles: God wants us to honor our commitments.

God gives Ezekiel a word about how each individual’s actions are there own and they are not judged by their parent’s or children’s actions.

Principles: We are judged for our own actions.

This chapter is a comparison of Israel’s princes to young lions and how the princes have been brought done by leaders of other countries. The word from the Lord is called a funeral song.

Principles: Failure to follow God’s plan leads to destruction.

Several leaders come to Ezekiel seeking a word from God. God says to tell them he won’t give them a word. Instead God tells Ezekiel to bring charges against them on behalf of God for their idolatry and sin. God reminds them how often He has held back from punishing them. The chapter also talks about a prophecy against the Negev that God gives Ezekiel.

Principles: God’s mercy is enduring despite our sin. Choose to live faithfully to God.

God tells Ezekiel to face Jerusalem and prophecy against it telling its people, evil and righteous, that God’s sword will be drawn against everyone. He has Ezekiel draw a map of the route the king of Babylon will take and that at a fork in the road, he will choose Jerusalem to attack based on omens that the kings sorcerers see.

Principles: when righteousness is not prevalent, even the righteous will suffer.

Ezekiel is given three messages of judgment for the people be of Israel. The first is for the VP people of Jerusalem and talks about detestable sins of the people. The second talks about God’s refining fire and how they are worthless slag in God’s refining fire. The third message talks about how the leaders take advantage of the people and give false prophecies to cover things up. They disregard God’s laws and don’t teach the people effectively. Even common people are effected by all that is going on and do things that are wrong to others.

Principles: God’s seeks for some righteous and at times finds no one to save from His judgment.

This chapter contains a word from God in which He compares Samaria and Jerusalem to two sisters (Oholah and Oholibah) who are prostitutes. God married them and they have children but go back to their old ways of prostitution. Samaria seeks out Assyrian lovers and God let’s then go and she is killed as a result of mistreatment by them. Then the younger one, Jerusalem, does the same thing seeking out Babylonian lovers doing even worse things. God allows His judgment to go against Jerusalem. He tells Ezekiel to accuse them both.

Principles: Our sins cause us to reap the fruit of our actions.

Ezekiel is given two different words demonstrated by examples. The first he is to boil the parts of a choice sheep with spices on a heaped fire. Then try to clean the pot that won’t come clean. This represents Jerusalem going through its tribulation and being unwilling to repent and be be cleansed. It happened on a specific day that was the day Jerusalem was being attacked. The next sign was Ezekiel’s wife dying and his being told not to mourn her loss in the normal ways but to suffer inside as the Jews works suffer the loss.

Principles: Our sin causes suffering and takes us out of the normal ways of recovery.

God gives Ezekiel words of judgment against the Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, and Philistines because they either went after Israel or Judah or rejoiced at their tragedies.

Principles: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and Israel.

Ezekiel receives a word against Tyre because they were rejoicing at Israel’s downfall and thinking they would benefit by taking over what they left behind. Instead God says they will suffer just like Israel has suffered.

Principles: Don’t rejoice at other’s calamity.

This is a another or continued prophecy to Tyre about their coming destruction. It talks about how they supplied to many of the world’s countries and leaders but now Tyre has gone down in the bottom of the ocean.

Principles: Just because you were prosperous and the center one day doesn’t mean you will be forever.

Ezekiel is given a prophecy for the king of Tyre and a funeral song for it given Tyre’s impending judgment. The prophecy talked about the wisdom of the king that led to wealth and the wealth that led to thinking he was a god. However, through judgment, the king would be brought down. Then there was a prophecy against Sidon as well about its destruction. The chapter wraps up with a prophecy of hope and restoration of Israel.

Principles: God is the source of wisdom and wealth and should be respected as such. Don’t let riches turn you to arrogance.

Ezekiel is given two words relating to Egypt. The first is judgment against Egypt. The second is telling that Egypt will be conquered and plundered by Babylon to reward Babylon for carrying out the work of God against Egypt that had not. Both circumstances were to teach Israel about God’s power and not to trust in Egypt.

Principles: Put your trust in God, even if their seems another way.

There are two prophecies against Egypt. The first one talks about even Egypt’s allies will be decimated. The second talks about Pharoah’s arms being broken and not able to hold a sword.

Principles: God’s response to our continued arrogance and rejection of Him is discipline.

Ezekiel is given a Word for Egypt comparing them to the fallen Assyria. Egypt in its arrogance failed to honor God.

Principles: Nations need to honor God unless they want to be opposed to God…and lose.

Ezekiel is given several words for Egypt and told to weep for them due to their impending destruction. Pharaoh will be disgraced despite being the terror of millions and thinking highly of himself. Egypt will be decimated.

Principles: Setting yourself up in a high position and not relying on the Lord will cause downfall.

God let’s Ezekiel know that he is Israel’s watchman appointed to share what God tells him to tell them. If he tells them, then their actions are on them. If not, he is responsible. He also talks about how those that repent and follow God, despite previous sin, will be saved. Those that don’t follow God despite previous righteous living won’t be saved.

Principles: Following God is a continual thing.

Ezekiel is given a word for the “shepherds” of Israel (those who were supposed to be leaders). They had been caring only for themselves and not for the people. God was going to judge them for that and rescue His people himself.

Principles: Leaders are not in place to just look out for their own interests. They are there to care for their people.

Ezekiel is given a word for the people of Edom/Mt. Seir. They had hated the Jews for years and took advantage of them when God was disciplining them. God says He will punish them because of that and wipe them from the face of the earth.

Principles: Don’t get in the middle of God’s discipline process for others unless He has asked you to be involved.

Ezekiel receives a word to the mountains of Israel talking about how they have seen how other nations have taken their land and advantage of Israel and that God will restore Israel and make them produce extra. Good reminds Israel that He’s not restoring them because they deserve it but because He loves them.

Principles: God’s love for us is greater than our sin.

This chapter has two prophecies. The first one is a well-known one of the Valley of the Dry Bones. In it God takes Ezekiel to a valley filled with bones of people and asks if they can come back to life. Ezekiel says, only you know God. God has him speak to the bones and they reform as people (a great army) and then God has Ezekiel call to be four winds to put breath back in them and they come alive. Then God gives Ezekiel another word where he talks about two pieces of wood representing Israel and Judah rejoining into one nation that serves God.

Principles: Only God alone knows His full plan. He can do what He wants.

Ezekiel is given a word against Gog and Magog. God says that sometime in the future, they will gather troops against Israel but God will turn them against themselves and show His greatness.

Principles: God shows His greatness when others come against His people.

This chapter continues the prophecy against Gog and its destruction. This portion talks about how the victory will be so complete that they will use the wood from their weapons as firewood for seven years. The bodies will provide a great sacrificial feast for the birds and scavengers. It will take seven months just to bury the immediate dead. Israel will then send people throughout the land to find the scattered dead. This will be a great victory to show God’s greatness.

Principles: The defeat of God’s enemies is complete.

This chapter is a vision that Ezekiel had of God taking him to Jerusalem to see the specifications of a new temple. Ezekiel was to see how everything was designed and go back and share with those who were in captivity.

Principles: God has plans for our good even while we are going through His correction.

Ezekiel continues the vision of the dimensions of the temple.

Principle: God cares about the details.

This chapter contains continued description and measurement of the temple. This section is of the holy place where the priests serve, eat, and serve that only they can go. They must wear holy garments that only can be worn in this area.

Principles: God sets apart things that are only for His use.

Ezekiel’s vision be of the temple continues. Ezekiel sees God’s presence fill the temple. Then God shows him the altar and its dimensions. God tells him how the sacrifices need to go to ready the altar and cleanse the people. The focus is on showing the people God’s holiness and keeping them from following false gods any longer.

Principles: God’s focus is on a relationship with us.

This chapter continues Ezekiel’s vision of the temple but gives specific instructions for the Levites that were unfaithful and helped Israel win as well as the family of Zadok that was faithful and would serve as the priests that would serve before the Lord because of their faithfulness.

Principles: Failing to serve faithfully and lead others to sin has consequences. Serving faithfully is rewarded.

This chapter talks about the land surrounding the temple and allotments for the prince and levites. The princes responsibilities are laid out to some extent with regards to festivals and sacrifices. What is clear is that God wants them to be responsible and caring for His people and not just exert authority and privilege over them.

Principles: Positions of power is more about responsibility than privilege.

In this chapter, Ezekiel continues to hear from the Lord about temple operations. In particular this chapter covers the way holy days and sabbaths will be handled. The account reflects the actions of the prince and the people as well as the sacrifices and offerings.

Principles: The leader is first in carrying out the plan and serving God.

In this chapter, God shows Ezekiel a river coming out of the temple that causes the water of the Dead Sea to turn fresh and sustain fish and trees on both sides. There is also discussion of the boundaries of Israel and the allotment of land people should get.

Principles: God’s presence brings life and atonement.

This chapter covers the distribution of land back to the Israelites and dimensions of the city etc.

Principles: God cares about His people’s living needs.