TOMS: Ezekiel 45-48

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Oct. 15, 2006

Here we find a preview of the glory of Jerusalem in the eternal kingdom. The first two chapters deal with the prince who will judge Israel. I started to say it was David, but then it mentions the fact that the prince will have sons, so it cannot be someone with a resurrected body, since they do not reproduce. The prince will be a spiritual leader as well as a political leader.

Chapter 47 is about the river that will flow from under the Temple southward to apparently the Red Sea, through what is now a vast desert. In Ezekiel's vision, the angel who is showing him all these visions shows him the river. At first, it is just a trickle, then it is ankle deep, then knee deep, waist deep, and then too deep to stand in. The water will turn the desert into a lush forest and will even change the salt water of the ocean to fresh. This may be symbolic, but either way, it is a sign that God's presence and God's people will be a blessing to the whole world during this time. I know I am looking forward to being a part of it!

The last chapter of Ezekiel is a boring listing of the borders of the tribes of Israel in the future kingdom. I understand the significance of this passage - that God is right now miraculously overseeing a remnant of the so-called lost tribes of Israel, and that one day they will be a new people again - but it's really a tough read.

As we wrap up the book of Ezekiel, I just want to say here that the last few posts in this series demonstrate why I am really not concerned about prophecy. I can't make any sense of it, and what's worse, I can't seem to find anyone who has a real grasp of it either. Everybody has their theories, from the uber-fantastical stuff to the underwhelming "This has already happened" explanations. None of them are consistent with all the texts, as far as I can tell. So basically in the years since I first wrote this, my solution is to ignore prophecy. You can be a dispensational, covenant, partial preterist, amillenial, whatever: I don't care. As long as you affirm the cardinal doctrines of the church and are committed to living them out in your daily life, I consider you a good brother or sister in the Lord. As long as you won't bring up stuff no one understands completely anyway and try to fight over it, we can fellowship in peace.

TOMS: Ezekiel 42-44

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Oct. 14, 2006

Chapter 42 is basically more of the same that we saw in chapters 40-41: a delineation of the dimensions of the future Temple. In chapter 43, Zeke sees God's presence fill the temple. Here we learn for sure that this Temple is the one that will be used in the eternal kingdom, because in 43:7 we read, "this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever." Yes, taken out of context that verse could be interpreted to refer to Christ in the midst of the church. But my question is, what are all the dimensions in the previous three chapters signifying in the church?

In chapter 44 God outlines the priesthood that will serve in the Temple. Only the family of Zadok, who was the faithful priest under David, will be allowed to minister in the Temple, because they were faithful to God through all the years that Israel was in sin. Whether this is the resurrected members of Zadok's family or the actual descendants of Zadok (a combination of these is also possible) they will be blessed for their faithfulness. The word to the rest of the Levites is a warning for us today, as well:

"Because they ministered to them before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have sworn concerning them, declares the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their punishment. They shall not come near to me, to serve me as priest, nor come near any of my holy things and the things that are most holy, but they shall bear their shame and the abominations that they have committed. Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of the temple, and to do all its service and all that is to be done in it." (44:12-14, ESV)

How does this square with the topic we talked about last week, about the fact that every man is punished for his own sins? I don't really know. As I said, some of these people could be the actual people who disobeyed in their resurrected bodies. If David is going to be God's special prince for Israel, then it naturally follows that other people will be resurrected to live in the eternal kingdom as well. That's exciting to think about: being a part of the same kingdom as David, Zadok, Ezekiel and so many more. It humbles me just to be discussing such unspeakable things. The blessings that God will pour out on His people are just amazing. I know this is way off topic, but it is reality. We are eternal beings with an eternal destiny. God calls all who will to come to Him.

TOMS: Ezekiel 40-41

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Oct. 13, 2006

I have to admit, passages like this are very difficult to read. In this passage, Ezekiel is transported to Jerusalem some time in the future, and he is given a vision of the Temple. He spends two chapters describing all its rooms and the length and height and thickness of the wall. If Ezekiel presented us with a computer model - like you see on the Discovery or the History channel of an old building - it would be more exciting. Instead we have a very rote description. This passage gets better later, but for now it's not very riveting reading.

In my opinion, passages like this are worse than genealogies. At least in those there are some names you recognize and you can make connections to other events in the Bible. But God gave us this description. It certainly will prove that Ezekiel was there, whether this is a reference to the temple of Herod or the temple in the future kingdom, which is more likely. I know this isn't much of a blog, but there really isn't much more that I can think of to say about this passage.

TOMS: Ezekiel 37-39

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Oct. 12, 2006

Chapter 37 is the ever-popular "valley of dry bones" chapter. I've heard a couple of different versions of the song, but basically they all have to do with "your foot bone connected to your ankle bone" and so on. I believe this song may be an old Negro spiritual, but honestly it has nothing to do with the text. If you want a good song about this chapter, I suggest "Valley of Dry Bones" by Michael Card. It is true to the text and it has a very interesting rhythm that you can't get out of your head. 

Anyway, this passage is one of the great promises for the future of Israel. It is a promise that the dead bones of Israel will rise again to be blessed by God. As I read it tonight, it almost seemed like a promise to the believers living at that time. (Paul talks about the difference between the Jewish race and Jews who are truly believers. Belief in and acceptance by God has always required faith.) It seemed to say that the Jews who were following the Lord at that time should take heart because one day they will be raised up to live in Israel in a perfect kingdom. I don't know if that's the right interpretation or not, but it is certainly true that those hearing this word who had faith in God are very much alive today and will be alive when Christ establishes His kingdom, whether that be the Millennial kingdom or the eternal kingdom. So that's not really too much of a disservice to the text. Whether this passage is teaching that specifically or teaching in general that the Jews will one day be blessed by God again I leave to smarter people than I. It certainly teaches the latter.

Chapters 38-39 are a prophecy against Gog and Magog. Many dispensationalists teach that this prophecy refers to an invasion of Israel by an alliance led by Russia at the beginning of the Tribulation. However, we find terms "Gog and Magog" repeated in Revelation 20, referring to a rebellion of nearly all the people of the earth against Christ and the Jews at the end of the Millennium. I think this is the best place to peg this prophecy. Sadly the vast majority of people who will have lived all of their lives in a paradise under the reign of Christ will rebel against Him, just like unbelievers of all times. Christ will crush all outward attempts of rebellion during His reign, but not even He can erase the stain of sin on the faithless heart of man. When Satan tempts them - remember Satan will be bound during the kingdom - they will jump at the chance to rebel against Jesus. 

I need to stop. The Cardinals have lost and it's time for bed.

TOMS: Ezekiel 34-36

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Oct. 11, 2006

This section marks the major transition section in Ezekiel's prophecy. Ezekiel's message has changed from near-term judgment for Israel to long-term blessings. But he cannot get too far without pointing out more of Israel's failures, and he does so at the beginning of chapter 34. He goes after the leaders of Israel, both political and especially spiritual, saying that they have fed themselves instead of feeding the "sheep" of Israel. Because God's flock has become sick and ill-fed, God will remove those evil shepherds and set Himself as their shepherd, with David as His assistant.

"I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them." (34:22-24, ESV)

At this point in my original article, I made a long rant about dispensationalism. I'm not as hardcore as I used to be on the topic, but I'm still dispensational in outlook, and it's passages like this one that convince me of that. This passage is very specific. Why would God promise Israel that they would one day have David ruling over them if He were planning to permanently take away Israel's place as God's chosen people? I fully acknowledge that we as Christian Gentile believers are grafted into God's tree, as Paul writes, and that we are the spiritual children of Abraham. There is a spiritual transfer from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant. But I have yet to be convinced that all of God's promises to Israel such as the one above have been spiritually fulfilled in the church. Where is David in the church? Is he spiritually ruling over a portion of it somewhere? I could be wrong. I'm not going to pretend I have all the answers. But I've studied the Scripture and the theological debates enough to know that the easy answers on both the dispensational and covenental side have holes as well. All I'm basically asking is that fellow believers be willing to tolerate differences that do not affect orthodox faith and practice in this age.

TOMS: Ezekiel 32-33

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Oct. 10, 2006

Hey everybody!! If you like what you read here, or if you hate what you read here, let me know. Comment here, comment on Facebook, Google Plus, or contact me some other way if this is a blessing or if you have a problem with what I am writing. (Obviously I changed what I wrote back then. But reproducing the contact info I put in my original post would not do me or anyone else any good.)

Let's get into our text for today. Ezekiel 32 is a pronouncement of Egypt's future doom. It concludes a four-chapter section on Egypt's demise. Then in chapter 33 Ezekiel turns his attention back to Israel. Once again, God comes to him with a commission as a watchman for Israel. After this, God reminds the people that He will forgive His people if they will only turn to Him and repent, but if they do not repent, they will die. This is when God says, "Why will you die, O house of Israel?" (33:11).

Then Zeke, who is living in Babylon, receives word that Jerusalem has finally been destroyed. Remember that there were several waves of destruction and exile from Jerusalem, as the people disobeyed God's command to cooperate with the Babylonians and God allowed the Babylonians to defeat them over and over. God responds by having Ezekiel tell the Jews what only God would know- the secret sinful attitude they were harboring in their hearts.

"Your people...say to one another, each to his brother, 'Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.' And they come to you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain. And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it. When this comes- and come it will!- then they will know a prophet has been among them." (33:30-33, ESV)

How many times do you and I come to a church service or come to the Word of God looking to be entertained instead of fed? I know I have, lots of times. Sadly, there are lots of churches and preachers who cater to people looking for entertainment. Tell them jokes, sing some good songs, put on a good show, and you will always attract some sort of crowd. But what is the crowd you're attracting learning? These people were not blatantly rejecting the prophet's word, they just weren't connecting it to their lives. We fall into that same trap. We hear the Word preached, and the first thing that comes into our minds is critiquing the sermon. And it doesn't matter if it's a good sermon or a bad sermon. When you've heard preaching all your life, it becomes too easy to just "appreciate" it on that level. Both preachers and listeners have to learn to cut through that and speak to people's hearts.

I also think sometimes our Bible classes, whether they be in a Christian school, Sunday School or whatever else, turns the Bible into some kind of trivia book instead of a guide for life. I was one of the thousands of kids who could rattle off whole chapters from memory and answer any sort of question about the stories, but I couldn't give you any sort of explanation as to why I believed many of the basic doctrines of the faith. I guess this is part of the reason I am not a teacher, but if I was teaching Bible, especially in a Christian school, I would skip the memorization and have the students actively outlining and defending what they believe about basic doctrines. The class could discuss the merits of all the doctrines and the objections (I can always provide better arguments for what I don't believe than for what I do - I'm not really sure why). Even in Sunday School, if you're not challenging your students to advance in their faith, then you're not doing them any good. I know you will have different people at different levels, but you can't spend all your time trying to bring the 1's up to a 2 when you have 3's and 4's in the class.

TOMS: Ezekiel 29-31

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Oct. 9, 2006

Now Ezekiel turns his attention to Egypt. Egypt was one of the most powerful and advanced civilizations of the ancient world. Until the Eiffel Tower was built in France in the late 1800s, the Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world, a record it held (as far as we know) for nearly 4,000 years. They were a world power for nearly 2,000 years. But Ezekiel said they were about to be conquered and be forever "a lowly kingdom," which is exactly what has happened in the millenia since the time of Ezekiel.

One notable sin Ezekiel notes is the sin of pride. Twice God notes that the Pharoahs said, "The Nile is mine, and I made it." It is a dangerous thing to credit the blessings of God to yourself or something else besides God. James reminds us that "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights." (James 1:17, ESV) But we do this all the time, don't we? We figure that we are the ones who brought about our good fortune. When things go bad, well, that's God's fault. The Christian will say something like "God is teaching me a lesson." That sounds all spiritual, but really it's not much different than the unbeliever screaming at the sky for his misfortune. 

The American ideal is the "self-made man." We have to fight against that if we are going to live the lives God has called us to live. People who are actually self-made have pretty wretched lives even here in this world. And obviously if our lives are self-made we will regret that choice in eternity. Yes, we are certainly responsible for ourselves to God, but most of that responsibility will be based on how we use the gifts that He gives us and acknowledge His lordship over us, not on how we picked ourselves up by our own bootstraps.

TOMS: Ezekiel 27-28

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Oct. 8, 2006

In this passage, Ezekiel continues his prediction of judgment upon Tyre. Tyre was a great city on the Mediterranean coast. Centuries earlier, a king of Tyre named Hiram was a good friend to both David and Solomon. Hiram was no doubt a believer in the true and living God. He donated gold and wood for Solomon’s Temple. But Hiram's successors were not the men that Hiram was. They were proud of their power and exalted themselves. The destruction of Tyre occurred within a few years of the time Ezekiel wrote his prophecy, so it is possible he was talking about the current king when he said, "you are indeed wiser than Daniel.” (28:3) So he had reason to be proud, but he did not recognize God as the source of his wisdom.

Anyway, the prophecy against the king of Tyre turns into a review of Satan's fall. There are some who believe that this passage and the passage in Isaiah 14 are merely extreme pronouncements against the kings who are being described earlier in the passage. I think both are pretty clearly about Satan, but this passage is far more specifically about a supernatural being than the Isaiah passage is. Ezekiel is pretty specific when he says, "You were an anointed guardian cherub." (28:14, ESV) It’s hard to make that statement apply to a human being. I don't know for sure. It makes for an interesting discussion, but it's nothing to fight over.

Either way, it's pretty bad when a description of you gets mixed in with a description of Satan, actual or assumed. I bet if you or I were to meet the man described by Ezekiel, he wouldn't seem too bad. That just shows how God's ways are not our ways.

TOMS: Ezekiel 24-26

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Oct. 6, 2006

This passage marks the transition in Ezekiel from pronouncing judgment on Israel to pronouncing judgment on the nations around and prophesying future blessings for Israel. Chapter 24 is another statement of God's wrath against Jerusalem, but it is touched with a twinge of hope. God says that he will boil Israel in a pot until the meat and the bones and the broth are all burned up, and there will be nothing left but the pot. But the pot will be purified and will become fit for God's blessing. 

Chapter 25 is a pronouncement of God's judgment against Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia.

Chapter 26 is a prediction of God's judgment against Tyre. This chapter has been well noted often about how absolutely accurate its description of the destruction of Tyre is. Without getting bogged down in all the details, these passages let us know that God has a purpose in everything. The Babylonians certainly did not know they were fulfilling Ezekiel's prophecy when they tore down the rubble of the old city of Tyre and built an earthen bridge across to the island where the new city of Tyre was, but they did leave the old city bald as a stone, just like Ezekiel predicted.

The Babylonians were just interested in a Mediterranean port when they conquered Tyre, but God was working out His plan to punish Tyre for the way they treated His people. Nothing happens by accident. I am not saying that we can know what God's plan is, because we can't without special revelation. But we can be confident that whatever is going on, if it's the war or the school shootings or whatever, they are all part of God's plan, whether it be a plan for a nation, an area, or an individual person.

TOMS: Ezekiel 22-23

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Oct. 5, 2006

Ezekiel had more bad news for the Jews in this passage. In chapter 22, he lists some of the wicked deeds that were done in Israel: murder, idolatry, adultery, and more. Chapter 23 is a lurid retelling of the sin of Samaria (the northern kingdom) and Jerusalem (the southern kingdom). Once again we find a very explicit comparison of the sins of Israel in associating with heathen nations and worshiping their false gods with prostitution. The frankness is quite shocking. This isn't a passage you want to cover in a class with anyone but adults, unless you want to explain the references to Egyptian men's genitalia to snickering teenagers.

But there is one verse in this passage that brought back memories. Every time there was a split boys' and girls' sessions in any youth camp or meeting, someone always taught on 22:30:

And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.(ESV)

What a sad commentary on the state of Israel. Much like Sodom, which would have been saved if only 10 people believed, God was looking for anyone who stood against the corruption that was going on. I don't know exactly what kind of man God was looking for, but He was certainly looking for someone stronger than me. Most of the time, I end up paying lip service to my faith, and that really bothers me. What bothers me most is that when I don't stand for what I believe, it's just that- I am lying. Too many times I am just like Peter at the fire, lying about my best friend, the one for whom I have dedicated so much of my life.

I don't know, I just feel like spilling my guts tonight. Pray for me. I need it.

TOMS: Ezekiel 20-21

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Oct. 2, 2006

More doom for Israel. At least in this passage Ezekiel does have a positive future message. 20:33-44 foretells a time when Israel will be brought back to its own land and they will follow God perfectly. God says He will do this to bring honor to His name, and not because of the righteousness of the Jews.

Even Ezekiel seems to be tired of what God is telling him to say. In 20:49 Ezekiel says, "Ah, Lord GOD! They are saying of me, 'Is he not a maker of parables?'" Ezekiel did not stop pronouncing God's judgment, but even he was tired of trying to preach to people who were not paying any attention. We will hear more on that topic later in the book.

The one phrase that stands out to me is one that is repeated three times in the span of a few verses. It concerns the law of God:

I gave them my statutes, and made known to them my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live. (20:11)

They did not walk in my statutes but rejected my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live.(20:13)

They did not walk in my statutes and were not careful to obey my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live. (20:21)

Paul also repeats this in Romans 10:5:

For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. (ESV)

This must have been a common quotation among the Jewish people. Ezekiel repeats the same combination of words three times as a reminder. This statement is first made by Moses in Leviticus.

Even though the time of the old Jewish law has passed, the principle still applies. God's commands are not burdensome. They are the path to real life. The person who lives by the Word of God will live, will know what life is really about.

TOMS: Ezekiel 17-19

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Oct. 2, 2006

Once again we find ourselves in Ezekiel, and we find him pronouncing more messages of doom for the Jews. Eventually he will turn the conversation to a more positive level, but right now he has his hands full dealing with the sins of Israel. In chapter 17, God says that he will pluck a small branch of the vine that is Israel and replant it on a mountain. The rest will be destroyed. Chapter 19 is a lamentation for the demise of Israel.

In chapter 18, however, is an important transition passage. I think it points toward the age of the New Testament church, but that's just me. I could be wrong, I certainly have been from time to time. That's one of the joys of being a newspaper reporter. Everything you write is read by thousands of critical eyes, and they have no qualms about walking in, calling, writing an e-mail or a letter pointing out your mistake. Usually it's my fault, and I try as best I can to smooth the situation over, but it is frustrating when someone will not talk to you when they know you're trying to report the facts about them, but they will holler and scream when you make an honest mistake that could have been easily prevented with a little bit of cooperation beforehand.

But enough about me. The people of Israel had a saying, "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge." Kind of like when we say "Like father, like son" today, except theirs went deeper. It was based on verses like Exodus 20:5, in the middle of the Ten Commandments, which reads, "For I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me." This attitude can also be seen in Jesus' disciples, who asked Jesus about the man born blind, "Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" The Jews believed that God punished people's descendants for their ancestors' sins. And in some cases He did. There are examples (specific ones escape me at the moment) where God told a wicked king that his son's kingdom would be cut off for his sin. Indeed, the very people Ezekiel was prophesying to, the captives of Israel, were in large part suffering for the sin of preceding generations.

But God said that the time of this proverb was at an end. He said that now "The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself." (18:20, ESV)

We each are personally responsible to God for our own actions, not the actions of others. Thank God for that. I have enough to worry about without having to worry about the problems of the rest of my family or co-workers or church family or whatever. Part of our responsibility is to encourage others to do right, but others' sins are their problem, not ours. I could wax eloquent on that, but it's time to go.

TOMS: Ezekiel 14-16

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Oct. 1, 2006

Here is another difficult passage. In the first part of his book, Ezekiel paints a bleaker picture than any of the other prophets. Isaiah prophesies about the future destruction, but right beside it he tells of a glorious future. Where Isaiah emphasizes Israel's future earthly kingdom, Jeremiah emphasizes the spiritual revival coming for Israel. He speaks often of the new heart that God will give Israel. Ezekiel has no positive message. He says doom is coming, it is unavoidable, and here is the reason why. Chapter 16 is unflinchingly graphic as it describes Israel's worship of idols as whoredom. Sometimes you will see some person's web page defending their own sin from criticism from Christians by listing verses from the Bible that are violently or sexually explicit, and you will often see verses from this chapter quoted, or misquoted, as the case may be.

Anyway, one passage that has always fascinated me is 14:12-23. I will quote one verse here, but read the whole passage for yourself. God lists all the destruction he will bring upon Jerusalem, and then if anyone thinks they are righteous enough to escape God's wrath, He says:

Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, they would deliver neither son or daughter. They would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness. (14:20, ESV)

This verse makes the fourth time Ezekiel had mentioned those three names as being the only possible survivors of Jerusalem's destruction. What always strikes me about this passage is the fact that Noah and Job had been dead for at least 1,000 years by this point, but Daniel was probably still alive. Since Ezekiel is writing this book primarily to the Jews of the captivity, they would doubtless be familiar with Daniel, which makes this an all the more impressive endorsement of Daniel's character. I will get to Daniel more when we get to his book. For now, from this reference alone, we can assume that he was well-known throughout the world, and that he was already considered in the same league with Noah and Job as examples of righteousness. I don't want to waste all my good stuff about him before we get to his book, so I'll stop after saying that Daniel is a good example that God can use anyone in any position who is willing to trust Him.

TOMS: Ezekiel 11-13

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Sept. 30, 2006

In this passage Ezekiel finishes his vision of Jerusalem and returns to Babylon. Zeke doesn't have a lot of good things to say to either group. He warns the people of Jerusalem against fighting against the Babylonians, who have returned to finish off the city because the Jews would not accept their defeat as a work of God. Multiple prophets of God commanded the people to cooperate with the Babylonians, but the people kept fighting and being defeated. God does present a promise to Israel that one day God will bring the Jews home to Israel, and in that day there will be no one to molest them and they will serve the Lord with joy. Of course, this prophecy has yet to be fulfilled in its entirety.

Meanwhile, when he is transported back to Babylon, he finds more trouble. You can find deeper philosophical treatments of this elsewhere in books and on the 'net, articles written by brighter minds than mine. Let's just suffice it to say that God demanded worship that was vastly different from every other god of the rest of the nations. They were not to make any graven images, any physical representations of God. They were to worship God out of the truth that He revealed to them. Ezekiel confronts some women who disobeyed this concept in 13:17-19:

And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own minds. Prophesy against them, and say Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the women who sew magic bands upon all wrists, and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature, in the hunt for souls! Will you hunt down souls belonging to my people and keep your own souls alive? You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, putting to death souls who should not die, and keeping alive souls who should not live, by your lying to my people, who listen to lies. (ESV)

These false prophets, men and women, were profiting by exploiting the poorest and most vulnerable of the exiles. And isn't it true that such things happen today? So-called Christian churches and pastors of many stripes take advantage of the poor and the gullible, selling them religious baubles and promoting a false gospel that only enriches themselves. God condemns both the sellers of the baubles for their greed and the baubles themselves in this passage. Of course this is a passage from the Old Testament, but God has always desired to be worshiped in spirit and truth, not with religious baubles. This is not to say that physical objects have no part of worship, because even the OT goes into great detail of the objects that were used to worship God in the temple, both for sacrifices and, in the times of David and Solomon, for music. But the physical objects are used by us for a greater purpose: they are not an end in themselves. God is the ultimate of all that is good, and He lives inside us. What physical object could surpass that?

TOMS: Ezekiel 8-10

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Sept. 28, 2006

In this passage, God shows Ezekiel a vision of the sin of Israel. God reveals to him very specific details about the idolatry that was going on in Jerusalem. Ezekiel even mentions one man, Jaazaniah the son of Shaphat, by name that he saw participating in a pagan ritual in a secret chamber below the temple in Jerusalem. 

I honestly don't know who Jaazaniah was, but he was apparently quite prominent. Remember the context of Ezekiel's prophecy: he is writing to exiles, to people who experienced the devastation of the fall of Jerusalem. They wondered why God was allowing such terrible things to happen. They thought God was being unjust. In effect, God says, "Am I unjust? Look at what was happening: pagan rituals beneath the temple! You abandoned me long before I abandoned you."

One important passage comes immediately after Ezekiel mentions Jaazaniah:

Then he (God) said to me, "Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his room of pictures? For they say 'The LORD does not see us, the LORD has forsaken the land.'" (Ezekiel 8:12, ESV)

These people thought God had forgotten them and their evil deeds, but He had not, and God was planning to destroy the people for what they were doing, which He describes beginning in chapter 9.

We cannot hide our actions from God, and one day He will reward us for what we have done, and because He knows all and sees all, our reward from Him will be perfectly just. That's a sobering thought, but it is true, and it is something we have to come to grips with.

TOMS: Ezekiel 4-7

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Sept. 26, 2006

Ezekiel 4 is one of the weirdest passages in the Bible. God tells Ezekiel to lay on his right side for a certain number of days, and then on his left side for another number of days. He was supposed to eat about 4 ounces of bread each day that he baked over a fire made by burning cow dung. I don't know, I just read what's there. It certainly would have been a sight to behold.

A lot of people these days say the recipe that God gave Ezekiel there and is somehow a spiritual food. Just look up "Ezekiel Bread" in your search box some time and you'll see lots of recipes and people selling loaves. But if you read the passage, how the bread was cooked was just as important as the ingredients. If they aren't cooking that "Ezekiel bread" with flaming cow patties, then they're not doing it right. And even if they do, just remember that Paul said that food does not commend ourselves to God. There's no such thing as spiritual food that you put in your physical mouth.

The next three chapters are pronouncing judgment against Israel. One compelling passage is chapter 7:19-21:

They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity. His beautiful ornament they used for pride, and they made their abominable images and their detestable things of it. Therefore I make it an unclean thing unto them. And I will give it into the hand of foreigners for prey, and to the wicked of the earth for spoil, and they shall profane it. (ESV)

History tells us that just before the fall of both the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel, they enjoyed immense prosperity. It is not obvious when you read the prophets, because they were more concerned with the spiritual condition of the nation rather than the financial condition. But nevertheless it is true. Here Ezekiel says that the accumulated wealth of the people will do them no good in the day of judgment. They will toss out silver and gold like so much gravel in the street. They will gladly trade piles of money for one meal, because there will be no food.

God is able to show us what is really important. It is not money, power, or any of the other things that we place priority on in this world. It is hard when things are going good to depend on God for our needs when we seem to already have them covered, but that is the time we need to rely on Him the most.

TOMS: Ezekiel 1-3

For an introduction to this series, click here.

Sept. 26, 2006

I really picked a poor time to start this. It would have been easy to start in the Gospels or in Psalms, but I am afraid I am in way over my head here.

So let's get started. Ezekiel's first prophetic vision occurs in Babylon, where he is in exile with most of the Jewish nation. He appears before the throne of God in a vision very similar to John's description of the throne of God in  Revelation. There is a song about Ezekiel and his wheels, but I really think Ezekiel is just focusing on different details of his vision than John does- they are basically the same thing.

Next, God commissions Ezekiel and give him this not-so-encouraging word: "And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house." (Ezekiel 2:7, ESV)

God tells this to Ezekiel over and over. Then he tells him that he is a watchman over the house of Israel, and that if he does not warn the people, even though they will not listen, God will hold Ezekiel responsible for their sins.

A lot of preachers use this passage to say that God holds us responsible when people go to hell, but this teaching is found nowhere in the New Testament, and is exclusively given to Ezekiel in the Old Testament (it is repeated almost word for word later in the book). I see this is a problem of faulty theology. This is not the right forum to delve into an extended discussion of the doctrines of salvation, but God says very plainly in John 3:18 that the lost are already condemned. It is not our faulty witness that condemns them, it is their sin. All who reject Christ will stand before God with no excuse. We are certainly commanded to spread the Gospel and make disciples, but this guilt-trip style of preaching is misleading to the flock of God and does nothing to promote true obedience.