Ezekiel 11

 

1 Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me to the east gate of the LORD’s house, which looks eastward: and behold at the door of the gate 25 men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, the princes of the people. 2 Then he said he to me, Son of man, these are the men that plot evil, and give wicked advice in this city: 3 Who say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we are the flesh.

 

  • Remember the source of evil in Eden?
  • These men were ruling God’s people by Satan’s counsel.
  • If we do not do what God has said in His word, we are like them.

 

4  Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man. 5 And the Spirit of the LORD fell on me, and said to me, Speak; The Lord says this; You have said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them. 6 You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain.

 

  • God knows everything that comes into our minds.
  • Acts 1:24 And they prayed, and said, You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men.

 

God promised judgment for their evil

 

7 Therefore the Lord God says; Your slain whom you have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron: but I will bring you out of the midst of it. 8 You have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword on you, says the Lord GOD. 9 And I will bring you out of the midst of it, and deliver you into the hands of foreigners, and will execute judgments among you. 10 You will fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and you will know that I am the LORD. 11 This city will not be your caldron, neither will you be the flesh in the midst of it; but I will judge you in the border of Israel: 12 And you will know that I am the LORD: for you have not walked in my statutes, nor executed my judgments, but have done the judgments of the nations that are around you. 13 And it happened, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then I fell down on my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! Will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel?

 

  • God is the LORD, the Maker, sustainer and controller of all things in existence.
  • The idols that the people worship have done nothing but cause death. Most judgments in scripture were for this reason, so that man will know who is God.
  • Psalm 96:5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

 

14  Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 15 Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, the men of your relatives, and all the house of Israel wholly, are those to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get far from the LORD: unto us this land is given in possession. 16 Therefore say, The Lord GOD says this; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet I will be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they will come.

 

  • God gave each family their own property in Israel.
  • The leaders were kicking people off of their inheritance from God saying that the property was theirs.
  • So God did to them what they had done to others.
  • Yet, in exile, God was a sanctuary to them.
  • God remembers the victims in Psalm 9:12.
  • Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatever you would that men do to you, do that to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
  • Psalm 57:10 For your mercy is great unto the heavens, and your truth unto the clouds.

 

God promised to give them one heart and a new spirit

 

17 Therefore say, The Lord God says this; I will gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. 18 And they will come there, and they will take away all the detestable things of it and all the abominations from there. 19And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh: 20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them: and they will be my people, and I will be their God.

 

God promised to repay evil in kind

 

21 But as for those whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will repay their way on their own heads, says the Lord GOD. 22 Then the cherubims lifted up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. 23 And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood on the mountain that is on the east side of the city. 24 Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to those of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me. 25 Then I spoke to them of the captivity all the things that the LORD had showed me.

 

  • Ezekiel 1:26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne like a sapphire stone: and on the throne was the likeness of a man above upon it. 27 And I saw as the color of amber like the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins upward, and from the appearance of his loins downward, I saw the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. 28 The appearance of the brightness around it was like bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.

 


                                              Ezekiel 12

 

1 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house that has eyes to see, but does not see; they have ears to hear, and do not hear: for they are a rebellious house. 3 Therefore, son of man, prepare your belongings for exile, and leave by day in their sight; and move from your place to another place in their sight: maybe they will consider, though they are a rebellious house. 4 Then bring out your stuff by day in their sight, as belongings for exile: and go out at evening in their sight, like those that go into captivity. 5 Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry out through it, 6 carry it on your shoulders in their sight, and carry it out in the twilight: and cover your face so that you cannot see the land: for I have set you for a sign to the house of Israel.

 

  • God said the reason Ezekiel was doing this was that maybe they would consider so that they might return to God and exile would not be necessary (verse 3).

 

7 So I did as I was commanded: I brought out my belongings by day, as baggage for captivity, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my hand; I brought it out in the twilight, and I carried it on my shoulder in their sight. 8 And in the morning word of the LORD came the to me, saying, 9 Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, What are you doing? 10 You say to them, The Lord God says this; This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them. 11 Say, I am your sign: as I have done, so it will be done to them: they will go into exile, into captivity. 12 And the prince that is among them will carry on his shoulder in the twilight, and will go out: they will dig through the wall to carry out through it: he will cover his face, that he see not the land with his eyes.

 

God was going to send them into captivity for their unfaithfulness to Him

 

13 I will spread my net on him, and he will be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will not see it, though he will die there. 14 And I will scatter toward every wind all that are around him to help him, and all his servants and guards; and I will draw out the sword after them. 15 And they will know that I am the LORD, when I scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries. 16 But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen where they go; and they will know that I am the LORD.

 

  • God often has to take drastic measures to open our eyes so we can be saved from eternal death.
  • God made us, none other. He owns and rules everything.
  • Following false gods leads to eternal death in the lake of fire.
  • Psalm 96:5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
  • Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

 

17 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 18 Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with carefulness; 19 And say to the people of the land, The Lord God says this of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They will eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is in it because of the violence of all them that dwell in it.

20 And the cities that are inhabited will be laid waste, and the land will be desolate; and you will know that I am the LORD.

 

  • Violence is the alternative to trusting in God to meet our needs.
  • People become angry and hurt others: they take what isn’t theirs. They kill and destroy.

 

21 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 22 Son of man, what is that proverb that you have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision fails? 23 Tell them therefore, The Lord God says this; I will stop this proverb, and they will not use it as a proverb in Israel; but say to them, The days draw near, and fulfillment of every vision. 24 For there will no longer be any false vision or flattering divination in the house of Israel. 25 For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I speak will come to pass; it will not be prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word, and will perform it, says the Lord GOD. 26 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 27 Son of man, behold, those of the house of Israel say, The vision that he sees is for many days to come, and he prophesies of the times that are far off. 28 So say to them, The Lord God says this: None of my words will be prolonged any more, but the word that I have spoken will be done, says the Lord GOD.

 

  • They were putting God off by saying that’s not for us but for later, the next generation.
  • 2Corinthians 6:2 .behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

 

                                             Ezekiel 13

 

1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say to them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear the word of the LORD; 3 The Lord GOD says this; Woe to the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing. 4 O Israel, your prophets are like the foxes in the deserts. 5 You have not gone up into the gaps, or made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD.

 

  • Prophesying was speaking the words of God to the people (Exodus 20:19, Amos 3:8).
  • These did not prepare the hearts of the people with the full armor of God.
  • Teaching them God’s Word would have prepared them.

 

God is against those who speak lies in His name

 

6 They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD says: and the LORD has not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. 7 Have you not seen a false vision, and have you not spoken a lying divination, but you say, The LORD said it; however I have not spoken! 8 Therefore the Lord GOD says this; Because you have spoken falsely, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, says the Lord GOD. 9 And my hand will be on the prophets that see false visions, and that divine lies: they will not be in the assembly/council/secret of my people, neither will they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither will they enter into the land of Israel; and you will know that I am the Lord GOD. 10 Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, behold, others set it with untempered mortar.

 

  • The false visions and lies gave hope in things other than God, our Maker.
  • Untempered mortar doesn’t hold the wall together but crumbles and washes away.
  • Notice in the Bible how many times God says the reason He did something was to the people would know that He is the LORD.
  • The real walls are God’s truths in our heart.
  • They give understanding and power to turn away from evil suggestions.

 

11 Say to them that daub it with lime, so it will fall: there will be an overflowing shower; and you, O great hailstones, will fall; and a stormy wind will tear it. 12 Behold, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, Where is the mortar that you have plastered it? 13 Therefore the Lord God says this; I will tear it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there will be an overflowing shower in my anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume it. 14 So I will break down the wall that you have daubed with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundations are laid bare, and it will fall, and you will be consumed in the midst of it: and you will know that I am the LORD. 15 So I will accomplish my wrath on the wall, and on those that have daubed it with untempered mortar, and will say to you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it; 16 That is, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, says the Lord GOD.

 

  • In the Garden of Eden in Genesis there were two trees to eat from.
  • One brought life, peace and blessing.
  • The other brought pain, suffering and eternal ruin and death.
  • God made everything good, good, and very good.
  • When man chooses evil instead there is hurt and destruction.

 

17 Likewise, you son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people that prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy against them, 18 And say, The Lord God says this; Woe to the women that sew magic bands on their wrists, and make veils for the head of every tall man to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of my people, and will you save the souls alive that come to you?

19  And will you pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to kill the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies? 20 Therefore the Lord God says this; Behold, I am against your pillows, with which you hunt the souls into gardens, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that you hunt to make them fly.

 

  • These women were false prophets trapping God’s people in false things that led to eternal death.
  • They followed their desires and like histories inquisitions killed people not based on God’s law but their own whims whereas God died to save us.
  • John 10:10 The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

 

21  I will tear your kerchiefs and deliver my people out of your hand, and they will be no longer in your hand to be hunted; and you will know that I am the LORD. 22 Because you have made the heart of the righteous sad with lies, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he would not turn from his wicked way, by promising him life: 23 Therefore you will see no more false vision or practice divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and you will know that I am the LORD.

 

  • God’s nation with His astounding truth for the world had degenerated to a system of women in witchcraft bringing souls to the gardens for their occult ceremonies.
  • Leviticus 17:7 And they will no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring.
  • Psalm 96:5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
  • John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, except by me.

 

 

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SUMMARY: Ezekiel 11-13

 

  • God promised judgment for their evil
  • God promised to give them one heart and a new spirit
  • God promised to repay evil in kind
  • God was going to send them into captivity for their unfaithfulness to Him
  • God is against those who speak lies in His name