Ezekiel 32

 

The Lord gives a lamentation for Pharaoh

 

1 It happened in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and say to him, You are like a young lion of the nations; you are like a whale in the seas: bursting forth in your rivers, you troubled the waters with your feet, and fouled their rivers.

 

  • Sheep won’t drink murky or stirred waters.
  • People are God’s sheep.
  • Pharaoh's ways were muddying up God’s waters of life so that people couldn’t drink.

 

He troubles the hearts of many peoples

 

3  The Lord God says this; I will spread out my net over you with a company of many people; and they will bring you up in my net. 4 Then I will leave you on the land, I will cast you out on the open field, and will cause all the fowls of the heaven to remain on you, and I will fill the beasts of the whole earth with you. 5 And I will lay your flesh on the mountains, and fill the valleys with your height. 6 I will make the land drink the discharge of your blood as far as the mountains, and the ravines will be full of you. 7 And when I will put you out, I will cover the heaven, and make its stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give her light. 8 I will darken all the bright lights of heaven over you, and set darkness on you land, says the Lord GOD. 9  I will also trouble the hearts of many people, when I bring your destruction among the nations, into the countries that you have not known.

 

  • God was going to use this judgment to teach many nations to fear Him, their Maker.

 

10  Yes, I will make many people appalled at you. Their kings will be horribly afraid for you when I brandish my sword before them; they will tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of your fall. 11 For the Lord God says this; The sword of the king of Babylon will come upon you. 12 By the swords of the mighty I will cause your multitude to fall, the terrible of the nations, all of them: and they will plunder the pomp of Egypt, and all its hordes will be destroyed. 13 I will also destroy all its animals from beside the great waters; neither will the foot of man trouble them any more, nor the hoofs of beasts trouble them. 14 Then I will make their waters deep, and cause their rivers to run like oil, says the Lord GOD. 15 When I will make the land of Egypt desolate, and the country that was full will be destitute, when I strike all of them that dwell in it, then they will know that I am the LORD. 16 This is the lamentation with which they will lament her: the daughters of the nations will lament her: they will lament for her, for Egypt, and for all her multitude, says the Lord GOD.

 

  • They believed in and prayed to false gods that they thought had some influence on things in the universe.
  • God shows these people that He alone is in charge.
  • If they do not turn to the One True and Living God they will burn in hell forever.
  • Jeremiah 10:10 But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth will tremble, and the nations will not be able to abide his indignation.
  • Revelation 20:15 And whoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

 

17  It came to pass also in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth day of the month, that the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 18 Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the lowest parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit.

 

  • The’ pit’ is the lowest part inside the earth.
  • Revelation 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he could no longer deceive the nations, until the thousand years would be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

 

19  Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down, and be laid with the uncircumcised. 20 They will fall in the midst of those that are slain by the sword: she is delivered to the sword: they have drawn her and all her multitudes away. 21 The strong among the mighty will speak to him out of the midst of hell with those that help him: they have gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword. 22 Asshur is there and all her company: his graves are around him: all of those slain, fallen by the sword: 23 Whose graves are set in the sides of the pit, and her company is round about her grave: all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused terror in the land of the living. 24 Elam is there and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which have gone down uncircumcised into the lowest parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet they have borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.

 

  • The uncircumcised went through their life not allowing God’s word to remove the evil out of their hearts.
  • They used violence to meet their needs.
  • Matthew 26:52 Then Jesus said to him, Put up again your sword into his place: for all they that take the sword will perish by the sword.

 

25  They have set her bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword: though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet have they borne their shame with those that go down to the pit: he is put in the midst of them that are slain. 26 There is Meshech, Tubal, and all her hordes: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living. 27 And they will not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which have gone down to hell with their weapons of war: they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities will be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.

 

  • They caused people to be terrified. They used threat and fear of death as their weapon. It didn’t end well for them.
  • Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.

 

28 Yes, you will be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and will lie with those that are killed with the sword. 29 There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, who with their might are laid by them that were killed by the sword: they will lie with the uncircumcised, and with those that go down to the pit. 30 There are the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Zidonians, which are gone down with the slain; with their terror they are ashamed of their might; and they lie uncircumcised with those killed by the sword, and bear their shame with those that go down to the pit. 31 Pharaoh will see them, and will be comforted over all of his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, says the Lord GOD. 32 For I have caused my terror in the land of the living: and he will be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are killed with the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord GOD.

 

  • These nations trusted their military instead of the Lord, their Maker.
  • They will be ashamed as they lie in their graves in the sides of the pit that goes down into hell.
  • Lamentations 3:33 he does not willingly afflict nor grieve the children of men.
  • Ezekiel 33:11 Say to them, As I live, says the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn, turn from your evil ways; why will you die, O house of Israel?

 


                                              Ezekiel 33

 

God warns of coming judgments

 

1 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them, When I bring the sword on a land, if the people of the land take a man on their border, and set him for their watchman: 3 If, when he sees the sword coming on the land, he blows the trumpet and warns the people; 4 Then, whoever hears the sound of the trumpet, and does not take warning; if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood will be on him. But he that takes warning will deliver his soul. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword come, and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned; if the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but I will require his blood at the watchman’s hand.

 

  • God gave fair warning to the people and the watchman.

 

7  So you, O son of man, I have set you as a watchman to the house of Israel; therefore, you will hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. 8 When I say to the wicked, O wicked man, you will surely die; if you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man will die in his iniquity; but I will require his blood at your hand. 9 However, if you warn the wicked to turn from it his way; if he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. 10 Therefore, O son of man, speak to the house of Israel; this is what you speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins are on us, and we pine away in them, how can we survive?

 

God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked

 

11  Say to them, As I live, says the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn, turn from your evil ways; why will you die, O house of Israel? 12 Therefore, you, son of man, say to the children of your people, The righteousness of the righteous will not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he will not fall by it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; neither will the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sins.

 

  • God is impeccably fair, and longsuffering toward us.
  • 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.
  • 2Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any perish, but that all come to repentance.

 

13  When I say to the righteous, that he will surely live; if he trusts his own righteousness, and commits iniquity, all his righteousnesses will not be remembered; he will die for the iniquity that he as committed. 14 Again, when I say to the wicked, You will surely die; if he turns from his sin, and does what is lawful and right; 15 If the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he had robbed, walks in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he will surely live, he will not die.

 

  • The statutes of life are the commandments of God that began with the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mt. Sinai in Exodus 20.
  • The commandments define what Jesus meant by ‘love one another.’
  • Jesus carried that love to the ultimate limit.
  • John 15:13 Greater love has no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.
  • John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

 

16  None of his sins that he has committed will be mentioned to him: he has done what is lawful and right; he will surely live. 17 Yet the children of your people say, the way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal. 18 When the righteous turns from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, he will die by it. 19 But if the wicked turns from his wickedness, and does what is lawful and right, he will live by it. 20 Yet you say, the way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, I will judge you every one according to his ways.

 

  • Psalm 96:13 …for he comes, he comes to judge the earth: he will judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.
  • John 5:22  the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment unto the Son.

 

21  And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came to me, saying, the city has been taken. 22 Now the hand of the LORD was on me in the evening, before he that escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was able to speak. 23 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 24 Son of man, those that inhabit the wasteland of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given to us for an inheritance. 25 Therefore say to them, the Lord God says; you eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: will you possess the land? 26 You stand on your sword, you do abomination, and every one of you defiles his neighbor’s wife: will you possess the land?

 

  • The people God left in the land of Israel who had not gone into exile had another chance.
  • But they worshipped idols, solved their problems by killing others, and committed adultery with their neighbor’s wives.

 

27  You say this to them, The Lord God says; As I live, surely those that are in the waste places will fall by the sword, and he that is in the open field, I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those that are in the forts and in the caves will die of disease. 28 For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength will cease; and the mountains of Israel will be desolate, so that no one will pass through it. 29 Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations that they have committed. 30 Also you, son of man, the children of your people are still talking against you by the walls and in the doors of the houses; they speak to one another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I beg you, lets hear what word comes from the LORD. 31 And those come to you as the people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but they will not do them: for they show much love with their mouth, but their heart goes after their covetousness. 32 And, behold, you are to them as a very lovely song from one that has a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: they hear your words, but they do not do them. 33 And when this comes to pass, (behold, it will come) then they will know that a prophet has been among them.

 

  • Jesus often called the Pharisees hypocrites, which means false-face.
  • Colossians 3:5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

 

 

                                             Ezekiel 34

 

1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say to them, The Lord God says this to the shepherds; Woe to the shepherds of Israel that feed themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 You eat the fat, and you clothe yourselves with the wool, you kill those that are well-fed: but you do not feed the flock.

 

  • What do God’s sheep eat?
  • Jesus is the food of our hearts.
  • He’s on every page of His word.
  • All else in this world is junk food for the soul that leads us into spiritual malnutrition and disease (i.e. trusting false things instead of God, spending our time, attention, adoration, and resources on empty things.)
  • John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life: he that comes to me will never hunger; and he that believes on me will never thirst.

 

4  You have not strengthened the diseased or healed the sick, you have not bound up what was broken, you have not brought back what was driven away, nor have you sought what was lost; but you have ruled them with force and with cruelty. 5 They are scattered, because there is no shepherd: and when they were scattered they became food to all the beasts of the field.

 

  • People become ‘food to all the beasts of the field’ when they spend their livings on solutions that don’t work.
  • God’s ways succeed.
  • God has a solution for every problem from weight loss to crime.
  • Criminals are beasts that prey on the sheep.

 

6  My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill: yes, my flock was scattered on all the face of the earth, and none searched for or sought after them. 7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; 8 As I live, says the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became food to every beast of the field because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and did not feed my flock; 9 Therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; 10 The Lord GOD says this; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to stop feeding the flock; neither will the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them.

 

  • A pastor that makes his living from leading a church yet feels that it would take too long, or too much time to explain God’s word to the sheep is feeding himself but not God’s sheep.
  • Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 

11  For thus says the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so I will seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. 13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them on the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and their fold will be on the high mountains of Israel: they will lie down there in a good fold, and they will feed in a fat pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, says the Lord GOD. 16 I will seek that which was lost, and return that which was driven away, and will bind up what was broken, and will strengthen the sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

 

God is going to judge

 

17  And as for you, O my flock, the Lord God says this; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the great he goats. 18 Does it seem a small thing to you to have eaten up the good pasture, but must you also trample down the rest of your pastures with your feet? And to have drunk of the deep waters, but must you foul the rest with your feet? 19 And as for my flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet; and they drink what you have fouled with your feet.

 

  • God’s word is clear.
  • The Maker of all things knows how to say what He means.
  • Pastor’s that do not teach God’s word as He has presented it, trample the grass until it’s not edible and foul the water until it’s not drinkable.
  • No scripture authorizes pastors to write their own messages.
  • God’s message is all that God has authorized.
  • Nehemiah 8:8 says they read through God’s message and gave understanding.
  • In Luke 24:27 Jesus began at the beginning of the Old Testament and showed them the things concerning Himself.
  • Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

 

20  Therefore the Lord God says this to them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. 21 Because you have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, until you have scattered them everywhere; 22 Therefore I will save my flock, and they will no longer be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.

 

  • This also speaks of pastor’s and leaders bullying the sheep into actions that are not supported or warranted by the Word of God but programs to make themselves look good and their ‘works’ for the praise of man.
  • When the sheep quit coming to church for the ‘bread of life’ they are scattered.

 

23  And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he will feed them, even my servant David; he will feed them, and he will be their shepherd. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken it. 25 And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they will dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. 26 And I will make them and the places around my hill a blessing; and I will cause the showers to come down in season; there will be showers of blessing. 27 And the tree of the field will yield her fruit, and the earth will yield her increase, and they will be safe in their land, and will know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them. 28 And they will no longer be a prey to the nations, neither will the beast of the land devour them; but they will dwell safely, and none will make them afraid. 29 And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they will no longer be consumed with hunger in the land or bear the shame of the nations any more. 30 By this they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, says the Lord GOD. 31 And you my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, says the Lord GOD.

 

 

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SUMMARY: Ezekiel 32-34

 

  • The Lord gives a lamentation for Pharaoh
  • He troubles the hearts of many peoples
  • God warns of coming judgments
  • God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked
  • God is going to judge