Does God judge nations for their sins? Let’s look at two nations, Israel and Ammon in Ezekiel 21.
Would God draw out His sword from its sheath against Israel?
Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, and preach toward the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel. Tell the land of Israel, ‘Yahweh says: “Behold, I am against you, and will draw my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked. Seeing then that I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore my sword will go out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north. All flesh will know that I, Yahweh, have drawn my sword out of its sheath. It will not return any more.”’ (Ezek 21:1-5 WEB)
Would people tremble at this bad news for the nation?
You, human one [Son of man], groan in their sight; groan bitterly with trembling knees. If they ask you why you’re groaning, say to them, “Because of the news.” When it comes, every heart will despair, every hand will hang lifeless, every spirit will be listless, and urine will run down every leg. It’s coming! It will happen! This is what the Lord God says. (Ezek 21:6-7 CEB)
What was God’s warning to Jerusalem that they had ignored?
The Lord said: Ezekiel, son of man, tell the people of Jerusalem: I have sharpened my sword to slaughter you; it is shiny and will flash like lightning! Don't celebrate— punishment is coming, because everyone has ignored my warnings. My sword has been polished; it's sharp and ready to kill.
Cry out and wail, son of man, for it is against my people. It is against all the princes of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with my people. Strike therefore upon your thigh. For it will not be a testing—what could it do if you despise the rod?” declares the Lord God. (Ezek 21:8-13 CEV)
Would men’s hearts melt, and many stumble at the great slaughter coming?
“As for you, son of man, prophesy. Clap your hands and let the sword come down twice, yes, three times, the sword for those to be slain. It is the sword for the great slaughter, which surrounds them, that their hearts may melt, and many stumble. At all their gates I have given the glittering sword.
Ah, it is made like lightning; it is taken up for slaughter. Cut sharply to the right; set yourself to the left, wherever your face is directed. I also will clap my hands, and I will satisfy my fury; I the Lord have spoken.” (Ezek 21:14-17 ESV)
How did the king of Babylon decide to attack Jerusalem and not Rabbah (Amman)?
Then the word of the Lord came to me: “Now you, son of man, mark out two roads that the sword of Babylon’s king can take. Both of them should originate from the same land. And make a signpost at the fork in the road to each city. Mark out a road that the sword can take to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah into fortified Jerusalem.
For the king of Babylon stands at the split in the road, at the fork of the two roads, to practice divination: he shakes the arrows, consults the idols, and observes the liver.
The answer marked Jerusalem appears in his right hand, indicating that he should set up battering rams, give the order to slaughter, raise a battle cry, set battering rams against the gates, build a ramp, and construct a siege wall. It will seem like false divination in the eyes of those who have sworn an oath to the Babylonians, but it will draw attention to their guilt so that they will be captured. (Ezek 21:18-23 HCSB)
Did the people remember their guilt and deserve punishment? Would there be a great reversal: the humble exalted, the exalted humbled?
Therefore this is what the Lord God says: “Because you remembered your sins when your transgressions were uncovered, your sins are visibly evident in everything you’ve done. And since you’ve remembered them, you’ll be taken captive.
“So now, you dishonored and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come in this time of final punishment, This is what the Lord God says: ‘Remove your turban! Take off your crown! Things aren’t going to remain as they used to be. What is lowly will be exalted, and what is lofty will be brought low. A ruin! A ruin! I’m bringing about ruin!’ But this also will not happen until he who has authority over it arrives, because I’ll give it to him.” (Ezek 21:24-27 ISV)
What does God say to the Ammonites, an ancient people that no longer exist?
And thou, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach; even say thou, The sword, the sword is drawn: for the slaughter it is furbished, to consume because of the glittering:
Whiles they see vanity unto thee, whiles they divine a lie unto thee, to bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain, of the wicked, whose day is come, when their iniquity shall have an end. (Ezek 21:28-29 KJV)
Would God pour out His indignation on the Ammonites? Would they be forgotten as a people?
Return it to its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I will judge you. And I will pour out My indignation on you; I will blow on you with the fire of My fury, and I will give you into the hand of brutal men, craftsmen of destruction. You will be fuel for the fire; your blood will be in the midst of the land. You will not be remembered, for I, Yahweh, have spoken.’” (Ezek 21:30-32 LSB)
Does Jesus use similar imagery when He returns to judge the nations?
From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. (Rev 19:15 NASB)
Does God judge nations for their sins? You decide!
Bad Citizens (Ezekiel 20)
Are ordinary people also to blame for a nation’s problems? Let’s look at Ezekiel 20.
Would God listen to rebellious and apostate leaders of the nation?
In the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Yahweh, and sat before me. Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Is it to inquire of me that you have come? As I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “I will not be inquired of by you.”’ (Ezek 20:1-3 WEB)
What did God demand that each citizen of the land do?
Son of man, bring charges against them and condemn them. Make them realize how detestable the sins of their ancestors really were. Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: When I chose Israel—when I revealed myself to the descendants of Jacob in Egypt—I took a solemn oath that I, the Lord, would be their God.
I took a solemn oath that day that I would bring them out of Egypt to a land I had discovered and explored for them—a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the best of all lands anywhere. Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, get rid of the vile images you are so obsessed with. Do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt, for I am the Lord your God.’ (Ezek 20:4-7 NLT)
What sins did the people commit in the land of Egypt?
But they rebelled against me and refused to listen to me. No one cast off their disgusting things or abandoned their Egyptian idols. So I declared that I would pour out my wrath on them and satisfy my anger against them in the land of Egypt. But I acted for my name’s sake, so that it wouldn’t be degraded in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, and in whose sight I made it known that I would lead them out of the land of Egypt. (Ezek 20:8-9 CEB)
Did Israel fare any better in obeying God once they were freed from Egyptian slavery?
So I brought them out and led them into the desert. I gave them my laws and teachings, so they would know how to live right. And I commanded them to respect the Sabbath as a way of showing that they were holy and belonged to me. But the Israelites rebelled against me in the desert. They refused to obey my laws and teachings, and they treated the Sabbath like any other day. Then in my anger, I decided to destroy the Israelites in the desert once and for all. (Ezek 20:10-13 CEV)
Did the people continue worshipping idols even though they were freed in the desert?
But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands, because they rejected my rules and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. Nevertheless, my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or make a full end of them in the wilderness. (Ezek 20:14-17 ESV)
What did God want to do with the people who rebelled against Him in the wilderness?
Then I said to their children in the wilderness: Don’t follow the statutes of your fathers, defile yourselves with their idols, or keep their ordinances. I am Yahweh your God. Follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Keep My Sabbaths holy, and they will be a sign between Me and you, so you may know that I am Yahweh your God.
But the children rebelled against Me. They did not follow My statutes or carefully keep My ordinances—the person who does them will live by them. They also profaned My Sabbaths. So I considered pouring out My wrath on them and exhausting My anger against them in the wilderness. (Ezek 20:18-21 HCSB)
What disgusting things did the people do that God decided to scatter them among the nations?
But I withdrew my decision so my reputation wouldn’t be tarnished among the nations before whose eyes I brought them out. Furthermore, I solemnly swore in the wilderness to disperse them among the nations and scatter them to other lands because they didn’t observe my ordinances. Instead, they rejected my statutes, profaned my Sabbaths, and worshipped their ancestors’ idols.
So I gave them statutes that weren’t good and ordinances by which they could not live. I made them unclean because of their offerings, so they made all their firstborn to pass through the fire, so that I could make them astonished. Then they’ll know that I am the Lord.” (Ezek 20:22-26 ISV)
Did the people offer pagan sacrifices on every high hill to their idols?
Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me. For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings. Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name whereof is called Bamah unto this day. (Ezek 20:27-29 KJV)
Did the people want to be just like other nations instead of faithful to God?
Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Will you defile yourselves in the way of your fathers and play the harlot after their detestable things? And when you offer your gifts, when you cause your sons to pass through the fire, you are defiling yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “I will not be inquired of by you. And what comes upon your spirit will not happen, when you say: ‘We will be like the nations, like the families of the lands, to minister to wood and stone.’ (Ezek 20:30-32 LSB)
Will there be another Exodus out of this world and another covenant?
“As I live,” declares the Lord God, “with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I assuredly shall be king over you. I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out; and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face.
Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you,” declares the Lord God. “I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; and I will purge from you the rebels and those who revolt against Me; I will bring them out of the land where they reside, but they will not enter the land of Israel. So you will know that I am the Lord. (Ezek 20:33-38 NASB)
What further does the Lord say to the people of Israel?
“‘As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols. For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord, there in the land all the people of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them.
There I will require your offerings and your choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices. I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy through you in the sight of the nations.
Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors. There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done. You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.’” (Ezek 20:39-44 NIV)
Did God prophesy against the southern kingdom of Judah, that her forests would be burned up? Are there many forests in southern Israel today? Did the people take this literally or excuse it as a parable or allegory?
Furthermore the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face toward the south; preach against the south and prophesy against the forest land, the South, and say to the forest of the South, ‘Hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree and every dry tree in you; the blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be scorched by it. All flesh shall see that I, the Lord, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.” ’ ” Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! They say of me, ‘Does he not speak parables?’ ” (Ezek 20:45-49 NKJV)
Is this a warning for us today not to harden our hearts like them?
Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.” (Heb 3:15 NLT)
Are ordinary people also to blame for a nation’s problems? You decide!
Would God listen to rebellious and apostate leaders of the nation?
In the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Yahweh, and sat before me. Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Is it to inquire of me that you have come? As I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “I will not be inquired of by you.”’ (Ezek 20:1-3 WEB)
What did God demand that each citizen of the land do?
Son of man, bring charges against them and condemn them. Make them realize how detestable the sins of their ancestors really were. Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: When I chose Israel—when I revealed myself to the descendants of Jacob in Egypt—I took a solemn oath that I, the Lord, would be their God.
I took a solemn oath that day that I would bring them out of Egypt to a land I had discovered and explored for them—a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the best of all lands anywhere. Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, get rid of the vile images you are so obsessed with. Do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt, for I am the Lord your God.’ (Ezek 20:4-7 NLT)
What sins did the people commit in the land of Egypt?
But they rebelled against me and refused to listen to me. No one cast off their disgusting things or abandoned their Egyptian idols. So I declared that I would pour out my wrath on them and satisfy my anger against them in the land of Egypt. But I acted for my name’s sake, so that it wouldn’t be degraded in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, and in whose sight I made it known that I would lead them out of the land of Egypt. (Ezek 20:8-9 CEB)
Did Israel fare any better in obeying God once they were freed from Egyptian slavery?
So I brought them out and led them into the desert. I gave them my laws and teachings, so they would know how to live right. And I commanded them to respect the Sabbath as a way of showing that they were holy and belonged to me. But the Israelites rebelled against me in the desert. They refused to obey my laws and teachings, and they treated the Sabbath like any other day. Then in my anger, I decided to destroy the Israelites in the desert once and for all. (Ezek 20:10-13 CEV)
Did the people continue worshipping idols even though they were freed in the desert?
But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands, because they rejected my rules and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. Nevertheless, my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or make a full end of them in the wilderness. (Ezek 20:14-17 ESV)
What did God want to do with the people who rebelled against Him in the wilderness?
Then I said to their children in the wilderness: Don’t follow the statutes of your fathers, defile yourselves with their idols, or keep their ordinances. I am Yahweh your God. Follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Keep My Sabbaths holy, and they will be a sign between Me and you, so you may know that I am Yahweh your God.
But the children rebelled against Me. They did not follow My statutes or carefully keep My ordinances—the person who does them will live by them. They also profaned My Sabbaths. So I considered pouring out My wrath on them and exhausting My anger against them in the wilderness. (Ezek 20:18-21 HCSB)
What disgusting things did the people do that God decided to scatter them among the nations?
But I withdrew my decision so my reputation wouldn’t be tarnished among the nations before whose eyes I brought them out. Furthermore, I solemnly swore in the wilderness to disperse them among the nations and scatter them to other lands because they didn’t observe my ordinances. Instead, they rejected my statutes, profaned my Sabbaths, and worshipped their ancestors’ idols.
So I gave them statutes that weren’t good and ordinances by which they could not live. I made them unclean because of their offerings, so they made all their firstborn to pass through the fire, so that I could make them astonished. Then they’ll know that I am the Lord.” (Ezek 20:22-26 ISV)
Did the people offer pagan sacrifices on every high hill to their idols?
Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me. For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings. Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name whereof is called Bamah unto this day. (Ezek 20:27-29 KJV)
Did the people want to be just like other nations instead of faithful to God?
Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Will you defile yourselves in the way of your fathers and play the harlot after their detestable things? And when you offer your gifts, when you cause your sons to pass through the fire, you are defiling yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “I will not be inquired of by you. And what comes upon your spirit will not happen, when you say: ‘We will be like the nations, like the families of the lands, to minister to wood and stone.’ (Ezek 20:30-32 LSB)
Will there be another Exodus out of this world and another covenant?
“As I live,” declares the Lord God, “with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I assuredly shall be king over you. I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out; and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face.
Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you,” declares the Lord God. “I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; and I will purge from you the rebels and those who revolt against Me; I will bring them out of the land where they reside, but they will not enter the land of Israel. So you will know that I am the Lord. (Ezek 20:33-38 NASB)
What further does the Lord say to the people of Israel?
“‘As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols. For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord, there in the land all the people of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them.
There I will require your offerings and your choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices. I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy through you in the sight of the nations.
Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors. There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done. You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.’” (Ezek 20:39-44 NIV)
Did God prophesy against the southern kingdom of Judah, that her forests would be burned up? Are there many forests in southern Israel today? Did the people take this literally or excuse it as a parable or allegory?
Furthermore the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face toward the south; preach against the south and prophesy against the forest land, the South, and say to the forest of the South, ‘Hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree and every dry tree in you; the blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be scorched by it. All flesh shall see that I, the Lord, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.” ’ ” Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! They say of me, ‘Does he not speak parables?’ ” (Ezek 20:45-49 NKJV)
Is this a warning for us today not to harden our hearts like them?
Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.” (Heb 3:15 NLT)
Are ordinary people also to blame for a nation’s problems? You decide!
Bad Leaders (Ezekiel 19)
Is this world’s leadership just doomed to fail without God? Let’s begin in Ezekiel 19.
Did Egypt trap king Jehoahaz like a lion in a pit, ending his brief reign?
Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions. And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men. The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt. (Ezek 19:1-4 KJV)
Is a second lion like Jehoiachin who becomes even more fearsome, terrifying the land. Does Babylon cage him, so his roar is never again heard on Israel’s mountains?
Then she saw, as she waited, That her hope was lost, So she took another of her cubs And made him a young lion. And he walked about among the lions; He became a young lion; He learned to tear his prey; He devoured men. He knew how to destroy their fortified towers And laid waste their cities; And the land was in desolation, as well as its fullness Because of the sound of his roaring.
Then nations put themselves against him All around from their provinces, And they spread their net over him; He was captured in their pit. They put him in a cage with hooks And brought him to the king of Babylon; They brought him in hunting nets So that his voice would be heard no more On the mountains of Israel. (Ezek 19:5-9 LSB)
Was Zedekiah like a dried up vine, planted by the waters, uprooted in anger, thrown to the ground, and scorched by an east wind, destroying the last branch?
Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, Planted by the waters; It was fruitful and thick with branches Because of abundant waters. And it had strong stems fit for scepters of rulers, And its height was raised above the clouds So that it was seen in its height with the mass of its branches.
But it was uprooted in fury; It was thrown down to the ground; And the east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong stem was torn out So that it withered; The fire consumed it. And now it is planted in the wilderness, In a dry and thirsty land. And fire has gone out from its stem; It has consumed its shoots and fruit, So that there is no strong stem in it, A scepter to rule.’”
This is a song of mourning, and has become a song of mourning. (Ezek 19:10-14 NASB)
Is there leadership we can trust, Jesus THE lion of the tribe of Judah, who will triumph?
I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals (Rev 5:4-5 NIV)
Is there a leader we can trust, Jesus the true vine, in whom we can abide and bear fruit?
I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (John 15:1-4 NKJV)
Is this world’s leadership just doomed to fail without God? You decide!
Did Egypt trap king Jehoahaz like a lion in a pit, ending his brief reign?
Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions. And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men. The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt. (Ezek 19:1-4 KJV)
Is a second lion like Jehoiachin who becomes even more fearsome, terrifying the land. Does Babylon cage him, so his roar is never again heard on Israel’s mountains?
Then she saw, as she waited, That her hope was lost, So she took another of her cubs And made him a young lion. And he walked about among the lions; He became a young lion; He learned to tear his prey; He devoured men. He knew how to destroy their fortified towers And laid waste their cities; And the land was in desolation, as well as its fullness Because of the sound of his roaring.
Then nations put themselves against him All around from their provinces, And they spread their net over him; He was captured in their pit. They put him in a cage with hooks And brought him to the king of Babylon; They brought him in hunting nets So that his voice would be heard no more On the mountains of Israel. (Ezek 19:5-9 LSB)
Was Zedekiah like a dried up vine, planted by the waters, uprooted in anger, thrown to the ground, and scorched by an east wind, destroying the last branch?
Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, Planted by the waters; It was fruitful and thick with branches Because of abundant waters. And it had strong stems fit for scepters of rulers, And its height was raised above the clouds So that it was seen in its height with the mass of its branches.
But it was uprooted in fury; It was thrown down to the ground; And the east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong stem was torn out So that it withered; The fire consumed it. And now it is planted in the wilderness, In a dry and thirsty land. And fire has gone out from its stem; It has consumed its shoots and fruit, So that there is no strong stem in it, A scepter to rule.’”
This is a song of mourning, and has become a song of mourning. (Ezek 19:10-14 NASB)
Is there leadership we can trust, Jesus THE lion of the tribe of Judah, who will triumph?
I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals (Rev 5:4-5 NIV)
Is there a leader we can trust, Jesus the true vine, in whom we can abide and bear fruit?
I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (John 15:1-4 NKJV)
Is this world’s leadership just doomed to fail without God? You decide!
Repentance (Ezekiel 18)
Is individual repentance a part of both the new and old covenants? Let’s look at Ezekiel 18.
Is the ultimate penalty for sin passed upon both the guilty and the innocent?
Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “What do you people mean by using this proverb about the land of Israel, saying, ‘The fathers eat sour grapes, But it is the children’s teeth that have become blunt’? As I live,” declares the Lord God, “you certainly are not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore. Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die. (Ezek 18:1-4 NASB)
Is there a godly reward for living a good and upright life?
Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right. He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife or have sexual relations with a woman during her period. He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. He does not lend to them at interest or take a profit from them. He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between two parties. He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Sovereign Lord. (Ezek 18:5-9 NIV)
What if that righteous man has an unrighteous son, will he die in his own sins?
If he begets a son who is a robber Or a shedder of blood, Who does any of these things And does none of those duties, But has eaten on the mountains Or defiled his neighbor’s wife; If he has oppressed the poor and needy, Robbed by violence, Not restored the pledge, Lifted his eyes to the idols, Or committed abomination; If he has exacted usury Or taken increase—Shall he then live? He shall not live! If he has done any of these abominations, He shall surely die; His blood shall be upon him. (Ezek 18:10-13 NKJV)
What if that unrighteous son has a righteous son, will that grandson live?
But suppose that sinful son, in turn, has a son who sees his father’s wickedness and decides against that kind of life. This son refuses to worship idols on the mountains and does not commit adultery. He does not exploit the poor, but instead is fair to debtors and does not rob them. He gives food to the hungry and provides clothes for the needy. He helps the poor, does not lend money at interest, and obeys all my regulations and decrees. Such a person will not die because of his father’s sins; he will surely live. But the father will die for his many sins—for being cruel, robbing people, and doing what was clearly wrong among his people. (Ezek 18:14-18 NLT)
Should any of us bear the ultimate penalty for the sins of anyone else?
Yet you say, ‘Why doesn’t the son bear the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done that which is lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he will surely live. The soul who sins, he shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him. (Ezek 18:19-20 WEB)
What if the wicked turn away from all their sins and change their ways?
But if the wicked turn away from all the sins that they have committed, keep all my regulations, and act justly and responsibly, they will surely live and not die. None of the sins that they committed will be held against them, but they will live because they do the right things. Do I take pleasure in the death of the wicked? says the Lord God. Certainly not! If they change their ways, they will live. (Ezek 18:21-23 CEB)
What if good people start to sin and start doing disgusting things?
But when good people start sinning and doing disgusting things, will they live? No! All their good deeds will be forgotten, and they will be put to death because of their sins. (Ezek 18:24 CEV)
Is God’s way just or not? Are our world’s ways just or not?
Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? (Ezek 18:25-29 ESV)
What was God’s declaration about repentance to the house of Israel?
“Therefore, house of Israel, I will judge each one of you according to his ways.” This is the declaration of the Lord God. “Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so they will not be a stumbling block that causes your punishment. Throw off all the transgressions you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in anyone’s death.” This is the declaration of the Lord God. “So repent and live!” (Ezek 18:30-32 HCSB)
Is repentance still a part of the message that Jesus preached?
From then on, Jesus began to announce, “Repent, because the kingdom from heaven is near!” (Mat 4:17 ISV)
Is individual repentance a part of both the new and old covenants? You decide!
Is the ultimate penalty for sin passed upon both the guilty and the innocent?
Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “What do you people mean by using this proverb about the land of Israel, saying, ‘The fathers eat sour grapes, But it is the children’s teeth that have become blunt’? As I live,” declares the Lord God, “you certainly are not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore. Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die. (Ezek 18:1-4 NASB)
Is there a godly reward for living a good and upright life?
Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right. He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife or have sexual relations with a woman during her period. He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. He does not lend to them at interest or take a profit from them. He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between two parties. He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Sovereign Lord. (Ezek 18:5-9 NIV)
What if that righteous man has an unrighteous son, will he die in his own sins?
If he begets a son who is a robber Or a shedder of blood, Who does any of these things And does none of those duties, But has eaten on the mountains Or defiled his neighbor’s wife; If he has oppressed the poor and needy, Robbed by violence, Not restored the pledge, Lifted his eyes to the idols, Or committed abomination; If he has exacted usury Or taken increase—Shall he then live? He shall not live! If he has done any of these abominations, He shall surely die; His blood shall be upon him. (Ezek 18:10-13 NKJV)
What if that unrighteous son has a righteous son, will that grandson live?
But suppose that sinful son, in turn, has a son who sees his father’s wickedness and decides against that kind of life. This son refuses to worship idols on the mountains and does not commit adultery. He does not exploit the poor, but instead is fair to debtors and does not rob them. He gives food to the hungry and provides clothes for the needy. He helps the poor, does not lend money at interest, and obeys all my regulations and decrees. Such a person will not die because of his father’s sins; he will surely live. But the father will die for his many sins—for being cruel, robbing people, and doing what was clearly wrong among his people. (Ezek 18:14-18 NLT)
Should any of us bear the ultimate penalty for the sins of anyone else?
Yet you say, ‘Why doesn’t the son bear the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done that which is lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he will surely live. The soul who sins, he shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him. (Ezek 18:19-20 WEB)
What if the wicked turn away from all their sins and change their ways?
But if the wicked turn away from all the sins that they have committed, keep all my regulations, and act justly and responsibly, they will surely live and not die. None of the sins that they committed will be held against them, but they will live because they do the right things. Do I take pleasure in the death of the wicked? says the Lord God. Certainly not! If they change their ways, they will live. (Ezek 18:21-23 CEB)
What if good people start to sin and start doing disgusting things?
But when good people start sinning and doing disgusting things, will they live? No! All their good deeds will be forgotten, and they will be put to death because of their sins. (Ezek 18:24 CEV)
Is God’s way just or not? Are our world’s ways just or not?
Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? (Ezek 18:25-29 ESV)
What was God’s declaration about repentance to the house of Israel?
“Therefore, house of Israel, I will judge each one of you according to his ways.” This is the declaration of the Lord God. “Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so they will not be a stumbling block that causes your punishment. Throw off all the transgressions you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in anyone’s death.” This is the declaration of the Lord God. “So repent and live!” (Ezek 18:30-32 HCSB)
Is repentance still a part of the message that Jesus preached?
From then on, Jesus began to announce, “Repent, because the kingdom from heaven is near!” (Mat 4:17 ISV)
Is individual repentance a part of both the new and old covenants? You decide!
Parable of Unfaithfulness (Ezekiel 17)
Does a parable begin to explain why salvation is not found in politics but in faithfulness to God? Let’s look at a parable of unfaithfulness in Ezekiel 17.
What did an eagle do with a cedar branch from Lebanon and a seed from Israel?
The Lord said: Ezekiel, son of man, tell the people of Israel the following story, so they will understand what I am saying to them: A large eagle with strong wings and beautiful feathers once flew to Lebanon. It broke the top branch off a cedar tree, then carried it to a nation of merchants and left it in one of their cities.
The eagle also took a seed from Israel and planted it in a fertile field with plenty of water, like a willow tree beside a stream. The seed sprouted and grew into a grapevine that spread over the ground. It had lots of leaves and strong, deep roots, and its branches grew upward toward the eagle. (Ezek 17:1-6 CEV)
What happens to the vine with a second great eagle?
Now there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage. This vine bent its roots and turned its branches toward him so that it might draw more water from him than from its own bed, a good field with plentiful water where it was planted to grow branches, bear fruit, and become a splendid vine.
Say, The Lord God proclaims: Will it thrive? Won’t he tear out its roots, strip its fruit, and cause all the leaves of its branches to wither? It will dry up, and no one will need a strong arm or a mighty army to uproot it. Though it is planted, will it thrive? When the east wind touches it, won’t it completely wither? On the bed in which it was planted, it will wither away. (Ezek 17:7-10 CEB)
Are the two eagles Babylon that removed Judah’s king and Egypt that they broke covenant with God by seeking aid there?
Then the word of the Lord came to me: “Say now to the rebellious house, Do you not know what these things mean? Tell them, behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took her king and her princes and brought them to him to Babylon.
And he took one of the royal offspring and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath (the chief men of the land he had taken away), that the kingdom might be humble and not lift itself up, and keep his covenant that it might stand. But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and a large army. Will he thrive? Can one escape who does such things? Can he break the covenant and yet escape? (Ezek 17:11-15 ESV)
Did the king of Judah break his covenant pledge?
“As I live”—this is the declaration of the Lord God—“he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke. Pharaoh will not help him with his great army and vast horde in battle, when ramps are built and siege walls constructed to destroy many lives. He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. He did all these things even though he gave his hand in pledge. He will not escape!” (Ezek 17:16-18 HCSB)
Should the king of Judah suffer the consequences of his treachery?
Therefore, this is what the Lord God says, “As long as I live, because he despised my oath and broke my covenant, he’s going to suffer the consequences. I’ll spread my net over him so that he’ll be caught in my snare. I’ll bring him to Babylon and carry out my sentence there because of his treachery toward me. The fugitives of his troops will die by the sword, and the survivors will be scattered to the four winds. Then you’ll know that I, the Lord, have spoken.” (Ezek 17:19-21 ISV)
Is the tender one symbolic of Jesus? Is this similar to Isaiah’s prophecy of a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch that would grow out of his roots?
Thus saith the Lord God; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent: In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell. And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done it. (Ezek 17:22-24 KJV)
Is this chapter similar in some ways to a parable that Jesus gave?
He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is the smallest of all seeds, but when it is fully grown, it is the largest of the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” (Mat 13:31-32 LSB)
Does a parable begin to explain why salvation is not found in politics but in faithfulness to God? You decide!
What did an eagle do with a cedar branch from Lebanon and a seed from Israel?
The Lord said: Ezekiel, son of man, tell the people of Israel the following story, so they will understand what I am saying to them: A large eagle with strong wings and beautiful feathers once flew to Lebanon. It broke the top branch off a cedar tree, then carried it to a nation of merchants and left it in one of their cities.
The eagle also took a seed from Israel and planted it in a fertile field with plenty of water, like a willow tree beside a stream. The seed sprouted and grew into a grapevine that spread over the ground. It had lots of leaves and strong, deep roots, and its branches grew upward toward the eagle. (Ezek 17:1-6 CEV)
What happens to the vine with a second great eagle?
Now there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage. This vine bent its roots and turned its branches toward him so that it might draw more water from him than from its own bed, a good field with plentiful water where it was planted to grow branches, bear fruit, and become a splendid vine.
Say, The Lord God proclaims: Will it thrive? Won’t he tear out its roots, strip its fruit, and cause all the leaves of its branches to wither? It will dry up, and no one will need a strong arm or a mighty army to uproot it. Though it is planted, will it thrive? When the east wind touches it, won’t it completely wither? On the bed in which it was planted, it will wither away. (Ezek 17:7-10 CEB)
Are the two eagles Babylon that removed Judah’s king and Egypt that they broke covenant with God by seeking aid there?
Then the word of the Lord came to me: “Say now to the rebellious house, Do you not know what these things mean? Tell them, behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took her king and her princes and brought them to him to Babylon.
And he took one of the royal offspring and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath (the chief men of the land he had taken away), that the kingdom might be humble and not lift itself up, and keep his covenant that it might stand. But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and a large army. Will he thrive? Can one escape who does such things? Can he break the covenant and yet escape? (Ezek 17:11-15 ESV)
Did the king of Judah break his covenant pledge?
“As I live”—this is the declaration of the Lord God—“he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke. Pharaoh will not help him with his great army and vast horde in battle, when ramps are built and siege walls constructed to destroy many lives. He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. He did all these things even though he gave his hand in pledge. He will not escape!” (Ezek 17:16-18 HCSB)
Should the king of Judah suffer the consequences of his treachery?
Therefore, this is what the Lord God says, “As long as I live, because he despised my oath and broke my covenant, he’s going to suffer the consequences. I’ll spread my net over him so that he’ll be caught in my snare. I’ll bring him to Babylon and carry out my sentence there because of his treachery toward me. The fugitives of his troops will die by the sword, and the survivors will be scattered to the four winds. Then you’ll know that I, the Lord, have spoken.” (Ezek 17:19-21 ISV)
Is the tender one symbolic of Jesus? Is this similar to Isaiah’s prophecy of a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch that would grow out of his roots?
Thus saith the Lord God; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent: In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell. And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done it. (Ezek 17:22-24 KJV)
Is this chapter similar in some ways to a parable that Jesus gave?
He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is the smallest of all seeds, but when it is fully grown, it is the largest of the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” (Mat 13:31-32 LSB)
Does a parable begin to explain why salvation is not found in politics but in faithfulness to God? You decide!
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