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!
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!
Unfaithful Jerusalem (Ezekiel 16)
Is the history of Jerusalem one of arrogant unfaithfulness? Let’s look at Ezekiel 16.
Was Jerusalem like an unwanted baby on the day it was born?
Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations and say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh to Jerusalem, “Your origin and your birth are from the land of the Canaanite; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. As for your birth, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water for cleansing; you were not rubbed with salt or even wrapped in cloths. No eye had pity on you to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you. Rather you were thrown out into the open field, for your soul was abhorred on the day you were born. (Ezek 16:1-5 LSB)
Did God pass by Jerusalem, see her squirming and tell her to live?
When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ I made you very numerous, like plants of the field. Then you grew up, became tall and reached the age for fine jewelry; your breasts were formed and your hair had grown. Yet you were naked and bare. (Ezek 16:6-7 NASB)
When she was old enough did God make a marriage covenant with Jerusalem?
Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine. (Ezek 16:8 NIV)
Did God take care of His new bride, adorning her with gold and silver?
“Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed you with oil. I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk. I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists, and a chain on your neck. And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.
“Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, and succeeded to royalty. Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you,” says the Lord God. (Ezek 16:9-14 NKJV)
Did Jerusalem betray her husband with spiritual prostitution, idolatry?
“But you thought your fame and beauty were your own. So you gave yourself as a prostitute to every man who came along. Your beauty was theirs for the asking. You used the lovely things I gave you to make shrines for idols, where you played the prostitute. Unbelievable! How could such a thing ever happen?
You took the very jewels and gold and silver ornaments I had given you and made statues of men and worshiped them. This is adultery against me! You used the beautifully embroidered clothes I gave you to dress your idols. Then you used my special oil and my incense to worship them. Imagine it! You set before them as a sacrifice the choice flour, olive oil, and honey I had given you, says the Sovereign Lord. (Ezek 16:15-19 NLT)
Did Jerusalem enter spiritual prostitution betraying her marriage to God, and also offer her children as sacrifices?
Moreover you have taken your sons and your daughters, whom you have borne to me, and you have sacrificed these to them to be devoured. Was your prostitution a small matter, that you have slain my children and delivered them up, in causing them to pass through the fire to them? In all your abominations and your prostitution you have not remembered the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, and were wallowing in your blood. (Ezek 16:20-22 WEB)
Did Jerusalem’s spiritual adultery include prostituting herself to all comers?
After all your wickedness—doom, doom to you, proclaims the Lord God— you built a pavilion for yourself and set up platforms in every square. At every crossroad you built your platform and degraded your beauty by spreading your legs to all comers. And so you encouraged even more promiscuity. You prostituted yourself with the Egyptians, your neighbors with the large sexual organs, and as you added to your seductions, you provoked me to anger. (Ezek 16:23-26 CEB)
Were even Jerusalem’s enemies shocked by her behavior chasing other nations as lovers?
So I punished you by letting those greedy Philistine enemies take over some of your territory. But even they were offended by your repulsive behavior. You couldn't get enough sex, so you chased after Assyrians and slept with them. You still weren't satisfied, so you went after Babylonians. But those merchants could not satisfy you either. (Ezek 16:27-29 CEV)
Was Jerusalem like an adulterous wife giving gifts to her lovers?
How sick is your heart, declares the Lord God, because you did all these things, the deeds of a brazen prostitute, building your vaulted chamber at the head of every street, and making your lofty place in every square. Yet you were not like a prostitute, because you scorned payment. Adulterous wife, who receives strangers instead of her husband! Men give gifts to all prostitutes, but you gave your gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from every side with your whorings. So you were different from other women in your whorings. No one solicited you to play the whore, and you gave payment, while no payment was given to you; therefore you were different. (Ezek 16:30-34 ESV)
What did God have to say to Jerusalem for her adulterous prostitution and sacrificing her children?
Therefore, you prostitute, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Lord God says: Because your lust was poured out and your nakedness exposed by your acts of prostitution with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols and the blood of your children that you gave to them, I am therefore going to gather all the lovers you pleased—all those you loved as well as all those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and expose your nakedness to them so they see you completely naked. I will judge you the way adulteresses and those who shed blood are judged. Then I will bring about your bloodshed in wrath and jealousy. (Ezek 16:35-38 HCSB)
What kind of punishment would God use to stop Jerusalem’s prostitution?
I’ll also deliver you into their control, and they’ll break down your mounds, tear down your high places, strip off your clothes, remove your fine jewels, and then they’ll leave you stark naked! They’ll bring a mob against you to stone you to death and cut you into pieces with their swords. Then they’ll burn your houses and carry out my sentence against you in the sight of many women. That’s how I’ll make you stop your prostitution so you won’t pay any prostitute’s fees anymore. (Ezek 16:39-41 ISV)
What outcome was God hoping for in His punishment of Jerusalem?
So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry. Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted me in all these things; behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way upon thine head, saith the Lord God: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations. (Ezek 16:42-43 KJV)
What proverb would be quoted against Jerusalem who acted worse than others?
Behold, everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb concerning you, saying, ‘Like mother, like daughter.’ You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and children. You are also the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. Now your older sister is Samaria, who lives north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lives south of you, is Sodom with her daughters. Yet you have not merely walked in their ways or done according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you acted more corruptly in all your ways than they. (Ezek 16:44-47 LSB)
Had Jerusalem done worse than Sodom, who did not help the needy and committed abominations?
As I live,” declares the Lord God, “Sodom, your sister and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done! Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, plenty of food, and carefree ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. So they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it. (Ezek 16:48-50 NASB)
Were Jerusalem’s sins so bad that even sinful Samaria appeared righteous?
Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done. Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous than you. So then, be ashamed and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous. (Ezek 16:51-52 NIV)
Will God repatriate the captives of Sodom, Samaria and Jerusalem?
When I bring back their captives, the captives of Sodom and her daughters, and the captives of Samaria and her daughters, then I will also bring back the captives of your captivity among them, that you may bear your own shame and be disgraced by all that you did when you comforted them. When your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters return to their former state, then you and your daughters will return to your former state.
For your sister Sodom was not a byword in your mouth in the days of your pride, before your wickedness was uncovered. It was like the time of the reproach of the daughters of Syria and all those around her, and of the daughters of the Philistines, who despise you everywhere. You have paid for your lewdness and your abominations,” says the Lord. For thus says the Lord God: “I will deal with you as you have done, who despised the oath by breaking the covenant. (Ezek 16:53-59 NKJV)
Will God establish an everlasting covenant, whereby they will know that He is the Lord?
Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were young, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. Then you will remember with shame all the evil you have done. I will make your sisters, Samaria and Sodom, to be your daughters, even though they are not part of our covenant. And I will reaffirm my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord. You will remember your sins and cover your mouth in silent shame when I forgive you of all that you have done. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken! (Ezek 16:60-63 NLT)
Is there another Jerusalem that is completely without sin?
But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all. (Gal 4:26 WEB)
Is the history of Jerusalem one of arrogant unfaithfulness? You decide!
Was Jerusalem like an unwanted baby on the day it was born?
Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations and say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh to Jerusalem, “Your origin and your birth are from the land of the Canaanite; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. As for your birth, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water for cleansing; you were not rubbed with salt or even wrapped in cloths. No eye had pity on you to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you. Rather you were thrown out into the open field, for your soul was abhorred on the day you were born. (Ezek 16:1-5 LSB)
Did God pass by Jerusalem, see her squirming and tell her to live?
When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ I made you very numerous, like plants of the field. Then you grew up, became tall and reached the age for fine jewelry; your breasts were formed and your hair had grown. Yet you were naked and bare. (Ezek 16:6-7 NASB)
When she was old enough did God make a marriage covenant with Jerusalem?
Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine. (Ezek 16:8 NIV)
Did God take care of His new bride, adorning her with gold and silver?
“Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed you with oil. I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk. I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists, and a chain on your neck. And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.
“Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, and succeeded to royalty. Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you,” says the Lord God. (Ezek 16:9-14 NKJV)
Did Jerusalem betray her husband with spiritual prostitution, idolatry?
“But you thought your fame and beauty were your own. So you gave yourself as a prostitute to every man who came along. Your beauty was theirs for the asking. You used the lovely things I gave you to make shrines for idols, where you played the prostitute. Unbelievable! How could such a thing ever happen?
You took the very jewels and gold and silver ornaments I had given you and made statues of men and worshiped them. This is adultery against me! You used the beautifully embroidered clothes I gave you to dress your idols. Then you used my special oil and my incense to worship them. Imagine it! You set before them as a sacrifice the choice flour, olive oil, and honey I had given you, says the Sovereign Lord. (Ezek 16:15-19 NLT)
Did Jerusalem enter spiritual prostitution betraying her marriage to God, and also offer her children as sacrifices?
Moreover you have taken your sons and your daughters, whom you have borne to me, and you have sacrificed these to them to be devoured. Was your prostitution a small matter, that you have slain my children and delivered them up, in causing them to pass through the fire to them? In all your abominations and your prostitution you have not remembered the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, and were wallowing in your blood. (Ezek 16:20-22 WEB)
Did Jerusalem’s spiritual adultery include prostituting herself to all comers?
After all your wickedness—doom, doom to you, proclaims the Lord God— you built a pavilion for yourself and set up platforms in every square. At every crossroad you built your platform and degraded your beauty by spreading your legs to all comers. And so you encouraged even more promiscuity. You prostituted yourself with the Egyptians, your neighbors with the large sexual organs, and as you added to your seductions, you provoked me to anger. (Ezek 16:23-26 CEB)
Were even Jerusalem’s enemies shocked by her behavior chasing other nations as lovers?
So I punished you by letting those greedy Philistine enemies take over some of your territory. But even they were offended by your repulsive behavior. You couldn't get enough sex, so you chased after Assyrians and slept with them. You still weren't satisfied, so you went after Babylonians. But those merchants could not satisfy you either. (Ezek 16:27-29 CEV)
Was Jerusalem like an adulterous wife giving gifts to her lovers?
How sick is your heart, declares the Lord God, because you did all these things, the deeds of a brazen prostitute, building your vaulted chamber at the head of every street, and making your lofty place in every square. Yet you were not like a prostitute, because you scorned payment. Adulterous wife, who receives strangers instead of her husband! Men give gifts to all prostitutes, but you gave your gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from every side with your whorings. So you were different from other women in your whorings. No one solicited you to play the whore, and you gave payment, while no payment was given to you; therefore you were different. (Ezek 16:30-34 ESV)
What did God have to say to Jerusalem for her adulterous prostitution and sacrificing her children?
Therefore, you prostitute, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Lord God says: Because your lust was poured out and your nakedness exposed by your acts of prostitution with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols and the blood of your children that you gave to them, I am therefore going to gather all the lovers you pleased—all those you loved as well as all those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and expose your nakedness to them so they see you completely naked. I will judge you the way adulteresses and those who shed blood are judged. Then I will bring about your bloodshed in wrath and jealousy. (Ezek 16:35-38 HCSB)
What kind of punishment would God use to stop Jerusalem’s prostitution?
I’ll also deliver you into their control, and they’ll break down your mounds, tear down your high places, strip off your clothes, remove your fine jewels, and then they’ll leave you stark naked! They’ll bring a mob against you to stone you to death and cut you into pieces with their swords. Then they’ll burn your houses and carry out my sentence against you in the sight of many women. That’s how I’ll make you stop your prostitution so you won’t pay any prostitute’s fees anymore. (Ezek 16:39-41 ISV)
What outcome was God hoping for in His punishment of Jerusalem?
So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry. Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted me in all these things; behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way upon thine head, saith the Lord God: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations. (Ezek 16:42-43 KJV)
What proverb would be quoted against Jerusalem who acted worse than others?
Behold, everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb concerning you, saying, ‘Like mother, like daughter.’ You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and children. You are also the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. Now your older sister is Samaria, who lives north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lives south of you, is Sodom with her daughters. Yet you have not merely walked in their ways or done according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you acted more corruptly in all your ways than they. (Ezek 16:44-47 LSB)
Had Jerusalem done worse than Sodom, who did not help the needy and committed abominations?
As I live,” declares the Lord God, “Sodom, your sister and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done! Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, plenty of food, and carefree ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. So they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it. (Ezek 16:48-50 NASB)
Were Jerusalem’s sins so bad that even sinful Samaria appeared righteous?
Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done. Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous than you. So then, be ashamed and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous. (Ezek 16:51-52 NIV)
Will God repatriate the captives of Sodom, Samaria and Jerusalem?
When I bring back their captives, the captives of Sodom and her daughters, and the captives of Samaria and her daughters, then I will also bring back the captives of your captivity among them, that you may bear your own shame and be disgraced by all that you did when you comforted them. When your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters return to their former state, then you and your daughters will return to your former state.
For your sister Sodom was not a byword in your mouth in the days of your pride, before your wickedness was uncovered. It was like the time of the reproach of the daughters of Syria and all those around her, and of the daughters of the Philistines, who despise you everywhere. You have paid for your lewdness and your abominations,” says the Lord. For thus says the Lord God: “I will deal with you as you have done, who despised the oath by breaking the covenant. (Ezek 16:53-59 NKJV)
Will God establish an everlasting covenant, whereby they will know that He is the Lord?
Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were young, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. Then you will remember with shame all the evil you have done. I will make your sisters, Samaria and Sodom, to be your daughters, even though they are not part of our covenant. And I will reaffirm my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord. You will remember your sins and cover your mouth in silent shame when I forgive you of all that you have done. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken! (Ezek 16:60-63 NLT)
Is there another Jerusalem that is completely without sin?
But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all. (Gal 4:26 WEB)
Is the history of Jerusalem one of arrogant unfaithfulness? You decide!
Vine Wood (Ezekiel 15)
Is a kind of wood mostly used as kindling, a picture of unfaithfulness? Is abiding in Jesus, the true vine, the best choice? Let’s begin in Ezekiel 15.
Does the wood of the vine have any purpose in heavy carpentry, or is it quick to mold and rot?
And the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest? Is wood taken from it to make anything? Do people take a peg from it to hang any vessel on it? (Ezek 15:1-3 ESV)
Other than a temporary rope, wreaths or small trinkets, is the wood of a vine really useful for anything?
In fact, it is put into the fire as fuel. The fire devours both of its ends, and the middle is charred. Can it be useful for anything? Even when it was whole it could not be made into a useful object. How much less can it ever be made into anything useful when the fire has devoured it and it is charred! (Ezek 15:4-5 HCSB)
Is unfaithful Jerusalem going to be put to a similar use as vine wood, for kindling?
Therefore this is what the Lord God says: “Just as the wood from a grape vine is removed from the forest and used for kindling fires, I’m giving the inhabitants of Jerusalem over to punishment. They may have escaped one fire, but the coming fire will burn them up completely, and they will know that I am the Lord, when I set myself in opposition to them and dedicate the land to desolation because of their unfaithful unbelief,” declares the Lord God. (Ezek 15:6-8 ISV)
How does abiding in the true vine give the exact opposite effect?
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. (John 15:1-6 KJV)
Is a kind of wood mostly used as kindling, a picture of unfaithfulness? Is abiding in Jesus, the true vine, the best choice? You decide!
Does the wood of the vine have any purpose in heavy carpentry, or is it quick to mold and rot?
And the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest? Is wood taken from it to make anything? Do people take a peg from it to hang any vessel on it? (Ezek 15:1-3 ESV)
Other than a temporary rope, wreaths or small trinkets, is the wood of a vine really useful for anything?
In fact, it is put into the fire as fuel. The fire devours both of its ends, and the middle is charred. Can it be useful for anything? Even when it was whole it could not be made into a useful object. How much less can it ever be made into anything useful when the fire has devoured it and it is charred! (Ezek 15:4-5 HCSB)
Is unfaithful Jerusalem going to be put to a similar use as vine wood, for kindling?
Therefore this is what the Lord God says: “Just as the wood from a grape vine is removed from the forest and used for kindling fires, I’m giving the inhabitants of Jerusalem over to punishment. They may have escaped one fire, but the coming fire will burn them up completely, and they will know that I am the Lord, when I set myself in opposition to them and dedicate the land to desolation because of their unfaithful unbelief,” declares the Lord God. (Ezek 15:6-8 ISV)
How does abiding in the true vine give the exact opposite effect?
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. (John 15:1-6 KJV)
Is a kind of wood mostly used as kindling, a picture of unfaithfulness? Is abiding in Jesus, the true vine, the best choice? You decide!
Individual Responsibility (Ezekiel 14)
Are we each responsible for what we allow into our hearts? Let’s look at Ezekiel 14.
What happened when some elders of Israel came to Ezekiel?
Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? (Ezek 14:1-3 KJV)
What are idols in the heart? Does that estrange someone from God?
Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I Yahweh will be brought to give him an answer in light of it, in light of the multitude of his idols, in order to seize the house of Israel by their heart, those who are estranged from Me through all their idols.”’ (Ezek 14:4-5 LSB)
What does God say about the idols we have built in our hearts? Can politics, nationalism, money, materialism, pride, our opinions, and many other emotional issues, be idols in our hearts?
Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations. For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who reside in Israel, who deserts Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts in front of his face the stumbling block of his wrongdoing, and then comes to the prophet to request something of Me for himself, I the Lord will let Myself answer him Myself. I will set My face against that person and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will eliminate him from among My people. So you will know that I am the Lord. (Ezek 14:6-8 NASB)
Will both the false prophet and the inquirer be guilty of sin?
“‘And if the prophet is enticed to utter a prophecy, I the Lord have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. They will bear their guilt—the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him. Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’” (Ezek 14:9-11 NIV)
What happens to any land that engages in persistent unfaithfulness to God?
The word of the Lord came again to me, saying: “Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord God. (Ezek 14:12-14 NKJV)
Can people piggyback on the faithful or is each blessed alone for their faithfulness?
Or suppose I were to send wild animals to invade the country, kill the people, and make the land too desolate and dangerous to pass through. As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, even if those three men were there, they wouldn’t be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be made desolate. (Ezek 14:15-16 NLT)
Can a faithful person only decide for themselves to be true?
Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land, so that I cut off from it man and animal’— though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only would be delivered themselves.
Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my wrath on it in blood, to cut off from it man and animal— though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only their own souls by their righteousness. (Ezek 14:17-20 WEB)
Does God always have a just cause for punishing our sins?
The Lord God proclaims: How much more if I send all four of these terrible acts of judgment—sword, famine, wild animals, and plague—against Jerusalem, to eliminate both humans and animals? Yet a few survivors will be left. Sons and daughters will be brought out to you.
When you see their ways and their deeds, you will be consoled for the evil that I inflicted on Jerusalem, for all that I brought against it. Seeing their ways and their deeds will bring you some consolation, because then you will understand what I’ve done, and that I didn’t do any of these things without cause. This is what the Lord God says. (Ezek 14:21-23 CEB)
Is this principle of each being responsible for his own actions reiterated in the church?
And so, each of us must give an account to God for what we do. (Rom 14:12 CEV)
Are we each responsible for what we allow into our hearts? You decide!
What happened when some elders of Israel came to Ezekiel?
Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? (Ezek 14:1-3 KJV)
What are idols in the heart? Does that estrange someone from God?
Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I Yahweh will be brought to give him an answer in light of it, in light of the multitude of his idols, in order to seize the house of Israel by their heart, those who are estranged from Me through all their idols.”’ (Ezek 14:4-5 LSB)
What does God say about the idols we have built in our hearts? Can politics, nationalism, money, materialism, pride, our opinions, and many other emotional issues, be idols in our hearts?
Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations. For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who reside in Israel, who deserts Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts in front of his face the stumbling block of his wrongdoing, and then comes to the prophet to request something of Me for himself, I the Lord will let Myself answer him Myself. I will set My face against that person and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will eliminate him from among My people. So you will know that I am the Lord. (Ezek 14:6-8 NASB)
Will both the false prophet and the inquirer be guilty of sin?
“‘And if the prophet is enticed to utter a prophecy, I the Lord have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. They will bear their guilt—the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him. Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’” (Ezek 14:9-11 NIV)
What happens to any land that engages in persistent unfaithfulness to God?
The word of the Lord came again to me, saying: “Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord God. (Ezek 14:12-14 NKJV)
Can people piggyback on the faithful or is each blessed alone for their faithfulness?
Or suppose I were to send wild animals to invade the country, kill the people, and make the land too desolate and dangerous to pass through. As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, even if those three men were there, they wouldn’t be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be made desolate. (Ezek 14:15-16 NLT)
Can a faithful person only decide for themselves to be true?
Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land, so that I cut off from it man and animal’— though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only would be delivered themselves.
Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my wrath on it in blood, to cut off from it man and animal— though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only their own souls by their righteousness. (Ezek 14:17-20 WEB)
Does God always have a just cause for punishing our sins?
The Lord God proclaims: How much more if I send all four of these terrible acts of judgment—sword, famine, wild animals, and plague—against Jerusalem, to eliminate both humans and animals? Yet a few survivors will be left. Sons and daughters will be brought out to you.
When you see their ways and their deeds, you will be consoled for the evil that I inflicted on Jerusalem, for all that I brought against it. Seeing their ways and their deeds will bring you some consolation, because then you will understand what I’ve done, and that I didn’t do any of these things without cause. This is what the Lord God says. (Ezek 14:21-23 CEB)
Is this principle of each being responsible for his own actions reiterated in the church?
And so, each of us must give an account to God for what we do. (Rom 14:12 CEV)
Are we each responsible for what we allow into our hearts? You decide!
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