Main Idea: God’s transformed people should live for His glory and fame.

A Look at the Text:

The future would be very different for God’s people than it would be for the nations around them. Mount Seir, Edom, was targeted for His judgment. God would make it a desolation and waste (Ezek. 35:3-4). For the people of Edom rejoiced at the downfall of Israel (Ezek. 35:15), even joining Nebuchadnezzar’s side. As a result, they would not only miss out on inhabiting the land of Israel, but they would be destroyed.

Contrasting this, there was a future hope for Israel. While presently they were destroyed, their mountains would shoot forth new branches bearing fruit, and Israel would return home again (Ezek. 36:8). God was for them (Ezek. 36:9). They would be multiplied in the land once more (Ezek. 36:10-15).

Although God’s name was profaned through Israel’s sin and dispersion (Ezek. 36:16-21), God was going to act in the future for the sake of His name (Ezek. 36:22-23).

He would gather them from the nations (Ezek. 36:24). He would cleanse them (Ezek. 36:25). He would make a new covenant with them, granting them new hearts and the indwelling of His Spirit so that they might obey His laws (Ezek. 36:26-27). Once more, they would inhabit their land, and in light of God’s promise, they could have hope.

Bringing it Home:

The New Covenant hope was that God would not merely shape the external, but the internal. He wouldn’t simply tell His people what to do or not to do, but would shape what they desired to do.

In Christ, God has grafted Gentile peoples into Israel (Rom. 11:11). He has made a new people, Jew and Gentile (Eph. 2:15), a people who are to be a reflection of their God.

God’s reputation was tarnished by the sins and subsequent exile of Israel. As a result, He determined that under the New Covenant things would be different.

Under the New Covenant, the believer is indwelt by His Spirit and made into a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). We aren’t simply converted, but we are regenerated and made spiritually alive. In Christ, God gives us both the will and the power to do as He pleases (Phil. 2:13).

Let us know then that this life transformation is intended to abound to God’s glory and not His shame. If He has made us new, we ought to walk in that newness of life (Rom. 6:4), striving to bring no dishonor to His name through our actions.

Challenge:

Do I respect the connection between God’s reputation and the lifestyles of His people?

Main Idea: The heavenly Shepherd cares for His sheep.

A Look at the Text:

The scene shifts significantly in chapters 33 and 34 as foreign nations are no longer the focus and the people of God are back on center stage. With this, two metaphors are brought into view regarding Israel’s leadership.

First, Ezekiel was likened to a watchman in Israel once more (Ezek. 33:1-9).

Surely the sword of the Lord was coming in judgment. If Ezekiel were to warn the people and they didn’t heed his warnings, then their blood would be upon their own heads (Ezek. 33:1-5). Yet, if the watchman were to see the sword coming and fail to warn the people, their blood would be required at his hands (Ezek. 33:7-8).

God’s desire, though, was for the people to heed the warnings. While the people bemoaned their afflicted state (Ezek. 33:10), the Lord cried out that He took no pleasure in the death of the wicked and would rather they turn from their wickedness and live! (Ezek. 33:11).

For God cared for Israel and ultimately desired their good. In a second metaphor, the leaders in Israel were likened to shepherds. Yet tragically, rather than caring for the sheep, they were killing the sheep, clothing themselves in wool and getting fat off their flesh (Ezek. 34:1-3).

As a result, God was against them because they weren’t taking care of His sheep (Ezek. 34:10). Israel belonged to God. In light of this, He promised there would be a day when He would shepherd them (Ezek. 34:15) and, even more, a future David would be their shepherd (Ezek. 34:23-24).

Bringing it Home:

The reason that God continually sent warnings via His prophets was ultimately that He cared for them. He took no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but desired that they would turn from their wickedness and live.

For they were His, the sheep of His pasture. Unlike the leaders in Israel, He desired good for them. Even more, He promised one day that a descendant of David would shepherd them.

In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus describes Himself as the “Good Shepherd” (John 10:11). While the leaders in Israel took advantage of the sheep and used them for their own good, the Good Shepherd gave up His life for His sheep.

The Lord’s love for sinful people was proven at Calvary (Rom. 5:8). He has no desire that the wicked die in their wickedness. He made a way for even the most wretched to find forgiveness and newness of life.

The invitation is open. The Shepherd has left behind the ninety-nine in search of the one; they merely have to turn to Him in faith.

Challenge:

Do I seek the good of others or the benefit I can get from them?

Main Idea: There is none too great to be cut down by the God who spreads terror in the land of the living.

A Look at the Text:

With Egypt still in focus, the downfalls of other nations are recalled to essentially provide a resumé of God’s judgment. First, there was Assyria. Assyria was likened to one of the great cedar trees in Lebanon (Ezek. 31:3-9), with beauty and greatness surpassing the trees in Eden (Ezek. 31:8-9).

Tragically, its greatness led to pride, and as such, it was cut down and left to rot (Ezek. 31:10-14). Its fall was so great and so unexpected that it even caused the nations to quake when it hit the ground (Ezek. 31:16).

In like manner, Egypt and its Pharaoh would be cut down and fall (Ezek. 31:18). The Pharaoh thought of himself as a mighty lion (Ezek. 32:2), but God said he was a dragon of the seas that was going to be taken out of his water to die (Ezek. 32:2-9).

Egypt would be brought down to Sheol, just as Assyria, Elam, Meshech-Tubal, Edom, and the princes of the north once were (Ezek. 32:22-32).

They had spread terror in the land of the living, so they were taken down to the realm of the dead. Now, Egypt would join them, being subjected to God’s terror in the land of the living (Ezek. 32:32).

Bringing it Home:

God’s resumé as the all-powerful One who can bring down nations is impressive. Though they had brought terror upon others, there was an even greater Terror that would return their evil upon their own heads.

Many believe that they are insulated from judgment. Perhaps on a national level they are powerful, prosperous, and advanced. Or on a personal level, they might be healthy, wealthy, and seemingly secure. However, there is no tree strong enough to withstand the axe of the Almighty.

Let us then always walk in humility and a reverent fear of the Lord. Human beings might bring a terror upon the land, but only God can cast one into the realm of the dead (Matt. 10:28).

Challenge:

Is God or man my chief fear?

Main Idea: The Lord of Heaven rules over the kingdoms of man.

A Look at the Text:

In chapter 30, the Lord’s judgment of Egypt is still in view as Ezekiel prophesies the downfall of this great country. The Day of the Lord was on its way, and it was going to be a time of doom (Ezek. 30:3). The proud might of Egypt would be brought down, their cities would be laid waste, and their wealth would be put to an end (Ezek. 30:6-10).

Even more, their idols would be cut down and revealed for the powerless frauds that they were (Ezek. 30:13), and the power of Pharaoh would be broken by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (Ezek. 30:20-22).

This was certain to come, for it was God who would be placing His sword into the king of Babylon’s hand to strike down the land of Egypt (Ezek. 30:24). In the end, they would know that He is the Lord, Yahweh, the living God (Ezek. 30:8,19,25,26).

Bringing it Home:

Over and over again, God assured His people and the entire watching world through the prophet Ezekiel that His name would be made known. His glory and fame would fill the earth. This would certainly happen in the midst of countless judgments on the national level.

What is fascinating is that from a natural viewpoint this was warfare between nations, but from a spiritual viewpoint this was the true Sovereign orchestrating nations as chess pieces upon His board.

He was the One who entrusted Nebuchadnezzar with His own sword. He was the One who was bringing judgment upon His people in Judah and upon the other nations. He was the One who was judging Egypt for their crimes. When all was said and done, people would be able to see how God’s hand was directing all of these things, and it would abound for His fame.

So let us then be encouraged today that no matter what things look like on earth, there is One who is reigning in the heavens. Even if the earth be filled with turmoil, none of it has challenged His heavenly rule. We can rest assured that His Kingdom has drawn near in Jesus Christ, and one day, it will be the only Kingdom left standing.

Challenge:

Do national problems cause me to become fearful or anxious?

Main Idea: God will not tolerate competitors.

A Look at the Text:

After the judgments decreed against Tyre, the Lord set His gaze on the land of Egypt and specifically against its Pharaoh. Though the Pharaoh was the “great dragon” of the Nile River (Ezek. 29:3)—either referring naturally to a crocodile or possibly referring to the mythological “chaos-monster”^[1]—he would be taken, hook-in-jaw, out into the desert to die (Ezek. 29:4-5).

Egypt had failed in its promise to help Judah against the Babylonians, symbolized by Israel’s leaning upon a weak staff (Ezek. 29:6-7). Even more, Pharaoh had claimed that the Nile was his own, because he had made it (Ezek. 29:3,9).

As a result of these things, God was bringing a sword upon them (Ezek. 29:8). They would experience desolation, and their future would pale in comparison to the past (Ezek. 29:12). All in all, they would come to know who the true and living God was, and it wasn’t Pharaoh (Ezek. 29:6,9).

Bringing it Home:

No mighty monster can stand before the sword of God Most High. No imposter god can claim that they are the source of that which He has made. The Egyptian Pharaoh, like the King of Tyre, fell into pride, even believing himself to be a god, and would be cut down as a result.

The true and living God would put a hook in the monster’s jaw and drag him from his own land. He would not tolerate competitors. He would reveal Himself to be God alone.

Being reminded of the One who is truly in control of all things should greatly encourage all of those who are on His side. Regardless of what life’s circumstances look like down here and which nations prosper in the present, there is one Sovereign who is reigning on high.

He can do as He pleases. He can raise up nations, and he can humble their kings. Though they may rule over their little kingdoms, He rules the entire cosmos.

Challenge:

Do earthly circumstances shake my heavenly hope?

^[1] Charles H. Dyer, “Ezekiel,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1285.

Main Idea: Pride leads to destruction.

A Look at the Text:

After prophesying the destruction of nations, Ezekiel’s sights are set on the city of Tyre. There was first judgment (Ezekiel 26), then lament (Ezekiel 27), and finally a word against the ruler of Tyre specifically (Ezekiel 28).

With this, it is made clear that the primary downfall of Tyre was due to its pride. They boasted in beauty (Ezek. 27:3), in power (Ezek. 27:10), and in business (Ezek. 27:12-25). The city’s name meant “rock,” and they were known as an impregnable fortress along the Mediterranean coast.^[1] They were great, even unrivaled in trade, and they knew it.

As such, their fall called for great lamentation (Ezek. 27:32), for there was none like them. Though formerly they had abundant wealth (Ezek. 27:33), they would be wrecked and would come to a dreadful end (Ezek. 27:34-36).

Then, in chapter 28, the prince or king of Tyre is brought into primary view. Once more, it is the pride of his heart that was at issue, for it was in competition with the divine (Ezek. 28:2, 6). As a result, he would be humbled and revealed as the mortal he truly was (Ezek. 28:9).

The significance of this fall is then paralleled with a prior fall from paradise (Ezek. 28:11-19). Scholars are divided as to the referent here.

Some believe it’s merely the king of Tyre in very symbolic language. Some believe it’s a reference to Adam’s fall in the Garden of Eden. Others see in this passage a description of Satan’s first rebellion against God. The last option seems to be the most convincing to me personally, with one scholar helpfully noting:

The best explanation is that Ezekiel was describing Satan who was the true “king” of Tyre, the one motivating the human “ruler” of Tyre.^[2]

Regardless of the referent, the truth of the passage remains the same: it was pride that was at the root of Tyre’s downfall and, more specifically, the downfall of their king. Just as it went with the city, so Ezekiel prophesied that their king would come to a dreadful end (Ezek. 28:19).

Bringing it Home:

God hates pride. Pride inflates self at the expense of God and misplaces worship designated for the Creator upon oneself. It views the gifts of God as personal achievements. It holds the blessings of God as the result of personal merit.

The Scripture is unapologetically clear that God tolerates no competitors, even if they look us in the mirror. He will humble the proud, while the humble He will exalt. Solomon once observed, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18).

Let us then heed the biblical admonition to clothe ourselves with humility, knowing that “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Pet. 5:5). All that we have and all that we are is the result of His grace, and as such He deserves the glory.

Challenge:

Do I take the credit for the gifts and blessings of God in my life?

^[1] Victor P. Hamilton, “Ezekiel,” in Evangelical Commentary on the Bible, vol. 3, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1995), 577.

^[2] Charles H. Dyer, “Ezekiel,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1283.

Main Idea: The living God cannot be denied forever.

A Look at the Text:

In today’s text, the scene shifts significantly from God’s judgment of Judah to His judgment against the nations, beginning with the Ammonites, an enemy nation to the east.

They celebrated the destruction of Judah and the profaning of God’s sanctuary and, as such, would pay for their pride (Ezek. 25:1-4). In judgment, they would know He is the Lord, Yahweh, and that He is the living God (Ezek. 25:5, 7).

Likewise, the Moabites would suffer His judgment and know that He is the Lord (Ezek. 25:11). Edom would know His vengeance because they aided Babylon in Judah’s time of weakness (Ezek. 25:12-14). The Philistines would likewise know God’s vengeance and know He is the Lord (Ezek. 25:17).

Even more, the great city, Tyre, would know He is the Lord (Ezek. 26:6). Though they were renowned and mighty, they would fall (Ezek. 26:17-18). God would bring them to a dreadful end (Ezek. 26:21).

Bringing it Home:

The testimony of the Bible again and again is that God’s glory will be revealed, that His name will be great amongst the nations, and that He will be fully known:

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Hab. 2:14).

Many nations opposed Israel, and in so doing they were denying Israel’s God.

From the beginning, when a foolish Egyptian Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go” (Ex. 5:2), through the Babylonian captivity He was denied. Yet, He revealed Himself continually through His mighty acts and His keeping of Israel through countless trials.

All who said, “I do not know the Lord,” were shown that they would know Him in time.

While many might deny Him today, they are merely suppressing the truth that is all around them (Rom. 1:18-20). The evidence of God in creation is so undeniable that no one can rightfully ignore Him. His gracious acts throughout history and His present governance of His creation are undeniable. His final revelation is inescapable.

People may profess they don’t believe in Him today, but He cannot be denied forever. To all who say, “Who is the Lord? I’ve never heard of Him,” the testimony of the Bible is, “Just wait and see.”

Challenge:

Do I believe atheism is really real?

Main Idea: Idolatry, as spiritual adultery, brings God’s wrath.

A Look at the Text:

To show the gravity of Israel’s sin, the language of adultery is once again levied against the people of God in grotesque detail. Israel’s capital, Samaria, and Judah’s capital, Jerusalem, are likened to two sisters who both cheated on God (Ezek. 23:1-4).

First, Israel defiled herself with Assyrian idols (Ezek. 23:7), and then she was given into their hands in destruction (Ezek. 23:9-10). Second, and perhaps more tragic, the younger sister, Jerusalem, saw all of this take place, and yet it didn’t change her heart (Ezek. 23:11).

The people of Judah had seen Israel’s captivity and Samaria’s fall, yet Jerusalem’s adultery was flaunted before all, and so God turned away in disgust (Ezek. 23:18). In the same pattern, destruction would come to them too (Ezek. 23:22-27).

God was making them an object of terror and plunder (Ezek. 23:46), and they would bear the penalty for their idolatry (Ezek. 23:49). God told Ezekiel to mark the date of the final siege that was being laid upon Jerusalem (Ezek. 24:1). He was bringing judgment and would not revoke or relent from His fury (Ezek. 24:14).

Bringing it Home:

The problem with idolatry has always been that it creates competition for the God who desires no other lovers in the lives of His people.

He wants to reign upon the throne of our hearts and to have our undivided loyalty. Hence, the foundation of the 10 Commandments was His self-disclosure and the command for His people to have no other gods (Ex. 20:1-3). Whole-hearted devotion was the necessary starting place for every other act of obedience.

In the modern day, we might not worship the same idols, but perhaps the most prominent one in America is the idol of materialism. The fundamental flaw of materialism is that it places that which is created in the place of honor reserved for the Creator.

If we think that material things, or really any thing, can fill us the way that only God can, and we pursue after these things in order to gratify ourselves, we’re actually cheating on God. We’re giving the created a place in our hearts that it does not belong.

Challenge:

What am I pursuing for joy and meaning in life today?

Main Idea: God’s people should reflect Him in their ways.

A Look at the Text:

The people of Judah were as guilty as could be.

The land was full of bloodshed and idolatry (Ezek. 22:3-4). Fathers and mothers were dishonored, the sojourner was taken advantage of, and orphans and widows were wronged (Ezek. 22:7). The people were guilty of sexual sin and extortion because they forgot their God (Ezek. 22:10-12).

As such, rather than a pure people, they were the dross of silver, and God would burn the uncleanness out of them (Ezek. 22:15-22).

They were a wayward people, and they were led astray by godless leadership.

The priests did violence to the law, not teaching the difference between the holy and the common, or the unclean and the clean (Ezek. 22:26). Their political leaders took advantage of the people (Ezek. 22:27). Then, perhaps worst of all, the prophets whitewashed all of this and pretended that everything was fine (Ezek. 22:28).

No one was standing in the gap, interceding for the people (Ezek. 22:30), and as a result, they would have their evil ways returned upon their own heads (Ezek. 22:31).

Bringing it Home:

The people of God were to be a light to the world and a representation of what God was like, and yet tragically they became a source of darkness. Instead of an example, they had become a reproach (Ezek. 22:4-5). Rather than showing others what to do, they ended up showing them what not to do.

Under the New Covenant, the Lord Jesus called His disciples “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14). The Christ-follower is supposed to point others to God by means of their life. To be a picture of the gracious and holy God who has saved them.

Just as God called Israel to be holy as He is holy, so He has called the church (1 Pet. 1:15). Holiness requires separateness. It requires distinctiveness.

Thankfully, our standing before God doesn’t depend upon our holiness, but upon the perfect righteousness of Christ, the One who has forever stood in the gap, interceding for us (Heb. 7:25). Yet that does not mean that we should not strive for holiness (Heb. 12:14). That does not mean that God doesn’t care how His people live. As the apostle Peter once charged believers to “Make every effort” to add Christian virtues to their faith (2 Pet. 1:5-11).

How might the world be different if the church took its role as the light of the world more seriously?

Challenge:

Do I think salvation by grace makes my personal godliness unimportant?

Main Idea: The Sovereign God can bring His plans to pass through anything He chooses.

A Look at the Text:

Ezekiel 21 begins with the prophet prophesying against the land of Israel and against its sanctuaries (Ezek. 21:1-2). Certainly, their holy places weren’t holy anymore. As a result, God was going to unsheathe His sword against His own people in judgment (Ezek. 21:3).

The rod hadn’t worked—now it was time to move to something more effective (Ezek. 21:10).

Specifically, we see again that it would be Babylon that would function as the sword of the Lord, as judgment came by God’s decree at their hand. With this, fascinatingly, the Lord reveals to His prophet that on the way there Nebuchadnezzar would hit a fork in the road (Ezek. 21:20-21). He could go after the Ammonite city, Rabbah, or he could go after Jerusalem.

To decide, the king would consult various pagan methodologies (marked arrows, idols, and animal livers) to learn what to do (Ezek. 21:21). Together, these would speak with one voice: Go to Jerusalem.

While the people of the land might not believe it, their guilt condemned them (Ezek. 21:23). As such, they would be taken in hand (Ezek. 21:24). Judgment was coming on them and especially on King Zedekiah, the “prince” of Israel, who disdained the message of the Heavenly King (Ezek. 21:25).

Bringing it Home:

The Scripture reveals in countless places that God is at work in the midst of all things. Solomon once observed:

Even something as small as the rolling of the dice is not outside of God’s control.

He orchestrates all things and brings all things to pass according to the perfect counsel of His will.

If He decreed the destruction of Jerusalem, nothing could stand in His way. He could use Nebuchadnezzar as His servant. He could communicate His message through an animal liver. His ways are unlimited because He is God. He can do what He wants.

The fact that nothing is outside the boundary of God’s control should greatly encourage us if we belong to Him. But for those who stand under His judgment, it’s a sobering reminder that His decrees are inescapable.

Challenge:

Do I trust that God not only orchestrates history itself but the little details that bring things to pass along the way?

Main Idea: God’s people should reflect their God before a watching world.

A Look at the Text:

Today’s text opens with a lament for the sad state of Israel. Israel was likened to a lioness with powerful cubs, representative of kings who were sadly taken away in its final days (Ezek. 19:1-9). In a second metaphor, Israel is pictured as a powerful vine that was likewise plucked up and taken away (Ezek. 19:10-14).

Then, in chapter 20, we again see the cause for all of this. As some of the elders came to inquire of the Lord through Ezekiel, the prophet recounts God’s covenant faithfulness in contrast to Israel’s covenant breach.

God made a covenant with Israel when He rescued them from Egypt and graciously gave to them the most abundant of lands (Ezek. 20:6; Ex. 19:5-6). His desire was that they would abandon the idols of Egypt, and yet they would not (Ezek. 20:7-8).

God gave His laws, intending for them to bring life (Ezek. 20:11). He gave His people Sabbaths so that they would know He was the One who sanctified them (Ezek. 20:12). Still they rebelled (Ezek. 20:13). Worst of all, their rebellion profaned the name of God before the nations! (Ezek. 20:14).

As a result, God wouldn’t be inquired of by the elders of Israel (Ezek. 20:31). Yet, in His grace, God still had plans for the people (Ezek. 20:33-38). Yes, He would bring them under discipline, but He would later manifest His holiness amongst them in the sight of the nations (Ezek. 20:41).

Bringing it Home:

God cares about how His people live. This was true then, and it is true now. God saved Israel from Egyptian bondage freely and then gave them His law to show how they ought to live as a saved-by-grace people. It wasn’t enough for Israel to leave Egypt geographically—Egypt had to leave Israel internally.

God’s law was given to make a unique people, a separate people, a holy people. A people who were distinctly His and represented His ways.

So it is today. Salvation is a gift of grace and not something that we can ever earn or deserve. But when someone is brought into the family of God, there is an understanding that they will begin to bear the family likeness (1 John 3:9-10).

God not only saves, but He also indwells. He doesn’t just forgive, but He also transforms. He makes us into new creations, His holy, special, distinctive people (2 Cor. 5:17; 1 Pet. 2:9). The invitation to “Come as you are” is not an invitation to stay as you were.

Tragically, Israel showed the world a picture of what God was not like as they fell prey to idolatry and syncretism again and again. The light of the world ended up partnering with darkness, and God’s name was profaned where it should have been extolled.

How is the light of the world shining today?

Challenge:

Does my life reflect the life of God within me?

Main Idea: While people bear personal responsibility for their sins, God desires for them to turn from their wickedness and live.

A Look at the Text:

Today’s text opens with a confusing riddle about two eagles (Ezek. 17:2).

One eagle takes a shoot of a tree far away, and it is well planted. Yet that shoot leans towards another eagle and is uprooted as a result (Ezek. 17:5-10). This is a metaphor regarding the people of Jerusalem that were taken to Babylon (the one great eagle) and how those who remained leaned upon Egypt for help (the other great eagle).^[1]

Considering this metaphor, we see again how the people of God relying upon Egypt was foolish and how Zedekiah, the final king of Judah, paid for his misplaced trust (Ezek. 17:11-21).

Yet, once more, there was hope for a remnant. For God can cause the high tree to be brought low and the low tree to be made high (Ezek. 17:24). He can likewise dry up the green tree and cause a dry tree to flourish (Ezek. 17:24).

With this background in mind, in chapter 18, the guilt of Judah is made abundantly clear.

There was a common proverb in Judah that claimed the people were merely bearing the consequences of their fathers’ sins (Ezek. 18:2). To this, God pointed out that both the soul of the father and the son belong to Him (Ezek. 18:4), and every person is personally accountable to God.

Although they accused Him of injustice, God was and is a just God (Ezek. 18:25-29). They would be judged according to their ways. If they turned from righteousness, they would die. But if they would turn from their wickedness, they could live.

Bringing it Home:

God is a God of perfect justice. While the people of Judah complained about God’s injustice, it wasn’t their ancestors’ sins that were at issue, but the sins of the people in their mirror. It was their fault they were sent to Babylon.

Yet, while God is just, He is also merciful. Truly, He doesn’t delight in the death of the wicked. He would rather that they turn from their wickedness and live (Ezek. 18:23).

If this were true under the Old Testament, certainly it is the case in the New Testament as well, where it is revealed that Jesus Christ came to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). Jesus Christ, God incarnate, didn’t come for the cleaned-up, righteous, spiritually healthy crowd. He came to display the love of God for those who were ungodly, hopeless sinners (Rom. 5:6-8).

He came to bear the perfect justice of God upon the cross so that we might be able to stand in the day of judgment. He became sin so that we could become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21).

If we think that the Almighty delights in the destruction of sinners, we need only take another look at the destruction that took place upon Golgotha’s hill. He desires that we come to Him. That we repent of our transgressions, mend our ways, and return home. Truly, He will welcome us with open arms (Luke 15:20).

Challenge:

Do I separate God’s love from His justice?

^[1] Andrew Knowles, The Bible Guide, 1st Augsburg books ed. (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg, 2001), 328.

Main Idea: Idolatry is spiritual adultery.

A Look at the Text:

Once more, today’s passage in Ezekiel comes between the initial surrender of Jerusalem and its final destruction. With this, the prophet announces God’s judgment again, using the uselessness of the wood of a vine as an example of how purposeless Israel had become (Ezek. 15:1-6).

God said His judgment would be upon them, “because they have acted faithlessly” (Ezek. 15:8). This faithlessness is then unpacked in chapter 16.

First, Israel is likened to a disdained newborn that God took pity on (Ezek. 16:1-7). Then, Israel is likened to a bride (Ezek. 16:8). A bride that prospered because of God’s love, with great beauty and splendor (Ezek. 16:14).

In both metaphors, it is abundantly clear that it was God who was the source of their blessedness. Yet tragically, God’s gifts were turned to idols (Ezek. 16:17). With graphic language, Israel’s idolatry is likened to brazen adultery (Ezek. 16:30).

In response, God would turn them over to the fruit of their ways, and they would suffer the consequences of this adultery (Ezek. 16:35-58). And yet, though they remained faithless, God was ever faithful. He would make another covenant with adulterous Israel (Ezek. 16:60).

Though they had cheated on Him countless times, He would yet atone for their sin (Ezek. 16:63).

Bringing it Home:

When idolatry is likened to harlotry, it reveals how truly awful it is. Worst of all, in the land of Judah it was actually the gifts of God that ended up being turned to idols. Rather than being rightly understood as displays of God’s generosity, they became objects of affection and worship.

We must be diligent to always know that God’s gifts are sourced in Him and, as such, rather than worshipping the gifts, we must worship and thank the Giver. Truly, every good thing in our lives is from Him (Jas. 1:17). Apart from God’s kindness, we would have nothing.

We are right to rejoice in His gifts. We are right to appreciate His gifts. We are right to even enjoy His gifts. But we must never make them objects of our devotion. The gifts of God should turn our eyes to the goodness of God and result in the glory of God as we praise Him with thanksgiving. If we view them as the end, rather than a means to the end of worship, we’ve missed it.

Challenge:

Do the good things in my life distract me from God or draw me closer to God?

Main Idea: The Lord’s judgment doesn’t come without cause.

A Look at the Text:

From the false prophets of the last chapter, the scene shifts in today’s text to idolatrous elders who likewise would bear their guilt. If they would refuse repentance and come before God with idols in their hearts, God would set His face against them (Ezek. 14:6-11).

Sadly, things were so bad in Jerusalem, in fact, that God wouldn’t heed righteous intercessors.

Even if Noah, Daniel, or Job were there pleading on behalf of the people, God wouldn’t spare the land (Ezek. 14:20). Though the Lord was once willing to spare the godless cities of Sodom and Gomorrah on behalf of ten righteous people, Jerusalem wouldn’t stand a chance before God’s judgment. The righteous might spare themselves, but that would be it.

Then, when the survivors were taken captive, those already in Babylon would see that it wasn’t for no reason that God brought judgment (Ezek. 14:23).

Bringing it Home:

God’s justice is never unjust. God never brings judgment upon sinners who aren’t fully deserving of it. In fact, on the contrary, God is far more merciful than we deserve, never harsher than we deserve.

That mercy, presently, is tied to righteousness and intercession. Yet, it’s a hope that cannot be focused inward, but must be focused outward.

There is One who is more righteous than Noah, Daniel, and Job. He is more righteous than the three of them combined. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only One who never erred, who never dishonored the Father, and who has forever held a perfect track record.

He is the One who presently intercedes for the believer (Heb. 7:24-25). He lives eternally and makes intercession for us continually. The Lord Jesus pleads our case without pause on the basis of His own righteousness and shed blood.

So while we might fully deserve God’s justice, we are nevertheless showered with God’s mercy through the perfect righteousness and atoning blood of Christ. With Him pleading our case, we can rest assured that God will save, and He will save to the uttermost.

Apart from Christ, we stand guilty, condemned, and utterly hopeless. Our sins testify against us and cry out, “Guilty!” But in Christ we stand clean, forgiven, and secure in hope, for our Savior testifies on our behalf. Now, there is no condemnation for the one who is in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:1).

Challenge:

Do I believe that my slate has been wiped clean in Christ, or that I still hold some guilt for my sin?

Main Idea: God will not fulfill promises that are not His.

A Look at the Text:

In today’s text, the sights of God’s justice move from Jerusalem’s king to its prophets.

These prophets spoke confidently in God’s name, although He had not spoken (Ezek. 13:6-8). God was against them and would bring them to ruin. They promised “Peace!” when God was not sending peace (Ezek. 13:10).

While the walls were metaphorically cracked and the foundation was unstable, they whitewashed or plastered the walls without addressing the problem (Ezek. 13:10-11). In effect, they were putting a band-aid over a mortal wound. On judgment day, those walls would be broken down (Ezek. 13:11-14).

Even more, there were false prophetesses in Israel who likewise spoke their own ideas. They unsettled the righteous and gave hope to the wicked rather than calling the wicked to turn from their ways (Ezek. 13:22).

God was not going to uphold promises that weren’t His, and He would not validate messengers He did not send.

Bringing it Home:

We live in a day and age where many claim to represent God, but frequently they are representing a god of their own making. People remake God in their own image. They craft a god that never makes them uncomfortable.

Tim Keller once powerfully asserted:

“Only if your God can outrage and challenge you will you know that you worship the real God and not a figment of your imagination. . . . If your God never disagrees with you, you might just be worshiping an idealized version of yourself.”

In Jerusalem, there were many who were misrepresenting God. “Peace!” was a much more palatable message than “Doom!” but the question shouldn’t have been what was palatable, but what was actually true.

We must fight the temptation to cater to the preferences of other people or even ourselves. Instead, our goal should be to be biblical rather than to be popular.

We must speak the truth in love and strive to faithfully represent God and what He has actually said in His Word, and then leave the results in His hands.

Challenge:

Does my understanding of God ever make me uncomfortable, or have I watered down the God of the Bible?

Main Idea: God’s Word, although delayed in fulfillment, is certain to come.

A Look at the Text:

The Lord was sending Ezekiel to a rebellious people who could not see or hear (Ezek. 12:1-2). With this, the prophet was once again tasked with becoming a living illustration: he was to pack his bags and leave his home through a hole dug in the wall as if he were an exile (Ezek. 12:3-7).

This symbolized the coming captivity of Jerusalem and specifically the flight of King Zedekiah, their “prince,” who would flee his city in the middle of the night and still be caught (Ezek. 12:10-12).

But because the fulfillment of prophetic predictions had been long delayed, some of the people didn’t believe.

To this, the Lord revealed that His word would be performed; it would no longer be delayed (Ezek. 12:25,28). The proverb “Time passes, and prophecies come to nothing,” would be replaced with “The time has come for every prophecy to be fulfilled” (Ezek. 12:22-23, NLT).

Bringing it Home:

God’s delays are not His denials. The infinite Creator of all stands outside of time and can see all things at once, even if they be separated by millennia. The time between His promise and His fulfillment in His eyes is nothing at all.

The apostle Peter once unpacked this reality, noting that with the Lord a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day (2 Pet. 3:8).

It can be easy for many to think that God’s seeming inactivity is a promise that nothing is happening in the future, but that can’t be further from the truth. Just because God’s judgment was delayed didn’t mean it wasn’t coming—rather, it was divine mercy that prolonged that inevitable day.

So it is, even today. There is the promise in God’s Word that the Lord Jesus will return. There is the sure word of the great white throne judgment. Yet many believe that because it’s been two thousand years in the making, it’s not happening.

Fascinatingly, the apostle Peter spoke to this issue within the first century:

Delayed judgment is not judgment denied. It’s a window of mercy for us to repent and believe. Let us never fall prey to thinking that the difference between our timeline and God’s means that He is not faithful.

Challenge:

Do I believe in God’s promises that are still to come?

Main Idea: Divine mercy is the only answer to divine judgment.

A Look at the Text:

After the glory of the Lord departed the temple, Ezekiel’s vision focused on twenty-five men of significance who were gathered at the east gate of the temple, where the Lord’s chariot had just left.

While the exact details of their conversation are a bit fuzzy, they essentially believed they were insulated from judgment, as meat in a pot is insulated from direct flame (Ezek. 11:3). Their message before the people wasn’t one of repentance but of complacency and false assurance.

Yet the Lord knew what was in their minds (Ezek. 11:5), and He would be bringing judgment. They weren’t safe within the walls of Jerusalem. This was proven no better than by one of the leaders, Pelatiah, dropping dead during their meeting (Ezek. 11:13).

In response, once more the prophet Ezekiel cried out on behalf of the people of Israel, wondering if God would make a full end of them (Ezek. 11:13).

To this, God assured Him that there would be a remnant who would be gathered from faraway lands (Ezek. 11:17). Even more, a day was coming when He would grant His people new hearts, and they would walk in His ways (Ezek. 11:19-20).

Bringing it Home:

The only insulator from divine judgment is divine mercy.

There are no city walls high enough, no mountain ranges steep enough, no military might strong enough, and no wealth deep enough to thwart His purposes. God had purposed judgment for Jerusalem, and nothing could overturn His will. The sudden death of one of the wicked counselors was the perfect display of this.

Yet God’s will was never to make a full end. The same God who was bringing judgment was determined to spare a remnant. Even more, He would implant a new heart in those returning that they might obey His will. Judgment wasn’t going to be the end of the story because of the covenant-keeping faithful love of the Lord.

Likewise, we can rest assured today that we are loved with the same everlasting love in Jesus Christ who bore the judgment of God on our behalf. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:38-39).

While we may be subjected to discipline or trials, we can always have a hope for the future because of God’s unchanging nature.

Praise be to God for mercy that was great and grace that was free, for pardon was multiplied to me, and that my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.

Challenge:

Do I take the costliness of mercy for granted?

Main Idea: Sin should grieve us as it grieves God.

A Look at the Text:

With the idolatry and abominations of the previous chapter in view, God now called for executioners upon the city of Jerusalem.

Yet, judgment wasn’t going to be all-consuming.

Before the executioners went to the city, a certain scribe, a man clothed in linen, went through it to mark the people of Jerusalem who sighed and groaned about the abominations that were committed in the temple (Ezek. 9:2-4). All of those who were grieved would be spared; those who approved of the abominations would be destroyed.

Then, beginning at the sanctuary and amongst the elders, the executioners were sent out to bring God’s judgment and destroy those who not only practiced abominations but also those who were indifferent to them (Ezek. 9:6).

Once more they would have to pay for their guilt, as they believed that God wasn’t there and that He had left them (Ezek. 9:9-10).

Sadly, that is what actually happens in the following chapter.

Once more, Ezekiel was shown a vision of God’s throne chariot with the cherubim and their wheels as they were shown in chapter 1 (Ezek. 10:1-3). Yet now God’s chariot was in Jerusalem, not the Chebar Canal of Babylon.

But as Ezekiel gazed upon the glory of the Lord upon the temple (Ezek. 10:4), he saw that same glory depart (Ezek. 10:18-19). In judgment, the people were now separated from their God.

Bringing it Home:

The worst thing about sin isn’t the natural consequences it brings to us, but the fact that it separates us from God.

The prophet Isaiah once pointed out to a sinful people that their problems weren’t the lack of God’s power or ability to deliver, but the problem was that their iniquities had separated them from their God (Isa. 59:1-2).

Praise be to God that this separation was bridged through the cross. Yet that doesn’t mean that we should suddenly be indifferent to sin.

Ezekiel saw a scribe marking those who were hurt by the abominations of the temple. There was a separation between those who were brokenhearted for what broke the heart of God and those who were indifferent to the corruption all around them.

If sin grieves the heart of God, it should grieve our hearts too. We shouldn’t be dismissive of it. We shouldn’t treat it as if it were of little consequence. If sin was serious enough to put my Savior on the cross, then it’s serious enough that we must not overlook it.

Even more, if our churches dishonor God, let us not be surprised if He is the first one to leave.

Challenge:

Am I indifferent to sin?

Main Idea: You cannot hide from the living God.

A Look at the Text:

Once more, Ezekiel was given messages from the Lord during the interim time between the initial captivity of Jerusalem and its final destruction.

It was foretold that they would be punished for their abominations (Ezek. 7:3). Their wealth wouldn’t be able to deliver them (Ezek. 7:19-20). They would be judged according to their ways, and once more God declared, “And they shall know that I am the Lord” (Ezek. 8:27).

With these predictions in place, in chapter 8, God took Ezekiel the prophet on a visionary tour of the temple in Jerusalem to see the very abominations that summoned divine judgment.

Outside, there was a great “image of jealousy” (Ezek. 8:3). Apparently, this was a massive idol that was placed outside of the north gate that made God jealous. Inside, the temple walls were engraved with idols (Ezek. 8:10).

Even the elders of Israel were a part of this idolatry and concluded that God had abandoned them and wasn’t seeing what they were doing (Ezek. 8:11-12). Women were worshipping the false god, Tammuz (Ezek. 8:14), and men stood outside the temple in worship to the sun (Ezek. 8:16).

Upon seeing all these things, God would act in wrath and would not hear cries for mercy on the day when His judgment was finally poured out (Ezek. 8:18).

Bringing it Home:

The fact that the great temple that Solomon had constructed for the worship of Yahweh was filled with idolatry is a heartrending reality. What was once a place of honor had become a place of dishonor. What was intended for good was now being used for evil.

But what is perhaps even more shocking is that the people concluded that God wasn’t seeing what was going on! Certainly, in His house of all places, He would see what was happening, and the Scripture presents again and again that God is inescapable!

Truly, the Lord taking Ezekiel on a tour with specific stops in mind reveals the sobering reality that He was present the entire time.

It is sheer folly to conclude that our actions are hidden from God. Truth be told, there are no “secret sins.” The fact that God is always present should encourage us in trials, but it should also instill a reverent fear that drives us to honor Him.

For those in Christ, we needn’t fear judgment (1 John 4:18), but let us never conclude that grace is a license for sin (Rom. 6:1-2). Even more, let us never fall into the deception that we can hide from the living God.

Challenge:

Do I have any “secret” sins?

Main Idea: Idolatry breaks the heart of God.

A Look at the Text:

Today’s text opens with another unusual living illustration involving the prophet Ezekiel.

He was tasked by God to shave his head and beard and to divide the hair into parts, with a third being burned, a third cut further, and a third scattered in the wind (Ez. 5:1-4). This was to symbolize the remnant of Israel that would be left after the Jerusalem siege.

At that moment, God was against His people (Ez. 5:8) because of their rebellion (Ez. 5:6, 11). In response, they would be subjected to pestilence, famine, and the sword (Ez. 5:12).

The end of the story would be an undeniable knowledge of God based upon His acts. One of the key promises found throughout the book of Ezekiel is, “And they shall know that I am the Lord (Ez. 5:13).

The Lord was jealous for His people (Ez. 5:13), and in retributive jealousy He was bringing judgment. God abhorred the idols of Israel and would cause many of His people to fall slain before those helpless idols (Ez. 6:5).

Once more, they would know that He was the Lord (Ez. 6:7). In that day, the remnant would be broken for how they had broken God (Ez. 6:9).

Bringing it Home:

God is jealous for His people with a pure jealousy.

Just as a husband has no desire to share his wife with other lovers, so the true God of heaven and earth desires no competition in the hearts of His people.

This text in Ezekiel presents the Almighty as having a breakable heart, as His heart was broken by the “whoring heart” of His people.

While we may not bow before literal idols today, we certainly fall prey to idolatry when we believe that something other than God will finally make us happy or satisfy us.

We can run after material possessions, exciting experiences, or any manner of things that suck us into the vortex of want. We can find ourselves pursuing satisfaction via things that cannot satisfy, leaving behind the One for whom we were made and the One who is the ultimate source of all true joy and meaning in life.

Let us remember that the heart of God is a heart that breaks. A heart that breaks when His people put competitors on the thrones of their own hearts. The broken heart of God should then break ours and draw us back to loving allegiance to the One who is worthy of our all.

Challenge:

Do I live aware of the fact that I can grieve God’s Holy Spirit by how I live? (Eph. 4:30).