CHAPTER 19

1 Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, 2 And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions. 3 And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men. 4 The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt. 5 Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion. 6 And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men. 7 And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his roaring. 8 Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit. 9 And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.

A cry of sorrow and weeping is lifted up for the "princes" of Israel who had been raised to be kings.

The nation is compared to a mother lion who nourished her young lions and helped them to become strong conquerors. But one young lion was captured and carried away to Egypt (Jehoahaz, captured by Pharoah-necho in 609BC -- see 2Kings 23:33-34). Another of her young lions was captured and carried away to Babylon (Jehoiachin, captured by Nebuchadnezzar in 597BC - see 2Kings 24:15).

See how sin takes away POWER. The "princes" of Israel grew to be kings, but now they were SLAVES! They who had thought they could live in pleasure of self now realized LOSS!

Friends, OLD lions become old because of temperance and discipline of self. YOUNG lions become captured because of impudence and self-righteousness.

Let us remember to serve the Lord in our youth that we may become tempered in age and useful as HIS servants rather than servants to sins.

"I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word." (Psalm 119:8-9)

10 Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters. 11 And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches. 12 But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them. 13 And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground. 14 And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.

Now the nation is compared to a "vine" which had been planted and nurtured by God. But now the nation was "plucked up" and replanted in a DRY and THIRSTY land!

See how sin takes away FRUITFULNESS! The "princes" who had been strong "sceptres" were now broken and withered. Fire had consumed the branches, and there was no fruit!

Jesus said that HE is the "vine" and the saved are the "branches." WITHOUT Him, we can do NOTHING of value for God's glory! (See John 15:5)

When Christians live in self, they are SEPARATED from the "Vine" and have no power to produce proper "fruit."

CHAPTER 20

1 And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me. 2 Then came the word of the LORD unto me, saying, 3 Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye come to inquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you. 4 Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:

As in Chapter 14, the elders of the captive nation come to Ezekiel for a "word" from God. Because of their remaining rebellious nature and corrupt worship attitude, God says He will not answer them. Now that would apply to answering them without a mediator. God will not directly answer their prayers, and perhaps that's the main reason they are coming to Ezekiel.

God asks Ezekiel if he will "judge" them. The Hebrew word for "judge," in this instance, is shaphat, which means to pronounce sentence, or contend with, or even to defend.

According to the remainder of the chapter, Ezekiel is to pronounce just judgment upon their sinful attitude (verses 5-32), and also to pronounce that God will continually pass this judgment upon them for that rebellious sin of idolatry - even to the final judgment day (verses 33-34).

The Bible says that God "..judgeth the righteous, and and God is angry with the wicked every day." (Ps. 7:11)

Those who have repented are pronounced righteous by the sacrifice God made at Calvary. And God "judges," or delivers them everyday. But those who continue in rebellion against God, receive His wrath everyday.

5 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the LORD your God; 6 In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands: 7 Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. 8 But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt. 10 Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. 11 And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them. 12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them. 13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them. 14 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out. 15 Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands; 16 Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols. 17 Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness. 18 But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols: 19 I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; 20 And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God. 21 Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness. 22 Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth. 23 I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries; 24 Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols. 25 Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live; 26 And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD. 27 Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me. 28 For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings. 29 Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name thereof is called Bamah unto this day. 30 Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations? 31 For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you. 32 And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.

When God saved Israel from slavery in Egypt, He told them to put away all idols and worship Him alone (Exodus 20:2-6). The FIRST two commandments God gave to them was "worship no other god," and "make no graven image."

But as God says in verse 8 of our text, "...they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me...." They even made an idol while Moses was receiving the ten commandments on the mountain! And they continued in this attitude constantly.

God, in His grace and mercy, saved them many times as a nation regardless of the sin of idolatry that was prevalent among many of them (verses 14 and 15). God IS patient, longsuffering and kind (2Peter 3:9). He does not WANT anyone to miss heaven; His desire is that ALL should be saved. But God DOES require repentance and a personal relationship with Him (see verse 19) in order for us to receive that gift of forgiveness, and eternal salvation.

God does not answer "inquiries" from people who believe that He IS but will not allow Him to become LORD of who they are!

Instead, God exercises His right of sovereignty over ALL peoples and nations (see the following).

33 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: 34 And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. 35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. 36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD. 37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: 38 And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols. 40 For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things. 41 I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen. 42 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers. 43 And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed. 44 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

God is ALIVE. All idols are only wood, stone, carved works or imaginations of man. But God IS!

And God is SOVEREIGN over all creation - including all nations, tribes and peoples. Even TODAY, God exercises His ruling authority over the affairs of men. He is intricately weaving the good into the bad, and bringing salvation to those who earnestly give reverence to Him. God is preserving the justified to eternal salvation (Philippians 1:6). And God is preserving the wicked for destruction (see 2Peter 2:9, and our text, verse 38).

God has PLEADED with these people to whom He is speaking through Ezekiel to repent and live according to His will (verse 36). God sent many prophets to proclaim truth and call the nation to repentance. But they would NOT listen.

However, when those who refuse God appear before Him in final judgment, they shall KNOW that He is the ONE and ONLY LORD GOD! And they will realize tremendous shame because they have refused Him to be Lord of who they are.

45 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 46 Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field; 47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein. 48 And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it: it shall not be quenched. 49 Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?

Perhaps those in Palestine (South of Jerusalem) felt like they were escaping because they weren't being taken captive. But God assures them through these verses that they too will answer personally to Him.

Friends, every single soul that ever lives shall appear before the eternal and Holy God for a personal accounting for their lives. The only way that a person can be ACQUITTED from sinfulness is to have SURRENDERED and been washed in the blood of Christ.

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.