Studies in the Book of Ezekiel

Let’s Meet EZEKIEL!! (No. 1)

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INTRODUCTION

(a) A Deluge of Apathy!

How long since you heard a series of sermons on the Book of Ezekiel ? After all, it is part of the Inspired Word of God “and is profitable !” ( 2 Timothy 3:16) But it may be the fault of preachers who would have to study more than usual. Or who were never taught this Book of Ezekiel in Theological College. Or think it contains nothing relevant for their hearers. Or think it “too deep” for the average layperson.

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(b) A Double-dose of Controversy !!

We need to beware of being too dogmatic in many sections of Ezekiel’s prophecies. Good Bible-believing Christians differ on some points of interpretation. We do not ‘part company’ with a fellow believer because he holds differing views on some secondary aspect of the Christian Faith. But at the same time we need to Be Aware of those who think their view is the only right one and anathematize every one who does not agree with them.

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(c) A Dash of Chronology, Geography & History !

To understand Ezekiel and all these other Major & Minor Prophets ( Isaiah to Malachi ) one needs to view them against the world conditions of their day. Rudyard Kipling has a helpful poem..........

I have five honest serving men –

They taught me all I knew;

There’s Mr. How and When and Why

And Mr. Where and Who !

When did Ezekiel live ? Where ? To Whom was he prophesying ? Why ? And even How...for our prophet used a variety of ways of communicating his message....as we shall see.

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A Time Line will help....

Abraham Moses David Exile BC/AD.

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2000 BC 1500 BC 1000 BC 606–536 BC 1BC

....Ezekiel

We can date Ezekiel’s birth about 622 BC.( give or take a year ) ..he is taken into exile at the age of twenty-five....( 597 BC) ...and the book commences in his 30^th year... the “fifth year of his captivity,”( Ezekiel 1:1-3)( 592 BC.) His last–dated message is found in Chapter 29:17 ( Not all messages are given in chronological order !) ..and it is 570 BC.

He would then be 52 years of age....and how long he lived after that we simply do not know.

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And a Map is a Necessity !!!

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And a spot of Historical background is imperative !

After the death of Solomon the nation of Israel...twelve tribes...had a civil war and split ! Two Kings. Two Capitals. In the north ten tribes called themselves the House of Israel. In the South we have two tribes...known as the House of Judah.

About a century before Ezekiel was born the Assyrians attacked the northern House of Israel and scattered them among the other nations they had conquered.

The House of Judah continued....Ezekiel was born during the reign of good King Josiah, (639 –609 BC)

But after the death of Josiah the rot sets in....and we get a succession of ungodly rulers ... climaxed by three attacks made by the Babylonian armies under King Nebuchadnezzar...

THE THREE INVASIONS OF THE BABYLONIAN ARMIES

606 BC ...King Neb. Plunders the Temple of Solomon and takes royal prisoners. Including Daniel. ( Daniel 1:1-3)

597 BC. A second attack resulting in 10,000 being taken captive to Babylon. ( 2 Kings 24:14 – 16) Including Ezekiel.

586 BC. This final invasion results in a mass captivity ( except for the poor of the land , including Jeremiah) being taken into exile in Babylonia ( Chaldea)

( 2 Kings 25: 8-12)

The city of Jerusalem is reduced to rubble. Solomon’s magnificent Temple is utterly destroyed.

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Now it is vital to notice when Ezekiel proclaims his messages.

Chapters 1 – 24 refer to events before Nebuchadnezzar’s third attack. But Ezekiel, already in exile, is telling that it is imminent. And why God is going to permit it.

Chapters 25 – 48 refer to events during and after the final siege of Jerusalem.

OUTLINE !!

THE FALL OF GOD’S PEOPLE Chapter 1 – 24. (Before the Siege)

THE FOES OF GOD’S PEOPLE..............Chapter 25 – 39. ( During the Siege.)

THE FUTURE OF GOD’S PEOPLE.......Chapter 40 – 48. ( After the Siege.) ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

EXPLORING EZEKIEL !! (No. 2)

In the Hollow of His hand

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INTRODUCTION......

Despite the fact that Ezekiel was an exile in a foreign land, it did not mean that he was outside the scope of God’s care. Or God’s Eye ! Some Christians take off on holidays and live as if they were heathen...church attendance is forgotten ... and then they return as if they were back in His keeping.

And even though he maybe a prisoner of Israel’s enemies, the Word of God comes to him.

( 1:3) As Paul said when he was imprisoned... “the Word of God is not bound !”

( 2 Timothy 2:9)

Nor can imprisonment ruin one’s communion with God. It has been well said .... The Devil may fence us ‘round....but he cannot roof us in !

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(1) THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO EZEKIEL......and revealed to him the sermons he was to expound. ( 3:27)

· Not just preachers but every Christian is called to share the Gospel. ( Acts 8:4) And it is a Gospel that is “entrusted” to us. ( 1 Tim 1:11 NIV) It is not ours to alter in any way...just to pass it on to others. And that’s what Ezekiel was called to do.

· It is interesting to notice the manner in which he shared God’s message with his fellow exiles. With visual aids! In strange actions ! In song ! In Riddle ! In parable ! In proverbial statements! And in straight out preaching! The methods may vary...but the message remains the same !

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(2) THE HAND OF THE LORD WAS UPON EZEKIEL....that he might have strength to endure !( Ezekiel’s name , incidentally, means “God strengthens”! )

For he was going to preach a message of woe to the exiles in Tel Abib. (3:15) They were still in a state of rebellion against God. ( 3:4- 8; 14) There would be persecution and hardship.

God has not promised skies always blue,

Flower strewn pathways always for you;

God has not promised sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow, peace without pain;

But He has promised strength from above –

Unfailing sympathy, undying Love.

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CONCLUSION . But obedience to the Word of God results in His Hand being upon us. The two go together. Ezekiel found God’s hand upon him “there’ (3:22)..it would not have been upon him had he not obeyed the Divine command and not journeyed to his ‘mission-field’..... mmmm?

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EXPLORING EZEKIEL !! (No. 3)

(AND THE ANGEL WITH FOUR FACES !!)

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INTRODUCTION......

One of the most curious passages in Scripture is that of Ezekiel’s opening vision (1: 4-14). Even more curious are some of the books that have been penned by modern-day authors who are convinced Ezekiel saw a Flying Saucer.....

Critics of God’s Word may suggest that the prophet was having a fit, or on drugs, but Bible- believing Christians see here some profitable lessons... and yet another illustration of the One of whom the Old Testament Scriptures testify, even our Lord Jesus. ( Jn.5:39)

* The Importance of the Vision.

We need to understand that Ezekiel is, at this time, an exile in Babylon. Five years previous the armies of Nebuchadnezzar had taken King Jehoiachin and about 10,000 Jews captive.

( 587 B.C.)

Ezekiel tells us that it was “the thirtieth year”( 1:1) , not of the captivity,( 1:2) nor of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign...but of his own age. And that is important in the understanding of what follows. For he was of the priestly lineage. ( 1:3) And at the age of 30 he would have entered fully into his priestly duties. He had been trained for it. Years of training..... and anticipation !

And now...and now....he is a captive in a foreign land. But God is about to reveal Himself to Ezekiel...and call him to be a PROPHET ! He may not be able to exercise a priestly role in Babylon...but he surely can exercise a prophetic one!! He will be God’s spokesman to his

fellow exiles.

He will condemn their sin with some hard-hitting preaching. He will suffer hardship and persecution.

And he will clash with false prophets that God never sent and who are preaching a false ‘gospel’.

There will also be a ray of hope in his ministry for those who are willing to respond to the

message God has given him.

* The Imagery of the Vision.

Notice verses 4, 10, 13, 26, etc...where he uses the phrase “looked like...” He cannot find words to describe what he saw. This is a vision. One can justifiably doubt that there are literal four-faced angelic creatures awaiting to greet us in Glory. But if there are, I guess they won’t be scary to behold.......mmmmm?

* The Intention of the Vision.

Let me suggest that these “four living creatures” teach Ezekiel something of the attributes needed by God’s servants. And that applies to us as well as this Old Testament prophet. We, too, are described as “priests” ( 1 Peter 2:9) and He wants us to be prophets who tell others the message he has entrusted to us. And we will see a word-portrait of God’s supreme Prophet also enshrined in these verses.

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(1) THEIR FEET !! they are described as being

(a) Straight , “They went straight ahead.”(1:9) ... nothing swerved them from their God- given task.

(b) Swift... “they sped like flashes of lightning” (1:14)God’s servants are quick to obey the Divine command ! ( Acts 8:30-31...Philip ran...)

(c) Spirit Led .. “Where the Spirit would go, they would go..”(1:12) Like Paul in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit guided his sphere of ministry. ( Acts 13:4; 16:6; )

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(2) THEIR WINGS AND HANDS !!

This suggests that God’s servants should be both ‘Heavenly minded’ as well as ‘Earthly Good’.

· A lesson in Balance. Some Christians are ‘all wings’...visionary, never practical. Others are ‘all hands’ ... never taking time to sit at the Master’s feet...like Martha.

( Luke 10:41-42)

· A lesson in Humility. Notice that the wings cover the hands (1:8).... our earthly service is to bring glory to our Heavenly Father, not to our selves.( 1:11) ( Matthew 5:16)

· A lesson in Unity. And notice that it is the wings that are joined, not the hands. A spiritual unity exists between all those who have trusted the Lord Jesus with their soul’s salvation. We are “all one in Christ Jesus”. ( Galatians 3:28) It is a unity to be maintained ( Ephesians 4:3) not to be manufactured!

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(2) THEIR DWELLING PLACE.!!

( a) They live in the Light ... ( 1:4-5; 13; ) And that’s the place where God’s servants are to dwell if they would be effective in their service. ( 1 John 1:6-7) We live in the Presence of Him who said “I am the light of the World”....( John 9:5)

(b) They become ablaze “like burning coals of fire” (1:13) We, too, are called to be “lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation”...just as Ezekiel was .

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(4) THEIR FACES !! “A lion, an ox, a man and an eagle!”(vs. 1:10)

It has been suggested that the “face of the lion” ( the King of beasts) is a reminder that God’s messengers must ever remember their royal bearing. We are children of the King !

The “ox” is a symbol of service... ....and we are servants of the King !

The “face of a man” is a reminder of intelligence... God’s servants are to be “wise as serpents ...” ( Matthew 10:16) whilst the “eagle” is a picture of the upward look. The soaring into the heavenly places ( in prayer) is one of the marks of a true prophet. All this is an object lesson to Ezekiel as he receives his commission to the prophetic ministry. And to us.......

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(5) THE SUPREME PROPHET

(a) His Feet.

All that we have said is true of the Lord Jesus. During His earthly ministry He turned not from the purpose for which He had come ( Luke 9:51) there was an urgency to His mission..( John 9:4 ) and He was led by the Holy Spirit ( Acts 10:38).

(b) His Wings and Hands.

Whole nights were spent in prayer to His Heavenly Father (Luke 5:16; 9:29; 22:42) ...and “He went about doing good!”( Acts 10:38)

(c) His Dwelling Place.

Even during His earthly pilgrimage the Lord Jesus lived in unbroken communion with God, the Father. He “knew no sin.”( 2 Corinthians 5:21) The Light of the World gave a pure glow.

(d) His Face.

Since earliest times Christian expositors have seen a parallel between the four faces of the living creatures and the four portraits of Christ revealed in the Four Gospels.

· Matthew, for example, is writing especially to the Jews. He quotes the Old Testament Scriptures much more than the other Gospel writers to convince them from their own Scriptures. And his emphasis is on the fact that Jesus is their rightful King. ( The Lion!) The genealogy reveals the descent from King David. The first major event is that of the Wise Men who come seeking the new-born King, not mentioned elsewhere. More emphasis is given to what Christ said than in any of the other Gospels... the King is giving the laws of His Kingdom !!

· Mark however, writes to the Romans, men of action ! And they are interested in reading about what our Lord did rather than what he said. The word “immediately” or “straightway” occurs about 40 times in these sixteen chapters. The emphasis is upon the miracles of the Lord Jesus ...the Servant of others. ( The Ox! ) There is no genealogy ...for who is interested in the genealogy of a servant ? And there are less than half the number of Old Testament quotations and allusions that were found in Matthew’s Gospel.

· Luke stresses the humanity of the Lord Jesus. ( The Man!) His reader is Theophilus, a Greek, and the Greeks were interested in the perfection of the human body. And the human mind. So the genealogy traces our Lord’s ancestors back to Adam ! ( Luke 3: 38) Luke records the story of the Annunciation to Mary...the shepherds... the childhood in the Temple... His story-telling ( parables ) .. His compassion. The true humanity of Christ comes through strongly in Luke’s account.

· John’s Gospel reminds us that this Jesus of Nazareth was also God. ( John 1:1) ( The Eagle.) Now we soar into Glory and find depicted a picture of the Lord only occasionally alluded to by Matthew, Mark and Luke.

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CONCLUSION.

Ezekiel has seen what a true Prophet of God should be. As a result he “fell on his face before the Lord” ( 1: 28) God bids him arise, the Holy Spirit takes control of his life and he receives his commission to proclaim the message entrusted to him. ( 2: 1-2; 7)

We, too, are called to share with others the word of the Living God......

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EXPLORING EZEKIEL !! (No.4)

( When the Prophet played with toy soldiers !)

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In Chapters 2 – 5 we get the Prophet’s commission and something of the circumstances he faced as he sought to proclaim the message entrusted to him.

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(1) THE PROPHET’S MESSAGE !

( a) It was Divine . It was not something Ezekiel dreamed up ...God revealed it to him. ( 2:4; 3:4) In the New Testament Peter tells us that these “holy men of God” who prophesied in Old Testament days “spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit,”( 2 Peter 1:20-21)

(b) It was Devoured ! ( 2:9- 3:3.) In his vision God gives His servant a scroll of parchment with His word upon it ...and bids Ezekiel eat it !

The lesson is obvious. Before imparting God’s word to others the speaker must make it a part of himself. We need to ‘take in’ before we ‘give out’! .........................................................................

(2) THE PROPHET’S MISSION FIELD.

( a) The Location of the people .... Tel-Abib. ( 3:15) The exact location is now uncertain. Somewhere North of Babylon ( but still a part of the Babylonian empire). It was not a concentration camp. Generally speaking the Jews in exile were well treated. They gathered in their own communities and had a certain amount of freedom. This may be due in large part to the influence of Daniel who had risen to a position of importance in the court of King Nebuchadnezzar.

(b) The Rebellion of the people ! These exiles were “a rebellious people”. ( 2:3-5; 3:7-9)

False prophets held out false hopes of an early return to Judah. The Lord would protect Jerusalem from any further attack ...so they said. The thought that Solomon’s Temple would be destroyed was abhorrent to them. “Impossible!”, they cried...and convinced the exiles that it was so. But God’s message through Ezekiel was quite the reverse. And preaching on the coming judgment was not going to “win him friends nor influence people !”

On the contrary...they would think him mad. That is, of course, until news reached them that Jerusalem had fallen to the enemy and the Temple had been destroyed. But that was still six years hence. In the meantime he would faithfully preach to these rebellious Israelites ...and “faithfully” is the key word. God expects his servants to be faithful... whether they are successful or not is up to the listener and his response. ( 2:7) ( 1 Corinthians 4:2)

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(3) THE PROPHET’S MIS-GIVINGS !

(a) He went ...but it seems, unwillingly. ( 3:14) Various commentators come up with just as many reasons as to why he went “in bitterness ...and anger....” but the Lord had not exactly painted a rosy picture of the reception he would encounter. It will be like “living among scorpions !” (2:6)

(b) He forgot... it seems ...that God had promised to strengthen and protect him (3:8-9)

(c) He received another glimpse of God’s glory. ( 3: 22-27) After seven days in Tel Abib, silent, ( 3: 15) God calls His servant into a quiet place and there grants him a “second touch”. Like the blind man in the Gospels who first only saw “men as trees walking”(Mark 8:24 ) until the Lord touched his eyes a second time and he then saw all things clearly. Ezekiel ...and all who name the Name of Christ... need to see people as He sees them.

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(4) THE PROPHET’S METHODS.

A person will remember what he sees and hears much more than if he only hears it. So Ezekiel, at God’s bidding, acts out various events concerning the forthcoming doom of Jerusalem.

(a) The Siege ! He draws a picture of Jerusalem upon a clay brick and proceeds to put toy soldiers around it...whilst he lies down with an iron pan between himself and the brick. ( 4:1-3)

“This is a sign to the house of Israel...”( 4:3) The meaning being that the Babylonians would attack Jerusalem again ...and God (portrayed by his prophet) would not look upon them to help.

· The Time Factor. Over a space of 390 days ( or 190 in some versions ) Ezekiel lies upon his left side ...and for the last 40 days of that period, on his right side also. He is told that “a day represents a year.” ( 4:6)

This strange act may have only taken place for half an hour or so each day..... but during that time the onlookers would get the message that God was punishing His people ( The House of Israel & the House of Judah , now all mixed up in Babylonia ) and that one day their punishment would be ended. The exile would be over. Finding the starting date of the 390 ( 190 ?) years and the 40 years perplexes commentators. “No certain sense has ever been made of the figures !” ( Ezekiel by H.L. Ellison. P.34)

(b) The Food! During this time the prophet eats “war-rations”; a little piece of bread and about a pint of water each day. ( 9-11) It is a reminder of the starvation diet that will be that of Jerusalem’s inhabitants during the forthcoming siege. ( 4:16-17)

(c) The Shave !

Now Ezekiel cuts his hair ...divides it into three portions...one lot is burnt...one lot smitten with the sword .. and one lot cast to the wind. ( 5:1-4)

The verses that follow are an explanatory sermon on these curious actions..one third of the Jews in Jerusalem will die of starvation “within the city”...... one third by the sword ....and the rest be taken into captivity. ( 5:12)

Reasons are given for this terrible judgement ( 5:6) ... worshipping the “vile images” of the heathen being pre-eminent among them. ( 5:9- 11)

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LESSONS TO PONDER.

(a) God’s servants do not always have a popular message to deliver. There is a Hell as well as a Heaven mentioned in Scripture. God’s wrath upon sin ...and the unrepentant sinner..... must not be down-played. ( Matthew 10:28)

(b) God’s servants are sometimes called to difficult tasks ... but He equips them for it! “I will make you...”( 3:8) The Apostle Paul had the same promise...( Acts 26:16)

When He calls, He enables !

(c) God’s servants may use differing methods of presentation ....but not a different message to the one He has revealed. Visual aids surely assist ( though I guess they can also detract from ) the message one is trying to impart, and enable the hearer to retain it better.

(d) God’s servants sometimes need another look ...a second touch ...where they become aware of the Greatness and Glory of their God to equip them for further ministry.

(e) God’s servants must be sure that both “life and lip” agree in their presentation of God’s Word. People looked at what Ezekiel did and listened to what he said. The one complimented the other. When the way we behave contradicts the things we say...nobody will be convinced of the truth of our witness.

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EXPLORING EZEKIEL !! ( No. 5)

The Vision of the Temple !

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INTRODUCTION.

Ezekiel, exiled in Babylonia ( Chaldea), has been commissioned by the Lord to be His prophet to the thousands of Jews already taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar. His mission- field is Tell-Abib and the message he gives is by way of acted parables as well as spoken word. Thus far the message has concerned the forthcoming judgment upon Jerusalem.

Now, in chapters 6 & 7, it takes in the outlying villages...”the whole land of Israel”

( 7:2) ...........................

Scripture tells us that such an event took place about 5 years later when the Babylonian armies attacked Judah for the third time ( 586 B.C.) destroying Jerusalem and the Temple of Solomon.

But at this stage...in Babylonia...five years before such judgment fell...Ezekiel is an unpopular preacher. False prophets are assuring the exiles that all will be well back in Jerusalem...God would never allow His Temple to be destroyed... So they say !

But Ezekiel proclaims that the sin of the people has merited God’s wrath.

Read Chapters 6 – 7 in a modern translation. It hardly needs any comment.

Notice the recurring refrain... and then, when the judgement does come, “they shall know that I am the Lord !!” (6:7,10, 13,14; 7:4, 9, 27 )

***THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE PAST. (Ch. 8)

A deputation of elders visit Ezekiel in his house at Tell-Abib. And a vision is given him of events taking place in the Temple in Jerusalem, some 800 miles to the west. Notice in verse 3 that it specifically says that it is a “vision”. He was not literally in Jerusalem, as the critics often teach.

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(1) THE WORSHIP OF THE ‘GODDESS’ ( vs. 3-6)

Some commentators identify this with a sacred pole ( an obelisk ?) in honour of Asherah, the Mother goddess, consort of Baal.

[ In other cultures she became known as Diana ( of the Ephesians), Apaphrodite ( of the Greeks );Venus ( of the Romans.) ] This idol had been erected by the ungodly King Manasseh,( 2 Kings 21:7) destroyed by good King Josiah, (2 Kings 23:6), but apparently rebuilt and placed back in the Temple precincts. It provoked God to jealousy. Exodus 20:3-5 describes Him as “a jealous God”... jealous for the well-being of His people. He knows that idolatry will turn them away from Him.

Paul likewise uses the word “jealousy”in a good sense. He has a “godly jealousy” for his converts... ( 2 Corinthians 11:2)

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(2) THE WORSHIP OF EGYPTIAN GODS.... ( vs.7-12)

The prophet sees into the secret chambers of the Temple where “creeping things and abominable ( unclean) beasts” are pictured upon the wall. Such frescoes can still be seen in the excavated ruins of ancient Egypt.

The number “seventy” (vs.11) gives us a clue to their leadership in the nation. (c.f. Numbers 11:16 – 25) Among them is Jaazaniah, son of Shaphan ! And Shaphan had been one of good King Josiah’s loyal followers thirty years previous. ( 2 Kings 22:3)

The reason for this worship may be linked to the fact that the King of Judah at this time, Zedekiah, had refused to pay tribute to Nebuchadnezzar and formed an alliance with Pharoah Hophra . Instead of turning to the Lord for help this ungodly Jewish King had led his people to trust in the gods of Egypt. ( 2 Chronicles 36:11-14)

Jeremiah 37:5 even tells of the temporary relief of Jerusalem when the final siege was taking place due to the arrival of Pharaoh’s armies .

About twenty years later the Babylonians conquered the Egyptians also. ( 568 – 7 B.C.) ......................................................................................

(3) THE WORSHIP OF TAMMUZ. ( vs. 14-15)

Tammuz was a Babylonian vegetation god...‘in popular mythology he died and became king of the underworld !’ When vegetation withered and died due to the advent of summer, women would “weep for Tammuz.” In Ancient Greece he was known as Adonis. And as with the worship of Asherah, ‘fertility rites’ were connected with the ‘worship’ afforded him.

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(4) THE WORSHIP OF THE SUN! (vs. 15-18)

The fourth “abomination” seen by Ezekiel was that of twenty-four men , presumably priests, worshipping the Sun. They have turned their backs on God. The “putting of the branch to the nose” (vs.17) may have been an act of contempt toward the God of Israel or an

act of worship toward the Sun. Nobody seems to know , these days ! So God says to His servant...”Therefore...because of this idolatry in My Temple ....I will deal in fury.” ( vs. 18)

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***THE APPLICATIONS FOR THE PRESENT !!

(1) TODAY’S TEMPLES !

+The Church universal is also spoken of as a “holy Temple”.........made up of “living stones”. ( Ephesians 2:20-22)

+Then we have 1 Corinthians 3: 16 where Paul seems to be referring to a local congregation. It is possible to defile that Temple with ungodly behavior and false teaching.

+ And the Apostle also tells us that our bodies are “temples of the Holy Spirit.”

( 1 Corinthians 6:19)

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(2) TODAY’S IDOLS !

# Asherah worship...? Of course in our Western world we do not worship idols of wood and stone anymore. But idol worship is alive and well, nevertheless !

What did the poet say...?

Think ye the ancient gods are dead?

They live and work their will,

Before their shrines the sons of men

Bow down and grovel still.

Still Venus stands with outstretched arms

And sidelong glancing eyes,

and lure lust-drunken devotees

To trust her where she lies.

She smiles and counts her victims up –

Young wife and little child,

The festering filth of bodies

By lures of lust defiled.

(Studdert Kennedy.)

There were those in the Church at Corinth defiling themselves and the congregation by their immorality. ( 1 Corinthians 5:1 ; 6:9,10)!

It might be pointed out that the adoration of Mary by Roman Catholics is closely akin to the devotion paid to the goddesses of ancient mythology. They, too, offered gifts to one they called “The Queen of Heaven”. ( Jeremiah 7:18) Asherah still lives.

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# But folk don’t worship creeping things and other animals today.... do they ?

There are plenty of folk who would spend hours trying to save a beached whale... but are not concerned about the salvation of a lost soul. There are those who would spend more on dog food each week than they would give to the work of the Lord. We need to be sure our priorities are right.

After all, that which comes first in a person’s life is that person’s god............

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# Tammuz ! How strange it is to read in books on Freemasonry where their own writers admit that Tammuz worship had an influence upon their rituals .

( Light Invisible by Vindex...p.69) ( Who was Hiram Abiff? by J.S.M.Ward.... p236) ( The Hidden Life of Freemasonry...by Leadbeater...p.265 ) “Bro. Ward, in his recent book Who was Hiram Abiff? Argues that the whole legend is nothing but an adaptation of the myth of Tammuz. I strongly recommend his book to the perusal of our Brn., even though I personally still cling to the idea that Masonry originally reached the Jews from Egypt, however much it may afterwards have been influenced, as it certainly was, by the Tammuz- worship of neighbouring nations.”

And yet there are thousands of church-going men...even clergy (!) ...who belong to this pagan based religious organization.

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# And if you do not think Sun-worship is still a part of our culture...pop down to the beach some summer Sunday and see the multitudes that have no time to worship their Creator.

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No!!...the ancient gods are not dead. They have new names. They are worshipped in different ways. But they still turn peoples backs on the one true God who yearns over them with a holy jealousy. The message of the prophet Ezekiel has an abiding relevancy.

As hymn-writer William Cowper expressed it...
The dearest idol I have known,

whate’er that idol be –

Help me to tear it from Thy throne

And worship only Thee !

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EXPLORING EZEKIEL !! (No. 6)

THE MARK IN THE FOREHEAD

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INTRODUCTION. Chapter 9 introduces us to God’s Slaughter Crew...and the Man with the Inkhorn ! And, we might add, affords us a remarkable illustration of a New Testament truth.

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(1) THE DOOM OF THE CITY. Having seen in a vision the depths of idolatry to which the people of Judah had sunk...( 8:1- 16) The Lord tells His prophet that these Jews are about to be destroyed... “even though they cry ( to Him) with a loud voice.”! (vs. 18)

But God also “cries with a loud voice” that His men “each with a destroying weapon in his hand” are about to go forth on their deadly work. ( 9:1)

Within 5 – 6 years of this vision ...in 586 B.C. ... thus it will come to pass. The Babylonian armies under Nebuchadnezzar will destroy Jerusalem and the once glorious Temple of Solomon.

(2) THE DEPARTURE OF THE SHEKINAH ...... the Glory cloud ( Shekinah) that had led the children of Israel during their wilderness wanderings and had rested over the Holy of Holies in the Temple ...this symbol of the presence of God among His people ... now departs. First Ezekiel sees it move from between the Cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant to the threshold of the Temple( 9:3) ... from thence to the East Gate (10: 18-19) and then leaving Jerusalem altogether and taking one last look (as it were) from the Mount of Olives. ( 11: 23)

It is almost as if God was reluctant to leave....knowing the inevitability of their coming doom.

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(3) THE DESTRUCTION OF THE SINNER. In his vision the prophet sees the “slaughter crew” pass through the city of Jerusalem. “And they went forth and slew in the city.”( 9:7) Psalm 103:8 reminds us that He is “slow to anger and plenteous in mercy.” ( Thank God, said an old commentator, that His anger comes slowly, but His mercy comes quickly!) However, .....after repeated warnings...that judgement will come. Isaiah refers to it as God’s “strange work”...the work in which He does not delight. (Isaiah 28:21) He is not willing that any should perish. ( 2 Peter 3:9) But His attribute of holiness demands that sin be punished. It is just as true today as it was in Ezekiel’s .

And in 586 BC Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians. God used them to punish His idolatrous people. ( 9:9-10)

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(4) THE DELIVERANCE OF THE SAINTS !

The man clothed in linen ( presumably the High Priest) is first sent among the people to mark those who are righteous upon their foreheads. (9:3-4)

They will be safe when the Babylonian sword is unleashed upon Jerusalem. The passage before us is a happy reminder that “the Lord knoweth them that are His!”( 2 Timothy 2:19) A similar scene is found in Revelation 7:3.... God’s people are ‘sealed’ before the Day of doom and destruction. ...........................................................................

( 5) THE DESCRIPTION OF THE SEAL !

Here is a remarkable fact...though whether it was designed that way by the Inspirer of Scripture I do not know. But the word “mark” ( 9:4) is the Hebrew letter ‘tau’. And it is depicted by the shape of a cross ! ( See Tyndale Comm. P.102 ; IVF Comm. P.651)

Those who will find salvation from the coming Day of Judgement are those with the mark of the Cross in their forehead...that is to say, they have given their allegiance to the One who died on the Cross to be their Saviour.

In ancient times a King would impress his personal seal upon that which he wished to be known as his own personal property ...and no-one elses ! So it is with the King of Glory. When a sinner comes in repentance and faith to the Christ of the Cross he is “ marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.” ( Ephesians 1:3; NIV Translation )

Then on each He setteth

His own secret sign,

They that have My Spirit

These, saith He, are Mine !

( Hugh Stowell)

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CONCLUSION.

This 9^th. chapter of Ezekiel is a reminder that whilst the judgement of God may tarry...it will surely come. And that is just as true today as it was in the days of Ezekiel.

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EXPLORING EZEKIEL...( No. 7)

The Tale of Two Vines

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INTRODUCTION.

The Parable of the Worthless Vine is found in Ezekiel 15. It has to do , as does the first 24 chapters of this Book, with the imminent destruction of Jerusalem . About five years to go and this event will occur. Then the exiles in Babylonia will realize that Ezekiel was a true prophet of God ( in contrast to those who predicted “Peace, peace”...when there was no peace coming ( 13:16) ) ...and they would also realize that Jehovah, God of Israel, was the only true God !. ( 13:9,14,23,)

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(1) THE VINE PLANTED !

.Any Bible student knows that the Vine is revealed as a symbol of the nation of Israel. They were God’s ‘chosen people’ likened to His own vineyard.

(a) Psalm 80:8-10...

Herein the Lord says how He brought Israel out of Egypt...and planted them in Canaan.

And God had cared for it and protected it...it was ‘a strong vine He had planted for Himself.’( vs.15) And He did it that this nation...this vine...might bring forth fruit to His glory and be a witness to the other nations.

(b) Isaiah 5:17 records for us the song the prophet sings to his beloved. It is the Song of the Vineyard. And we are specifically told that it represents Israel. ( Is. 5:7)

( c) Jeremiah 2:21-22 tells how the Lord planted a “noble vine”...Israel... which did not respond to His loving care but became “degenerate.”

( d) And Ezekiel 15 uses the same figure of speech. It is concerned specifically with the Jews still in Jerusalem. ( vs. 6) But it is...or will be... when Jerusalem is destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC ....a lesson to the Jews in exile. They have not fulfilled the purpose for which God planted them. There is no fruit for Him.

Instead they worship heathen idols and disregard the laws of their God.

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(2) THE VINE DESTROYED !

What use is the wood of the vine, the Lord asks. ( Ez. 15:2) Certainly not for making furniture. Not even for making a clothes peg. (vs. 3) Not even for fire-wood...it burns too quickly. It is only good for one thing...to bear fruit. And because Israel has failed to do so...”fire shall devour them.”( 15:7)

The six men with slaughter weapons in their hands will march through the city. ( Ez. 9: 2,7) .

Ezekiel was moved with anguish at the slaughter and cried out to the Lord to show mercy. ( 9:8) But he was given another vision of God’s Throne and reminded that God’s judgments are always right. ( 10:1) Whether God speaks of blessing ... or judgment... He does that which is perfectly right. And we should see things from His perspective, rather than through our own sin-tainted mind’s eye.

The Lord also reminds Ezekiel of the abominations taking place in Solomon’s Temple

( already mentioned in Chapter 8.) Now...in chapter 11 he sees them again, “devising mischief and giving wicked counsel.” ( vs. 1-2)

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Ezekiel acts out another sermon ,digging a hole in the side of his house and carrying his bags through it( 12:7).And then having a sparse meal “with quaking and trembling.”(12:18)

( vs. 18) It is explained ...King Zedekiah will seek to escape the coming Babylonian attack by climbing through a ‘hole in the wall’ . To no avail. He will be captured and taken to Babylon. But, Ezekiel adds, “yet shall he not see it!” ( 12:13) It is Jeremiah 39: 6-7 that explains this curious statement. Zedekiah was taken to Babylon. He did not see it, though, for he was blinded by his captors.

In Chapter 13 Ezekiel lashes out at the false prophets with their “lying divinations”( 13:6) and even ( more bravely ? !!) against the prophetesses ! These women provided their hearers with sacred charms to wear... and ‘anointed’ cloths to ward off evil. (13:18)

Therefore ..... judgment is inevitable ...and imminent.

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(3) THE VINE RE-PLANTED !!

Even in the midst of these messages of doom that occupy chapters 1 – 24, there is the occasional ray of hope. God will open the door for His people to return from exile ...and re-occupy the land of Israel. The Temple will be re-built ! Jeremiah had foretold this saying that the exile would only last 70 years. ( Jer. 25:11)

And Ezekiel, who may well have heard Jeremiah preach, adds his word (Ezek. 11:17-18)

It is a promise of restoration !

And idolatry shall be “no more!” us it came to pass in 536B.C. when Babylon was fallen and Cyrus the Great of Persia permitted the Jews to return and re-build their Temple. Some 50,000 Jews returned ...the vineyard had been re-planted ! And it is true that from that day to this, idolatry was never again to rear its head in Judaism.

But other sins did. Intermarriage with the heathen. Sabbath desecration. Pride. Exclusiveness.

Again the vineyard failed to bring forth fruit.

In 70 AD it was destroyed again. The Roman armies razed the ‘Holy’ City to the ground and burned their Temple.

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( 4 ) THE VINE REPLACED !!

The Lord Jesus , possibly with Ezekiel 15 in mind, also told a parable concerning a vineyard. ( Matthew 21: 39 – 43) We are clearly told that the reference is to the Jewish authorities. ( vs. 45) It was their task to care for and nourish the ‘vines’. Instead, they were blind leaders of the blind. And because of their sins , slaying the owner’s servants and his son, ...they will be destroyed. ( vs. 41) The terrible destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD saw the fulfillment of our Lord’s words.

So is the Lord left without a witness these days ? Is there no “chosen people” to bring forth fruit to His glory ? Ah ! ....but see Matthew 21:43 .......

And that “nation” is the Church. Comprised of saved Jews and Gentiles, Peter speaks of the church as “a holy nation.” ( 1 Peter 2:9)

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CONCLUSION.

Just as Jacob ( Israel ) had twelve sons who became the fathers of the twelve tribes, so the Lord Jesus who described Himself as the True Vine ( John 15:1 ) appointed twelve disciples.... fore-runners of the new, spiritual ‘Israel’. The Church !!

And it is our responsibility ...and privilege.. to make our God known among those who know Him not and thereby “bring forth fruit” unto His glory ! ( John 15:16)

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EXPLORING EZEKIEL ( No. 8)

THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE ABANDONED INFANT !

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INTRODUCTION. Infanticide...the abandonment of a new-born child to die...or be eaten by wild animals... is still practiced in some countries. ( F & W. Ency. P. 4907) Ezekiel uses this cruel practice to launch us in to one of his most graphic descriptions of Judah’s apostasy.

To read Ezekiel 16 in a modern translation is shocking to Western minds. Commentator Adam Clarke apologizes for avoiding the “indelicacy” of this chapter by not “entering in to any particular discussion” concerning some of the things herein.

But at the same time we must remember that this was not spoken in 20^th. Century Western culture....and whilst it may have shocked Ezekiel’s listeners, it was not as “indelicate” to them as it is to us. Besides which...it is a depiction of Judah’s sin...and it is not the preacher’s place to ‘sugar-coat’ the “exceeding sinfulness” of sin in the eyes of a holy God. ( Romans 7:13)

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( 1) THE PROPHET’S EXHORTATION.....

Our prophet tells of a baby girl, of heathen parents, left to die in a field. But a passer-by ( a Prince ?) rescues the little one, and leaves her in the care of others during his absence. On his return some years later he finds her to be a beautiful teenager...he marries her, (8) cleanses her ( 9) anoints her ( 9) clothes her ( 10) adorns her ( 11). Her beauty is unexcelled. ( 14)

But....the bride becomes unfaithful. ( 15) She sacrifices their children to heathen gods. ( 20-21) She fails to learn from the judgment that fell upon her two sisters who likewise acted in an unfaithful manner toward their husbands. (45) So the Prince gives her up to her lovers and her judgement is awful to behold. (37-39)

The day comes, however, that the couple are re-united. It is the husband who takes the initiative...entering in to a new covenant with this once rebellious wife. ( 60-63)

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(2) THE OLD TESTAMENT EXPLANATION

Just as Hosea had used the picture of Israel as Jehovah’s unfaithful wife, so does Ezekiel employ the same imagery.

The abandoned child . we are told, is Jerusalem ( capital of , and representative of, the House of Judah.) ( 3) Jerusalem had once been a heathen city .( 3b) But the Lord chose it to be His city...the Temple was there with the Glory-cloud, a symbol of His presence. [ Ezekiel had seen that cloud depart ( 11:22)]. God had given Judah his prophets to reveal His word to them... even at this time Jeremiah was in Jerusalem.

He had “married them” ( Jeremiah 31:32) He had cleansed, anointed, clothed and cared for them. They were to be His witnesses to the nations ...their beauty was to bring honor to their God and lead others to desire Him. Instead of which they forsook Him and worshipped other lovers ( the gods of the heathen.)( 8:3, 14)

Even child sacrifice was practiced in Jerusalem. They sinned more greatly than Samaria and Sodom ( the “sisters” .48-49) And failed to learn the lesson from the judgment that befell them.

But the promise of restoration is there...not only scattered through Ezekiel’s prophecies, but throughout the prophetic writings. The Lord will establish an “everlasting covenant” with his people.( 16: 60)

Not like the covenant at Sinai that depended upon their obedience to the Law. For none could keep that Law perfectly. It simply revealed their sin...and need of a Saviour.

We know from the New Testament that the Lord Jesus, the promised Messiah, did institute a new covenant ( or ‘testament’ KJV) by His sacrifice. ( Hebrews 9:14-15) And the way is open...not just for the Jews, but for Gentiles too .... to enter into that “marriage relationship” with the Lord.

In Ezekiel 16: 53-55 it speaks of Samaria & Sodom entering in to this relationship.

This would be an O.T. way of expressing the N.T. truth that half-Jews ( represented by the people of Samaria ) and Gentiles ( represented by the people of Sodom) would also be included under the “new covenant” which would be established by the Messiah.

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(3) THE INDIVIDUAL ILLUSTRATION .

All of which can be seen as an illustration of the old-time gospel. The sinner is depicted as a helpless, doomed outcast. But the Prince of Life finds us, enters into a covenant relationship

with us ( when we say “I do!” to Him...) He cleanses us, anoints us with His Holy Spirit, clothes us with His robe of righteousness and adorns us with innumerable blessings. Why? That we might be beautiful in His sight...and that others will be attracted to Him by what they see in our lives. (Matt.5:16)

The problem is that sometimes those who watch us may see unfaithfulness instead of fidelity to our God. And if that be the case, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive...” and restore us to fellowship with Himself. ( 1 John 1:9)

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,

all His wondrous compassion and purity,

O, Thou Spirit Divine,

All my nature refine

‘till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

“Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us...” (Psalm 90:17)

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EXPLORING EZEKIEL !! ( No. 9)

THE RIDDLE OF THE SPECKLED EAGLE .

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INTRODUCTION.

(a) Concerning the Style of Preaching.

Ezekiel now adopts another manner of presenting God’s message to the Exiles. A riddle!

We have had parables & acted sermons and straight out preaching. But it is good to remind ourselves that a variety of presentation will sometimes break through the hardening of the listener’s heart.

(b) Concerning the Historical Background. It is impossible....let me say that again...impossible ... to understand this chapter without a grasp of the events transpiring during the days of Ezekiel’s ministry.

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Josiah......... 640 BC The last of Judah’s good Kings.

Jehoahaz ....... 609 BC ( reigned 3 months.) Judah under Egyptian rule.

Jehoiakim...... 609BC Placed on throne by Pharaoh-necho ( 2 Kings 23:34 )

( Eliakim)

606.BC .Egypt defeated by Babylonians( 2 Kings 24:7)

Babylonians plunder Solomon’s Temple & take captives..

Jehoiachin....... 604BC

597BC ... Babylon’s second attack.

Taken prisoner with 10,000 captives including

Ezekiel. ( 2 Kings 24: 10-14)

Zedekiah ....... 597BC Placed on throne by Babylonians. ( 2 Kings 24:17)

( Mattaniah)

( 11 year reign.) Seeks alliance with Egypt !!( Jer. 37:5)

590BC ....................................... EZEKIEL 17. !!

586BC Babylonians 3^rd. attack. ( 2 Kings 25: 1-21)

Jerusalem & Temple destroyed

Zedekiah taken to Babylon.And slain!

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( N.B. Dates are approximate. )

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( c) Concerning Messianic Prophecy !!

It needs to be pointed out that the great theme of these Old Testament prophets was that one day the Messiah...God’s anointed one...would come. And David’s throne would be re-established and the Temple rebuilt...and the nation of Israel be reborn. The Jews of Old Testament days would have probably thought of this as having a literal fulfillment. Even the Jews of our Lord’s day...even the disciples... so interpreted these Old Testament prophecies. And so do many Christians today.

But the New Testament speaks of Christ sitting on David’s throne now ( Acts 2:30-31) and the Temple is being rebuilt with “living stones” ( 1 Peter 2:5) It is the Church...a spiritual Temple comprised of saved Jews and Gentiles. These folk are even called “Abraham’s seed” whether they be literal Jews or not ! ( Galat. 3:29)

Jesus of Nazareth claimed to be the One foretold by the prophets of old. ( John 4: 25-26)

And whilst the Jews of today still look for a literal fulfillment of the prophecies, Christians accept Jesus as who He claims to be and see the spiritual fulfillment of the Old Testament predictions. ( John 1:41) ( Acts 3:18) ( 1 Peter 1:9-12)

And Ezekiel 17 will introduce us to one of these many Messianic prophecies !

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(1) A PUZZLE TO EXAMINE. ( 17:1-10)

An great eagle (3) ................................................ Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon,

lops a twig (3) ...................................................... Jehoiachin, King of Judah, and the

royal princes

off the top of a cedar tree ( vs. 3), ...................... The Davidic dynasty.

removes it to a far-off land, (4)................................ They are exiled in Babylon.

and plants another in its place.(5) .......................... Zedekiah is appointed King

by Nebuchadnezzar.

But this latter twig grows as a vine.(6) ................ Zedekiah is not God’s appointed

King.

When a second eagle appears ,

the vine looks to it for sustenance.(7) ..................... He calls upon Egypt for help.In so doing

breaks the aggrement he swore with

Nebuchadnezzar...in the Name of the

Lord ! ( Jeremiah 51:59)This broken

covenant is mentioned in verses 13-

19 nine times (!!)

and is described as being “My (i.e.

God’s ) oath !!

To no avail. ............................................................. The Egyptian army come to his

aid...then leave again !

The vine is uprooted and destroyed. (9-10) ............... The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem,

And slay Zedekiah.

H.L. Ellison says that Ezekiel’s hearers “would have to have thick heads not to have understood it !”( p. 68) Mmmmm?

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(2) A PROMISE TO EXCITE ! ( vs. 22-24)

But to encourage the exiles Ezekiel tells of the Day when the Lord will “take a shoot”( the Messiah !) from “a cedar” (the House of David) and plant it on a mountain ( Mnt. Zion) (22).

And it’s “branches” will be fruitful ( the Church) and “birds of every kind”( people of every nation ) will find a “nest”( comfort) and “shelter” ( refuge) therein. Some commentators connect this with the Parable of the Mustard seed where the same imagery occurs. ( Mark 4: 30-32)

And “all the trees” ( one day all the nations ) will acknowledge the greatness of the Messiah. On that Day every knee shall bow , Paul tells us , some because they want to do so and some because they are made to do so before judgement is pronounced upon them .

And they will realize that it is the Lord who brings down the proud and lofty ( “the tall tree and the low tree” ) and who exalts the humble . ( “and makes the dry tree flourish”)

Mary, the mother of our Lord, seems to have this in mind as she sings her great song of praise.

“”He hath put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree.”( Luke 1:52)

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Ezekiel is but one of the prophets who uses poetic language to describe the coming glories of Messiah’s reign . … the language of his day to describe our day ! Amen and amen !!

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EXPLORING EZEKIEL !! ( No.10)

“SOUR GRAPES !”

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INTRODUCTION. There are many sayings, common in our English language today, that have their origin in the Authorised Version of The Bible (1611AD.) “A little bird told me..” ( Ecclesiasties 10:19); “ Salt of the earth” ( Matthew 5:13) ; “He bit the dust” ( Genesis 3:14) “ A scarlet woman.” ( Revelation 17:4); “A drop in the bucket..” ( Isaiah 40:15); etc.

And “sour grapes” is found in Ezekiel 18:2.

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(1) THE BLASPHEMOUS ACCUSATION !! (vs. 1-2)

The Jews are blaming the sins of their ancestors for the trouble in which they now find themselves. Not just the Jews already in exile are quoting this proverb ( Ezek. 18:2) ...but those still in Judah to whom Jeremiah is preaching. ( Jer. 31:29)

They are saying , in effect, that the Lord is unjust ( Ezek. 18:29) ...punishing them for someone else’s transgressions.

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(2) THE DIVINE AFFIRMATION !! ( vs. 3-4)

No! says the Lord...”the soul ( person) who sins is the one who will die !” (vs.4 NIV)

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(3) THE THREE ILLUSTRATIONS. (vs. 5-19)

( a) A Father ( vs. 5-9) ... Ezekiel describes a righteous man who keeps God’s commandments ( and that would include offering the various sacrifices in Old Testament days, for none can perfectly keep God’s Law) ...who “will surely live.”

(b) A Son ( vs. 10-13) Now the prophet describes a son of this righteous father who breaks God’s laws defiantly... ...that son shall die for his sin.

© A Grandson (vs. 14-19) ... This son just mentioned also has a son....and he turns out righteous like his grandfather. s father being a wicked man will die...but this grandson,

being righteous, shall live. ( 18-19)

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(4) THE REPEATED ELABORATION !( vs. 20)

Ezekiel repeats his text. It is a person’s own fault, not his parents, if he dies.

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(5) THE FURTHER ILLUSTRATION ( vs. 21-28)

( a) The Repentant Sinner...( vs. 21-23; 27-28) God not only does not punish someone because of another person’s sin...but He is eager to forgive the sinner who turns from his sin and keeps His commandments.

( b) The Apostate Saint. ( vs. 24-26) The reverse is also true. The righteous man who departs from keeping God’s law...will die ! .............................................................................................

(6) THE GRACIOUS INVITATION ( vs. 29-32)

The chapter closes with the Lord’s appeal to “Repent !”( vs. 30)..They are not being punished because their ancestors sinned...but because they are equally guilty ( or more so.)

( Ez. 16:51) in the sight of God.

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;Now there are three problems that arise in the light of what we have just said.....

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(1) THE CONTRADICTORY TEACHING ???

For Exodus 20: 5 speaks of God “visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation...” How does that square with Ezekiel 18 which says a son will not be punished because of his father’s sin ??

Warren Weirsbe sums it up succinctly when he writes, “You might be punished by your father’s sin...but you cannot be punished for your father’s sin.” Generally speaking, a child of a drunkard or a gambler or a thief ( or whatever ) will suffer ..... that’s what Exodus 20 speaks about. But that same child can decide whether he will go God’s way...or not. And that’s what Ezekiel 18 is all about.

Another writer adds that Exodus 22:5 has to do with material blessings whilst Ezekiel is speaking of spiritual matters. The child of a drunkard, for example, may suffer poverty and hunger and lack of good clothing .. he is being punished by his father’s sin. But that child can still trust in the Lord and go to Heaven bye and bye. ( Ezek. 18:19)

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(2) THE CURIOUS TEACHING. It is called Calvinism having been popularized by the French reformer, John Calvin. He taught that Christ only died for “the elect” ...the ones God had chosen to be saved. And by that death He accomplished ( not ‘provided for’ ) their salvation.

Those for whom Christ did not die are called reprobate...and they go to Hell. Nor do they have any say in the matter. It is God who chooses who will be saved...and who will be lost. So Calvin taught. And it is a doctrine believed by thousands of Protestant Christians today.

“The doctrine of Election naturally implies that God did not intend to save all. If He purposed to save some, He naturally purposed not to save others....”( Summary of Christian Doctrine, by L. Berkof Banner of Truth publisher. P. 44)

Now this is curious teaching indeed in the light of Ezekiel 18:32 ........not to mention a host of other scriptures ! It is foolish, yea , even wicked, for God to call on people to repent and be saved...if they are not among the “elect”. It is, as Charles Wesley expressed it,

“Mocking them with a fruitless call..”

Besides which, if God has chosen them to be saved ( and they already are saved by Christ’s dearth !) why bother calling upon them to repent ? A curious teaching indeed.

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(3) THE CONTROVERSIAL TEACHING. Whilst every Calvinist believes that it is impossible for one of the “elect” to ever fall away and be eternally lost, there are many who would not claim to be in the Calvinistic fold , yet who hold that “once a person is saved, that person is always saved !” He can never, never be lost again.

Speaking of believers R.B. Thieme writes “he Holy Spirit placed you into union with Christ. There you are and there you stay. Once you are inside you can never get out, even if you wanted to. There is NOTHING you can do to get yourself out. You’re in to stay for God tied up the whole thing...”( Eternal Life p. 10)

On the other hand there are Christians ( called Arminians after the Dutch theologian Jacob Arminius who opposed Calvin’s teaching ) who believe the Bible teaches that it is possible for a Christian to lose his salvation...and ultimately go to Hell.

“We believe that continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ.” ( Salvation Army Handbook of Doctrine.)

Does Ezekiel 18:24 have any bearing on this subject...or is it just Old Testament teaching ?

Good Bible-believing Christians differ.

What do you think ??

Or should I say .... what does the Word of God teach ??

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EXPLORING EZEKIEL !( No. 11)

Ezekiel’s Sword Dance !!

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INTRODUCTION... “It may be the words went with a sword dance...” ( Tyndale Comm.

p. 162) ...and those words to which the commentator refers are found in Ezekiel 21: 8-17.

Knowing our prophet’s proclivity for unusual preaching methods, we will not be surprised if he engaged in a sword-twirling, toe-tapping exhibition to capture the attention of the crowd. And notice his rebuke to those who dared to laugh at his routine.... “Should we then make mirth ?” ( vs. 10 KJV. ) For what he is demonstrating is the message of an awful doom about to fall on Judah .

There are some things a Christian can joke about...and some things he dare not. ( Ephes. 5:4)

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(1) THE SINS OF JUDAH.

A visit of the elders receives a stinging rebuke. ( 20:1-4) After all, they have not obeyed Ezekiel’s previous warning, nor put away their idols ! ( 20: 20:31)

(a) Their Election. God had chosen the Jewish Nation to be His witnesses to the Gentiles. It was not a matter of individual salvation...but national service. Being of the natural seed of Abraham did not ensure anyone’s eternal salvation.

(b) Their Rebellion. So Ezekiel surveys the constant disobedience they had displayed throughout their history. In Egypt...( 20:5-10) ...they had defiled themselves with idolatry.

In the Wilderness..... the “fathers”( 20: 11- 17) rejected God’s laws and desecrated His Sabbaths...so He destroyed them.( Hebrews 4:17-19) The “children” ( 20:18-26) failed to

learn the lesson...they, too, rebelled against God’s command. ( 20: 21)

In Canaan......( 20: 27-29) idolatry flourished again. And now, among those exiled in Babylonia, ...( 20:30-33) they are still in a state of rebellion against their God. Still wanting to engage in the practices of the heathen ( whether they did so or just wanted to do so we are not told. But God saw their hearts !) ( 20: 32) So the sword of Judgement is about to be unsheathed! ( 21:3)

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(2) THE CERTAINTY OF JUDGMENT !

(a) The Source of the Judgment......is God Himself! His longsuffering is at an end. He is “slow to anger” but eventually judgment must come . It is first described as a raging bush-fire consuming every tree from south to north. ( 20: 47) And God kindled it ! ( 20:48)

It is then depicted as a sword in His hand...”for great slaughter.” ( 21: 14). But the instrument God is about to use to inflict this destruction is the army of Nebuchadnezzar,

King of Babylon. Ezekiel describes this conqueror marching toward the doomed city and pausing to consult the arts of divination as to whether he should attack the Ammonites or the Jews first. ( 21: 20:21) The lot will fall upon Jerusalem ! ( 20:22)

(b) The Scope of the Judgment. We read that the “righteous and the wicked” will both be cut off ! ( 21:3-4)

Some commentators suggest that the phrase “cut off” only refers to being cut off from the land of Canaan. In captivity the righteous will still have the Lord as their Refuge. (11:16)

But others remind us of our Lord’s words concerning a similar day of destruction...when the Roman soldiers attacked Jerusalem in 70AD. “Some of you,” Jesus said, “will be put to death ...but not a hair of your head shall perish!” ( Luke 21:16-18)

When judgment falls...some believers may be put to death along side the unbelievers. But we need to see things from Eternity’s viewpoint. That’s what makes the difference.

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(3) THE SALVATION OF JEHOVAH !

(a) The Restoration. Like the other prophets of Old Testament days, Ezekiel sees that God will restore a remnant of the exiled Jews back to the land of Israel.... In 20:34-42 we catch another glimpse of this restoration... a restoration that has a wider fulfillment than that which took place in 536BC. For here is a Messianic prophecy, ...a picture of the blessings to be afforded God’s people ( the church) described in Old Testament language.

It is interesting to compare God’s decree concerning mighty Nineveh at the zenith of her power....”an utter end !” of that city ( Nahum 1:8) with his words concerning Jerusalem which was about to be razed to the ground....”I will not make an utter end .”( Jeremiah 5:18)

Sure enough, Jerusalem survives to this day...but where is Nineveh ?

(b) The Ruler ! Ezekiel has a prophecy concerning Zedekiah who is sitting upon Judah’s throne...( 21:25) He will be stripped of his “diadem” ( KJV) ( or “turban” NIV ) as well as his crown. ( 21:26)

The word used for “diadem” is only used for that worn by the High Priest of Israel .( SPCK Comm.) It is as if Zedekiah has usurped the role of Priest as well as King ! “But “says the Lord, “the Royal House of David will be ruined until the Messiah comes !”( 21:27) And when He appears He will both King and Priest in one person.

The prophecy was fulfilled when the Lord Jesus ascended on high, after His resurrection, and commenced His High Priestly ministry . He is the Priest upon the throne !”( Zechariah 4:13)

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EXPLORING EZEKIEL !( No. 12)

THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF MRS EZEKIEL!

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INTRODUCTION . As we come to Ezekiel 24 we come to the close of the first section of the book. Back in Jerusalem the siege has commenced. The ‘Holy’ City is about to be destroyed ... because it was no longer ‘Holy’. The Glory had departed. ( 11:23) Sin abounded. And Ezekiel for the previous four years has not only explained to those Jews already in exile why this coming destruction had been decreed by God.... but had also attacked the false prophets who were crying “Peace, peace !” when there was no peace. (13:10)

It is now the “tenth day of the tenth month”(24:1) and Ezekiel is specifically told to make a record of that date ! (24:2) ( Jan. 15^th. 588BC !!) ( Wycliffe Bible Commentary .p. 364. )

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(1) THE PARABLE ON THE PROPHET’S LIPS.

Again he acts out a prophecy...( 24:3-14)

(a) The Caldron (3) . ... a copper vessel is placed on a raging fire. It is a picture of Jerusalem.(6) And that pot is described as being contaminated by “scum” and rust. ( 11-13)

(b) The Contents ( 4) ... the Jews had once compared themselves as being safe like the contents of an iron pot. ( 11:3) No! , says the Lord, you are like contents of a pot that will be burned and boiled and cast out “piece by piece.” (6) (10)

(c) The Cause ...of this fiery judgement has been the theme of the previous chapters.

Notice, for example, this summary in Chapter 22...

· The princes are unfaithful in their ministry. They are greedy for financial gain .( 22:25)

· The priests have profaned the holy things. ( 22:26)

· The politicians are dishonest and destructive. ( 22: 27)

· The prophets prophesy lies. ( 22:28)

· The people themselves are evil in all their ways. ( 22:29). Therefore Jerusalem and her inhabitants will be destroyed.

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(2) THE PASSING OF THE PROPHET’S WIFE!

(a) A Remarkable Admonition. Ezekiel is told that his wife will die...and he is not to “mourn nor weep.” Nor is he to engage in any of the public demonstrations of grief that, in those days, a Jew would do. ( 17)

(b) A Reasonable Explanation. Why would God ask Ezekiel to refrain from grief at a time like this ? The exiles could not understand it...( 24: 19)

The death of the prophet’s wife is a ‘sign’ of the forthcoming destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. Both wife and Temple (‘sanctuary’ vs. 21) are described by the same phrase .. “the desire of thine eyes.”( 24:16,25)

Just as Ezekiel is not to show signs of mourning , nor are the exiles to do so when news of the fall of Jerusalem reaches them. They are to recognize it as the just judgement of God. But....the prophet adds... they ought to weep over their sins ! ( 23)

Now notice this... Ezekiel is only told not to weep publicly ! Bear in mind that these exiles are in Babylon. And it is the Babylonians who are about to destroy Jerusalem. A public display of grief could well be construed as a sign of treason .

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(3) THE PROOF OF THE PROPHET’S CALLING.

We move on to Ezekiel 33.

( a) The Message of the Escapee. News arrives via one escaped from Jerusalem that Nebuchadnezzar had conquered the city. ( 33:21). By now it is six months after the destruction of the city. Which incidentally , took place on the 7^th. day of the 5^th.. month of the

the 19^th. year of Nebuchadnezzar. ( 2 Kings 25:8-9) Remarkable as it may sound,this is exactly the same day the Romans destroyed the Temple in 70AD....656 years later !!( Josephus p.740)

The Jews still observe this day as one of mourning and fasting.

(b) The message of Ezekiel ! The date he had earlier recorded was now revealed to be the date the siege had begun...just as he had said. How did he know? There were neither satellite communication nor short-wave radio... But “holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” ( 2 Peter 1:21)

In 33:30 we read that the exiled Jews spoke about ( not ‘against’ KJV ) Ezekiel. They loved to hear him and watch his strange performances. ( 33:32). But until now they had taken no heed to his prophecies. When, however, the news brought by the escapee from Jerusalem is told to them, and the recorded date is checked out.... “they will know that Ezekiel really is a prophet of the Lord after all !! ( 33:33)

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CONCLUSION. It still happens in our day. Folk may enjoy hearing the preacher and seeing the pictures on the screen and hearing the items ...and yet take no notice of his message. James describes such as those who look in a mirror, see their face is dirty, but don’t wash it.

Or words to that effect..... ( James 1:22-24.)

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EXPLORING EZEKIEL !( No. 13)

THE PROPHETIC SEPTET

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INTRODUCTION. We come to the second section in the Book of Ezekiel.

Chapters 1-24 dealt with the Fall of Israel.

Now, in chapters 25-32, we have prophecies concerning seven Foes of Israel.

Ammon, Moab, Edom and Philistia ( Ch. 25) are all neighbors of Israel... they can even be

seen by the naked eye from Jerusalem. Further north, in Phoenecia are Tyre and Sidon

( Ch. 26-28) ... and finally four chapters ( 29-32) are devoted to Egypt.

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(1) THE DOOM OF ISRAEL’S FOES .

There are certain recurring themes....

(a) “Hear the word of the LORD....” ( 25:3,6,8,12,etc. ) ....and so it goes nearly 30 times in these eight chapters. It is not Ezekiel’s guesswork as to what will happen but God’s revelation . ( 2 Peter 1:20-21)

(b) “therefore...” because of their sin, the LORD ( Jehovah ! ) is going to punish them. He is a Holy God whose very nature demands that sin be punished. ( 25: 4,9,13 etc... and so it goes. Count ‘em !!)

It should be pointed out that such prophecy is conditional. Repentance can avert the judgement as in Jonah’s day. The people of Nineveh repented and the judgement did not fall within the 40 days the prophet had foretold. ( Jonah 3:4) But sometimes the heart has rejected the wooing of the Holy Spirit once too often and can no longer repent. ( Genesis 6:3) Then the judgement cannot be averted ! Ezekiel had seen the symbol of God’s presence depart from Jerusalem... after which nothing could stop their destruction. ( Ezek 11:23; 24:14)

( c) “They shall know that I am the LORD !”( 25:5,7,11,14... about 20 times.) The nations will learn that Jehovah, God of Israel, is not some localized tribal god but the One who made Heaven and Earth and to whom all nations and men are accountable.

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+ AMMON and MOAB were guilty of mocking God’s people. ( 25:6;8) laughing scornfully at the misfortune of the Jews. Moab said, in effect, “The god of the Jews is no better than any other god.”( 8) “Therefore...” judgement! ( 7; 10)

+ EDOM and PHILISTIA were guilty of malice ...a continual hatred and hostility toward God’s Old Testament people. ( 25:12, 15) . “Therefore...” judgement ! ( 13, 16)

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.+ TYRE (26:1-28:19) and SIDON ( 28:20-24) are dealt with in Study No. 14 ... ‘The Remarkable Prophecy of the Flat Tyre’.

Notice the description of Tyre’s king in 28:12-19 ! “You were in Eden...you were anointed as a guardian cherub... your heart became proud... I threw you to the earth...”

Many commentators see here a double reference. Not only do we have a poetic word-picture of the King of Tyre but is it a reference to Satan?

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+ EGYPT ! ( Chapters 29-32) There are seven prophecies concerning this once mighty nation, six of them are dated, and this reveals that they are not in chronological order! The first is given in the 10^th month of the 10^th. year of Jehoiachin’s captivity ( 586BC) ( Ezek 29:1) , the last prophecy is fifteen to sixteen years later...the 1^st. month of the 27^th year...

( 571BC) ( Ezek 29:17)

The same recurring themes are to be found throughout these four chapters.

+ The Abandoned Monster ! (29:1-16) Pharaoh is likened to the crocodile, boasting that he created the Nile river.( 3,9,) God says he will drag him into the desert and there let him perish.(5) And magnificent and mighty Egypt will become “the lowliest of kingdoms.”(15)

+The Rewarded King.( 29:17-20) This is odd !! Because Nebuchadnezzar was thwarted by the Tyranians ( who fled to the off-shore island taking their treasures with them ) and thus reaped no bounty, God will give him the treasures of Egypt as his reward!

+The Desolated Land. ( 30:1-19) Here is a word from the Lord concerning the utter desolation of Egypt. Once a giant among the nations, Egypt is now little more than a tourist attraction. The mighty statues are fallen . The abundance of wealth is gone. For centuries Egypt was ruled by foreigners...the Persians, the Ptolemies, the Romans, the Moslems... she is no longer the world power , a position she once occupied.

+ The Broken Arms! ( 30:20-26) In this prophecy God speaks of breaking Pharaoh’s arms so he can no longer hold a sword. ( 22) But, says the Lord, ‘I will put a sword in the hand of Nebuchadnezzar to punish and plunder the Egyptians’( 24) This came to pass in 570BC when the Babylonians conquered Egypt and placed their own appointed ruler, Amasis, on the throne. ( Illust. History of the World. P. 126)

+ The Fallen Cedar. ( 31:1-18) The thrust of these verses is that God uses Assyria as an object lesson for Pharaoh.(3) Just 30 years previous Assyria had fallen like a giant cedar tree. And if Assyria could not withstand the Babylonians( 17) ..does Pharaoh think his army will be able to do so?( 18)

+ The Dying Monster. (32:1-16) The prophet uses the same figure of speech as he did earlier...Pharaoh is likened to a crocodile, hurled on to the land where it is devoured by wild animals. ( 3-4)

+ The Under World ! ( 32:17-32) Ezekiel picture Pharaoh’s descent into the world of the dead where other foes of Israel await to greet him ! ( 22-23. etc)

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(2) THE DELIVERANCE OF ISRAEL !

Whilst there have been a few verses in the first 24 chapters concerning Israel’s restoration to their own land, and whilst this is developed more fully in chapters 33-48...yet even in the eight chapters just studied there are three verses dealing with this subject.

+ Ch 28:25-26. “I will gather my people...they will live in safety and will build houses...”

Bear in mind that this refers to the return led by Zerubbabel in 536BC. It has nothing to do with the return of the Jews to the land of Israel in our century. And bear in mind that such prophecies are conditional. Whilst they trusted the Lord and kept His laws they did dwell safely. But departure from his ways led to renewed judgment...in 70 AD when the Holy City was again destroyed.

+ Ch. 29:21. This curious verse speaks of a “horn” growing for the house of Israel after the Babylonians conquer Egypt. A horn is a symbol of strength...so it may just mean that Israel will grow strong again. Or it may be, as some suggest, a reference to Zerubbabel, a descendant of David, who would be born about this time and lead 50 000 Jews back to their homeland some 50 years later.

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CONCLUSION

Again we see the accuracy of Bible prophecy. These predictions were fulfilled as Ezekiel said. Gone are the kingdoms of Ammon and Moab, Edom and Philistia. Gone is Tyre ( but not Sidon...the prophet did not foretell the extinction of Sidon !) And Egypt is surely “the lowest of the kingdoms”. But the Jewish race is still with us....

We certainly do have “a more sure word of prophecy ...”( 2 Peter 1:19)

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EXPLORING EZEKIEL ( No. 14)

THE REMARKABLE PROPHECY

OF THE FLAT TYRE !!

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Introduction.

( a) The Neglect ! It is a rare thing , these days, to hear a sermon on Bible Prophecy ... especially in a Baptist Church. ( Do I hear an ‘Amen !’, Brother ?)

(b) The Value ! But the study of Bible Prophecy will not only strengthen the faith of the Christian but will confound the unbeliever. The Apostolic preaching as found in the book of Acts emphasizes that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies. ( e.g. Acts 3:18; 28:23) The fulfillment of the ancient prophecies proved He was the Messiah.

( c) The Uniqueness ! In Isaiah we have God’s challenge to the so-called “gods” of the other nations... “Can they foretell the future ?” ( Isaiah 41:21-23; 44:7-8; 46:9-10)

The ‘Sacred’ Books of the other world religions are devoid of such predictions.

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(1) The Impressive History.

(a) Its Antiquity. The first Biblical mention of the City of Tyre is found in Joshua 19:22. That was about 1400 BC. But Herodotus, the ‘Father of Modern History’ dates it over a thousand years previous. Isaiah refers to it as “of ancient days.”( Is. 23:7) It becamethe most important city in Phoenicia.( Lebanon.)

(b) Its Supremacy. It was to become the major trading port of the Mediterranean. The ships of Tyre sailed as far west as Spain ( Tarshish) ...some books suggest they even ventured to Cornwall.( Eng.) Along the various coastlands they established colonies that provided them with tribute money. Ezekiel likens Tyre to a magnificent sailing ship, gloriously arrayed and stocked with all manner of cargo. ( Ezekiel 27: 1-25)

The prophet Zechariah tells of Tyre’s grandeur and military strength. ( Zech. 9:3) Twice Tyre had withstood the attacks of the ruthless Assyrians.

(c) Its Loyalty. There was a time when Hiram, King of Tyre , had been one of King David’s most loyal friends. He had supplied Solomon with building materials for the erection of Israel’s Temple.( 1 Kings 5:1; 10-11) And he sent a skilled metal-worker, also named Hiram, to oversee the fashioning of the Temple furniture. ( 1 Kings 7:13-14). (This Hiram, incidentally, is esteemed by Freemasons world-over; they re-enact his so-called death and

resurrection in their 3^rd. degree ritual.)

(d) Its Apostasy. But since the days of Solomon relations between Israel and Judah had soured. It may have been Solomon’s disappointing gift to Hiram that caused this rift. ( 1 Kings 9: 11-13) Besides which Tyre was indulging in slavery ( Amos 1:9) and child sacrifice to their ‘god’ Molech . The Phoenician princess, Jezebel, introduced Baal worship into the House of Israel when she married their king. (1 Kings 16:31-33) And she brought with her 400 priests of Asherah, the fertility goddess.( 1 Kings 18:19)

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(2) The Incredible Prophecy

Ezekiel 26 gives us one of the most remarkable prophecies in all the Bible. Prof. Peter Stoner calculates the mathematical probability of this prophecy being fulfilled is one out of 75 million ! (Science Speaks p. 70-79. Moody Press.)

(a) The Conquerer . We are told that Nebuchadnezzar , King of Babylon, will attack and destroy Tyre. ( 26:7-11)

(b) The Second “wave”. We are told “many nations” will attack like another “wave of the sea” following the first. ( 26:3)

(c) The Utter Destruction. Tyre will be “made like the top of a rock !” ( 26:14) Even the “dust scraped off” where once she stood. ( 26:4) Not just a collection of ruins left...but nothing !! This city was to become a very flat Tyre !!

( d) The “Rubble”!! The “stones and timber and dust” will be cast into the sea. (26: 12) Why? This was not the usual way conquerors dealt with their enemies.

(e) The Nets. Fishermen would “dry their nets in the midst of the sea.”!! ( 26:5)

(f) The Rebuilding! Despite the good harbor, fertile coastal land and plenteous fresh water supply...Tyre would never be rebuilt ! (26:14) Other cities, in those days, suffered destruction...but a new city would arise on the same area. Why not Tyre ?

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(3) The Incontovertible Fulfillment !!

(a) The Conquerer. . In 586 BC. Nebuchadnezzar did attack Tyre and after a siege of 13 years (!! ) ...destroyed it. But the prophecy was not completely fulfilled. The ruins of Tyre still occupied the land. And the people of Tyre had escaped to an island some half-a-mile off- shore. There they fortified themselves with a massive wall 150 feet high. Nebuchadnezzar had no fleet to reach them.

( b) The Second wave... In the year 332 BC. another conqueror came to Tyre. By this time the ancient city on the mainland was still a mass of ruins ... but Alexander the Great utilized this to conquer island Tyre. He built a causeway from the mainland to the island using the “stones and timber and dust in the water.” ( 26: 12) And with ships from other nations that had surrendered to his army, he conquered the island Tyre.

Thus it came to pass that Tyre was destroyed ...utterly...like the “top of a rock” and her “rubble was cast into the sea.”

So (b), (c) , & (d) were all fulfilled.

Notice in passing that verses 7-11 speak of Nebuchadnezzar’s attack ( “he” and “his” are mentioned over half-a-dozen times ) but in verse 12 it becomes “they” ...the Greeks under Alexander the Great. Verses 13-14 introduce us to “I” ...for it is the Lord who is inflicting judgment upon this idolatrous people.

(e) Today fishermen dry their nets upon the causeway....literally, if you like, “in the midst of the sea !!”( 26:5)

(f) And the mainland city of Tyre has never been rebuilt. A small town exists on the “island” which is now joined to the mainland due to the widening of the causeway over

the centuries.

And a word concerning the sister city of Sidon, twenty miles to the north.

Ezekiel predicted her destiny also. ( Ezek. 28:20-23) They will suffer much bloodshed...but there is no mention of never being built again. Many a time in it’s history Sidon has known the ravages of war. The Persians slew 40,000 of them in 351 BC. During the days of the Crusades Sidon changed hands between ‘Christian’ and Muslim three times. They have been bombarded by the British, French and Turk. But the Biblical city of Sidon still exists. Today it has a population of 20,000.

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Conclusion.

(a) Concerning the Scriptures

How was it Ezekiel so minutely predicted the fate of these two cities ? The answer is that “holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” ( 2 Peter 1:21)

The chances of Ezekiel guessing correctly what was going to happen to Tyre & Sidon are astronomically impossible. But God knew. And He revealed it to His servant.

The prophecy concerning Tyre is another indication of the supernatural inspiration behind the sacred page.

(b) Concerning the Second Coming !

And just as the Scripture is reliable when it foretold things that have already transpired, so it is just as reliable when it speaks of that which still lies ahead. The Day is coming, it says again and again, when Christ shall return and separate the sheep from the goats... the wheat from the tares... the saved from the unsaved... the Heaven- bound from the Hell-bound. That’s what it says. And that’s what it means.

Have you committed your life to the Saviour ?

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EXPLORING EZEKIEL ( No. 15)

“Sound the Trumpet !!”

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Ezekiel Chapter 33: 1-20 introduces us to one of the most solemn lessons that every Christian should learn.

It has already been mentioned in Ezekiel 3:17-21. If the Holy Spirit has seen fit to inspire the same truth twice...it must be doubly important !!

In those verses, as here, we have the illustration of the Watchman upon the wall...trumpet in hand ... ready to sound the alarm to the inhabitants of his city if he sees the enemy approaching.

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(1) A REALITY THAT ENDURES....(vs. 11) !

And that reality is that our God has “no pleasure in the death of the wicked” !

(a) If that is true...and it is taught in the New Testament as well as the Old, ( 2 Peter 3:9...He is “not willing that any should perish.”) how strange Calvinists teach Christ did not die for all...but only for those God chose to save before they were born !!

(b) On top of that the Calvinist tells us that man has no ability to believe the Gospel... he is “dead” and unable to respond to the Lord’s gracious invitation , “Come unto Me,”...unless he happens to be one of the elect ! If he is one of those chosen few , we are told, the Lord will enable him to place faith in Christ.

But here , in verse 11 God is pleading with sinners to “Turn! Turn! ” from their wicked ways... and the decision to do so or not is theirs . And that is still the enduring reality ...today. Have you placed your faith in the Saviour ?

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(2) A RESPONSIBILITY THAT CONTINUES !

(a) If the watchman sees the enemy coming and sounds the alarm...and no one takes any notice...their blood is on their own head. They will perish...but it is not the fault of the watchman. ( 33: 1-5)

(b) But...if that watchman saw the enemy and didn’t sound the trumpet...the people will perish, but God holds the watchman accountable !! ( 6)

(c) Likewise Ezekiel is a watchman to the exiles...and Christians are watchmen to the unsaved... Judgement is coming!! There are those who are in danger of perishing unless the alarm is sounded. If they reject our testimony clearly and sincerely given ...their blood is on their own head. But if we fail to share the life-saving gospel ...........( 7-9) !!

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But, says someone, “Would a God of Love send any of his

children to a place of eternal torment ?”

There are a number of misconceptions in the mind of the questioner.

(a) God is not just a God of Love. He is a Holy God. His very nature demands that sin be punished.

(b) It is not “His children” who go to Hell. His children are those who are “born again” ( or “adopted” ) into His family. Those who go to Hell are “children of the wicked One.” ( Matthew 13:38)

(c) Hell was not created for man...but “for the Devil & his angels.” ( Matt. 25:41) If any person goes there it is because they have turned their backs on everything God has done to save them from going there. God does not “send” them.... He even gave His Son to die on the cross to save them from Hell. If they go...it is their choice.

(d) If there is no Hell...why did the Lord Jesus suffer as He did ? What did He die to save us from ?

(e) Jesus spoke of the torment of Hell about 13 times. ( Matthew 10:28; 18: 8-9...etc.) John the Baptist likewise was a faithful watchman...sounding the alarm that people should “flee from the wrath to come.” ( Matthew 3:7) The Apostle Paul may have been thinking of Ezekiel’s words when he described himself as “pure from the blood of all men.” ( Acts 18: 6; 20:26) Down through the history of the Church the great evangelists have not minimized the awful fate of the unsaved. But how long is it since you have heard a sermon on Hell ?

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(3) A HERESY THAT CONFUSES The problem is ...which view is the heresy ??
Good evangelical Christians differ on the subject as to whether it is possible for a Christian to ever lose his salvation ...and eventually go to Hell.

(a) There are those who would answer with an emphatic “Yes! ”...salvation, they say, depends upon a “continuous obedient faith in Christ.” ( Salvation Army H/book) To stop being obedient to God’s will is to forfeit salvation.

Isn’t that what Ezekiel 33: 18 says ?

And in the New Testament, does it not warn about the danger of falling away. ( Hebrews 3:19-4:2; 6: 4-6;) ( Galat. 5:1-4).

(b) On the other hand there are those who say “No !” Once a person is saved, that person can never, never be lost again ! “No man can pluck us” out of the hand of Christ once we are in it. Besides, if we have “eternal life” ...how can it ever end? (John 10:28-29) And if a person is “born” into God’s family, he can’t be “unborn”, can he ?

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Such are some of the texts and arguments used by both sides in this vexed question.

What do you think ?? Or, more importantly, what does the Bible really teach ??

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CONCLUSION.

But both sides agree, ( except some extreme Calvinists ), that it is the responsibility of every Christian to tell others ... to sound the alarm.... and warn the unsaved of the fate that awaits them. And of the Glory that will be theirs if they know the Saviour.

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EXPLORING EZEKIEL !! ( No. 16)

A Trick with a Stick !! (Chapter 37)

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INTRODUCTION. Ezekiel 37:15-17........

Before we can understand this passage of Scripture there are certain preliminary matters that need explanation.

(a) After the death of Solomon the nation of Israel split. Ten tribes became known as the House of Israel and chose Samaria to be their capital. . Two tribes were known as the House of Judah and retained Jerusalem as their capital. But the Assyrians attacked and scattered the

House of Israel about 721 BC. Judah survived the Assyrian onslaught only to be conquered by the Babylonians over a century later. Nebuchadnezzar and his army attacked Judah three times...606 BC.; 597 BC.; and 586 BC. During the final siege Jerusalem and its glorious Temple had been destroyed.

(b) Ezekiel had been among those taken prisoner to Babylon during the second Babylonian attack. ( 597 BC.) He foretold the destruction of Jerusalem ( Ch. 1-24) but in the latter part of his book he looks to the restoration of God’s people. ( Ch. 33-48) Bear in mind that this restoration had not taken place when Ezekiel wrote these last chapters. He was still in Babylonia and the end of the exile was still about 45 years in the future.

(c) In 536 BC. however, the Babylonians were conquered by the Persians under Cyrus the Great. And Cyrus permitted the Jews who wanted to return to do so. About 50,000 made the journey led by Zerrubabel, a descendant of King David. And when they returned to Jerusalem they are described as “all Israel”( Ezra 2:70) who gathered as “one man” to praise their God. ( Ezra 3:1)

(d) Without this background knowledge we will never understand Ezekiel’s ‘trick with a stick’... or a host of other Old Testament passages! And we will be open to false interpretations thrust at us by false teachers.

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(1) A PECULIAR TEACHING

So many folk pull a verse out of some obscure Bible passage and convince others of their own peculiar interpretation. Like the book before me that says “the abomination of desolation” spoken of by Daniel is really “the A-bom(b)ination of desolation.” And because Ezekiel 38 speaks of invaders “from the North” coming to “take spoil”( Ez. 38: 12, 15) we are told the prophet is referring to Russia coming to take “spOIL”. All of which ignores the context of the passage.

Likewise the Mormons assure us that the two sticks are the Bible & the Book of Mormon!! (A Marvelous Work & a Wonder...L. Richards p. 65)

The interpretation is so ludicrous it would hardly be worth mentioning. Except for the fact that there are nearly ten million people who believe it !! And it is a reminder that unless we know what the two sticks really are, we are likely to fall for some peculiar interpretation also. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

(2) A POPULAR TEACHING.

There are literally scores of books in my library that say the prophecy of the two sticks is

being fulfilled in our day.

It is true that we have witnessed a massive return of the Jews to the land of Israel since 1917 ( when the Balfour Declaration was proclaimed ) and the rebirth of the Nation of Israel in 1948. But this is not what Ezekiel is talking about !! His prophecy relates to the return of the House of Judah...and some of the House of Israel...back to Jerusalem in 536 BC.

Isaiah 11:11 is always quoted by these prophetic writers that point out God will lead his people back to their land “a second time”...the first time, they say, being from Babylon...the second time being in the 20^th Century.

No! The first time was the deliverance from Egypt back in the days of Moses...the “second time”( still future in Isaiah’s day ) was from Babylon. There is no prophecy in the Old Testament or the New Testament about the return of the Jews to their land in our day.

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(3) THE PROPER TEACHING.

Look at the Lord’s own explanation of ‘the trick with a stick.’ ( Ez. 37:21-28)

Vs. 21...The Lord will restore them to their land. Bear in mind that they are ‘out of their land’ ... in captivity ... at the time Ezekiel writes.

Vs. 22 ...They will become one nation...the House of Judah and the House of Israel will no longer be divided. And that’s what happened. ( Ezra 2:70- 3:1)

Vs. 23...They will be a holy people. At least, that was God’s intention for them. Alas...they departed from Him again and Jerusalem ended up in ruins once more in 70 AD.

Vs. 24.....A descendant of David will be their leader. And Zerrubabel was.

Vs. 25-26 ....They will be safe and secure...unless, of course, they stray again from their God. And they did.

Vs. 27-28.... God will be in their midst. Again.

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Now whilst that is the historical fulfillment...there is a deeper, wider, vaster fulfillment that we must notice. For all these Old Testament prophets looked forward to the coming of the Messiah. There would be an Age of peace and joy and freedom and blessing when He came.

And that which was true literally in 536 BC. when Zerubbabel led the exiles back to Jerusalem is spiritually true for us.

The Lord has sent His Son ... Jesus, the Messiah. He is a descendant of King David.( 24) He is leading us Home to the New Jerusalem.( 21) He has made “a covenant of peace” with us by “the blood of His cross.”( Collos. 1:20) He does dwell “in the midst” of His people. ( 27) He has united us as “one people”...not just Judah & Israel, but Jew and Gentile.(22)( Galat. 3:29) And He calls us to be holy in our daily life. ( 23)

When we look at this passage through New Testament spectacles we see the wonderful things our God has done for us.

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CONCLUSION Beware of those who wrench a text out of context and make it mean what it was never meant to mean ! Of course, that will involve you in getting to know your Bible better and better.

Beware, too, of the prophetic preacher who loves to take obscure Old Testament prophecies and apply them to our day. Some of those prophecies have to do with the day in which the prophet lived. Again...study the context, not just an isolated verse.

And beware that you only see the historical fulfillment and miss the spiritual. Remember that the prophets looked forward to the coming of Jesus and the peace and joy and freedom and blessing He gives to those who follow Him.

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EXPLORING EZEKIEL ( No. 17)

The Seven “I Wills...” Ezek. 34:1-31

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Ezekiel 34 is one of the great Gospel chapters of the Old Testament. We are introduced to two types of Shepherds... Disobedient ( vs. 1-10) and Divine.( vs. 11-31) The ‘disobedient’ are mere hirelings who fail to care for the flock.... the ‘Divine’ shepherds are God the Father ( vs. 11) and the Messiah ( spoken of here as David; i.e. David’s Greater Son) (vs. 23-24). The sheep are those who trust in Him. (v. 31)

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There is a double reference here. Firstly, it must be pointed out that Ezekiel is speaking of the evil rulers of Israel ( all the 12 tribes) ...kings, prophets and priests ...under the figure of speech –‘shepherds’. ( c.f. Psalm 78:70-72)

But they had failed to care for God’s flock. So judgment has come. Some of the Jews are already in Babylonian exile. And the rest have recently suffered Nebuchadnezzar’s third attack ( 586 BC.) which left Jerusalem in ruins. But has also said that a remnant of the nation will be saved and return to rebuild Jerusalem. That...historically speaking ... is what this chapter is all about.

But secondly we see that this chapter is quoted and alluded to about half a dozen times in the New Testament. The day to which all the prophets looked would come with the advent of the Messiah. And he would deliver His people from spiritual bondage in the kingdom of the evil one.

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Twenty five times in these verses the phrase “I will” occurs....things that God promised to do for His Old Testament people. But things...on a spiritual level....that He does for His New Testament people, the Church. Count ‘em !!

Let’s look at seven of them......

(1) The ‘I will’ of Salvation. ( vs 10, 12, 16, 22,)

It was not only literally true in 536 BC. when the Lord made it possible for His people to return to Israel and rebuild their temple, but it was also true about 30 AD. when “the good shepherd gave His life for the sheep” ( John 10: 11) thus opening the way for sinful man to return to fellowship with God the Father.

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(2) The ‘I will’ of Separation. ( vs. 17)

The Lord knoweth those who are His. He knows who are sheep...and those who are goats. ( Matthew 25:32-33) Nor does he expect His sheep to act like ‘goats’ any more !

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(3) The ‘I will’ of Satisfaction. ( vs. 14,)

He leadeth His sheep into lush pastures. He provides their daily bread.

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(4) The ‘I will’ of Singleness....i.e. unity ! ( vs. 23)

They....Israel and Judah... will have one shepherd over them. The house of Israel had been scattered by the Assyrians in 721BC. The House of Judah went into exile in Babylon ( 606 – 586 BC.) But when the return takes place ( in 536 BC.) there will be representatives of all the twelve tribes. There may be a literal reference her to David’s descendant, Zerrubabel who led the exiles back to Israel.

But in a spiritual sense the reference is to the Messiah...Jesus of Nazareth... who has created “one fold ” comprised of Jew and Gentile. ( John 10:16) We are “all one in Christ Jesus.” ( Galat. 3:28)

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(5) The ‘I will’ of Serenity. (vs. 25)

And on the Cross such a covenant was established. The one who comes to the Saviour in repentance and faith has “peace through the blood of the cross.” ( Coloss .1:20) ( Ephes. 2:13-17)

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(6) The ‘I will’ of Showers ! ( vs. vs. 26)

Showers of blessing ! “Daily He loadeth us with benefits,” cries David. ( Psalm 68:19) My cup runneth over with the good things He has done for me!

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