Lessons From Ezekiel – Introduction
We just finished a good look at the restoration period. The 70 year period that covers from when the first Jews were allowed to go back to Jerusalem thru the great revival in Nehemiah’s day. 5 books of the Bible cover this time period and we took a good look at all 5 books.
And we paid attention to the time stamps that God put into events and learned that Ezra went to Jerusalem 15 years before Nehemiah showed up. And that is important. Ezra taught faithfully for 15 years. And he did it without seeing any huge movement of revival.
We learn several things from this. One it is a great example of why to keep teaching. What is the motivation? Many today do it for accolades or only if they see big results. I have been around a while and have seen much. I have seen it over and over again where a man feels the call and goes to a big bible college and by the time they leave that is all they want. They fancy buildings and the large crowd.
And when they leave they only want to go to nice areas and I have seen many men quit because they did not get the big results. Big results or what you can get out of it are wrong reasons.
We learn from Ezra what the correct reasons are. We learn how he could teach year after year without the big results. The Bible says that Ezra prepared his heart to serve the Lord and to teach in Jerusalem. First with Ezra it was a heart matter. And Second reason is he did it for the Lord.
It is good to want to see God work. We all should want that, but that is not the primary driving factor. It is Love for the Lord and love for the people that keeps someone going year after year after year.
And can you just imagine the joy that Ezra had when after 15 faithful years of teaching the people call for him to read the Word of God and then God moved.
And this is another thing that we learn from this. Revivals whether with large groups or small do not come out of nowhere. Even with individuals the way it works is a seed is planted and then later watered. They are taught and learn some and then later learn more and then experience things in life. It takes time.
I have seen examples of people who were saved and would tell people. One man got saved in youth and was not ashamed, but it took until he was 70 years old before he had a personal revival and surrendered to his Lord.
It takes time. God will work on someone and have patience and longsuffering with them. And He will lovingly keep working.
Too many today expect quick results and expect people to hear the Word one time and just suddenly surrender all to the Lord. That is not the way it normally works. It can happen at different rates. With some like those in Ezra’s day it takes 15 years. And with others it can take less time.
Fewer preachers would quit if they would learn from Ezra and teach because they love the Lord and they love people and leave the results to God.
I really enjoyed our look at Ezra. He gave us a great example.
Now it is time to start something new. We are going to take a look at Ezekiel.
Ezekiel is one of the big three prophets as far as volume of writing is concerned. The top three are Isiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Those three men were used by God in totally different ways.
Jeremiah dealt with a rebellious people and was told by God that the people would not listen to him but to preach anyway. Jeremiah did just that and ended up being thrown in a pit in a prison for it.
Isiah was used to give more detailed prophecies about the coming Jesus than any other prophet. Isiah 53 is just one example. It is a very vivid account of Jesus on the cross.
Ezekiel was often used by God in a very visual way. Richard and I started calling Ezekiel Mr. Object lesson. You see this from the very first chapter.
And that is not uncommon. The main focus of a book of the Bible is often very clearly set forth in the very beginning of the book.
Example Mark – Jesus came as a Servant
Mar 1:20 And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him. Mar 1:21 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.
Example Luke – Humanity of Jesus. Luke starts with the birth of Jesus, the Christmas story. This is only in the Gospel of Luke. The book highlights His humanity.
Example John – Deity of Jesus
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
The truth of the deity of Jesus is shown over and over in the book of John.
Example Gen – Man is a sinner and God has forgiveness. In the first 3 chapters man sins and God provides a covering for sin. You read Gen. and you see Adam sin and Cain sin and Abraham sin, and Isaac and Jacob and Jacob’s sons sin. The only one who is the exception is Joseph whose life was set up as a picture, a type, of the coming Jesus. And you watch as Joseph, a picture of Christ, forgives his brothers. You see the theme in the first 3 chapters and throughout the book.
Man is a sinner and God has forgiveness.
That is enough examples. The point is most of the books of the Bible the main focus of the book is set forth in the beginning. And in Ezekiel we see how God is going to use Ezekiel in a very unusual powerful visual way.
Eze 1:1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
Eze 1:2 In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity,
Eze 1:3 The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.
The king mentioned here is one of the last kings of Jerusalem before the final taking away of everyone in captivity. The king of Babylon captures him and takes him to Babylon and throws him in prison for years. He is later released in a sense. Not to go back to Jerusalem but he gets to sit at the new king of Babylon’s table.
Ezekiel starts in the fifth year of Jehoiachin’s captivity. Ezekiel is with those who were also already taken away from Jerusalem to Babylon. They have been there for about 5 years.
There is puppet king in Jerusalem, Jeremiah is still preaching and things look bleak. As a people they have been stiff-necked for centuries. They have turned their back on God and openly worship false gods. And God has tried and tried and tried. He has sent prophets and pleaded with them and been longsuffering.
Finally the false prophets in Jerusalem have been proven wrong. They said all is well when it was not. Now God is finally letting them be taken away into captivity. Not everyone all at once it was a little bit of a process.
So stop and think for a min. What kind of thoughts would enter your mind when you are taken away to Babylon and in a camp next to a river with your king in prison and replaced by a puppet king by Babylon.
Would the thought that God is done with us enter your mind. You could look at God’s promises that your people will be returned in 70 years, but what about us today. That promise is good for our grandchildren and great grandchildren.
But could you start to think that God no longer cares about us individuals sitting in this camp in Babylon?
Does God even want to still communicate with us? Does he want to still have a relationship with us?
I can see how in their situation that those kind of thoughts might come to some.
It is in this situation that God then communicates to the people already in captivity thru Ezekiel. And we don’t have to guess why. We are clearly told the reason in Chapter 2.
Eze 2:1 And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.
Eze 2:2 And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.
Eze 2:3 And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.
Eze 2:4 For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 2:5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.
God is sending Ezekiel to these people. God is initiating this. This is God’s plan. And what does He want Ezekiel to do. Give His message to a rebellious people.
Do you know what that is? That is the unmerited favor and love of God sent to an undeserving people. God’s love extended out to sinners. Even after all they have done in their rebellion. God still is reaching out to them.
God still wants them to have a chance. And some will hear. Many will not for they are a rebellious house. And even those who will not hear, God still wants them to know that God has sent a prophet to them.
Even in their rebellion God wants them to know without a doubt that a God sent prophet was sent to them. Not to their great grandchildren but personally to them.
God still cares. God is still interested in them. God is still reaching out. He is still willing to have a relationship with them. This is the love of God.
And how exactly are they to know that Ezekiel is a prophet of God. Well if you know about some of the prophets of old you know that God had many of them do kind of strange things as object lessons. One time God had a prophet marry a prostitute who left him. It was an illustration of how the people of Israel were in a covenant relationship with God but they left God to love idols and false gods.
So in the tradition of the prophets who were used to give visual object lessons God is going to send Ezekiel. But to really make a statement that a prophet is among them the object lessons and visuals are going to be huge and powerful and well… wow with an exclamation point.
After telling Ezekiel what He wants him to do and the reason why God gives him some encouragement.
Eze 2:6 And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
Eze 2:7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
Eze 2:8 But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.
Eze 2:9 And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;
Eze 2:10 And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.
Ezekiel just tell them what I want, and show them the object lessons I want, and don’t be afraid.
Yes many will give you the if looks could kill look. And many will say mean things to you.
But I want these people to have a chance and I will protect you. I will be with you.
Next week we are going to look at Ezekiel chapter 1 and see that God starts off right away with Ezekiel with a very vivid and powerful vision.