June 15th

EZEKIAL 15 – 19

Hitting the highlights:  

15:8  The LORD will lay waste and desert them because of their idolatry!  Idolatry = anything that usurps the position/place of the LORD in your life!

16:3  Spiritual origin and birth are thoroughly Cannanitish…father an Amorite…mother a Hittite = means what?  (John 8:44) [one of labor rather than REST – Hebrews 4:3-5  16:15- …”But you trusted and relied on YOUR OWN beauty!”  Took the beauty HE gave and turned into an abomination. 

16:37 –    YOU will be exposed and become an object of loathing and of mockery, a spectacle among the nations.  The other nations are laughing at America.  THE WORLD IS LAUGHING AT THE CHURCH!!!

v. 51 -   Comparison of HIS people with the heathen…”you even make them appear righteous in comparison with you.”

v. 62-63…AND HE will establish HIS covenant…and we will be ashamed of our sin and not open our mouth when HE has forgiven all that we have done.  After our sins are exposed and forgiven, are we less judgmental and quick to speak???

18:1 -    Ezekiel used repeatedly the phrase THEWORD OF THE LORD CAME TO ME…v.2 fathers eating sour grapes and their children’s teeth being set on edge was popular and widely quoted.  Jeremiah rebuked its use in Judah Jer. 31:29 and Ezekiel did the same in Babylon.  “Don’t blame me, it is not my fault!” They recognized that they were being punished, but they said it was because of the sins of their ancestors.  Altho’ in part true, they denied that they had personal responsibility.  The Lord holds all individuals accountable for their own attitudes and actions, yet the harmful influences and consequences of people’s sins certainly live on after them.  That does not take away each person’s responsibility for personal choices and behavior. 

We are accountable for how our influence impacts others.  Paul taught that we should go to great lengths to make sure that our examples do not lead others into sinful behavior I Cor. 8.  The idea that our sins hurt only ourselves is a myth.  Our sins inevitably negatively impact some other people. 

The LORD is declaring that the proverb should not be used…in time because of the Lord’s judgment on HIS people, they would see clearly that they indeed had sinned against Him. 

No matter what the circumstances or the influences, no one has to repeat mistakes of those who go before him.  We are given the opportunity to make our own choices and will be accountable to God for those choices.  There are three examples in this passage that illustrate the vital importance of living responsibly before God:  a righteous father v. 5-9, a wicked son of a righteous father v. 10-13, and a righteous son of a wicked father v. 14-20  A good quote:  “I came to the point when I realized I would never get to heaven by climbing the family tree!”  The soul that sins, is the one that shall die….(v.20)…”I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways (v.30)…make a new mind and heart and a new spirit v. 31 Therefore turn – be converted – and live!!!!  V. 32

 

Ezekiel says again "thus saith The Lord." And HE says ... Don't use this proverb again. 18:1-2. We may say...Don't blame me...it is not my fault...it is my parents (or my circumstances, environment or whatever). BUT THE Lord says...NO EXCUSES...each soul is responsible for himself individually. Sin is an unGodly response to childhood pain...unattended by exercising God's grace leads to bitterness, rebellion and a stubborn life!  Today so many people blame others for their problems that we seem to be a nation of victims.  Certainly heredity and environment are influential factors in every person’s life.  However, those factors  do not determine direction.  To blame our irresponsible behavior on our backgrounds, injustices done to us, having too little, having too much, and so forth is simply a failure to accept responsibility for how we live our lives.  We can always rise above circumstances by taking our God given responsibility for our own choices and actions. 

BREAK THE PATTERNS OF THE PAST:  Lev. 26:40, Exodus 20:5-6.

Hardships have or will certainly come to each of us, but we can choose to respond positively to those.  Life is not always fair, and many individuals at various times will have much to overcome.  The strength to do so will come from the inward Presence of the living and victorious Christ – HIS grace.  Determine always to accept responsibility for4 your own actions rather than blaming others.  Look for ways to teach the younger generations that same principle…to obey, and to do that which is right by a choice of your will made with the power of the Holy Spirit through you…HIS grace!

Which expression would you most quickly use as an explanation for an action in your life that you were not proud of?                                     

*the devil made me do it  * there was nothing else I could do.  *My parents used to do the same thing all the time.  *Everybody seems to be doing it these days.  *I was wrong and I take full responsibility.

Any explanation but the last one is contrary to what the Bible teaches.  Search as you might, you will find no loophole out of individual personal responsibility for your actions.  You cannot blame the devil, your circumstances, your parents, or your peers.  God will hold you alone accountable for your choices in this life – whether good or bad, right or wrong. 

Chapter 19  The LORD has made it clear through Ezekial regarding our individual responsibility for sin and in this chapter, he addresses the influence of leaders.  The leaders made wrong choices and the people followed in their decisions which led to sadness and judgment.  The same people who applauded Solomon when he built the temple also applauded Jeroboam when he set up the golden calves and instituted a new religion.  One of the hardest tasks of Christian leaders today is to keep our churches true to the Word of God so that people don’t follow every religious celebrity whose ideas run contrary to Scripture.  It appears that being popular and being “successful” are more important today than being faithful. 

Ezekial uses two pictures = a lioness and a vine.  Had the nation of Israel obeyed the Lord, it would have become and remained a mighty lion and a fruitful vine that would have brought glory to the name of the Lord.  Israel would have been a light unto the Gentiles and many would have trusted in the true and living God.  They did not keep the terms of the covenant, but the Lord did, and that is why He chastened them and scattered them.  Clearly the nation is a fruitless vine, profitable for nothing.  Fruit is evidence of the root!  What kind of vine have you been for God in the last six months?  If you had to place a label over your life, would it read NEEDS PRUNING, NEEDS PATIENCE, or NEEDS PULLING DOWN.  Fruit bearing is not just a good idea, it is the reason the LORD has left you here.

Jesus – the Messiah came as the lion of the tribe of Judah and the true Vine…”a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles Luke 2:32.  He was rejected!  One day they shall see Him and receive Him and God’s gracious covenant with David will be completely fulfilled when Jesus reigns in His kingdom.