Judgment on Israel s Leaders. Promised Return of Israel. Ezekiel 11:1-25

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1 1 Judgment on Israel s Leaders Promised Return of Israel Ezekiel 11:1-25

2 2 Judgment on Israel s Leaders Promised Return of Israel Text: Ezekiel 11:1-25, 1. Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the Lord that faces east. There at the entrance to the gate were twenty-five men, and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. 2. The Lord said to me, Son of man, these are the men who are plotting evil and giving wicked advice in this city. 3. They say, Will it not soon be time to build houses? This city is a cooking pot, and we are the meat. 4. Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, son of man. 5. Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon me, and he told me to say: This is what the Lord says: That is what you are saying, O house of Israel, but I know what is going through your mind. 6. You have killed many people in this city and filled its streets with the dead. 7. Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The bodies you have thrown there are the meat and this city is the pot, but I will drive you out of it. 8. You fear the sword, and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign Lord.

3 3 9. I will drive you out of the city and hand you over to foreigners and inflict punishment on you. 10. You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 11. This city will not be a pot for you, nor will you be the meat in it; I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. 12. And you will know that I am the Lord, for you have not followed my decrees or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you. 13. Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, Ah, Sovereign Lord! Will you completely destroy the remnant of Israel? 14. The word of the Lord came to me: 15. Son of man, your brothers your brothers who are your blood relatives and the whole house of Israel are those of whom the people of Jerusalem have said, They are far away from the Lord; this land was given to us as our possession. 16. Therefore say: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone. 17. Therefore say: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.

4 4 18. They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. 19. I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. 21. But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord. 22. Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. 23. The glory of the Lord went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it. 24. The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia in the vision given by the Spirit of God. Then the vision I had seen went up from me, 25. and I told the exiles everything the Lord had shown me. (NIV 1984) Introduction: I. Hamilton reinforced the point, based on this chapter, that Yahweh s people resided in Babylon, not in Jerusalem. 1. Before Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 B.C.E., Jerusalem s leaders and people regarded the exiles as castaways and themselves as Yahweh s favored people.

5 5 2. It was through the later return of exiles to Palestine that the Messianic promises were fulfilled. II. The people in Jerusalem regarded themselves as God s special and chosen people. 1. In fact, they were anything but God s favored people. a. They were self-deluded, totally mistaken about their relationship with God! 2. What people or groups of people do you know who think they are God s special people, but who have no special relationship with God any more than others who profess belief in God? III. Fredenburg commented on Ezekiel 11:1-25 under these headings; viz.;, A. Smug Jerusalem Leaders Die (11:1-15), 1. Verses 1-13 are a unit, to which the transitional response of verses is attached, Fredenburg wrote. B. Yahweh s Third Response: A Future for the Exiles (11:16-21), and 1. This section presents an unexpected oracle of future blessing for the Exiles, Fredenburg wrote. C. Conclusion to the Vision (11:22-25). 1. These verses formally close the second vision, Fredenburg wrote.

6 6 IV. The present vision covers Ezekiel 8:1-11:25. (See Coffman.) V. McGee introduced this chapter by saying that although most of its people had been carried into captivity, Jerusalem had not yet been destroyed, the rulers including King Zedekiah were in rebellion against God. They were also in rebellion against the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, and were seeking protection from Egypt. Commentary: Judgment on Israel s Leaders Ezekiel 11:1, Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the Lord that faces east. There at the entrance to the gate were twenty-five men, and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. I. Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the Lord (Temple) that faces east. A. In this vision, Ezekiel was transported by the Spirit from the inner court (outer court, Fredenburg) to the Temple s eastern gate. (Smith) 1. This gate of the house of the Lord, according to The Pulpit Commentary, is probably that to the court of the Temple. II. There at the entrance to the gate were twenty-five (25) men, A. These were all leaders of the people, but, Smith wrote, probably not the same twenty-five (25) men whom Ezekiel saw with their backs to the temple worshiping the rising sun. However, Clarke wrote, These are the same persons, no doubt, who appear worshipping the sun.

7 7 1. Ezekiel 8:16, He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east. (NIV 1984) 2. The first twenty-five (25) were priests while the present twenty-five (25) were evidently political rulers. (See Smith. Fredenburg concurred.) a. Fredenburg suggested Leaders indicates these twenty-five (25) men held official positions among the ruling classes. b. Coffman wrote that these men were governmental and civil leaders of the people. III. and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur (Azur) and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders (princes) of the people. A. This Jaazaniah (the Lord hears, hearkens) is not to be confused with the Jaazaniah of Ezekiel 8:11. The former was the son of Shaphan while this Jaazaniah was the son of Azzur (Azzur means helper. (Youngblood, Smith) 1. Ezekiel 8:11, In front of them stood seventy elders of the house of Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising. (NIV 1984) 2. Jeremiah 35:3, So I went to get Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons the whole family of the Recabites. (NIV 1984)

8 8 3. This prince, Son of Azzur, gave wicked counsel to the people of Jerusalem. (Youngblood) B. Pelatiah (the Lord rescues, has set free) was a prince of Israel, son of Benaiah (the Lord has built). C. Fredenburg wrote, It is impossible to identify these leaders with certainty, but they were probably pro-egyptians counselors of Zedekiah. 1. If these were pro-egyptian counselors, they would have advised Zedekiah to associate with Egypt and to break all subservient obligatory ties with Babylon. (See Fredenburg.) a. The advice of these counselors would lead to destruction at the hands of Babylon. D. The names of these men are in sharp contrast with the conduct of these men, these twenty-five men and the citizens of Jerusalem. (Coffman) 1. Nothing more is known of these four men. (Coffman) Ezekiel 11:2, The Lord said to me, Son of man, these are the men who are plotting evil and giving wicked advice in this city. I. The Lord said to me, Son of man, these are the men who are plotting evil and giving wicked advice in this city. A. Their wicked advice was to rebel against Babylon and align Judah and Jerusalem with Egypt. Ezekiel 11:3, They say, Will it not soon be time to build houses? This city is a cooking pot, and we are the meat.

9 9 I. They say, Will it not soon be time to build houses? A. The people of Jerusalem thought that the present distress would be shortly alleviated, that they would soon be enjoying good times because of their being allies of Egypt, their protector. 1. The ability to build houses suggests a time of peace and prosperity. (See Hamilton.) 2. Building houses could refer to having children or establishing political dynasties. (Fredenburg) 3. In any event, those advisors were falsely foretelling a confident sense of a future free from calamity. (Fredenburg) 4. Jerusalem s rulers were expecting peace, plenty and prosperity, but doom was coming upon them. 5. Any threatened invasion was, these leaders claimed, far in the future. B. Various versions render this verse differently. 1. The American Standard Version reads, The time is not near to build houses: the city is the caldron, and we are the flesh. The American Standard Version margin reads differently, Is not the time near to build houses? This city is the caldron and we are the flesh. The difference here is striking! 2. Keil via Coffman explained the verse to mean, Housebuilding in exile is a long way off. It will not come to this: Jerusalem will not fall into the hands of the King of Babylon.

10 10 a. These leaders were most certainly misleading the people. b. These leaders viewed the people as meat safely stored in the storage caldron, pot. c. The exiles were thought of as excess broth spilled from the pot. C. This is a half-proverbial saying of which the following are examples: 1. Ezekiel 8:12, He said to me, Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, The Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the land. (NIV 1984) 2. Ezekiel 18:2, What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children s teeth are set on edge? (NIV 1984) 3. Ezekiel 9:9, He answered me, The sin of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice. They say, The Lord has forsaken the land; the Lord does not see. (NIV 1984) 4. Proverbs of this kind are obscure. II. This city is a cooking pot, and we are the meat.

11 11 A. Hamilton wrote, Meat was not a staple of ancient Near Eastern diets; the city leaders metaphor is an arrogant claim to Yahweh s special favor. 1. Leviticus 7:11-21, These are the regulations for the fellowship offering a person may present to the Lord: If he offers it as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering he is to offer cakes of bread made without yeast and mixed with oil, wafers made without yeast and spread with oil, and cakes of fine flour wellkneaded and mixed with oil. Along with his fellowship offering of thanksgiving he is to present an offering with cakes of bread made with yeast. He is to bring one of each kind as an offering, a contribution to the Lord; it belongs to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the fellowship offerings. The meat of his fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; he must leave none of it till morning. If, however, his offering is the result of a vow or is a freewill offering, the sacrifice shall be eaten on the day he offers it, but anything left over may be eaten on the next day. Any meat of the sacrifice left over till the third day must be burned up. If any meat of the fellowship offering is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted. It will not be credited to the one who offered it, for it is impure; the person who eats any of it will be held responsible. Meat that touches anything ceremonially unclean must not be eaten; it must be burned up. As for other meat, anyone ceremonially clean may eat it. But if anyone who is unclean eats any meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the Lord, that person must be cut off from his people. If anyone touches something unclean whether human uncleanness or an unclean animal or any unclean, detestable thing and then eats any of the meat of the

12 12 fellowship offering belonging to the Lord, that person must be cut off from his people. (NIV 1984) B. Fredenburg stated the word translated cooking pot is a vessel with a lid used to store meat. 1. Micah 3:3, who eat my people s flesh, strip off their skin and break their bones in pieces; who chop them up like meat for the pan, like flesh for the pot? (NIV 1984) 2. Jeremiah 1:13, The word of the Lord came to me again: What do you see? I see a boiling pot, tilting away from the north, I answered. (NIV 1984) 3. Ezekiel 24:3-6, Tell this rebellious house a parable and say to them: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Put on the cooking pot; put it on and pour water into it. Put into it the pieces of meat, all the choice pieces the leg and the shoulder. Fill it with the best of these bones; take the pick of the flock. Pile wood beneath it for the bones; bring it to a boil and cook the bones in it. For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the city of bloodshed, to the pot now encrusted, whose deposit will not go away! Empty it piece by piece without casting lots for them. (NIV 1984) 4. Fredenburg stated the idea that Jerusalem was like a storage jar carries the idea that Jerusalem was inviolable. C. Clarke gives two (2) possible interpretations of the cooking pot and the meat; 1. We will run all risks, we will abide in the city. Though it be caldron, and we the flesh, yet will share its fate: if it perish, we will perish with it.

13 13 2. We were to have been boiled long ago: but the fulfillment of that prediction is not near yet. Ezekiel 11:4, Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, son of man. I. Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, son of man. A. Ezekiel was to prophesy against these egotistical, haughty, selfrighteous sinners who resided in Jerusalem. Ezekiel 11:5, Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon me, and he told me to say: This is what the Lord says: That is what you are saying, O house of Israel, but I know what is going through your mind. I. Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon me, and he told me to say: A. Ezekiel was strengthened by the Spirit of the Lord and told what to say. II. This is what the Lord says: That is what you are saying, Oh house of Israel, but I know what is going through your mind. A. The Lord explained the view presented by the Jerusalem leaders was wrong. 1. The exiles were the true Israel. (Coffman) B. God knows everything we think! 1. How does that make you feel? 2. How does this change your ways of thinking? if at all.

14 14 3. John 2:24-25, But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man. (NIV 1984) 4. Matthew 9:4, Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? (NIV 1984) 5. 1 Corinthians 14:25, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, God is really among you! (NIV 1984) 6. Hebrews 4:12, For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (NIV 1984) Ezekiel 11:6, You have killed many people in this city and filled its streets with the dead. I. You have killed my people in this city and filled its streets with the dead. A. Related Scriptures: 1. Ezekiel 7:23, Prepare chains, because the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of violence. (NIV 1984) 2. Ezekiel 9:3-7, Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who

15 15 grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it. As I listened, he said to the others, Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary. So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple. Then he said to them, Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go! So they went out and began killing throughout the city. (NIV 1984) B. The land was filled with violence and Yahweh had been provoked to anger. (Fredenburg) C. The wicked rulers have slain those who stood for God! (McGee) Ezekiel 11:7, Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The bodies you have thrown there are the meat and this city is the pot, but I will drive you out of it. I. Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: A. God declared, in other words, that the expectancy of the citizens of Jerusalem to live a long time in the city was a vain and hopeless fantasy. II. The bodies you have thrown there are the meat and this city is the pot, but I will drive you out of it. A. Smith identified the pot as Jerusalem and the meat as the people killed during the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem. B. God valued the righteous, weak, lowly, and despised rather than the high and mighty wicked leaders.

16 16 1. Mark 10:35-45, Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. Teacher, they said, we want you to do for us whatever we ask. What do you want me to do for you? he asked. They replied, Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory. You don t know what you are asking, Jesus said. Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with? We can, they answered. Jesus said to them, You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared. When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (NIV 1984) 2. Philippians 2:5-11, Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (NIV 1984)

17 17 C. God would drive the sinful population out of Jerusalem. 1. Those slain in Jerusalem were the meat. 2. Those arrogant leaders who claimed any invasion was in the distant future and that they would stay in Jerusalem until death, would not die in Jerusalem, but would be taken captive and killed at the border of Israel. Ezekiel 11:8, You fear the sword, and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign Lord. I. You fear the sword, and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign Lord. A. The wicked leaders of Jerusalem feared the sword and it was by the sword they would be killed at the border of Israel by the Babylonians. (Hamilton) 1. 2 Kings 25:10-21, The whole Babylonian army, under the commander of the imperial guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had gone over to the king of Babylon. But the commander left behind some of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields. The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried the bronze to Babylon. They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service. The commander of the imperial guard took away the censers and sprinkling bowls all that were made of pure gold or silver. The bronze from the

18 18 two pillars, the Sea and the movable stands, which Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed. Each pillar was twenty-seven feet high. The bronze capital on top of one pillar was four and a half feet high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its network, was similar. The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers. Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men and five royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land and sixty of his men who were found in the city. Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed. So Judah went into captivity, away from her land. (NIV 1984) 2. Jeremiah 52:10, There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; he also killed all the officials of Judah. (NIV 1984) Ezekiel 11:9, I will drive you out of the city and hand you over to foreigners and inflict punishment on you. I. I will drive you out of the city and hand you over to foreigners (Chaldeans, Babylonians) and inflict punishment on you. A. This would with great force show Jerusalem how wrong they had been in thinking they, the city of Jerusalem and the Temple would never fall, be destroyed!

19 19 B. God would drive the sinners out of Jerusalem, deliver them into the hands of foreigners (Babylonians) and inflict punishment on them. Ezekiel 11:10, You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord. I. You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. A. These sinners would be killed by the dreaded sword at the borders of Israel far from Jerusalem Kings 14:25, The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers. Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and seven royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land and sixty of his men who were found in the city. Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed. So Judah went into captivity, away from her land. (NIV 1984) 2. Jeremiah 52:9-10, and he was captured. He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; he also killed all the officials of Judah. (NIV 1984)

20 Kings 8:65, So Solomon observed the festival at that time, and all Israel with him a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. They celebrated it before the Lord our God for seven days and seven days more, fourteen days in all. (NIV 1984) B. When this took place all Israelites would know the city of Jerusalem, its temple, its citizens, and the population of Judah were not immune from God s retribution for their sinfulness and corrupt worship, and these people were not the righteous remnant. C. This fact was repeated for emphasis. (Coffman) 1. Jeremiah 52:24-27, The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers. Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and seven royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land and sixty of his men who were found in the city. Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed. So Judah went into captivity, away from her land. (NIV 1984) II. Then you will know that I am the Lord. A. These punishments would lead Ezekiel and the exiles to know that Yahweh was Lord! 1. The exiles would know that their beliefs about their status and that of the people of Jerusalem were wrong.

21 21 2. The Lord was omnipresent, as much overlooking the exiles in Babylon as the people of Jerusalem. B. These people certainly learned the hard way that Yahweh was Lord! 1. The point of all the Lord s actions was to lead the people to believe in Him and to faithfully serve Him. 2. Regrettably, for many it was too late. Their doom had been sealed by their long and continuing sinfulness. a. The Lord will judge them! (McGee) Ezekiel 11:11, This city will not be a pot for you, nor will you be the meat in it; I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. I. This city will not be a pot for you, nor will you be the meat in it; A. Jerusalem would not live in luxury. Rather, the Babylonians would feast on Jerusalem. II. I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. A. Clarke wrote, Though Riblah was in Syria, yet it was on the very frontiers of Israel. It was here that Zedekiah s sons were slain, and his own eyes put out. Ezekiel 11:12, And you will know that I am the Lord, for you have not followed my decrees or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you. I. And you will know that I am the Lord, for you have not followed my decrees or kept my laws

22 22 A. God s punishment on Jerusalem would prove to the people that they had been wicked and were being surely punished because of their evil doing. 1. It was clear that it was God, the true God, who was setting things right. II. but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you. A. All of us are influenced by the societies, cultures in which we live. 1. Our duty is to strive to obey God s will and not to be led astray by the influences around us! Ezekiel 11:13, Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, Ah, Sovereign Lord! Will you completely destroy the remnant of Israel? I. Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah (Yahweh delivers) son of Benaiah died. A. This death was sudden and totally unexpected. Ezekiel was shocked. (See Smith.) 1. Coffman viewed this death as part of the vision. 2. This envisioned death would later literally occur. 3. This death of Pelatiah seen by Ezekiel in the vision when he was in Babylon may have literally occurred simultaneously. (ICC via Coffman) B. This led Ezekiel to fall facedown and cry aloud to God.

23 23 C. Clarke concluded that Pelatiah was struck dead the very hour in which Ezekiel prophesied against him. His death appears to have resembled that of Ananias and Sapphira. 1. Acts 5:1-11, Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles feet. Then Peter said, Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God. When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land? Yes, she said, that is the price. Peter said to her, How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also. At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. (NIV 1984) 2. The Pulpit Commentary thought that the death of Pelatiah was seen in a vision, but that what was seen in the vision was at that time or shortly thereafter to literally occur.

24 24 II. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, Ah, Sovereign Lord! Will you completely destroy the remnant of Israel? A. This appears to say that Ezekiel shared the prevailing opinion; that is, that the remnant was in Jerusalem. (See Hamilton.) B. Ezekiel was asking God to soften, delay the destruction of Jerusalem, soften his judgment on the people of Jerusalem to preserve the remnant of Israel. 1. Ezekiel still held the view that those living in Jerusalem constituted the righteous remnant. C. Ah, Sovereign Lord! Ezekiel 4:14, Then I said, Not so, Sovereign Lord! I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead or torn by wild animals. No unclean meat has ever entered my mouth. (NIV 1984) 2. Ezekiel 9:8-9, While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell facedown, crying out, Ah, Sovereign Lord! Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem? He answered me, The sin of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice. They say, The Lord has forsaken the land; the Lord does not see. (NIV 1984) Ezekiel 11:14, The word of the Lord came to me: I. The word of the Lord came to me:

25 25 A. Ezekiel was not left to speak his opinion in regard to the righteous remnant because, as has been shown, his opinion was in error. 1. God set Ezekiel straight on the matter and told him exactly what to say. a. Ezekiel 8:5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 15, 17, Then he said to me, Son of man, look toward the north. So I looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol of jealousy. And he said to me, Son of man, do you see what they are doing the utterly detestable things the house of Israel is doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see things that are even more detestable. He said to me, Son of man, now dig into the wall. So I dug into the wall and saw a doorway there. And he said to me, Go in and see the wicked and detestable things they are doing here. He said to me, Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, The Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the land. He said to me, Do you see this, son of man? You will see things that are even more detestable than this. He said to me, Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the house of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually provoke me to anger? Look at them putting the branch to their nose! (NIV 1984) Ezekiel 11:15, Son of man, your brothers your brothers who are your blood relatives and the whole house of Israel are those of

26 26 whom the people of Jerusalem have said, They are far away from the Lord; this land was given to us as our possession. I. Son of man, your brothers your brothers who are your blood relatives and the whole house of Israel A. The exiles were your brothers, Ezekiel s brothers, the righteous remnant. 1. The whole house of Israel, all of it, the faithful remnant, referenced the Babylonian exiles. II. are those of whom the people of Jerusalem have said, They are far away from the Lord; this land was given to us as our possession. A. Smith wrote, The Jerusalem Jews felt superior to the ten thousand (10,000) who had been taken captive in 597 B.C. They regarded themselves to be the chosen of God because they had been spared such humiliation. 1. The arrogant citizens of Jerusalem simply disregarded (wrote off) the exiles. 2. The self-righteous citizens of Jerusalem claimed God was through with the exiles. (Coffman) B. Those in Jerusalem were wrong in thinking they were righteous and the exiles were wrong. 1. This opinion had been shared by the exiles. 2. Both were totally wrong about this matter!

27 27 3. Ezekiel was to center his attention on the exiles and to understand the citizens of Jerusalem were not the righteous remnant. (Coffman) C. Clarke understood these words to be those of the inhabitants of Jerusalem against the exiles in Babylon. 1. These Jerusalemites claimed the city was theirs and they would not be driven from it. 2. They also believed the exiles would never return to Jerusalem. Promised Return of Israel Ezekiel 11:16, Therefore say: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone. I. Therefore say: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: A. The Lord here set the record clear: 1. The exiles were the righteous remnant. 2. The people of Jerusalem and Judah were rebellious sinners. a. Jeremiah 12:7-8, I will forsake my house, abandon my inheritance; I will give the one I love into the hands of her enemies. My inheritance has become to me like a lion in the forest. She roars at me; therefore I hate her. (NIV 1984)

28 28 II. Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone. A. Yahweh clearly identifies the remnants in these verses. 1. Hamilton wrote, Yahweh calls Ezekiel s exilic companions the whole house of Israel: the faithless exiles are the remnants. 2. Yahweh became a sanctuary to the exiles, those despised by the people of Jerusalem. 3. God would provide protection for the exiles for a little while, during the duration of their captivity. (Smith) a. A person did not have to live in Jerusalem in order to have a vital relationship with God, Smith wrote. b. Coffman, quoting the International Critical Commentary, regarded a little while to mean in small measure which speaks of degree rather than time on duration. c. The church is the enduring righteous remnant. i. Galatians 6:16, Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God. (NIV 1984) ii. Galatians 4:26, But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. (NIV 1984)

29 29 B. Fredenburg observed that oracles such as the one in verses are sometimes preceded by reminders of Yahweh s past judgments. 1. Jeremiah 24:4-7, Then the word of the Lord came to me: This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians. My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart. (NIV 1984) 2. Jeremiah 20:4-14, For this is what the Lord says: I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; with your own eyes you will see them fall by the sword of their enemies. I will hand all Judah over to the king of Babylon, who will carry them away to Babylon or put them to the sword. I will hand over to their enemies all the wealth of this city all its products, all its valuables and all the treasures of the kings of Judah. They will take it away as plunder and carry it off to Babylon. And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into exile to Babylon. There you will die and be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have prophesied lies. O Lord, you deceived me, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the Lord has

30 30 brought me insult and reproach all day long. But if I say, I will not mention him or speak any more in his name, his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. I hear many whispering, Terror on every side! Report him! Let s report him! All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying, Perhaps he will be deceived; then we will prevail over him and take our revenge on him. But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten. O Lord Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause. Sing to the Lord! Give praise to the Lord! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked. Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed! (NIV 1984) 3. Jeremiah 33:1-9, While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him a second time: This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it the Lord is his name: Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege ramps and the sword in the fight with the Babylonians: They will be filled with the dead bodies of the men I will slay in my anger and wrath. I will hide my face from this city because of all its

31 31 wickedness. Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it. (NIV 1984) C. God made it clear that he was responsible for scattering the exiles among the countries. 1. Deuteronomy 28:63-64, Just as it pleased the Lord to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please him to ruin and destroy you. You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess. Then the Lord will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship other gods gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known. (NIV 1984) 2. Jeremiah 12:14-15, This is what the Lord says: As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands and I will uproot the house of Judah from among them. But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to his own inheritance and his own country. (NIV 1984)

32 32 D. However, he was still their God and would give them sanctuary. 1. Daniel, Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego and others found solace and aid from the Lord as Joseph had found aid from the Lord in Egypt. (See McGee.) 2. God had not forgotten the exiles. E. This was God s answer to Ezekiel s prayerful request in Ezekiel 11:13. Ezekiel 11:17, Therefore say: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again. I. Therefore say: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, A. The exiles would be gathered from the nations to which they had been taken and returned home to Jerusalem. 1. Ezekiel 37:21, and say to them, This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. (NIV 1984) B. These encouraging words were intended to boost the spirits of the exiles. (See Fredenburg.) 1. They would go home one day!

33 33 2. Deuteronomy 30:3, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. (NIV 1984) 3. Isaiah 11:11-12, In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth. (NIV 1984) 4. Jeremiah 16:15, but they will say, As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them. For I will restore them to the land I gave their forefathers. (NIV 1984) 5. Jeremiah 23:3, I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. (NIV 1984) C. Those who were seeking God would be eligible to return to Jerusalem. 1. There were less than sixty thousand (60,000) in the remnant which returned to Palestine at the end of the seventy (70) year captivity. (McGee) D. A spiritual fulfillment of this promise can be seen in the establishment of the church. (See Coffman and The Pulpit Commentary.)

34 34 1. Galatians 6:16, Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God. (NIV 1984) 2. Galatians 4:26, But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. (NIV 1984) 3. John 4:21-24, Jesus declared, Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth. (NIV 1984) 4. Matthew 18:20, For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. (NIV 1984) II. and I will give you back the land of Israel again. A. The exiles would return to a renewed land with undivided hearts and new spirits ready for obedience, Hamilton explained. Ezekiel 11:18, They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. I. They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. A. Idols would be removed from the land by the returning exiles and no longer worshiped.

35 35 1. This actually took place as stated. 2. Following the Babylonian captivity, Israel never again served idols. 3. The Babylonian captivity permanently cured Israel s idolatry problem. 4. Jerusalem was being destroyed because of their sinfulness including worshiping of idols. a. Ezekiel 5:11, Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your vile images and detestable practices, I myself will withdraw my favor; I will not look on you with pity or spare you. (NIV 1984) b. Ezekiel 7:20, They were proud of their beautiful jewelry and used it to make their detestable idols and vile images. Therefore I will turn these into an unclean thing for them. (NIV 1984) 5. Those returning to Jerusalem would reject these images and serve God faithfully. Ezekiel 11:19, I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. I. I will give them an undivided (one) heart and put a new spirit in them; A. The returning exiles would with one heart, single mindedly serve God.

36 36 1. Revelations 3:15-16, I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm neither hot nor cold I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (NIV 1984) B. A new holy spirit, far different than that of the previous wicked inhabitants, would be within them. 1. Ezekiel 36:26-27, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. (NIV 1984) C. God s people would be united! 1. Ezekiel 37:15-22, The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it, Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him. Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, Ephraim s stick, belonging to Joseph and all the house of Israel associated with him. Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand. When your countrymen ask you, Won t you tell us what you mean by this? say to them, This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph which is in Ephraim s hand and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah s stick, making them a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand. Hold before their eyes the sticks you have written on and say to them, This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel.

37 37 There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. (NIV 1984) 2. Jeremiah 32:37-39, I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them. (NIV 1984) 3. Isaiah 11:13, Ephraim s jealousy will vanish, and Judah s enemies will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim. (NIV 1984) 4. John 17:21-23, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (NIV 1984) II. I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. A. Their hard hearts would be softened. 1. Ezekiel 2:4, The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, This is what the Sovereign Lord says. (NIV 1984)

38 38 2. Ezekiel 3:7, But the house of Israel is not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for the whole house of Israel is hardened and obstinate. (NIV 1984) 3. Jeremiah 31:31-33, The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, declares the Lord. This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. (NIV 1984) 4. Ezekiel 36:26, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (NIV 1984) 5. Ezekiel 36:26, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (NIV 1984) 6. Ezekiel 3:7, But the house of Israel is not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for the whole house of Israel is hardened and obstinate. (NIV 1984) 7. Zechariah 7:12, They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry. (NIV 1984)