Scripture

“Son of Man, turn and face Jerusalem and prophesy against Israel and her sanctuaries. Tell her, “This is what the Lord says: I am your enemy, O Israel.”

Observation

The Lord tells Ezekiel to prophesy against Israel. The Lord is now the enemy of Israel and he will unsheathe his sword against them.

A sword is being sharpened and polished to bring terrible slaughter.

Babylon’s king is standing at a crossroad. One road leads to Ammon, the other to Jerusalem. His advisors are studying all kinds of omens and signs to work out which way he should go. The king will choose Jerusalem because of the rebellion of the people of Israel.

The people of Ammon cannot be complacent. A sword is being sharpened to massacre them also.

Application

What a fearful thing it is for the people of God to find out that He has become their enemy,

What level of sin and rebellion can bring God’s chosen people to be declared His enemy?

Those who call themselves Christians can also become the enemy of God. If we ignore God’s calling to be holy and persist in flagrant and public sin, he will set himself against us.

They thought they were safe from God’s anger, but they were walking straight into judgment.

What a terrible state to be in!

Listen

Lord, what do you want to say to me about being your enemy?

Keith, my people had been warned numerous times by many prophets. They persisted in their sin because they believed they were untouchable,

I poured out my wrath, numerous times on the city of Jerusalem and on the nation of Israel. I wanted them to come back to me, but they would not,

When I sent my son Jesus, the choice became clear. Continue down the path of rebellion or receive the forgiveness of sins. They refused to accept Jesus as their King and so in AD 70 I lifted my hand of protection and the temple, the city and the nation were destroyed.

Scripture

“Should I allow you to ask for a message from me, O people of Israel? Surely as I live,” says the sovereign Lord, “I will tell you nothing.”

Observation

Some of the elders of Israel come to Ezekiel to seek a word from the Lord. The message they get is that there will be no message from the Lord,

The Lord goes through the history of Israel. He starts at the captivity in Egypt and the Exodus. The people never trusted God to give them a good land. They rebelled and refused to let go of the gods of Egypt.

The Lord brought them out of Egypt and led them through the wilderness. He warned the children to not follow their parents in idolatry and to pay attention to the laws. But they did not do this.

When they came to the land, they offered sacrifices to other gods on every high place and under every green tree. They sacrificed their children to be burnt.

As long as they continue to worship other gods, the Lord will not speak to them.

Application

It seems odd that the leaders of Israel would be sacrificing to foreign gods but also seeking God’s word.

This tendency towards syncretism, that is mixing and matching different beliefs, is very common. We might be used to a binary view of all or nothing, but many people prefer a religious buffet where they can pick and choose their beliefs.

The message of this chapter is that God will not speak to people who do this. he must be Lord of every part of our lives and not just Sunday mornings.

The Old Testament describes God as a jealous God. He will not tolerate people who worship Him and also worship idols.

Listen

Lord, what do you want to say to me about this chapter?

Keith, many people approach me with a consumer mindset. They want a word from the Lord. They want a message to soothe their souls. They want music that they like and people that they approve of.

You must submit to me in everything. If your heart is focused on what you want, then there will be no word for you.

Yield it all to me. Focus on what I instruct and on your not on your own preferences. Then you will hear my voice and understand my words.