Cornerstonekaty

Ezekiel 26

Before we look at Ezekiel 26, let me give you some context. Ezekiel can be most easily divided into two parts. The first part is chapters 1-24, which we finished last week. The 2nd part is chapters 25-48, which we are beginning this week. The dividing event is the fall of Jerusalem, the darkest moment in the history of God’s people in the Old Testament.

Why was it so dark? Jerusalem represented the dwelling place of God in the midst of his people. These people were God’s treasured possession, a people who would prosper under God’s care so greatly that the rest of the world would be drawn to them. This was their intended destiny. And so, it was believed that Jerusalem could never die. This was why the exiles listening to Ezekiel prophesy over and over again that Jerusalem would be defeated was not believed. Jerusalem was their hope.

With the fall of Jerusalem, the foundation of what they believed was suddenly shaken. What did this mean? Was their any hope left? The answer is Yes! And the 2nd half of Ezekiel’s book spells it out, though it doesn’t look like it at first glance.

The next several chapters, from 25-32, talk about more judgment. Specifically, judgment upon the nations around Jerusalem. We’re going to look at a sample of these judgments. In chapter 25 we see the judgment of Ammon, Moab and Seir, Edom, and Philistia. In chapters 26-28 we have a judgment against Tyre and Sidon, and in 29-32 we have judgment against Egypt. I chose to look at Tyre because the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy is best understood historically and it is fascinating.

Ezekiel 24

When I was young, my parents smoked cigarettes. It seemed that most people smoked back then. Cigarettes can be terribly addictive. I recently asked someone who stopped smoking over 40 years ago if they ever had a desire to do it again and their answer surprised me. “Everytime I smell a cigarette I want one.” It reminded me of an episode in the sitcom Frasier when one of the characters on the show was trying to quit smoking and wanted Frasier’s help. So, he brought this character to his home where he and his family could help.

One scene unfolds at the dinner table:

You're wrestling with an unhealthy and disgusting habit.
It isn't disgusting. It's wonderful.
Oh, now, tell me: what is so wonderful about smoking?
Everything.

And she goes on to describe the experience in such a seductive manner that everyone around the table is craving a cigarette. It serves as a great example of the seductive nature of sin. It provides a cheap thrill that captivates only to capture you.

Israel’s history shows their struggle with an addiction to idolatry. They have times of great repentance, such as under Hezekiah or more recently under Josiah. Josiah followed Manassah, who was arguably the most wicked king in Judah’s history. He was the one who erected the image of jealousy in the temple gate and setup altars on high places throughout Israel to foreign gods. He offered some of his own children as sacrifices to these gods and led Israel to do the same. It had become part of their lifestyle; part of their culture. When Josiah came, he turned things around. He removed the image of Jealousy and the many idols that had found their way into Jerusalem and the temple. He tore down the altars on the high places to the foreign gods and spread ashes upon all of them to desecrate them so they couldn’t be used again. And he reinstituted the proper offerings in the temple and led the people to participate and celebrate the great feasts that commemorated the mighty works of God in their history. It was a great moment. But after his death, these addictions were too powerful to the people of Judah and they reverted back to them.

He cleaned up the outside cultic practices of the nations, but he was not able to remove the inclination on the inside to worship these foreign gods. Our inclination to sin runs deep and no matter how hard we try and clean up our lives; no matter how many reforms we embrace; no matter how many resolutions we make, our fundamental nature still plagues us and the idols of this world still hold us captive. It is a devastating reality to face.

It begs the question: is there any hope to break free from our addictions? From our idolatry? Yes there is, but only if God intervenes. It is beyond our efforts. But it is drastic and it is terrifying. It is the message that Ezekiel has been given to preach to the exiles in Babylon. It was such a terrifying message that they have refused to believe it even though he has repeated it in so many different ways. What was that message? Jerusalem has to die. Our only hope lies beyond this death.

What we see in this chapter is the devastating necessity of God’s wrath to be poured out. This should give us a wake-up call as to the way we choose to live today.

 

Acts 2:40-47

Psalm 139:1-16

Did you know that God ordained not only the day you were born, but the day that you die? That’s what this means. Death does not surprise God like it surprises us.

Ezekiel 20

The Boston Red Sox have one of the most passionate fan bases in the nation, evidenced by their reverence for Fenway Park. It is considered one of the most beloved and historic stadiums in all of sports. The emotional well-being and “mood” of the city hinges on the Red Sox performance. Sadly, most of their history has been one of disappointment. In fact, they felt that they lived under the “Curse of the Bambino” having not one a WS for so many decades, attributed to their trading Babe Ruth to the Yankees all the way back in 1919. That curse seemed to rear its ugly head time and again. The Red Sox would make it to the playoffs only to get beat and disappoint their fans. The farther they got in the post-season, the harder the loss was felt.

When the team looked good in 2004, fans wondered if they dared hope for a trophy. That hope grew as they reached the postseason, and then blossomed when they reached the American League championship against their bitter rival, the team that brought about the “curse of the bambino” and their 86 year championship drought, the Yankees. Would it be another heartbreaking loss? The Yankees had beaten them the year before for the championship. And It was looking that way again. They lost game 1, then game 2, and then game 3 in dramatic fashion, 19-8. No team had ever come back from 3 games down. As loyal as Boston fans ordinarily were, the emotional heartbreak that loomed was too much for some who sold their tickets to that 4th game, angry at their team for letting them down.

But not all were fair-weather fans. Those that kept their tickets were witness to one of the most dramatic comebacks in sports history. The Red Sox went on to win the next 4 games to win the championship and then went on to win the World Series.
The God of Israel too appeared to be 3 games down, so to speak, against the world as his people suffered under the rule of the Babylonians. God’s people were on the verge of collapse. And many of his followers had lost their faith. Yet, those who kept it to the end would see the most dramatic comeback in world history. For God would not forsake His name.

So do not give up on your faith, no matter the circumstance. For God will not forsake His name. That is the theme in this chapter. We find it summarized best in verse 44

And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord God.

Revelation 2:18-29

Ezekiel 18

“God is not just.” is a sentiment that has caused many to reject the Lord. Have you ever run across this? It can happen in a variety of ways. For some who grew up in the church and were part of a church for a time saw or experienced things that shouldn’t have happened; things that brought pain, and went unchecked. That’s a tragedy. They feel justified in leaving not only the church, but the faith they once thought they had.

There are others who see the way of the world around them, the great inequities of people. When George Floyd died in May of 2020 it brought attention to social injustice and how black people did not have the privilege that white people had in society. This is just the tip of things, however. It isn’t limited to black people in Western societies, it is true when you compare one country with another. It is why so many people desire to immigrate the United States. As a whole, there is more wealth and comfort in the US than in many other countries in the world. That rubs against our innate desire for justice. Shouldn’t everyone get to start with an equal footing? Shouldn’t we seek to spread the wealth equally if life is to be fair?

While we may not like it, but we recognize that this is the way it is. You can’t escape the economic conditions of your birth, or the stigmas that society pins on you because of your birth. This reality has been the justification for many to reject or turn away from God and try and find their own way in the world.

This is a bit like what was happening in Israel. Frustrated by their situation, but recognizing it is the way things are, they sought to justify their rejection of God’s calls for repentance. “Why bother?” was their attitude. This is at the heart of this proverb that was popular in their day,

‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’ (Ezekiel 18:2)

It was something they accepted as true and used it to make their case against God. “Your justice, God, is wrong!” God addresses this proverb in this chapter and concludes, “no, you’re confused. It is your ways that are unjust.”

the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? (Ezekiel 18:29)

What are we to do in light of this? Turn and live. That’s how the chapter ends.

Ezekiel 16

God’s wrath is understood when we can empathize with him as a betrayed husband to his people; how his heart is broken over our unfaithfulness. Breaking the law is not the breaking of some rule written on paper, as a judge might evaluate in a courtroom. Breaking God’s law is personal with God. It is like a spouse’s betrayal. And so, we understand his atoning work, completely underserved, as all the more an expression of how wonderful his love is.

Ezekiel 10-11

One of the most tragic moments of the Old Testament is seen by Ezekiel in this vision. In case you don’t remember where we are in the book of Ezekiel, we’re looking at his 2nd vision. We find it in chapters 8-11. In this vision Ezekiel is carried away to Jerusalem where God shows him the abominations that are going on in the temple and the judgment that is coming as a result. It’s been a pattern for centuries: the people of God forsaking their covenant obligations and facing the judgment of God through their enemies. But this time is different. It ends not with repentance and God’s rescue. Instead it ends with the glory of God departing from the temple.

Matthew 2:1-11

How do you respond to the news that Jesus has come? Herod saw him as a threat and disdained him. The chief priests knew the details of prophecy that told of his coming, yet ignored him when he came. Others risked their lives to come and worship. What about you?