Ezekiel 11

Revelation Friday: Ezekiel 11 God Hears Ezekiel and Gives Hope Last week we studied how God’s glory departed from the temple and idolaters were killed beginning with the elders of the church. Ezekiel fell down upon his face and begged God to save a remnant. Chapter 11 The Spirit now takes Ezekiel over to the sun worshipers. There were 25 men at the East Gate, who felt they were protected by the city. God said these are the men that devise iniquity and gave wicked counsel to the people of the city. (Ezekiel 11:1-4) Among the 25 men were Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. In Ezekiel 11:7-11 it states Jerusalem is the cauldron, then they (the 25 men) believe that they – as the meat – would remain until “done”. They did not believe they would be removed prematurely into captivity. They assumed they were the ones to be protected by the city….BUT THEY WERE SO WRONG. What the 25 men did not understand was that their injustice is what is causing Jerusalem to boil and the meat are the innocent – Micah 3:1-3; 7:2; Zephaniah 3:3 Lamentations 4:13 I know this can be a bit confusing, but it boils down to the Lord protecting the innocent. The Kings and elders thought their position would protect them, but God’s wrath came upon them. Let me stop right here: How many people are going to die thinking they are ‘Christians’ but yet they are so wrong? I don’t care what denomination you are, there is only one way to God and that is through Christ his son. Christ died on the cross and defeated death three days later when he rose again. “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 (NIV). If you have not stood before God in prayer and confessed your sins and invited Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. Please stop NOW and do so, I don’t know when Christ is returning but I know when he does I will be with him. Do you have that confidence? Let me take a side trip to discuss Good Figs & Bad Figs in Jeremiah 24:1-10, this is how Jeremiah describes the people in a vision God gave him.

Good Figs: 1. God announces they will be exiled for 70 years.

2. Judah will not be alone in experiencing God’s wrath 3. These are Civil servants. craftsmen, metal workers. Persons useful to the conquerors. God gives the GOOD FIGS a promise: Jeremiah 24:6-7 I will set my eyes on them for 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 that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, or they shall return to me with their whole heart.

Bad Figs: 1. The Kings. 2. People who stayed in Judah. 3. People who fled to Egypt to escape the invasion. God gives the BAD FIGS a promise also: Jeremiah 24:10 And I will send sword, famine, and pestilence upon them, until they shall be utterly destroyed from the land that I gave to them and their fathers. I like how my bible study teacher described it, basically God is telling everyone in Judah you have sinned against me. But those of you who will take the punishment and be allowed to be put into “time out” (meaning they will be exiled from their land for 70 years), I will bless you in return. But those who have sinned and refused to be placed in ‘time-out’ you will be destroyed. For I am a HOLY GOD. Ok now back to the 25 men Ezekiel saw in his vision. Pelatiah the son of Benaiah was struck dead while Ezekiel was prophesying and once again Ezekiel fell on his face weeping, asking God again to save a remnant. Ezekiel took Pelatiah’s death hard because Pelatiah name means “Yahweh’s remnant.” Ezekiel may have assumed by Pelatiah’s death God was going to kill the whole remnant. Remember Ezekiel is physically in Babylon, but in the spirit in Jerusalem. While the prophecy is made, Ezekiel sees someone die and it was a leading man in Israel. But we find God gives Ezekiel hope. God showed Ezekiel he will indeed save a remnant, even though they will be scattered among the Gentiles. God promises to return them (the last remnant) to their own land from all the nations in which He has scattered them.

Side Note: God never leaves his people without a leader and God never gives us surprises. At the same time God was speaking to Ezekiel who was in Babylon he was also leading Jeremiah. Jeremiah is part of the remnant. He saw the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity, and was permitted to remain in the land by the captain of the Babylonian forces. When the remnant wanted to flee to Egypt, Jeremiah prophesied against it (Jeremiah 42:15-43:3), but in the end was forced to go with the remnant to Egypt (Jeremiah 43:6, 7), and died there. Jeremiah has been described as, “God chose this man, who had a mother’s heart, a trembling voice, and tear-filled eyes, to deliver a harsh message of judgment. The message that he gave broke his own heart.” Tradition says that he was stoned by the remnant. God in his mercy promises to gather them back and restore the land to them, BOTH Judah and Israel. The change in the people 1. They will remove idolatry 2. A unity in purpose – Jeremiah 32:38-39 3. They will eliminate their stubborn ways – Psalm 51:10; Jeremiah 31:33 4. They will follow God – Jeremiah 24:7 Ezekiel is returned to Babylon by the Spirit (Ezekiel 11:24-25) and told to share what he has seen. I had originally planned to cover both chapters 11 and 12, but chapter 11 has profoundly effected me I want to give you the opportunity to let it sink in also. They did not fear God, they defiled God in every way, yet God saved a remnant. This remnant was still evil, they did not listen to Jeremiah (whose heart was broken in more ways than we can imagine). It is thought the remnant ended up killing Jeremiah. YET GOD IS GOING TO RESTORE THEM. Does that make you weep like it does me? I weep for the sins of our nation, I weep because God gives and gives, and still we lack the proper fear of God (fingers pointing my way).

Discussion Questions: 1. Why did the Kings and elders feel they were protected?

2. What promise were the Good Figs given?

3. How do we see God’s grace in the midst of the evil remnant?

4. Journal thoughts God is laying on your heart through this message.