Ezekiel 40:48-41:26

Dear RTB’ers,

These chapters make for difficult posts. What to say, what to add to what Ezekiel has written?

In my post yesterday I referred to an STS diagram of the temple area and the summary text of the walk-through. That diagram is still relevant for today’s reading. But beyond that, use the ESV Global Study Bible notes and diagram from Crossway.

What to say? John said it right in 2023. We can look at these diagrams and measurements and ask, “What’s in it for us”? Neither John nor I has a quick answer for that question. However, the Lord God included these verbal diagrams and measurements for this futuristic Temple. He also included verbal diagrams and measurements for the Tabernacle in the Wilderness and for Solomon’s Temple and a few bits of information about the post-Exilic temple (often referred to as the Second Temple or Zerubbabel’s Temple). So if these descriptions and measurements were important to Him, they should be no less important to us. But I think that we can embrace the overall pictures and leave the details to Biblical scholars.

Finally, I do have one question. Yesterday’s reading (Ez. 40:38-43) spoke of tables for slaughter and for the burnt offering. Presumably this temple area is far off in the future. Will we still have animal sacrifices in this future scenario? I’m asking this question in the context of Jesus’ “all-sufficient sacrifice”. Thoughts…?

Blessings.

Ezekiel 40:1-47

Dear RTB’ers,

Today we have Ezekiel taken up in a “trance”, presumably to Jerusalem, some fourteen years after it had been destroyed. There the Lord gives him a vision of a restored Jerusalem and its temple area. He has a guide (Ez. 4:3) who takes him throughout the temple area, measuring dimensions as he goes.

It is probably difficult for most people to follow Ezekiel’s text descriptions and measurements. However, today’s notes in Search the Scriptures are very helpful, so I encourage you to spend some time there, especially with question #2 and with the associated diagram of the Temple. You might also want to see these notes and illustration (below) from Crossway.

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See also: August 14 (2023) / Ezekiel 40-42.

Ezekiel 39

Dear RTB’ers,

First, a bit more on yesterday’s reading. Here is yesterday’s second verse: Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. (v. 38:2-3) It turns out that these are familiar names for us; we saw them way back in Genesis 10, three of them as sons of Noah’s son, Japheth: The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. (v. 2) So with these intended invaders God is going way back in time to tell us of events that will occur way future in time. How very interesting!!

In yesterday’s reading we saw these nations from afar attacking Israel and being defeated by the Lord God. Today we see the Israelites cleaning up the mess, burying their supposed invaders. It will take them seven months to do the burials and they will have firewood for seven years from the weapons of these armies, They will seize the spoil of those who despoiled them, and plunder those who plundered them, declares the Lord GOD. (v. 10b) A mighty defeat by the Lord God!

With all this God reveals His plan, And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they dealt so treacherously with Me that I hid My face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries… I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their transgressions, and hid My face from them… [But] Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for My holy name.

Yesterday’s STS notes suggested that Ezekiel 38-39 should be read in the context of Revelation 20:7-10, the thousand-year reign of Christ and His people (Rev. 20:1-6), ending with Satan’s ultimate defeat. Again, as I noted yesterday, this is what we have to look forward to – especially if we presume that the mentions of “Israel” in these two chapters actually refer to Jesus and His redeemed people. Yes, His ultimate victory is our eternity! GLORY!!

Blessings.

Ezekiel 38 (with NASB quotations today)

Dear RTB’ers,

Our STS companion book guides us well in today’s reading. Unlike previous chapters in Ezekiel when God was railing against Israel’s neighbors for their treatment of Israel, now we have nations coming from distant lands with an intent to invade Israel. It is their belief that Israel is weak, unwalled and undefended (Ez. 38:11-12). These nations will come “to capture spoil, to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil” (v. 13b). However, they will be surprised to see the people of Israel living securely, defended by the God of the universe (Ez. 38:18-22). He will have a mighty victory: I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the LORD. (v. 23)

This is what it’s coming to, folks. It’s just a matter of time. You may be getting tired of me repeating this, but here it is again: I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it. … Then they will know that I am the LORD. (vv. 36:36b, 38b)

Blessings.

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See also: August 13 (2023) / Ezekiel 38-39.

Ezekiel 37

Dear RTB’ers,

The valley of dry bones… It’s only ten verses (plus another four verses of the Lord’s explanation) out of more than a thousand verses in Ezekiel’s 48 chapters, but I dare say, it’s the one thing that people know or remember best in this book. For us at St. Andrew’s it’s a sermon preached in our early days by Bishop Nathan from the BKD diocese in Uganda. Check out the plaque on the wall as you enter Nathan Hall. It’s an everyday reminder for us.

But the remainder of the chapter – the Judah and Ephraim (Joseph) sticks joined together with a Davidic king – for us and for all people, something special to look forward to. A united Israel. The leaders of the world order attempted to bring this about when the nation of Israel was established in 1948. Israel continues to exist today, but in the midst of hostilities from its Arab neighbors. The Lord through Ezekiel promises peace in this future world: I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. (v. 26)

Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD. (v. 14b)

Blessings.

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See also: August 12 (2023) / Ezekiel 34-37 (yet again).

Ezekiel 36:16-38

Dear RTB’ers,

…My holy name… This phrase occurs three times in today’s reading, plus one other occurrence where “great” replaces “holy”. It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. (v. 22b) That is, the Lord’s punishment of Israel for their sinfulness – their military defeats, their exiles, their wanderings – leads their neighboring nations to feel that Israel’s God is weak, that He cannot protect His people. It makes Him (His holy name) look bad. So when He returns His people to His land, it is for the sake of His name, not because of any goodness within Israel: Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord GOD; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel. (vv. 31-32) God is offering restoration, but also seeking repentance.

The Lord’s concern for His name hearkens back to His concern with idolatry, back to the first commandment, I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me. (Exodus 20:1-2) I heard a speaker once suggest that the other nine commandments are all subsets of the first commandment. Everything else that is sin is a direct result of us placing something else in higher regard than God. In every wrong thing that we do, we are placing ourselves or our goals or our wants above Him. But yes, He has provided a “way out” for us: And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes and be careful to obey My rules. (vv. 26-27)

I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it. … Then they will know that I am the LORD. (vv. 36b, 38b)

Blessings.

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See also: August 12 (2023) / Ezekiel 34-37 (again).

Ezekiel 35:1-36:15

Dear RTB’ers,

Prophecies against Edom and in favor of Israel (both Judah and the Northern Kingdom)… Here is the Lord’s judgment in a single sentence (the Lord God speaking): Surely I have spoken in My hot jealousy against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, who gave My land to themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and utter contempt, that they might make its pasturelands a prey. (v. 36:5) As the Northern Kingdom was being wiped out by the Assyrians and Judah by the Babylonians, the Edomites (and other hostile neighbors) were happy to move themselves onto this deserted land. However, the Lord God refers to this land as “My land”, what we refer to as the Promised Land, and He wants it back!

I like the Lord’s use of “because of…, therefore…”, justifying His punishment against Edom: because you did not hate bloodshed, therefore blood shall pursue you. … As you rejoiced over…Israel, because it was desolate, so I will deal with you; you shall be desolate, Mount Seir, and all Edom, all of it. (v. 35:6b,15) Bloodshed, blood. Desolation, desolate. Nice pairings.

There’s a lesson for us in today’s readings – do not rejoice when your “enemy” fails (whoever or whatever your “enemy” is); rather, pray for him/her/its repentance and renewal. It’s a good lesson for me when I consider Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the challenges and difficulties that Russia and her armies are facing.

Blessings.

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See also: August 12 (2023) / Ezekiel 34-37 (again).

Ezekiel 34

Dear RTB’ers,

A fairly straightforward reading today. Israel’s “shepherds” (kings, priests, prophets) are not tending their sheep properly: You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. (v. 3-4) So the Lord Himself will become their shepherd (Ez. 34:11-16).

The only confusion in the chapter is with reference to David: And I will set up over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken. (vv. 23-24) How would Ezekiel and his fellow exiles interpret these verses? Israel’s king had been deposed; would David’s line continue during their exile or after their prophesied return? Clearly we see these verses as referring to Jesus, our Messiah.

I see Jesus, the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-18) throughout today’s reading. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. AMEN!!

Blessings.

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See also: August 12 (2023) / Ezekiel 34-37.

Ezekiel 33

Dear RTB’ers,

In previous chapters Ezekiel has been predicting the downfall of Jerusalem. Today we see that it has happened as predicted, In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has been struck down.” (v. 21) Ezekiel now has a new twofold mission, preaching individual responsibility and offering pastoral comfort.

Today’s first twenty verses are about individual responsibility. Much of what Ezekiel had been preaching in previous chapters had been about corporate responsibility – all of Jerusalem sinning – but now it’s individual responsibility. The word “each” is mentioned three times today, beginning with O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways. (v. 20b) Verses 23-29 then emphasize that personal accountability.

In today’s final paragraph we see the beginning of Ezekiel’s new mission of pastoral counseling. The exiles appear to be seeking the Lord, Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD. (v. 30b) Unfortunately, little has changed in their hearts: And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as My people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain. (v. 31)

How often do I hear what I need to hear and resolve to do what I need to do, but then fail as I move forward. Sadly, like Jerusalem’s children I’m an exile on this earth, seeking Him and hearing Him, but failing in following Him. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. Wretched man that I am! (Romans 7:19, 24a) Yes, wretched…!

Blessings.

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See also: August 9 (2023) / Ezekiel 33:21-33; 19; 22:23-31; 25.