Ezekiel 16: GRIEVING GOD

God tells the history of the Jews from His perspective.

God views His people as His bride. The Jews accepted a marriage covenant with Him in the wilderness. Yet they continued to be unfaithful to Him, serving other gods and doing as they pleased. v 43 states that this fretted God. As a husband is upset and worried for his wife when she is unfaithful, so, too, is God upset and worried over His people.

Although Christians are not yet married to God, Christians have accepted Christ’s proposal. The born-again believer is espoused to Christ, waiting for the day that He will come to take us to the marriage in heaven (2 Cor. 11:2, Eph. 5:31-32, Rev. 19:6-7). Though Christians are not yet married to Christ, He is still grieved over our sins and unfaithfulness. Christ wants us to be found spiritual virgins, pure and faithful to God alone. Turning back to the world or sin is like taking God’s engagement ring and throwing it back in His face. Just like any human man would be deeply hurt by such behavior, even so God is grieved by people’s rejection of His proposal. Do you want to grieve the person who loves you so much that He died on the cross for you?

Ezekiel 17

– Story of two eagles riddle

– Plucked top branch of a lebanon cedar tree (Judah) and carried it away

– Carried a seedling of the land and planted it away beside a river where it grew as a low spreading vine with strong branches and shoots.

– Later the vine was covered by a great eagle, and it spread it’s roots and branches towards the eagle for water.

The first Eagle (Nebuchadnezzar), first vine Jehoiacim, second vine (Zedekiah) appointed by Nebuchadnezzar as vassal king of Judah, but later rebelled paying tribute to the second eagle(Pharaoh). No one will help Judah when Nebuchadnezzar comes a second time.

v14 & 18 Power of honouring treaties. God reprimands Judah and says Zedekiah will die in Babylon for making a treaty in God’s name invain.

“So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, I will punish him for breaking my covenant and disregarding the solemn oath he made in my name.

Ezekiel 17:19 NLT

I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and put him on trial for this treason against me. Ezekiel 17:20 NLT

v22-24 Coming of Messiah prophesied.

– The Lord will cut a tender twig from the top of the cedar tree (Judah), and plant the tender twig on top of Israels tallest mountain.

– It will grow strong branches, and produce large fruit, and all kinds of birds will find shelter under it, and rest under it’s branches shadow.

“Every tree in the forest will know that I, the Lord, can bring down tall trees and help short ones grow. I dry up green trees and make dry ones green. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will keep my word.” Ezekiel 17:24 CEV

Ezekiel 18

The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them. Ezekiel 18:20 NIV

Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? Ezekiel 18:23 NIV

“Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? Ezekiel 18:30‭-‬31 NIV

Ezekiel 19:

A funeral song for Israel Kings

Ezekiel 20

– The Lord cannot be coerced to speak by people who are rebellious

– Obedience brings life v 13

– There I gave them my decrees and regulations so they could find life by keeping them. Ezekiel 20:11 NLT

Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: When I chose Israel—when I revealed myself to the descendants of Jacob in Egypt—I took a solemn oath that I, the Lord, would be their God. I took a solemn oath that day that I would bring them out of Egypt to a land I had discovered and explored for them—a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the best of all lands anywhere. Ezekiel 20:5‭-‬6 NLT

Then I said, “Sovereign Lord, they are saying of me, ‘Isn’t he just telling parables?’ ” Ezekiel 20:49 NIV