Sermon Tone Analysis

Ezekiel 25-32

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I.     Introduction

On January 14, 2006 the Daily Bread devotional began with the following illustration.

“I was washing my car one evening as the sun was preparing to kiss the earth goodnight.

Glancing up, I impulsively pointed the hose at it as if to extinguish its flames.

The absurdity of my action hit me, and I laughed.

“Then I though of God’s laughter in Psalm 2. Wicked nations were plotting to overthrow God’s anointed, thus ultimately opposing the Almighty Himself.

But He sits in the heavens, calm and unthreatened.

Man’s boldest efforts to oppose such awesome power is ludicrous.

The Almighty doesn’t even rise from His throne; He just laughs in derision.”

When we think of the nations of the world, we often think of them as very powerful and having the ability to impact our lives in a way that we have no control over.

I am sure that is how my parents felt as they were pawns in the war between Germany and Russia.

I wonder sometimes how Christians in countries ruled by a Muslim or Buddhist government feel when their freedoms are threatened?

I think that many cattle farmers felt that powerlessness when the United States closed the border to Canadian beef a few years ago.

I think we felt like that as we watched, almost helplessly, as the definition of marriage was being changed in our country.

But are nations all-powerful?

Do they have the final word?

What about Psalm 24:1 which says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it…?”

In Ezekiel 24:1,2, God had let the exiled Jews in Babylon know that a siege had begun against Jerusalem.

A few weeks ago, as we examined Ezekiel 33:21,22, we noted that that the siege had came to an end when the city of Jerusalem had fallen to the Babylonians.

How vulnerable and weak God’s people must have felt!

They might have asked, “Is God big enough to help us?” “Who is in control?”

It is in this context that Ezekiel writes God’s word to the nations.

In Ezekiel 25-32 a number of nations are addressed.

As God’s people at that time heard this message, they were reminded that God is in charge.

As we hear the message in these chapters, we also hear that God is sovereign.

How does that impact our life?

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II.

Ezekiel’s Message To The Nations

!! A.  Who are these nations?

Please turn to Ezekiel 25 and let us examine the message to these nations.

A look at the map will help us realize who these nations were and where they were placed.

We notice that they are all nations which surrounded Israel.

In chapter 25, four nations are addressed.

In 25:1-7 Ammon is addressed.

In 25:8-11 Moab is confronted.

In 25:12-14, God speaks to Edom and in 25:15-17, there is a word to Philistia.

From chapters 26-28, the message is about the city of Tyre.

It includes a prophecy against Tyre and the king of Tyre and a lament for the fall of Tyre.

In chapters 29-32, it is Egypt which is addressed.

Once again, the message is a prophecy against Egypt and against Pharaoh and also a lament for Egypt.

!! B.  What was their relationship to Israel?

What was the relationship of these nations to Israel?

Some of the connections were economic.

The text makes it clear that Tyre was a seafaring nation.

They got goods from many other places because they had a large fleet of ships.

However, their agricultural production was limited and so Israel became Tyre’s breadbasket.

Similar relationships probably existed with the other nations.

Edom had a special relationship with Israel.

The Edomites were the descendants of Esau.

So Israel and Edom were actually relatives.

Over the centuries, however, they had had a rather stormy relationship.

Of course Israel had a very significant relationship with Egypt.

Abraham and Isaac had both gone down to Egypt at one time in their life.

Then during the days of Jacob and his twelve sons, the whole nation went to Egypt and spent 400 years there.

At the end of that, they came out of Egypt as a whole slave nation being released from their slavery.

At that time, God told them that they should not return to Egypt.

So we realize that they were in a relationship with these nations much like Canada and the United States are in a relationship with each other.

!! C.  What was God’s message to them?

What was God’s message to these nations?

Ezekiel 25:3 indicates the guilt of Ammon.

God says to them, “Because you said ‘Aha!’ over my sanctuary when it was desecrated and over the land of Israel when it was laid waste…” They had mocked Israel because of the devastation and God promised that he would punish them.

He said to them in vs. 4, “I am going to give you to the people of the East.”

Ezekiel confronted Moab with its guilt in 25:8 when He accusee them of saying, “Look, the house of Judah has become like all other nations.”

They failed to realize the special relationship Israel had as God’s people and as a result, God promised to punish them.

According to 25:12, Edom had taken revenge on the house of Judah and as a consequence, God promised, “I will lay it waste…” in 25:13.

Philistia “sought to destroy Judah” as we read in 25:15 and as a result God promised in vs. 17, “I will carry out great vengeance on them.”

The guilt of Tyre was similar to that of Ammon because 26:2 also indicates that they said “Aha!

The gate of the nation is broken, and its doors have swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will prosper.”

The guilt of Tyre is also represented by the king of Tyre who says, according to 28:2, “I am a god.”

Because of its guilt, God describes a significant scene of terrible destruction which leave will leave Tyre in utter ruins.

A similar word is given against Egypt in chapter 29.

Egypt thought of itself as self made, but God was against them.

In verse 6, the guilt of Egypt is mentioned as being a nation that Israel turned to, but that never properly supported it.

God also gives a word of condemnation against Egypt.

Although he does not threaten utter destruction, he does indicate that it will come under God’s judgement.

Each of these nations, who could have been a support to Israel when Babylon attacked, mocked them and took advantage of them.

Therefore, God’s judgement was against them.

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III.

God Is Sovereign

The word of warning to these nations is a message of comfort to Israel, especially because of the theme which permeates this whole section.

The underlying message is that the God of Israel is the sovereign Lord of all the earth.

!! A.  The Message Of God’s Sovereignty

!!! 1.    Fulfilled Prophecy

The book Evidence That Demands A Verdict written by Josh McDowell presents some interesting information about how these prophecies were fulfilled.

(p.

285ff.)

In the book McDowell first of all looks at chapter 26 and identifies some specific predictions made against Tyre.

Verse 7 - Nebuchadnezzar will destroy the mainland city of Tyre

            Verse 3 - Many nations against Tyre

            Verse 14 - Make her a bare rock.

Verse 14 - Fishermen will spread nets over the site

            Verse 12 - Throw the debris into the water

            Verse 14 - Never be rebuilt

            Verse 21 - Never to be found again.

Please keep these verses in mind as I share with you what McDowell says about how these prophecies were fulfilled.

Fulfillment:

            Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Tyre three years after this prophecy was made.

Tyre made terms and acknowledged Babylonian control

            Mainland city was destroyed in 573 BC