Sermon Tone Analysis

! Danger!

Bridge Out!

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!! Ezek.

22:23-31

* *

*Introduction:*  Let’s take a moment to set the context for our passage.

It is the time of the last kings of Judah.

King Josiah had tried to institute reforms in the land but by this time the idolatry of the people ran too deep.

Josiah fell in battle in the Valley of Megiddo, and his successors, one after the other, plunged Judah deeper into sin.

In 605 B. C. Babylon, led by Nebuchadnezzar, began the conquest of Jerusalem and the mass deportation of captives, among them Daniel . . .

Seven years later he returned and laid siege to Jerusalem again.

Several months into the siege Jerusalem fell and Nebuchadnezzar took possession.

This time he took captive the king and about 10,000 Jews.

One of these captives was a 25-year-old priest-in-training named Ezekiel.

The Jewish captives were settled into colonies in the Babylonian Empire.

Ezekiel and his wife lived in a house in Tel-abib along the bank of the Chebar River, probably SE of Babylon.

Five years into the captivity he received the first of many prophetic visions, calling him into the ministry of prophet as well as priest (*Ezek.

**1:1-3*)

 

Both Ezekiel and his contemporary, Jeremiah, had to contend with false prophets who prophesied a speedy return to Jerusalem.

Judah, “having itching ears” followed the false prophets and rejected Ezekiel’s message.

*Jerem.

6:14* sums up their frustration: /“They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.”/

Eventually, the final destruction and captivity of Jerusalem silenced the false prophets.

Chapter 32 is a turning point in the book, when the refugees come from Jerusalem and the hope of a speedy return is crushed.

Now that the people will listen, Ezekiel’s message becomes one of repentance and then restoration.

Ezekiel deals with several theological themes:

 

            *1.*

The holiness and sovereignty of God  *Ezek.

**1:26-28*; *Ezek.

**43:7*

 

            *2.*

God’s purpose in making known His glory  *Ezek.

**7:4*

 

- The phrase “know that I am the LORD” appears 64 times in the book.

*3.*

Individual accountability before God  *Ezek.

**18:2-4*, *20*, *24*, *32*

 

            *4.*

The promise of the restoration of Israel during the reign of Messiah.

 

- From chapter 40 through the end of the book a detailed plan is laid out for a new temple, new priestly worship, and new portions for the tribes.

/Don’t spiritualize this!!  /It is a LITERAL restoration of LITERAL Israel.

~* All of these themes combine to color our text.

*• vs. 23-24a:*  “And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, say unto her . .

.”

 

~* God calls Ezekiel, “Son of man” over 90 times.

The only other prophet He addresses this way is Daniel, and then only once.

It’s really a special way that God referred to Ezekiel.

Later, Jesus would refer to Himself by that title some 80 times.

- So, unless we are to accept the statements of some commentators that this is just a common Chaldean figure of speech, there is /something/ about Ezekiel’s ministry and message that is meant to be brought to mind as we see Jesus’ ministry.

There is a strong link between our text and the ministry of Jesus as the Representative Man.  *Ezek.

**3:4-7*

 

- Ezekiel is about to proclaim a message he has received from the Lord to Jerusalem (“her”).

This is going to give us direct insight into God’s point-of-view.

Look at this as a Divine “State of the Union” address:

 

*  I.*

The depths of wickedness  *vs.

24-29*

* *

*• v. 24:*  “Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation.”

- God describes Israel as a blighted land.

Why?

 

- There is corruption at every level.

God is about to give a comprehensive list of indictments against every sector of Jewish society:

 

*  A.*

The politicians were power-mad.

(*v.

25*)

 

~* Notice the key word:  “/her/ prophets”.

These were not sent by God.

They belonged to idolatrous Jerusalem.

- When you look at the description of what they did, “ravening the prey,” “devouring souls” and taking “the treasure and precious things,” you see a portrait of people abusing power.

- These were probably false prophets who were political advisors to the king.

~* Out of desire for power and riches the false prophets had incited Zedekiah into rebellion against Babylon.

The conflict left many widows.

*2 Chron.

36:11-13*, *17*

 

*B.*

The priests were profane.

(*v.

26*)

 

~* The priests had allowed idolatrous people to steer nation away from God’s Word, and into filthy paganism.

*2 Chron.

36:14*, *Lev.

10:8-10*

 

- The priests were to be /holy/, separate . . .

/different/.

One of the reasons was so that the people would recognize that God was not “just one of them”;  He is high, holy, exalted.

- Because /God/ is holy, His people, those who bear His name, are to be holy.

*Lev.

19:2**, 1 Pet.

1:13-16*

 

*C.*

The princes were predatory.

(*v.

27*)

 

~* Those who should have been seeking Judah’s greatest good, and concerning themselves with this, were instead seeking only what brought them the greatest gain.

*D.*

The prophets were pretentious.

(*v.

28*)

 

- They were prepared to say whatever was necessary to win prestige and position.

The king would set up his plans, and they would add their empty blessing, like “daubing untempered mortar” on a wall.

*Ezek.

13:3-10*

 

*E.*

The people were profit-mongers.

(*v.

29*)

 

- This is trickle-down corruption.

- The people were characterized by a readiness to step on anyone who got in the way of personal gain, even if it meant crushing the helpless.

~* Notice how over and over again the imagery of these wicked people’s actions likens them to beasts.

Sin will reduce you to an animal.

*2 Pet.

2:18-22*

 

- *1 Cor.

2:14* – the idea of the Greek word for “natural” man is a man who chases his senses, who follows his nose.

A classic example of this is road kill.

An animal followed its nose, and got run over.

* *

- In fact, the French Bible translates the phrase “the natural man” /l’homme animal/ – “the animal man”.

~* Get the picture:  those in power cared nothing for the people they were supposed to govern, they only wanted more power; the religious leaders had sold out for worldly popularity; and the people were crazed beasts in pursuit of self-fulfillment.

Sound familiar?

Don’t worry – it gets worse.

*II.*

The divide of wickedness  *v.