It's not fair
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4 ways to misunderstand God
4 ways to misunderstand God
PRAY 1
Chapter 33 is a major turning point in the book of Ezekiel.
After that great vision of the glory of God
1 - 1-9 and 12-22 - Denial
1 - 1-9 and 12-22 - Denial
that Ezekiel experienced back in chapter 1,
he was commissioned as a watchman for God people.
He was told he would not be able to speak his own words,
He was told he would not be able to speak his own words, only the words God specifically gave him to say.
only the words God specifically gave him to say.
And so it has been for 10 years.
10 years is a long time not to speak - for some of us more than others!
During that time God has given him
many hard prophesies to share
with the exiles who are with him in Babylon.
And becasue he could only speak God’s words,
he wouldn’t be able to pursued and plead with his listeners.
And it’s fair to say, his listeners were not keen to believe what he was saying.
The most traumatic prophesy was that their home city of Jerusalem would one day fall.
It seems reasonable to conclude that God
didn’t want him to be able to speak his own words
as a demonstration of how deaf the people would be to God’s message.
As if to say, you will not be able to plead with them to listen, beg them, pray for them. They will simply have to hear the messages of judgemnt and chooses either to listen or not. Leave it at that.
In fact he was told right back in chapter 3v7-8
But the house of Israel is not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for the whole house of Israel is hardened and obstinate. But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are.
What a mission he had!
All those weird and slightly crazed charade type demonstrations
,that Ezekiel did, must have alienated him even further.
To almost mock them for their refusal to listen.
So why is chapter 33 such a turning point?
Well,
becasue today,
Today - Ezekiel is to be proved absolutely spot on in his prophesies!
the first ‘survivor’ from Jerusalem will arrive in Babylon.
More than 2 years after the fall of Jerusalem was prophesied by Ezekiel
and 5 months since Ezekiel had announced that ‘that was the day’ that the siege had begun back in chapter 24.
I expect some news had reached them earlier about Jerusalem,
but only through Babylonian messangers, the enemy.
They would say it had fallen just to demoralise them.
But today 33v21
In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month on the fifth day, a man who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has fallen!”
On the 10th June 1940 the French government left Paris for the safety of the Alps,
in fear that the Nazi’s may take the city.
But they must have hoped beyond hope that the armies would hold them off.
Can you imagine the dread and terror they must have felt when just 4 days later
those same words must have been relayed to them that we read in Ezekiel.
‘The City has fallen’
And hope had gone with it!
But while the actual news of the fall of Jerusalem was so devastating,
it does mean something very significant has to be realised in chapter 33.
Ezekiel could no longer be dismissed as a crazed lunatic.
What he had prophesied, had come true!
He was a true prophet of God!
Everything he has been saying
now comes with a massive scaling up
of significance and authority.
Now his listeners have to do something about it.
“As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the Lord.’
But as we’ll see, simply now knowing about God’s,
eze 33
is not the same as following God.
We’re going to uses this chapter to consider ‘4 ways to misunderstand God’
1 - It justifies the watchman for his words of judgement. He was right to say what he said.
2 -
The way in which they expressed themselves as a nation to Go
Doen’t mean don’t talk to me when you don’t like it - it does mean you must consider it carefully from the scriptures - not from your emotional responce.
1 - ‘God would never do that!’ v1-9
1 - ‘God would never do that!’ v1-9
DOes mean I must not strive to be popular and ‘in’ but simply truthful and with an audiance of 1.
Verse 1-9 we’ve sort of covered already,
it simply spends time justify that Ezekiel is a real prophet, and justifies all his words and actions. v7-9
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will be saved yourself.
eve 33 7-9
If Ezekiel hadn’t been faithful to God and warned the people,
then he himself would have been accountable for their rejection of God.
He’d have been as bad as them.
And their attitude is not dissimilar to that which exists today.
It’s expressed in different ways,
depending on how holy one is trying to be about things,
but it goes anywhere along the lines from:
“I can’t believe in the God of the bible,
becasue he wouldn’t say I’m as bad as you seem to be saying,
or
if he was a good God he wouldn’t allow suffering.”
And it goes all the way up to the holy excuses that says things like:
“God was a God of judgement and wrath in the OT but one of grace and love for all in the new”
or
“ I believe in the gospel, but God wouldn’t actually allow anyone to go to hell, at least not eternally”
God would just never do that!
The exiles with Ezekiel refused to accept the truth of God’s word
given through his prophet
because the God in their head - didn’t fit with the one revealing himself to them.
But the lessons from these first 9 verses are this:
We must not dismiss anything from the bible (God’s word today)
simply becasue it does not fit with what’s in our head.
Simply becasue we don’t think God would want that or do that.
Because what we’ll actually find is
that however uncomfortable it may seem to us,
there is a God of grace and love at work in His Word. Old and New Testament!
It’s a truth the Israelites were not prepared to hear,
and even now,
with proof that Ezekiel was truly speaking the Word of God,
they still misunderstood God!.
So let’s look at those next 3 now:
2 - ‘It’s too hard’ v10-20
2 - ‘It’s too hard’ v10-20
v10 to 20 are very interesting.
Up until this point,
the people had basically refused to acknowledge
any real sense of guilt before God.
So on first reading, v10 seems very positive:
“Son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offences and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?” ’
Finally,
they have heard that God cannot accept a rebellious people!
He is too righteous, perfectly just in his majesty.
It sounds like just the right place we all need to be before God before we become Christians,
But they
so we too can ask the question: How can we live?
We recognise that we are never going to be fit for God’s standard in our own strength.
Perhaps even as Christians as we feel the conviction of sin in our lives, and struggle to find a way to change,
we might cry out these very words
“Our offences and sins weigh us down,
and we are wasting away because of them.
How then can we live?”
In fact I think these are very good lines to say in confession to God.
In fact I hope we do often
But only if said the right way.
It is clear from God’s responce to them and what they say later that there is a sense of angre at God ‘It’s just too hard’.
The question is asked ‘How then can we live?’ Not as a cry to the great mercy of God, but more of an accusation towards him!
‘How then can we live?’
Is not as a cry to the great mercy of God,
but more of an accusation towards him!
“How then can we live - this is too much. You’re standards are too high, your expectations beyond reach. Forget it!”
Clearly they are at their wits-end,
I’m not suggesting they have not recognised their failure before God,
and it sounds as if they believe He really is God.
But they are still looking inwardly at themselves.
-
Rather than outwardly and asking God to save and change them in his mercy:
It is simple says God in v11
Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?’
God is not looking for perfection!
If he were then they would be right! We just can’t do it!
He is looking for a heart that is inclined to his!
And yes, that in turn will impact our behaviour.
But it is not perfection that saves us, it is turning to God.
God goes on to give the example of a man who steals money
but is then warned that his wrong doing shows he has sin at his heart
- sin being a turning of our backs on God.
But on being warned he turns/repents back to God
- and proof of that is that he does what is right, which is to return the money.
and then v16
None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live.
exe 33 16
So if you feel defeated by sin in your life,
then you are right to come in humility before the Lord,
but we cannot base our salvation on our actions.
We must base our actions on our salvation.
The Israelites are saying - we cannot be saved becasue we are actions are so bad.
What we should say is, Please save us - so that our actions can improve.
If you struggle with unkind gossip,
then do not think that by conquering it you will have earned a little bit of your salvation -
as if You require slightly less of Jesus’s death becasue of your good work...
If you constantly think like that,
then you are in danger of thinking God’s standards are too hard and he is unjust.
But instead think, God has saved me fully and freely despite my gossip!
Now I can fill my speech with His wonderful love.
That is worth gossiping about!
Or if you find lust is a problem,
especially as the summer approaches and half-dressed women women wonder the streets,
then fill your eyes with the far more significant beauty of Jesus and His love for you,
BECAUSE HE’S SAVED YOU - not so that he saves you!
And so our applications could go on.
But needless to say,
the way to fill our mouths, eyes and hearts with our free salvation in Jesus -
is by reading and listening to the word of God, the bible,
and seeing Jesus on every page.
Seeing a greater vision of Jesus, our salvation,
is the only way to incline our hearts to God
and find the pure motivation for obedient lives.
3 - v23-29 - ‘Self-help bible’
3 - v23-29 - ‘Self-help bible’
The Book of Ezekiel, Chapters 25–48 2. The Prophet’s Response (33:25–29)
The privilege of being a son or daughter of Abraham must be accompanied by a commitment to walk before the Lord and to be blameless in one’s conduct.
Verse 23 to 29 are sad.
Some of the Israelites back in Jerusalem have survived the onslaught of the Babylonian invasion.
And they are all too quick to claim the blessings of God’s promises for themselves.
We’ve survived, we’re the remnant!
We have won!
We are the special ones of God, we are great! v24
“Son of man, the people living in those ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many; surely the land has been given to us as our possession.’
Then the word of the Lord came to me:
eze 33 34
But let’s be clear - sucess, or survival do not qualify you for any longterm belssings from God.
We’ve already discussed that repentant turning to him does.
Look at God’s assessment of them: v25-26
Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you eat meat with the blood still in it and look to your idols and shed blood, should you then possess the land? You rely on your sword, you do detestable things, and each of you defiles his neighbour’s wife. Should you then possess the land?’
They have heard the promises of God,
Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you eat meat with the blood still in it and look to your idols and shed blood, should you then possess the land?
taken the bits they like,
applied it to themselves
and used it to justify what they are doing.
It’s the same
“Abraham managed it, and he was one guy! We can do it too!”
No, actually Abraham accepted the promise for the future of Israel as a free gift from God
- accepting it by faith, not works.
But he proved he had faith, by his works.
By doing the right thing.
But these guys just did whatever they liked
and used the bible as a self-help manual.
The number of people I have heard quote Jer 29v11 as a self-help verse is painful.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
His salvation impacted his act
I can be rich and successful, it’s all about me.
I can do it, I can fight for it, It’s promised in the bible.
There is never any mention of context,
or how Jesus fits into that promise.
And absolutely never a reference to the next 2 verses...
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
I dont know how you read the bible,
but we need to be careful of a ‘self-help bible’ manual.
Perhaps these 2 simple considerations will help us as we read it:
1 - The bible is not all about you!
2 - The bible is all about Jesus!
Look for Jesus on every page,
look for the salvation he gives freely.
It is then that we can incline our hearts to him,
and we will find a greater vision and motivation for our actions.
Jesus centred, not self-centred bible.
Finally then:
4 - v30-33 - Lip Service.
4 - v30-33 - Lip Service.
Ezekiel has finally found great popularity among his people.
What he has prophesied has come true!
It’s a mixed blessing of course.
Ezekiel didn't want his words from God to be true anymore that his listeners!
But,, at least they are now coming to listen! v30
“As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the Lord.’
Not only that but Ezekiel is also now able to speak again -
“As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the Lord.’
God has freed his tongue with the news of Jerusalem falling in v22
This is every preachers dream!
“Sam’s preaching this Sunday - come and hear what the Lord has to say”
A people eager to hear from the Lord, learn his desire for the church!
But enthusiasm doesn’t mean you’re a Christian. v31-32
My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.
eze 33
We need to be sure that the bible, God’s Word, is not mere enetertainment.
Like a concert or a play.
Something that makes us feel good and feel like we are part of something.
But then go and do nothing about it.
Let’s not kid ourselevs that we are all guilty of this at times.
The Word of God should change us.
We should hear it,
be convinced of our glorious salvation found in Christ
and then go out and practice what we’ve heard.
We should turn from our evil ways and live in God’s way, becasue he’s saved us freely.
But, Can I tell you how demoralising it is to say something from the bible in a sermon,
be told by someone how helpful they found it,
and then to see that it had no impact on that area of their life.
I’ve no doubt that I have done the same thing to preachers I have listened to in the past.
So, what are we going to do about it?
We are going to seek a better vision of our salvation found in Jesus,
so that our actions follow suit in response.
For Ezekiel’s hearers they know nothing of Jesus yet,
but they were still misunderstanding God.
They didn’t want to believe God was who he said he was/
They thought they had to save themsleves
The thought that God’s promises where a self-help manual
And they thought that lip service was enough.
When all along, all God desired, was that they would incline their hearts to him.
Turn, repent.
And he would save.
And then they would be able to do nothing other than change in joyful response.
If our lives aren’t changing to be more obedient to God,
then we haven’t spent enough time looking at Jesus,
and considering his great love and salvation.
Just like the Isrealites - we think it’s our job to please God, rather than our job to accept
Just like the Israelites who didn’t realise turning to God was the only answer
- they thought they had to fix it - instead of letting God fix them.
If you don’t follow Jesus,
then today is the day to see Him for who he is.
He stands before you,
arms open wide offering you the free gift of salvation.
Just like God was trying to get into the heads of the Israelites.
Come to me - I don’t desire anyone to die! I’m right here, just turn to me.
And if you do follow Jesus,
but find yourself slipping into the
‘It’s too hard, self-help or Lip service categories’,
then let’s fill our minds afresh with the glory of God
- that is shown in his free offer of salvation in Jesus!
Actions don’t affect our salvation
our actions will follow suit as we rejoice in him!
Salvation affects our actions.
Let’s pray 1
esire to even see the wicked to suffer.
What is the point?
What is the point?
Ezekeile’s lips are opened, all earthly hope has gone. There is one thing left. Tp turn to God in humilty, reject all that misunderstands him, and trust that he is a wonderfully, loving, restoring and faithful God, who does not desire to even see the wicked to suffer.
But rather that we turn to him and enjoy him forever.