Sermon Tone Analysis

Second part of 4 and 5

Abnormal conditions .. lose homeland, city, temple and be captives driven into the land of the enemy… everything is changing, has changed and will yet change more for those still in jerusaem

The hair symbolizes the people

this is what is coming

Those in Jerusalem think the puppet government is bad … but no …it is not going back to normal, God isn’t done yet….

All of the things Zeke has done is to freak them out and get their attentions

Also Zeke is doing things priests cannot do, …

It is a dark picture, but there is a little hair left, some will go back to the Land..a remnant will be saved; after judgement there is a chance to return but only a remnant..

The divine council thing shows up since God uses other divine beings in the role of judgment, the first born death looks to be the Angel of the Lord, (Jesus) for example,

But we have a phrase we just read – arrows are associated with famine, death and siege violence, yes, but why famine?

No obvious connection for us, But if you were an Israelite … let’s go to another passage ….

The key term here is

Respeph

This is a deity name …also a plague, but that comes with the deity

Hunger is raab

Plague is resheph

Pestilence is keteb

Behemoth

Key terms here raab, famine, resheph plague, keteb pestilence and destruction

In texts like Habakkuk 3, Job 5, Psalm 76 … these names follow God in Judgment

We have translated deity names that have these effects to the effects only and that is a problem,

All of these are names …

The council, which is odd, is all over the OT – Dan. 4, and 7; 1 Kings 22 ect

There is a litany in these chapters 9 sign acts pointed to Jerusalem and destruction by the judgment of God, Zeke has to tell them but they are accountable for their sin, some of the exiles may have been thinking at least my friends and family at home are okay – not so much, all of us are getting hit, maybe we should listen and repent because each of us contributed to this judgement there will be a remnant, repent and be a part, but that is pretty rare in the case of prophets, Jeremiah had one.

This continues until Jerusalem is destroyed…

Angry at rebellion… sin is more than mistakes, it is rebellion and adultery to God

There is no sacrifice for these sins at the time, God is angry, makes sense, In Deut 26 and 29 there are lists of blessings and cursings… the prophet is here to give a heads up, lose your loyalty this happens

God says I will make you a harlot … you will know the dark side of me…

We need to be more accepting of the supernatural …it is around us and we have taught people to ignore it - -but God is supernatural …