My friend posted this drawing and got me to look at Ezekiel 11. Ezekiel and Jeremiah are my favorite prophets. Last year we found a really good method for reading through the Bible chronologically and for me it was like it all the stories fell into place creating a picture of how much God loves us…and how far and fast we run from Him.
So what is God saying to us–to me today? Have we, in the western world, America especially, forsaken Him and put our trust in ourselves, our might, our strength–have we forgotten where our success and strength really come from? Do we really believe God won’t withdraw His divine protection from our country?
We wrap ourselves in the flag, trading our trust in the one true God for a national Christianity, believing that all is well, we’re good, nothing is wrong. As long as most of us are prospering in worldly pursuits, God must be “blessing” us, right?
But are we listening to the right voices? Or, instead do we just want to hear what makes us feel good about ourselves, leaving us to do our own thing.
I guess to me what was going on in Ezekiel and Jeremiah’s day reminds me of our society today…
Ezekiel 11:1-3 Moreover, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the LORD’S house which faced eastward. And behold, there were twenty-five men at the entrance of the gate, and among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. (2) He said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give evil advice in this city, (3) who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This city is the pot and we are the flesh.’
Ezekiel was in captivity for about four years, before he started his prophetic career. The false prophets were telling the people in captivity in Babylon and those still left in Jerusalem, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This city is the pot and we are the flesh.’ I had to read and re-read this verse and then read all the back-ground to get what was going on. These false prophet’s sneering and derision is aimed at Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Jeremiah had sent a letter to the exiles saying “‘Thus says the Lord of Hosts’ ‘Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce.” Jeremiah 29:5
God sent His messengers again and again to His people, because He had compassion for them. Jeremiah and Ezekiel being two of the last before Jerusalem fell, “but they continually mocked the messengers, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets.” 2 Chronicles 36:15 Throughout Israel’s kingdom period you can find examples of the people mocking God’s messengers while at the same time going after the false prophets. It seems that has been the problem for God’s people since the beginning—”…but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires…” 2 Timothy 4:3-4
When Ezekiel is “lifted up and brought” to Jerusalem, the city has been besieged, burned and the Temple sacked by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. Zedekiah is the last king of Judah to actually reign in Jerusalem before the complete fall of the city. His sons have been slaughtered in front of him and then his eyes were gouged out, fulfilling a prophecy of Ezekiel 12:13. The poorest of the land had been left by Nebuchadnezzar to be vinedressers and plowmen. And instead of repenting and turning back to God the people still listen to their civil “leaders” that are “devising iniquity and giving evil advice.”
These men were secular princes of the twelve tribe-princes (princes of the nation) and the twelve royal officers, or military commanders (1 Chronicles 27), with the king himself, or possibly with the commander-in-chief of the army; so that these twenty-five men represent the civil government of Israel, just as the twenty-four priest-princes, together with the high priest, represent the spiritual authorities of the covenant nation. Keil & Delitzsch
Even though they are not priests they still have an obligation to God and His people, they had been entrusted with God’s authority to govern justly (Deuteronomy 17:12 & Romans 13:1-2). Even in the face of all that had happened, they continued to lie to the people—who continued to believe them.
“Gedaliah swore to them and their men and said to them, “Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans; live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.”!
The second half of the verse, ‘This city is the pot and we are the flesh,’ is more scoffing at the prophets of God.
So the comparison of the pot and flesh is that a pot protects the flesh from burning, so does the city of Jerusalem protect them from destruction. This saying expresses not only false confidence in the strength of Jerusalem, but also contempt and scorn of the predictions of the prophets sent by God. Ezekiel is therefore to prophesy, as he does in Ezekiel 11:5-12, against this pernicious counsel, which is confirming the people in their sins. Keil & Delitzsch
Are we listening to the mockers of God…or are we listening to those that speak the truth of Jehovah?
I love it when you tie Romans to Deuteronomy, It makes me feel like there is still some order to the world. :o}