Ezekiel 22: 1 – 31
Three strikes and you are out!
“1 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Now, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Yes, show her all her abominations! 3 Then say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “The city sheds blood in her own midst, that her time may come; and she makes idols within herself to defile herself. 4 You have become guilty by the blood which you have shed, and have defiled yourself with the idols which you have made. You have caused your days to draw near, and have come to the end of your years; therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all countries. 5 Those near and those far from you will mock you as infamous and full of tumult.6 “Look, the princes of Israel: each one has used his power to shed blood in you. 7 In you they have made light of father and mother; in your midst they have oppressed the stranger; in you they have mistreated the fatherless and the widow. 8 You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths. 9 In you are men who slander to cause bloodshed; in you are those who eat on the mountains; in your midst they commit lewdness. 10 In you men uncover their fathers’ nakedness; in you they violate women who are set apart during their impurity. 11 One commits abomination with his neighbor’s wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; and another in you violates his sister, his father’s daughter. 12 In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take usury and increase; you have made profit from your neighbors by extortion, and have forgotten Me,” says the Lord GOD. 13 “Behold, therefore, I beat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst. 14 Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong, in the days when I shall deal with you? I, the LORD, have spoken, and will do it. 15 I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries, and remove your filthiness completely from you. 16 You shall defile yourself in the sight of the nations; then you shall know that I am the LORD.”’” 17 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 18 “Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; they are all bronze, tin, iron, and lead, in the midst of a furnace; they have become dross from silver. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because you have all become dross, therefore behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20 As men gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the midst of a furnace, to blow fire on it, to melt it; so I will gather you in My anger and in My fury, and I will leave you there and melt you. 21 Yes, I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst. 22 As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, so shall you be melted in its midst; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have poured out My fury on you.’” 23 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 24 “Son of man, say to her: ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.’ 25 The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured people; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. 26 Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. 27 Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain. 28 Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, seeing false visions, and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,’ when the LORD had not spoken. 29 The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger. 30 So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. 31 Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord GOD.”
We are going to look at three separate messages against Jerusalem. All three oracles reveal the horrible sinfulness that was rampant within God’s city.
“1 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Now, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Yes, show her all her abominations!”
When we read in Scripture something repeated twice, our Wonderful Holy Spirit Is doing so to put emphasis on His action. Here Ezekiel is instructed twice to judge his own people. We would use similar verbiage to incite emotions from others. We would say something like, ‘Judge for yourselves’ or ‘go check this out for yourself’ in order to seek another person’s interest, awareness, agreement, and involvement. Our Precious Lord Is telling Ezekiel, ‘Hey, go see for yourself as to how bad the people of Jerusalem have become.’ The whole city was called ‘Bloody’. The word covers a lot of ground. Everywhere blood was a result whether by violence or in secret back rooms where killing was done.
“3 Then say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “The city sheds blood in her own midst, that her time may come; and she makes idols within herself to defile herself. 4 You have become guilty by the blood which you have shed, and have defiled yourself with the idols which you have made. You have caused your days to draw near, and have come to the end of your years; therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all countries.”
The value of life had become meaningless. It was no big deal to kill someone. If you got in an argument, kill the person. If you wanted his new jacket or sneakers, kill him for it. Why should that person have something nicer than what you have? If a guy’s horse and cart ran into you by accident, kill him for his actions. If a person worked hard to obtain some nice things, kill him for them, why should he be richer than you? If you made a woman pregnant because your needs had to be met, kill the baby. Who wants an extra burden to take care of? Take a look at some of these things brought out to us from Scripture.
1 Kings 21: 1 – 16, “1 And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house; and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.”3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “The LORD forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!” 4 So Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food. 5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, “Why is your spirit so sullen that you eat no food?” 6 He said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ And he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” 7 Then Jezebel his wife said to him, “You now exercise authority over Israel! Arise, eat food, and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” 8 And she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth. 9 She wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth with high honor among the people; 10 and seat two men, scoundrels, before him to bear witness against him, saying, “You have blasphemed God and the king.” Then take him out, and stone him, that he may die.11 So the men of his city, the elders and nobles who were inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them. 12 They proclaimed a fast, and seated Naboth with high honor among the people. 13 And two men, scoundrels, came in and sat before him; and the scoundrels witnessed against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth has blasphemed God and the king!” Then they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, so that he died. 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.” 15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” 16 So it was, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
2 Kings 21: 16, “16 Moreover Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides his sin by which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the LORD.”
Jeremiah 38: 4 – 6, “4 Therefore the princes said to the king, “Please, let this man be put to death, for thus he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man does not seek the welfare of this people, but their harm.” 5 Then Zedekiah the king said, “Look, he is in your hand. For the king can do nothing against you.” 6 So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the king’s son, which was in the court of the prison, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire. So Jeremiah sank in the mire”.
Their behavior did not go un-noticed just like our actions are also witnessed. They had ‘caused their days to draw near!’ – Pay day is to day!’ The time of giving account for their actions had come [to their years].
The people have no one to blame but themselves. No more passing the buck. No asking for leniency because they were from a single parent home or some other kind of excuse.
For quite awhile, Israel stood out unique from every other nation. She had a God that was alive and very active in the blessings and protection of its citizens. Then the people turned Jerusalem into an international city. The only true and living God – Yahweh was forsaken and replaced by the pagan deities of other nations. Now, They were like the other countries that they had envied.
“5 Those near and those far from you will mock you as infamous and full of tumult.6 “Look, the princes of Israel: each one has used his power to shed blood in you. 7 In you they have made light of father and mother; in your midst they have oppressed the stranger; in you they have mistreated the fatherless and the widow. 8 You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths.”
We see a very interesting similarity here between the ‘princes of Israel’ and our own ‘governmental leaders’. First of all they got involved in hindering parental rights. They passed laws restricting the authority of the family and parents rights in raising their children. Look at these verses;
Exodus 20: 12, 12 “ Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.”
Leviticus 19: 3, “3 ‘Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.”
Leviticus 20: 9, “9 ‘For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon him.”
They also mistreated some groups while giving favor to others. God cared for strangers as He revealed to us in Leviticus chapter 19, “33 ‘And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. 34 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”
He knew that people from other nations would want to seek out and know about Him They would come to Israel and specifically to Jerusalem to do this. He wanted them to feel welcomed. They were mistreated. You see this battle with our Lord Jesus when He made a whip and drove out the money changers in the book of Mark chapter 11, ”15 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves. 16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. 17 Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’ But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”
Gentiles would come from all parts of the world to learn about and Worship the Holy Yahweh. At the Temple there was a specified court in which the gentiles could worship at. It was in this courtyard that the moneychangers set up their tables and pens for the livestock.
Some groups were being treated more special than others. They received preferential treatment. Look at what James said about this in chapter 1, “9 Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, 10 but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. 11 For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.”
Besides rich people being treated over and above others, the poor and needy were being overlooked or mistreated as chapter 2 of James informs us, “1 My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. 2 For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, 3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” 4 have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? 7 Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called? 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well; 9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do no murder. ”Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. 14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
This was the condition imposed on the people by the leaders. They were not interested in the people they represented but they only cared about their own power, ideology, and control.
“9 In you are men who slander to cause bloodshed; in you are those who eat on the mountains; in your midst they commit lewdness. 10 In you men uncover their fathers’ nakedness; in you they violate women who are set apart during their impurity. 11 One commits abomination with his neighbor’s wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; and another in you violates his sister, his father’s daughter.”
Take a look with me again at the book of Exodus chapter 20. It contains the listing of the Ten Commandments. ““ 1 And God spoke all these words, saying: 2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 “You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. 7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. 8 “ Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. 12 “ Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you. 13 “You shall not murder. 14 “You shall not commit adultery. 15 “You shall not steal. 16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”
The first four covers man respect, loyalty, and love for God. The violation of these against our Holy God by the people of Judah is so evident it needs no further analysis. God gives the next 6 for the benefit of human interaction. We see in verses 6 through 11 of chapter 22 of Ezekiel the people breaking the remaining Commandments. I will give you one then see if you can match up the others, ‘In you are men who slander to cause bloodshed.’ People had brought about the ruin and deaths of others by slander and lies as Exodus 20: 16 says, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.’
Our Lord Is not offended by people having a picnic lunch on the mountains. The worship of idols was performed on the mountains and along with eating and drinking came all types of sexual misbehavior.
“12 In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take usury and increase; you have made profit from your neighbors by extortion, and have forgotten Me,” says the Lord GOD.”
The love of money has always been the root of all evil. Look at some of these references from His Word.
Exodus 23: 8, ““8 And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous.”
Isaiah 1: 23, ““23 Your princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; Everyone loves bribes, and follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, nor does the cause of the widow come before them.”
Amos 5: 12, ““12 For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: Afflicting the just and taking bribes; Diverting the poor from justice at the gate.”
Micah 3: 11, “11 Her heads judge for a bribe, her priests teach for pay, and her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the LORD, and say, “Is not the LORD among us? No harm can come upon us.”
The bankers charged high interest rates from the poor. The needy kept paying by never got out of debt. The Year of Jubilee where all debts were to be released was not being followed either.
The citizens of Jerusalem would have contested the statement made spoken by Ezekiel, ‘and have forgotten Me,” says the Lord GOD.” They were still offering sacrifices at the Temple. However all of this was for show. It was a tourist attraction, that’s all. Our Holy Father was not being loved and respected as He was entitled to be. Look at our Lord Jesus rebuke in Revelation chapter 2, 1 “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.”
13 “Behold, therefore, I beat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst.”
Have you ever been so upset that you just smacked or slapped your hand real hard? It is a lot better than punching a wall. Trust me I know. Two areas of evil are bothering our Lord – crook legal and business dealings and the mistreatment of the poor, needy and defenseless people. In the movie ‘Alf’ we can laugh at the scene when James Cain who played a ruthless children book distributor, is reposing books from a nun because is so out of place. Sadly, this type of evil was the norm.
“14 Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong, in the days when I shall deal with you? I, the LORD, have spoken, and will do it.”
Have you ever-experienced want? I have been to various parts of the world where people are just trying to figure out where they could find something to eat. I was in Romania right after their Revolution. Food was nowhere to be found especially since it was in the winter. . All the store selves were empty. I witnessed a line 30 deep with people trying to buy rotten apples. I remember after I arrived home I went to the supermarket. I cried when I walked around the store and saw all the bounty. Food and products were falling off the tables and shelves. One lady I felt like smacking because she was giving a deli clerk a hard time because her lunchmeat was not thin enough.
Do you think you can weather a hard time? I remember when we had the toilet paper, sugar, and gasoline shortage. Believe me, it was not a fun experience to go through or witness brotherly love.
“15 I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries, and remove your filthiness completely from you. 16 You shall defile yourself in the sight of the nations; then you shall know that I am the LORD.”’”
If you keep on wanting something contrary to God’s Will, you might just get your wish. The people of Israel rejected their Holy Loving God for worthless idols. So, God Is going to give them what they want. He Is going to send them off to foreign lands where they can worship these phony gods. Our Lord instructs us to do similar when we have a friend or love one persist in seeking evil. We are to turn them over to do their heart’s content as the Apostle Paul instructs us in 1 Corinthians chapter 5, “ 1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”
The purpose of all this was to win them back. After facing the filth of their sinfulness and the humiliating experiences that they had ‘profaned’ themselves Hopefully, since they still had breath in them they would repent and come back to their Loving Father.
“7 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 18 “Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; they are all bronze, tin, iron, and lead, in the midst of a furnace; they have become dross from silver.”
We now come upon the second portion of this chapter. Our Holy God Is now comparing the occupants of Jerusalem as dross. We read about the valuable metals listed in these two verses. When you put metals in a pot of boiling water, the scum that surface to the top of the pot is dross. This film contains all the impurities of the metals. Dross is worthless. It is skimmed off and discarded.
You will see brass, tin, iron, and lead mentioned. Then uniquely we read included a precious metal – silver. Do not think that there is any relationship of the lesser metals to the more rare and expensive metal. The significance is that the dross is dross no matter what the metal is. It is all useless and worthless.
“19 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because you have all become dross, therefore behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20 As men gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the midst of a furnace, to blow fire on it, to melt it; so I will gather you in My anger and in My fury, and I will leave you there and melt you. 21 Yes, I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst. 22 As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, so shall you be melted in its midst; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have poured out My fury on you.’”
Picture the situation with me. If you lived outside of Jerusalem and gazed into the distance and saw this huge army coming toward you, what would you do? The best idea would be to flee into the wilderness or to some area away from the city. However, our natural instinct would be to flee to the city where you might seek protection behind its gates and walls. Look at what our Lord says, ‘I will scatter you into the midst of Jerusalem.’ Once you are there in the city you are trapped like being in a kettle.
“23 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 24 “Son of man, say to her: ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.’
Now we come to the third oracle. Here our Lord is going to speak about every single person that is living in Judah. No one is exempted. Evil is totally rampant throughout the whole country. He describes everyone by using 4 categories of ‘P’s’ – Prophets, priests, princes, and people.
The first shot across the bow of the ship of state was the withholding of rain. As you know God by using too much water destroyed the world. Genesis chapter 7 says this, “4 For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.” The withholding of rain can also be used against man. Would we ever stop and think about the pure balance our Holy God performs for us. Just think, if the sun was a little closer or further away, we would either burn or freeze to death. Come liet us worship the Lord our Maker.
Isaiah 5: 6 we read, “6 I will lay it waste; It shall not be pruned or dug, but there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it.”
Zechariah 14: 17 says, “17 And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain.”
I treat my car very well. If there is an upcoming rain storm in the near future, I dump some buckets of soapy water on it and the rains give it a bath. This is my lazy man’s car wash. The rain was the life giving source to the land as well – no rain equals no life! When rain falls it washes off the dirt and filth. Freshness results.
“25 The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured people; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst.”
Let me say this about religious reverends, pastors, and priests. They can devour you just as quickly as a roaring lion. The only difference is that you are still breathing after they do you in. We read about them from our Lord Jesus Christ. Look at these passages from the Scriptures;
Revelation 2: 15, 15 Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.”
This is not one of the popular cable TV shows. Check this out for yourselves. The word means black faced or black dressed. These false priests/prophets killed our babies. The smoke from the burning infants darkened the faces. Also, they wore black robes. Have you ever thought to yourself, ‘what’s with the black silk shirts and white cardboard collars? These men and women want to walk around so you can know that they are special people. You want to show me something special, follow what our Lord says to us in Matthew chapter 7, 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Since I am on a roll, let me ask just one more question. How come they want these special titles like Father or Reverend or Master? When I obtained a Master’s Degree from college, I felt funny because of its term. Look at this passage in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 23, “9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Look at verse 25 again from this chapter of Ezekiel. See the word ‘conspiracy’. These religious phonies formed their own council of churches or interdenominational groups. What was their main purpose? To devour God’s sheep as any proper lion would. I was going to say they formed their own ‘Lion’s Club’ but I won’t. Opps, I just did.
These religious hypocrites steal the sheep’s treasures and precious things. They owned the graveyards and performed the service for those who lost love ones. For a good hefty fee they will take care of all your family needs – from the cradle to the grave.
“ 26 Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.”
The priests/pastors have ‘done violence to My Law.’ They have done this by repressing the Word. They gave new theological meanings or taught that the word does not mean what it says [treating it lightly] People could not come to understand what was right or wrong or what is clean or unclean. They added or subtracted from God’s Holy Word. They gave worthless sermons on social issues. They treated the Holy Word as common stories. Look at what our Holy Lord says about His Word;
John 1: 1, 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John 17, “ 1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. 6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. 8 For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. 9 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 12 While I was with them in the world,[c] I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept;[d] and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. 20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will[e] believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Hebrews 4: 12, “12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Revelation 22: 18 – 19, “18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
Before you coming running to sign up to be a priest or pastor – think twice. To whom much is given, much more will be required from our Holy Lord.
“27 Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain.”
The government leaders should dress up each Halloween with werewolf outfits. A lion because of its strength comes out and pounces. Wolves on the other hand do some things a little different. They are successful in their killing by utilizing the pack mentality. They cling to their political party cronies and attack or vote as a power block instead of for the people they represent. They are also more slick and sneaky than lions. Here we get laws passed in secret and they pounce on the innocent in various ways.
28 Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, seeing false visions, and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,’ when the LORD had not spoken.”
The religious phonies were in cahoots with the government leaders. They got behind awful legislation to trick the people. When a leader did something to hurt or disgrace the public, the right reverend so ans so went on his pulpit to defend the corrupt politician. ‘Let us all forgive and forget’ would be their message. Sure, we need to forgive but we also need to throw the bums out the door.
“29 The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger.”
They loved to rip each other off including the rest of the people in their pyramid schemes. In turn the local citizens oppressed and swindled those that they interacted with. Strangers paid the extra amount on all goods and services. One time in the middle of Siberia our missionary group from the good old US of A wanted to buy flowers and gifts for our interpreters. The local charged us more because they had seen us rich Americans on their TV’s the night before.
”30 So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. “
My heart sinks on this passage. I cry out ‘Lord, please let me be the one’. But I know the reality and truth of His Holy Word – ‘I found none!’ Thank God for our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. He became a man and He Is the One God/Man Whom our Father found to stand in the gap. Look at what happened when the apostle John was taken into heaven and viewed the ‘title deed of the earth’ as shown in Revelation chapter 5,
“1 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” 6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: “ You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.” 11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice: “ Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “ Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!”14 Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four[h] elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.”
31 Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord GOD.”
Jeremiah was still in the land as God’s representative. However, he was labeled as a traitor. Therefore, there was no one in a recognized leadership position influential enough to make a difference and serve as an intercessor. How about you? Are you willing to raise your hand and say like the prophet Isaiah, ‘Lord, choose me!’ Think about it.
