Theme: Three Faithful Men
Text: Ezekiel 14:12-23
Greetings
The Lord is good; His love endures forever. Last week we have seen about the Kingdom of Truth, and Truth will set you free. In the morning we meditated on the theme of Worship in Truth.
Now we will mediate on Three Faithful Men mentioned by Prophet Ezekiel based on the Bible passage Ezekiel 14:12-23. I would like to leave you three deep thoughts with you this evening.
Four Dreadful Judgements of God
Three faithful men, and
The only way to Life is Repentance
1. FOUR DREADFUL JUDGEMENTS
Prophet Ezekiel brought the word of the Lord to his hearers and lists the dreadful judgments of God over a land: God Cuts off Food Supply – Famine (Ezekiel 14:12-14), He sends the Beasts to desolate the country – Barrenness (Ezekiel 14:15-16), he allows the war between the kings or Sword against a Country – Battle (Ezekiel 14:17-18), and sends the Plague into the land - Pestilence (Ezekiel 14:19-20).
The prophetic messages found in Ezekiel's 12th to 19th Chapters are occurring over one year, the predictions were given five years before the fall of Jerusalem. The defeat and destruction of Jerusalem were inevitable yet, people were still not ready to believe Ezekiel's prophecy (ref: preceptaustin.org).
But we knew that the dreadful judgements came upon the nation of Israel and Judah. People were busy doing their daily mundane routine activities. They did not realise until the flood came and swiped away during the time of Noah. The same way events are happening in our days. (Matthew 24:37-39).
God explains to us through prophet Ezekiel how he punishes the human race and the creation. Famine, war, and animals intruding on the habitations may neither affect everyone nor have felt. The severity of Judgement has only understood by kings, rulers, and people only when individuals are affected by it.
God punishes the globe when it goes against the will of God. Only the pestilence brings the fear of death, the seriousness of the judgment. God uses deadly diseases to judge nations (Ezekiel 14:19).
In 2 Chronicles 36:15-16, we see that after giving continual warnings year after year, God has left with no other remedy except punishment through Sword of the enemy. Jonah 3:10, 4:2, and 4:11 show God always prefers saving nations instead of punishing them (Jonah 1:1-2).
One unavoidable truth in all these dreadful judgments is that it affects everyone, just and the unjust, good and bad people alike. It passes through all. All affected and go through a terrible situation. All are flesh, and all are susceptible to sickness, ailment, and death. Being faithful and truthful till the end is counted as a Blessing.
Jesus explained this situation in Luke 13:1-5 that the disaster and diseases are overpowered everyone despite a believer and non-believer in Christ. Jesus continued his teaching to emphasize to be faithful and fruitful in our individual life. (Luke 13:6-9).
Let us now move on to learn about the three faithful men mentioned in this passage.
2. THREE FAITHFUL MEN
Noah – Noah was a pre-historic man. He lived before the flood. Noah was the father of all nations after the flood or in the historical era.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time (Genesis 6:9). The earth was full of violence, living was corrupt, and all the people had corrupted their ways (Genesis 6:11). God told Noah that he would bring the flood on the earth, and all lives will be wiped out from the face of the earth. But he would save his sons and their wives with his wife irrespective of their character and righteousness (Genesis 6:18). Noah was an embodiment of Obedience to God.
Daniel – Daniel was born in a royal family of Jews in the promised land of Canaan and carried as an expatriate to Babylon (Daniel 1:3-4). He was a young man without physical defect, handsome, shown an aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the Palace (Daniel 1:4). He was a man of principles (Daniel 1:8), a man of prayer, prayed three times a day and fasted for three weeks (Daniel 6:10,13, Daniel 2:17-19, Daniel 10:2-30).
Daniel was so distinguished among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities (Daniel 6:3). No one could find any corruption in him, and he was trustworthy. Daniel was neither corrupt nor negligent in his duties (Daniel 6:4). Daniel was innocent before God and King (Daniel 6:22).
A man highly esteemed by God (Daniel 10:19). However, nowhere mentioned that he was married and had sons and daughters. But Ezekiel recorded that Daniel had Sons and daughters. He stood as an embodiment of a Truthful servant.
Job- He lived in the land of Uz. Mr Job was a blameless and upright man, and he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters (Job 1:1-2). Even at the great loss of his Herd, death of his sons and daughters he fell to the ground and worshipped God. He said, ‘the Lord gave it and he took it. Praise be to His name. He did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing (Job 1:20-22).
God attested twice about his character as Blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil (Job 1:8, 2:3) and held his integrity at the worst situation in Life (Job 2:3). He spoke of what is right in midst of calamities and losses (Genesis 42:7). He became an embodiment of patience and integrity.
Three of them were unique personalities of their times. Men of obedience, prayer, faithful to God, integrity and personal holiness. They saved their sons and daughters and left blessings to them. Prophet Ezekiel told people that God would not spare anyone and everyone need to prove his Individual righteousness.
Now, let us move on to the third thought from this passage is that the One way to Life is repentance.
3. ONLY WAY TO LIFE – Repentance
National sins bring national judgments. Though sinners escape one judgment, but not at all times. When God's professing people rebel against him, they may justly expect all his judgments.
A people that had filled the measure of their sins was not to expect to escape for the sake of any righteous men living among them; not even of the most eminent saints, who could be accepted in their case except only through the sufferings and righteousness of Christ. (ref: bibliaplus.org/Matthew Henry).
The solution is to repent from all our sinful ways, wickedly ways, and obey the commandments of God (Ezekiel 14:3-6). The prophet answers: (1) That when a people are so corrupt as to call down national judgment, individual piety shall save none but the individuals themselves. (2) The corrupt condition of the people shall be made so manifest, that none will question the justice of God in dealing thus severely with them.
However, God will spare the remnants. Most of the bible scholars believe that the remanets mentioned by Prophet Ezekiel were wicked. But the Pulpit commentary cites that the remnants could be comprised of both righteous and wicked. Their deeds exhibit their characters and the state of the nation (Ezekiel 14:23. ref: biblehub.com).
Today, the world is at its peak of doing everything as they wish. The ways and wisdom of God thrown out, man uses his vices for his success. As we read in Genesis 6, from childhood hood the plans and motives behind every thought of man are evil (Genesis 6:5).
God is a merciful God, a gracious God, a loving God, and a comforting God (Ezekiel 14:22). There are days of comforts, there are days of joy, and there are days of grace ahead of us when we repent and look upon him. As Isaiah 54:6-7 expressed these days are for a little while, we have days of joy and blessings.
Conclusion: Dear friends, we have seen the dreadful punishments of God, three faithful men in the Bible and the only way for life is repentance. These days demands us to have personal communication with God through prayer and learn from his word. Safeguard individual Holiness, holding the integrity of thoughts and deeds.
