Sermon "Intercessors Needed"

Sermon “Intercessors Needed"

Scripture Lesson - Ezekiel 22:23-31 “Again a message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: In the day of my indignation, you will be like a polluted land, a land without rain. Your princes plot conspiracies just as lions stalk their prey. They devour innocent people, seizing treasures and extorting wealth. They make many widows in the land. Your priests have violated my instructions and defiled my holy things. They make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. And they do not teach my people the difference between what is ceremonially clean and unclean. They disregard my Sabbath days so that I am dishonored among them. Your leaders are like wolves who tear apart their victims. They actually destroy people’s lives for money! And your prophets cover up for them by announcing false visions and making lying predictions. They say, ‘My message is from the Sovereign Lord,’ when the Lord hasn’t spoken a single word to them. Even common people oppress the poor, rob the needy, and deprive foreigners of justice. “I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one. So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

Introduction: Ezekiel 22 is God’s commentary on the sins of Israel’s leaders. The main question is “Who will stand in the gap in this leadership void?” The various categories of leaders are taken to task for their promotion of sin, idolatry, social injustice and any number of other transgressions that cause a nation to spiral downward away from allegiance to God. God confronts the people with the sins of Jerusalem and the judgment that God will bring upon it. The chapter also calls out the corruption of Jerusalem's leaders, including prophets, priests, and the nobility. In Ezekiel 22:30, God says, "I looked for someone to stand in the gap" to save Jerusalem from destruction, but found no one. This verse uses the image of a breached wall to represent the effects of sin on the city. Proverbs 14:34 reminds us that, “Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” God looked for someone who would rebuild the wall of righteousness that was guarding the Nation and keep the land safe.

The name Ezekiel means God strengthens or God empowers. This young prophet of God saw some difficult times ahead. If the nation did not change course, if no one was found to stand in the gap, dark days were ahead. Those dark days of the coming captivity would affect everyone. The judgment of God would allow them to be carried to Babylon. Ezekiel could see that He along with Daniel, the three Hebrew boys and many other skilled and educated Jews would be carried away. In Babylon, they would lose their identity, their heritage and their dignity. It is one thing to go into captivity, but they would remain in bondage for 70 years. God sent the word of warning seven years before the Babylonian captivity. In this despairing situation, the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel in visions and revelations that were designed to call the nation back to God and give them hope for the future.

Ezekiel was called to prophesy to the nation and dispel the false notion of prophets who were prophesying falsely in God’s name. Ezekiel also identified gross sin as the culprit for their present condition. Sin would be the reason for God’s severe punishment. God will always judge sin. Ezekiel also shared a message of hope for the future. Although Israel had been unfaithful to God, God remained faithful to his covenant people. If they would only repent and turn back to God, a glorious future was ahead.

Ezekiel was God’s watchman on the wall. God allow Ezekiel to observe the nation and make an assessment. His observation revealed some serious problems in the nation. The nation had devalued human life, murder and manslaughter were running rampant. There was wide spread rebellion against authority. There was a general disrespected parenthood. Oppression and exploitation of the poor, needy and the strangers was common place. They dishonor God, his ordinances, his word and his holy things. All manner of sex sins: adultery, incest, fornication and the like was rampant throughout the people of God.

Ezekiel 22:18, 19 "Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver. Therefore, thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem."