Lesson 3: The Judgment of God "Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?" (Ezek. 18:23) Introduction: "a scroll of a book" - lamentations, mourning, woe 2:9-10 1. The message of Ezekiel: Jerusalem is doomed -- convince the people of the totality of the judgment and to show why it was just. 2. The justification for this judgment: The iniquities of the people 3. The optimism of the Jews a. refused to believe that Jerusalem would really go under. (cf. Jer. 7:4) b. refused to believe that the rulers on David's throne would be completely overthrown. c. refused to believe that the whole nation could be removed from off the land. 3. Objections Considered a. The longsuffering of God - nothing had become of previous threats. They may have felt that the punishment of God had already been exhausted by the events of 597 B.C. (cf. Jer.7:4) b. False prophets promised peace and safety. It seems that others believed that God would never punish so severely because He would lose face in the eyes of the other nations. c. It was impossible for God to cast away His people. Such punishment would be unjust because they had become the unfortunate heirs of their fathers' sins. 4. (Ezek 12:20) "Then the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall become desolate; and you shall know that I am the LORD."' 5. The truth was the punishment was not complete and it would be a severe punishment. 6. (Ezek 12:3b) "It may be that they will consider, though they are a rebellious house." a. cf. 2:3-7; Is. 6:9f; Jer.5:21 b. The preacher's knowledge that his message will most likely go unheeded or ignored is never to be used as an excuse for not uttering the words (Mt. 13:13-15; Mk. 8:18; Jn. 12:37-41) c. Goethe: "most people are able to oppose their enemies but it takes a great man to oppose his friends." This may keep us from exposing the sins of those we love the most, including self. d. If only for the justification for the hearer's condemnation. I. The Longsuffering of God Comes To An End (Ezek. 12:17-28) A. "The days are prolonged and every vision fails" (12:22) 1. Moffatt: "Time passes, but no vision ever comes to anything" 2. Hebrew, literal,- four words: "They-lengthen the-days and-it-dies every-vision" 3. A memorable slogan can wield tremendous influence, for good as well as for evil (Taylor, p. 118). B. God's Response 1. This proverb is laid to rest and another is given in its stead (23) 2. "The days are at hand, and the fulfillment (word) of every vision (23) 3. "They-draw-near the-days and-the-word-of every-vision" 4. "word" is used in the sense of fulfillment (RSV) effect (AV, RV) and implies the effective accomplishment of the message in the vision. The word of God does not return empty, Isaiah 55:11. C. "The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off" (27) 1. Their misconception: distant fulfillment which has no effect on them. D. God's Response 1. "None of my words will be postponed any more, but the word which I speak will be done," (28). 2. Compare to current views on the second coming of Jesus a. 1900 years have passed without anything happening so it can be safely ignored. b. It is such a futuristic concept that it has no relevance for me. c. 2 Peter 3:3-13 d. We do not know if it is far or near so we must live as though it may be at any time. II. The Instrument of God's Judgment (Ezek. 23:22-31) A. Two Harlot Sisters 1. Oholah ("her own tabernacle") - Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel a. "She has never given up her harlotry brought from Egypt" (23:8) b. "Therefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, for whom she lusted" (23:9) c. The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III illustrated Jehu prostrating himself before the Assyrian king (840 B.C.) and offering gifts. 2. Oholibah ("My tabernacle is in her") - Jerusalem, capital city of the southern kingdom of Judah a. (Ezek 23:11) ""Now although her sister Oholibah saw this, she became more corrupt in her lust than she, and in her harlotry more corrupt than her sister's harlotry." b. (Ezek 23:17) ""Then the Babylonians came to her, into the bed of love, And they defiled her with their immorality; So she was defiled by them, and alienated herself from them." c. Babylonians: (Ezek 23:24) "And they shall come against you With chariots, wagons, and war-horses, With a horde of people. They shall array against you Buckler, shield, and helmet all around. 'I will delegate judgment to them, And they shall judge you according to their judgments." d. Ezek. 23:49 "Then you shall know that I am the Lord." III. The Fate of the People of Jerusalem A. The siege of Jerusalem (Ezek. 4, 5) 1. The siege portrayed using a clay tablet as a visual aid 2. The duration portrayed by Ezekiel lying on his side, 390 days (Israel) 40 days (Judah) 3. Famine conditions portrayed by Ezekiel's diet. 4. The fate of the inhabitants portrayed by Ezekiel's hair and beard divided into 3 parts; a third destroyed by fire, a third destroyed by sword, a third scattered. B. Six men with battle axes and one with and inkhorn (Ezek. 9) 1. The man with an inkhorn: (Ezek 9:4) "and the LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it."" 2. The six men with battle axes: (Ezek 9:5-6) "To the others He said in my hearing, "Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. 6 "Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were before the temple." C. Daniel, Job and Noah (Ezek. 14, 15; cf. Abraham's intercession for Sodom, Gen. 18) 1. (Ezek 14:14) ""Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness," says the Lord GOD." a. Job: blameless and upright and one who feared God and shunned evil (Job 1:1) b. Daniel: purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself (Dan. 1:8) c. Noah: Noah was a just man perfect in he generation (Gen. 6:9) 2. (Ezek 14:20) ""even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live," says the Lord GOD, "they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness."" 3. Sins characterized: a. "set up idols in their hearts" (3, 4, 7) b. "persistent unfaithfulness" (13) 4. (Ezek 14:23) ""And they will comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have done nothing without cause that I have done in it," says the LORD GOD." IV. The Peoples' View of God's Judgment (Ezek. 33) (Compare judgment on the nation vs. judgment on the individual) A. The peoples' charge against God: (Ezek 33:17) ""Yet the children of your people say, 'The way of the LORD is not fair.' But it is their way which is not fair!" B. On what is God's judgment based? (Ezek 33:20) ""Yet you say, 'The way of the LORD is not fair.' O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways."" C. How does God feel about judgment? (Ezek 33:11) ""Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'" D. Some sent into captivity for their own good: (Jer 24:5, 6) "'For I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land; I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up." V. The Judgment of the Nations (Ezek. 25-32) A. God's sovereignty over all nations (cf. Is. 13-23; Jer. 46-51) B. Seven Nations: Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, Egypt Conclusion: 1. Compare the devatation of the wrath of man with that of the wrath of God. Hiroshima: On Aug. 6, 1945 the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. - total population 343,000, number killed 129,558 (38% of population) - Nagasaki, population 252,000, 66,000 killed (26% of the population). 2. Jerusalem: A.D. 70 - population est. 2,500,000 - according to Josephus 1,100,000 were killed and 97,000 taken captive. Even though these figures are questionable who can deny that the destruction of Jerusalem is a significant example of God's judgment. 3. Matthew 24:29-31 -- the destruction of Jerusalem was a sign to Christians of the power of Jesus. (cf. Mt. 23:37) 4. The Final Judgment: Mat. 25:31-34; 2 Thess. 1:7-9 5. Will a loving God send unbelievers to an eternal destruction in Hell? Jno 5:24-30; Mt. 25:46; 2 Thes. 1:7-9; Rev. 20-22 6. On what is the judgment of God based? 7. How can consideration of the judgment affect our faithfulness? ------------------------------------------------- Questions: Lesson 3 1. Why did Israel refuse to accept the warnings of Jeremiah (Jer. 7:4)? How do men usually view warnings of judgment? 2. How could God be longsuffering and yet destroy the nation of Israel? 3. What proverb was popular among the people concerning the judgment of God? 4. How was the proverb changed? 5. Who did the two harlot sisters represent? 6. How was the siege of Jerusalem portrayed by Ezekiel? 7. Who in Jerusalem received the mark on their foreheads? 8. Where did the judgment of God begin (cf. 1 Pet. 4:17)? 9. Why are Daniel, Job and Noah brought up in this context? 10. What did the people say of God's impending judgment? 11. What was God's judgment based on? 12. How would you respond to a person that says God is too loving to damn people eternally? 13. Read Ezek. 25-32 and comment on the sins of the nations which brought about their destruction.