Hosea 5-8: Reap the Whirlwind

"Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds....
...Let us acknowledge the LORD;
let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises, he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth." - Hosea 6:1-3 NIV

'Come', Hosea calls to Israel, 'Come and return to the Lord. There is still time.  He can heal our wounds.'

But, Hosea's pleas fall on deaf ears.  The people of Israel no longer think of the Lord God first.  They still offer sacrifices and offerings, but they no longer come from the heart.  Their hearts belong to the gods of wood and stone that they worship, and they trust more in the strength of their neighbors than they do in God.  And all the time, they think they have it made.

Israel's arrogance testifies against him,
but despite all this
he does not return to the LORD his God
or search for him. - Hosea 7:10 NIV

What was so obvious to Hosea and all of the prophets during this time, was hidden from the kings, rulers, priests, and average citizens of Israel. 

"They sow the wind
and reap the whirlwind.
The stalk has no head;
it will produce no flour
Were it to yield grain,
foreigners would swallow it up.  - Hosea 8:7 NIV

'You don't know what you're doing,' Hosea tell them. 'You're counting on your palaces and fortresses to protect you.  You run to Assyria or Egypt for refuge. Your efforts are puny, they will come to nothing.  Even worse, the result of your efforts will bring destruction greater than what you fear.'  'You're sowing the wind, but you will reap the whirlwind.' 

Hosea 1-4: Adultery Personified

Hosea lived during the reigns of Uzziah, Jothan, Ahaz, and Hezekiah in Israel.  God told him to take an adulterous wife to illustrate Israel's idolatry and adultery.  Adultery usually doesn't begin intentionally.  It starts with a glance, an innocent word, a second thought.  Then, gradually, it turns into something that ultimately destroys a marriage.  The two may live together, but their house is no longer a home, it becomes a prison of torment and strife.  Separation comes as the result of the pursuit of pleasure rather than the pursuit of the relationship.  There is no longer any faithfulness, any love, any acknowledgement of the commitment.  That's what played out in Israel's time. They toyed with the neighboring gods and fell in love with the fruit of the land, rather than the giver of the fruit, with disastrous results..

Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites,
because the LORD has a charge to bring
against you who live in the land:
"There is no faithfulness, no love,
no acknowledgment of God in the land.
There is only cursing, lying and murder,
stealing and adultery;
they break all bounds,
and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
Because of this the land mourns,
and all who live in it waste away;
the beasts of the field and the birds of the air
and the fish of the sea are dying.
"But let no man bring a charge,
let no man accuse another,
for your people are like those
who bring charges against a priest.
You stumble day and night,
and the prophets stumble with you.
So I will destroy your mother-
my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.
"Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also reject you as my priests;
because you have ignored the law of your God,
I also will ignore your children. - Hosea 4:1-6 NIV

Just as Hosea took back his unfaithful wife, God, who promised to drive out the adulturous Israel, also gave the promise that one day, Israel would seek the Lord and would be united in a bond that could not be broken.
 
I will betroth you to me forever;
I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
in love and compassion.
I will betroth you in faithfulness,
and you will acknowledge the LORD. - Hosea 2:19-20 NIV

Daniel 10-12: The End of Days

In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. - Dan. 10:1 NIV

Daniel had seen a lot in his lifetime.  He was taken into Babylon as a captive while Nebuchadnezzar was king.  He saw Nebuchadnezzar's son, Belshazzar die and Babylon taken over by the Persians.  He has been under the reign of various Persian rulers, Xerxes, Darius, who threw him to the lions, and Cyrus. He has seen kingdoms come and go, so his understanding of what the angel told him about events to come may be different from ours.  Daniel may have understood that there are kingdoms of this earth and kingdoms that are not of this earth...the principalities and powers that are mentioned in Ephesians 6:12

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

There is only so much that can be revealed to us, and very little that we can comprehend.  But, the promise to Daniel remains true.  There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. - Dan. 12:1-3 NIV
 
Even Daniel did not understand what he had been told.  I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, "My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?"
He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end...."As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance." - Dan. 12:8-13 NIV

At the end of the days, we will receive our allotted inheritance.  That should be all we need to know to live our lives in the here and now.

Daniel 9: Lord, You are Righteous

Daniel's heart was broken.  He realized that the desolation of Jerusalem that has taken place will last seventy years, well beyond his remaining lifetime, and he goes to God in prayer, while fasting in sackcloth and ashes.  He prays for the entire people of Israel who have not kept God's commandments and have brought this fate on themselves.  He repents, not just for himself, but for all the Israelites.  "O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us."

 "Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name." - Dan. 9:16-19 NIV

Immediately, while Daniel was still praying, the angel Gabriel appeared.  He told Daniel that as soon as he began praying an answer was given.  The answer was that  "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish  transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. - Dan 9:24 NIV

The exact meaning is open to interpretation, but the word to Daniel was that it will take time for sin to run it's course.  Someday there will be an end to sin and an everlasting righteousness will take it's place.  Daniel was shown these marvelous and unknowable things because of his confession.  "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
 "Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. - Dan. 9:4-7 NIV

Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame. Daniel repented for all of the people, the only act that could banish sin and bring in righteousness.  Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame

Daniel 7-8: Yes, For Ever and Ever

Who can blame Daniel for being ill for several days after he was given the two visions during the reign of Belshazzar.  These are very mysterious things and impossible to understand.  Even the interpretations of the dreams that were given Daniel at the time were sketchy at best.  This much is known.  These visions were for a time long after Daniel's day.  They were for the end of time.  That means there will be an end to time as we know it.  It is also clear that there will be kingdoms and nations that rise and fall, over the course of history and before the end times.  War will be waged against the saints.  Wickedness will increase.  One with what looks to be ultimate power will rise up and take his stand against God and his people. In the end, even this powerful force will be destroyed, but not by human power. 

Yet, in the midst of these terrible visions that exhausted and deeply troubled Daniel, there lies a promise that has been enough to sustain the God's people throughout the centuries. As Daniel was told by one of the bystanders in his vision. 'But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.' - Dan. 7:18 NIV

The Saints will finally behold, not in a vision, but in person, the King of Kings.  They will watch as he takes his place.

"As I looked,
"thrones were set in place,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
and its wheels were all ablaze.
A river of fire was flowing,
coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
and the books were opened. - Dan. 7:9-10 NIV

The Ancient of Days will take his seat and the 'son of man' will be led into his presence and given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. - Dan. 7:14-15 NIV

This will not be the end, but will be the beginning of a kingdom that will not pass away.  He will reign forever and ever...Yes, for ever and ever.

Daniel 5-6: The Best and the Worst of Times

It should have been the worst of times for the Israelites who had been taken into captivity in Babylon.  Their great city of Jerusalem along with the temple, the home of the living God, had been destroyed.  God's glory had departed, and it seemed like they had been abandoned.  But even as they dwelt under the hands of the ungodly Babylonians, God's power was displayed. 

It had been displayed to Nebuchadnezzar when he lost his sanity and lived as a wild animal until he acknowledged the true God.  It was displayed to Nebuchadnezzar's son Belteshazzar, who should have been humbled by what God did to his father, but who instead set himself up against the Lord of heaven.  As Daniel told him. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. - Dan 5:23-24 NIV

It took a ghost hand writing the words MENE, MENE,TEKEL, PARSIN on the wall to put the fear of God in Belshazzar, but by then it was too late.  That very night he was slain and the Persian king, Darius, took over the kingdom.

Now, another king, who did not know the God of the Israelites, but knew wisdom when he saw it, entered the picture.  Daniel was appointed as one of the three administrators to rule over the kingdom.  Those in positions of power knew there was no corruption in Daniel and they would have to resort to deceit if they were to get him out of the way.  As a result, Darius was tricked into throwing Daniel to the lions by the other administrators.  When Daniel survived the lions, Darius, like Nebuchadnezzar before him, recognized the one true God and let the whole world know.

Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language throughout the land:
"May you prosper greatly!
"I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.
"For he is the living God
and he endures forever;
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
his dominion will never end.
He rescues and he saves;
he performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions." - Dan. 6:25-27 NIV

Even in the worst of times, God's power and glory will be declared.  If not by his own people, by those to whom he chooses to reveal himself.

Deniel 4: Exalt the King of Heaven

Daniel Four begins with a message from Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, one who did not know the one true God, one who thought Daniel possessed the spirit of the 'holy gods'.  But, by the time Nebuchadnezzar is making the speech that begins this chapter, his view has been changed, and he wants to tell the whole world about the Most High God.

King Nebuchadnezzar,
To the peoples, nations and men of every language, who live in all the world:
May you prosper greatly!
It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.
How great are his signs,
how mighty his wonders!
His kingdom is an eternal kingdom;
his dominion endures from generation to generation. - Dan. 4:1-3

This change of heart came about because of a true encounter with the living God.  Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of a mighty tree that was cut down. Daniel interpreted this as God's word to him that he would lose his kingdom and his sanity, living like a wild animal, until seven times have passed.  Daniel gave him an opportunity to renounce his sins and start living right, but he was not ready to change.  He had not fallen low enough. He thought his mighty kingdom was still of his own doing. 

One year later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon,  he said, "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?"

The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, "This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. - Dan. 4:29-31 NIV

Immediately, the once mighty king became as Daniel prophesied.  He lost his sanity and lived as a wild beast until seven times passed.  When he raised his eyes toward heaven and acknowledged the Lord God, both his sanity and his kingdom were restored.

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble. - Dan. 4:37 NIV

The higher man's pride, the lower he must go to be humbled.  It is the King of heaven that must be exalted.

Daniel 3: But If Not

As children, many of us learned the story about Daniel's three friends being thrown into the fiery furnace.  But it is more than a child's tale.  It speaks volumes about the world in Daniel's time and our world today.  It's all about where you put your trust.  In Daniel's time, under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, trust was put in the king and in gold.  All of the leaders:  the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, members of the supreme court, members of congress, members of the federal reserve, and secretaries of the various departments, all knew that their future and success depended on the government and so it was easy for them to worship the god of gold.

Not so Daniel's three friends, Shadrach, Meshhach and Abednego.  They put their trust in God alone.  So, as expected, they were turned in by the officials and taken before Nebuchadnezzar who was furious with rage.  Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"  - Dan. 14-15 NIV

But, even when faced with the threat of certain death, they saw no need to apologize. Their response to the king was:  "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." - Dan. 3:16-18 NIV

The King James version puts it this way. 'But if not, ..."  But if not, no matter what the consequences, if we lose our job, if we lose our house, if we lose our life, we will not bow down to any other god.  We will never confess that there is any higher authority than our God.  We are confident that the God we serve can deliver us, but if not...

Daniel 1-2: The God who Reveals Mysteries

Daniel and his three friends were among those taken captive into Babylon.  Since they were of the nobility Nebuchadnezzar thought they had the aptitude to learn the language and literature of Babylon in order to serve at the kings table.  The first test was whether or not they would rely on the royal food and wine for their sustenance.  Their response was to follow God's way instead and they proved that the kings provisions were not needed for health and wisdom.

To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.
At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. - Dan. 1:17-20 NIV

It was not long before they were put to their first test.  Nebuchadnezzar has a troubling dream and goes to his astrologers for the meaning, which they are unable to give.

"What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men." Dan. 2:11 NIV
 
This made the king so angry that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon, which included Daniel and his three friends.  Daniel asked the king for permission to interpret the dream for him, but realized he needed God's help to do so.
 
Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.  He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. - Dan. 2:17-19 NIV

So with the answer to their prayers, Daniel went before the king to interpret the dream.  Daniel made sure to give God the credit for what he he was going to tell the king.   Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these:
"As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind. - - Dan. 2:17-30

Imagine the boldness of these young men, to trust in God, for his sustenance and his provision, above that of the authority who appeared to control their destiny.  They were bold because they knew their God in heaven was a revealer of mysteries.

Ezekiel 47-48: The Lord is There

As in the previous chapters, this prophecy of Ezekiel is difficult to understand.  It paints a picture we can't comprehend with our limited knowledge.  But this much is known.  Aliens, foreigners, those who were not born into the tribe of Israel will be part of this city.  "You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who have settled among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.  In whatever tribe the alien settles, there you are to give him his inheritance," declares the Sovereign LORD. - Eze. 47:21-23 NIV

Flowing out of the temple will be a river that flows to the sea.  This river is a river of life.  It will provide both sustenance and healing. "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Sea. When it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Great Sea. But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing." - Eze. 47:8-12 NIV

And in the heart of this new land, there will be a new city where the temple and the prince resides.

"And the name of the city from that time on will be:
The LORD is There ." - Eze. 48:35 NIV

From that time on.  World without end.  The Lord is there.

Ezekiel 44-46: Ezekiel's Temple

It's very difficult to speculate on what these chapters mean.  That Ezekiel is talking about some time in the future is clear.  Ezekiel prophesies of a new temple, a new city and a new land. This is not Solomon's temple, and not the one that the exiles will rebuild in a few years.  This temple is most notable for what is not there that would have been in the first two temples.  There are no levitical priests, with the exception of those descended from Zadok, who remained faithful to God.  There is no prohibition against foreigners if they are circumcised in heart and flesh.  There is no mention of a separate section for the men.  There is no mention of a High Priest.

Instead there is a prince, the only one who may sit inside the gateway and eat in the presence of the Lord.  He is the one that provides the sin offering, the burnt offering and the grain offering.  The prince makes the sacrifice, but he is not separated from the people.  He goes in and out with the people.  Is this prince the son of the living God?

Ezekiel 40-43: The Glory Returns

In these chapters, Ezekiel describes another vision shown to him by the Lord.  

In visions of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city. He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze; he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. The man said to me, "Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the house of Israel everything you see." - Eze. 40:2-4 NIV

There has been much speculation on the meaning of Ezekiel's temple down through the ages, as well.  This much is known.  Someday there will be a new Jerusalem, the redeemed of the Lord will dwell in it and God's glory will return.

and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory. The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. The glory of the LORD entered the temple through the gate facing east. Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.

While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple. He said: "Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet. This is where I will live among the Israelites forever. - Eze. 43:2-7 NIV

And he shall reign forever and ever.  Amen

Ezekiel 38-39: It Will Surely Take Place

All of a sudden the tone shifts from Ezekiel prophesying about the fall of Tyre and Egypt at the hands of the Babylonians to a time in the distant future.  Ezekiel's prophesies change their focus to Gog of the land of Magog.  There has been much speculation over the centuries as to the identity of Gog.  The three major religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all have their own interpretation.  There is no definitive answer to what Gog of the land of Magog represents.  All that is known for certain is that Ezekiel prophesies that a large army, will be gathered and attack Israel.

" 'Get ready; be prepared, you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them. After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety. You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land. - Eze. 38:7-9 NIV

This will not be of their own doing.  The Lord God will be behind all of their movements.  In days to come, O Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I show myself holy through you before their eyes. (Eze.38:16)  And the outcome of this epic battle will be God's doing as well. 'I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.' (Eze:38:22-23)

There is no need to speculate on who, what, or when.  It is God's doing.  Nothing can stop these events from happening.  It will surely take place.

"'I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the LORD am the Holy One in Israel. It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD. This is the day I have spoken of." - Eze. 39:7-8 NIV

Ezekiel 35-37: Promise to the Dry Bones

The history of Israel is riddled with dry bones.  They have been dispersed throughout the nations of the world and ravaged for centuries.. But just like the dry bones that God revealed to Ezekiel in the middle of a valley, they will come to life.  Even as recently as the last century, the world has seen a time when Israel could have cried out:  'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' (Eze. 37:11)

Ezekiel saw the dry bones rise up.  He saw tendons and flesh appear.  He saw skin cover them and breath begin to come out of what had been only dry bones.  Through Ezekiel, God made a promise to Israel that the skeleton they had become would rise again one day. 

I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God. - Eze. 37:21-23 NIV

That day is coming.  The dry bones are beginning to come to life.

Ezekiel 33-34: The Good Shepherd and an Unruly Flock

In case there was any doubt about the cause of Jerusalem's downfall, it is laid out very clearly in these chapters. It is an indictment against both the sheep and the shepherds...the people for caring only about their own self interest....

My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice. - Eze. 33:31-32 NIV

...and the shepherds, the rulers and priests, for caring only about their own self interest as well.

'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them. - Eze. 34:2-6 NIV

But for those who would hear His voice, for those who would follow, there was great promise: The promise given through Ezekiel and the promise given by the Good Shepherd.

I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. - Eze. 34:22-23

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. - John 10:27-28 KJV

Ezekiel 29-32: Doom for the Nations

Egypt has always been the nation that Israel runs to.  From the time of the Abraham on, whenever, there was trouble in the place where they were living, they would flee to Egypt for safety.  " 'You have been a staff of reed for the house of Israel. ⁷ When they grasped you with their hands, you splintered and you tore open their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and their backs were wrenched. (Eze. 29:6-7)  'You provided them some support when they leaned on you,' God says, 'but it was very flimsy and you in turn took advantage of them by making them pay a heavy price for their shelter.'

Now that the Babylonians are invading, many have chosen to flee there one more time.  But Egypt will no longer be a safe haven.  The same thing that brought the other nations down will be Egypt's downfall as well. 

...You say, "The Nile is mine;I made it for myself."
But I will put hooks in your jaws
and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales.
I will pull you out from among your streams,
with all the fish sticking to your scales.
I will leave you in the desert,
you and all the fish of your streams....- Eze. 29:3-5

Egypt will fall to the hands of the Babylonians just as the other nations and cities surrounding Israel:  Elam, Meshech and Tubal, Edom, and Sidonians, have fallen to the sword of Babylon.  The fate of Egypt will be no different.  Even the once great Assyria has fallen to the Babylonians at God's hand.  The fate of the nations does not rest in their own power.  It is in God's hands.  Woe to any nation that thinks it can stand against the day of the Lord.

'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:
" 'Wail and say,
"Alas for that day!"
For the day is near,
the day of the LORD is near—
a day of clouds,a time of doom for the nations. - Eze. 30:2-3 NIV

Ezekiel 26-28: Woe to Tyre

The Lord didn't just speak to Ezekiel about the sins of Israel and Jerusalem.  He gave word to Ezekiel about the Phoenician city of Tyre as well.  The two kingdoms were closely aligned.  Solomon received cedars from Hiram, the King of Tyre, who had always been friends with David.  Just as Jerusalem would be subjected to God's wrath by being destroyed by the Babylonians, the citizens of Tyre would meet the same fate.  It's one thing to sin in God's eye, but another to laugh at or try to take advantage of those whom God chooses to punish. 

After God spoke to Ezekiel about the destruction of Jerusalem, the Lord then gave him this message about Tyre:  'because Tyre has said of Jerusalem, 'Aha! The gate to the nations is broken, and its doors have swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will prosper,' therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea casting up its waves. They will destroy the walls of Tyre and pull down her towers; I will scrape away her rubble and make her a bare rock. Out in the sea she will become a place to spread fishnets, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD. She will become plunder for the nations, and her settlements on the mainland will be ravaged by the sword. Then they will know that I am the LORD. - Eze. 26:2-6 NIV

As with Israel, Tyre's rulers had forgotten the source of all power.  They thought it was of their own doing. 

"'In the pride of your heart
you say, "I am a god;
I sit on the throne of a god
in the heart of the seas."
But you are a man and not a god,
though you think you are as wise as a god. - Eze. 28:2 NIV
 
Woe to Tyre.  Woe to any of those who think they can profit from the disaster brought on by God's hand.  Woe to anyone who thinks they are god.

Ezekiel 23-25: Who You Gonna Run to Now?

Israel first, and now Jerusalem has become one of those despicable women in God's sight:, a prostitute.  Israel has already paid the price for selling herself to the Assyrians and now Jerusalem has sold herself to the gods of her neighbors and lusted after the Babylonians.  While she dressed herself in finery, her deeds were lewd.  God, who has been forgiving to Israel for centuries, can no longer stand it.  "Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Since you have forgotten me and thrust me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution."  - Eze. 23:35 NIV

And then, God uses Ezekiel himself to illustrate what is going to happen to Jerusalem.  God tells Ezekiel that his wife will die.   "Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.  Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners ."  So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded. - Eze. 24:16-18 NIV

I am going to do the same thing to you, God says to his people.  I will take away my sanctuary, the stronghold that you have taken pride in and you will not mourn or weep but will waste away because of your sins and groan among yourselves. 

Who are they going to run to now?  What country will save them from captivity?  They are noting but a tired old prostitute.  No one wants them now.

Ezekiel 21-22: Who Will Stand In the Gap

'O profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose time of punishment has reached its climax, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Take off the turban, remove the crown. It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low. A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! It will not be restored until he comes to whom it rightfully belongs; to him I will give it.'  - Eze. 21:25-27 NIV

"I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.  So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD." - Eze. 22:30 NIV
 
In Ezekiels day, there were none who were righteous. There was no one to build up the wall and stand in the gap.  Everyone left in Jerusalem had become as dross to the Lord.  One day, Jerusalem would be restored, when the one to whom it rightfully belongs appears, But for now, all that are left will be sent away into exile.  Jerusalem will be a ruin.

Ezekiel 18-20: Repent and Live

God's original covenant with Abraham was with only one person, Abraham.  But as part of that covenant, God promised that Abraham would become a vast nation and the covenant expanded to all of Abraham's descendants, the nation of Israel.  Early in the  history of the children of Israel, they acted as and were treated by God as one.  When all but two spies coming back from the promised land convinced the people that they would be overtaken if they set foot in the promised land, it was an entire generation of people that bore the punishment.  But now, after decades of Israel being treated as a whole unit, things are changing.  The average Israelite hardly knows what righteousness is: 

He does not eat at the mountain shrines
or look to the idols of the house of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor's wife
or lie with a woman during her period.
He does not oppress anyone,
but returns what he took in pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
but gives his food to the hungry
and provides clothing for the naked.
He does not lend at usury
or take excessive interest.
He withholds his hand from doing wrong
and judges fairly between man and man.
He follows my decrees
and faithfully keeps my laws.
That man is righteous; - Eze. 18:6-9 NIV

With sin becoming endemic, God tells the people through Ezekiel, that no longer would the child be spared because of the father.  Each would be judged by his own actions and the soul that sins will be the one that dies. Sin always requires a sacrifice for atonement, and the sins of Israel had become so great that a corporate sacrifice would no longer be sufficient. 

"Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live! - Eze. 18:30-32 NIV

Ezekiel 15-17: A Time to Tear Down

How did Israel, a nation born in such promise come to such an ignoble end?  The walls of it's beautiful capital, Jerusalem are torn down, and all the survivors are carried away.  There is no other nation that can or will help them.  They are utterly destroyed.

" 'Because you did not remember the days of your youth but enraged me with all these things, I will surely bring down on your head what you have done, declares the Sovereign LORD. Did you not add lewdness to all your other detestable practices? - Eze. 16:43

As one of their earlier kings said, there is a time for everything, and a season for ever activity under heaven:...a time to tear down and a time to build.  It is time for God to tear down, the city that was built, not by human hands but by God, the city and people that he lavished so much love and favor on, the city whose people forgot their source.

Ezekiel 12-15: Only the Righteous Would Be Saved

The word of the LORD came to Ezekiel:  "Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people. - Eze. 12:2 NIV

Ezekiel was surrounded by princes who had no kingdom, princes who would soon flee, through a hole in the wall, with only the belongings they could carry on their shoulders. He was surrounded by foolish prophets who prophesied out of their own imagination, saying, "Peace." when there was no peace.  He was surrounded by women prophets (fortunetellers?) whose prophecies served to ensnare the people by encouraging the people in their wicked ways.  He was surrounded by elders who set up idols in their hearts that separated them from God.  None of these could save Israel from the judgment of God.

The word of the LORD came to me:  "Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its men and their animals, even if these three men—Noah, Daniel  and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign LORD. - Eze. 14:12-14 NIV

None of the princes, prophets, or elders could save from the four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague—to kill its men and their animals, that God was going to send upon them.  There would be no corporate salvation for God's people. Only the righteous would be saved.  'as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness. - Eze. 14:20 NIV

Only the righteous would be saved.

Ezekiel 10-11: The Glory Leaves the Temple

I looked, and I saw the likeness of a throne of sapphire above the expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim. The LORD said to the man clothed in linen, "Go in among the wheels beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city." And as I watched, he went in. - Eze. 10:1-2 NIV

Ezekiel's description of his encounter with the cherubim of the Lord and the man in linen are as mysterious as the prophecies and visions of Daniel, or John on the Isle of Patmos.  Our minds cannot conceive what these living creatures really looked like, but that is not the issue.  What Ezekiel saw was real.  He saw the glory of the Lord leave the temple in Jerusalem...the place that had been God's dwelling place for generations, but the place that had now become desecrated and the priests corrupt.  A Holy God cannot live among the profane, so his glory had to depart. Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. The glory of the LORD went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it. - Eze. 11:22-23 NIV

God gave Ezekiel the promise that a remnant of the exiles would return to Jerusalem. "They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. - Eze. 11:18-20 NIV

But that would be in the future, for now the Glory of the Lord has left the temple and the city and the people remaining will receive the destruction they have been so bent on pursuing.

Ezekiel 8-9: Judgement Begins in the House of God

In another vision, God shows Ezekiel grievous things, not just in the city, but in the temple as well.  Through a hole in the wall, he looked into the temple where he saw portrayed all over the walls all kinds of crawling things and detestable animals and all the idols of the house of Israel. In front of them stood seventy elders of the house of Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising.  He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, 'The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.' - Eze 8:10-12 NIV

And even worse, when Ezekiel looked into the inner court of the house of the Lord there were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east. - Eze. 8:16 NIV

God could see what was going on in the hearts of the elders and the priests.  While they may have been painting one picture for the public, God saw what they were like in private and it was detestable to him.  So he sent the man clothed in linen to "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it. 

As I listened, he said to the others, "Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple. " - Eze 9:6 NIV

Just as with the Passover in Egypt, those with the mark would be spared, while even the priest and elders, those who called themselves God's servants, would receive no compassion.  As God told Ezekiel, "The sin of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice. They say, 'The LORD has forsaken the land; the LORD does not see.' So I will not look on them with pity or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done."  - Eze 9:9-10 NIV

Ezekiel 4-7: The End Has Come

It is surmised that Ezekiel was among the first group of exiles from Jerusalem.  As such, he must have heard news of what was still going on in Jerusalem.  The people still there had not changed any of their routines.  The Babylonians were at the gates, but they were still trusting in other gods and other nations to save them rather than the Lord God. 

God gave Ezekiel prophecies to act out for all to see.  Visual images of what was going on back in Jerusalem and the result.  God has Ezekiel create a miniature representation of Jerusalem using a clay jar and lay siege to it.  Then God has Ezekiel lay on his side one day for each of the years that Israel (340 days) and Judah (40 days) sinned against him. 

God's next warning involved Ezekiel cutting his hair and destroying it in three ways: burning, cutting with a sword and throwing to the wind, to demonstrate the three ways that the people of Jerusalem would be destroyed.  These were not warnings from God for the people to change their ways.  These were prophecies of what was already set in motion.  And when God told Ezekiel to tell the land of Israel that the end was near, it was not a threat, it was not a warning to change their ways.  It was not a mother warning their children 'if you run out in the street and get run over, I'm going to kill you.'  This was the roar of a mighty lion as he runs down his prey.

I will put an end to the pride of the mighty, and their sanctuaries will be desecrated. When terror comes, they will seek peace, but there will be none. Calamity upon calamity will come, and rumor upon rumor. They will try to get a vision from the prophet; the teaching of the law by the priest will be lost, as will the counsel of the elders. The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with despair, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. I will deal with them according to their conduct, and by their own standards I will judge them. Then they will know that I am the LORD." - Eze. 7:24-27 NIV

This was the end. 

Ezekiel 1-3: The Lord Speaks

Even in exile, the word of the Lord comes to those who will see and hear.  For Ezekiel, he was with the exiles by the Kedar River in Babylon, when the heavens opened up and he saw things that are impossible for us to imagine.  But he knew it was the Lord and he listened when the Lord spoke to him.  He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you." 2 As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. - Eze. 2:1 NIV

Then the Lord told Ezekiel to become his mouthpiece, to speak for the Lord to the exiles.  And he said to me, "Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you.  Go now to your countrymen in exile and speak to them. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says,' whether they listen or fail to listen."  - Eze. 3:10-11 NIV

Ezekiel's response, to hearing from the Lord, was to sit in the midst of the exiles for seven days completely overwhelmed, an appropriate response after seeing and hearing the voice of  God.  So when God spoke to him again and told him to go to the plain to so he could speak with him once more, Ezekiel went.  This time, however, the word of the Lord told Ezekiel the price he would pay for being the prophet of God.  And you, son of man, they will tie with ropes; you will be bound so that you cannot go out among the people. I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, though they are a rebellious house. But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.' Whoever will listen let him listen, and whoever will refuse let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house. - Eze. 3:25-27 NIV

God's word comes to those who will listen, who do not have rebellious hearts, but God's words to us are not always what we want to hear.  Like Ezekiel, when the Lord speaks, we cannot choose the words we want to hear, but we can choose to listen.

Lamentations 3-5: It is Good to Wait Quietly

We sing that old hymn, 'Great is Thy Faithfulness', but do we really know what affliction is?  Affliction like that which fell on Israel?  Starving children, bodies of young and old alike lying in the streets, anything of value is worthless.  The wealthy have become beggars, mothers so desperate they eat their own children, and priests and prophets alike have become untouchables.  Yet that is not the only thing the writer of Lamentations saw.  He looked around at the destruction surrounding him and he saw hope.

I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
 it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD. - Lam 3:`19-26 NIV

When the entire world, all we have ever known is crumbling, it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Lamentations 1-2: All is Taken Away

What once was, is no more.  All of the plans that people made, all the treasures collected, all the influence garnered, all the relationships forged are no more.  Jerusalem lies desolate!

All who pass your way
clap their hands at you;
they scoff and shake their heads
at the Daughter of Jerusalem:
"Is this the city that was called
the perfection of beauty,
the joy of the whole earth?" - Lam 2:13 NIV

But when all is taken away, all is taken away, and possessions and anything else no longer matter.  Suddenly, it becomes a matter of the heart.  The heart, where man truly dies, and for the writer of Lamentations, where torment has overtaken him as he finally becomes aware of the rebellion he has harbored all along.  That separation from God is the more painful than all of the desolation surrounding him.

"See, O LORD, how distressed I am!
I am in torment within,
and in my heart I am disturbed,
for I have been most rebellious.
Outside, the sword bereaves;
inside, there is only death. - Lam. 1:20 NIV

Jeremiah 50-52: Babylon Will Fall

Babylon looms on the horizon, but they will not be the big bully forever.  Jeremiah has seen his prophecy of the fall of Jerusalem fulfilled and now he sees the destruction of Babylon as well.  Israel and their surrounding neigbors are not lost. God has not forgotten his people.  The remnant will return.

They will ask the way to Zion
and turn their faces toward it.
They will come and bind themselves to the LORD
in an everlasting covenant
that will not be forgotten.
"My people have been lost sheep;
their shepherds have led them astray
and caused them to roam on the mountains.
They wandered over mountain and hill
and forgot their own resting place.
Whoever found them devoured them;
their enemies said, 'We are not guilty,
for they sinned against the LORD, their true pasture,
the LORD, the hope of their fathers.'  Jer. 50:5-7 NIV

God chooses captivity for his people over utter destruction, knowing that exile will turn their hearts back to Him.  And those who have taken advantage of God's people, because they thought they were weak or abandoned, will meet their destruction in the end.

"Babylon must fall because of Israel's slain,
just as the slain in all the earth
have fallen because of Babylon. - Jer. 51:49 NIV

Jeremiah 45-49: You Multiply Remedies in Vain

"Go up to Gilead and get balm,
O Virgin Daughter of Egypt.
But you multiply remedies in vain;
there is no healing for you.
The nations will hear of your shame;
your cries will fill the earth.
One warrior will stumble over another;
both will fall down together."  - Jer. 46:11-12 NIV

These word of Jeremiah were spoken about Egypt, but they could have been said of any of the countries and kingdoms mentioned in the following chapters as well:  The Philistines, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, Elam.  They would all experience destruction at the hand of the Lord because of their pride and conceit and because of the gods they chose to worship.  The size of their armies or the wealth in their coffers could not stave off the destruction promised by the Lord.  None of their remedies would save them.