Ezekiel 19: Lament

Lament for Leaders and Life

Illustration: When I lead a funeral service, rarely do I expect what is said. Most of what is said is honoring of both the individual and God. But, occasionally, something really uncomfortable is said. For the most part, funerals are extremely encouraging. The testimonies of great men and women who served the Lord and gave away much of their life to their family and those around them. I typically leave funeral services ready to be a better Christian man, husband, and father. The passage we are going to engage this morning is like a funeral services where the only things that can be said are negative.

Main Idea: When our world and it’s leaders refuse to walk in God’s ways, we should weep for their failure and seek deliverance in another King.

Ezekiel 2:9–10 CSB

9 So I looked and saw a hand reaching out to me, and there was a written scroll in it. 10 When he unrolled it before me, it was written on the front and back; words of lamentation, mourning, and woe were written on it.

This word Lament, or קִינָה means a plea for someone to not die, or a song because they have died. It’s like a funeral song, but not a good one. In Ezekiel, and other books in the Bible, like 2 Samuel, have this funeral song performed before the funeral. Therefore, we should think about this word like the english word lament, but understand that the lament is largely for the potential of death.

God does not want death for you. It is not His plan for you. Death exists because man chose death over life, thus starting a continual decline into sin, disease, and destruction. You don’t have to look throughout America very long to see the effects of choosing sin rather than choosing righteousness. Today, more than ever, we are seeing leaders throughout the nation push for a moral code that is contrary to the Bible. Contrary to the God who created life. Therefore, this morning, we are going to spend time in lament. We are going to lament poor leadership, we are going to lament poor followership, and we are going to lament the death, disease, and destruction that has resulted because of sin.

First, let’s study the text together, then we will see how this applies to our life, and spend some time in lament through song.

We will see this used for three different people throughout Ezekiel:

Israel’s Leaders

Tyre’s Leaders

Egypt’s Leaders

In Ezekiel 19, Landon Dowden offers three situations that cause the need for lament:

Weep for leaders when they reject God’s ways.

Weep for leaders when they are full of pride.

Weep for leaders when they refuse to listen to God.

Ezekiel 19 CSB

1 “As for you, take up a lament for the princes of Israel, 2 and say: What was your mother? A lioness! She lay down among the lions; she reared her cubs among the young lions. 3 She brought up one of her cubs, and he became a young lion. After he learned to tear prey, he devoured people. 4 When the nations heard about him, he was caught in their pit. Then they led him away with hooks to the land of Egypt. 5 When she saw that she waited in vain, that her hope was lost, she took another of her cubs and made him a young lion. 6 He prowled among the lions, and he became a young lion. After he learned to tear prey, he devoured people. 7 He devastated their strongholds and destroyed their cities. The land and everything in it shuddered at the sound of his roaring. 8 Then the nations from the surrounding provinces set out against him. They spread their net over him; he was caught in their pit. 9 They put a wooden yoke on him with hooks and led him away to the king of Babylon. They brought him into the fortresses so his roar could no longer be heard on the mountains of Israel. 10 Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of abundant water. 11 It had strong branches, fit for the scepters of rulers; its height towered among the clouds. So it was conspicuous for its height as well as its many branches. 12 But it was uprooted in fury, thrown to the ground, and the east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong branches were torn off and dried up; fire consumed them. 13 Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land. 14 Fire has gone out from its main branch and has devoured its fruit, so that it no longer has a strong branch, a scepter for ruling. This is a lament and should be used as a lament.”

19:2-4

Most likely referring to King Jehoahaz, the son of the great King Josiah. King Josiah followed God and had the Word present for his son. King Jehoahaz, was not ignorant of how to worship God or what God’s Word said. He was disobedient.

His disobedience led to suffering before the exile and leading to the exile. In other words, one man’s disobedience led to the suffering of many. Often times when leaders make mistakes it hurts their followers.

We should lament when leaders lead their followers to death.

It’s interesting that the guilt for the nations struggle has shifted from personal responsibility to the leader’s responsibility. The point is not that leaders are the issue, or that followers are the issue. The point is that evil is the issue. If leaders are evil, they cause issues. If followers are evil, they cause issues. That’s why we don’t put all our hope in anyone on earth, whether pastor, boss, or president. No one is without evil, and we should all, whether leader or follower, we should turn from sin and pursue God.

19:5-9

Jeremiah 22:13–17 CSB

13 Woe for the one who builds his palace through unrighteousness, his upstairs rooms through injustice, who makes his neighbor serve without pay and will not give him his wages, 14 who says, “I will build myself a massive palace, with spacious upstairs rooms.” He will cut windows in it, and it will be paneled with cedar and painted bright red. 15 Are you a king because you excel in cedar? Didn’t your father eat and drink and administer justice and righteousness? Then it went well with him. 16 He took up the case of the poor and needy; then it went well. Is this not what it means to know me? This is the Lord’s declaration. 17 But you have eyes and a heart for nothing except your own dishonest profit, shedding innocent blood and committing extortion and oppression.

This might be the king this passage is speaking about. The issue with this king is what it says in v.6, it says “he prowled among the lions.” The Hebrew word, הלך, in this verb form, called the Hitpael, means “to go back and forth.” In other words, picture in your mind a lion strutting in front of all the others, walking back and forth.

Proverbs 16:8 CSB

8 Better a little with righteousness than great income with injustice.

Acts 12:23 CSB

23 At once an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died.

Pride doesn’t work out well for leaders.

If a leaders goal is simply to be praised, they will be humbled, but if a leader pursues humility, then they will be lifted up.

Leaders, be careful what you are seeking.

One of the pastors and churches I follow the closest just had their pastor step down. Not because of sexual immorality, or drukenness, or money issues, but because he felt like he had become prideful.

I would encourage you in this, build a culture around you where people share what’s in your blindspot, and what you can do better. It’s a humbling process that takes serious time. Let your spouse speak honestly to you. Let your employees speak honestly to you. Let your friends speak honestly to you.

19:10-14

Genesis 49:9–11 CSB

9 Judah is a young lion— my son, you return from the kill. He crouches; he lies down like a lion or a lioness—who dares to rouse him? 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah or the staff from between his feet until he whose right it is comes and the obedience of the peoples belongs to him. 11 He ties his donkey to a vine, and the colt of his donkey to the choice vine. He washes his clothes in wine and his robes in the blood of grapes.

Ezekiel 15:6 CSB

6 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says, “Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire as fuel, so I will give up the residents of Jerusalem.

Have you ever thought about why Jesus lineage is at the beginning of two of the gospels? Why does it matter where Jesus came from? Was it to prove that he was from the line of David? Yes. But, why does that matter? Were they going to have him on the throne? It doesn’t seem like they are putting Jesus on the throne in Palestine. Otherwise, it would be a bit weird since they knew he was already dead and raised into heaven. I mean, when he was alive, it would be valuable to prove his right to the throne. But, why once he was dead? They were pointing to the reality that Jesus fulfilled what no one else could.

Ezekiel 19:10–14 CSB

10 Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of abundant water. 11 It had strong branches, fit for the scepters of rulers; its height towered among the clouds. So it was conspicuous for its height as well as its many branches. 12 But it was uprooted in fury, thrown to the ground, and the east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong branches were torn off and dried up; fire consumed them. 13 Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land. 14 Fire has gone out from its main branch and has devoured its fruit, so that it no longer has a strong branch, a scepter for ruling. This is a lament and should be used as a lament.”

It actually makes a ton of since when you remove chapter markers and verse numbers, which they didn’t have. Let me read just a few verses to you:

Ezekiel 18:31–19:1 CSB

31 Throw off all the transgressions you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in anyone’s death.” This is the declaration of the Lord God. “So repent and live! 1 “As for you, take up a lament for the princes of Israel,

The funeral was for all Israel. The lament was because of their lack of prosperity due to their personal sins, but also do to the leaders.

The funeral was for all Israel. The lament was because of their lack of prosperity due to their personal sins, but also do to the leaders.

What should we Lament? (ch. 17-19)

Poor Leadership

Lament because of the disobedient, the prideful, and the ones who ruin everything.

We should lament when our earthly kings are not a representation of our heavenly king. We should lament when leaders in our society don’t lead people to holiness, and worship of God. We should lament when our leaders push us towards despair through worldly wishes, and not hope in Christ.

Poor Followership

We should lament when people choose to follow an earthly King rather than the heavenly King.

A Lack of Prosperity

A lack of everyone having what they need.

A lack of everyone having physical and emotional health.

A lack of everyone in union with God.

Gospel Response:

Lament for the World

Poor Leadership

Lament that a leader in the world is not following King Jesus

Pray for them.

Poor Followership

Lament that someone you know isn’t following Jesus

Pray for them.

A Lack of Prosperity

Lament something that isn’t right.

Pray for it.

Turn to Jesus for Hope

Anytime we lament, we must always maintain focus.

Another way to say this, is that we should: “Praise Before the Breakthrough”