ETB Winter Ezekiel 11

Welcome

This week has been a tough one for me to study and prepare the lesson so there will probably be more quotes from other sources than personal commentary in this week’s notes. Having to work late and struggling through lack of sleep at night and the head cold that caused it during the day had greatly reduced my ability to effectively study and prepare. God however can and often does make masterpieces from our messes.

Pray

Understand the Context

Last week we were in Chapter 3 and finished looking and God’s directives to Ezekiel before giving him messages to be delivered to the people.

Chapters 4–5 describe several prophetic actions God gave Ezekiel to act out.

First, Ezekiel laid siege to a brick he had made, foreshadowing Jerusalem’s final siege (4:1-3). Second, the prophet was to lie on each side for a designated number of days, representing the years of the people’s iniquity (4:4-8). Third, God told Ezekiel to prepare only a small ration of food and water each day, portraying the terrible conditions Jerusalem’s siege would bring (4:9-17). Fourth, God told Ezekiel to shave his head bald (5:1-12). The prophet was to burn a third of his hair, hack a third of it to pieces with a sword, and scatter a third of it to the wind. Finally, he was to take a few hairs and bind them in the edges of his robe. The prophet’s actions depicted God’s judgment; yet, God would begin a new work with a faithful remnant one day (5:13-17).

The Lord called on Israel’s mountains to witness His people’s punishment (6:1-10). The nation had worshiped idols and also worshiped the Lord in prohibited ways outside Jerusalem. Many had rejected God, who soon would overthrow their places of worship (6:11-14).

God pronounced doom on Israel for its iniquity (7:1-4). He would show no pity on the day of disaster (7:5-13), and the people’s silver and gold would not be able to deliver them (7:14-19). God would give their possessions to foreigners, for the land was full of wickedness (7:20-24). People finally would seek God, but their seeking would come too late (7:25-27).

Ezekiel 8–11 describes a vision God gave Ezekiel to reveal events leading to Jerusalem’s judgment. The Spirit of God first transported Ezekiel in a vision to Jerusalem (8:1-4). The Lord then showed His astonished prophet scenes of Jerusalem’s great wickedness (8:5-18). God’s judgment was imminent. Evil abounded, and God would pity His people no longer (9:1-11).

God’s glory prepared to abandon the temple (10:1-5). The Lord instructed His heavenly host as departure preparations began (10:6-14). His glory, exalted by heavenly attendants, rose up and hovered at the east gate of the Lord’s house (10:15-22).

[LifeWay Adults (2021). Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide - ESV - Winter 2022. LifeWay Press.]

We have a couple of verses at the beginning of Chapter 11 we will look at to complete our context for the main passage starting in verse 14. Let’s see what God wants to tell us through the prophet Ezekiel about His desire to save and regenerate His people then and now .

Explore the Text

Ezekiel 11:2–4 ESV

And he said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and who give wicked counsel in this city; who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This city is the cauldron, and we are the meat.’ Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, O son of man.”

Although Ezekiel is in exile in Babylon, his visions in the first part of the chapter are in the temple and city of Jerusalem and the people who had not yet been exiled. The most basic meaning of awon is “iniquity.” The word signifies an offense, intentional or not, against God’s law. [Vine, W. E., Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr. Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words 1996 : 122. Print.] But with the word “devise” preceding it we know these offenses were not only intentional but also planned and coordinated, then they were “given” to the people as counsel or as “good advice”, adding to their wickedness by leading others away from God and His holiness.

This first phrase of the wicked men in verse 2 is translated two different ways in the English versions I read. One way is in the negative like we have here in the ESV. The other like in the CSB which the quarterly uses is in the positive “Is not the time near to build houses”. One suggests it is time to build implying a since of safety, the other suggests it is not time implying they expect to be driven from their homes or for them to be destroyed again soon. Since the counsel was wicked, we know that their perspective is not as God’s. Since we know that God is going to exile and destroy Jerusalem soon then a false since of security would be the counsel against God’s so the CSB and the more positive translations are probably more accurate in this context.

The second phrase took a little more investigation and I’m still not 100% sure of its original meaning. If they think they are the “meat in the cauldron”, God is saying they are not. There are 2 other passages about meat in a cauldron one is a negative and the other positive. The negative is in 1 Sam 2:14, where other “worthless men” the sons of Eli would use a fork to grab what they wanted from the people’s sacrifices at Shiloh. This is probably the same perspective the leaders in Ezekiel’s time have of themselves believing they are the “best parts” of the city people. This is the improper and wicked self-elevating thought which leads to their twisted view of the other passage of “meat in cauldron” outside of the book of Ezekiel.

2 Chronicles 35:13 is during the Great Passover when Josiah was king and “contributed” to the feast and sacrifices on behalf of the “lay people”. To make sure everyone was able to participate on that day “they boiled the holy offerings in pots, in cauldrons, and in pans, and carried them quickly to all the lay people”. All the people were blessed because of Josiah’s desire to honor God and to help all the people obey the Passover so that all the food was consumed before the sun went down. The wicked counselors of Ezekiel’s day may be comparing themselves to these “holy offerings” and attribute themselves as the means of God’s blessing to the people of the city. God however says this is not true and commands the prophet to speak against them. God’s truth of these men’s wickedness was so great that as a symbol of His truth and of how quickly His judgement was coming that Pelatiah, died as Ezekiel spoke God’s words (Eze 11:13).

God had shown Ezekiel a sampling of the terrible abominations the people were committing (8:5-18) and the wickedness of the leaders still in the city. However, the hope remained that they could turn to God and receive His forgiveness and healing. They were not doomed to die no matter what happened. Ezekiel needed to take God’s message of truth to them so they would understand the reality of the situation.

God calls on believers today to present the truth in the face of false hope. Some people do not believe in God and establish their own standards of morality. Other people affirm they believe in God, but their lives show they believe God doesn’t really care about the sin they commit. Still others worship the false gods of other religions or place their trust in worldly things, such as money or power. Believers need to present the truth without apology, for it is the world’s only hope.

[LifeWay Adults (2021). Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide - ESV - Winter 2022. LifeWay Press.]

Ezekiel 11:14–15 ESV

And the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, your kinsmen, the whole house of Israel, all of them, are those of whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far from the Lord; to us this land is given for a possession.’

The word here for “inhabitants” is also translated as “to dwell, sit, abide, inhabit, remain.” [Vine, W. E., Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr. Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words 1996 : 64. Print.]

The last two definitions seem to be what this context point toward as the “remaining inhabitants” of Jerusalem are speaking to those whom the Lord has already driven away. This may also be a part of their incorrect view of self-righteousness in that “they” got to stay because “they” were chosen by God and the currently exiled were the sinful ones. They wrongly attributed being on God’s land with having God’s presence.

Those who are not exiled are chaff. The exiled are redeemable. God directly repudiates their egocentrism.

[Hamilton, Victor P. “Ezekiel.” Evangelical Commentary on the Bible. Vol. 3. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1995. 569. Print. Baker Reference Library.]

Ezekiel denounced Jerusalem’s population for its self-righteousness. The prophet Jeremiah challenged the same kind of false thinking when he admonished the people not to trust in their temple, but to trust in God (Jer. 7:2-4). Ezekiel knew God spoke the truth, but would God ever redeem the situation?

[LifeWay Adults (2021). Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide - ESV - Winter 2022. LifeWay Press.]

These were the words of the people and wicked leaders who were still in Jerusalem and were about to be judged and exiled, God however had a different pronouncement.

Ezekiel 11:16–17 ESV

Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Though I removed them far off among the nations, and though I scattered them among the countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a while in the countries where they have gone.’ Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’

God affirms the leaders view that He did in fact “remove” and “scatter” the exiled population, but he directly confronts their view that He is bound to be worshipped only at the temple or in “His land”. By being their “sanctuary” while in other countries it shows that the place of worship is not at necessary as the proper direction or focus of the worship. God is spirit and not contained in a building therefore we can still worship Him anywhere. Rev 21:22 is the final place of worship where He is the object of worship, and His presence is the only “temple” needed.

God is not tied to the land as they thought or even the temple. This worship of God “as” the sanctuary or temple is also appropriated by God when His fullness dwelt among us in the flesh centuries later in the person of Christ.

CSB Study Bible: Notes (Chapter 11)

With the coming of Jesus there is a fundamental redemptive-historical change in the demonstration of God’s glory and presence. The closest parallels are found in the NT, with Jesus’s appropriation of the term “temple” to himself (Jn 2:19–22) and his statement that true worship will occur “in Spirit and in truth” (Jn 4:21–24).

Believers today can find real hope in the promise of God’s salvation. The Bible assures us that God is our Father, heaven is our home, and every day is one day closer. The Bible also assures us that God will fulfill every promise He has made to us (2 Cor. 1:20). Many in Ezekiel’s day felt far from God, and sometimes when we face challenges today, we may feel God has abandoned us. Maybe we feel we have abandoned God through our sin. However, God assures us we can turn to Him in repentance and faith and receive forgiveness and salvation. Through repentance and faith, we also can come to Him to restore our relationship with Him when we have strayed from His commands. God promised to gather His Old Testament people one day, and He will restore us when we turn back to Him.

[LifeWay Adults (2021). Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide - ESV - Winter 2022. LifeWay Press.]

Although today’s passage was for the exiled people of Israel their redemption from the sin for which they were judged would be completed many years later and we centuries after His coming continue to enjoy this “worship” in whatever land God has allowed us to live. God was also speaking through Ezekiel to the time that the exiles would again be able to enjoy both His presences and His land as their possession.

Ezekiel 11:18–20 ESV

And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations. And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

I am not sure about the structure in Hebrew, and I did find any mention of it in the materials that I was able to read but there is a progression in the English translations that I notice. First the people worshipped God where they were in spirit. Next, God gathered them back and placed them back in the land. Then the people worshipped God by spirit and action by cleansing the land further of “detestable things”. God then responds by unifying their hearts to Him corporately and individually plus enabling them to worship more fully by the keeping of His word. Then finally they become “my people” and He is “their God” once again. We worship, He draws us closer. We worship more completely; He draws us closer still. Until one day we are fully spirit like Him and worship Him continually in His presence for the rest of eternity.

What were these “detestable things” that the repentant returning remnant were going to need to remove? It is a term always applied to idol-worship or to objects connected with idolatry; [Margolis, Max L. “Detestable, Things.” Ed. James Orr et al. The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia 1915 : 834. Print.] The “abominations” were all the actions associated with the worship of “detestable things” including prostitution, eating “unclean” meats, and possibly eating with foreigners. (John 18:28; Acts 10:28; 11:3) [Easton, M. G. Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature 1893 : 9. Print.] Once they saw their sin through God’s eyes as they worship Him in other places, then they would be able to see these things from His perspective and have His desire to remove them from the land and thereby “cleanse” it and prevent further temptations in the future.

Once the distractions are removed then a unity of spirit or “one heart” can stand against future idols being formed. This corporate unity of worship would come from individual hearts and “renewed” spirits. David recorded in Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” This need for God’s work being done is something David recognized needed to be done in his own heart and we will also as we regularly compare our righteousness and the direction of our heart focus with that of Christ’s and his faithful servants recorded in His word.

Our spiritual growth is referred to as the process of sanctification. Our sanctification includes two aspects—becoming less like what we were before we came to Jesus, and becoming more like Jesus (2 Cor. 3:18). God replaces the bad in our lives with the goodness of His Son.

[LifeWay Adults (2021). Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide - ESV - Winter 2022. LifeWay Press.]

Next came God’s changing or replacement of the people’s hearts. Deut 30:6 describes the process as a circumcision. “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” This heart transplant cannot be done by human hands. It is totally a work of God. In much the same way Paul had commanded us to “put off” an “put on” righteous living in Philippians, God Himself makes this possible by “regenerating” our hearts to be living and actively pursuing Him and His ways.

God said that when He gave His people a heart of flesh, three things would happen. First, walk in my statutes. The word translated statutes comes from a Hebrew verb that means “to inscribe.” Fittingly, God would inscribe His statutes on their hearts and enable them to follow them. Second, God said of His people, they will keep my rules. The word translated rules refers to proper decision making in accordance with God’s principles. The word translated keep has the nuance of keeping watch or guarding. The people would give God’s ordinances their careful attention. Third, God said His people would obey them. He desired for them to know His commands, but He also wanted them to live them. God is the Author of life, and Jesus came that we might have life more abundantly (John 10:10). The psalmist declared that God’s Word is a lamp and a light for us (Ps. 119:105). The world sometimes views living by God’s commands as a sheltered life, but people who live by God’s commands actually are receiving the best God has to offer.

[LifeWay Adults (2021). Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide - ESV - Winter 2022. LifeWay Press.]

“They shall be my people” is not God saying that He had “disowned” them or fully cast them off but that the fellowship and proper communion would be restored from the current sin separating state.

Through Hosea we hear that “the LORD loves the sons of Israel though they turn to other gods” (Hs 3:1). When the Jewish people are faithful to the Lord, however, they will have a spiritual experience that matches their national relationship with the Lord and they will be My people, and I shall be their God (cf. Ezk 14:11; 36:28; 37:23, 27; Hs 2:23). [Dyer, Charles H., and Eva Rydelnik. “Ezekiel.” The Moody Bible Commentary. Ed. Michael A. Rydelnik and Michael Vanlaningham. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014. 1220. Print.]

Although this promise of restoration through the prophet Ezekiel was not fully manifested when the Babylonian exile was initially ended it was a source of great hope for those longing for a return to their homeland and the full blessings of God to come. Yet not everyone who was hearing the prophet’s words were going to turn back to God.

Ezekiel 11:21 ESV

But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord God.”

From our passage study last week we know that Ezekiel had been “hardened” because not everyone “will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me” (Eze 3:7). God’s judgement and consequences had not changed but was now coming quickly. It has already been fulfilled on Pelatiah. (Eze 11:13). Just as He had proclaimed to Ezekiel in last week’s lessen those that would not “turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity,” (Eze 3:19).

God calls all believers - past, present, and future - to worship Him alone and to obey His commands. Those who oppose God and His ways need to heed His warnings of judgment. Those who seek God but struggle to see Him in their circumstances need to trust in His promises, for they offer hope. Biblical hope is never wishful thinking; it is embracing the assurance of God’s promises. [LifeWay Adults (2021). Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide - ESV - Winter 2022. LifeWay Press.]

Apply the Text

Believers are called to present the truth even in the face of false hopes

As active followers of Christ, we may need to hold others accountable when their focus and eventually their lives drift from Christ. Opportunities to present the gospel in a loving way may present themselves as we encounter those who are not believers and have been let down by their misplaced beliefs. We may even need others to help us see where our own hopes or beliefs are misplaced on things “of the world” instead of in Him who for whom “all things were created.”

Believers are to find hope in the promises of God’s salvation.

There are so many promises in God’s Word that can be encouraging to us if we are willing to look for them and take them to heart. We can also memorize them so that we have them ready to use as spiritual weapons when the enemy attempts to drag us down and “dash our hopes”.

Believers are called to obediently follow and worship God alone.

Sola Christus! It is the first of the “10 words” from the Lord in Exo 20:3 ““You shall have no other gods before me.” This is not always easy but thankfully we do not do this alone and He “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Php 1:6)