A Lamp Unto My Feet Bible Study Website
Related Articles
RETURN TO SYLLABUS
EZEKIEL 14
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY BEFORE GOD
MEMORYVERSE: 2TIMOTHY 2:15
v IN THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL, WE CAN OBSERVETHAT GOD NEVER BRINGS JUDGMENT ON A NATION WITHOUT SENDING A WARNING AND THEN GIVING ANEXPLANATION FIRST.
Ø GOD SENT NUMEROUS WARNINGS THROUGH THEPROPHETS, INCLUDING EZEKIEL. CHAPTER 14 OFEZEKIEL IS GODS EXPLANATION FOR THE JUDGMENT AND A FINAL EXHORTATION TO REPENT.
v READEZE 14:1-11 THE STUMBLING BLOCK OF THEIRINIQUITY
Ø THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL
§ THE ELDERS CAME TO EZEKIEL TO ASK FORDIRECTION AND WISDOM FROM GOD. YOU WOULD THINK EZEKIEL AND GOD WOULD BE HAPPY ABOUT THAT.HOWEVER, THESE MEN CAME WITH IMPURE MOTIVES AND AN UNCLEAN HEART.
· PREVIOUSLY IN THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL WESTUDIED THE IDOLATRY IN THE TEMPLE. (EZE 8). WE ALSO STUDIED ABOUT THE CORRUPT LEADERSHIPIN JERUSALEM. (EZE 11)
§ THESE LEADERS WHO COME TO EZEKIEL INCHAPTER 14 ARE LEADERS ALREADY IN THE BABYLONIAN EXILE WITH EZEKIEL. GOD HAS PROTECTEDTHEM FROM DESTRUCTION BY THE BABYLONIAN ARMIES. YET THESE LEADERS HAVE NOT REPENTED OFTHEIR SINS. ALSO, THESE LEADERS HAVE NOT FORSAKEN THEIR IDOLS.
· THEY DID NOT PHYSICALLY BRING THEIRIDOLS WITH THEM FROM ISRAEL. BUT THEY BROUGHT THEM IN THEIR HEARTS.
Ø WHAT IS THE STUMBLING BLOCK OFTHEIR INIQUITY? (3)
§ HYPOCRISY IS THE STUMBLING BLOCK THEYKEEP BEFORE THEIR FACE.
· IDOLS ARE IN THEIR HEARTS YET THEYOUTWARDLY SEEK GOD. THEIR VIEW OF THEMSELVES IS THAT THEY ARE ACCEPTABLE TO GOD. THISCHARACTERISTIC WAS ALSO COMMON AMONG THE LEADERS OF ISRAEL DURING JESUS MINISTRY ONEARTH.
¨ READ MAT 7:5 MAT 15:8
· GOD SAYS HE IS NOT OBLIGATED TO GIVETHESE HYPOCRITICAL LEADERS AN ANSWER. HE WILL NOT TELL THEM WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR.INSTEAD, HE WILL TELL THEM WHAT THEY NEED TO HEAR. WHAT THEY NEEDED TO HEAR WAS,REPENT!
v READ EZE 14:12-23 THE FIFTH MESSAGE ABOUT JUDGMENT ONJERUSALEM:
Ø WHEN THESE HYPOCRITICAL LEADERS INBABYLON SEE THAT GOD WILL JUDGE JERUSALEM, THEY WILL KNOW THAT EZEKIELS WORDS ARETHE TRUE WORDS FROM GOD.
§ IF A PROPHET GAVE THESE HYPOCRITS ANANSWER TO THEIR INQUIRY THAT DID NOT FIRST DEAL WITH THEIR IDOLATRY, HE WAS A FALSEPROPHET. (9)
· GOD WOULD ALLOW THE FALSE PROPHETS TOSPEAK THEIR FALSE MESSAGES SO THAT THE PEOPLE WOULD BE DECEIVED.
¨ READ 2THE 2:10-11
¨ READ 1KING 22:19-23
Ø THIS IS THE BIBLICAL EXAMPLE. GODALLOWED A LYING SPIRIT TO SPEAK THROUGH FALSE PROPHETS TO BRING KING AHAB TO HIS DEATH.
· NOTICE THAT BOTH THE FALSE PROPHETS ANDTHOSE WHO LISTEN TO THEM WILL BE SEVERLY JUDGED. (9-10) WHY?
¨ THE POOR INNOCENT PEOPLE WHO AREDECEIVED BY FALSE PROPHETS ARE EQUALLY GUILTY BECAUSE EACH PERSON HAS THE RESPONSIBILITYTO DISCERN TRUTH FOR HIMSELF.
Ø WHAT FOUR METHODS WILL GOD USE TO BRINGJUDGMENT?
§ FAMINE (13)
§ EVIL BEASTS (15)
§ SWORD (17)
§ PESTILENCE (19)
· GOD STILL USES THESE FOUR METHODS, ANDOTHERS LIKE EARTHQUAKES, STORMS, AND FLOODS, TO BRING JUDGMENT UPON NATIONS.
· GOD WILL USE THESE FOUR METHODS TOBRING JUDGMENT IN THE FUTURE TRIBULATION PERIOD OF 7 YEARS. (REV 6:8)
Ø A HYPOCRITICAL ARGUMENT:
§ IF GOD SAID HE WOULD SAVE THE CITIES OFSODOM AND GOMORRAH IF THERE WERE AT LEAST 10 RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE IN THE CITIES (GEN18:22-23), SURELY GOD WOULD SAVE JERUSALEM.
· GOD SAYS THAT THE FEW RIGHTEOUS PEOPLEWILL NOT PREVENT GODS JUDGMENT.
Ø NOAH, DANIEL, AND JOB
§ EZEKIEL MENTIONS THREE OF THE MOSTRIGHTEOUS BELIEVERS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. SCRIPTURE TELLS US THESE 3 WERE RIGHTEOUS. (GEN6:9 JOB 1:1 DAN 6:4-5, 22). THESE 3 MEN WERE TESTED AND REMAINED FAITHFUL TO GOD.
· GOD SAYS THAT EVEN IF THESE THREERIGHTEOUS MEN LIVED IN JERUSALEM, NO ONE WOULD LISTEN TO THEM.
¨ THE PEOPLE STILL IN JERUSALEM HADHARDENED THEIR HEARTS TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT NO ONE COULD PERSUADE THEM TO REPENT.
Ø NOAH PREACHED TO THE PEOPLE OF HIS DAYAND NO ONE LISTENED.
Ø DANIEL PREACHED TO THE GENTILE KINGNEBUCHADNEZZAR AND FINALLY INFLUENCED HIM FOR GOD. YET DANIELS OWN PEOPLE HAD A HARDER HEART.
Ø JOB PRAYED FOR HIS 3 FRIENDS TO BESAVED.
Ø WHAT DOES EZEKIEL MEAN WHEN HE SAYS,THEY SHALL DELIVER ONLY THEIR OWN SOULS? (14, 20)
§ NOAH SAVED HIS OWN FAMILY FROM THEFLOOD. DANIEL SAVED HIS OWN LIFE AND HIS FRIENDS. (DAN 2:24) JOB SAVED HIS FRIENDS. FROMJUDGMENT. (JOB 42:7-8) HOWEVER, IN THE FALL OF JERUSALEM, EVERY PERSON WAS RESPONSIBLE FORHIS OWN SURVIVAL.
· THE ULTIMATE MEANING OF THIS PHRASEREFERS TO THE FINAL JUDGMENT. EVERY PERSON MUST ANSWER FOR HIS OWN LIFE BEFORE GOD. GODHAS NO GRANDCHILDREN. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS BORROWED FAITH. ONLY THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVEA PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST WILL BE SAVED. TO BE A MEMBER OF A CHURCH OR TOBE PART OF A CHRISTIAN FAMILY CANNOT SAVE YOU. YOU MUST HAVE YOUR OWN PERSONALRELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST.
¨ THERE WILL BE NO VALID EXCUSEBEFORE GOD, SUCH AS:
Ø I DIDNT KNOW I NEEDED APERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
Ø I WAS DECEIVED BY FALSE PREACHERSAND TEACHERS.
§ THE REMNANT
· THIS REMNANT IS A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHOWILL SURVIVE THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. THOSE CAPTIVE PEOPLE AREADY IN BABYLON WILL SEETHIS NEW GROUP ARRIVE IN BABYLON. THEY WILL OBSERVE THEIR EVIL CONDUCT AND ACTIONS ANDKNOW THAT GODS JUDGMENT WAS JUST.
¨ HOW DO WE KNOW EZEKIEL MEANS EVILCONDUCT AND ACTIONS OF THIS REMNANT?
Ø THESE TWO WORDS (CONDUCT AND ACTIONS)OCCUR 7 TIMES IN THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL AND THEY ARE ALWAYS USED IN A CONTEXT OF EVIL.
v APPLICATION:
Ø SEEKING GODS GUIDANCE:
§ SOMETIMES WE SEEK GODS GUIDANCEWHEN IN REALITY WE DONT REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT GOD THINKS. THERE ARE MANYCHRISTIANS WHO COME TO CHURCH AND BIBLE STUDY BUT THEIR LIVES DO NOT CHANGE. THEIRATTITUDE IS THAT THE THINGS OF GOD ARE INTELLECTUALLY INTERESTING, BUT THEY ARE NOTINTERESTED IN SEEING THEIR LIFE CHANGE. THEIR PRIORITY IS NOT TO HAVE A LIFE PLEASING TOGOD. IF YOU COME TO GOD FOR GUIDANCE WITH THE SAME ATTITUDE THAT YOU ENTER A CAFETERIA,GOD WILL NOT REVEAL HIS WISDOM TO YOU. (EZE 14:3)
· WHEN YOU ENTER A CAFETERIA, YOU SELECTWHAT YOU WANT TO EAT AND PASS BY WHAT YOU DO NOT WANT TO EAT. GOD EXPECTS OBEDIENCE EVENIF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH IT. WE MUST COME TO GOD WITH AN ATTITUDE OF ACCEPTANCE ANDOBEDIENCE.
§ WHEN WE SEEK GODS GUIDANCE ANDHAVE AN IDOL IN OUR HEARTS, GOD WILL ALWAYS DEAL FIRST WITH THE IDOL. (4-5) WHY?
· GOD DOES NOT WANT THE IDOL TO GET THEGLORY FOR AN ANSWER TO YOUR PRAYER.
· GOD IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SPIRITUALCONDITION OF THE NATION.
Ø EACH INDIVIDUAL PERSON IS RESPONSIBLEFOR HIS OWN SOUL.
§ WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR OWNSALVATION.
§ WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR OWNSPIRITUAL GROWTH.
§ WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR OWNLIFESTYLE.
HOMEWORK
EZEKIEL 15
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORKANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.
v APPLICATION OF EZE 14:
Ø WHAT PART OF THE APPLICATIONSECTION OF THE ABOVE MESSAGE REFERS MOST ACCURATELY TO YOUR PERSONAL LIFE? EXPLAIN.
§ GODS GUIDANCE
§ INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY
Ø WHAT WILL YOU DO THIS WEEK TO MAKE THECHANGES IN YOUR LIFE THAT GOD DESIRES?
v PREPARATION FOR EZE 15
Ø READ EZE 15:1-8
§ WHAT IS THE CENTRAL MESSAGE OF EZEKIELS PARABLE OF THE VINE?
§ GOD ASKS EZEKIEL SEVERAL QUESTIONS INTHIS CHAPTER. TRY TO ANSWER THEM.
· 1. HOW IS THE WOOD OF A VINE BETTERTHAN THE WOOD OF A TREE BRANCH? (2)
· 2. IS THE WOOD OF A VINE USED TO DO ANYKIND OF WORK? (3-4)
· 3. ARE THE BRANCHES OF A VINE WORTHANYTHING AFTER THEY ARE BURNED? (5)
· WHAT DOES THE VINE REPRESENT IN THISPARABLE?
§ READ JOH 15:1-17
· HOW DOES EZEKIELS PARABLE COMPAREWITH JESUS PARABLE IN JOH 15?
¨ WHO DOES THE VINE REPRESENT?
¨ WHO DO THE BRANCHES OF THE VINEREPRESENT?
v MEMORY VERSE: JOH 15:5
