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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
EZEKIEL 12
LESSON #9
THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUTH
MEMORY VERSE: JOH 8:32
v CHAPTER 12 IS ANOTHER PROPHECY INACTION. IT IS THE FOURTH AND THE FIFTH SYMBOLIC ACTION GIVEN TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL. THEPEOPLE SEE EZEKIELS ACTIONS. THEY HEAR HIS WORDS, BUT THEY DO NOT BELIEVE HISWARNINGS. THEREFORE, 5 TIMES IN THIS CHAPTER EZEKIEL TELLS THEM HE IS GIVING THEM THEWORD OF THE LORD (VS. 1, 8, 17, 21, 26). BUT HIS WORDS MAKE NO DIFFERENCE INTHE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE.
v READ EZE 12:1-7 THE FOURTH SIGN: THE BAGGAGE AND THE HOLE IN THE WALL
Ø HOW IMPORTANT IS THE WORD OF GOD?
§ AS WE THINK ABOUT THIS QUESTION,EVERYONE WILL AGREE THAT THE WORD OF GOD IS VERY IMPORTANT. HOWEVER, WE MAY QUICKLY AGREE MENTALLY,BUT OUR ACTIONS MUST PROVE THAT WE BELIEVE IT. THAT IS WHY JAMES SAID THAT FAITHWITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD.(JAM 2:17)
· WHEN WE READ THE WORD OF GOD, OR WHENWE HEAR A SERMON, WE CAN AGREE MENTALLY THAT IT IS A MESSAGE RIGHT FROM THE HEART OF GOD.HOWEVER, IF IT DOES NOT CHANGE OUR LIVES BECAUSE WE DO NOT ACT ON IT, WE ARE NO DIFFERENTTHAN THE ISRAELITES TO WHOM EZEKIEL SPOKE, AND WE ARE NO DIFFERENT THAN THE PHARISEES TOWHOM JESUS SPOKE.
¨ READ MAT 13:15
Ø WHY DO SOME PEOPLE HEAR BUT NEVER SEEMTO UNDERSTAND?
§ READ DEU 29:4 AND ACTS 28:26-27
· THE PROBLEM IS NOT IN THE MIND BUT INTHE HEART AND WILL OF MAN. A PERSON DECIDES IF HE WILL BE OPEN TO GOD OR NOT. IF HEHARDENS HIS HEART BECAUSE HE DOES NOT WANT TO GIVE UP HIS SIN, HIS EYES ARE SPIRITUALLYBLIND. THE KEY IS OBEDIENCE. IF YOU REALLY BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART WHAT GOD TELLS YOU, YOUWILL OBEY IT.
Ø EZEKIELS ACTIONS (3-6)
§ HE MUST PACK SOME HOUSEHOLD THINGS ANDMOVE THEM FROM HIS HOUSE.
§ HE MUST LEAVE THESE THINGS HIDDEN AT ADISTANCE FROM HIS HOUSE.
§ HE MUST PERFORM THIS IN THE DAYTIME SOPEOPLE WILL SEE HIM.
§ THEN HE MUST DIG A HOLE IN THE WALL OFHIS HOUSE.
§ NEXT, HE MUST RETRIEVE HIS BUNDLE OFBELONGINGS.
§ IN THE EVENING, HE MUST CLIMB THROUGHTHE HOLE IN THE WALL WITH HIS BUNDLE OF BELONGINGS AND WITH HIS FACE COVERED.
v READ EZE 12:8-16 THE MEANING OF THE FOURTH SIGN
Ø WHEN PEOPLE ASKED HIM ABOUT HISACTIONS, HE MUST TELL THEM IT IS A PROPHETIC SIGN THAT THE GOVERNMENT LEADERS ARE SECRETLYMAKING PLANS AND PROVISIONS TO ESCAPE THE CITY. KING WILL TRY TO ESCAPE BUT WILL BECOME ACAPTIVE IN BABYLON.
§ THE PROPHECY ABOUT THE KING OF JUDAH(12)
· THE PRINCE (KING ZEDEKIAH) WILL THINKHE CAN SECRETLY ESCAPE THE CITY WHEN THE BABYLONIAN ATTACK COMES. IN FACT, HE TRIED TOESCAPE THROUGH A SMALL GATE IN THE WALL OF THE KINGS GARDEN WITH HIS FAMILY AND ARMYOFFICERS. HE DISGUISED HIMSELF SO NO ONE WOULD RECOGNIZE HIM. EZEKIELS HOLE IN THEWALL OF HIS HOUSE WAS TO REPRESENT THE HOLE IN THE WALL OF THE CITY MADE BY THEBABYLONIANS. THE KING AND HIS ARMY ESCAPED THROUGH THIS HOLE. HOWEVER, THE KING WASCAPTURED AND HE DID NOT SEE THE GROUND AS HE WAS TAKEN TO BABYLON. EVERY DETAIL OF THISPROPHECY WAS LITERALLY FULFILLED.
¨ READ JER 39:1-7 (2KIN 25:1-7)
Ø IT IS INTERESTING THAT KING ZEDEKIAHWAS CAPTURED IN 586 BC AT THE SAME PLACE WHERE JOSHUA WON THE FIRST BATTLE FOR THEPROMISED LAND. THEREFORE, THE LAND WAS WONAND LOST AT THE SAME LOCATION.
v READ EZE 12:17-20 THE FIFTH SIGN: EATING AND DRINKING WITH FEAR
Ø EZEKIELS ACTIONS:
§ HE MUST EAT AND DRINK IN THE PRESENCEOF THE PEOPLE.
§ HIS HANDS MUST SHAKE AS HE EATS ANDDRINKS.
§ HE MUST EAT AND DRINK WITHCAREFULNESS.(ANXIETY)
· IN OTHER WORDS, HE MUST LOOK AROUNDCONSTANTLY FOR DANGER. THIS IS THE WAY WILD ANIMALS EAT AND DRINK. THEY EAT AND DRINKCAREFULLY. THEY ARE CONSTANTLY WATCHING FOR THEIR ENEMIES.
Ø THE MEANING OF THE FIFTH SIGN:
§ THE JEWS REMAINING IN JUDAH WILL EATAND DRINK WITH FEAR OF THEIR ENEMY, THE BABYLONIANS.
v READ EZE 12:21-28 THE WORLDLY PROVERBS
Ø PROVERB #1: (22)
§ PROVERB #1 IN ISRAEL WAS A SAYING THATGOD WAS SO LOVING AND PATIENT THAT HE WOULD NEVER FULFILL THE PROPHETIC VISIONS OFJUDGMENT.
· FALSE PROPHETS MOCKED EZEKIELSVISIONS AND PROPHECIES. THEY SAID THAT HIS VISIONS NEVER CAME TRUE.
· THROUGH EZEKIEL, GOD SAYS THAT HISPEOPLE WILL NEVER USE THAT SAYING AGAIN BECAUSE JUDGMENT TIME HAS COME.
¨ THE NEW TESTAMENT INDICATES A SIMILARATTITUDE AMONG PEOPLE IN THE LAST DAYS IN WHICH WE NOW LIVE.
Ø READ 2PET 3:3-4
Ø PROVERB #2: (27)
§ PROVERB #2 IN ISRAEL WAS A SAYING THATJUDGMENT IS SO FAR AWAY THAT THERE IS NO CAUSE FOR ALARM.
· THE IDEA IS THAT SOCIETY IS NOT AS BADAS SOME PEOPLE SEEM TO THINK. THEREFORE, THERE IS PLENTY OF TIME BEFORE GOD WILL JUDGE THENATION.
· GODS RESPONSE IS THAT THE TIME OFJUDGMENT HAS COME. GOD WILL REPLACE THE OLD PROVERB WITH A NEW ONE. THE NEW ONE IS THATTHE DAYS ARE NEAR WHEN EVERY VISION WILL BE FULFILLED.
¨ MAN NEVER KNOWS WHEN THE FULNESS OF SINHAS COME. WE NEVER KNOW WHEN THE GLASS OF GODS WRATH IS FULL ENOUGH.
Ø EZEKIELS PREDICTIONS CAME TRUE 6YEARS LATER WHEN THE BABYLONIANS ATTACKED AND KING ZEDEKIAH FLED.
Ø NO MORE ANY VAIN VISION NORFLATTERING DIVINATION WITHIN THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. (24)
§ THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A PROPHECYAGAINST FALSE PROPHETS THAT IS DEVELOPED MORE FULLY IN CHAPTER 13.
v SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
Ø IN THIS CHAPTER, HOW MANY TIMES DOES ITSAY, THEY SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD?
§ 3 TIMES (VS. 15, 16, 20) REMEMBER THAT JUDGMENT WAS TO GET THEIR ATTENTIONSO THAT THEY WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THE SUPREMACY OF GOD.
Ø WE ALL WANT TO KNOW TRUTH.WE DONT WANT TO LIVE OUR LIVES BASED ON LIES. THERE ARE MANY VOICES IN THE WORLDTODAY THAT CLAIM THEIR WORDS ARE TRUTH. THEROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH THE WORDS OF FALSE TEACHERS, FALSE RELIGIONS, AND FALSEPROPHETS.
§ DISCUSSION: JOH 7:16-18 JOH3:21 JOH 14:6
· IF YOU HAVE A GOOD DEFINITION FOR THEWORD TRUTH, WHAT IS IT?
· HOW CAN YOU KNOW FOR SURE WHETHERSOMETHING IS TRUE OR FALSE?
HOMEWORK
EZEKIEL 13
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORKANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.
v APPLICATION FOR EZE 12
Ø WHAT IS YOUR LEVEL OF OBEDIENCE? MARK ANUMBER.
LOW HIGH
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Ø WHAT IS IT IN YOUR LIFE THAT PREVENTSYOU FROM BEING MORE OBEDIENT TO GOD?
Ø WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO DO TO CHANGE YOURLEVEL OF OBEDIENCE?
v PREPARATION FOR EZE 13
Ø READ EZE 13:1-23
§ WHY DO YOU THINK THE PEOPLE PREFERREDTO HEAR THE FALSE PROPHETS?
Ø READ THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURES ANDDETERMINE WHAT EACH HAS TO DO WITH KNOWING TRUTH.
§ JOH 16:13-14
§ 2TIM 3:16
§ COL 3:15
§ ROM 8:15
§ GAL 5:22
§ DEU 18:20-22
§ 1JOH 2:20
v AQUESTION TO THINK ABOUT: IS IT POSSIBLETO THINK THAT YOU ARE HEARING GODS VOICE WHEN IT IS REALLY THE VOICE OF A FALSEPROPHET?
v MEMORY VERSE: JOHN 3:21
