A Lamp Unto My Feet Bible Study Website
Related Articles
RETURN TO SYLLABUS
EZEKIEL 22
LESSON #20
THE CHRISTIAN IN A VIOLENT SOCIETY
v MEMORY VERSE: DANIEL 8:23
v PREVIOUSLY IN OUR STUDY OF EZEKIEL, WEOBSERVED EZEKIELS CONDEMNATION OF JERUSALEMS SINS OF THE PAST. NOW HE LISTSTHE PRESENT SINS OF THIS CITY. IT IS AS THOUGH WE ARE IN GODS COURTROOM AND ISRAELIS ON TRIAL. AS THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY, EZEKIEL TELLS THE PEOPLE IN THE COURTROOM ABOUTGODS ACCUSATIONS AGAINST ISRAEL.
v READ EZE 22:1-16 THE SINS OF ISRAEL
Ø THE BLOODY CITY = A VIOLENT SOCIETY
§ THE WORDS BLOOD OR BLOODY OCCUR 7 TIMESIN THIS PASSAGE.
§ EZEKIEL CALLS JERUSALEM THE BLOODYCITY. WHY? BECAUSE OF THE FALSE PROPHETS, THE UNGODLY PRIESTS, AND THE UNGODLY KINGS. EVENTHE JUDICIAL BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT WAS CORRUPT. THEREFORE, THERE WAS NO JUSTICE AND NO HELPFOR POOR PEOPLE.
· VIOLENCE WAS A CHARACTERISTIC OFSOCIETY AT THAT TIME. EVEN PAGAN NATIONS AROUND ISRAEL KNEW ISRAELS REPUTATION FORVIOLENCE AND CORRUPTION. (4-5)
¨ THE GOVERNMENT TOLERATED AND PROMOTEDVIOLENCE.
Ø THE GOVERNMENT TOOK BRIBES ANDCONDEMNED INNOCENT PEOPLE TO DEATH TO OBTAIN THEIR PROPERTY.
¨ THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS EXCUSED ANDPROMOTED VIOLENCE.
Ø THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS PROMOTED VIOLENCEAGAINST GODS PROPHETS. EVERY PROPHET OF GOD WAS PERSECUTED OR KILLED. (LUK 13:34 ACT7:52)
Ø THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS PROMOTED THESACRIFICE OF CHILDREN TO IDOLS.
Ø THE MOSAIC LAW WAS VIOLATED:
§ EZEKIEL MENTIONS MANY VIOLATIONS OF GODSLAW GIVEN TO MOSES.
· A FAILURE TO CONSIDER LIFE AS SOMETHINGSACRED EXO 20:13
· A FAILURE TO HONOR PARENTS EXO20:12
· A FAILURE TO TREAT TRAVELERS IN A KINDMANNER EXO 22:21
· A FAILURE TO PROVIDE FOR WIDOWS ANDORPHANS EXO 22:22-24
· A FAILURE TO CONSIDER SACRED THE THINGSOF GOD, INCLUDING THE SABBATH EXO 20:8
· A FAILURE TO AVOID PAGAN IDOLATRY EXO 20:3-4
· A FAILURE TO AVOID ALL MANNER OF SEXUALIMMORALITY LEV 20:20-21 LEV 18:6-23
· A FAILURE TO AVOID BRIBERY ANDCORRUPTION — EXO 23:8
· A FAILURE TO AVOID EXTORTION ANDROBBERY DEU 24:6, 10-12 DEU 23:19-20
v READ EZE 22:17-22 THE PARABLE OF THE DROSS IN THE FURNACE
Ø JERUSALEM = THE FURNACE OF AFFLICTION
§ THIS PARABLE IS BASED ON KNOWINGSOMETHING ABOUT WORKING WITH METAL, THE SMELTING PROCESS:
· SMELTING IS A PROCESS WHERE THEYEXTRACT METALS FROM THEIR ORIGINAL ORE INLARGE FURNACES. THEY HEAT THE ORE WITH ABLAST OF AIR TO 3500 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT OR MORE. DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF ORE BEINGPROCESSED, THE UNUSABLE PART OF THE METAL USUALLY RISES TO THE TOP AS IT IS MELTED. THEPURE USABLE METAL IS SEPARATED FROM THE UNUSABLE PART. THE UNUSABLE PART IS CALLED DROSS.THE WORD DROSS MEANS REFUSE OR WASTE. DROSS IS GODS NAME FOR THE PEOPLE OFJERUSALEM.
§ GOD SAYS HE WILL MAKE THE FURNACE OFAFFLICTION SO HOT IN JERUSALEM THAT IT WILL SEPARATE THE GOOD FROM THE BAD AS THOUGH THECITY IS A BLAST FURNACE.
· NOTICE THAT THE IDEA HERE IS THAT GODKNOWS PERFECTLY THE EXACT AMOUNT OF HEAT OR AFFLICTION REQUIRED TO SEPARATE THE GOOD FROMTHE EVIL IN SOCIETY.
¨ THREE TIMES GOD SAYS HE WILL REHEAT THEDROSS OR REFUSE TO OBTAIN THE LAST BIT OF GOOD OUT OF IT. (20-22)
Ø REMEMBER THAT THERE WERE 3 TIMES WHENINVASIONS BY THE BABILONIANS INTO THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM OF JUDAH TOOK PEOPLE CAPTIVE TOBABYLON.
Ø THE FUTURE FURNACE OF AFFLICTION = THETRIBULATION PERIOD
§ WE DISCUSSED IN CHAPTER 21 HOW EVILKING ZEDEKIAH WAS A PREFIGURE OF THE ANTICHRIST WHO IS TO COME. WE DISCUSSED HOW THEBABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY IS A TYPE OR PREFIGURE OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD THAT WILL COME.
§ THIS IDEA OF EXTREME AFFLICTION ISCARRIED FORWARD IN CHAPTER 22 TO ALSO REFER TO THE TRIBULATION PERIOD IN THE FUTURE.
· CHARACTERISTICS OF THE 7 YEARTRIBULATION PERIOD:
¨ READ 2TIM 3:1-5
Ø AN OVER SHADOWING OF VIOLENCE ANDSELF-INTEREST THROUGHOUT SOCIETY.
¨ READ REV 12:17
Ø THE ANTICHRIST WILL MAKE WAR WITH THEJEWS. HE WILL ENSLAVE MANY OF THEM IN EGYPT AND WILL KILL MANY OF THEM. (DEU 28:68)
¨ READ REV 20:4
Ø VIOLENCE, PERSECUTION, AND DEATH FORFAITHFUL CHRISTIANS WHO DO NOT BOW DOWN IN IDOLATRY TO THE ANTICHRIST.
¨ READ REV 13:15
Ø THE ANTICHRIST WILL FORCE COMPLIANCEAND WORSHIP BY ALL PEOPLE OR THEY WILL DIE.
· SIMPLY BY READING THESE FEW VERSES, WECAN GET A SMALL IDEA OF THE VIOLENT, BLOODY PERIOD THESE 7 YEARS WILL BE IN THE FUTURE.AND, WE HAVE NOT EVEN CONSIDERED THE NATURAL DISASTERS THAT WILL KILL MANY IN THIS PERIOD.
¨ READ REV 6:8 AND REV 9:15,18
v READ EZE 22:23-31 THE SINS OF THE LEADERS
Ø WHEN EZEKIEL REFERS TO PRINCES, HE ISPROBABLY TALKING ABOUT KING ZEDEKIAH AND HIS FAMILY.
§ KING ZEDEKIAH WAS THE LAST KING INJUDAH.
· EZEKIEL SAYS THAT PEOPLE IN AUTHORITYTOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE COMMON PEOPLE, AND THE COMMON PEOPLE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE POOR.
· THE CORRUPTION WAS SO COMPLETETHROUGHOUT SOCIETY, FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM, THAT THERE WAS NOT ONE LEADER TO STAND UPFOR WHAT WAS RIGHT.
· THERE WAS NO MOVING OF THE HOLY SPIRITIN ISRAEL. (24)
¨ RAIN OR WATER IS A SYMBOL FOR THE HOLYSPIRIT. IT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT CONVICTS PEOPLE OF THEIR SIN AND ENABLES THEM TO REPENTAND BE CLEANSED OF THEIR SIN.
· KING ZEDEKIAH AND THE UNGODLY PRIESTSPAID FALSE PROPHETS WITH TREASURE FROM THE TEMPLE.(25-26)
§ IF KING ZEDEKIAH IS A PREFIGURE OF THEANTICHRIST, AS WE DISCUSSED IN OUR LAST LESSON, WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS PASSAGE ABOUTTHE ANTICHRIST?
· READ REV 6:1-4
¨ HE WILL BE A MAN OF VIOLENCE EVENTHOUGH HE FIRST COMES IN PEACE.
¨ HIS GOVERNMENT WILL PROMOTE VIOLENCE,BLOODSHED, AND WAR THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
· READ REV 13:11-15
¨ HE WILL PROMOTE IDOLATRY BY SETTINGHIMSELF UP IN THE JEWISH TEMPLE.
v APPLICATION:
Ø READ PSA 11:3
§ THE FOUNDATIONS OF A GODLY SOCIETY:
· MORALITY
¨ HONESTY AND MORALITY ARE THETHERMOMETERS OF SOCIETY.
· PERSONAL CHARACTER
¨ THE POPULAR THEME OF OUR TIME IS THAT APERSON IS A GOOD LEADER IF HE DOES GOOD DEEDS FOR THE COUNTRY WITHOUT REGARD TO HIS OWNPERSONAL CHARACTER.
Ø ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE, GOOD LEADERSHIPSTARTS WITH PERSONAL INTEGRITY AND CHARACTER. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THAT, IT DOES NOT MAKEANY DIFFERENCE HOW MANY GOOD DEEDS YOU DO. WHY IS THAT TRUE?
§ THE LEADERS IN SOCIETY ARE SUPPOSED TOBE THE EXAMPLES FOR THE REST OF SOCIETY. IF THE EXAMPLES ARE FLAWED, THE PEOPLE IN SOCIETYWILL NEVER RISE ABOVE THE FLAWED EXAMPLES.
· FEAR OF GOD
¨ A SOCIETY THAT DOES NOT FEAR GOD SLIPSTO THE LOWEST LEVELS OF DEPRAVITY BECAUSE THERE ARE NO RESTRAINTS TO MANS NATURALTENDENCIES TO SIN.
§ DISCUSSION: WHAT CAN THE CHRISTIAN DO IN A SOCIETY WHERE THEREIS SO MUCH VIOLENCE AND DEPRAVITY?
· MAT 5:13-16
¨ WE ARE TO BE THE SALT AND THE LIGHT INTHIS EVIL WORLD. HOW DO WE DO THAT?
Ø WE CONCERN OURSELVES WITH THECONDITIONS OF SOCIETY AND THE CHARACTER OF OUR LEADERS:
§ SOMETIMES GOD DIRECTS CHRISTIANS TO GETINVOLVED.
§ SOMETIMES GOD DIRECTS CHRISTIANS TOPROMOTE AND SUPPORT GODLY PEOPLE FOR LEADERSHIP.
Ø WE CONCERN OURSELVES WITH WHAT IS BEINGTAUGHT TO OUR CHILDREN IN SCHOOL.
Ø WE SPEAK UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT AND GOODWHENEVER WE CAN.
Ø WE STAND UP FOR GODLY CHARACTER BYBECOMING THE MODELS OF IT IN SOCIETY.
Ø WE GUARD OUR CHILDREN AND OURSELVESFROM VIOLENT ENTERTAINMENT IN MOVIES, ON TELEVISION, IN SPORTS, AND IN MODERN MUSIC.
HOMEWORK
EZEKIEL 23
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORKANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.
v APPLICATION OF EZE 22
Ø PRAY AND ASK GOD WHAT THINGS HE WANTSYOU TO DO TO BE A BRIGHTER LIGHT IN THIS WORLD OF DARKNESS.
Ø COMMIT YOURSELF TO BEING OBEDIENT TOWHAT HE SHOWS YOU.
v PREPARATION FOR EZE 23
Ø READ EZE 23:1-49 THE PARABLE OF THE TWO SISTERS
§ OHOLAH = SAMARIA
§ OHOLIBAH = JERUSALEM
· THIS PARABLE RELATES THE INTERNATIONAL,POLITICAL INTRIGUES OF THESE TWO CITIES.
¨ WHAT WAS THE GREATEST POLITICAL FAILUREOF THESE TWO CITIES?
v MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 9:10
