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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
EZEKIEL 19
LESSON #17
THE INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBILITY TO SOCIETY
MEMORY VERSE: PROVERBS 21:1
v EZEKIEL 19 CONSISTS OF TWOLAMENTATIONS.
Ø WHAT IS A LAMENTATION?
§ IT IS A SAD SONG OF WEEPING; A SONGSUNG AT A FUNERAL. WHO IS THE PERSON WEEPING? IT IS THE LORD.
· YOU WILL RECALL WHEN JESUS WALKED ONTHIS EARTH, HUNDREDS OF YEARS AFTER EZEKIEL, HE WEPT OVER THE CITY OF JERUSALEM. (MAT23:37-39)
v READ EZE 19:1-9 A LAMENTATION OVER THE PRINCES (KINGS) OFISRAEL
Ø THE IDENTITY OF THE SYMBOLISM:
§ EZEKIEL USES AN OLD TESTAMENT SYMBOLTHAT WE NEED TO IDENTIFY BEFORE WE CAN UNDERSTAND GODS CONCERN.
· THE LIONESS = THE TRIBE OF JUDAH
¨ IN GENESIS 49:9 WE HAVE A PROPHECY THATTHE KINGS OF ISRAEL WOULD COME FROM THE TRIBE OF JUDAH. THE SYMBOL ON THE BANNER OF THETRIBE OF JUDAH WAS A LION.
Ø NUM 23:24 TELLS US THAT THERE WILL BE AGREAT LION OUT OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH. THAT LION IS JESUS CHRIST. IN REV 5:5, JESUS ISCALLED, THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH.
· THE LIONESS HAS TWO LION CUBS:
¨ KINGJEHOAHAZ (OR SHALLUM) (19:2-4 2KI 23:31-35 JER 22:10-12)
Ø THIS KING WAS SO BAD, GOD ONLYPERMITTED HIM TO REIGN 3 MONTHS. (608 BC)
§ HE WAS ONLY 23 YEARS OLD.
Ø HIS NAME, JEHOAHAZ, MEANS, JEHOVAHHAS GRASPED.
Ø THE NAME, SHALLUM, MEANS, RECOMPENSER.
Ø HE WAS NOT THE ELDEST SON OF HISFATHER, KING JOSIAH, BUT HE WAS MORE POPULAR WITH THE PEOPLE.
Ø AFTER 3 MONTHS, GOD REMOVED HIM FROMTHE THRONE BY USING THE PHARAOH NECHO OF EGYPT.
Ø HE WAS TAKEN TO EGYPT WHERE HE DIED.JEREMIAH PROPHESIED HIS DEATH IN EGYPT. (JER 22:11-12)
Ø HIS OLDER BROTHER, JEHOIAKIM, REPLACEDHIM.
¨ KING JEHOIACHIN (CONIAH OR JECONIAH)(19:5-9 2KI 24:8-16 2CHR 36:9-10)
Ø THIS KING WAS SO BAD, THAT GOD ONLYPERMITTED HIM TO REIGN 3 MONTHS AND 10 DAYS. (599 BC)
§ HE WAS ONLY 18 YEARS OLD.
Ø HIS NAME MEANS, JEHOVAH WILLESTABLISH.
Ø HE WAS GIVEN THE THRONE BY THEBABYLONIAN KING AFTER THE DEATH OF HIS FATHER, KING JEHOIAKIM.
Ø HE WAS SO EVIL THAT EVEN KINGNEBUCHADNEZZAR OF BABYLON REGRETTED THE APPOINTMENT AND RETURN ED TO REMOVE THIS YOUNG KINGAND HIS FAMILY AFTER ONLY 3 MONTHS AND 10 DAYS. THEY WERE TAKEN CAPTIVE, ALONG WITHEZEKIEL, TO BABYLON. JEHOIACHINS UNCLE, MATTANIAH (KING ZEDEKIAH), REPLACED HIM AS APUPPET KING, AND BECAME THE LAST KING IN ISRAEL.
Ø WE DISCUSSED KING JEHOIACHIN (CONIAH,JECONIAH) PREVIOUSLY IN CHAPTER 17.
§ REMEMBER THAT HE WAS THE KING ON WHICHJEREMIAH PRONOUNCED A CURSE. NO FUTURE KINGS WOULD COME FROM HIS FAMILY. (JER 22:21-30)
Ø THE PROBLEM WITH THESE TWO LEADERS: WHAT DID GOD DISLIKE ABOUT THESE TWO MEN?
§ THESE TWO KINGS THOUGHT THEY WERE GOODKINGS. HOWEVER THEY HAD A PROBLEM WITH PRIDE.
§ THESE TWO KINGS DID NOT WANT TO LISTENTO GODS PROPHETS.
§ THESE TWO KINGS DID NOT DESIRE TO KNOWGODS WILL.
§ THESE TWO KINGS DID NOT VALUE GODSWORD.
v READ EZE 19:10-14 A LAMENTATION OVER THE LAND OF JUDAH, THESOUTHERN KINGDOM
Ø EZEKIEL AGAIN RETURN S TO THE THEME THATISRAEL IS A VINE PLANTED BY GOD AND BLESSED IN THE PROMISED LAND.
§ REMEMBER WE DISCUSSED ISRAEL AS THEVINE AND THE VINEYARD IN CHAPTER 15 THAT DID NOT BEAR FRUIT FOR GODS KINGDOM.
§ SHE HAD STRONG RODS OF THESCEPTRES OF THEM THAT BARE RULE. (11)
· THE NATION OF ISRAEL HAD A FEW GOOD,STRONG KINGS.
¨ BECAUSE THEY WERE GODLY KINGS, GODPROSPERED THE NATION.
§ THE EAST WIND DRIED UP HER FRUIT.(12)
· THE EAST WIND IS A BIBLICALPHRASE FOR JUDGMENT BY GOD.
¨ BECAUSE ISRAEL STOPPED PRODUCING FRUITFOR GODS KINGDOM, GOD JUDGED THE NATION. HE PLUCKED UP THE VINEYARD AND REMOVED THEMFROM THE PROMISED LAND.
v APPLICATION AND DISCUSSION:
Ø A QUESTION TO THINK ABOUT: WHAT RESPONSIBILITY DO PEOPLE HAVE FOR THE SINS AND FAILURES OF THEIRLEADERS?
§ ACCORDING TO THE OLD TESTAMENT ANDSPECIFICALLY HERE IN EZEKIEL, IT SEEMS GOD JUDGES AND PUNISHES THE WHOLE NATION OF ISRAELFOR THE SINS OF THE GOVERNMENT LEADERS (EZE 19), AND FOR THE SINS OF THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS(EZE 8 AND 14).
· DISCUSSION: WHY DOES GOD DO THAT?
¨ READ ROM 1:18 2:1a
¨ A CULTURE OR A SOCIETY PRODUCES THEKIND OF LEADERS THAT WILL RULE IN THE FUTURE. IT DOES NOT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE WHAT FORM OFGOVERNMENT A NATION ADOPTS. SOCIETY IS EQUALLY GUILTY WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT IS ADEMOCRACY OR A MONARCHY.
Ø CULTURE DICTATES WHAT CHARACTERQUALITIES ARE VALUED IN A SOCIETY.
§ CHILDREN LEARN THE CHARACTER QUALITIESAND THE VALUE SYSTEM OF THEIR CULTURE AS THEY GROW.
Ø CULTURE IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING TOREFLECT THE VALUES OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVE IN THAT SOCIETY.
§ THEREFORE, IT IS THE COLLECTIVEINTEGRITY OF INDIVIDUALS THAT CREATE THE CULTURE.
¨ THEREFORE, WHEN GOD JUDGES A NATION, HEIS JUDGING THE COLLECTIVE VALUE SYSTEM OF THE SOCIETY IN WHICH FUTURE LEADERS WILL LEARNAND GROW.
Ø WE CAN SAY THAT GOD CONCERNS HIMSELFWITH THE SOCIETY OF THE FUTURE THE SOCIETY IN WHICH OUR GRANDCHILDREN WILL LIVE.
Ø WHAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACHINDIVIDUAL PERSON FOR THE CULTURAL VALUES IN HIS SOCIETY?
§ WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE TO BE GOODMODELS OF THE BEST ASPECTS OF THE CULTURE IN WHICH WE LIVE RATHER THAN TO BE MODELS OF THEWORST VALUES IN SOCIETY.
§ THE CHRISTIAN HAS AN EVEN GREATERRESPONSIBILITY. HE MUST BE A GOOD MODEL OF GODS VALUE SYSTEM BECAUSE THE VALUESYSTEM OF WORLDLY CULTURE FALLS FAR SHORT OF GODS STANDARD. WHY IS THAT TRUE?
· SOCIETY NEVER REFLECTS THE HIGHESTVALUES IN A CULTURE.
· SOCIETY NEVER PLACES A HIGH VALUE ONTHE MOST IDEAL CHARACTER QUALITIES. WHY?
¨ THE NATURAL MAN (THE UNBELIEVER) ISNEVER CONVINCED THAT GOOD CHARACTER WILL BRING SUCCESS IN LIFE.
· SOCIETYS VALUES CHANGE OVER TIMEMAKING CULTURE DYNAMIC, WHILE GODS VALUES DO NOT CHANGE OVER TIME MAKING GODSSYSTEM THE HIGHEST STANDARD.
§ THEREFORE, THE CHRISTIAN HAS ARESPONSIBILITY TO SOCIETY TO LIVE A GOOD CHRISTIAN LIFE FOR THE BENEFIT OF YOUR CHILDRENAND GRANDCHILDREN.
· REMEMBER THAT THE CHRISTIAN MUST BE THESALT OF THE SOCIETY (MAT 5:13). WE ARE THE HOPE OF THE FUTURE SOCIETY.
HOMEWORK
EZEKIEL 20
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORKANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.
v APPLICATION OF EZE 19
Ø WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICCHARACTER QUALITIES NEED GODS HELP IN YOUR LIFE?
§ FAITHFULNESS
§ TRUTHFULNESS
§ HONESTY
§ FORGIVENESS
§ KINDNESS
§ GRATEFULNESS
§ TRUSTWORTHINESS
§ OTHERS?
Ø PRAY AND ASK GOD TO OPEN OPPORTUNITIESTHIS WEEK FOR YOU TO DEMONSTRATE THE SPECIFIC QUALITIES YOU CHECKED.
v PREPARATION FOR EZE 20
Ø READ EZE 20:1-32
§ THIS SECTION IS A REVIEW OF ISRAELSHISTORY. WHY DO YOU THINK HISTORY IS SO IMPORTANT TO GOD?
Ø READ EZE 20:33-44
§ THIS SECTION TELLS US WHAT WILL HAPPENTO ISRAEL IN THE FUTURE. MAKE A LIST OF FUTURE EVENTS.
Ø READ EZE 20:45-49
v MEMORY VERSE: 1CORINTHIANS 10:11
