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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
EZEKIEL 33
HEARING AND DOING GODS WORD
v MEMORYVERSE: JAMES 1:22
v FROMEZEKIEL 33 TO THE END OF THE BOOK, THE THEME IS THE FUTURE. MORE AND MORE AS WE HAVE COMECLOSER TO THE END OF THE BOOK, WE HAVE PROGRESSIVELY DISCUSSED MORE ABOUT THE UNFULLFILLEDPROPHECIES OF THE FUTURE. IT IS THIS PART OF THE BOOK THAT IS THE MOST EXCITING BECAUSE WECAN LITERALLY SEE BIBLE PROPHECY FULFILLED IN OUR PRESENT DAY.
v INTHE FIRST PART OF THE BOOK WE SAW THE GLORY OF GOD DEPART FROM THE TEMPLE AND THE LAND OFISRAEL. IN THE LAST PART OF THE BOOK, WE WILL SEE THE GLORY OF GOD RETURN TO ISRAEL.
v READEZE 33:1-9 EZEKIEL IS CONFIRMED AS A TRUEPROPHET OF GOD
Ø GOD CALLED EZEKIEL TO BE A PROPHET AT THEBEGINNING OF THE BOOK. HOWEVER IT IS AT THIS POINT IN THE BOOK THAT EZEKIEL IS CONFIRMEDAS A TRUE PROPHET OF GOD.
§ REMEMBER THAT THERE WEREMANY FALSE PROPHETS THEN, AS THERE ARE TODAY. GOD CALLS THE FALSE PROPHETS, BLIND MEN.THEY ARE LIKE DOGS THAT DONT BARK WHEN A ROBBER THREATENS YOUR HOME.
· ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF A TRUEPROPHET OF GOD WAS THAT THE PREDICTIONS MUST COME TO PASS 100%. (DEU 18:22)
· EZEKIEL PREDICTED THAT JERUSALEMAND THE TEMPLE WOULD BE DESTROYED. HIS PREDICTIONS CAME TRUE EXACTLY AS HE SAID THEYWOULD.
¨ LIKE A GOOD WATCHMAN ON THE WALL, EZEKIEL WASFAITHFUL TO WARN THE PEOPLE.
¨ THE FALSE PROPHETS DID NOT WARN THE PEOPLE OFCOMING JUDGMENT. THEREFORE, THEY WILL PAY A HEAVY PRICE IN THE FINAL JUDGMENT FOR THEIRUNFAITHFULNESS.
§ A TRUE PROPHET OF GOD HADGOOD HINDSIGHT:
· HE COULD LOOK BACK AT HISTORY ANDDETERMINE WHAT GOD DID AND WHY HE DID IT.
§ A TRUE PROPHET OF GOD HADGOOD FORESIGHT:
· HE COULD SEE THE DANGERS AHEAD INTHE FUTURE.
§ A TRUE PROPHET OF GOD HADGOOD INSIGHT:
· HE COULD UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLEAND WHAT THEY NEEDED TO MAKE THEM STRONG BELIEVERS FOR GOD.
Ø THEREFORE, A TRUE PROPHET OF GOD SPEAKS GODSWORDS.
Ø DISCUSSION: WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE TRUE VALUE OF BIBLE PROPHECY?
§ IN EZE 33 GOD RE-CONFIRMSEZEKIELS ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY AS A TRUE PROPHET OF GOD.
· ALTHOUGH EZEKIELSPROPHECIES HAVE COME TRUE CONCERNING THEIR FIRST FULFILLMENTS, EZEKIELS JOB IS NOTFINISHED.
· IT IS GODS DESIRE TOENCOURAGE HIS PEOPLE REGARDING THEIR FUTURE. THEREFORE, GOD WILL USE EZEKIEL TO BE AWATCHMAN ON THE WALL SEARCHING THE DISTANT HORIZON FOR ISRAELS FUTURE.
v READ EZE 33:10-20 JUDGMENT FROM GODS PERSPECTIVE
Ø USUALLY WE OBSERVE THE HARSH JUDGMENTS ONWEAK HUMAN BEINGS AS TOO SEVERE AND UNFAIR. THE REASON IS THAT WE CONSIDER THEM FROM MANSPERSPECTIVE. HOWEVER, IN THIS PASSAGE WE SEE GODS JUDGMENT FROM GODSPERSPECTIVE.
§ HE IS THE CREATOR OF ALL OFUS AND ALL THIS WORLD. HE IS IN CONTROL OF IT ALL, AND HE CAN DO WHAT HE WANTS WITHOUT MANSAPPROVAL. IF WE KEEP THAT IN MIND, WE CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND GODS PERSPECTIVE.
· GOD DOES NOT OBTAIN JOY PUNISHINGEVIL PEOPLE.
¨ THE OLD GREEK AND ROMAN VIEW OF A GOD WASTHAT THEIR GODS DELIGHTED IN CAUSING TROUBLE AND PAIN TO MAN AS A SPORT.
¨ THERE ARE SOME CHRISTIANS TODAY WHO HAVE THISSAME IDEA OF OUR GOD. THEY THINK GOD IS SITTING IN HEAVEN JUST WAITING FOR US TO MAKE AMISTAKE SO HE CAN CLOBBER US.
· GOD WOULD RATHER HAVE MAN REPENTOF HIS SINS, SO THAT HE CAN BLESS HIM. BECAUSE HE IS A GOD OF LOVE AND BLESSING, HE WOULDRATHER BLESS THAN CURSE.
§ WHAT IS GODS CRITERIAFOR JUDGMENT?
· GODS CRITERIA IS WHETHER ORNOT MAN REPENTED OF HIS SIN.
¨ IF A MAN TRULY REPENTS OF HIS SIN, HE ISFORGIVEN, AND GOD DOES NOT JUDGE HIM.
¨ IF A MAN DOES NOT REPENT OF HIS SIN, HE ISJUDGED BY THEM.
Ø GOD JUDGES EVERYONE AFTER HIS WAYS. (20)
· MAN MAKES THE CHOICE OF JUDGMENTOR NO JUDGMENT. GOD DOES NOT MAKE THIS CHOICE.
¨ BECAUSE THE PEOPLE OF EZEKIELS DAY DIDNOT UNDERSTAND THIS, THEY SAID GOD WAS UNFAIR HIS WAYS WERE UNEQUAL.
Ø PEOPLE SAY THE SAME THING TODAY, BECAUSE THEYDO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT IT THEIR CHOICE.
· WHAT IS TRUE REPENTANCE?
¨ THE WORD TURN IS USED 8 TIMES INTHIS CHAPTER AND REFERS TO REPENTANCE.
¨ THE WORD REPENTANCE MEANS = ACHANGE OF MIND.
Ø IT MEANS THAT YOU DECIDE TO SEE YOUR SIN FROMGODS PERSPECTIVE IN THE WAY THAT GOD VIEWS IT. BECAUSE GOD SEES SIN AS HORRIBLE, YOUTAKE ON THAT SAME ATTITUDE OF MIND. WHEN YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT SIN, YOU CHANGE YOURACTIONS TO CONFORM TO YOUR THINKING. THEN YOU TURN YOUR ACTIONS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
¨ WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REPENTANCE,REGRET, AND REMORSE?
Ø REGRET OCCURS IN THE MIND.USUALLY IT IS A FEELING OF SORROW BECAUSE YOU WERE CAUGHT IN A SIN.
Ø REMORSE OCCURS IN THE MIND ANDTHE HEART. YOU FEEL PAIN AND DISGUST INTERNALLY.
Ø REPENTANCE OCCURS IN THE MIND,THE HEART, AND THE WILL BECAUSE IT INVOLVES CHANGING YOUR BEHAVIOR.
Ø WHY DOES GOD TALK ABOUT REPENTANCE IN THISCHAPTER?
§ THE ISRAELITES SUFFEREDWAR, DEFEAT, AND MOST OF THE SURVIVORS WERE TAKEN CAPTIVE TO BABYLON. THE BABYLONIANS LEFTA FEW POOR FARMERS IN ISRAEL TO CARE FOR THE LAND. THESE SURVIVORS COMPLAINED THAT GOD WASUNFAIR. THOSE WHO SURVIVED ALL THIS DESTRUCTION AND JUDGMENT STILL HAD NOT REPENTED OFTHEIR SINS.
· GODS DESIRE WAS THAT THEYREPENT SO HE COULD BLESS THEM.
v READ EZE 33:21-33 A PEOPLES RESPONSIBILITY TO THE WORD OF GOD JAN 9,585 BC
Ø THIS CHAPTER OCCURS 5 MONTHS AFTER THEDESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. THE FIRST SURVIVOR OF THAT TERRIBLE DESTRUCTION ARRIVES INBABYLON TO TELL OF THE CARNAGE. (21-22)
§ NOW THE PEOPLE IN BABYLONKNOW THAT EZEKIEL WAS RIGHT IN HIS PREDICTIONS. HE IS A TRUE PROPHET OF GOD.
§ NOW THEY WANT TO KNOW WHATEZEKIEL HAS TO SAY ABOUT THEIR FUTURE.
· BECAUSE THEY NOW HAVE AN INTERESTTO HEAR FROM GOD, GOD GIVES THEM A WARNING THROUGH EZEKIEL.
¨ THEY LOST THE LAND GOD GAVE TO ABRAHAMBECAUSE THEY BROKE THE MOSAIC COVENANT, AND THEY DID NOT LISTEN TO GOD.
Ø THE PEOPLE FAILED TO SEE THAT ABRAHAM WASRIGHTEOUS SO GOD BLESSED HIM WITH LAND. THEY WERE NOT RIGHTEOUS, SO GOD TOOK AWAY THELAND.
¨ THE LAND OF ISRAEL WILL BE A WASTE LANDBECAUSE THEY DID NOT LISTEN TO GODS WARNINGS. (28)
¨ THEY WERE HEARERS OF THE WORD OF GOD, BUTTHEY DID NOT DO THE WORD OF GOD.
Ø THE PEOPLE CONSIDERED EZEKIELS SPEECHESAS ENTERTAINMENT.
v APPLICATION:
Ø THE ISRAELITES BIGGEST PROBLEM WAS A LACK OFFAITHFULNESS TO GOD. THEY WERE UNFAITHFUL BECAUSE THEY DID NOT DO WHAT GOD TOLDTHEM. WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. SOMETIMES WE CONSIDER CHURCH AS ENTERTAINMENT.
§ WE COME TO CHURCH. WE HEARTHE WORD PREACHED IN WORSHIP SERVICE. WE HEAR THE WORD TAUGHT IN BIBLE STUDY.
§ WE GO HOME AND DO NOT ACTON WHAT WE HEARD AND LEARNED.
§ THEREFORE, OUR LIVES DO NOTCHANGE. WE DO NOT BECOME MORE LIKE CHRIST. WE DO NOT MATURE IN OUR CHRISTIAN WALK.
§ THEN WE WONDER WHY WESTRUGGLE WITH PROBLEMS THAT SEEM NEVER TO GET RESOLVED.
§ WE WONDER WHY WE DO NOT SEEGODS MIRACLES AND BLESSINGS IN OUR LIVES.
· IT IS BECAUSE WE ARE JUST LIKETHE ISRAELITES. WE ARE HEARERS AND NOT DOERS OF THE WORD OF GOD.
¨ READ JAM 1:22-25
Ø HOW TO BE A DOER OF THE WORD OF GOD:
§ 1. EVERY TIME YOU HEAR THEPASTOR PREACH OR A TEACHER TEACH THE WORD OF GOD, WRITE DOWN ON PAPER ONE SPECIFIC THINGTHAT YOU WILL DO THAT WEEK.
§ 2. PUT YOUR PIECE OF PAPERIN AN OBVIOUS PLACE WHERE YOU WILL SEE IT EVERY DAY.
§ 3. AT THE END OF THE WEEK,EVALUATE HOW FAITHFUL YOU WERE TO DO WHAT YOU WROTE.
HOMEWORK
EZEKIEL 34
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
v APPLICATIONOF EZE 33
Ø HOWWELL DO YOU FOLLOW THROUGH TO DO WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD AND LEARNED FROM THE WORD OF GOD INCHURCH SERVICES AND IN BIBLE STUDIES?
Ø GRADEYOURSELF ON THE FOLLOWING SCALE.
NEVER SOMETIMES FREQUENTLY ALWAYS
Ø 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Ø MAKE A DETERMINATION TO DO BETTER THIS MONTH.
v PREPARATION FOR EZE 34
Ø READ EZE 34:1-10 THE SHEPHERDS OF ISRAEL
§ WHO ARE THE SHEPHERDS?
Ø READ DEU 30:1-10 THE PALESTINIAN COVENANT
§ WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS OFTHIS COVENANT?
Ø READ EZE 34:11-31 THE DAVIDIC KINGDOM
§ MAKE A LIST OF THE PROMISESGIVEN TO ISRAEL.
Ø MEMORY VERSE: EZEKIEL 34:23
