Chronological Bible Study – Aug 29

What I Noticed Today (Ezekiel 9-12)

Ezekiel 9

In verses 1-2, Ezekiel’s vision continues with the beginning of the judgment upon the people of Israel. God summoned six men with weapons dressed in linen.

In verses 3-8, the glory of God had left the temple and the city. He instructed a scribe to put a mark on the foreheads of all the people who grieved over the worship of foreign gods. These people would be saved. God then told the men to follow the scribe throughout the city, beginning in the sanctuary and kill everyone without the mark. Ezekiel cried out to God asking if He was going to destroy the entire remnant.

In verses 9-11, God replied that the sins of Israel were too great. The people had forsaken Him. He would have no pity on them. At that point, the scribe brought back word that God’s judgment had been completed.

Ezekiel 10

In verses 1-2, Ezekiel is still standing beside the altar looking at the sanctuary. He sees a likeness of a throne made of sapphire in the expanse that was above the cherubim. God told the scribe dressed in linen to gather coals from between the whirling wheels and scatter them in the city (see Ezekiel 1:13).

In verses 3-5, the cloud that filled the inner court moved to the threshold of the temple and filled the temple, and the courtyard was filled with brightness. The sound of the wings of the cherubim was like the voice of God.

In verses 6-8, one of the cherubim was commanded to take fire from between the whirling wheels and put it into the man dressed in linen.

In verses 9-14, Ezekiel describes again the whirling wheels, this time with eyes all around the wheels, spokes, and body. The whirling wheels had four faces: one face was of a cherub, one of a man, one of a lion, and one of an eagle.

In verses 15-22, the cherubim rose up, and the glory of the Lord stood above the cherubim and left the threshold of the temple.

Ezekiel 11

As the glory of the Lord was leaving the temple, God gave Ezekiel two messages; judgment would come to the remaining people in Jerusalem (vv. 1-15), and the promised restoration of the people exiled in Babylon (vv. 16-21).

In verses 1-4, as God’s glory lifts over the temple, the Spirit took Ezekiel to the eastern gate where there were 25 men (not the 25 men worshipping the sun in Ezekiel 8:16). These men said God were ones who devised iniquity and gave wicked counsel to the people.

In verses 5-12, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Ezekiel telling him to prophesy to the men. The righteous men they murdered were Jerusalem’s hope. They thought they had made themselves safe from the sword inside Jerusalem, but God would bring them out and kill them by the sword at the borders of Israel

In verses 13-15, while Ezekiel was still speaking Pelatiah, son of Benaiah, died and Ezekiel asked God if He intended to kill the entire remnant of Israel. God answered the men had rejected Him along with the whole house of Israel.

In verses 16-21, God says while He has scattered them He had been a sanctuary for some and these will be returned to Israel. When they return, they will remove all the idols; they will walk in God’s statutes, and He will be their God. But for all those that follow detestable practices, God will bring judgment upon them.

In verses 22- 25, the glory of the Lord departs the city and goes to the mountain on the east side of the city (Mount of Olives), The Spirit lifted Ezekiel up and brought him in the vision into Chaldea (Babylon) with the exiles and there he told the exiles all that God had shown him.

Ezekiel 12-19

Ezekiel demonstrated the need for Jerusalem’s judgment because of the people’s disobedience to God in chapters 4-11. The people stubbornly refused to believe about the fall of Jerusalem, so in chapters 12-19 Ezekiel gave them eleven more signs, sermons, and proverbs to convince them their false optimism was misplaced. In ten of the eleven chapters, Ezekiel introduced the topic with the phrase “The word of the Lord came to me” to emphasize this was not from him but from the Lord.

Ezekiel 12

In verses 1-6, the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel telling him the people had eyes to see and ears to hear, but they do not see or hear because they were rebellious. Therefore, to demonstrate being an exile, Ezekiel was told to pack his bags as though he was an exile. He was to come and go with his baggage in their sight in the daytime. In the evening he was to dig a hole in the wall and bring his baggage through it carrying it on his shoulder.

In verses 7-11, Ezekiel did as the Lord instructed. With the curiosity of the people aroused Ezekiel was able to deliver God’s message. The prince in Jerusalem (King Zedekiah) and all the people who lived in the city would be taken captive and exiled from the city.

In verses 12-16, the prince would attempt to flee the city at night by digging through the city wall carrying his baggage on his shoulder, but he would be captured and exiled to Babylon, though he will not see it.

In verses 17-20, the second sign that came from the Lord to Ezekiel regarded the people living in Jerusalem and in Israel. Ezekiel was to eat with anxiety and drink in dismay. This was to demonstrate how God’s judgment would make the land desolate.

Ezekiel 12:21-14:23

In Ezekiel 12:22-14:23 the Lord delivered five messages to Ezekiel to give to the people to destroy their false optimism that judgment would not fall on them (12:21-25, 12:26-28, 13, 14:1-11, 14:12-23).

Message 1. In verses 21-25 the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel. The people believed a proverb that visions of Jerusalem’s demise were unfounded. The Lord said He would keep the people from quoting that proverb because the judgment would be fulfilled soon just as Ezekiel had prophesied.

Message 2. In verses 26-28, the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel again. The people who believed Ezekiel about the forthcoming judgment believed that it would not come for a long time. But the Lord said, no, the judgment would not be delayed.

Tomorrow: Ezekial 13-15

What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.