OVERVIEW: The parable of the eagles (chapter 17); Man’s responsibility for sin (chapter 18); God’s lamentation for Israel’s captivity (chapter 19); God refuses inquisition (chapter 20).
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
As we move into Ezekiel 17 today, God instructs Ezekiel to speak a parable to the house of Israel utilizing the figure of eagles. (17:1–10) The first eagle represents Nebuchadnezzar and how he came to Jerusalem, took away the king’s seed (the twigs), then planted them again in Babylon. The highest branch of the cedar tree represents king Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, who was exiled in 597 B.C.
When Nebuchadnezzar removed Jehoiachin, he replaced him with a native Judean prince, Zedekiah, instead of a foreign ruler. With the help of Nebuchadnezzar, Zedekiah was surrounded by favorable conditions and prospered in his reign. Nebuchadnezzar’s hope was that the kingdom of Judah would stay dependent on him, but it was not to be!
The second eagle in Ezekiel’s parable represents Egypt and specifically Pharaoh-hophra, to whom Zedekiah looked for help. The prophet Jeremiah had warned Zedekiah not to make an alliance with Egypt (Jer. 37:5–7; 44:30), but Zedekiah ignored Jeremiah’s counsel and foolishly made an alliance with them. (17:15) Although Egypt offered temporary relief from the oppression of Nebuchadnezzar, in the end, Babylon defeated Egypt and put Zedekiah to death. The sad reality is, had Zedekiah simply obeyed God’s counsel to him through Jeremiah, he would have been fine. Oh, may God help us to learn from Zedekiah’s tragic mistake! Because, like Zedekiah, we often find ourselves in trials and temptations that threaten our safety, or our well-being. In those situations, we can choose to listen to the voice of God, as it is revealed in His Word, or we can seek to escape the adversity by looking to worldly alternatives (Egypt). By God’s grace, we must learn to tenaciously stick to what the Word of God says and completely trust God with the outcome. Our worldly scheming will never produce a positive result.
In 17:22–24, Ezekiel reveals a messianic prophecy. The phrase, “One of the highest branches,” refers to Christ, who, unlike Zedekiah, will overshadow a mighty kingdom. Note the surety of God’s Word in the statement, “I the Lord have spoken and have done it.” God actually refers to a future event as if it were history! God’s Word is certain, folks! The surety of what He has declared is completely the same whether He’s talking about the past or the future! Oh, may that reality infuse us with confidence in His holy Word today!
Chapter 18 begins with a proverb that serves as a warning to those who want to blame others for their problems. The children of Israel were blaming their forefathers for their being exiled. They said that their forefathers had “eaten the sour grapes,” and that was what had caused their “teeth” to be “set on edge” (18:2), or caused them to suffer through the sharpness of being exiled. Notice that God flatly rejects their blame-shifting and their refusal to assume personal responsibility for their situation. This is a very significant passage for those of us living in the 21st century, because many people in our time have fallen into the same trap of blaming someone else for their circumstances, or for being the way they are. We hear it all the time, “My Dad this…” or “My Mom that…” or “If I would have had a different upbringing…” or “If my parents would have…” etc., etc. God goes on in this chapter to teach a very fundamental scriptural principle, and that is: each of us must take responsibility for our own actions and choices. It’s true, we didn’t get to choose our parents, and we can’t always control our circumstances, but the fact is, we can always control our own attitudes, choices, actions, and reactions.
The Children of Israel had been offered mercy, if they would have simply repented. Instead, they chose to commit the same sins as their forefathers, and then, blamed them for why they did it! Again, may God help us to take personal responsibility for our lives now knowing that there will be no blame-shifting or finger-pointing at our ultimate accounting before Him at the Judgment Seat of Christ. The chapter ends with God reminding Israel that His true heart’s desire is always for repentance. (18:32) May we learn the invaluable lesson of taking personal responsibility for our sin, then repenting of it with godly sorrow and godly repentance! (2 Cor. 7:10)
In chapter 19, Ezekiel records “a lamentation for the princes of Israel.” (19:1) The word “lamentation” means a “loud cry”. It is a poetic song (usually three beats, followed by two beats) that expresses deep emotion. This lamentation is for king Jehoahaz, who languished in an Egyptian prison (2 Kings 23:31–33), and for king Jehoiakim, who was taken captive and deported to Babylon (2 Kings 24:1–12). They are depicted as lion’s whelps. (19:2, 5) The lamentation ends with a summary of Israel’s current state (19:10–14). Her exile is pictured as a plant in a dry and thirsty ground. The last verse states that Israel has no sceptre to rule. Notice also, the strange terminology in 19:14, that Ezekiel’s “lamentation shall be for a lamentation.” (19:14) In other words, there would be the immediate lamentation of Israel’s condition, and yet, Israel will also suffer a future lamentation during the great tribulation. That tribulation (lamentation) will end with Israel’s Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ, coming to reign over the earth from His throne in Jerusalem, and He will rule with a sceptre made of an iron rod! (Rev. 19:15)
Chapter 20 begins with the leadership (“the elders”) of Israel coming to Ezekiel to enquire of the Lord. God, obviously knowing their hearts and their real motives, instructs Ezekiel to tell them that He would not be enquired of by them. He goes on to remind them that because of their “leadership,” Israel had not only been disobedient but were presently living in disobedience. The chapter ends with a vivid and descriptive picture of God’s judgment with fire. (20:45–49) The leaders of Israel reply by “spiritualizing” Ezekiel’s message instead of taking it literally. They accuse Ezekiel of speaking in parables, when it is clear that this chapter is anything but a parable! This same thing takes place today: many people and denominations spiritualize what God intends to be taken literally and take literally what God intends to be understood spiritually.
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
As the “TENDER ONE” planted upon a high mountain — Ezekiel 17:22