THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Ezekiel: Effective Ministry To The Spiritually Rebellious

Part V: God's Prophecies Of Judgment By Prophecies, Ezekiel 6:1-7:27

B. Avoiding Sin For The Severity Of God's Punishment Of It

(Ezekiel 7:1-27)

I. Introduction

A. Ministering to a spiritually very hard, rebellious people is a humanly overwhelming task, but God at times directs some of His servants to function in such a ministry.

B. However, God equips His servants to serve Him well in such cases, and one such event involved Ezekiel's predicting how God's punishment of sin would be frightfully severe in Ezekiel 7:1-27.

C. We view this passage for insight and application in ministering in our era (as follows):

II. Avoiding Sin For The Severity Of God's Punishment Of It, Ezekiel 7:1-27.

A. The Lord predicted through His prophet Ezekiel that His judgment by means of the Babylonian invasion would come upon the "four corners of the land," a figurative reference to the entire land, Ezekiel 7:1-2; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to Ezekiel 7:2.

B. That thorough judgment would come on the people for all their abominations, that God would not spare them, instructing them that He was the Lord, the Sovereign God Who demanded that they obey Him, Ezekiel 7:3-4.

C. God announced that disaster after disaster was about to come on the people, that it would produce tumult and not joyful shouting on the mountains of the land, Ezekiel 7:5-7 ESV.

D. In this coming judgment, the Lord announced that He would not spare or show pity on His people, but unload His fierce wrath upon them, striking them for all of their sins so that they would know He was a righteous God Who was completely intolerant of their wickedness, Ezekiel 7:8-9 ESV.

E. In accord with the blossoming of the people's sinful pride, God's punishment on the form of an equally fitting blossoming rod of punishment would arise, Ez. 7:10 ESV. It would destroy the wealth gained by oppressing the poor (v. 11a) and the preeminence of the rich who oppressed them (v. 11b), and the buyer would not rejoice over getting a bargain nor the seller mourn at having to sell since they were soon to be exiled to a foreign land, so they would lose all the property they had amassed in Judah, v. 12-13; Ibid., ftn. to Ez. 7:12-13.

F. Though the people would blow the trumpet to make ready to go to battle against invaders, none would actually enter the battle, for God's wrath would be upon them, Ezek. 7:14 ESV. He that was outside the city would die by the sword and he that remained in the city would die by disease and famine, Ezek. 7:15 ESV. Those who managed to survive, fleeing from the city to the mountains, would be like doves in the valleys that give out the calls that sound like mourners, for each would mourn over his sins, Ezek. 7:16 ESV; Ibid., ftn. to Ezek. 7:16.

G. Ezekiel predicted that fugitives would be feeble with shock, they would put on sackcloth in mourning as horror and shame covered them and they shaved their heads bald in cultural humiliation, Ezekiel 7:17-18 ESV.

H. Since their previously hoarded silver and gold could then no longer meet their needs for food since they were under attack and cut off from food supplies, God would punish the people for the stumblingblock of the silver and gold they had acquired by oppressing other vulnerable people, Ezekiel 7:19 ESV.

I. Ornaments made of gold and silver had been worn in pride, and some of their gold and silver had been formed into idols for pagan worship, so God would make that silver and gold detestable to Judah's people, giving it to wicked foreign invaders as the booty of war, and the wicked foreigners would profane it, Ezek. 7:20-22 ESV.

J. Because of the people's violent crimes of bloodshed committed in order to get the silver and gold, God called for a chain to take Judah's people prisoners to Babylon and cause invaders to possess their homes and their holy places to be desecrated in just punishment for all of their oppressions and idolatries, Ezekiel 7:23-24.

K. Though the people would seek peace, there would be none, for disaster would follow disaster. Though the people sought for a comforting vision from the prophet, there would be none, and the comforting law would perish from the priest and the comforting counsel would cease from the elders, Ezekiel 7:25-26 ESV.

L. The king would mourn, the prince would despair and the people's hands would be paralyzed in fear, for God would severely punish them for their sins, and they would learn that He was the Lord, Ezekiel 7:27 ESV.

Lesson: God predicted He would severely punish the people of Judah for the sins they had committed in ways that were inescapable and fitting, and Judah's people would learn that He was a perfectly righteous, sovereign Lord.

Application: Since God is perfectly righteous and sovereign, may we not sin that we avoid His severe punishment.