Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb19940327.htm

EZEKIEL: BLOSSOMING DURING LIFE'S MOST SEVERE CRISES
Part VI: God's Work To Restore Human Government When Its Leaders Fail
(Ezekiel 17:1-24)
  1. Introduction
    1. The Rebirth of America, a book by the Moss foundation urging the renewal of America through its spiritual awakening, calls believers to turn the tide of wickedness through personal spiritual fervor. However, since this work's printing in 1986, America has elected leaders that promote homosexuality liberties in the military and the cause of abortion-on-demand. The concern of many is this: "What hope exists for the salvaging of deeply corrupted human government?!"
    2. The answer comes in Ezekiel 17:1-24 as follows:
  2. God's Work To Restore Human Government When Its Leaders Fail, Ez. 17:1-24.
    1. Through the use of a parable, the Lord urges Ezekiel to share a message to Israel regarding its failings, Ezekiel 17:1-2.
    2. The parable presents the following account of God's restoration of Human Government, Ez. 17:3-24:
      1. Under God's direction, the king of Babylon took King Jehoiachin from Judah to Babylon in 597 B.C., Ez. 17:3-4,12.
        1. The Babylonians are symbolized in the great eagle which came to Lebanon, v. 3a.
        2. Judah, the Southern Kingdom, is the cropped off upper twigs of the cedar which is taken in captivity back to Babylon, v. 4, cf. Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to Ez. 17:11-21.
      2. Babylon's Nebuchadnezzar made Judah's Zedekiah a puppet king in Judah, Ez. 17:5-6,13.
        1. The seed that is planted by this great eagle represents the establishment of Zedekiah as the puppet king in Judah, v. 5-6.
        2. The turning of the branches toward the eagle pictures the accountability of Zedekiah to Babylon, 6b.
      3. However, Zedekiah, the puppet king to Babylon under God's permissive will, became attracted to the protective custody of Egypt, "another great eagle," v. 7.
      4. Accordingly, Zedekiah broke his covenant with Babylon, and in doing so, broke covenant with God as God had willed for Babylon to control Judah in captivity, v. 15-19.
      5. Because of this break with divine covenant in disobeying the king set up over judged Israel, the king of Babylon, Zedekiah was judged to die in Babylon and have his troops defeated, 17:20-21.
      6. Yet, continuing the parable, God pictures a day in which a sprig would be taken from the tree in Lebanon, this sprig representing the Messiah, v. 22. Through this One, God would bring enormous blessing and sovereignty so that the eagl es and other birds would dwell within ITS shade and limbs, v. 23-24. No more would an eagle be sovereign over the tree, but the tree over eagles!
Lesson: Human government, being ruled by sinful humans, is destined for failure due to sin. Only under the government of the Perfect Human--the Incarnate Son of God, the Lord Jesus, will human government be restored and blessed as Israel rules the Gentile nations.

Application: (1) There exists a fatal flaw in a believer putting all of his efforts into restoring America to godly government in this era: that fatal flaw is the problem of sin in Americans! That issue has to be addressed, and it is addressed th rough the Gospel that transforms the lives of those who believe it! (2) However, not all Americans will accept the Gospel! So, only when ISRAEL rules the Gentile nations under Messiah, Jesus Christ, will there be peace and prosperity in the world's govern ments. As such, the believer's attentions must be directed toward the age to come rather than counting on the age that exists. We must serve the Lord by doing our current part to vote and seek godly leaders and legislation in human government, but that ca nnot be our main focus as all such efforts are doomed for failure apart from Christ's Coming!