Ezekiel
20- God is Long-Suffering
In
his message to the Jewish elders, Ezekiel reviewed the nation’s history, the
wilderness journey, and the conquest of their land. He pointed out two facts:
The nation was guilty of repeated rebellion against the Lord, and the Lord
acted as He did for His name’s sake. He could have easily destroyed the nation,
but what would the Gentiles have said about Israel’s God?
Repeated
rebellion against God’s will is serious. The Lord is long-suffering, but we
must never take this for granted. Eventually He must chasten His rebellious
children for His name’s sake. If we do
not glorify Him by obeying His commandments, we must glorify Him by submitting
to His chastening. (Heb. 12).
God
chastens us that He might restore us, and there is always hope. His Word
assures us that God is working for us and not against us.
Ezekiel
21- Babylon
Jeremiah
called Babylon God’s battle-ax (Jer. 51:20-23), and Ezekiel called Babylon
God’s sword. God pulled His sword out of the scabbard, prepared it for use, and
then pointed it toward Jerusalem and Ammon. The Ammonites had united with Judah
against Babylon but had escaped invasion. However, their judgment eventually
came.
God
uses unbelievers to accomplish His purposes and can even overrule their pagan
methods of making decisions (Prov 16:33). God’s people did not obey the
declared will of God, but the pagan nations obeyed God and did not know it!
The
prophet’s responses to this message attracted the attention of the people, for
he sighed and wailed.
Please
read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.
If
you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.
J.
Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.
Dr.
David Jeremiah.
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