Bible Studies
The Day of Judgment (Ezek. 24)
Series: God Speaks to Our People In ExileIntroduction:
1. For 23 chapters Ezekiel has been proclaiming the coming judgment of God on Jerusalem. 2. It is January 15, 587 B.C. Today is the day of judgment. It is the day that the Babylonian king begins his siege of the city. 3. Ezekiel 24 describes the scene using two very graphic word pictures. The first is that of a cooking pot. 4. Read verses 3-14.Discussion:
I. The first word picture: The parable of the boiling pot (3-14).A. The imagery is reminiscent of the sacrificial system (3-5).
1. Worshipers approached the temple with a designated animal for sacrifice. The worshiper laid his hands on the animal, as if to transfer his sins to the animal. The animal was killed in atonement for the worshipers sin (Lev. 1:4; 3:2). The meat was then boiled and eaten.
2. In Ezek. 24 the king of Babylon has laid siege (laid his hands on, leaned on) Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the sacrificial animal.
3. She will be dismembered and boiled in a pot.
B. Sacrificial animals were supposed to be without spot or blemish, but Jerusalem was filled with bloodshed and filthiness (6-8).
1. The NASB translates as if the pot is rusty, but this translation misses the real point.
2. The point is that the contents of the pot is polluted thus the NIV translates that the pot is encrusted with deposits. Cf. to a cooking pot with encrusted burned on deposits.
3. The meat is polluted.
4. When blood was spilled it was to be covered. Animals were to be bled out over dirt. Thus the blood was covered, a covering of the blood shed for sin (Lev. 17:13; Deut. 12:16, 24).
5. But the blood of Jerusalem was on bare rock, uncovered. Her sin was not covered. Thus the judgment of God would be enacted against her sin.
C. She would be boiled. The pot would be set on the hot coals until it glowed to melt away the filthiness, yet even with this it was not clean (9-13).
D. In this way God depicted the judgment of His wrath on Jerusalem (14).
1. We are all familiar with food burnt on pots and pans.
2. We try special scouring pads, soaps, soaking, scrubbing and sometimes just give up and throw out the pot.
3. Jerusalem would not be cleansed and so God’s wrath would be spent on her.
II. The second word picture: The death of Ezekiel’s wife (24:15-27).A. The Jewish exiles in Babylon looked upon the temple in Jerusalem as Ezekiel looked upon his wife.
1. She was “the desire of his eyes.”
2. The temple was “the pride of their power, the desire of their eyes, the delight of their soul” (v. 21).
3. The exiles had left behind sons and daughters in Jerusalem, their desirable relationships. Jerusalem’s judgment meant great personal loss to them.
B. Ezekiel had spoken to the exiles of Jerusalem’s destruction in the morning. That evening, on the same day, his wife died.
1. Ezekiel was forbidden to mourn in the usual way. Only inward grief would be possible.
2. The exiles were also forbidden to mourn in the usual ways. But they have lost their most treasured possessions the temple and their children.
3. There is grief, but no comfort for the grieving. Commentators offer a wide range of solutions: emotional rigidity, indifference, moral callousness, prophetic prohibition, etc. but the text gives no explicit solution.
C. The text does take us in a different direction. In Ezek. 3:16 Ezekiel had been silenced. He could speak nothing but condemnation to the people because of their rebellion. With the fall of God’s wrath on Jerusalem and an escapee coming from Jerusalem with the news of the destruction Ezekiel’s mouth would be opened (vs. 25-27).
1. After the judgment is executed God’s favor would be extended to those who were left.
2. In the text of Ezekiel there is a shift in the nature of his proclamation.
3. The chapters following verses 25-27 the prophet speaks words of judgment on the nations, the enemies of Israel (chs. 25-32) the promises of the removal of his dumbness is fulfilled (ch. 33). Words of hope are then given to God’s chosen people (chs. 34-48).
III. The dramatic events of ch. 24 give us insight into the seriousness of Judah’s sin, and insight into the pain level of the coming judgment for those left behind. It also gives us insight in the pain that God experiences as a result of the judgment against sin.A. The pain of loosing the one closest to you and then not having the regular avenues of mourning, of being forced to accept your loss without the customary help of others must be overwhelming.
B. Why would God put Ezekiel through this? Why would He put the exiles through it?
C. God Himself was dealing with the same pain. It was His covenant people who had rebelled against Him. We may think of His execution of His wrath as our expressions of our hostility against sinners. It may feel good to us that “they get what’s coming to them.” But God is not like us. He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezek. 18:23, 32; 33:11). It is a time of grief, for those who are “the desire of His eyes” are dying.
D. Indeed our forgiveness is accomplished by the loss of His own beloved Son (Jn. 3:16). God lost His Son in order that we might be forgiven.
E. There is grief! But there is HOPE! We assemble around the Lord’s Table in remembrance of His death. Our emotions are mixed. We grieve over our sins that put Him on the cross. We rejoice in the HOPE that His sacrifice provides. Our focus is on the HOPE and not on the grief.
F. Ezekiel and the exiles were not asked to be unfeeling, to pretend that there was no loss, but to direct their attention forward. So we must do with every death.
IV. Lessons to be learned.A. God’s judgment against sin is certain. Just as Jerusalem’s stiff-necked rebellion resulted in judgment so rebellion today will be met with judgment (2 Thess. 1:6-9).
1. It will come suddenly, like a thief (1 Thess. 5:2-3).
2. The judgment is delayed because of God’s patience (2 Pet. 3:3-4, 9).
B. We are not like those who are rebellious (1 Thess. 5:4-10). Therefore we live in a way that is destined for salvation.
C. We live in the light of God’s judgment. We cannot go in the way of rebellion (Heb. 10:24-31).
D. The cross communicates God’s wrath against sin and his love for us (Rom. 5:8-9).
1. He has taken that which was dear to Him and given Him up for us.
2. Oh, how thankful we should be.
3. We have time to respond. Tongues have NOT been silenced. The opportunity is now. Oh that we realize the urgency!
Conclusion:
1. In the day of judgment it is too late for repentance. 2. Would you respond today?
