289
June 1929
T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
I n t e r n a t i o n a l L e s s o n C o m m e n t a r y By David L. Cooper 1
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transgression and rebellion. The children are, says the Lord, “impudent and stiff- hearted.” Ezekiel was to deliver his message ir respective of whether it was heeded or not. God does not demand that we see results from our labors. What He expects of His servants is FAITHFULNESS. From 2:6 it is evident that those to whom the prophet spoke were of such a rebellious spirit that they would attempt to intimidate the prophet so that he would not speak the will of God. According to v. 8 he was to hear what the Lord spoke unto him and was to be obedient and not rebellious. In 2 :9-3:3 the prophet is given a roll of a book written on both sides with “lamentations, and mourning, and woe.” This he was commanded to eat, which thing he did. In his mouth it was as honey for sweetness. In Rev. 10 John likewise was commanded to eat “the lit tle book.” Their eating the roll and the little book symbolized the fact of their receiving intellectually and spiritually the message from God which they were to deliver to the people. In 2:4-11 the Lord again informed Eze kiel that his ministry would not be at tended by great results; nevertheless he was to go forward in this work. In 3 :12-15 appears the record of the prophet’s being transported, in vision, to Tel-abib beside the River Chebar. In the following paragraph, vs. 16-21, the Lord emphasizes the individual responsibility, both that of the servant whom he calls into the service of the ministry and that of the individual who hears the preach ing of the Word. In the next paragraph, vs. 22-27, the prophet goes forth from the city into the plain, where the Lord again meets him. He is commanded to enter into his house but is forewarned that his fellow country men will come to his home and will bind him and mistreat him. During this time the Lord will render him dumb. Why ?, His message would fall on deaf ears. They were in no mental or spiritual con dition to receive a message from God since they were a rebellious house. God goes to the limit in pleading with people to turn unto Him and to live, but, when they harden their hearts against Him, it is a fruitless effort to continue to give the Word; yet, at the proper time, said the Lord, He would open the prophet’s mouth, at which time the latter was to speak the message faithfully. II. Two Visions of Ezekiel. 1. Of Jerusalem. 8:1-4. In the sixth year of his captivity Eze kiel was sitting in his house having the elders of Judah before him. The Spirit of God came upon him and in the visions of God he was transported to Jerusalem in order that he might know what his brethren, who were left behind when Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin, Ezekiel, and other captives, were doing. In this
FRED S. SHEPARD ’S BLACKBOARD OUTLINE C A L L E D OMMISSIONED OMMANDED And I did as I was commanded.— Ezek. 24:18. According to vs. 2 and 3, in the fifth year of Jehoiachin’s captivity the word of Jehovah came to him, which thought is repeated in the expression “the hand of Jehovah was there upon him." This latter expression, however, has a deeper mean ing than simply receiving a revelation by spiritual illumination—it refers to his being brought completely under the power and control of the Spirit of God at the time of receiving these visions. “The word of Jehovah came expressly unto Ezekiel." The message which Ezekiel delivered was indeed the Word of God which he received from the Lord. The above expression is the usual Old Testa ment word to indicate divine and plenary inspiration. The name Ezekiel means “Jehovah strengthens.” Evidently his parents real ized the great Biblical truth that God does strengthen His people who trust Him (cf. Isa. 40 :29-31). Ezekiel was of the priestly family and his influence was evidently very great among the captives. He seemed to be a tower of strength to them in their dis couragement and sorrows. Again the prophet speaks of his receiving divine communications by the expression “the hand of Jehovah, was there upon him." In the remaining part of this chapter appears one of the most wonderful and yet mysterious visions which is recorded in Holy Writ. This passage gives the in augural vision which he enjoyed at the time of his call to minister to his people. 2. Ezekiel Receiving his Commission. 2 :l-3:27. Ezekiel, like Isaiah (chapter 6) and Jeremiah (chapter 1), received a direct call from God to his prophetic office. In vs. 26-28 of chapter 1 appears a mag nificent description of the Almighty on His throne, which vision overawed the prophet and caused him to fall upon his face. Then the Lord spoke to him, com manding him to stand upon his feet in order that He might talk with him. At this point the Spirit of God entered the prophet’s soul and gave him physical strength, enabling him to arise. After this the Lord spoke directly to him. In 2:4-10 appears the message: “I send thee to the children of Israel . . . which have rebelled against me." Throughout the entire history of Israel she has been stiffnecked and rebellious against God. The prophet indicts their fathers for
July 7, 1929 The Story of Ezekiel Ezekiel 1:1-3; 2:1-3:27; 8:1-4; 11:22-25; 24:15-24 ; 33:30-33. Golden Text: “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, 0 house of Israel?” (Ezek. 33:11). L e sso n in O u t l in e 1. The Call and Commission of Ezekiel. 1. Ezekiel among the Exiles. 1:l-3. 2. Ezekiel Receiving his Commission. 2:1-3:27. II. Two Visions of Ezekiel. 1. Of Jerusalem. 8:1-4. 2. Departure of the Presence of the Lord. 11:22-25. III. Messages of Ezekiel Concerning: 1. The Sad Condition of the Disobe dient Exiles. 24:15-24. 2. Hearing but Failing to Obey. 33: 30-33. — o — I. The Call and Commission of Ezekiel. 1. Ezekiel among the Exiles. 1:l-3. N OW it came to pass in the thirtieth year." The thirtieth year of what? Scholars are disagreed. All of the dates mentioned by Ezekiel except this one phrase “of our captivity." The latest dated prophecy is given in 29:17, namely, the twenty-seventh year. The thirtieth year, therefore, would be three years later. Scholars have endeavored to find some event of sufficient significance to be the initial year of an era of which this year was the thirtieth. No satisfactory expla nation has thus far been given. God never demanded of man to “harmonize His Word” but to preach it. If we can see a logical and lawful harmonization of seemingly contradictory passages, all right, good and well; but where no satis factory solution is to be found faith must bridge the chasm. Many seeming contradictions have been solved in the past by the bringing forth into the light of some newly discovered fact. Let us wait with patience in faith for further light on this and all other dif ficult passages. in 33:21 and 40:1 d o u b t l e s s a r e reckoned from the captivity of Jehoia- chin, Ezekiel, a n d Mo r d e c a i . This s e e m s to be the natural inference w h i c h is drawn from, his language where he uses the
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