The Strand Study Bible

EZEKIEL 11:14

EZEKIEL 12:6

1261

14 Again the 1 word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 15 Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession. 16 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, 2 yet will I be to them 3 as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. 17 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; 4 I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the coun- tries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. P 18 4 And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. P 19 4 And I will give them 5 one heart, and I will put a 6 new SPIRIT within you; and I will take the stony 7 heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: P 20 4 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. P 21 4 But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD . P Ezekiel’s vision of the departure of God’s glory from the Mount of Olives 22 Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and

the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. 23 And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city. 24 Afterwards the SPIRIT took me up, and brought me in a vision by the SPIRIT OF GOD into Chaldea, to them of the cap- tivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me. 25 Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the LORD had shewed me. Ezekiel 12 The sign of the exile (Picturing Jerusalem’s fruitless effort to escape Babylon’s invasion) Date - 591 BC/AM 3409 1 8 The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, 9 which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house. 3 Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, 10 though they be a rebellious house. 4 Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for remov- ing: and thou shalt go forth at even in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity. 5 Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby. 6 I n their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twi- light: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: 11 or I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.

1. Ezk 1:3,24 2. Isa 3:10 3. Ezk 6:8-10 4. Fulfilled - Rev 20:4 (Israel’s Restoration) 5. Jere 32:39

Note - One day in the near future (in the Millennium) God will return His people to Israel and give them “a tender heart; a heart that is responsive to Him” ( one heart ). The same will be true for all believers. One day in the near future (in Heaven) God will remove our old natures and give us “a tender heart; a heart that is responsive to Him.” 6. Jere 31:33 7. or, “tender heart” 8. Note - Starting with chapter 12, Ezekiel launches a new series of sermons aimed at the Jewish captives in Babylon who were still optimistic In these next seven sermons (chapters 12-17) Ezekiel will systematically tear down the foundations of their false hopes. His first sermon (Ezk 12:1-16), entitled “The Sign of the Exile,” was illustrated by acting out the fate of Prince Zedekiah, Judah’s king (II Ki 25:1-7). 9. Jere 5:21 10. Ezk 2:3-8 11. Ezk 4:3 about an early return home.

12:2 Understanding spiritual truths is a matter of attitude ( rebellious ) rather than aptitude (intelligence). Thus, the failure to see or hear spiritually is rooted in a man’s attitude toward God. Only a heart “receptive” to God will take in His truths. There are five reasons why God’s people fail to understand God’s truths: 1. Apathy (Zeph 1:12 and Rev 3:15) - Whenever God’s people become indifferent towards the things of God, God becomes silent towards them (Jn 8:30-32). God’s people fail to understand God’s truths because of an attitude of complacency (Mk 6:45-52 & 8:14-21). 2. Selfishness (Rom 12:10) - Whenever God’s people become self-seeking , God becomes silent towards them (Mk 9:33-38-41). God’s people fail to understand God’s truths because of an attitude of self-centeredness. 3. Pride (Rom 12:16 and Prov 26:12) - Whenever God’s people become conceited , God becomes silent towards them (Mt 11:25). God’s people fail to understand God’s truths because of an attitude of arrogance (Mk 10:35-41). 4. Envy (Eph 4:30-32) - Whenever God’s people become resentful , God becomes silent towards them (Jn 21:20-23). God’s people fail to understand God’s truths because of an attitude of jealousy . 5. Immaturity (Isa 28:9, I Cor 3:1-4 and Heb 5:11-14) - Whenever God’s people become carnal (yield to the old nature ), God becomes silent towards them (Mk 8:31-33). God’s people fail to understand God’s truths because of an attitude of fleshliness (Lk 9:51-55).