The Strand Study Bible

EZEKIEL 19:2

EZEKIEL 20:8

1273

2 And say, What is thy 1 mother? A lion- ess: she lay down among lions, she nour- ished her 2 whelps among young lions. 3 And she brought up 3 one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men. 4 The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, 4 and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt. 5 Now when 1 she saw that she had wait- ed, and her hope was lost, then she took 5 another of her whelps, and made him a young lion. 6 And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men. 7 And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, 6 by the noise of his roaring. 8 7 Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit. 9 And they put him in ward in chains, 8 and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the moun- tains of Israel. 10 Thy 1 mother is like a vine in thy 9 blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters. 11 And she had 10 strong rods for the scep- tres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multi- tude of her branches. 12 But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the 11 east wind dried up her fruit: her 12 strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them. 13 And now she is planted in the wilder- ness, in a dry and thirsty ground. 14 And fire is gone out of a rod of her

branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong 13 rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation. Ezekiel 20 Ezekiel reviews Israel’s rebellious history 1 And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Is- rael came to enquire of the LORD , and sat before me. 2 Then came the 14 word of the LORD unto me, saying, 3 Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you. 4 Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers: 5 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, 15 I am the LORD your God; 6 In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands: 7 Then said I unto them, 16 Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. 8 But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the (Note - This event took place in the 7th year of King Zedekiah’s reign) Date - Aug 10th, 590 BC/AM 3410

1. or, “Judah” 2. or, “princes” 3. or, “Jehoahaz” - II Ki 23:31-32 4. II Ki 23:31-34 5. or, “Jehoiachin” - II Ki 24:15 6. Jere 22:24-30 7. II Ki 24:1-2 8. II Ki 24:11-15 8. that is, “the red juice of the grape” 10. or, “leaders” ” (such as, David, Uzziah, Hezekiah and Josiah) 11. or, “Babylon” 12. or, “influential leadership from days gone by” 13. or, “Zedekiah” Note – Zedekiah should have been Judah’s benefactor, but was instead the fire that led to its final destruction. 14. Ezk 1:3,24

15. Exo 20:1-2 16. Lev 18:1-3

19:2 Judah is pictured here as a “ lioness ,” the mother of mighty whelps (kings). 19:3 As a leader, Jehoahaz ( a young lion ) was cruel and treacherous ( and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men ). He was just the opposite of what God required of a leader (Deut 17:14-20). 19:6 Like his uncle Jehoahaz (or, Shallum – I Chro 3:15-16), Jehoiachin ( a young lion ) was also a cruel and treacherous king ( and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men – Jere 22:24-30). Both men’s reign only lasted three months. Whereas Jehoahaz was killed in Egypt (II Ki 23:31-34), his nephew, Jehoiachin, was taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar and imprisoned for thirty-seven years (II Ki 25:27-30). 20:1 Chapter 20 begins a new series of sermons dealing with the inevitable destruction of Jerusalem. Aimed at the Jewish captives in Babylon who were still optimistic about an early return home, Ezekiel launches four new sermons (chapters 20-24) in order to systematically tear down the foundations of their false hopes. 20:2 Ezekiel gives a 2 part panoramic view of Israel’s history: (1) her rebellious past (vs 2-31); and (2) her glorious future (vs 32-44). 20:3 God told His people, “I’m done talking ( I will not be enquired of by you ).” Had the Jewish captives in Babylon been sincere and come to Him in true repentance, He would have listened. We must never wait to need God… to need God (Prov 1:22-33, Ezk 14:12-23, Amos 8:11 and Zech 1:11 ).