HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 1114
EZEKIEL 2 1
nations watch. 42 Then when I have brought
you home to the land I promised with a solemn
oath to give to your ancestors, you will know
that I am the Lord. 43 You will look back on all
the ways you defiled yourselves and will hate
yourselves because of the evil you have done.
44 You will know that I am the Lord, O people of
Israel, when I have honored my name by treating you mercifully in spite of your wickedness.
I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
Judgment against the Negev
45*Then this message came to me from the
Lord: 46 “Son of man, turn and face the south*
and speak out against it; prophesy against the
brushlands of the Negev. 47 Tell the southern
wilderness, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord
says: Hear the word of the Lord! I will set you
on fire, and every tree, both green and dry,
will be burned. The terrible flames will not
be quenched and will scorch everything from
south to north. 48 And everyone in the world will
see that I, the Lord, have set this fire. It will not
be put out.’”
• Holiness
page 744
49 Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord, they are
saying of me, ‘He only talks in riddles!’”
The LORD’s Sword of Judgment
1*Then this message came to me from
the Lord: 2 “Son of man, turn and face
Jerusalem and prophesy against Israel and her
sanctuaries. 3 Tell her, ‘This is what the Lord
says: I am your enemy, O Israel, and I am about
to unsheath my sword to destroy your people—
the righteous and the wicked alike. 4 Yes, I will
cut off both the righteous and the wicked! I will
draw my sword against everyone in the land
from south to north. 5 Everyone in the world
will know that I am the Lord. My sword is in my
hand, and it will not return to its sheath until its
work is finished.’
6 “Son of man, groan before the people! Groan
before them with bitter anguish and a broken
heart. 7 When they ask why you are groaning,
tell them, ‘I groan because of the terrifying news
I have heard. When it comes true, the boldest
heart will melt with fear; all strength will disappear. Every spirit will faint; strong knees will
become as weak as water. And the Sovereign
Lord says: It is coming! It’s on its way!’”
8 Then the Lord said to me, 9 “Son of man,
give the people this message from the Lord:
21
E Z E K IE L 2 0 :4 1 -4 4
How does God reveal his holiness in
our lives? To be holy means to be set
apart for God’s purposes. It’s a word that
describes God’s “wholly otherness” and
his perfect and pure nature. Our holy
God has never done anything wrong, and
he can’t tolerate evil or wickedness. He
must keep himself separate from all evil.
Yet, his perfect nature also includes his
lavish love for sinful people. Therefore,
God displays his holy nature, not by
destroying sinners, but by providing a
way for sinners to become holy like he
is. He did this by offering his only Son,
Jesus Christ, on the cross for the sins
of humanity (Hebrews 9:14-15). In the
past, God demonstrated his merciful
and holy nature to the ancient Israelites
by refusing to tolerate sin among his
people and by mercifully restoring the
Israelites when they called on him. Even
though the Israelites had sinned, God
promised to bring them back to the
land so that they could repent of their
sins and worship him with their whole
hearts. When true repentance happens
in our lives—when we take advantage of
God’s offer of mercy—that’s when God’s
name is most honored. That’s when his
holiness is displayed prominently among
the nations.
10
11
12
13
14
15
“A sword, a sword
is being sharpened and polished.
It is sharpened for terrible slaughter
and polished to flash like lightning!
Now will you laugh?
Those far stronger than you have fallen
beneath its power!*
Yes, the sword is now being sharpened
and polished;
it is being prepared for the executioner.
“Son of man, cry out and wail;
pound your thighs in anguish,
for that sword will slaughter my people
and their leaders—
everyone will die!
It will put them all to the test.
What chance do they have?*
says the Sovereign Lord.
“Son of man, prophesy to them
and clap your hands.
Then take the sword and brandish it twice,
even three times,
to symbolize the great massacre,
the great massacre facing them on
every side.
Let their hearts melt with terror,
for the sword glitters at every gate.
It flashes like lightning
20:45 Verses 20:45-49 are numbered 21:1-5 in Hebrew text.
20:46 Hebrew toward Teman. 21:1 Verses 21:1-32 are
numbered 21:6-37 in Hebrew text. 21:10 The meaning of the
Hebrew is uncertain. 21:13 The meaning of the Hebrew is
uncertain.