July 5, 2011
GOD IS SOVEREIGN!
Ezekiel 9
Hollie Shirey
Central Truth
God's sovereignty dictates that rampant decay caused by sin, idolatry in this case, demands His justice and judgment. There is, however, a respite of grace for those whose faithfulness to the Lord prevails. He is glorified in everything!
Key Verse | Ezekiel 9:8
As they were striking the people and I alone was left, I fell on my face and cried out saying, "Alas, Lord GOD! Are You destroying the whole remnant of Israel by pouring out Your wrath on Jerusalem?" (Ezekiel 9:8)
Ezekiel 9
Idolaters Killed
1 Then he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, “Bring near the executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand.” 2 And behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his weapon for slaughter in his hand, and with them was a man clothed in linen, with a writing case at his waist. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar.
3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub on which it rested to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writing case at his waist. 4 And the LORD said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.” 5 And to the others he said in my hearing, “Pass through the city after him, and strike. Your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity. 6 Kill old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, but touch no one on whom is the mark. And begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the house. 7 Then he said to them, “Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out.” So they went out and struck in the city. 8 And while they were striking, and I was left alone, I fell upon my face, and cried, “Ah, Lord God! Will you destroy all the remnant of Israel in the outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?”
9 Then he said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice. For they say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see.’ 10 As for me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; I will bring their deeds upon their heads.”
11 And behold, the man clothed in linen, with the writing case at his waist, brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded me.”
Dive Deeper | Ezekiel 9
At the Join The Journey writer training session, I decided that, rather than choosing the passage to write about, I was going to let God decide. I received the assignment of Ezekiel 9: "Idolaters killed." I read it and immediately thought: "Really, Lord? Of all of the passages in the prophetic books You chose this gloomy topic of slaughter and wrath for me to write about?"
As a person with type A personality characteristics who lived the majority of my life not understanding the free gift of grace and redemption from God through Christ, I have tendencies to question. I often try to control or change the outcome of situations and not fully trust God as the sovereign ruler of my life. (Hence, the immediate questioning about my writer's assignment.) However, as I prayed about this task and submitted it to His loving care, God showed me that even though this passage seems violent and depressing, it has the ultimate purposes of revealing His sovereignty, justice, and mercy, and of bringing glory to Him.
Just as Ezekiel, out of fear, questioned the Lord in verse 8, I occasionally question God's supreme power over aspects of my life. God teaches us to trust in His omnipotence and reminds us often that we should not be pursuing our own selfish, prideful desires for our glory, but instead pursuing Him for His glory. God is sovereign, and it is His justice, not ours, that is demonstrated both in this text and in our lives. Just as God was weeding out the sin and idolatry from Jerusalem in this passage, He is refining us. He is teaching us to put aside our idols and run after Him daily.
God comforted Ezekiel by reminding him that those who bear the mark of penitence would be spared. Today, He comforts me by reminding me of my mark, the unseen mark of all who trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior. We are chosen--we are His children, adopted into His family by His grace. And by Him we cry, "Abba! Father!" (Romans 8:15)
Discussion Questions
1. What are some idols in your life preventing you from fully seeking the Lord? How can you surrender them to His loving care?
2. In what ways do you question God's sovereignty? What aspects of your life are you not fully turning over to Him?
3. Challenge: After praying to the Lord about things that you are holding as idols in your life, discuss it with a friend or relative. Ask them to help you as you submit to the Lord's supreme power to remove the idols.
4. Questions for kids: In what ways is trusting God's power and authority in your life similar to trusting your parents or guardians? In what ways is it different? Why is it important to trust them?
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
EZEKIEL 8-12 (JULY 4-8)
Read Ezekiel 11:16-21.
Who will bring the people back to their land? When the people return to their homeland, what will they do (verse 18)? And what will God do for them in verse 19?
The people of Israel were brought back to the land as God promised, and they were diligent to remove the idols they had worshiped previously. What do you think we should be diligent to do in our lives? What idols are you tempted to put in front of your full devotion to God?
When we are diligent to remove things of this world that tempt us away from God and His desires for us, He will also give us the things He gave the Israelites in verse 19. Review what those were.
ACTIVITY: In verse 19 God says He will take away our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh (or a tender heart). Get a stone (at least the size of a lemon), a sponge, and a cup of water. Talk about the different characteristics of the stone and the sponge. What will happen when you pour some water on the stone? What about water poured onto the sponge? If the water represents God's Word, His truth, and the desire to follow Him, which one does your heart need to be like to absorb God's ways?