OUR GOD REIGNS!

Ezekiel 25-32

Old Spanish saying: “When the river is stirred up, the fishermen profit!”

That was true for nations around Israel when God judged her.

     The nations had the opportunity to profit from the spoils.

God responded immediately, announcing judgment against them also.

God would use Babylonia, the same instrument against the neighbors who were making fun of Israel’s destruction.

God had promised to bless and curse Israel, based on their obedience.

God had also promised to bless those that blessed Israel, and curse those that cursed her (Gen. 12)

He fulfilled His promise to bless and curse Israel based on her obedience.

Now He would also fulfill what He promised concerning the nations.

PROPHECIES AGAINST THE PAGAN NATIONS 25-32

God is about to judge the nations.

        We’re not talking about salvation from sin and eternal life!

Salvation–the gift of eternal life has always been given by faith to those who trust Jesus–the Savior.

God is about to intervene with physical judgment

Judgment that results in destruction, based on a nation’s response to God and His people.

Three causes of judgment

God doesn’t ask pagans to act like Christians.

People without God could never live by God’s standards!

        God judges pagans on the basis of other criteria.

            Three bases He uses in Scripture:

                 1. Extreme perversion—doing very bad things! (Sodom, etc.)

                 2. Mistreating Israel —treating them badly. (Philistines, etc.)

                3. Distracting Israel (from following God)

                     —causing Israel to trust them instead of God. (Egypt)

God’s judgment of pagan nations in this passage fits these standards.

These judgments teach Israel that while they suffer what they deserve,

            God is just and will judge the nations also

PROPHECIES AGAINST SURROUNDING NATIONS THAT DESPISE ISRAEL (AND HER GOD!) 25-28

            These nations made fun of Israel and her God.

            They have mistreated her repeatedly.

            God won’t sit idly by, doing nothing. He will judge them.

                 Then they will realize just how great a God He is!

This was a bleak time for Israel.

At their “Thanksgiving Day” celebration, they didn’t have much to thank God for!

        People looked around and they didn’t see much to praise God for.

Their enemies were having a field day—it was a great time for them!

        But people couldn’t see what was going on behind the scenes.

        They couldn’t see what the sovereign God was about to do.

The nations are about to learn who God is, and that you can’t fool around with HIS people and walk away unharmed!

RESULTANT PEACE FOR JERUSALEM 28:24-26

When these nations that have opposed God’s people are eliminated,

        the result will be peace for Israel.

There won’t be any more “thorns” to bother them

God will gather them from the nations where they’ve been scattered 25

They will live in their land in safety 25b-26a

They’ll be secure; they won’t have to worry about enemy attacks.

    Then “They will know that I am the Lord, their God!” 26b

JUDGMENT AGAINST EGYPT,

    THE NATION ISRAEL TRUSTED 29-32 29:6-7, 16

Judah doesn’t have to trust God as long as Egypt helps them!

Egypt distracted Israel from following God for generations

            Downfall of the nation 29

            Description of the judgment 30

            Comparison of Assyria and Egypt 31

God uses Assyria to explain what He is about to do to Egypt.31:2-6, 8,10-12

                     God made Assyria strong.

She became self-sufficient—impressed with her importance!

                     So God humbled her.

Lament over Egypt 32

God will judge them because of their pride

God will judge them because they distracted Israel away from Him.

Israel will learn that . . .

        Leaning on other nations won’t help.

            Leaning on Egypt is no help. 

            Egypt can’t save them.

Only God can deliver them!

        They must trust Him, rather than human resources.

            Our hope isn’t in our resources.

            It isn’t in the nations of the world.

                 Our hope is in the Lord!

[ In midst of this prediction of judgment something more is going on than what meets the eye!

A spiritual conflict is going on behind the scenes => ]

JUDGMENT AGAINST THE KING BEHIND THE THRONE 28:11-19

Judgment against Tyre (26-28:19) is longer than the other nations,

        because of it’s spiritual significance.

This is about more than just the land of Tyre!

Special significance demonstrated by reference to TWO leaders:

“King of Tyre”—no human could fulfill these descriptions.

It’s assumed this is a reference to Satan: “power behind the throne.”

Satan’s fault was his pride.

                 It’s characteristic of his human kings too!

Nowhere is the description of a mere man so close to that of Satan as that of the “prince” of Tyre, except for Antichrist himself.

“Prince” [= ”ruler” in NIV] is commonly used of earthly kings throughout Ezekiel—

        The “Prince of Tyre” is clearly a human king. 28:2, 5-9

The “prince” operates as an instrument in the hands of the “King.”

    [ What does Ezekiel say about this “King”—the power behind the throne? ]

    HIS ORIGINAL STATE 28:11-15 12-15

He was the essence of perfection,

            full of wisdom and perfect in beauty 12

                 God says he was perfect!

He was in Eden, the garden of God 13

He was anointed as a guardian cherub, on God’s holy mountain 14

            He was appointed by God. He lived in God’s presence!

        He was blameless in his ways 15          He never did anything wrong!

    CAUSE OF HIS DOWNFALL: Pride 16-17               —UNTIL he became proud!

“You were filled with violence and you sinned” 16a

        “Your heart became PROUD on account of your BEAUTY” 17a

        “You corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor” 17b

What a tragic loss!

This “King” is puffed up with pride; he wants to keep God from putting His Son on the throne—He wants to be like God.

The prince, and Tyre itself, are instruments of Satan—also puffed up with pride, intent on accomplishing his purpose.

A person whom God made perfect, focuses on his own talent, his interests, his beauty, and becomes worthless to the One who made him!

                 He exalts himself and becomes worthless!

                 God made Him for His glory. Now He has to lay him aside.

RESULTS OF HIS DOWNFALL: 18-19 —God drove him out!

“I drove you in disgrace from the mountain of God” 16b

        “I expelled you.” 16c

        “I threw you to the earth” 17c

        “I made a spectacle out of you.” 17d

        “Fire consumed you.” 18b

It appears to be same event that Revelation describes as yet future Rev. 12:7-12

Hebrew and Greek–past/perfect tense often demonstrates certainty something will happen

                 —so sure God sees it as past—though literal fulfillment is still future.

Though Satan is still free to attack God’s people, and enters God’s presence to accuse brethren, his sentence is already pronounced.

He will be literally thrown down to earth, and consumed by fire.

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS PROPHECY FOR OUR TIMES?

Implications for pagan nations today:

        *  God is still faithful and just.

These judgments demonstrate that God is just;

                 They demonstrate His faithfulness in keeping His Word;

        *  God is still in charge.

These judgments demonstrate His sovereignty,

                     even over pagan nations

God is still in charge—even in uncertain times

                     We don’t know but what we might be at war again tomorrow!

                     That could be really frightening if you were living in Israel today!

But we DO know Who’s in charge!

                         We can trust Him with tomorrow!

        *  God still judges nations on the basis of how they treat His people

Future chapters tell what happens in Israel, or Iraq—perhaps during our lifetime!

God still observes the same principles of protection for His people, as He did back then.

God protects His people (the church) today also!

You can’t attack people He loves without facing consequences from Him!

    Implications for OUR spiritual conflict:

WE are in a spiritual conflict!

            Satan IS defeated! —but he’s still at war! —still fighting!

He still opposes God’s plan and seeks to thwart God’s purposes

He’ll stop at nothing . . .

                     to keep God from carrying out His plan and receiving glory for Himself.

        Satan’s primary strategy: Success without God!

Encourages us to live well, without taking God into account.

If he can make us comfortable enough

                     —get us to stop depending on God

                     —get us to enjoy life enough, he’ll be satisfied.

He only has to engage in open conflict when we commit our life to serving God

        Satan’s favorite weapon: Pride

Pride is still his most important weapon!

God frequently reminds us of the danger of pride, and of confidence in human resources.

He is the One Who makes nations great; and who makes people great. He gives them authority to rule.

When we begin to think of ourselves more highly than we ought, He knows how to humble us—as He did pagan rulers.

God still controls history, kings and peoples.

He decides who He wants to make rich and powerful.

When human authorities get out of hand, He knows how to humble them

God still sets up and takes down kings (and Presidents!)

He still establishes and destroys powerful nations.

God is still active in human history.

                 He can still demonstrate that HE is God.

God’s people today ought to trust Him, not our human resources

It’s as easy for us as it was for Israel to depend on our resources, to accomplish OUR purposes, rather than to depend on God to accomplish HIS purposes.

The world counts on 2 main resources: pride and power.

            Egypt offered both!

Depending on human resources led Israel to death and captivity.

    What are WE depending on for victory?

What’s OUR main resource? What are WE going to do about it?

    Whose side are WE on?

Are we on God’s side? Or are we on our own side, living for ourselves?