A Three Part Story

A Three Part Story

Ezekiel 12

Emmanuel Christian Church 4.14.24

INTRODUCTION: I’ve entitled this morning’s message from Ezekiel

chapter 12: “A Three Part Story”. Now, I use the term “story” carefully

because everything you are about to hear is true and actually took place.

But this morning’s message isn’t merely a history lesson- it’s a story filled

with life lessons.

Life lessons are peculiar things. They are frequently filled with pain

and hardship, but learning them has the power to spare us from future

pain and hardship. They do not seek up on us, but they often surprise us.

They are not the product of our circumstances, but our circumstances are

almost always the product of our choices. Which brings the to the point

behind everything I am about to say:

PROPOSITION: Life’s lessons can be costly, but they are priceless to

own.

TRANSITION: Now, you can pay the cost yourself, or you can learn the

lessons for free by just watching others as they pay the cost. Our “Three

Part Story” comes in three chapters written by the poor choices of the

ancient Jews who just had to learn life’s lessons for themselves, the hard

way, and at great personal cost.

CHAPTER 1: “REBELLION”

Ezekiel 12:1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, you are

living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see

and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.

Ezekiel 12:3 “Therefore, son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in

the daytime, as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another

place. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house. 4

During the daytime, while they watch, bring out your belongings packed

for exile. Then in the evening, while they are watching, go out like those

who go into exile. 5 While they watch, dig through the wall and take your

belongings out through it. 6 Put them on your shoulder as they are

watching and carry them out at dusk. Cover your face so that you cannot

see the land, for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.”Ezekiel 12:7 So I did as I was commanded. During the day I brought out

my things packed for exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with

my hands. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my

shoulders while they watched.

Life Lesson: Rebellion against God leaves you blind and deaf.

- Maybe not physically blind and deaf, but (even worse) spiritually,

intellectually blind and deaf!

- Listen to God’s warning to us from Israel’s history:

Hebrews 3:7 So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, 8

do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of

testing in the desert, 9 where your fathers tested and tried me and for

forty years saw what I did.

- Although the people had eyes to see, their rebellion kept them

wandering and straying in the desert for 40 years!

- Although the people had ears to hear, they would not listen to their

leader Moses as he spoke the truth of God.

- 860 years later, you’d think that God’s people would have learned to

listen and obey His word- NOT THE CASE! So what was God to do

when His people stopped listening to, and obeying His Word?

PLAYACTING! That’s right! God instructed His prophet Ezekiel to act

out a play!

- Now remember, all the while up until this point Ezekiel has been holed

up in his house. Yes, he has been transported in a vision back to

Jerusalem, but his physical body has been in his house!

- God tells Ezekiel, pack up your bags like your getting ready to “bug-

out”!

- God further instructs Ezekiel, when evening comes, under cover of

darkness, leave your house. BUT don’t use the front door! Instead,

dig a hole through an exterior wall and make your escape- oh, and

cover your face so you can’t see where you are going!

APPLICATION: Weird stuff to be sure! But God had a simple purpose- to

cut through the spiritual blindness and deafness of His people so that they

might learn some important life lessons! What were those lessons? That

brings us to…CHAPTER 2: “THE END”

Ezekiel 12:8 In the morning the word of the LORD came to me: 9 “Son of

man, did not that rebellious house of Israel ask you, ‘What are you doing?’

Ezekiel 12:10 “Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: This

oracle concerns the prince in Jerusalem and the whole house of Israel who

are there.’ 11 Say to them, ‘I am a sign to you.’

“As I have done, so it will be done to them. They will go into exile as

captives.

Ezekiel 12:12 “The prince among them will put his things on his shoulder

at dusk and leave, and a hole will be dug in the wall for him to go through.

He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land. 13 I will spread my

net for him, and he will be caught in my snare; I will bring him to Babylonia,

the land of the Chaldeans, but he will not see it, and there he will die. 14 I

will scatter to the winds all those around him — his staff and all his troops

— and I will pursue them with drawn sword.

Ezekiel 12:15 “They will know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them

among the nations and scatter them through the countries. 16 But I will

spare a few of them from the sword, famine and plague, so that in the

nations where they go they may acknowledge all their detestable

practices. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

Ezekiel 12:17 The word of the LORD came to me: 18 “Son of man,

tremble as you eat your food, and shudder in fear as you drink your water.

19 Say to the people of the land: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says

about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: They will eat their

food in anxiety and drink their water in despair, for their land will be

stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who live there. 20

The inhabited towns will be laid waste and the land will be desolate. Then

you will know that I am the LORD.’”

Life Lesson: You can’t escape the long arm of the Lord.

- Ezekiel tells his confused audience, his one act play was all about what

was just about to happen 900 miles away back in the city of Jerusalem!

- The “prince” of Jerusalem was none other than the last king to reign in

Judah- king Zedekiah.

- Zedekiah had been installed by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon as

his political toady. As long as Zedekiah obeyed Nebuchadnezzar, hecould pretend to be king of Judah. That lasted for a while, until

Zedekiah got too big for his britches and decided to rebel against

Babylon!

- The long and short of the story is this:

- Neb laid siege to Zed.

- The walls of Jerusalem were breached.

- Zed tried to escape in the middle of the night through the wall of the

city, but Neb’s army captured him.

- To put an end to the rebellion, Neb had Zed’s sons all executed

before Zed’s eyes- and then, he had Zed’s eyes GOUGED OUT!

- Blind and defeated, they took Zed back to Babylon- where he died.

APPLICATION: Oh the high price of rebellion! Understand this- this all

took place because it was God’s will! Nebuchadnezzar could not have

done any of this on his own. God was using Neb like a whip to bring

judgment on Zed. Life Lesson: You can’t escape the long arm of the

Lord!

- As horrific was this scene, God promised that the people of

Jerusalem were NOT going to fare any better:

- God promised that they would be pursued by the sword, and

suffer from famine and plague!

- They would eat their food in ANXIETY.

- They would drink their water in DESPAIR.

- They would be stripped to the point of POVERTY.

APPLICATION: The people of Jerusalem would suffer all these things,

because like Zedekiah their “king”, they too had chosen to rebel against

the LORD. Life Lesson: You can’t escape the long arm of the Lord!

That brings unto our final chapter:

CHAPTER 3: “NEVER SAY NEVER”

Ezekiel 12:21 The word of the LORD came to me: 22 “Son of man, what

is this proverb you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by and every

vision comes to nothing’? 23 Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign

LORD says: I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no

longer quote it in Israel.’ Say to them, ‘The days are near when everyvision will be fulfilled. 24 For there will be no more false visions or

flattering divinations among the people of Israel. 25 But I the LORD will

speak what I will, and it shall be fulfilled without delay. For in your days,

you rebellious house, I will fulfill whatever I say, declares the Sovereign

LORD.’”

Ezekiel 12:26 The word of the LORD came to me: 27 “Son of man, the

house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision he sees is for many years from now,

and he prophesies about the distant future.’

Ezekiel 12:28 “Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD

says: None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be

fulfilled, declares the Sovereign LORD.’”

Life Lesson: Don’t get too comfortable.

- Nobody likes to hear bad news.

- Immediately, we kick into the denial mode. After all, if we can

convince ourselves that “Things aren’t THAT bad.” maybe we will

avoid the consequences for our bad choices!

- Like the frog being slowly boiled to death in a pan of water,

wickedness and rebellion keeps rising the temperature until - well, you

get the picture!

- I’m sure that the residents of Jerusalem were saying things like:

- We’ll be OK, the walls around our city are thick and tall- we’ll be safe!

- Our leaders know what they are doing!

- Hey, this is Jerusalem, GOD’S CITY, that will NEVER happen here!

APPLICATION: Have WE learned this life lesson? This is America! The

“walls” of our financial and military power are “thick and tall”- we’ll be

safe! The leaders of our “world’s oldest constitutional republic” know what

they’re doing! He this is America! Our Founding Fathers built this nation on

godly principles- disaster will NEVER happen here!

Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any

people.

Proverbs 10:27 The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of

the wicked are cut short.

Proverbs 15:16 Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth

with turmoil.Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content,

untouched by trouble.

Proverbs 22:4 Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor

and life.

And, my grandmother’s favorite verse (she was a wise woman who had

learned many of life’s lessons):

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your

own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make

your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD

and shun evil.