A message of mercy in the midst of wrath, protection in the eye of destruction.
A message only God could write.
Amos
3:7.
Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the
prophets.
God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He
reveals the end from the beginning.
He repeatedly pours out His warning, before pouring
out His wrath.
He echoed often through Ezekiel the coming judgement.
Let’s go back 2,600+ years.
September 17, 592 BC.
13 years after Daniel was taken captive to Babylon.
4 years after Ezekiel was taken.
About 13 months after Ezekiel’s first vision.
In Ezekiel 8, the Lord showed up in a vision to
Ezekiel.
He came in a blaze of glory, as Holy Fire, and He
carried Ezekiel (by the hair of his head), in vision to Jerusalem, to the north
gate of the temple court, where the wicked image of jealousy sat. An idol, that
not only broke the first two of the ten commandments, but broke God’s heart.
(No gods. No idols. Ex. 20:1-17 and Dt. 5:6-21).
And that was just the beginning. From there the Lord
showed him inside the temple walls crawled with every unclean creeping thing,
exposing how the elders had gone from worshiping their Creator in the light to
worshiping demonic abominations in the dark.
Then, the Lord showed Ezekiel women at the north gate
of the Lord’s house, weeping for a false god called Tammuz, a demonic ritual
involving immoral lascivious prostituting behavior.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, the
Lord told Ezekiel, “turn and you will see even greater abominations than
these.”
He brought him to the inner court of the Lord’s house
and there at the door of the temple of the LORD , between the porch and the
altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the
LORD and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun.
Then, the Lord declared His Righteous Resolution:
“Have you seen this? Is it a trivial thing for Judah
to commit these abominations? They’ve filled the land with violence. They’ve
provoked me to jealousy, and anger. THEREFORE, I will pour out my fury. I will
not spare or show pity, even if they cry out with a loud voice, I will not
listen.
Then, the vision flows seamlessly into Ezekiel chapter
9...
If you were to make an outline it might look something
like this:
Outline Ezekiel 9
1-2 Call to Arms
3-4 Seal of Protection
5-7 Judgement Falls
8-10 Divine Justice
11 It is Finished
Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice...
Not a still, small, voice but a loud voice, a battle
cry, a call to arms, revealing the intensity, the fervency, of the moment.
A moment that could not be ignored.
The Lord’s mercy endures forever, but His patience has
an end.
In the moment patience ends, wrath begins.
Today if you hear His voice (it may just be a still,
small, whisper) harden not your heart, or one day, you may find yourself
outside His patience, and your heart too hard to hear.
In the fullness of time, when the cup of iniquity is
full, the ever knocking, ever calling, still, small, voice is replaced with a shout,
with the trump, a loud voice...
saying, “Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a deadly
weapon in his hand.”
Remember, this is a vision.
The Lord has been speaking to and through Ezekiel
repeatedly about the coming judgement. Now the Lord allows him to see in the
spiritual realm, the angelic warriors called to arms.
2
Corinthians 10:3-6
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For
the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for
pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that
exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into
captivity to the obedience of Christ.
2 And
suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north,
each with his battle-ax in his hand. One man among
them was clothed with linen and had a writer’s inkhorn at his
side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar.
The north gate
where the image of jealousy stood.
The gate we open to sin, is where the
destroyer enters in.
At first, we were told they carried “deadly weapons” now again the picture is made clearer, they are holding battle-axes. We can know for sure and certain, this is no Sunday School Ice Cream Social.
There were six men.
Interestingly, history tells us that Babylon’s army was composed of six
nations. Jeremiah 39:3 lists six of his commanders.
Notice the one clothed in linen,
with an inkhorn at his side. Most scholars agree this Man represents Christ.
More on that in a moment.
They met at the altar.
The place of sacrifice. Where blood was shed to purge, to cleanse, to atone for
sin.
3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the
cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple.
Note, God’s departures are gradual, and gracious.
He didn’t just disappear in an instant.
He went at first no further than the threshold,
revealing He didn’t really want to go, allowing time and encouragement to
repent and invite Him to stay.
To say, like David, “Take not Thy Holy Spirit from
me.” Psalm 51:11.
To not be like Sampson who did not know
the Lord had departed from him. Judges 16:20.
God’s departure leaves the house desolate.
When God goes, all that’s good goes with Him. “Every
good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights...” James 1:17.
But He never leaves, unless those He’s leaving, first
drive Him away.
And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the
writer’s inkhorn at his side; 4 and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst
of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of
the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”
The Man with the writer’s inkhorn, clothed in linen
like a priest, knows the thoughts and intents of hearts.
The Lord knows those who are His. 2 Timothy
2:19.
This is where we see mercy in the midst of wrath,
protection in the eye of destruction.
He places His seal upon those who are His.
His seal provides:
1. Divine Direction
2. Divine Protection
3. Divine Peace
Divine direction for the destroyers and Divine
protection for the sealed. Like the blood of the Passover Lamb. Like Rahab’s
scarlet rope. Like the, 144,000 during the tribulation.
Divine Peace, knowing that no matter what comes, why
worry or fear when our eternal destiny is secure and near?
In our real Life, there’s no lack, no sorrow, sickness, sin, death, tears, just Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23. The fruit of the Spirit, available now, a foretaste of eternal glory Divine. Hallelujah!
5 To the
others He said in my hearing, “Go after him through the city
and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. 6 Utterly slay
old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do
not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My
sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before
the temple. 7 Then He said to them, “Defile
the temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out
and killed in the city.
All the guilty were slain. Age, race, gender, had no
impact on the outcome.
Life or death determined by One Way.
The Seal of God.
Who received the seal?
Those who sigh and cry over all the abominations.
I don’t drink, smoke, chew, or go with those who do,
ain’t good enough.
It is not enough that we don’t delight in sin.
We must sigh for sinners.
We must grieve for the abominations in our nation, our
community, our family, our mirror.
We must hate sin and simultaneously have a tender
loving concern for the lost.
This we must do with an urgency knowing that once the
wheat is gathered into the barn, nothing remains but to burn the chaff.
This was literally fulfilled by Babylon’s third siege
of Jerusalem in 586 BC.
Multitudes died by the sword and by famine,
starvation, as the city lay in siege for over a year.
However, the Lord protects His remnant.
Favor of God.
Jeremiah 39:11-12. Now Nebuchadnezzar king
of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander
of the imperial guard: “Take him and look after him; don’t harm him
but do for him whatever he asks.”
Jeremiah was granted favor.
Proverbs 3:3-4. Let not mercy and Truth
forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your
heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man.
Favor is a wonderful thing.
Jesus promises in Matthew 6:33. Seek first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto
you.
GIVE GOD YOUR FIRST AND BEST... HE WILL TAKE CARE OF
THE REST.
No one, ever, ever, ever, regretted seeking God first.
Begin at My Sanctuary.
Notice the Lord commanded them, “begin at My
sanctuary.”
1 Peter 4:17. For the time has come for judgment
to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be
the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
As His favor rests on those who seek Him and love Him
first, His judgement falls first on those who know they should and refuse to do so.
Amos 3:2. “You only have I known of
all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your
iniquities.”
To whom much is given much is required. Luke 12:48.
The Lord chastens those He loves. Proverbs 3:11-12,
Hebrews 12:6.
Defile the altar.
Do not take them from the altar but slay them right
there.
God did not protect the sacredness of His temple
because His own people had already defiled it.
So, really, their bloodshed was purification not pollution,
of the sanctuary; it was a putting away of evil. Divine Justice.
Judgement must begin at the house of God but does not
end there.
8 So it was,
that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I fell
on my face and cried out, and said, “Ah, Lord God! Will You destroy
all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?”
Put yourself in Zeke’s sandals.
What if this was your hometown?
This was his hometown.
The temple was where his family worked. These folks
were his family, friends, coworkers...
Slaughtered.
What would you do?
Tough Truth:
Hebrews 10:30-31. For we know Him who
said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord
will judge His people.”
IT IS A FEARFUL THING TO FALL INTO THE
HANDS OF THE LIVING GOD.
Lord, please give US, a Godly, reverential fear of You.
Proverbs 9:10, The fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom.
9 Then He
said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and
Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed,
and the city full of perversity; for they say, ‘The Lord has
forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see!’ 10 And
as for Me also, My eye will neither spare, nor will I have
pity, but I will recompense their deeds on their own head.”
Ezekiel cried out for mercy.
God denied his request.
For them, it was too late. They passed the point of no
return.
God is just. Therefore, Divine Justice must be served.
TO NOT CONFRONT EVIL, IS TO BE COMPLICIT WITH EVIL.
This brings us full circle...
Amos 3:7. Surely the Lord GOD does nothing
without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.
God is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Judgement is coming.
God IS pouring out His warning before pouring
out His wrath.
Just as He has prompted us, in the past weeks and
months, to pray for,
WE ARE SEEING A SNEAK PEAK OF JUDGEMENT COMING.
Just ask Gaza which sits in ruins.
Just ask Iran’s nuclear sight.
Just ask Christian killing ISIS terrorists in Nigeria
Just ask National Guard killing Islamic terrorists in
Syria
Just ask 36 drug smuggling boats
Just ask ex-Venezuela president, Maduro and wife
Let’s pray we see judgement and justice, in our own corrupt government before we pass the point of no return. We pray for a great awakening and reckoning, to sweep our nation, our world, as a preview of what’s coming.
PRAY
BIG WIN SMALL
BE
FAITHFUL IN THE LITTLE
LEAVE
THE RESULTS TO GOD
11 Just then,
the man clothed with linen, who had the inkhorn at his side, reported
back and said, “I have done as You commanded me.”
The Faithful Mediator stood between life and death for
those who sighed and cried against sin. He sealed them, protected them, He
missed not one of them.
Then, He stood with His work complete, able to say, “I
have done as You commanded Me.”
About 600 years later, in the Upper Room, just after
Supper, just before going to Gethsemane, and then, the cross, to seal you and
me, another Mediator prayed:
I
HAVE GLORIFIED YOU ON THE EARTH. I HAVE FINISHED THE WORK WHICH YOU HAVE GIVEN
ME TO DO. JOHN 17:4.
All that was left, was for Him to seal the deal.
The inkhorn was His body.
The ink His blood.
Mercy in the midst of wrath, protection in the eye of
destruction.
A message only God could write.
Let’s pray.
Lord Jesus, have Thine own way Lord, have Thine
own way. Thou art the Potter I am the clay. Mold me and make me after Thy will.
While I am waiting, yielded and still. Fill me with Thy Spirit till all shall
see, Christ only always, living in me.
We love You, forever.
Amen.
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Ezekiel 9
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