Ezekiel 12: The Kindness of Delay

Have you ever wondered why God sometimes delays consequences in your life? Is it weakness, forgetfulness, or could it be something far more meaningful?

Pastor Brandon tackles this profound question in our latest journey through Ezekiel 12, where we explore "The Kindness of Delay." The Israelites, already suffering from the first wave of exile, had begun circulating a dangerous proverb: "Time passes and prophecies come to nothing." They mistook God's patience for weakness, using His delayed judgment as justification to continue in rebellion rather than recognizing it as an opportunity for repentance.

Through Ezekiel's symbolic act of packing for exile and God's stern response, we discover a timeless truth about divine timing. When we engage in behaviors contrary to God's Word yet experience no immediate consequences, we face a pivotal choice: Will we recognize this as God's mercy giving us space to return to Him, or will we wrongly interpret it as evidence that biblical warnings don't really apply to us? As Pastor Brandon poignantly observes, "Don't ever think to yourself God's Word is true or not true based on what's happening in front of you, because many times if you're doing something that would be considered sin, it is out of God's kindness that He will give you time to repent."

This episode offers powerful perspective for anyone experiencing God's patience in their life. Whether you're struggling with secret sin or wondering why God hasn't stepped in sooner, this message reminds us that divine delay isn't divine approval—it's divine opportunity. What areas of your life might God be patiently waiting for you to surrender? Join our community at Bible Breakdown Discussion on Facebook and share how this message impacts your walk with God.

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Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT).
Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Transcript

Welcome to Bible Breakdown

God's Message Through Ezekiel's Actions

Speaker 1 0:00

Well, hello everybody. Welcome back to the Bible Breakdown podcast with your host, pastor Brandon, today. Ezekiel, chapter 12, and today's title is the Kindness of Delay the Kindness of Delay. We're going to talk about that as we continue to walk through Ezekiel, talking through these people who and so many bad things have happened to them. But instead of looking at it, as you know, this is an opportunity for us to turn back to God. They actually almost kind of think that God is being weak, which is not a smart thing to do, right, and we'll get all of that in just a second. So if you have your Bibles, you want to get there with me to Ezekiel, chapter 12. If you're new around here, make sure you take a moment to like, share and subscribe to the YouTube channel and the podcast. Make sure you leave us a five-star review on the podcast it really does help and make sure you're going to the Bible Breakdown Discussion on Facebook. There's an amazing group of people who do wonderful work there and the whole goal of us doing this was so that we could create community, the Bible Breakdown Discussion. So make sure you're going there and we would love to hear how you're engaging with God's Word. You have questions, you have insights, you have angry outbursts. Save that for another one, for another channel, but for us, we want to hear from you, we want to grow together, which is why we are going through the Bible one chapter at a time, and so if you have your Bible with me, as we were talking about, make sure you go to Ezekiel 12 as we are talking through this idea of God's promise of renewal. What Ezekiel has been tasked to do by God is to talk to these people who have lost everything. They have lost it all, and God still wants to have a purpose and a plan in their life. He still wants to be part of their life, but at the same time, he's also letting Ezekiel, you know, kind of tell them hey, this is how we got into this mess, like, let's talk through this. And Ezekiel, chapter 12 is one of those where God has this promise of renewal. But they also need to understand why they need it, and one of the things we're going to talk about is how God many times will give us like a season where he will delay his judgment, but the reason why he does that is so that we'll turn to them, turn back to him. Rather Well, we'll see if they do that in our text today.

Speaker 1 2:16

So if you're ready, ezekiel, chapter 12, verse one, says this again the message came to me from the Lord, son of man, remember. That's basically hey, buddy, hey, young man, you live among rebels who have eyes but refuse to see. They have ears but refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious people. So now, son of man, pretend that you are being sent into exile. Pack a few items and exile would carry. Leave your home and go somewhere else. Do this right in front of the people so they can see you, for perhaps they will pay attention to this, even though they are such rebels. Bring your baggage outside during the day so they can watch you. Then, in the evening, as they are watching, leave your house and captives, as captives do when they begin a long march to distant lands, dig a hole through the wall while they are watching you and go through it as they watch. Lift your pack to your shoulders and walk away into the night. Cover your face so they will not see the land you are leaving, for I have made you a sign for the people of Israel.

Speaker 1 3:24

So pause for a moment. What God told him is. He said I want you to act like you are an exile, act like you were leaving and you're going somewhere else. And it honestly doesn't even say where. He told him to go, just told him to go. So I wonder, if it were me I'd be like? I feel like God wants me to exile myself to the beach. I need to go hang out in Hawaii for a little while. You know, just for the goodness of God, I'm on mission for the Lord, right, but he goes to do this, and it was an example of this is what God has made us do. Right, here we go, verse 7. So I did as I was told. I got ready to book my cruise. Only for the goodness of God. In broad daylight, I brought my pack pack outside, filled it with the things I might carry into exile. Then, in the evening, while the people looked on, I dug through the wall with my hands and went out into the night with my pack on my shoulders.

The Proverb of Delay

Speaker 1 4:17

The next morning, this message came to me son of man, these rebels, the people of Israel, have asked you what all of this means, and of course they did right. So say to them this is what the sovereign Lord says. These actions contain the message for King Zedekiah in Jerusalem and for all the people of Israel. Explain that your actions are a sign to show what will soon happen to them, for they will be driven into exile as captives. Then Zedekiah will leave Jerusalem at night through the hole in the wall, taking only what he can carry with him, and he will cover his face and his eyes, will not see the land he is leaving. Then I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Babylonians, though he will never see it, and he will die there. I will scatter his servants and warriors to the four winds and send the sword after them, and then I scatter them, and when I scatter them among the nations, they will know I am the Lord, but I will spare a few of them from death by war, famine or disease, so they can confess their detestable sins to their captors. Then this message came to me from the Lord, son of man.

Speaker 1 6:03

You've heard that the parable they quote in Israel time passes and prophecies come to nothing, pause. So, first of all, what was happening was is God was telling Ezekiel to tell Zedekiah and the rest of them, you who are still in Jerusalem, you're going to go into captivity as well, so get ready for it. And he even had the prophecy and he said when Zedekiah gets to Babylon, he's going to be there, but he's not going to see it. The reason why is because when they took over Jerusalem, they actually blinded him. So that prophecy came true, just as the Lord told him. But then now he's going to talk about the idea that those who are still in Jerusalem they're saying I mean, these prophets are telling us that bad things are going to happen, but nothing's actually happening. So God is delaying in his judgment, and they're using that as an opportunity to say that God isn't really keeping his word. So this is what it says in verse 23.

Speaker 1 6:59

Tell the people this is what the sovereign Lord says. I will put an end to this proverb. You will soon stop quoting it. Now, give them this new proverb to replace the old one. The time has come when every prophecy is to be fulfilled. There will be no more false visions and flattering predictions in Israel, for I am the Lord and if I say it, it will happen. There will be no more delays. You, rebels of Israel. I will fulfill my threat of destruction in your own lifetime. I, the sovereign Lord, have spoken. Then the message came to me from the Lord, son of man. The people of Israel are saying he's talking about a distant future. His visions won't come true for a long, long time. Therefore, tell them this is what the sovereign Lord says. No more delay, I will now do everything I have threatened. I, the sovereign Lord, have spoken. Wow, sovereign Lord, have spoken, wow.

Speaker 1 8:00

So what was going on is there was this time frame when Ezekiel and some of the other prophets were telling the people hey, listen, these bad things have happened to us because we were not faithful to God and they're going to keep on happening. I'm telling you they're going to happen and apparently, because of God's kindness and it all didn't happen right away a new proverb started. People started going around saying you know, time passes, prophecies come to nothing. So, in other words, just wait a little while and you'll see that nothing actually ever going to happen. And so what was actually happening is God was showing mercy, god was giving them time.

God's Response to Rebellion

Speaker 1 8:32

You notice how it says over and over and over again that it is the kindness of the Lord that leads us to repentance. And he keeps saying if you don't turn back over to me. All these bad things are going to happen. But instead of seeing it as the kindness of God, they started seeing it as well. I guess God's not really going to do anything. He hasn't done it yet. He's going to do it. Where is he? And so God is saying so. God finally says to them so you're saying that the fact that I was being kind to you and being compassionate, you are now taking that as my weakness. Well, we're going to change that and, as we can tell, it changes. Right, we've read the book of Lamentations. It changes.

Modern Application for Believers

Speaker 1 9:14

And so what does that have to say to us today? That is this there are times in our lives when we begin to flirt with sin. We begin to see where God's Word says stay away from this, don't do that, all this kind of stuff. And we start going. You know God tells me to stay away from this, but you know I've been doing that thing and the Bible says that it is a sinful thing. It creates a brokenness in my life. That's what sin does. It separates us from the goodness of God. But you know God hasn't really judged me for it. You know, let's get really practical if we can get really, really raw. You know you start looking at pornography and you know you see where God's Word says we shouldn't do that and we go. But you know, I'm still blessed, Everything still seems to be fine.

Speaker 1 9:59

Maybe, maybe it's okay, and you start doing more of that, you start leaning further into that and then more and more stuff starts to happen and you just keep saying, well, you know God's not judging me for it, I guess it's okay. Well, is it possible that maybe the fact that God isn't judging you for it right now it isn't because God is not real and because God's not faithful, but it's because God is faithful. He is giving you time to repent. But here's the thing there will come a moment where, when God's faithfulness requires his justice. So if there are some things that you're flirting with right now, some sins, maybe it's not pornography, maybe it's something completely different. It probably is. I don't know what it would be. Trust the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to whatever it is.

Speaker 1 10:43

But maybe there is a thought in the back of your mind that if this is so wrong, then why is everything going right for me? Why is everything okay? Can I tell you that's a dangerous thought. Don't ever think to yourself God's word is true or not true based on what's happening in front of you, because many times if you're doing something that would be considered sin, it is out of God's kindness that he will give you time to repent.

Speaker 1 11:09

And on the other side, sometimes, when it looks like everything is going wrong, god is actually doing great things in your life. It just you don't see it yet. So be very careful not to judge the state of your soul based on what you see around you, but rather on the truth of God's word. Because maybe God's delayed judgment is not like the nation of Israel was thinking oh, god's delayed judgment must mean everything is fine or he doesn't know what he's doing. But maybe his delayed judgment is his way of trying to give you time to turn back to him. Because, remember, god doesn't get anything out of punishing us. He gets no glory out of allowing pain to come into our life. It's the opposite that he wants for all of us. But it is because of his justice that he cannot let sin go unanswered for. And so if there's an area of your life right now that maybe you're beginning to lean into some sin a little bit, don't let this time of mercy, go without doing something about it, but realize that this is the Lord's kindness. He wants you to find forgiveness and restoration, so seek it.

Speaker 1 12:10

Today. Let's pray together, god. Thank you so much for today. Thank you, god, that you're with us and you're for us. Lord, my prayer is that none of us can identify with this. None of us are harboring a secret sin, and we're doing so because we think that God has somehow winked at it and letting it slide. Lord, you don't let it slide because you know that it poisons us. You're not an evil taskmaster that is out to make sure we fulfill the letter of the law. Just because it's because there's joy there, there's freedom there, there's liberty there. That's why you care about it, and so, if any of us find ourselves in that place, I pray today, god, we'll find your healing, your joy, your forgiveness. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen and amen. Well, don't forget. God's word says in Ezekiel 34, verse 14, I will put my spirit in you and you will live again. My prayer is that you'll experience God's renewal and his fresh life every single day. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow for Ezekiel chapter.