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The Bible Breakdown
Ezekiel 21: Don't Make God Your Enemy
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The More We Dig. The More We Find.
Well, hello everybody. Welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, pastor Brandon, today. Ezekiel, chapter 21,. And today's title is Don't Make God your Enemy. Don't Make God your Enemy. I think that's important, obviously, but I think we forget that sometimes. It's really important not to make God our enemy. We're going to get into all that in just a second because, of course, as always, ezekiel's got something to say about it.
Speaker 1:But before we do that, when you're opening up your Bible to Ezekiel, chapter 21, 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 thank you so much for all of you guys who are doing that. I see that across the different every day. Make sure you comment on those. It really is encouraging to our team to see you engaging. They're writing those posts and things so that it enriches and encourages you, and we want to hear back from you. We also want to learn from you as well, so make sure you're doing that, and the more we dig, the more we find. Well, once again, if you've been with us for a while, you know at this point that the overall goal which, by the way, we're about halfway through Ezekiel at this point the overall goal is God's promise of renewal and, as we've been saying to over the past few weeks, we understand that Ezekiel's got a lot of stuff to say and he's not real nice about it, which is exactly the way God made him, and he said that God told him I'm going to make you as stubborn as the nation of Israel, but the whole point is is he is trying to help them. See, you need to come back to the Lord, and one of the things that he is warning them with is God's message to them is don't make God your enemy. Don't, don't be an enemy of God. Come back to him. And the reason why that's important is because sometimes, as a pastor, one of the things that because sometimes, as a pastor, one of the things that I try to do and a lot of pastors do this is they try to help us to see the relationship that God wants for us. If you think about it, god could have referred him to himself as anything, but he chose to use the metaphor of a father and children to explain to us the kind of relationship he wants to have with us. He's the king of the universe and he could have just used the king metaphor, but instead he also uses the metaphor of child and father. God wants that kind of relationship with us.
Speaker 1:The challenge is is sometimes pastors like me can go overboard in trying to show that so much like me can go overboard and trying to show that so much that we forget to bring up the fact that he is still God. He is still the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He has everything under his power and with the very voice just saying let there be light, all of the things that we know were created. I mean, he's still pretty awesome, right, and so we forget that God is good, but he's also great and we don't want to make God our enemy and it's important that we always keep that respect when it comes to the things of God. So that's what we're going to see today is how that maybe they didn't do that and how maybe they're going to have a couple consequences because of that. So if you're ready, ezekiel, chapter 21, verse 1. Let's get into some judgment. Here we go.
Speaker 1:Verse one says this and then the message. Then this message came to me from the Lord, son of man which, remember, we always saying he's like hey, buddy, turn and face Jerusalem and prophesy against Israel and her sanctuaries. Tell her this is what the Lord says I am your enemy and remember that should be the worst news they hear that day. All right, against everyone in the land, from south to north. Everyone in the world will know that I am the Lord and my sword is in my hand. I will not return it to its sheath until its work is finished. Son of man, groan before the people. Groan before them with bitter anguish and a broken heart. When they ask why you are groaning, tell them I groan because of the terrible, terrifying news I have heard. When it comes true, the boldest heart will melt with fear, all strength will disappear, every spirit will faint. Strong knees will become as weak as water. And the sovereign Lord says it is coming, it is on its way. Then the Lord said to me son of man, give the people this message from the Lord A sword, a sword, is being sharpened and polished.
Speaker 1:It is sharpened for the terrible slaughter and polished to flash like lightning. And now and now, will you laugh? Those far stronger than you have fallen beneath its sword. Yes, the sword is now being sharpened and polished. It is being prepared for the executioner. Son of man, cry out and wail, pound your thighs in anguish, for that sword will slaughter my people and their leaders. Everyone will die. It will put them all to the test. What chance do they have, says the Lord? Says the sovereign Lord, son of man, prophesy to them and clap your hands. Then take the sword and brandish it twice, even three times, to symbolize the great massacre, the great massacre facing them on every side. Let their hearts melt with terror, for the sword glitters at every gate, it flashes like lightning and is polished for slaughter. O sword, slash to the right and slash to the left. Wherever you will, wherever you want, I too will clap my hands and I will satisfy my fury. I, the Lord, have spoken. Then this message came to me from the Lord Son of man, make a map and trace two routes on it for the sword of Babylon's king to follow. Put a signpost on the road that comes out of Babylon, where the road forks into two One road going to Ammon and its capital, rabbah, and the other to Judah and the fortified Jerusalem.
Speaker 1:The king of Babylon now stands at the fork, uncertain whether to attack Jerusalem or Rabbah. He calls his magicians to look for omens. They cast lots by shaking arrows from quivers. They inspect the livers of animal sacrifices. That's gross. The omens of his right hand, says Jerusalem With battered rams. His soldiers will go battering rams. His soldiers will go against the gates shouting for the kill. They will put up siege towers and build ramps against the walls. The people of Jerusalem will think it is a false omen, because they're treaty with the Babylonians. But the king of Babylon will remind the people of their rebellion and he will attack and capture them. Therefore, so because of all that.
Speaker 1:Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says. Again and again, you remind me of your sin and your guilt. You don't even try to hide it In everything you do. Your sins are obvious for all to see. Now the time of your punishment has come. Oh, you corrupt and wicked prince of Israel, your final day of reckoning is here.
Speaker 1:This is what the sovereign Lord says Take off your jeweled crown and your old order. Wait, let me say it again. Take off your jeweled crown and your old order. Wait, let me say it again Take off your jeweled crown, for the old order changes Now. The lowly will be exalted and the mighty will be brought down. Destruction, destruction. I will surely destroy the kingdom, and it will not be restored until the one appears who has the right to judge it. Then I will hand it over to them.
Speaker 1:And now, son of man, prophesy concerning the Ammonites and their mockery. Give them this message from the sovereign Lord A sword. A sword is drawn for your slaughter. It is polished to destroy, flashing like lightning. Your prophets have given false visions and your fortune tellers have told lies. The sword will fall on the necks of the wicked and for the final day of reckoning has come. Now return the sword to its sheath, for in your own country, the land of your birth, I will pass judgment upon you. I will pour out my fury on you, I will bow or blow you. Wait a minute. I will blow on you with fire of my anger. I will hand you over to cruel men.
Speaker 1:Wow, god's got judgment for this one and for this one and for everybody. Everybody gets judgment today. Thus says the Lord, and if you see it, what he's saying is is, even before it has happened, god is telling Ezekiel he's on his way. And you know why? Because I am your enemy and I think, today, the greatest lesson that we can learn from this is to remember, to respect and honor the Lord. Remember that he is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and whereas he is full of grace and justice and mercy and kindness, we always need to be careful that we don't take advantage of the Lord's grace, take advantage of his goodness.
Speaker 1:I saw this one time when I was working at this particular place and there was a guy working with us and he was trying to kind of ingratiate himself with the boss and trying to, you know, befriend the boss and all this kind of stuff. And it was fine, we're all having a good time. And then one day the boss told us hey, listen, guys, I know you don't want to do this, but we got to work some overtime today, so let's get to work through overtime. And we were all like, oh man, I don't want to do this, but we're going to go ahead and do it anyway. You know it was what it was. Well, the guy who had been trying to really befriend and joke and cut up with the boss, he was like, oh man, we don't want to do that, we're just going to go on home.
Speaker 1:Well, there was a time to play and then there was a time to get to work. This guy got confused because he got a little too familiar, right. And I remember our boss looking at him and he said Sir, I don't know who you think you're talking to, but go get to work. And it was amazing how, when it came time to get busy, there was a really clear line that was drawn in the sand to go hey, man, we're having fun and all, but don't forget who's in charge, and if you want that paycheck, you need to go get to work. And it was amazing how quickly we all remembered who was in charge.
Speaker 1:And I think sometimes it's important that we remember who's in charge and we remember that God is full of grace and he is full of goodness, but he's still in charge and we still have the honor of serving in his kingdom and we don't want God to ever cause his judgment to fall on us and so with us. Maybe the best takeaway for us today is to take a moment and just think about the awesomeness of God, think about the fact that God created the heavens and the earth, and whereas we spend a lot of time thinking about God as my friend, god as my savior God is the one who walks close beside me and he does all those things. My Savior God is the one who walks close beside me and he does all those things. Take a moment and remember God as creator, remember God as sovereign king, and remember God as the righteous judge who, in his mercy, has given us grace that we didn't deserve, because, while we need to remember him as friend, we also need to respect and honor him as God. Let's pray together right now.
Speaker 1:God, thank you so much that you're with us and you're for us in every way. Thankful, god, that you are our friend. You are that friend that's closer than a brother. You are our savior. You are the great helper that walks beside us. At the same time, you're also king and God, and I pray, god, that that awesomeness of who you are will remind us of your goodness and cause us, lord, to always honor and respect you. I'm thankful for that today. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen. You know what God's Word says in Ezekiel 34, verse 14, I will put my spirit in you and you will live again. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow for Ezekiel 24.
