LIFE-STUDY OF EZEKIEL
Message 14
GOD’S JUDGMENT UPON HIS PEOPLE
WEEK 6 - THURSDAY
Scripture Reading: Gen. 49:10; Ezek. 11:17; 17:22-23; 20:40; 21:10, 27; 29:21
Read and pray: “For on My holy mountain, on the high mountain of Israel, declares the Lord God, there the whole house of Israel, all of them, will serve Me in the land; there I will accept them, and there I will require your offerings and the firstfruits of your gifts, with all your holy things” (Ezek. 20:40)
Bringing Them Back to the Land
We praise the Lord that, in His mercy, He promised those in captivity that one day He would bring them back to the land (11:17). The land to which He would bring them would be on the highest mountains of Israel (20:40). The high mountains typify the resurrected and ascended Christ. The Christ whom we experience and enjoy today in the local churches is very high, for He is the resurrected and ascended Christ.
Predicting Christ
In this section concerning God’s judgment, God, in His mercy, predicted something concerning Christ.
A Sprout Becoming a Cedar
In 17:22-23 the house of David, the royal house, is compared to a cedar. First, a branch of the tree, Jehoiachin, was cut off. Later, another branch, Zedekiah, was raised up and was also cut off. Finally, this chapter tells us that at the top of that cedar there was a tender sprout, or a tender branch, which was cut off and planted on the top of the mountain, becoming a high cedar.
If we read carefully, we will realize that this tender sprout is Christ. Christ, who belongs to the house of David and who was born as a descendant of the house of David, is a tender branch of the cedar of David.
As such a tender sprout, He was cut off when He was crucified. When He was nailed to the cross, He, the tender Sprout, was “cut off.” But through His resurrection, He was planted on the top of the mountain and eventually became a great cedar.
Man “cut off” this tender Sprout, but God caused Him to be resurrected and to ascend. In this way, God planted Christ in a high place, and Christ became a majestic cedar under which many people will dwell.
This was not only a prophecy but also a promise given by God to the discouraged people. At that time, the house of David was completely discouraged and disappointed, but Ezekiel predicted that from the house of David there would be a tender sprout established on the top of the mountain, and this sprout would become a great cedar. This was an encouragement and a promise to the house of David concerning Christ.
Although the house of David was “cut off” because of its corruption and thus became desolate and humbled, one day it would be revived in Christ. Because they will be joined to Christ, they will become majestic once more.
The principle is the same with us in our spiritual experience. Because of certain irregularities, we may be “cut off” and thus be humbled. Nevertheless, since God joins us to Christ and we are one with Him, we will become majestic in Him.
The Scepter of Judah
Ezekiel 21:10 is another verse that many students of the Word believe refers to Christ. This verse is difficult to translate, but the best translation is: “The scepter of My son despises all the trees.” This word is surely based on Genesis 49:10, which speaks about the scepter of Judah. The scepter of Judah is Christ.
At the time of Ezekiel, the cedar, the house of David, was cut down and burned. Some, however, still remained joyful and happy, saying, “The scepter of My son despises all the trees.”
This means that while Ezekiel was prophesying, telling the people that God was about to burn the people of Israel, including the house of David, which belonged to the tribe of Judah, some of them were happy, saying, “We have Christ. We have the scepter of the Son of God, which despises and surpasses all the trees.”
God’s response was to ask a question: since He was going to burn everything, should they rejoice in saying this? Thus, this verse refers to Christ, the scepter of Judah; that is, it refers to the power and authority of the Son of God.
The One Who Has the Right
to Inherit the Kingdom of Israel
Ezekiel 21:27 indicates that Christ is the only One who has the right to inherit the kingdom of Israel. At that time God was overthrowing the kingdom and the nation of Israel, but eventually the One who has the right to inherit the kingdom of Israel will come. This is Christ.
The Power of the House of Israel
Ezekiel 29:21 says, “In that day I will cause a horn to spring up in the house of Israel, and I will give you an opening of the mouth in their midst; and they will know that I am the Lord.” Christ is the power for the house of Israel that will spring up. God will produce this power from the house of Israel.
In the time of Ezekiel, other nations had conquered and oppressed the people of Israel, and they had no way to go forward. But God promised that one day a power would spring up from the house of Israel to be against all the nations and to defeat the authorities on the earth so that the nation of Israel could be saved. Christ will become the power to deliver them from all oppression and slavery.
Now we can see that while God’s judgment was upon His people and while they experienced such disappointment, God prophesied that Christ would be their hope and encouragement. Although they were under God’s judgment, there was no need for them to be disappointed, for they could be encouraged by Christ and with Christ.
This should also be our experience today. If while we are under God’s judgment we remain faithful to Him, we may be encouraged with Christ. We have the mercy of God, and we have the Christ of God. Yes, we may be under God’s judgment. However, even under God’s judgment there is still God’s mercy and Christ’s encouragement. Hallelujah for God’s mercy and for God’s Christ!
The final result of God’s judgment upon the Israelites was to bring them to turn to Christ and gain Christ, so that Christ would be everything to them. Since they will be joined to Christ, they will ascend from their humiliation to the highest position, having Christ as the authority to surpass all the nations and authorities on the earth.
Because of Christ, the nation of Israel will be restored and Christ will be the King. On that day, Christ will become the power to deliver them from oppression and slavery. Therefore, everything is based on Christ and is received in Christ.
The principle is the same with the church today. The result of God’s judgment upon the church is to gain a group of people who turn to Christ and gain Christ. Christ becomes their cedar to be their authority, and Christ becomes their saving power.
🌿Enjoy more:
Hymn: Praise the Lord — “His All-Inclusiveness”
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