In the event of a holiday, perhaps it’s better to post a day early. Then you can read whenever it works for you. Some will watch fireworks and enjoy time with friends and family. Some are in the midst of their own internal or external “fireworks” and will choose to stand in the midst with God. May His Word bring us all hope and joy as we look to Him.
Back to Ezekiel’s blazing words of doom. ~
“See, the day! See, it comes! Doom has burst forth, the rod has budded, arrogance has blossomed! (Ezekiel 7:10).
- Ezekiel described the reality of God’s judgment and the doom upon Israel.
- The doom that came upon Israel would send them from their “homeland to exile.”1
Yes, the rod that budded referred to Aaron’s staff that blossomed (Numbers 17:8).2 The background context (Numbers 16) for that story is that a Levi named Korah led a group in opposition to Moses’ and Aaron’s leadership. Korah and the others accused Moses and Aaron of setting themselves above the community (Numbers 16:3). Moses responded,
“In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him. The man he chooses he will cause to come near him” (Numbers 16:5).
It’s quite a story.
- Moses tried to tell God what to do (“Do not accept their offering…” Numbers 16:15).
- God said he would “put an end to them at once” (Numbers 16:21).
- Moses and Aaron pleaded with God to save the rest of the Israelites (Numbers 16:22).
- God supernaturally struck down Korah and his followers when “the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah…” (Numbers 16:32).
- The Israelites “grumbled against Moses and Aaron, claiming they caused Korah’s death (Numbers 16:41).
- And then “the glory of the Lord appeared” (Numbers 16:43).
- A “plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them” (Numbers 16:47).
Is it any wonder in the next chapter we read of God’s visible selection of His chosen priest?
“The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron’s staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds” (Numbers 17:8).
What does all this have to do with Ezekiel?
“Violence has arisen, a rod to punish the wicked. None of the people will be left, none of that crowd—none of their wealth, nothing of value. (Ezekiel 7:11).
- In the same way, the Israelites Ezekiel addressed were proud and arrogant.
- Instead of holiness and mercy sprouting from a rod, evil has blossomed into its full fruit.3
- The definition of the antonym for arrogance, humility, applies here:
Make room for others—in this case, God.
- The Israelites’ wicked lifestyle, detestable practices, and pagan worship had shoved God completely out of their lives.
- A rod may be used not only to guide and correct, but to strike down.
- The rod becomes violence personified as an instrument of punishment.
- That punishment would not only destroy the people, but also their wealth and status.
- The lack of a remnant is implied, and twice in these verses Ezekiel used other inclusive phrases—everyone will be affected.
- The word for multitude also refers to the sound of a crowd—a loud, confused noise, or 4
- We encountered this word earlier in chapter 7 as it illustrated the chaos that reigns in the face of God’s wrath (Ezekiel 7:7).
*How does pride blossom into evil and what is its fruit?
*Why would God’s wrath also judge and destroy their wealth and importance?
*How does this passage show God’s judgment of outward actions and inward heart?
“The time has come! The day has arrived! Let not the buyer rejoice nor the seller grieve, for my wrath is on the whole crowd” (Ezekiel 7:12).
- God’s judgment had come.
- Even in this description of terrible calamity and judgment, God’s loving heart peeks through.
- The word for “buyer” is one who purchases, acquires, and possesses, and may be used to refer to God redeeming His people.5
- He knows He will redeem in the future, but this moment is not a time for rejoicing in that truth.
- Those who would exchange their life for God’s are instructed not to mourn, which refers to “looking for God’s coming judgments.”6
- However, I read it in this verse that the seller is not to grieve, but rather look for God’s wrath as consequence for sin.
*Why do you think God chose not to redeem His people in this scene?
*Why did God pour out His wrath on the “whole crowd,” without a remnant?
“The seller will not recover the property that was sold—as long as both buyer and seller live. For the vision concerning the whole crowd will not be reversed. Because of their sins, not one of them will preserve their life” (Ezekiel 7:13).
- The seller [cannot] restore that which [he] previously sold—we cannot undo our previous actions and resulting consequences.
- The word translated as “vision” means “guiding communication from the Lord often restricted when a people are under judgment.”7
- God always remains true to His holy nature.
Sometimes it’s helpful to read in a different translation to shed light on the meaning.
“… nor will any of them maintain his life by his iniquity” (Ezekiel 7:13b NASB 1995).
- The original used the word “strengthen.”
- We cannot stand against God’s wrath on our own, in our sin we cannot save ourselves.
- I wonder if this group of people had heard the story of Jonah (which took place about 200 years earlier), in which God “relents from sending calamity” (Jonah 4:2).
- This time, they had no hope of recovery, for God would not reverse His judgment.
Sin leads to death—as true now as it was then, but we have hope!
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
*Why do you think God withholds His guiding communication in times of judgment?
*How does God’s holy nature fit together seamlessly with His loving heart?
“They have blown the trumpet, they have made all things ready, but no one will go into battle, for my wrath is on the whole crowd” (Ezekiel 7:14).
- Israel prepared to stand up and fight against their (earthly) enemies.
- They didn’t realize their evil ways were their greatest enemy—the cause of judgment and punishment.
- Lest they misunderstand where the attack originated, God reminded them it was His wrath poured out on the people.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:13).
- Sometimes we experience tangible consequences as a result of sinful actions.
- Sometimes our consequences are spiritual in nature.
Just as God takes sin seriously, we are to take our stand to live for God seriously.
“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:14-17).
*How are our actions our greatest enemy?
*Why did God prevent the Israelites from going into battle?
*What do we learn about God’s character and how does it apply to us today?
I hope you have a wonderful Fourth of July—whatever you choose to celebrate: family, country, summer, our freedom in Christ!
Tracie
- Warren Baker, D.R.E., Eugene Carpenter, Ph.D. The Complete WordStudy Dictionary: Old Testament. (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2003). 462
- Ibid., 944
- Ibid., 918
- Ibid., 267
- Ibid., 1001
- Ibid., 8