08/20/2022 – Day 174 – Ezekiel 7 – 12 -“Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house.” Ezekiel 12:2
There is a Matthew Henry commentary and a D.L. Moody quote post for this same reading in the last cycle, dated 11/07/2020.
I will subdivide into chapters with two quoted sources:
*A – Halley’s Bible Handbook by Henry H. Halley – 24th edition dated 1965.
*B – Footnotes from my Evidence Bible / Commentary by Ray Comfort.
Chapter 7: “Judgment on Israel is Near”
*A – “Chapters 6,7. A Sort of Dirge over the destruction and desolation of the Land of Israel, the main point being that the Jews would, by the terrible punishment, come to know that God is God.
Chapter 8: “Ezekie’sl Vision Journey to Jersusalem”
“*A -” September (591 B.C.), a year and two months after his call. He was transported, in rapture, to Jerusalem, where God showed him of jeolousy (8:3),probably was Astarte (Syrian Venus), Secret animal worship (8:10), probably an Egyptian cult. It was led by Jaazaniah II, whose father Shaphan had been leader in Josiah’s reformation (II Kings 22:8); and whose brother Ahikam and Gemariah were Jeremiah’s close friends (Jeremiah 26:24; 36:10, 25), even while Jeremiah himself was crying out in horror at the sacrilege. Tammuz (14), was the Babylonian Adonis, consort of Syrian Venue, whose worship was celebrated wild orgies of immoral indulgence. Thus, in spit of warning after warning, and punishment after punishment, the once powerful kingdom of Judah, reduced now, almost to the point of extinction, was still sinking lower and lower in the depths of idolatrous infamy – stench no longer to be endured in the nostrils of God.”
Chapter 9: “The Wicked are Slain”
*A – “A Vision of the Slaughter of Jerusalem’s idolaters, except the faithful who bore the mark of the angel-scribe (3, 4).”
‘*B – footnote to 9: 3-6: “God has sealed his own with his Holy Spirit (see Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13, 4:30), and they grieve over the wickedness of man. He will one day place a seal on the foreheads of His servants to protect them during the end times (see Revelation 7: 2,3; 9:4)
Chapter 10: “The Glory Departs from the Temple”
*A – “Re – appearance of teh Cherubim of chapter 1, superintending the destruction and slaughter of Jerusalem.”
Chapter 11: “Judgment on Wicked Counselors”
*A – “Chapter 11. A Vision of the Future Restoration of the Exile, humbled, purified, and cured of idolatry (10,12). The mission ended, Ezekiel was borne, on the cherub chariot, back to his exile home; and reported to the elders (8:1; 11:25).
*B – footnote to 11:17: “The bible’s fascinating facts.” In Isaiah 66:7,8 (700 B.C.) the prophet Isaiah gives a strange prophecy: “Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before her pain came, she delivered a male child. Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nations be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor , she gave birth to her children.” In 1922 the League of Nations gave Great Britain the mandate (political authority) over Palestine. On May 14, 1948, Britian withdrew her mandate, and the nations of Israel was ‘bron in a day.’ There are more than 25 Bible prophecies concerning Palestine that have been literally fulfilled. Probability estimations conclude that the chances of being accidentily fulfilled are less than one chance in 33 million.”
*B – footnote to 11:19: “New heart and spirit.” This is the miracle of the new birth (See John 3:3). Many people, when questioned about their faith, will say that they have been born again. They confuse it with being sprinkled as a baby or having a change of mind about God. So make sure you explain that the new birth comes through understanding the nature of sin and exercising ‘repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Acts 20:21) for eternal salvation. It takes plae when God gives a new heart with new desires, gives a new spirit, and makes a sinner a new creature in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). Without the new birth (being born again), there is no salvation. (See also Ezekial 18:31; 36: 26,27; Psalm 51: 10,11.)”
*A – “Chapter 12. Ezekiel Moves His Household Goods
“Another symbolic action to emphasize Jerusalem’s impending captivity. It contains an amazing detailed prophecy of Zedekiah’s fate; his secret flight, capture and removal to Babylon without seeing it (10,12,13), 5 years later it came to pass; Zedekiah attempted a secret escape, was captured, his eyes put out, and he was taken to Babylon (Jeremiah 52: 7-11).”
“Son of man, you dwell in the didst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does no hear; for they are a rebellious house.” Ezekiel 12:2
*B – “The essence of sin is a rebellious heart. It is not that sinners cannot see, but that they will not. This verse sums up contemporary secular American, where eyes and ears are firmly shut against God’s truth.”
Soli Deo Gloria!