Ezekiel 11:1-25

Ezekiel: ‘They shall know that I am God’

The *Sin of Judah and the Judgement of God

Ezekiel Chapter s 1 to 24

Ian Mackervoy

Chapter 11

How God would punish the leaders of *Israel – Ezekiel 11:1-13

v1 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the *LORD’s *temple. There were 25 men at the entrance of the gate. Among them, I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. v2 The *LORD said to me, ‘*Son of man, you see these men. They plot evil deeds and they give wicked advice in this city. v3 They say, “It will soon be time to build houses. This city is like a pot that a person uses to cook. And we are like the meat.” v4 So, *prophesy against them! *Prophesy, *son of man.’

v5 Then the Spirit of the *LORD came upon me, and he told me to speak. ‘Say: this is what the *LORD says. “*Israelites, you have said these things. And I know what you think. v6 You have killed many people in this city. You have filled its streets with dead bodies.”

v7 Therefore, this is what the *LORD your King says. ‘The people that you killed, you left them in the middle of the city. These are as the best meat and the city is as the pot. But I will force you out of the city. v8 You are afraid of the sword.’ But the *LORD your King says, ‘I will bring the sword against you. v9 I will force you out of the city. I will punish you. I will hand you over to strangers and they will carry out your punishment. v10 You will die by the sword. I will punish you at the border of *Israel. So, you shall know that I am the *LORD. v11 This city shall not be as your pot, and you shall not be as the meat inside it. I will punish you at the border of *Israel. v12 Then you will know that I am the *LORD. You did not live by my rules or obey my laws. Instead, you did the same things as the nations about you.’

v13 As I *prophesied, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell on the ground and I cried out with a loud voice. ‘Oh no, *LORD my King, will you kill all the *Israelites who are still alive?’

Verse 1 Ezekiel watched the *glory of the *Lord move to the east gate of the *temple. Then the Spirit took him there. He saw 25 men who met by that gate. They were leaders of the people in Judah.

They are not the same men that he had seen before. He recognised two of them, Jaazaniah and Pelatiah. In the other group, there was a man with the name of Jaazaniah. That man was the son of Shaphan but this one was the son of Azzur.

Verses 2-4 These leaders had lied to the people. The *prophets warned the people that God would destroy Jerusalem. These leaders told them that this was not true. This shows their false security and how proud the leaders were. They said that the city was safe. No injury would come so the people should build houses. They wanted to obtain as much profit as they could from such actions. And they plotted evil things against God and the people.

The meat inside the pot is safe from the fire. These men said that the people are safe like meat in the pot. They did not believe that God would allow the *Babylonians to destroy the *temple or the city. The people would be safe in the city.

The *Lord told Ezekiel to *prophesy against these men. God had a message for them. Ezekiel must tell them that God will punish them.

Verses 5-6 The *Lord knew the thoughts of these leaders. They could hide nothing from God. He knew all that they did. He heard all that they said. God knew that they had refused to believe the words of the *prophets. These leaders had *turned from God to *worship false gods. And they did not obey the law of God.

Many people died because of their evil schemes. By their actions, they had murdered many of them. These people had not died in the war. They died because of the evil political actions of their leaders.

Verses 7-8 The people put the best meat in the pot. The leaders had used this as a picture in words of safety for them. The city of Jerusalem was the pot and they were safe in it. God would not destroy his *temple and city. But the *Lord changed the picture in words. The ‘best meat’ meant the people whom they had killed. These dead bodies will remain in the city. Those who remain alive will not stay there. The *Lord will force them out of the city.

They were afraid of the sword. That is, they were afraid of the *Babylonian army. But they thought that God would save Jerusalem. Therefore, they would be safe there. But what they were afraid of, would happen. The *Lord would send the *Babylonians to destroy the city.

Verses 9-10 The *Lord will hand over those people who remain alive to their enemy (the *Babylonian army). The enemy as the agent of God will punish them. There will be no escape. They may try to run but they will not reach the borders of *Israel. Then they will know that God is the *Lord.

Verses 11-12 The city will not be a safe place for them. They will not be like the best meat in the pot. They will not be able to stay there. The *Lord will force them out of Jerusalem. They will have no escape because the *Lord will punish them. Then they will know that God is the *Lord.

Their crime was that they were like the nations round them. They had *turned away from God. They had not obeyed God’s laws. The *Jews had made a contract with God but they did not do it.

Verse 13 One of the 25 men that Ezekiel had seen at the east gate was Pelatiah. As Ezekiel was speaking this message, Pelatiah died. The name Pelatiah means ‘God provides escape.’ There would be no escape.

The death of Pelatiah was an awful shock to Ezekiel. He cried out aloud to the *Lord. He was afraid that God would *destroy all the *Israelites.

God’s promise for the future of *Israel – Ezekiel 11:14-21

v14 The *LORD spoke to me again. v15 ‘*Son of man, the people still in Jerusalem talk about your family and all the *exiles. They say, “The *exiles have gone far away from the *LORD. So, the country called *Israel now belongs to those who remain in it.”

v16 Therefore say, “This is what the *LORD your King says. I sent them far off among the nations to live in other countries. But, I was their shelter (protection) in the nations where they have gone.”

v17 So say, “This is what the *LORD your King says. I will gather you from the nations. I will bring you together from the countries where I scattered you. Then I will give the country called *Israel back to you.”

v18 When they come to this country, they will remove all the false gods. They will remove all the evil things that I hate. v19 I will give to them a heart that will serve only me. I will put a new spirit in them. I will take away the hearts that are as hard as stone. I will put in them warm and gentle hearts. v20 Then they will live by my rules. They will obey my laws and do them. They will be my people, and I will be their God. v21 But some people want to serve their false gods and evil things. I will punish them for their evil ways, says the *LORD your King.’

Verses 14-15 The people who were still in Jerusalem spoke about the *exiles. They thought that the *exiles had gone away from the *Lord. Their God was the God of the country called *Israel. But the *Lord had sent the *exiles away from *Israel. So, the people in Jerusalem said that the *exiles must have been bad people. The *exiles had left the country. There could be no hope for the *exiles. The *exiles had gone and they would not return.

So, the people in Jerusalem thought that they were better people than the *exiles. And the people in Jerusalem said that the country now belonged to them. They said that because they remained there. They were God’s people and they were safe in the country. That is what they thought. But of course, they were wrong.

Verse 16 The truth was that God sent the *exiles away. However, he did it so that he might save them. He sent them to live in other countries for a period of time. The *Lord would take care of them in those countries.

Verse 17 Here is the first of many promises of God to bring the *exiles back. God would gather them from the nations. God would bring them back to the country called *Israel. God would give the country to them again.

Verse 18 The *exiles will be God’s people. They (or their families) will return to live in the country that God gave to *Israel. They will *worship the *Lord their God. They will not *worship false gods. They will remove all the evil things that were there. The people will return in their hearts and minds to the *Lord their God. They will obey the agreement that they had with him.

Verses 19-20 God promises to give a new heart and a new spirit to his people. The new heart and spirit will replace the old heart. The *Israelites had been *stubborn and they had not loved God. When they came home from *exile, they would be different. Their heart would be soft toward God. They will love God and they will want to obey him.

God will accept them as his people. He will be their God. They will have no other gods.

Verse 21 God will punish anybody who chooses to serve false gods.

The *glory of the *Lord goes from Jerusalem – Ezekiel 11:22-25

v22 Then the *cherubim lifted their wings with the wheels next to them. The *glory of the God of *Israel was above them. v23 Then the *glory of the *LORD went up from the city. And it stopped on the mountain that is on the east side of the city. v24 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me back to the *exiles in Babylonia. So, this strange experience with the Spirit of God left me. v25 I told the *exiles all the things that the *LORD had shown to me.

Verses 22-25 Ezekiel now returns to the events in his *vision. He saw the *cherubim rise up and the wheels with them. The *throne of the *glory of God was above them. The *glory of the *Lord left the city called Jerusalem. The *vision moved to the east. That is, to the mountain that is called the Mount of Olives.

The Spirit of God grasped Ezekiel. The Spirit brought him back to the *exiles in Babylon. And the *vision ended there. Ezekiel then told the *exiles all that he had seen.

The *Lord’s reply to the *exiles – Ezekiel 12:1-19

• This passage contains a series of *prophecies that Ezekiel gave to the *exiles. They were living in the country of the *Chaldeans, but still some of their families were in Jerusalem. The *Lord used these *prophecies to warn them what would happen to Jerusalem. And he explained the reasons why these things would happen.

sin ~ Sin means the wrong things that we do. To sin is to do wrong, bad or evil deeds and not to obey God. People are called sinners because of their sins.
Israel ~ Israel is the nation whose ancestors were Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The country in which they live is called Israel. Israel became the name of the northern nation when it separated from Judah. However, Ezekiel sometimes uses the word ‘Israel’ to refer to Judah.
ancestors ~ people in history from whom your family has come.
Lord ~ a title for God, to show that he is over all people and things.
LORD ~ ‘LORD’ is the special name that God gave to himself. It probably means ‘always God’. This name has a relationship with the special promises that God gave to his people.
temple ~ a special building for the worship of God or other gods. The Jews had one in Jerusalem for the worship of the real God.
worship ~ an act to give honour to God (or to a false god). When people praise and thank God.
Jews ~ another name for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the people whose ancestors are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
ancestors ~ people in history from whom your family has come.

'son of man ~ Ezekiel. ‘Son of man’ was the title that God used for Ezekiel. It emphasised that Ezekiel was a mere man. Ezekiel would have to depend on God’s Spirit to make him strong. Only then could Ezekiel do what God told him to do.
prophesy ~ to speak a prophecy.
prophecy ~ a message from God; a gift of the Holy Spirit.
prophesy ~ to speak a prophecy.
prophecy ~ a message from God; a gift of the Holy Spirit.'son of man ~ Ezekiel. ‘Son of man’ was the title that God used for Ezekiel. It emphasised that Ezekiel was a mere man. Ezekiel would have to depend on God’s Spirit to make him strong. Only then could Ezekiel do what God told him to do.
Israelites ~ the people whose ancestors are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
ancestors ~ people in history from whom your family has come.
glory ~ great honour and beauty.
Lord ~ a title for God, to show that he is over all people and things.
LORD ~ ‘LORD’ is the special name that God gave to himself. It probably means ‘always God’. This name has a relationship with the special promises that God gave to his people.
prophet ~ person who speaks for God. He can sometimes say what will happen in the future. However, false prophets are people who merely pretend to speak God’s words.
Babylonian ~ a person from the nation called Babylon or anything that has a relationship with Babylon.
turn ~ to change your behaviour, your friends, or your God; or, to carry out actions in order to oppose someone.
worship ~ an act to give honour to God (or to a false god). When people praise and thank God.
Jews ~ another name for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the people whose ancestors are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
ancestors ~ people in history from whom your family has come.
destroy ~ to carry out the most severe punishment possible; to cause someone to suffer; to kill everyone in a nation.
exile ~ When people have to live in a foreign country they are in exile. Such a person is called an exile.
stubborn ~ to have an attitude that will not change.
cherubim ~ the group of cherubs.
cherub ~ a special angel who was in the most holy place in the temple.
angel ~ God’s special servants in heaven. God made angels to serve him and to take his messages.
temple ~ a special building for the worship of God or other gods. The Jews had one in Jerusalem for the worship of the real God.
worship ~ an act to give honour to God (or to a false god). When people praise and thank God.
Jews ~ another name for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the people whose ancestors are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
ancestors ~ people in history from whom your family has come.
vision ~ something that God shows to a person but not with the physical sight. Visions are often in the form of dreams.
throne ~ the special chair for the king.
prophecy ~ a message from God; a gift of the Holy Spirit.
Chaldeans ~ another name for the Babylonians.
Babylonian ~ a person from the nation called Babylon or anything that has a relationship with Babylon.