Today’s passage: Ezekiel 12
Helpful thoughts:
- Ezekiel prophecies the what would happen to Zedekiah in 2 Kings 25.
- Ezekiel would not refer to Zedekiah as a king, most likely because Nebuchadnezzar had made him king and changed his name (2 Kings 24:10-17).
- It might be helpful to remember that the fall of Jerusalem and the exiling of the Jewish people happened in stages.
- Since the prophecies Ezekiel had shared didn’t come to pass fast enough for the people’s expectations, the Jews began to dismiss them (Verse 22).
- Part of the excuse to dismiss Ezekiel’s prophecies was to consider them as judgments that were “far off.” Evidently, if there were no immediate or personal negative consequences, the people were happy to carry on in disobedience!
Questions to consider:
- What does the expectation of a timeline for God’s judgment reveal about the people’s view of God, or of Ezekiel’s trustworthiness? If God has to act in a timely fashion according to our point of view, then who do we think is in charge?
- How can remembering who God is and who we are encourage and help us to be patient when we are praying for something? When we desire Christ’s return?
- Should the people have only wanted to repent if the judgment of God was going to affect them personally? What does love for others compel us to do? What does love for God compel us to do? Why is it always right to do what is right? (See the last four words of verses 16 and 20) What does knowing that Christ took our judgment on Himself at the cross further compel us to do?