November
20th Ezekiel 17 The Eagles and the Vine
1: And the word of the LORD came unto
me, saying, 2: Son of man, put
forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel; 3: And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD;
A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers
colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar: 4: He cropped off the top of his
young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of
merchants. 5: He took also of
the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great
waters, and set it as a willow tree. 6:
And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned
toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and
brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs. 7: There was also another great eagle with great wings and many
feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth
her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her
plantation. 8: It was planted
in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it
might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine. 9: Say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Shall it prosper? shall he
not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither?
it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or
many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof. 10: Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not
utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows
where it grew. 11: Moreover the
word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 12:
Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them,
Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king
thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon; 13: And hath taken of the king's
seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also
taken the mighty of the land: 14:
That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by
keeping of his covenant it might stand. 15:
But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that
they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape
that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered? 16: As I live, saith the Lord GOD,
surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he
despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he
shall die. 17: Neither shall
Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in the war, by
casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons: 18: Seeing he despised the oath by
breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these
things, he shall not escape. 19:
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath
despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon
his own head. 20: And I will
spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him
to Babylon, and
will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me. 21: And all his fugitives with all
his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered
toward all winds: and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken it. 22: Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will
also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop
off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an
high mountain and eminent: 23:
In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring
forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell
all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.
24: And all the trees of the
field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted
the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to
flourish: I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low
tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I
the LORD have spoken and have done it.
Ezekiel
18 The soul that sins must die
1: The word of the LORD came unto me
again, saying, 2: What mean ye,
that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers
have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? 3: As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye
shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. 4: Behold, all souls are mine; as the
soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth,
it shall die. 5: But if a man
be just, and do that which is lawful and right, 6: And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up
his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour's
wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman, 7: And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor
his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry,
and hath covered the naked with a garment; 8: He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken
any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true
judgment between man and man, 9:
Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is
just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD. 10: If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and
that doeth the like to any one of these things, 11: And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten
upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour's wife, 12: Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence,
hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath
committed abomination, 13: Hath
given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall
not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood
shall be upon him. 14: Now, lo,
if he beget a son, that seeth all his father's sins which he hath done, and
considereth, and doeth not such like, 15:
That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the
idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour's wife, 16: Neither hath oppressed any, hath
not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his
bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment, 17: That hath taken off his hand from
the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my
judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his
father, he shall surely live. 18:
As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by
violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall
die in his iniquity. 19: Yet
say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son
hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and
hath done them, he shall surely live. 20:
The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the
father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the
righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the
wicked shall be upon him.
The
Lord’s way is right
21: But if the wicked will turn from
all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that
which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 22: All his transgressions that he
hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that
he hath done he shall live. 23:
Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and
not that he should return from his ways, and live? 24: But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness,
and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the
wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall
not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that
he hath sinned, in them shall he die. 25:
Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel;
Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? 26: When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness,
and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done
shall he die. 27: Again, when
the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and
doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. 28: Because he considereth, and
turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall
surely live, he shall not die. 29:
Yet saith the house of Israel,
The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are
not your ways unequal? 30:
Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his
ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your
transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. 31: Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have
transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O
house of Israel?
32: For I have no pleasure in
the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and
live ye.
Next the Lord gave to Ezekiel a riddle for Israel which
formed a parable. He said, A great eagle with huge wings with plenty of
colourful feathers came from Lebanon
and settled on the highest branch of a cedar. Then the bird picked out the top
of the young shoots and flew into a land of much traffic and he planted it in a
city of entrepreneurs. He also took the seed of the land and planted it in a
fruitful field near to a lot of water. And he set the seed like a willow tree.
The seed grew and became a great low spreading vine. There was another eagle
which did the same and planted a vine near a river. Then the Lord asks whether
the vine will grow and bear fruit? Then Ezekiel explains the parable saying
that the Babylonian king came and took the seed of Israel
away to plant it in Babylon.
And the seed will grow as long as the people will not rebel against the Lord.
But Israel did rebel asking Egypt to help
them in war. The Lord said that those who rebel against him will not succeed.
The Lord will take the top tender twigs and plant them on a high mountain. The
Lord will bring down the high tree and will lift up the low free. Next the Lord
gave another proverb to Ezekiel saying The fathers have eaten sour grapes and
the children’s teeth are on edge? The Lord says that one day you will never say
this proverb again. One day (in the kingdom) all the grapes will be sweet. Then
the Lord explains the principle of entrance into the kingdom. If a man does what
is lawful and right and has not become involved in idolatry and has kept
himself pure from adultery nor has he touched a woman at the time of her
uncleanness, thus keeping himself ceremonially clean before the Lord. And he
has not oppressed anyone but has restored the debtor’s pledge. He has not
robbed anyone. He has given bread to the hungry. He has clothed the naked and
he has borrowed for no interest. He is honest in all his ways. He lives
according to the Mosaic law and keeps Gods judgments received from the Lord’s
judges. He deals with money honestly – He will live says the Lord. If he has a
son who is a robber, a murderer, one who does wickedness and is into adultery
and violence. He oppresses the poor and needy. – He will die. The son will not
die for the sins of his father. The soul that sins will die for his own sin
alone. But if the wicked will turn from his sins and keep the Law of the Lord -
he will live. Some will say to the Lord the ways of are not equal. Yet they are
exactly that. Repent says the Lord and turn from your transgressions and live a
new life with a new mind – Why will you die? – Oh house of Israel. I have
no pleasure in the death of the wicked says the Lord. Turn and live!! This passage shows exactly what is the Gospel
of the Kingdom to Israel.
This is not the Gospel of Gods grace.
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