OT Survey I

1. OT Survey I Ezekiel

2. Canonical Review – Zoomed Out Document God’s Choosing of Israel and Preserve their “Constitution” Document God’s repeated acts of mercy and demonstrate His justice in bringing the covenant curses. Demonstrate God’s justice in bringing the covenant curses and provide hope for the future. Encourage and instruct the waiting remnant until the day of restoration. Document God’s Choosing those in the church and Preserve their “Constitution” 1) Torah 2) Former Prophets 3) Latter Prophets 4) Writings 5) New Testament

3. Canonical Review – Zoomed In • Torah • God’s brings judgment in response to the sin of mankind but promises to bring restoration in the future. • God selects Abraham and Israel as His special possession through whom He will bless the world. • God makes a covenant with Abraham and Israel and brings them into the land He has promised for them. • Former Prophets (Joshua – Kings) • Israel responds to God’s grace with more and more rebellion. God responds to Israel’s rebellion with covenant discipline. • Yet, God over and over again (2nd generation, Joshua, Samuel, David) has compassion and renews covenant with the nation. • Eventually, however, God refuses to show further compassion (remember Elijah/sha?) and Israel is exiled. • Latter Prophets • Israel’s wickedness is demonstrated in a variety of ways and times • God warns the wicked and instructs the righteous remnant • God declares his plans to one day restore Israel

4. Canonical Review – Zoomed In Again • Isaiah • God is holy and must judge the sinfulness of Israel • God will judge the sinfulness of Israel through a coming nation • A proper response to this is seen in Isaiah 6 • Improper responses include trusting in other nations (and other gods) • Hezekiah exemplifies both responses; thus, Assyria will not be the exiling nation, but Babylon will • A future king will perfectly exemplify the proper response (the king who was there in Isaiah 6!) • God will bring Israel out of exile, make atonement for their sins, and judge rebels • God tells Israel this in advance so they will trust in Him

5. Canonical Review – Zoomed In Again • Jeremiah • Isaiah said Babylon was coming, Jeremiah says, “They’re here!” • God has determined to punish Jerusalem; therefore, people should submit to Babylon. • Plans to scheme around this judgment (e.g., going to or trusting in Egypt) will not work (didn’t they read Isaiah?) • A new low: Instead of scheming around God’s judgment, the people merely disbelieve God: He will not judge (that is the false prophets talking, not God!) • God will judge the arrogant nations delighting in Israel’s fall; in particular, He will judge Babylon itself! • God will one day once again have compassion on Israel and renew covenant; nay, he will make a NEW covenant! • Jeremiah 52: The fall of Jerusalem

6. 722 Fall of Israel 701 Jerusalem Spared 605 First Deportation 597 Second Deportation 586 Fall of Judah Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel AFTER 586 “If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will build you up and not tear you down, and I will plant you and not uproot you; for I shall relent concerning the calamity that I have inflicted on you. Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you are now fearing; do not be afraid of him,” declares the LORD, “for I am with you to save you and deliver you from his hand. I will also show you compassion, so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your own soil. But if you… BEFORE 586 "Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. He who dwells in this city will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence; but he who goes out and falls away to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and he will have his own life as booty. For I have set My face against this city for harm and not for good," declares the LORD. “It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.” (Jer 21:8-10) AFTER 586 (cont…) …come about that the sword, which you are afraid of will overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine, about which you are anxious, will follow closely after you there in Egypt; and you will die there. So all the men who set their mind to go to Egypt to reside there will die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; and they will have no survivors or refugees from the calamity that I am going to bring on them.’ For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘As My… AFTER 586 (cont…) …are going to say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’ so as not to listen to the voice of the LORD your God, saying, ‘No, but we will go to the land of Egypt, where we shall not see war or hear the sound of a trumpet or hunger for bread, and we will stay there’; then in that case listen to the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘If you really set your mind to enter Egypt, and go in to reside there, then it will… “As the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem” (Ezek 15:6) AFTER 586 (cont…) …anger and wrath have been poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so My wrath will be poured out on you when you enter Egypt. And you will become a curse, an object of horror, an imprecation, and a reproach; and you will see this place no more.’ The LORD has spoken to you, O remnant of Judah, ‘Do not go into Egypt!’ You should clearly understand that today I have testified against you.” (Jer 42:10-19) Ezekiel “I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.” (Isa 38:6) “I will no longer show compassion to the house of Israel, that I should forgive them; but, I will show compassion to the house of Judah and will save them by the LORD their God, not by bow, sword, battle, horses, or horsemen” (Hos 1:6b-7) “Although I have cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet I shall be a little sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone…I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.” (Ezek 11:16-17) Hosea “The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD.” (Isa 39:6) Isaiah Jeremiah Map taken from Ezekiel, NICOT, p. xxi

7. Ezekiel’s Message • Present • Babylon will succeed; Israel will be exiled • God will be with them in exile • Future • God will restore them in the land • God will dwell with them again in the land

8. Structure • Ezekiel’s call (1-3) • Judgment against Israel (4-24) • Judgment against the nations (25-32) • Restoration of Israel (33-48) • Future Restoration in the Land (33-39) • Future Restoration of the Temple (40-48)

9. Major Themes • Glory of Yahweh • Ezekiel’s focus • Isaiah: God’s holiness • Jeremiah: God’s sovereignty • Ezekiel: God’s glory • It’s awe • Ezekiel prostrate before it (1:28; 3:23) • Enlightens the earth, fills the new temple (43:2, 5; 44:4) • Contrasted with Ezekiel as “son of man” ( = “human”) • It’s location • God’s glory related to His immediate presence [?] • Appears to Ezekiel in Babylon! (1:28; 3:23) • Leaves Jerusalem (8:4; 9:3; 10:4, 18, 19; 11:22, 23) • God a “sanctuary for them” in exile (11:16) • Among the nations executing judgment (39:21) • Returns to Jerusalem (43:2-5; 44:4)

10. Major Themes (cont…) • The Temple • Israel’s desecration of it (8-11) • God’s desertion of it (5:11; 8-11) • Exile’s need of it (11:16) • Future restoration of it (40-48) • Cf. Exodus: Temple design after making of Sinaitic Covenant • Knowledge of Yahweh • “The slain will fall among you [Israel], and you will know that I am Yahweh” (6:7) • “I will execute judgments on Moab, and they will know that I am Yahweh” (25:11) • “Then they [Israel] will know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them” (34:27) • “The nations will know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies Israel” (37:28) • Reason why God gathers Gog (38:23; 39:6, 7, 22, 28)

11. Major Themes (cont…) • “Spirit” • Moving the glory of Yahweh (“spirit of the living beings”) (1:12, 20, 21; 10:17) • Spirit of Yahweh Moves Ezekiel (2:2; 3:12, 14, 24; 8:3; 11:1, 5, 24; 37:1; 43:5) • False prophets follow their “own spirit” (13:3) • New spirit an essential part of the New Covenant (11:19; 36:26-27; 37:14; 39:29; cf. 18:31)

12. Purpose • To convince dispersed Israel that… • God would certainly exile Israel and allow Babylon to destroy Jerusalem. • God would be present with them during their exile and one day live among them again in the midst of the promised land.

13. Ezekiel and the New Testament • Unlike Isaiah, the NT does not often quote from Ezekiel. • However, the imagery of Ezekiel likely lies behind several NT texts, especially those of John • John 3:5: Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit” (cf. Ezek 36:25-26: “I will sprinkle clean water on you…, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you). • John 10 – The Good Shepherd (Ezek 34:11-16) • Revelation 19:17ff – “Great supper of God” (Ezek 39:17-20) • Revelation 20:7ff – Gog and Magog (Ezek 38-39) • Revelation 21-22 – Many allusions to Ezekiel 40-48

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