An anatomy of judgement
Text Ezekiel 7 Time 21 05 06 place Childs Hill Baptist Church
We have already looked at Ezekiel 1-6 and this morning I would like us to tackle Chapter 7. As so often in the prophets it is a chapter about judgement. That’s not the sort of subject we naturally turn to but it is one that is good for us. The best chapters in the Bible are like honey – sweet to taste and good for you. Chapters like this one are more like broccoli, spinach or cabbage. We may not particularly enjoy them but they’re good for us. Keep that in mind.
In this chapter Ezekiel is describing the unfolding judgement of God on Judah at that time. Ideally, after God brought the people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land and established them under Solomon it should have been a case of Messiah coming to a united people in a happy land and them living happily ever after - but it wasn’t like that. First there was civil war and a break away by 10 of the 12 tribes, who then fell into idolatry and obscurity. Then in the south, Judah also eventually fell into degradation and, after Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed, were taken into exile in Babylon. This was God’s judgement on his people for their sins and it stands, as do all judgements, as a warning of God’s future judgements which will culminate in the last and final Day of Judgement at the end of time when Christ comes again.
What I propose we do then is to examine this chapter and construct an anatomy of judgement. God is the one who is speaking here – see how it begins (1, 2a) The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, this is what the Sovereign LORD says to the land of Israel. We want to analyse God’s ways of reckoning. We want to examine just how he goes about sitting in judgment on people. And we want to answer four questions.
1. What is the nature of God’s Judgement?
1. It is conclusive and disastrous for all who come under it
We have already looked at Ezekiel 1-6 and this morning I would like us to tackle Chapter 7. As so often in the prophets it is a chapter about judgement. That’s not the sort of subject we naturally turn to but it is one that is good for us. The best chapters in the Bible are like honey – sweet to taste and good for you. Chapters like this one are more like broccoli, spinach or cabbage. We may not particularly enjoy them but they’re good for us. Keep that in mind.
In this chapter Ezekiel is describing the unfolding judgement of God on Judah at that time. Ideally, after God brought the people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land and established them under Solomon it should have been a case of Messiah coming to a united people in a happy land and them living happily ever after - but it wasn’t like that. First there was civil war and a break away by 10 of the 12 tribes, who then fell into idolatry and obscurity. Then in the south, Judah also eventually fell into degradation and, after Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed, were taken into exile in Babylon. This was God’s judgement on his people for their sins and it stands, as do all judgements, as a warning of God’s future judgements which will culminate in the last and final Day of Judgement at the end of time when Christ comes again.
What I propose we do then is to examine this chapter and construct an anatomy of judgement. God is the one who is speaking here – see how it begins (1, 2a) The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, this is what the Sovereign LORD says to the land of Israel. We want to analyse God’s ways of reckoning. We want to examine just how he goes about sitting in judgment on people. And we want to answer four questions.
1. What is the nature of God’s Judgement?
1. It is conclusive and disastrous for all who come under it
Now normally when you read a book the end comes, appropriately enough, at the end. Sometimes you may be tempted to look at the end to see how the whole story turns out. But what happens here is that even though we are only a few chapters in Ezekiel is told to announce (2, 3a) The end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land. The end is now upon you and I will unleash my anger against you. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Disaster! An unheard-of disaster is coming. The end has come! The end has come! It has roused itself against you. It has come! It’s like watching a film and the end seems to come just after the beginning. The reason for this is that Ezekiel was living in the end times. (6) The time has come, the day is near. This was the end of Israel. They had begun to be exiled from their homeland and sent into captivity in Babylon. Now it is true that, because of God’s mercy, it was only going to last for 70 years but it was very much the end nevertheless. A great judgement had come from God, a great disaster and there was something final and conclusive about that judgement. Nothing was quite the same again.
Now we also are living at the end of things, in the last days. As in Ezekiel’s day there is still room for God’s mercy but the judgement is here. Christ has already come and gone. Soon he will come again and that will be the judgement day itself. Are you ready? Are you prepared for that day? It will be the very end. Yes, I know that in some ways it was also be the beginning – the beginning of the heavenly state. But for those who are not ready it will be a disaster. What ruin will follow for any who have failed to trust in Jesus Christ. Look to him and find deliverance. It will be too late once that judgement falls. There is something final and devastating about all judgements – never more so than on that day.
2. It is the unleashing of God’s wrath and an end to mercy
Now we also are living at the end of things, in the last days. As in Ezekiel’s day there is still room for God’s mercy but the judgement is here. Christ has already come and gone. Soon he will come again and that will be the judgement day itself. Are you ready? Are you prepared for that day? It will be the very end. Yes, I know that in some ways it was also be the beginning – the beginning of the heavenly state. But for those who are not ready it will be a disaster. What ruin will follow for any who have failed to trust in Jesus Christ. Look to him and find deliverance. It will be too late once that judgement falls. There is something final and devastating about all judgements – never more so than on that day.
2. It is the unleashing of God’s wrath and an end to mercy
God’s judgements are not only conclusive and disastrous for those who come under them but they are an unleashing of his wrath and an end to his mercy. On one hand, we can think of God’s wrath as a great torrent that is held back by a huge dam or barrage. It is building up behind the barrier of his mercy until in due time the dam bursts, the barricade is broken down and the full pent up energy of his righteous anger comes pouring out. I will unleash my anger against you says God by way of warning. Or think of his mercy and grace as a steady stream that continues to flow whether it be summer or winter. However, there comes appoint when his pity ceases. The flow of compassion dries up. See 4 I will not look on you with pity or spare you. 22 I will turn my face away from them.
How easy it is to be mistaken about God’s wrath and mercy. Because he is presently holding his wrath back we can easily think God is not angry with us and suppose all is well. Because there is a constant supply of his mercy we can assume it will go on indeterminately. But the Bible assures us that this is not so. His mercy has limits, how wrath will not continue to be held back.
3. It is an adjudication and a repayment
3. It is an adjudication and a repayment
The other terms used here to speak of God’s judgement are those of adjudication or judgement and repayment or settling accounts. 3b, 4 I will judge you according to your conduct … I will surely repay you for your conduct and the detestable practices among you. A judgement is a decision, a reckoning up, a verdict. Judgements can be notoriously difficult things but sometimes we need to make them. God is also making judgements and when he brings in his verdict it is final and true. He judges according to conduct. He knows and he can decide.
Keep that in mind. It is also described here as repaying or paying back. We are sometimes tempted to pay people back for the wrong they’ve done us, to take vengeance but God says (Deuteronomy 32:35) It is mine to avenge; I will repay. We must look to him for vengeance. And he will be avenged. Be in no doubt about that. All that is owing will be paid. No debt will be outstanding.
4. It is a reminder and revelation of God
4. It is a reminder and revelation of God
Then at the end of 4 we get that refrain Then you will know that I am the LORD. It was a refrain in Chapter 6 (7, 10, 13, 14) and it is again in this chapter. See 9 Then you will know that it is I the LORD who strikes the blow. It is a reminder that one of the chief aims of God’s judgements is to remind us of himself and to reveal himself to us. A judgement from God is a revelation of God.
We may claim that we can’t see God now but one day we’ll be in no doubt – when we face judgment. Even in this life we can become aware of God if we simply accept the judgements already found in his Word.
2. What is the character of God’s Judgement?
1. It is the end to which sin inevitably leads
2. What is the character of God’s Judgement?
1. It is the end to which sin inevitably leads
The connection between sin and judgement is as clear here as anywhere in the Bible. In 10, 11 arrogance has blossomed! Violence has grown into a rod to punish wickedness. 13b Because of their sins, not one of them will preserve his life. It is sin that leads to God’s judgement. One Puritan (Swinnock) likened it to the weight on the pendulum of an old fashioned clock causes the clock to strike – so it is sin that causes judgement. In modern parlance – just as it is the pressure of my finger against the buttons that bring on the light so it is the pressure of sin that leads to judgement. Or to keep the slow build up idea. I have a de-humidifier that collects the drops of moisture from the room. When the bucket is full the light starts flashing.
This is a warning, of course, but there is also an encouragement here. As we see sin advancing so we can be sure that the judgement is fast approaching. One thing I ought to add here is that we must not suppose that there is something mechanical about judgement. It is not merely a reflex thing, something automatic. God is very personally involved (3, 4) I will unleash my anger … I will judge you according to your conduct … I will not look on you with pity … I will surely repay you for your conduct … Then you will know that I am the LORD. etc. Especially note 9 Then you will know that it is I the LORD who strikes the blow.
2. It is complete and entire in its effects
2. It is complete and entire in its effects
There is no escape from God’s judgement. Here we read that God will make repayment for all your detestable practices. Each one will be repaid. None will be missed. 11b none of the people will be left, none of that crowd - no wealth, nothing of value. How thorough the judgement will be. 12, 13 The time has come, the day has arrived. Let not the buyer rejoice nor the seller grieve, for wrath is upon the whole crowd. The seller will not recover the land he has sold as long as both of them live. Because the day is so near then already judgement’s far-reaching consequences ought to be taken into account. The buyer ought to realise that what he has got won’t last long and the seller ought to realise that what he has lost will soon be gone anyway.
Do you think like that? We ought to sit very loose to the things of this world. They will all soon be gone. Everything will be affected. 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
3. It is irreversible and irresistible
3. It is irreversible and irresistible
Imagine a vehicle with no reverse gear. You just have to keep going forward. There are such things. God’s judgement is like that. 7 for the vision concerning the whole crowd will not be reversed. When God is determined on judgement nothing can stop it. It is irreversible. It is irresistible. 14 Though they blow the trumpet and get everything ready, no-one will go into battle, for my wrath is upon the whole crowd. Any attempt at resistance are futile. They cannot succeed. Far better to surrender now to the inevitable.
God’s judgement will come. It cannot be stopped. Give in now and seek peace terms. See Luke 14:31-33 Suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
3. What is the manifestation of God’s Judgement?
1. It involves great agony and anguish
3. What is the manifestation of God’s Judgement?
1. It involves great agony and anguish
15 Outside is the sword, inside are plague and famine; those in the country will die by the sword, and those in the city will be devoured by famine and plague. Think of a siege. When Jerusalem and the Promised Land fell to the Babylonians these are the sorts of things that happened. They are typical of the suffering and trouble that come with judgement. What a dreadful day it will be when Christ returns. Are you ready?
2. It leads to great dread and despair
2. It leads to great dread and despair
We read that (16-18) All who survive and escape will be in the mountains, moaning like doves of the valleys, each because of his sins. Every hand will go limp, and every knee will become as weak as water. They will put on sackcloth (a sign of mourning) and be clothed with terror. Their faces will be covered with shame and their heads will be shaved (another mark of mourning). How will it be for you when the judgement comes?
3. It results in great dearth and desolation
3. It results in great dearth and desolation
It goes on (19-21) They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be an unclean thing. Hear the lesson - Their silver and gold will not be able to save them in the day of the LORD’s wrath. They will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it, for it has made them stumble into sin. They were proud of their beautiful jewellery and used it to make their detestable idols and vile images. Therefore I will turn these into an unclean thing for them. I will hand it all over as plunder to foreigners and as loot to the wicked of the earth, and they will defile it.
What are you putting your trust in? Where is your confidence? Proverbs 11:4 Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.
4. It leads to capture and confinement
4. It leads to capture and confinement
We also read (22, 23) I will turn my face away from them, and they will desecrate my treasured place; robbers will enter it and desecrate it. Prepare chains, because the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of violence. This period in Israel’s history is known as the Babylonian Captivity. They were captured and confined by the Babylonians. They were carried into exile against their will. This is another aspect of judgement. You are captured and confined. You can no longer do what you wish, go where you will. All that comes to an end. It is a vivid picture of hell – a place of confinement as well as torture and the end of all who fall at the judgement.
5. It promotes great disappointment and discontent
5. It promotes great disappointment and discontent
25-27 When terror comes, they will seek peace, but there will be none. Calamity upon calamity will come, and rumour upon rumour. They will try to get a vision from the prophet; the teaching of the law by the priest will be lost, as will the counsel of the elders. The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with despair, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. Here is further insight into the way God’s judgements manifest themselves. There is searching for peace but none being found. There is no more Bible, no more preaching, no more leadership. It is every man for himself. What despair and trembling that leads to. Can you imagine it?
That is why we must seek peace now – while it can be found. Read your Bible today while you can. Listen to the preaching today while you can.
6. It is appropriate and proportionate
6. It is appropriate and proportionate
Note that final line of 27 God says I will deal with them according to their conduct, and by their own standards I will judge them. Then they will know that I am the LORD. This is also a feature of God’s judgement. It is not only fair but it is seen to be fair by all who come under it. It is according to conduct. Well, how have we lived in light of God’s Word? Have we always done right? Are we without sin? No. So unless God is very merciful we will all suffer his judgement. That is why we must flee to Christ. We will be judged by our own standards. We have all often condemned others. At the judgement we will be condemned by our own standards. Romans 2:12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. Those who believe the Bible by the Bible, those who don’t by their own standards but each in absolute fairness and justice. We will get what we deserve.
4. What is the reason for God’s Judgement?
1. In general
4. What is the reason for God’s Judgement?
1. In general
Sin. It is clear in this chapter that God judges according to your conduct. He is committed to repaying sinners for all your detestable practices. 4 I will not look on you with pity or spare you; I will surely repay you for your conduct and the detestable practices among you. Then you will know that I am the LORD. If you sin, you will be judged.
2. In particular
2. In particular
We can pick out three sorts of sin condemned here
Violence - cf:11a Violence has grown into a rod to punish wickedness. 23 Prepare chains, because the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of violence. We live in a violent society, one where robbery often takes place, where rape and mugging are not uncommon. The abuse of women and children is common. Not only that but like the ancient Romans we enjoy watching violence as an entertainment. What sort of judgement can we expect?
Pride – It is arrogance that has blossomed! 20 They were proud of their beautiful jewellery 24b I will put an end to the pride of the mighty, and their sanctuaries will be desecrated. Pride comes in various forms – pride of face, place, race even grace, as here. These people were proud of their Temple, their religion. What a danger for us! God hates all forms of pride. Pride is a peculiar sin. Other sins are against God but pride is against his person. It attempts to tear him from the throne. Be done with it.
Idolatry – This is the other obvious sin condemned here. 20 They were proud of their beautiful jewellery and used it to make their detestable idols and vile images. Idolatry had gripped Judah in a big way. It is hard for us to imagine it in some ways now but just think of the materialism and the greed that is everywhere in our society. What is it - £5 Billion spent on the national lottery every year, while millions starve in other places. We must turn from idolatry or there will be judgement.
Pride – It is arrogance that has blossomed! 20 They were proud of their beautiful jewellery 24b I will put an end to the pride of the mighty, and their sanctuaries will be desecrated. Pride comes in various forms – pride of face, place, race even grace, as here. These people were proud of their Temple, their religion. What a danger for us! God hates all forms of pride. Pride is a peculiar sin. Other sins are against God but pride is against his person. It attempts to tear him from the throne. Be done with it.
Idolatry – This is the other obvious sin condemned here. 20 They were proud of their beautiful jewellery and used it to make their detestable idols and vile images. Idolatry had gripped Judah in a big way. It is hard for us to imagine it in some ways now but just think of the materialism and the greed that is everywhere in our society. What is it - £5 Billion spent on the national lottery every year, while millions starve in other places. We must turn from idolatry or there will be judgement.
