V.2 Manasseh quickly succumbed to the prevailing influence which had by no means been eliminated by his father, Hezekiah. With wholehearted zeal he restored the abominable practices which had characterised the reign of his grandfather Ahaz. In history there is only one king with whom he can be compared and that is Ahaz. V.3-4

V.1 When a young king ascends the throne, he is subject to his advisors.  I wonder who advised twelve-year old Manasseh.  Ironically Manasseh means causing to forget.  He certainly did forget the ways of Yahweh, even though his father Hezekiah had shown faith. 

V.13 Another irony is in the name of Manasseh's mother, Hephzibah.  Hephzibah means my delight is in her and is Yahweh's description of the future Jerusalem (Isa 62:4).  However, at this juncture, Yahweh vowed to destroy Jerusalem for its sins (Jer 15:4).

21:8  The Northern kingdom of Israel had been taken captivity to Assyria during the reign of Hezekiah, Manasseh’s father, so the promise that if Israel were faithful they would remain in the land was very poignant – but had no effect!

Vs.10-16 Manasseh, considered the wickedest king of Judah, was the one responsible for the demise of Jerusalem and Judah.  He was also the longest reigning monarch of Judah (55 years).  These two facts might seem incongruous to us, but to the infinite wisdom of Yahweh they are not.  To Him, our days on earth are but a shadow (Job 8:9).

21:13-14 The Assyrians had taken the northern kingdom captive in the days of Hezekiah, Manasseh’s father. The Assyrian army had been defeated on the mountains of Israel in the days of Hezekiah. So maybe Manasseh thought that he was safe from attack. Therefore when the prophets likened the captivity of Judah to the captivity of Samaria he would doubtless have been quite shocked! However Isaiah, in Isa 13, 14– had spoken of the Babylonians and Habakkuk had spoken of the Chaldeans coming against Judah so Manasseh should have realised that his godless behaviour would be judged.

21:13 The promise that God would stretch a line over Jerusalem was fulfilled when the Babylonians took Judah captive – Lam 2:8

21:7 In echoing the words of 21:4 ‘Will I put My name forever’ we see the tension between the desires of Manasseh and Yahweh. He king was set against Yahweh in his whole way of thinking.

V.12 See Jer 19:3.

V.13 See Amos 7:7,8.

V.16 It is conjectured that one of the victims of Manasseh’s cruelty was Isaiah. Tradition says that Manasseh put Isaiah in a hollowed-out tree trunk and sawed him in two (See Heb 11:37).

21:4 Clearly Manasseh was seeing to replace the God of Israel in Jerusalem with the altars that he built – hence the comment, based on Deut 12:11 ‘In Jerusalem will I put my name’

v.3 'It is not near' indicates that they had no conception of the evil that they were involved in nor the immediacy of the Yahweh's intervention to vindicate His name. Leen Ritmeyer, when commenting on his finds in Jerusalem, says that the leaders in Jerusalem were still renovating and spending vast amounts of money on their houses at the time the Romans were besieging the city. It seems that in minute detail the Roman overthrow mirrors the Babylonian invasion.

v.10 'fall by the sword' is picked up by Jesus in Luke 21:24 further drawing attention to the Babylonian captivity as a pattern of the Roman invasion.

V.1 It is here at the east gate that we see the glory of God resting before its departure to the Mount of Olives.(V23). When we go to Eze 44:1-4 we see that it is here at the east gate that Christ enters the temple. 

Vs.1,2 There might be some confusion as to the identity of Jaazaniah - just to clarify:  Jaazaniah, the son of Azur, was a leader whom Ezekiel accused of giving wicked advice. 

Then there was the Jaazaniah of Eze 8:11 who was the son of Shaphan, probably the scribe who advised Josiah (2Kin 22). 

There was also a Jaazaniah, a Maacahthite, who probably had a hand in the assassination of Gedaliah after the exile (2Kin 25:23). 

And lastly, there was a Jaazaniah who was a Rechabite who Jeremiah used as an example of faithfulness (Jer 35:3).

11:5  When we think things it is as if we have already done them – God says ‘thus have ye said’ and then says ‘I know the things that come into your mind’.

11:3 In saying ‘let us build houses’ in Jerusalem the elders were contradicting what Jeremiah said. He had told the people to go to Babylon and build houses – Jer 29:5 – whereas the elders were encouraging the people to remain in Jerusalem and build houses.

11:2 The ‘mischief’ is that which is described in Eze 8, part of this same vision.

V.1 Meanings of the names can, sometimes, be ironic.  Take the two leaders of the nation: Jaazaniah and Pelatiah.  Jaazaniah means Yah hears; while Pelatiah means Yahweh delivers.  Indeed, Yahweh does hear and deliver, but not by the hand of spiritually corrupt leaders.

11:1In bringing Ezekiel to the ‘east gate’ to see the abominations he was being shown the reason why the glory of God was departing through the east gate – Eze 10:19

V.1 The East Gate was the main entrance to the sanctuary and where Solomon’s porch was located (John 10:23). It was to the East Gate that the glory of Yahweh had removed (Eze 10:19).

The twenty-five men (ESV) were undoubtedly the sun-worshippers of Eze 8:16.

Sun worship came from Persia and spread throughout the region.

The pagan Roman practice of sun worship (Dies Natalis Solis Invicti  - the birthday of the unconquered sun) took place on Dec. 25^th.  In the 4^th.Century AD, the Catholic Church declared Dec. 25^th. to be the birthday of Jesus in order to attract the pagan sun-worshippers to Catholicism. See my piece on Christmas in the December notes.

Vs.3,7,11 The caldron (boiling or seething pot) referred to the Babylonians (Jer 1:13). However Zedekiah and his sons would be judged outside of Jerusalem (v.11; 2Kin 25:6,7).

Vs.19,20 See also Eze 36:26-28 which show a vision of the Kingdom when the land of Israel will become like Eden (Eze 36:35).

V.22 The Kingdom vision was supplied by the cherubim and the glory of God, and when they were lifted Ezekiel found himself back among the exiles in Babylon. The cherubim represent the Redeemed who will be with Jesus, supervising the affairs of the Kingdom.

11:13 The way in which ‘Pelatiah’ died, as a consequence of Ezekiel’s words, clearly brought great consternation upon the prophet. Surely it caused the prophet to wonder about the things he said.

v.27 Behold ... before thee Malachi 3:1

v.12 Notice that the dead child was 'the only son' of a widow. No opportunity for further seed. Notice how often the only son / child figures in raising from the dead. Isaac Genesis 22 Jephthah's daughter Judges 11:34 the son of the family who Elisha tarried with 2 Kings 4 a man's only son Luke 9:38.
Surely these miracles point directly at the resurrection of Jesus.

v.18 John the Baptist is still alive at this point in time. Have you ever wondered how long into the ministry of Jesus it was when John was beheaded?

v.28 Do we actually view John the Baptist as the greatest prophet? Jesus says that he is so in what way do we understand this to be true?
I believe it is because he, unlike the former prophets, was predicted by the prophets as the one with the special privilege of being the forerunner of Jesus. He was the only prophet who was contemporary with Jesus - Whilst Luke 2:36 speaks of 'Anna a prophetess' I presume that she would be dead by the time Jesus was preaching.

In v8 the Gentile centurion reveals in his words a great deal about Jesus. Jesus was a man in authority, and he had command over those placed under him. In fact, Jesus had all authority (John 13v3), and the spirit beyond measure. The human beings subject to him, having been given him by God, were in fact subject to him in everything. This meant that their ilnesses and sins were within his control - to retain or to remove. We can see that this is the case, because by a command he cast out spirits, and by a word he healed the lame. Jesus was in command, and to Jesus men would stand or fall.

Knowing this, Jesus gives a few words of advice in 14v30-31. "sit down and consider whether you are able, with ten thousand, to stand against him who comes with twenty thousand ...... or else, send a delegation and ask for conditions of peace" (my paraphrase). Jesus would be the judge of all these men and women. Would they be able to stand before him at that judgment?

The sinful woman knew she would never stand. Her sins were too great. What she was doing was to come to the one man she knew was her judge and master, and try to obtain his favour. She was her own delegation for peace, and Jesus accepted.

Are you able to stand against Christ, when he comes to judge? Are you sinful enough in your own eyes to humble yourself, bowing the knee, to ask for his mercy and favour? Or are you still fighting the battle?

7:16  ‘visited his people’ echoes Luke 1:68 – Zachariah’s words when John the Baptist was named.

7:29 Notice that the publicans ‘justified God’ by being baptized. This is a fundamental principle – God is justified when we acknowledge our sins – Rom 3:4

:31-35           The very nature of the Pharisees was this. They did not like anyone who, as they saw it threatened their authority. Therefore they rejected John and they also rejected Jesus.

Vs.11-15 Jesus went to Nain and raised the dead son of the widow.  The report of the incident is plain, and shows the power of Yahweh.  But, is there any deeper significance? 

The meaning of the name Nain is green pastures.  Right away, an echo of Ps. 23 is triggered.  David's psalm talks about himself, but also talks about Jesus.  The psalm talks about Jesus' suffering and death.  He had to: walk through the valley of the shadow of death.  But, He would be brought back to life to: lie down in green pastures.  This is an image of lushness - green being the eternal color. 

Jesus would obtain (and has now obtained) eternal life.  His true followers will also obtain eternal life.  These people are represented by the complete (full circle) rainbow (emerald is green, the eternal color) (Rev 4:3). 

The raised man in Nain was the only son of the widow.  He was the sole breadwinner in that family.  Without her son, the widow would be left destitute.  Jesus is the head of His family.  If He were not raised from the dead, His spiritual family would be left destitute - it would have no hope of eternal life (1Cor 15:14). 

7:20-21 Actions speak louder than words is a common saying among us. We should learn from Jesus’ example. It is not just a matter of saying that we believe certain things. We demonstrate what we believe by what we do.

V.11 Different estimates have placed Nain in a range of 2-4 miles from Mount Tabor and about 12-25 miles from Capernaum.

V.27 See Mal 3:1.

V.28 John was a great prophet and endorsed as such by Jesus.  And yet, any saint who is invited to the Kingdom will be greater than he (was then). The saint will be changed to become like Jesus (1Cor 15:51,52; Phil 3:21). Of course, John, himself, will be in the Kingdom (Matt 10:39).

V.32 Jesus is probably alluding to a current children’s game.

V.35 The virtuous woman (wisdom)… Her children arise up, and call her blessed (Prov 31:10,28) (KJV).

7:43 In the parable about the two debtors Simon clearly was the one with the small debt. Whilst this reflected the attitude of the Pharisees it was not really the case at all. All men and women are in debt to the degree of the woman. Sadly Simon did not recognise this. Do we?