24:3 Whilst all the troubles in the days of Jehoiakim seem to be quite natural events they were 'of the Lord'. This was the problem Jeremiah, who was prophesying at this time had. His words seemed like treason for example Jeremiah 29:28.
The nation had arrived at a time when there was 'no remedy' 2 Chronicles 36:16 and so the destruction of the temple was inevitable.

25:7 The blinding of Zedekiah in this way fulfilled the words of Both Jeremiah 34:3 and Eze 19:9 His eyes saw the king of Babylon, but Babylon he should not see, though he should die there.

24:18 Whilst we are told that Zedekiah 'reigned in Jerusalem' clearly his rulership was different from the kings before him. He was a puppet king and was not, therefore, ruling the kingdom of God. It was all a sham. He was controlled by Babylon and could only do what they gave him power to do. It was all an outward show.

25:8 The mention of the fifth month indicates the reason why Israel remembered the fifth month (Zechariah 8:19) all the time they were in captivity. They were commemorating the burning of the house of God - so all through the captivity Israel were commemorating their sinfulness!
We do well to be careful what we remember.

Israel had left Egypt under Moses but the Egyptians had been a threat all the time after that until now - so there had not been a full deliverance until now - when Israel were dominated by Babylon. This all marks that the law of Moses could not deliver from sin and death.

25:3-17 Whilst the historical book here describes the physical elements that were removed from the temple Ezekiel (10) describes what had truly happened . God's glory had departed. The furniture of the temple as but a shadow o the true glory.

24:4 Like Manasseh (2Kin 21:16) Jehoiakim shed innocent blood. This indicates that he was not content with just doing evil. He ensured that those who opposed him were killed.

25:4-5 Zedekiah's flight marked his final rebellion against the word of God for Jeremiah (34:3) had told him that he would go to Babylon. He clearly thought he was able to outwit the God of Israel

 The final years of Judah and its kings are very well recorded by Bro Michael Ashton in the final 2 chapters of his book "Chronicles of the Kings".  Suffice it here to say that Josiah was the last good king, and his 3 sons and one grandson who reigned fully deserved the punishment and shame of deportation.
Solomon's beautiful temple was stripped of all its beauty, and finally "they burnt the house of the Lord"
(2Kgs 25:9).  How it must have hurt the Lord God!

-

24:1 Jehoiakim was the servant of God – or at lest he should have been. Now he is the servant of the king of Babylon – he has manifestly become the servant of sin.

25:2  When Hezekiah was taken to Babylon this was the third wave of captives that had been taken. After the first and the second it would appear that the people had carried on as if the words of the prophets were irrelevant. Jeremiah had repeatedly spoken abut them going to Babylon. Once might have thought after the first wave were taken that the people would wise up to the words of the prophets – but no, they continued in their rebelliousness. Is there a lesson for us in this?

25:7 By this point in history we are 26 years past the destruction of the temple – so we are 44 yrs from the return from Babylon

24:1 When reading historical accounts, it is helpful to keep time lines in mind.  There is a danger in reading consecutive verses as if the events described therein happened at (or close to) the same time.  For example, the events of 24:10 happened when Nebuchadnezzar was less than three months in office, in 604 BC; while the events of 24:11,12 took place in the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, in 597 BC.

24:12 The captivity of Jehoiakim is spoken of poetically by the contemporary prophet Eze 17:3

24:12 Just to clarify this verse: Jehoachin reigned only three months before he was taken captive.  This took place in the 8^th. year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, in 597 BC.

24:17 Mattaniah means Gift of Yah; while Zedekiah means Yah my righteousness.  Zedekiah was the son of Josiah and the brother of Jehoiakim.  Pharaoh-necho had changed the name of Zedekiah’s brother Eliakim to Jehoiakim (2Kin 23:34). Eliakim means God will raise up; while Jehoiakim means Yahweh sets up.  Changing the names of one’s captives was an expression dominance and power by the captor.

24:18 Zedekiah was put on the throne in the 8^th.year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, in 597 BC. Zedekiah reigned 11 years until he rebelled, which brought about the sacking of Jerusalem in 586 BC.

25:1,2 Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem in 596 BC and slowly starved the city for ten years, until Zedekiah rebelled and tried to break through the city wall in the fourth month of the year 586 BC.  One month after Zedekiah’s rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar burned Jerusalem and broke down its walls.

25:3 This was the ninth day of the fourth month (ESV), in 586 BC.

25:4-7 This event was predicted by Ezekiel, as we read in yesterday’s reading (Eze 12:4-13).

25:8-10 Nebuzaradan destroyed Jerusalem in the fifth month of the year 586 BC.

25:11 Jeremiah was still confined in prison at this time.  But, by the command of Nebuchadnezzar, Jeremiah was released (Jer 39:11-14).

25:19 Jeremiah’s account has seven men rather than the five men that are recorded here (Jer 52:25). Perhaps, Jeremiah is adding the eunuch and the scribe to the five men to make a total of seven men.

25:20 Riblah was located in upper Syria.  The city made an ideal army base for Babylonian military operations in the region.

25:27 Jehoiachin began his short reign in 599 BC at aged 18.  He was now 55 years old, and the year was 562 BC - the year of Nebuchadnezzar’s death.

25:27-30 This part of the historical narrative is found in Jer 52:31-34

2Kin 24:1 - "Babylon" [(894) means "confusion (by mixing)"].

2Kin 24:1,2,10;25:1 - four invasions of Judah by Babylon.

2Kin 24:8 - as previously touched on by Peter Cresswell, the mother of Jehoiachin was "Nehushta" [(5179) meaning "copper, brass"] and her name is thought by some to figuratively echo the impure base fleshly sinful nature; similarly, "Nehushtan" [(5180) means "something made from copper, brass"] refers to the serpent raised (sinful nature crucified and an echo of Christ?) by Moses in the wilderness but later used (seemingly without the raising pole) as an idol of worship perhaps echoing the sinful nature of flesh. 

2Kin 24:14 - "...none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land." - the words "poorest sort" [Heb. "dallah" (1803) means "poor, poorest, sickness, lowest"] - perhaps they were spiritually poor also (Jer 24:1-10).

2Kin 25:4-5 - the nation's history ended where it begun - at Jericho.

2Kin 25:6-7 - Zedekiah was figuratively blind and bound to the flesh - now he was literally blind and bound by symbols of the flesh in a prophetic fulfillment (Jer 34:2-3;Eze 12:13).

2Kin 24:17-18 - "Mattaniah" [(4983) means "gift of Jah"] and "Zedekiah" [(6667) means "Jah is righteous, right of Jah"]; Zedekiah comes again to Jerusalem having been away - perhaps this reminds us of Christ's impending return to Jerusalem to establish his throne.

2Kin 25:27-30 - "Jehoiachin" [(3078) means "Jah will establish, Jah establishes"] was released from bondage, given a seat of honor, given new raiment which perhaps reminds us of Christ having risen.

13:3 foolish prophet Matthew 7:15
13:4 foxes Nehemiah 4:3
13:11 overflowing ... wind Matthew 7:15 etc
13:14 foundation, discover Matthew 7:24 25 etc

The message of this chapter is that foolish prophets in Israel are attempting to build God's house - Israel - but not using the correct methods. In fact their approach was to be involved in false worship - see verses 17 - 23. Jesus uses this area of Ezekiel a number of times in the 'Sermon on the Mount' in Matthew.
The 'foolish prophet' of Ezekiel 13 becomes the 'false prophet' of Matthew 7:15.
The parable of the men who built houses has part of its language taken from the wall built with 'untempered mortar' in Ezekiel 13.

V.3 Peter may well have had in mind these prophets who "follow their own spirit" when, in contrast he wrote, "We did not follow cunningly devised fables". He then refers to the prophets who testified of the coming of the Son of God and declares, "For no prophecy ever came by the will of man".(2Pet 1:16;21 RV) 

V.10 Building up a wall meant establishing a falsehood, and daubing it with untempered (mortar) (whitewash) was finishing it with an attractive exterior to cover that falsehood. 

There is an old plasterer's saying which supports this idea: A good finish hides a multitude of sins. 

The term whitewash is used in modern parlance, and refers to glossing over mistakes.  Jesus used the figure to describe the hypocrisy of the Pharisees (Matt 23:27); while Paul used it against the high priest (Acts 23:3).

13:3  The ‘foolish prophets’ were fools because they taught false words, as if by saying words those things would come to pass. False would describe their words, foolish would describe the way that they thought.

13:20 The ‘pillows’ <03704> seems to relate to false phylacteries used by false prophets to support their divinations. Their behaviour, therefore, was a direct attack on the, albeit misguided, wearing of phylacteries in keeping with Deut 6:8.

13:11 the ‘overflowing shower’ and ‘stormy wind’ seem to be used by Jesus in Matt 7:27

13:3 The prophets were ‘foolish’ because they followed their own ‘spirit’ rather than the spirit of God. In this they were like the false prophets in the day of Jesus – Matt 7:15

Ezekiel is thought to have been deported to Babylon in 597 BC and the word of the Lord came to him 5 years later and he prophesied for at least 22 years Eze 1:1-3;Eze 29:17.

Eze 13:9-14 - Sometimes things can be figurative, literal or both. Sometimes there are multiple applications or echos in prophesy. Of course we don't want to see some similarity as necessarily indicating multiple applications or echos, etc. In vs 9 we read of prophets seeing false visions, etc. and that they will not belong to the council of my people or enter the land of Israel. Could this have a multiple applications referring to Cyrus letting the Jews return as well as a future application with some not making it to the land then and/or future? In vs 10 we read sayings of "peace", when there is no peace and mention of a "wall" Heb. chayits (2434) meaning "a wall" but is derived from chuts (2351) meaning separate by a wall, outdoors, highway, etc. The "wall" in vs 12,14 is the Heb. qiyrah (7023) meaning mason, side, wall, town and is derived from quwr (6979) meaning to trench, to throw forth, to wall up (literal) or (figuratively) to break down, cast out, destroy. We read of "untempered morter" (KJV) or "whitewash" (NIV) in vs 10,11,14 as well as in Eze 22:28 where it would seem to have a figurative application and the Heb. word is taphel (8602) from a root which (literally) means to smear, plaster, slime or (figuratively) means foolish things, unsavory, untempered.

The word for "great hailstones" in Heb. is elgabiysh (417) and is used in only 3 places in the Bible - Eze 13:11,13;Eze 38:22. In Eze 38:11 we read "unwalled" and the Heb. word used is perazoth (6519) and it means unwalled villages or open villages. In Eze 38:20 we read of a "wall" and the Heb. word used is chowmah (2346) meaning a wall of protection. We have in Eze 13:10 mention of "peace" and the Heb. word used is shalom (7965) meaning peace, rest, safe, well, happy, prosperity, etc. In Eze 38:8,11,14 we have  mention of "safely" and the Heb. word used is betach (983) meaning place of refuge, confidence, hope, assurance, safety, security in the sense of feeling safe, etc. In Eze 38:11 we have mention of "rest" and the Heb. word is shaqat (8252) meaning repose, idleness, quiet, settle, be still, etc.

Is there a subtle echo between  Eze 13:9-14 and Eze 38:8,10-13,18,20,22? The hailstones would seem to connect but other words, even when the same or similar in English are different in the Hebrew.

V.14 Yahweh pledged to bring down the wall which had been erected by the false prophets.

By contrast, Jesus, the true prophet, supports walls that will stand forever.

Jesus represents the cornerstone which was placed at the junction of two walls. Being at the base, it supported the building of two adjacent walls, making them true and stable. As one wall ended, the other began (Isa 28:16; 1Pet 2:6,7).

The two walls embody the old and new covenants.  Both covenants have Jesus as their foundation - the new continues where the old finished.

Vs.20,21,23 Yahweh will eradicate the magical practices which are abhorrent to Him (Deut 18:10,11).

Mortar is the grey stuff that sits between the bricks or stones. It holds the wall together. It's made up of sand and a little cement (or Lime) mixed together with water. The cement gives it the ability to set and hold the wall together once the water has evaporated. If this element is left out, you might have a wall that looks ok, but there's just compacted sand between the bricks.

The problem with sand is not that it can't hold things up. It can. We often build houses on sand and it makes for a great base because once compacted it stays compacted. Think about the beach - jump up and down on the dry sand and you have a very hard surface with little give. The problem is purely when water comes. Just as in the parable of the wise and foolish builders (Matt 7:26-27) it is water that weakens the sand allowing the wind to bring the structure down (v11-13). Water simply takes sand away and turns it into a liquid which flows out from between the bricks. Think of the feeling of the sand between your toes when you paddle in the sea. The plaster daubed on the stones would allow it to withstand the rain, but it too was un-tempered and would wash away with the driving rain and hailstones (v11).

So the picture Ezekiel is building up here (pardon the pun!) is of a wall seemingly as strong as any other, but unable to withstand future events. The foolish prophecies were seemingly as good as any other words, but unable to do any good long term (v22). What are we like in the words of comfort or instruction we give? All words appear equal in the short term. But what about the lasting benefit? From v22 we learn that if we mix our words correctly from scripture, we will help the sinner to turn around, and the righteous to rejoice. Let's think carefully the next time we are about to say "I think..." rather than "It says here..."

9:54 fire from heaven as Elijah 2 Kings 1:10
9:56 to save them Elijah - God is saviour
9:61 Lord ... at my house 1 Kings 19:20
9:62 hand to the plough 1 Kings 19:19

v.7 - 9 Notice John the Baptist is now dead - Luke does not record the events associated with his death.
v.8 'some that Elias had appeared'. Clearly there was a great expectation at this time that Messiah would come. Matt 16:14 17:10 Mark 6:15 8:28 9:11 Luke 9:19 John 1:21 are all occasions - some parallels of course - where it is clear that Elias was expected. Additionally there were those 'looking for the consolation of Israel' Luke 2:25.
v.19 - 22 This is the first time that Jesus has clearly stated that he is to die. That this is so is made more clear in Matthew's account of the same incident. Matthew 16:21 'from that time Jesus began to show his disciples how that he must... suffer ...'

In the verse previous Jesus had put forward an offer "if anyone desires to come after me, let him take up his cross... and follow me". He was saying that if anyone wanted to follow with him to glory, they would have to do everything he was doing. This meant following him to the cross, and dying with him on it. As we read later on in the gospel, the disciples attempted to follow Jesus to the cross, but couldn't. Instead they denied him. The next words of Jesus are "whoever is ashamed of me and my words, of him the son of man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory"(v26).

So we have a paradox. Jesus seems to be condemning his own disciples. Is it true that he will deny them all when he comes in his glory? If this was so for them, then what hope do we have? The answer is simple. We must be drawing the wrong conclusion! Lets look at it again!

If we look at the state of mind of the disciples in the chapter, we find that they are becoming increasingly full of their own importance. In v46 there is the dispute over who will be the greatest. In v49 we find that the disciples had taken Jesus literally, and were being antagonistic towards anyone NOT following him. In v54 they offer to call down fire from heaven in judgment on those who were "ashamed of the gospel".

Jesus had read their thoughts completely. They were getting carried away with their sense of achievement. They were feeling up to the task. They were feeling powerful, righteous, leaders of men, judges, kings. They were basking in the glory of Jesus, and didn't realise it was his glory alone, and that they were nothing without him. They were dangerously close to becoming like eve, who considered equality with God something to be attained. They were a few steps away from making themselves equal with Jesus.

So Jesus asks them a question, echoing the desire in their heart... "if anyone desires to come after me". This is the same phrase as John used of Jesus "he who comes after me is prefered before me" (John 1v27). They desired to be after Jesus. Up to his standard. Part of his greatness.... or even equal to him. Jesus, realising this tries to explain that this requires something that none of them can give. This is an honour that they shouldn't be grasping at. He tells them that it will mean the cross for them. Later in Mark 10v38 he again tries to show them the same thing "are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with?". The answer was a plain and simple "no, we're not able", but they didn't realise it. By not realising this, they were being ashamed of him and his words (v26). They were not accepting him as their saviour.

So what does Jesus mean in our opening statement? Maybe it it this: "whoever seeks to save his life by grasping at equality with me, will never manage it. I'm the only one who will ever do it. I'm the only one who will ever be perfect. You will fail, and will lose your life trying. Better for you is just to admit defeat, trust in me, forget your illusions of granduer, and humble yourself. If you do this, you will gain your life." And this is what they did, eventually, after they had all denied him. After they had all failed. And after they all wept bitter tears of repentance. From that time on they never squabled about greatness again.

V.1 Having been given divine power did not mean that the disciples could automatically use it.  The use of this power depended upon the faith of the user.  This is demonstrated in the inability of the disciples to help the child in vs.38-40.  Jesus chides them for their lack of faith (v.41). 

Although we are not given the kind of power that the disciples received, nevertheless, faith remains a pillar in our life in Christ.  It is worthwhile, from time to time, to re-read Hebrews 11 to see what effect faith can have on the lives of believers.

9:52-54 Whereas John wanted to bring judgment upon the Samaritans here it was John – Acts 8:14 – who was sent to verify the response of the Samaritans.

Luke 9:54

What is fire from heaven, if it is not lightning... and these where the Sons of Thunder making the request. Notice Jesus compassion for the Samaritans. He had to remind James and John that He had come to save mens lives... not fry them!!

Luke 9:62

I was born on the land and did my apprenticeship as a farmer - not with horse or bullock and plow, but with tractors, and what Brother Collyer says in Chapter 9 of Principles and Proverbs of crooked plow lines is true. Only by focussing on a distant object (not a cloud!!) can one hope to plow a straight furrow.

Now there is no particular reason for plowing straight lines (that I know of) except that the results look neat and tidy. Perhaps in ancient days, where there were no fence lines to mark out the boundaries between properties, a straight line was a good idea when marking the first turning of the soil between your corner markers. Running off course could well put your plow line into the neighbours property.

A quick backward glance will not throw the line, but a backward focus will.

For me, this is what the verse means. Jesus is not forbidding a backward glance to reassure oneself that the effort of forward focus has been worth while. But He is warning that a backward focus may negate the good work already done. The forward focus will produce 'straight' results, but the focus must be in faith. I guess the backward focus takes my mind back to legalism, the great nemesis of the faithful in every age.

Looking forward, one cannot see the results behind, but one must work on in faith, that that which is being produced behind our back, out of sight as it were, is 'straight' - whereas looking back can be 'comforting' because the results can be seen instantly - which is the like the comfort of legalism - no waiting for results in faith.

Legalism creates instant results.... but not the best outcomes.

So, just like legalism, a backward focus produces results that are 'crooked'.

Only by focussing on an immovable object some distance away, can one hope to create what the Bible calls 'straight' works in faith. The real secret to a straight furrow, is a forward focus which lines up two objects, one behind the other, such as a fence post or a rock on the far border of the field, and a tree even further in the distance.

In our spiritual figure, we do that by lining up Jesus with His Father, and the result will be those 'straight' works in faith.

9:10 Doubtless when the twelve returned they would hav ebeen jubilant at what they had achieved. Therefore Jesus took them aside to calm their enthusiasm and give them a more balanced view of their mission .

9:25 Jesus had been tempted to throw away everything in exchange for the ‘whole world’ in the wilderness- Matt 4:8, Luke 4:5 so Jesus’ words to his disciples was not simply a theoretical teaching. He had already made the choice.

9:12 The disciples have returned from an exhausting healing and preaching effort. It is, I suppose, only natural that they thought sending the people away was the best solution to their needs. However Jesus wanted them to understand that as long as there were people around to hear the word they had a responsibility to meet their needs.

V.1 The disciples were given divine power before it was generally dispensed on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).

V.2 Look at the task Jesus set for His disciples:

1) to proclaim the kingdom of God (ESV)

 2) to heal (ESV)

The healing was to show the power of God and to add credence to the message about the kingdom of God.  Jesus preached the kingdom of God (Mark 1:14).

The kingdom of God is an essential component of the Gospel.  Without understanding it, one has no purpose or hope.  Salvation depends upon the understanding of, and the belief in the kingdom of God (Acts 8:12).

9:28 Luke says ‘about an eight days’ whereas Matt 17:1 and , Mark 9:1 say ‘six’ days. Rather than trying to reconcile clearly different periods of time maybe there is some value in noting that it is only Luke who specifies the circumcision of Jesus on the ‘eighth day’ – Luke 2:21