V.5 Only four sons are mentioned; so that as they were stated to be five, in this number the father, Izrahiah, must be considered as included; otherwise one of the names must have been dropped out of the text. They were each at the head of a numerous and influential division of the tribe of Issachar.

7:24 Whilst we learn that it was the daughter that built Beth Horon we learn – 2Chron 8:5 – that Solomon built them. So we have to conclude that they had become dilapidated by the time of Solomon. Maybe because of the lack of a male heir

7:15 We first meet Zelophehad’s daughters in Numbers 26, the matter of inheritance of the land was raised by these daughters in Num 27:1. So again the implications of inheritance where there was no son is raised again.

7:1 Whilst Tola and Puah are presented as sons of Issachar it seems that they were father and son – Judg 10:1

7:1 The number mentioned that were counted in the days of David refers to the time when David numbered Israel by the hand of Joab – 2Sam 24:1,2

1Chron 7:1 - the following may remind us of Messianic qualities: Issacher [(3485) means "he will bring a reward" etc.], Tola [(8439) means "worm"], Puah [(6312) means "splendid" etc.], Jashub [(3437) means "he will return"], Shimron [(8105) means "guardianship" etc.].

1Chron 7:2 - the following may also remind us of Messianic qualities: Tola [(8439) means "worm"], Uzzi [(5813) means "strong" etc.], Rephaiah [(7509) means "healed of Jah, Jah has cured"], Jeriel [(3400) means "taught by God" etc.], Jahmai [(3181) means "whom Jah guards" etc.], Jibsam [(3005) means "fragrant, pleasant"], Shemuel [(8050) means "heard of God" etc.].

20:1 10 5 7 Jehoiachim's captivity
20:8 But they rebelled against me Psalm 106:7 29 33 43
20:11 which if a man do ... live in them Leviticus 18:520:13 but the house of Israel rebelled Psalm 106:7 29 33 43
20:13 then ... consume them Psalm 106:23
20:14 for my name's sake Psalm 106:8
20:15 I lifted up my hand Psalm 106:26
20:18 defile not yourselves Psalm 106:36
20:21 the children rebelled against me Psalm 106:7 29 33 43
20:23 I would ... among the heathen Deuteronomy 28:64
20:26 caused to pass [Heb set apart all] Exodus 13:12
20:33 mighty ... arm Deuteronomy 4:34
20:37 pass under the rod Leviticus 27:32
20:38 they ... in to the land Numbers 14:36

20:1 Again the elders have come to enquire of the Lord. As in chapter 8.
The temple is about to be destroyed. Remember that Psalm 106 was one of the Psalms written when David brought the ark and placed it in the tent that he had pitched in Jerusalem.
From the use made of Psalm 106 as shown above we appreciate that this area of Ezekiel's prophecy is reminding Israel of the way that they had behaved in Egypt and then in the wilderness.
Three times Ezekiel reminds them that they rebelled :8 :13 :21 so Ezekiel is using the lessons from the wilderness journey, represented by David when he brought the ark to Zion to show Israel at the time that the temple was going to be overthrown that they had not learnt the lessons of the wilderness journey.

Vs.45-48 Yahweh used a parable to describe the destruction of Judah.  The forest (Heb. ya'ar = to thicken with greenery) is set in the south (Heb. negev = south = desert area parched from drought).  

Yahweh's people (the forest) are largely parched for His Word because they have rejected it.  Thus, the people of Judah, whether prosperous (green trees) or not (dry trees), will all suffer the same fate.  They will be burned (Isa 10:16-19). 

Fire is considered a cleansing agent which is used by Yahweh as an expression of His anger (Psa 21:9).    

20:3  Ezekiel had been speaking the word of God to these elders for almost a year, and yet they did not listen. However they wanted to enquire of God through the prophet. Because of their unwillingness to listen God told them that He would not listen to them either. In the same way He had told Jeremiah not to intercede on their behalf when they were in Jerusalem – Jer 7:16

20:3 ‘I will not be enquired of by you’ contrasts powerfully with what the elders were doing. They had come to sit before Ezekiel to ask if there was a message from God.

Vs.6,15 The promised land is described as a land flowing with milk and honey. 

For the land to flow with milk meant that there would be lush pastureland for cattle (sheep and goats provided most of the milk and milk products at this time). 

For the land to flow with honey there would be an abundance of wild flowers (honey eaten at this time was wild honey). Other evidence of the land's fertility is shown in the spies' bringing back grapes, pomegranates, and figs (Num 13:23,24).

20:3Whilst in Jerusalem Jeremiah had been told -Jer 7:16, 11:14, 14:11 - not to pray for the people. Now the ‘elders’ are told directly that God will not be ‘enquired of’ by them

V.49 Ezekiel was concerned about the reception of his audience when he spoke in parables.  Later, Yahweh let Ezekiel tell his listeners, plainly, about the coming destruction of Jerusalem and Judah (Eze 21:1-32).

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Egyptian hearts

The context of this chapter is Lev 18. It sets the scene of Israel's deliverance from Egypt, and in particular their difference to the other nations (Lev 18:1-3):

"I am the LORD your God. According to the doings of the land of Egypt... and the land of Canaan... you shall not do. I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgements"

And the big difference between Israel's God's commandments and Egypt's god's commandments is there in the rest of the verse "which if a man does, he shall live by them". In other words God's laws were life giving. In the 20th Century can see that clearly now that we understand things like disease control and the need for flowing water, washing hands and food hygeine. This verse is quoted in v11, 13 and 21 of our chapter.

But later on in the chapter the same wording is used to say they could not live by them (v25) in practice. This is the central point of the scripture for the Jew picked up in new testament teaching: "You could not live by the law!" (Gal 3:10-13) therefore another way had to be provided for salvation, namely Jesus Christ and faith in him. v26 goes on to say that the law was specifically designed to condemn the unclean practices of Egypt, Canaan and the Gentiles, so that every Israelite who practiced those things would be destroyed in the wilderness (v12,21). These were the terms they had agreed to in Exodus 19:8 and Exo 24:3 and 7 even though their hearts were with their idols (v16) and again in Deut 27:26.

So the lesson for us is not to aim at keeping the commanments, but instead to aim at changing our hearts. This is the central lesson of salvation by faith, explained using these very passages in Romans 10:4-9.

20:11 The quotation ‘which if a man do ... live in them’ from Lev 18:5 highlights to Israel – and to us for that matter – that just talking about what we believe is not enough.

The above passages are re used by Jesus in Matthew, in the Olivet Prophecy, to reinforce the preparation that he has been doing now. We must realise that we are all slow learners and need to be told the same things more than once.

Luke 17:26-30
It's interesting here that although our minds automatically think of violence and immorality as being what the days of Noah and Sodom remind us of.. and rightly so as Gen 6:5,11,13 and  Gen 13:13 ... But, here, Christ brings out the aspect of their 'marrying and being given in marriage'. The point is that these societies lost track of God, partaking in everyday affairs. This in fact led to violence and immorality.
And it was on this 'same day' that Sodom (and Gommorah-Gen 19:24) perished.

"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward [is] with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev 22:12

Vs.12-16 Jesus healed ten lepers.  As they started to go to the priest, as commanded, they were already healed. 

One (a Samaritan) turned back to glorify Yahweh, falling before Jesus. He realized who the priest was to whom he should present himself.  The Lord made the statement to the Samaritan: Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole (v.19) (KJV).  

Jesus could not have been talking about the physical leprosy which had already been healed.  He was talking about the spiritual leprosy (sin) of which the Samaritan was now cured.   
 

17:33  The idea of saving life and losing it returns to a point Jesus has already made – Luke 6:24

17:18 The inference is that the ten lepers were made up of one Samaritan and ten Jews. Jews and Samaritans did not normally have dealings with each other – John 4:9 – but their common need for company had brought them together. Actually they had a greater common need. They needed to be healed from sin and death. Only the gentile, it appears, appreciated that.

The Pharisees clearly believed in the manifestation of a physical kingdom. However, they were legalistic guardians of the Law and hypocrites in their application of it (Matt 15:7-9,14). They were not willing to understand, and take to heart the spiritual lessons that Jesus was offering.

The Pharisees wanted the Romans to be overthrown and the Kingdom of Israel to be re-established right away. They refused to accept Jesus' teachings about the kingdom and His place as King.

That seed of understanding and acceptance must be always be planted in the heart - within - if one is to be part of His kingdom. Nevertheless, it was about a physical kingdom, on earth, that Jesus preached (Matt 6:10; 25:34; Luke 13:28,29).

The Kingdom will be established when Jesus returns to earth (Acts 1:11; 2Tim 4:1; Rev 22:12).

17:23-24       The fact that here we read words which Jesus would use again in the Olivet Prophecy – Matt 24:23,27 – should alert us to the fact that what Jesus said on the Mount of Olives was not a new message. It was part of his ongoing preaching.

17:19-20 Notice the contrasts. The ‘Samaritan’ praises God and the Pharisees make a demand about the kingdom. They rejected the sign of the healed Samaritan.

The Kingdom of God within the Pharisees?

V.21 - this verse is translated in the NIV "...the kingdom of God is within you." with an alternate NIV translation being "...the kingdom of God is among you." The latter translation would seem more likely in light of scripture such as Matt 23:27-28 - we do have the exception such as Paul. This passage in Luke 17:21 refers to Jesus, the nucleus of the kingdom and with the powers of (defeating sin and being the door to the kingdom, healing the blind and lame, etc.) and an embodiment of Godly principles (Heb 4:15). Christ, who will rule the kingdom of God on earth when he returns, was already in their presence (Luke 10:9-11;11:20;Heb 6:4-5;Mark 1:14-15) but their hearts were not prepared accept him (Jer 17:9;Isa 53:3). Christ has to be in our hearts if we are to be allowed into his kingdom upon his return.