Comments for September 16

22 v.2 - We can't help, as we read these chapters, but notice that the kings were either good or bad. There were no 'in-betweens'. They were either, like this one, serving God and walking the ways of David, or they were evil. This is a perfect illustration of the mind of God on these things. It is a total black and white circumstance, and it based on the heart (rather than the actions) of the individual. It is surely true of us. We have the choice. We can be for God or against Him, but we cannot dither in between because there is no 'in between' state. Matt.13:28-30, Luke 11:30

22:17 Jeremiah was prophesying during the reign of Josiah Jeremiah 1:1-2 so when mention is made of burning incense to other gods here in Kings we should not be surprised to see that almost all the other occasions when the phrase is used are to be found in the prophecy of Jeremiah 1:16 7:9 19:4,13 32:29 44:3,5,8,15 48:35. The prophet was a major support to Josiah in his reforms.

23:13 Here are all the references to 'Chemosh' in Scripture Numbers 21:29 Judges 11:24 1 Kings 11:7,33 2 Kings 23:13 Jeremiah 48:7,13,46 And these are the only mentions of 'Ashtaroth' and 'Milcom' in Scripture. 1 Kings 11:5,33 2 Kings 23:13
Whilst we may think that the false Gods of the nations are always the same Scripture indicates that Israel were fickle, changing their allegiance from time to time - but rarely to following Yahweh.

23:3 - It seems that it was traditional for the king to stand by a pillar - perhaps as a security measure against attack. 1Kings 11:14

22:4 Hilkiah was Jeremiah's father see Jeremiah 1:1.

ch 23 - Josiah attempted to bring about a public reformation by getting the people to listen to the reading of the law (23:2). He reinforced this reading by removing the symbols of idolatry in the land. (23:5-22) however we realise, from the prophecy of Jeremiah that his reform had little effect on the people.

22:8 The finding of the book of the law indicates that faithful temple worship had not been kept up to this time, despite the fact that Josiah was a good king. They may well have felt it would have been better not to have found the law given the words of Huldah (:15-20). But the judgement of the prophetess confirms that the faithfulness stopped with the king. No one else seemed to follow his reforms with the right sort of enthusiasm. So the faithful collecting of the money (:7) did not indicate a faithful heart. Rather it was just an outward observance of people who were more interested in worshipping false gods.

23:13 The 'mount of corruption' was the Mount of Olives. But notice that the evil of Solomon is still present. We learn from this that the evil a man does can live on long after his death. We should, therefore, be very careful about what we do. We can never say 'it won't hurt anyone else'. The testimony of Scripture is that a man's evil influence does live on after his death.

THE BIG CLEAN UP

Wouldn't it have been quicker to list all the places and times that idol worship was not a problem for Israel? According to this list of sites and idols that Josiah desecrated, he must have gone through the kingdom with a fine tooth comb to root out all that was offensive to God. There was hardly a spot that was untouched. The people had turned away in every step of their lives, especially when it came to their religious service. Even the temple had to be thoroughly cleansed from idols and moral filth.

When we compare ourselves with the world around us we will usually find we are living a godly life. But when we, like Josiah, compare ourselves with the standard in God's word, we will find that we are not as good as we thought we were. We need to find out what God wants from us and then, like Josiah, to go through our lives with a fine tooth comb to remove all that is offensive to God: The things we watch on TV, or hear on the radio, pictures we hang on walls, magazines and books we read, sites we visit on the Internet, places we go, habits and hobbies we have. Any one of these, and more, can turn us away from God.

So let's get on with the Big Clean Up and make our lives pure for the LORD once more.

It's possible to get so engrossed in the administration of ecclesial life, that we lose sight of the wonder of God's work and the beauty of His Word.

Is this what happen to Shaphan the scribe, as recorded in 2 Kings 22 / 2 Chronicles 34?

King Josiah was on the throne, and was busy repairing the temple of God. The people had given generously, and so Josiah sent Shaphan to tell Hilkiah the high priest to count up the money, and pay for the building work. But Hilkiah had his mind on other things...

"I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD".

This was momentous! So Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan to take to the king.

But when Shaphan came to king, what was foremost in his mind?

"Your officials are doing everything that has been committed to them. They have paid out the money that was in the temple of the LORD and have entrusted it to the supervisors and workers".

He was preoccupied by the administration of the temple restoration. Almost as an afterthought, Shaphan said...

"Hilkiah the priest has given me a book."

A BOOK?!? Is that all it was - just another book? It was THE BOOK - the Book of the Law of the LORD, the commandments of God to His people. Josiah, at least, recognised the importance of this discovery, and tore his clothes in response.

Nothing further is mentioned about the temple restoration. When compared to the discovery of God's Word, the everyday things of the temple seemed less significant.

22:7 Faithfulness is such a lovely characteristic. When trust is present life is far easier. These men were manifesting the character of the God they served (Num 23:19, Deut 7:9)

23:21 We might have thought it was the work of the priest to ensure that the Law of Moses was upheld - but here we see the king taking the lead. This is a characteristic of Josiah at this time (2Kin 22:12, 23:4)

23:14 Every monument of idolatry in his dominion, Josiah destroyed, and the places where they stood he defiled by strewing them with dead men's bones. The presence of a dead carcass rendered both persons and places unclean in the eyes both of the Israelites and the heathen.

Manasseh reigned for 55 years, and his son Amon for 2.  Then came Josiah, a child of 8 years old, who reigned for 31 years.  The land again turned back to God, and today's chapters are almost equal to the good and godly days of yester-year. But Judah had gone too far, and God's anger was not to be turned away (2Kin 23:26-27).

22:2 Josiah was outstanding in purging the land of elements that offended Yahweh.  However, this was not enough to assuage the anger of Yahweh (23:26). 

22:13 Upon finding the Book of the Law, Josiah enquired of Yahweh.  Praying to Yahweh for guidance is a correct and essential act for anyone having a relationship with Him (Prov 3:5,6).  Unfortunately, it seems that Josiah did not do this before he went out and challenged Pharaoh-necho (23:29; 2Chron 35:20-24).  This cost him his life. 

The lesson for us is to always take it to Yahweh before acting on anything.  If we do not, then we are on our own and subject to the consequences of that omission.

22:1 Josiah, at eight years old, was only as good as the instruction he received from his advisers (Shaphan and Hilkiah probably played important roles).  It reminds us of the scripture: Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Prov 22:6). 

So what happened to Josiah's children?  It seems they did not receive the requisite training.  Being busy doing Yahweh's work does not mean that children will learn by osmosis.  They must be actively taught. 

22:12  Josiah had been brought up by the faithful priest Hilkiah – but now he ‘commanded Hilkiah’ – he had come of age. He was now to take the responsibility himself for implementing the law of God. In like manner we once were babes but we cannot remain in that position. Maturity and responsibility must come and be taken.

23:24  Josiah ‘put away’ the wizards and the workers with familiar spirits. However Saul had done that at the beginning of the kingdom – 1Sam 28:3 – but here they are again! In resisting sin it is important that one does not feel that once a temptation has been resisted once that all will be well. If we can be tempted once with a particular thing then it is certain that the same temptation can and will come upon us over and over again.

23:25 Heart soul and might catches the exhortation that Moses gave the people just before entering the land of Canaan in Deut 6:6.

23:25,26 Yahweh is a forgiving God whose mercy endures for ever (Psa 106:1).  However, His patience can be exhausted to the point that His mercy is withdrawn.  Josiah did a commendable house-cleaning job, but Yahweh's anger was not appeased (2Kin 23:26). 

Once His mind is made up on a matter, He will not relent, as in the case of Jerusalem and Judah (Jer 4:28; Eze 24:14).  

We should be mindful not to provoke Yahweh with our inappropriate behaviour, lest we reach that point with Him.

23:16 The unknown prophet's account is found in 1Kin 13:2.

23:23-24  Josiah worked towards keeping the Passover however this was not sufficient. He also cleared the land of false worship also. Truth and right worship is not complete unless error and compromise is removed at the same time.

22:20 Yahweh told Josiah: you shall be gathered to your grave in peace (ESV).  How does that statement mesh with the fact that Josiah was killed by Pharaoh-necho?

Let us look at the sequence of events.  Judah was at peace with Assyria in the time of Josiah.  Pharaoh-necho moved against Assyria and had to pass by Judah to do so. 

Perhaps Josiah thought that he ought to challenge Pharaoh-necho, before he reached the Assyrians, in an attempt to protect Judah’s ally and preserve the peace.

Scripture does not tell us that Josiah consulted Yahweh on this matter, and it appears that Josiah acted independently of divine guidance.

Josiah intercepted Pharaoh-necho, but the Egyptian king killed Josiah in Megiddo (23:29).  

Actually, Josiah was mortally wounded in Megiddo but he did not die there.  Josiah’s servants brought their king back to Jerusalem, and he died there.  Josiah was then buried with the kings of Judah (2Chron 35:24).  Perhaps then Josiah’s dying in Jerusalem and being buried in the sepulchre of his fathers constituted being gathered to the grave in peace.

23:15 Jeroboam made two graven images, one he placed in Bethel and the other one in Dan (1Kin 12:29).  Josiah destroyed the one in Bethel because it lay in the territory of Benjamin, on the border with Israel.  Although Jeroboam used Bethel for the convenience of the Northern Kingdom, the town actually belonged to the Southern Kingdom (Judah and Benjamin).

Josiah did not destroy Jeroboam’s other idol in Dan, because Dan was in Israel.

23:30 As we have seen from the 2Chron 35:24 account Josiah did not die in Meggido.  It is always advisable to consult parallel accounts to discern the complete truth of an event.

22:18-20 The judgement inevitably would come but God, in His mercy, will spare the young king Josiah because of his youth and faithfulness.

2Kin 22:1 - "Josiah" [(2977) means "founded of Jah" or "whom Jah heals"] perhaps echoes Christ in that he was descended from the "beloved" (both David and his mother) and also the sinful Manasseh, he did that which was right, he was prophesied (340 years before his birth 1Kin 13:2), silver was paid for a restoration of the temple, slain in his 30's before disaster came upon Jerusalem and his death was a blessing (2Kin 22:20); "Jedediah" [(3040) means "beloved"] was the daughter of "Adaiah" [(5718) means "Jah has adorned" or "Jah has adorned himself"].

2Kin 22:2 - Josiah "did that which was right in the sight of the Lord...and turned not aside to the right hand or the left" - such praise was spoken of no other king including David.

2Kin 22:4 - "Hilkiah" [(2518) means "portion of Jah, my portion is Jah"] was possibly Jeremiah's father - Jeremiah and Zephaniah both prophesied during Josiah's reign (Jer 1:1;Zeph 1:1).  

2Kin 22:4-5 - payment in silver for the temple restoration perhaps echoes Christ's restoration (Matt 27:40,63;26:14-15;Zech 11:12).

2Kin 22:12 - perhaps some additional echoes of Christ: "Ahikam" [(296) means "brother of rising, my brother has risen"]; "Michaiah" [(4320) means "who (is) like Jah, who is like God"]; "Asahiah" [(6222) means "Jah has made, made by Jah"].

 2Kin 22:14 - "Tikvah" [(8616) means "hope"]; "Harhas" [(2745) means "very poor" or "shining"].

2Kin 23:2-4 - a zeal to follow the law and purify the temple.

2Kin 23:9 - leaven symbolically referred to corrupt doctrine and wickedness (Matt 16:11-12;Mark 8:15;1Cor 5:6-8); they were to leave the wickedness behind in Egypt (Exo 12:39) and abstain from leaven (Exo 12:15,19).

2Kin 23:10 - "Topheth" [(8612) means "place of fire".

2Kin 23:14,15,17,20 - fulfilled prophecy of some 350 years ago from an  unnamed prophet (1Kin 13:1-3;1Kin 12:33).

2Kin 23:21-23,26-27 - an exacting letter of the law Passover - but the people's hearts were not inwardly changed.

2Kin 23:25 - like Christ, Josiah's heart was fully devoted to the Lord.

2Kin 23:29 - the KJV incorrectly interpreted "...Egypt went up against the king of Assyria..."; historians used to be perplexed why Josiah would fight against Egypt, an enemy of Assyria, and also an enemy of Judah but this confusion was resolved in 1923 by C.J.Gadd in 1923 who published the "Babylonian Chronicle" which notes Egypt went to the aid of Assyria as Babylon at that time (an opponent of Assyria) was more feared* - the NIV correctly renders V.29 "...Egypt went up to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria..."; V.29 Josiah was slain by Egypt (a land symbolic of bondage to sin and death) so perhaps we have an echo of Christ in that both deaths at the hands of sin represented a blessing (2Kin 22:20).

* paraphrased from an extract of Archaeology and the O.T. by Merrill F. Unger.

22:16-17Josiah was instructed from the book that had been brought to him which he had read.  The book was Deuteronomy and the parts quoted are shown in the table below from the curses that would come upon Israel. if they were rebellious.

brEAK ADDICTION TO SIN

When a drug addict is recovering from his addictions there are a few important steps to take. The addict needs to break his harmful routines. He needs to keep right away from the places and friends that might encourage his habit to return. He needs to have plenty of rest, appropriate stimulation, and people around him who will encourage him to overcome the cravings he will face.

As Josiah cleansed the kingdom of Judah from its idol worship, he put the same principles in place. He destroyed everything in the land that had anything to do with an idol of any sort. Even if a building could have been used for another purpose, he tore it down so there would be no return. He gave the people the stimulation and boundaries they needed for their new lives by reading the word of God in their presence. He renewed the covenant of the LORD with them, making a commitment to turn from their old ways and to follow the LORD. And Josiah made sure that the elders, priests and prophets of Judah were all with him, so that they could give support and encouragement to the people in their new way of life.

But remember, these principles are not just for "them" - for drug addicts and idol worshippers. As we wage war against the destructive habits of sin in our lives we need to do the same things. So let us destroy everything that might turn us back to sin as we break the old habits. Let's surround ourselves with people who will lead us God's way and get busy doing what is right and good.

23:5     The “idolatrous priests” were the chemarim which are spoken of in the contemporary prophet Zeph 1:4

2Kin 23:36 - the number 11 is thought by some to refer to disorder, disorganisation and disintegration.

WHOLE OF LIFE

If we are going to turn to God, we need to do it properly. Josiah was an amazing king of Judah who decided early on in his career that he would turn to God.

Many people, on deciding that they will include God in their lives, add him on as if he were a new recipe book or the membership to a golf club. But for Josiah, God was not just a tack on to an already busy lifestyle. When Josiah committed his life to God, he gave him everything. Listen to the way Josiah was described: "Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the law of Moses." (2Kin 23:25)

The way Josiah turned to the LORD is the way we should turn to the LORD ourselves. Like Josiah, we need to be totally committed to God with all our heart, soul and strength, not just to tack him on as a Sunday morning additive to our lifestyle.

So let's give God everything we have got, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, giving glory to God in everything that we do and say. Let's live for him making him our reason for living.

23:3       On realising that the nation, through ignorance of what the word of God said, had fallen short of God’s expectation Josiah publically acknowledged their sins. Then he openly said that things would change. How often do we acknowledge our shortcomings when we determine to make a resolution to do better than we have done up to now?

23:15-20 Josiah not only purged Judah but also those areas that had been under the control of the northern Kingdom. He purged the golden calf of Jeroboam in Bethel and he idols of Samaria. His zeal was not just for his kingdom but for all Israel.

23:15-16          The way that the kings record speaks of the bones of false worshippers being taken out of graves in the days of Josiah is spoken of also in the contemporary prophet – Jer 8:1-2

Josiah and Hezekiah

Josiah's words in 2Kin 22:13 are an echo of Hezekiah's words in 2Chron 29:6-10. Both kings were young when they began their reign, both reinstated the correct worship of God, both rebuilt the temple, and both held a Passover in Jerusalem. Can you find any other similarities?

23:25 The comment here about how Judah behaved in the reign of Josiah seems to be the issue addressed by the contemporary prophet – Jer 3:10

2 Kings 23

Notice in v7, what the AV translation calls "Sodomites", were integral to the worship of Baal that had replaced the worship of God. These male prostitutes were so important that they had houses by the temple. It was within a few years from this low point that God destroyed Jerusalem and the temple (see Jer 23:14). While the Hebrew word here is not the same as that for Sodom, and the AV translators have incorrectly used the term, the links to the fate of the city of Sodom are clear.

It is evident in today's society that things are generally going the same way in terms of morality. This is especially so when we reflect on the way national laws are changing and that Christian churches do not stand up to this change, when in terms of morality one would think they would be clearly best placed to do so. If there are for the first time in history since 2 Kings 23 was written, openly gay clergy, could it be that our own society is nearing its destruction too?

This chapter gives us a summary of the decline that had happened over generations so that we can spot that decline in our own communities too. The point at which Jesus returns to the earth in judgment will be when society is as those days, or "as in the days of Lot" (see Luke 17:26-30, Gen 19:4-5).

23:15  Josiah’s actions here are a fulfilment of what was prophesied to Jeroboam in 1Kin 13:3

22:8-9    The “Shaphan” here is the same man we read of in Jer 36:10-11. From the Kings record we would conclude that he was a faithful man.

23:9       The mention of “unleavened bread” probably indicates that the Passover was being kept. That the priest who had worshipped at the high places did not meet in Jerusalem possibly indicates that they were unclean by their actions and thus barred from eating the Passover in Jerusalem.

23:4   The removal of the Baal idols which Josiah effected was supported by the contemporary prophet – Zeph 1:4

23:7    The description of the way in which women adorned the high places is taken up as a criticism by the prophet – Eze 16:16

23:11 the mention of Nathan-Melech mays seem incidental. And indeed it was until March 2019 when a seal bearing this name was excavated in Old Jerusalem. The seal dates from around the time of Josiah. Whilst it is not possible to identify the owner of the seal as the person mentioned in the Bible the circumstances surrounding the find make it quite likely that it was owned by the person mentioned here. This link https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/2600-year-old-seal-discovered-in-City-of-David-585321reports on the find

22:3 By now Jeremiah had been prophesying for about 5 years. We might imagine that there was a great rapport between faithful Josiah and Jeremiah the prophet. The benefit of a faithful companion cannot be over stated. Solomon speaks of the benefits that come from two working together – Ecc 4:9-12. We should value and nurture the friendships we have with like minded faithful individuals.

22(and 2Chron 34)

Eight years into his reign (2Chron 34:3) Josiah began to seek after Yahweh. In the 12^th year of his reign (2Chron 34:3 he began to purge out idol worship. It seems that the copy of the law was found in the 18th year of his reign (2Kin 22:3,8.  It would appear at this time Josiah did not have an extensive understanding of what the books of Moses contained for on hearing it read he “rent his clothes” (:11) and was concerned to know what Yahweh thought about him and everything that was happening (2Kin 22:13).

His heart was right “from day 1” but that enthusiasm had to be driven by a correct understanding.

The encouraging thing is that Yahweh was willing to work with Josiah despite his apparent lack of understanding.  We can take comfort from the fact that God was willing to wait for Josiah’s spirituality to be informed by scripture. He doubtless is as patient with us as our understanding grows .

23:4  Manasseh had set up altars for false worship in the temple – 21:4-5– these are the items that Josiah is removing.

ALMOST INVISIBLE

"I'll put it away later." And there it sat. All day. And the next. A whole week. A month ... and then no one even noticed it any more. It became part of the furniture. It was the 'Thing' that was just there. No one questioned it, felt the need to shift it, and there it stayed. I don't know how many times that has happened in our house!

It seems like idol worship was a lot like that for Israel and Judah. Someone made an altar - and it was probably reasonably secret and discrete. Of course people got upset about it, but after a while, no one noticed that it shouldn't be there any more. When there was one, it wasn't so hard to build another, to bring them out more into the open, to build them closer to the temple. The more there were, the less they were noticed and the more normal they became. Altars to foreign gods became a way of life and the people almost forgot that they shouldn't be there.

Until Josiah purged the land from everything that rivalled the worship of the LORD. He even destroyed the high places that Solomon had built, which were almost historic places by then.

What is it in our homes of churches that rivals our hearts for the LORD? We will probably have to look with fresh eyes because most likely we have stopped noticing it. If Josiah was here, what would he purge from our lives? Do we have the courage to purge and clean like Josiah?

23:34  When we understand the meaning of the name “Jehoiakim” we see the irony of Pharaoh-necho’s renaming of Eliakim. The name means “Yah has established. In reality it was Pharaoh-Necho who has established.

It is as if Pharaoh-Necho thought that by incorporating the name of God into the king’s name it might give his actions some sort of credibility.

A name, of itself, is no indication of faithfulness to God. It is the heart that determines whether a man is “of God” or not.

v.25 - 'it shall be no more prolonged' shows us that the longsuffering of God does come to an end when the wickedness of man goes beyond redemption. Echoed in the language of Jesus in Matt.24:35, Luke 21:13,33

v.1 - 6 This enacted parable portrays the captivity. Remember Ezekiel is only able to speak when God gives him a word.12:2 ears to hear Deuteronomy 29:4 Matthew 11:15 13:9,43 Mark 4:9,23 7:16 Luke 8:8 14:35

v.16 sounds like an act of mercy but it is not, or at least not on the Jews that are spared - more, by their observation of the Jews behaviour, this is a chance for salvation for the gentiles.

12:22 In saying 'every vision faileth' we hear a note of the despair of the inhabitants of Babylon. However Micah had said (Mic 3:6) that there would come a time when there would be no vision. Maybe the Jews in Babylon were thinking of this passages of Scripture. However Ezekiel has to tell them that this time has not yet come. The situation is, however, that the false dreamers will cease.

:3,5,6 The recurring 'in their sight' marks that Israel were not left without a witness about what was going to happen - though it was too late now for any change to take place. The captivity was inevitable. However God always shows what he is going to do (Amos 3:6-7)

12:16 In speaking of a 'few' who are saved from the sword, famine and pestilence Ezekiel is speaking of those who are mentioned in Eze 5:3

V.27-28 We must be aware of the possibility of this attitude of mind existing in the days before the return of our absent king. We must always be on the defensive of both false teaching entering in our mist, and also of the feeling that the Lord will continue to delay his coming. We must be like the five wise virgins, always having oil in our lamps. 

V.2 Ezekiel was a demonstrative prophet. Yahweh had him act out lively parables to show what would occur in the near future.  This is because the people would not be convinced by mere words. 

Ezekiel first demonstrated the action of Zedekiah as he tried to escape the clutches of the Babylonians (vs.7-13; See 2Kin 25:1-7). 

Vs.17-19 Ezekiel's second demonstration showed the fear and anxiety that the people of the Land would experience under Babylonian domination. 

V.25 There was no repentance to be found in Israel during the time of Ezekiel, as a result we read in this verse that God's longsuffering was now exhausted.

Today we have Ezekiel again to act out a visual aid for the people of the captivity.  He is told to enact the scene of going into captivity, and is told what to say when they ask him about it.  Of-course, his immediate audience are the Jews already in captivity in Babylon, but the real message is obviously intended for the Jews back home in Jerusalem.

12:15  The scattering was not to destroy Israel. Rather it was to cause them to ‘know’ God. God is a God of compassion, though human thinking would not see it as such when all the evils that have come upon the Jews are considered. We must not fall into the way that the world thinks and see God as vindictive. Rather we should see Him as wishing to forgive Israel.

12:2 The accusation that the people have eyes but see not and ears but hear not echoes the words of the earlier prophet – Isa 6:9, 42:7

12:12 In speaking of ‘the prince’ (not king) Ezekiel is speaking about Zedekiah who he would later – Eze 21:25 – warn of his end. He is spoken of as ‘prince’ because he was not a direct father / son descendant of David. But was the third son of Josiah – 1Chron 3:15and was put on the throne by the king of Babylon 2Kin 24:17

12:4-6 The repeated use of ‘in their sight’ forces the point that whilst Israel would not listen to God’s words – their eyes did not ‘see’ God’s word – they could not help but see this outworking of God’s promise

V.22 The proverb that the people were saying was: The days grow long, and every vision comes to nothing (ESV).  

Jeremiah was called into prophetic service in 628 BC, and he was still in Jerusalem in 588 BC when the city was taken by the Babylonians. 

Jeremiah’s long witness, and his prophetical warnings about the destruction of Jerusalem, wore thin with the population of Jerusalem after a while.  That’s because nothing happened.  Year after year Jerusalem still stood, and the population believed that it would always stand.  But, of course, Jerusalem did fall as promised, 40 years after Jeremiah started prophesying.

The same situation occurred with Noah.  He was preaching for 120 years that the earth (life on earth) would be destroyed by a flood.  And that warning was given in a time when rain had never been seen. The sceptics would have had a heyday.  Nothing happened for a long time, but the words of Noah did come to pass.

Jesus was met with the same initial disbelief when He told His disciples that the temple would be destroyed (Mark 13:1,2).  This temple had been under construction for 46 years, and it still was not completed (John 2:20).  It would be difficult to think that this magnificent structure would fall.  But fall it did, about 70 years after Jesus’ prediction.

Today, we have the same scepticism surrounding the return of Jesus to the earth.  The mantra of the scoffers in the last days is: Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation (2Pet 3:4) (ESV).

Let us remain confident in the promises of God.  And, let us be bold to peach and warn just as the faithful prophets of old did.  We might be considered strange, and we might even incur hostility.  But, if we witness we will be recipients of the pleasure of Our Heavenly Father (Matt 10:32; Luke 12:32).

In this chapter there is highlighted a problem in our human nature regarding our in-ability to take instruction. When we hear a challenging exhortation or rebuke, we want to apply it to others rather than ourselves. This is natural and so we have to watch for it. Israel had been saying "this applies to another generation, not us" (v27) even though Ezekiel's and Jeremiah's prophecies couldn't have been more clearly about them. So when we hear a talk or read a passage of the Bible, who do we apply the message to? Is it someone else: our partner, our children or maybe a neighbour; or ourselves? Jesus highlighted this problem too (Matt 7:3-5, 23:29-31)

12:3-6 The repeated use of ‘in thy sight’ contrasts with Israel’s view that God did not see what they were doing. – Eze 8:12, 9:9

12:27  Ezekiel had been seeing a vision from chapter Eze 8, - 11:24 and now as he is warned that those sitting before him will disregard what he has to say to them on the basis that the vision will not be fulfilled in their days.

12:13   Zedekiah was in fact taken to Babylon and he did not see it because he was blinded – Jer 52:11.

12:9   Ezekiel’s parables were designed to stimulate the minds of his audience. So they asked what the parable meant. In like manner Jesus sought to involve his audiences into his parables. It is only through involvement in the word of God can we hope to associate and identify with God’s instruction to us.

1. Eze 12:1-13 - Ezekiel enacts the 587/586 BC captivity of Zedekiah in sign (2Chron 36:11-21;Jer 25:8-11;32:1-5;39:1-18):

2. Eze 12:6 - a sign unto all the house of Israel.

3. Eze 12:8-11 - God's explanation.

4. Eze 12:10 - the prince is Zedekiah and his captivity would be 5 years later.

5. Eze 12:6,12 - "twilight"<5939>; the parable or message in sign foretold Zedekiah would go into exile in the dark of twilight (2Kin 25:4).

6. Eze 12:5,7,12 - Zedekiah's temporary escape would be by a breach in the wall of Jerusalem (2Kin 25:4).

7. Eze 12:12 - covering Zedekiah's face that he see not the ground suggests his being blinded upon capture and after seeing Neduchadnezzar (2Kin 25:5-7).

8. Eze 12:11,13 - Zedekiah after having his eyes put out at Riblah is taken to Babylon.

9. Eze 12:6-7 - Zedekiah carried the exiles burden upon his shoulder in contrast to Christ who bears our iniquities and will carry the government of David's kingdom upon his shoulder (Isa 53:4,11;Matt 11:30;Psa 91:3;Isa 9:6;22:22;Rev 3:7).

10. Eze 12:14-16 - the saving of a remnant.

11. Eze 12:17-20 - famine and desolation of Jerusalem's seige conditions emnacted by Ezekiel (2Kin 25:1-3):

12. Eze 12:19 - "carefulness"<1674>; "astonishment"<8078>.

13. Eze 12:21-28 - the attitude of the Jews; God's vision is certain and would be very soon:

14. Eze 12:22 - perhaps this refers to true prophets speaking the word of God not being taken seriously by the people.

15. Eze 12:24 - the false prophets would be silenced.

16. Eze 12:27-28 - God is longsuffering (2Pet 3:4,9); the wicked in the house of Israel incorrectly felt Ezekiel's vision was applicable to the distant as opposed to near future.

12:27-28          Whilst the Lord is longsuffering  - Exo 34:6 – there comes a end to His willingness to wait for repentance. So the judgment was not going to be delayed any more. The people to whom Ezekiel was speaking took God’s longsuffering as a licence to continue to do evil. 

12:10   Status brought responsibility. So it was primarily the princes to whom Ezekiel showed that they would be taken into captivity. Maybe they thought that as some had already been taken into captivity that the remainder would remain in the city of Jerusalem.

12:6   Covering the face is a sign of shame – Psa 44:14, 69:7

Eze 12:2

“Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.”

“The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it” – George Orwell

Five times in this chapter we read that Ezekiel’s message was the word of the LORD (vv. 1,8,17,21,26), and four times, "thus saith the Lord GOD (vv. 10,19,23,28. In Eze 6, he mentions idols five times (vv. 4,5,6,9,13). Israel was guilty of gross idolatry. Steeped in idolatry, they had not grasped the seriousness of Ezekiel’s warnings coming directly from Yahweh!

Ezekiel was commanded to perform some really bizarre acts meant as visible signs to the idolatrous Israelites (Eze 12:6,11). The Israelites rejected all the signs and the prophecies of the impending destruction of Judah and Jerusalem. The prophets Isaiah (Isa 6:9-13) and Jeremiah (Jer 5 note v. 21) also echoed Ezekiel’s cry.

Their not seeing was because of their perversity. Idolatry blinded them, not incapacity. They were willfully blind because their hearts dwelt in the corrupt and doomed Jerusalem. They were willfully disobedient and in direct opposition to God’s revealed word, because they did not like what they heard, refused to believe it, and rejected it. In clear violation of obeying God, they reaped the consequences and judgment fell on Jerusalem.

Today, we too are given the signs that the end of this Age is near, but many cannot believe it, as each generation believed Christ would return in their lifetime and he did not. Cannot believing it will happen in our lifetime is more about not wanting to believe it. We may say that we have certain “mental reservations,” but the problem is not in the mind, but in the will.

Can others tell by our lifestyle that we really believe Christ is coming again soon to judge the world in righteousness (cf. 2Pet 3:10-14)? We all can learn from Ezekiel's devout obedience to God no matter what was asked of him. God has in each generation always preserved a remnant willing to listen and obey Him with the fervency and obedience of the prophet Ezekiel.

12:16  The mention of Sword, famine and Pestilence echoes the earlier warnings of Jeremiah when these same people were in Jerusalem. Here are some of them Jer 14:12, 27:8

12:3   “It may be“– God is still, after so many rebellions to hope that His word might have an effect for Good on Israel! Such is His compassion towards His people. Of course that includes those of us who have been baptised into Christ also.

12:19 The warning that the land would be desolate because of the evil behaviour of the people is woven into the similitude – 19:7 – that the prophet later gives.

12:2 in saying that the people had “eyes to see but see not” is quite an indictment. They had the ability to know what was true but chose not to look at the evidence. They were “willingly ignorant”. This is the challenge that we face. We can know what we need to know from our reading of the bible but we may choose not to listen to the things it says to us when we do not like the message. 

12:2  A rebellious mind will not be instructed. The Jews of Ezekiel’s day could see what God had done to them in taking them into captivity and could hear the words of God either from the mouth of the prophet or from the reading of their Law and the prophets. However what they saw and heard did not fit in with their own views and so was simply dismissed.

Do we listen to God’s word and see the things He has done and still disregard His instructions?

12:13  We are 5 years roughly from the final overthrow of Jerusalem and the taking captive of Zedekiah )see 8:1) so in vision Ezekiel prophesies very accurately of the taking of Zedekiah by the Chaldeans.

12:27 they of the house of Israel say, 'The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off'.

They were wrong. The vision of Jerusalem's overthrow (effectively Jewry's overthrow), which was so amply and undeniably illustrated to them by Ezekiel (notice the repetition of 'in their sight' vv 3 twice, 4 twice, 5, 6, 7), was fulfilled about 5 years later.

We often ignore a clear warning, not by denying it, but by denying its immediacy. So we return to our unchanged existence and effectively discard the warning as though it never occurred. 

The antidote to this complacent attitude: Treat Jesus' return as if it is going to happen within the next 5 years (not 5 months - that breeds panic; not 5 decades - that breeds complacency or despondency).

What would we do differently today if we believed that Jesus is to return within the next 5 years? We would  temper or discard empty pursuits; we would bring urgency to our family Bible readings; we would temper all of our strivings (yes, be educated, but take it over a longer time so that God's word is not neglected); we would give greater attention to prayer; and so on. In short, we would prioritise our time.

12:3-4  So during the hours of daylight those who could see what Ezekiel was doing would recognise that he was behaving as one who was going to go into captivity. It may have seemed strange to those who watched Ezekiel as they were already in captivity. However Ezekiel was, by his actions, demonstrating what was going to happen to those who were still in Jerusalem.

THE DAY WILL COME

The same sort of saying is heard again today. We have been waiting for the return of Jesus. One of the signs that shows us that Jesus is coming soon has been the return of the Jews to the land of Israel. Another sign is that Jerusalem is now the capital of Israel. 1948 and 1967 were significant dates as far as those events were concerned.

But here we are in 2024 and still waiting. It has now been 76 and 57 years since those signs were fulfilled. It seems like a long time. It's no wonder people - even believers - are starting to repeat the words of the Jews about God's prophecies of long ago. They had a saying that went, "The days grow long, and every vision comes to nothing" (Eze 12:22).

We might not hear exactly the same words, but we still hear doubts about Christ returning, ignited by the fact that we have waited so long. But when the Jews started to complain about God’s timing and to express their doubt, God replied, saying, "I will put an end to this proverb, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.’ But say to them, The days are near, and the fulfilment of every vision ... It will no longer be delayed, but in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it, declares the Lord God." (v.23,25).

Don't lose faith. Jesus will return. Be ready.

v.2 - Of all the many people Jesus healed, Mary Magdalene is the only one that I can think of that we know followed Jesus consistently afterwards, right to his death on the cross.

v.8 - 15 The parable of the sower
8:8 hundredfold Genesis 26:12
8:10 that seeing ... not understand Isaiah 6:9
8:11 word of God Isaiah 40:8 etc
8:12 hearts ... saved Isaiah 6:10
8:13 these have no root Isaiah 40:24
8:13 in time of temptation Isaiah 40:24
8:14 that which fell among thorns Jeremiah 12:13

v.37 - 39 Jesus made a special journey across the Sea of Galilee o heal the man possessed whose name was 'legion'. As a consequence the man was left in isolation with a hostile people. Jesus left the area because the people of the area v.37 'sought him to depart'. The man wanted to go with Jesus but was prevented by the words of Jesus - v.39.
A 'bitter / sweet' experience. He was healed but left in a different sort of isolation from that which he was in when he was 'in the tombs'.
This is a parable of ourselves. In Adam we are 'in the tombs' In Christ we are 'made whole' but those of the country still want nothing to do with us, or our saviour, but as yet we cannot 'depart' with him but have to continue showing 'how great things God has done' for us. Reflect on the loneliness of that man.

:51 In not allowing anyone to enter the room where the dead child was Jesus' behaviour is like that (2 Kings 4:33) of Elisha.

:1 The twelve were with Jesus watching him and listening to his teaching methods so that when they were sent out two by two they would know how to perform the responsibility they were given.

We use the words "believe" and "faith" a lot. It's inevitable, because these words came into common usage throughout the world at the preaching of the apostles. But maybe we don't realise they weren't always common.

Jesus had not mentioned salvation by faith (or belief) at all up to this chapter. All of a sudden he introduces it at the end of ch.7, to the woman who wanted so desperately to obtain his mercy: "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace". With the actions of this woman, the floodgates are opened to the poor and needy sinners. All of a sudden, they hear of someone who has hit upon another way to be saved, rather than being perfect by keeping the law! How eagerly this tale was told, and received in the ears of sinners. The utter sinfulness of the woman had driven her to such anguish and hopelessness that she had come to Jesus, desperately seeking for some other way than the law!

From now on Jesus preaches salvation by faith, but he does it secretly. Only those who are sinners like the woman will understand the true message (v10, 18). In v12 he lets out the secret to his disciples that only those who believed would be saved. It is not recorded that he had told them that before, and in fact, they didn't really hear it until he had risen from the dead.

8:42-43 Could it be that the woman with the issue of blood 12 years was actually the mother of the child who was sick? The issue of blood being a consequence of the childbirth.

V.10 By no means has this mystery been revealed to all. That it was made known to us was pure grace. Hence, all the more we should, with gratitude to our Heaven Father, share what we have freely received. "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel"  1Cor 9:16

V.3 Joanna was one of the women who supported Jesus by her own means.  Her means would have come through her husband Chuza.  Chuza was the manager of Herod Antipas' household.  And so, money from Herod indirectly supported Jesus.  How ironic this is, as it was Herod who killed John and threatened to kill Jesus (Luke 9:9; 13:31).  Jesus finally met his benefactor during His trial (Luke 23:6-12).

8:56  One wonders whether Jairus and his wife did keep quiet. However even if they did the news of the raising of their daughter to life would have caused a great stir in Capernaum – where Jesus did much of his preaching.

V.39 Jesus has been told by the people to leave.(V37) However, we see here that he did leave the Gadarenes without one to publish the good news of the Kingdom of God. He left them one of their own people, the very one who he just healed. We see that the man went about the whole city telling all the things that Jesus had done unto him. He must have been successful in getting the people to listen, for we read in the next verse, that the people were waiting for Jesus when he returned and gladly received him.

8:20 Whilst the record says that Jesus’ mother and brethren wanted to ‘see him’ Jesus’ response, therefore, seems rather harsh. However there was another occasion – Mark 3:21 - when his friends came to see him in the hope that they could deter him from his work and take him home. On another occasion – John 7:5– we learn that his brethren did not believe in the work he was doing. So we may conclude that on this occasion their desire to see him was to deter him from his work.

8:21 The great importance which Jesus attached to listening to the Word of God is clear from this verse. Even more, the necessity of putting into practice what is heard.

8:13   Those who had ‘no root’ are likened to the idol worshippers of Isa 40:8

FAITH CASTS OUT FEAR

Have you ever been afraid? Maybe you have been hauled into the managers office after having done something wrong at work. Perhaps we have been afraid of some bully who was going to harm us in some way. Or maybe our fear has been that of something nasty happening to ourselves or to a loved one.

Jesus wants us to know that faith needs to overcome our fear. He doesn't want us to be afraid, instead he wants us to have faith in God. Luke records four examples in quick succession that help us overcome our fear and replace it with faith.

The first example was when the disciples were out on the water with Jesus and a great storm blew up. Jesus was asleep. Finally they woke him up in fear, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown." (Luke 8:24) Jesus woke, calmed the storm and asked his disciples, "Where is your faith?" (v.25)

The second example was that scary man Legion who was tamed by Jesus. When the locals heard how Jesus had healed Legion, they were overcome with fear. (v.37) But once they accepted Legion's word, their fear turned to faith.

The third example was the woman who touched Jesus. She was afraid to own up to what she had done, but when she did, Jesus put her fears to rest, saying, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace." (v.48)

And finally, when the daughter of Jairus died, Jesus reassured Jairus' fear, saying, "Don't be afraid; just believe and she will be healed." (v.50)

Let's not let our fears overcome us, but allow our faith to be built up by the Son of God.

8:18 It is not just a matter of listening to what God says in His word. The way in which we listen is important also. Isaiah describes this way of listening as trembling at the word – Isa 66:2

V.2 The name Mary (Gr. Maria) is equivalent to the Hebrew name Miriam which means bitter or rebellious. Mary is mentioned seven times in the New Testament.  Five of them were involved directly with Jesus, and two were involved with the early ecclesia. 

 Those involved with Jesus were:

-His mother

-Mary Magdalene (v.2).

-Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus (John 11:1).

-Mary, the mother of James (Mark 15:40).

-Mary, the wife of Cleopas (John 19:25).
 
Those involved with the ecclesia were:

-Mary, the mother of John Mark (Acts 12:12).

-Mary from Rome (Rom 16:6).

V.41 Jairus came to Jesus pleading for Him to accompany him home to help his dying daughter. Jesus agreed but was interrupted by the woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. Jesus healed the woman (v.48).

However, during the delay in healing the woman, Jairus' daughter had died. Imagine the grief of Jairus. He might have thought: If only Jesus had attended to my daughter right away she would have been saved.

Subsequently, we know that the Lord brought the little girl back from the dead (vs.54,55). Jesus showed that He possessed the power of His Father (John 3:34).

The lesson for Jairus, and the onlookers, was in the parallel experiences of the healed woman and Jairus' daughter. Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, who represented the Law, would have banned the woman from attending worship because she was unclean.

The woman had been spiritually dead for twelve years.  Jairus' daughter of twelve years was now physically dead. The Lord Jesus, who fulfilled the Law, was able to make the woman physically and spiritually clean; and was able to resuscitate Jairus' daughter. Jesus gives life where the Law cannot (John 14:6).

8:35 ‘clothed and in his right mind’ likens the healing of the man to the reconciliation of Israel to God. Clothed echoes Gen 3:21and ‘right mind’ contrasts Israel when they were astray from God – Deut 28:34

When you see a sentence like "it came to pass afterward" at the start of a chapter; don't just read on. Even if you're reading in a group, or even from the pulpit, use the courage of your convictions and skip back a few verses. Because the Bible is telling you that what follows makes no sense without the preceding.

So in this case, Jesus had just introduced the idea of forgiveness of sins by faith! What a radical message to the Jews! So we can ask ourselves, is this the message he took throughout the Jewish nation in v1? And do we have an indication of who the woman was in v2-3?

8:22-40       It would appear that the only reason why Jesus went ‘the other side of the lake’ was to heal the possessed man for that is all that is recorded as happening on the other side of the lake. Jesus came for one reason – to save God’s people from their own madness. This is encapsulated in the healing of the demoniac. The episode on the sea when the disciples were afraid shows that no man was able to bring that salvation. It required God’s intervention.

8:53 We can conclude that the servants were among those who laughed Jesus to scorn as it was they – Luke 8:49-50 – that told Jesus that he need not come as the child was dead. They did not believe that Jesus could raise the dead.

Luke 8:18 -

8:11-15          Notice how often Jesus speaks of the reaction to the “word”. Clearly he is speaking of the Bible message. However else we understand this parable we should appreciate that Jesus’ priority is the Scriptures. Is that so in our own lives?

TESTING FAITH

The disciples had been with Jesus for quite some time. They had heard and learnt all his teachings. They had begun to understand his parables. They had seen his example of a faith filled life first hand. They had travelled with him, slept rough, seen the dead raised, the sick healed, and had heard God's promise of salvation reinforced over and over again.

They were probably a lot like us. We might have read the gospels through and through; we may have been to Sunday School, met with other believers on a weekly basis, attended Bible classes and other special courses or activities. Like the disciples, we may think we are developing a faith filled life.

But it is only when our faith comes under trial that we really know whether it has been developed or not. The testing of the faith of the disciples came in a boat on a stormy sea. They thought they were going to drown, and as they woke Jesus, who was sleeping through the storm, he asked them, "Where is your faith?" (Luke 8:25)

When storms blow through our lives, how strong is our faith? Are we putting into practice what we have learnt from Jesus up until now? Our faith will be shown in the testing of real life, not the answers we give at Bible classes. Let's learn from the theory, and put it into practice.

8:54    In saying that Jesus “took her by the hand” – quoting Isa 51:18 – we are being informed that Jesus’ actions were not simply the actions of a caring individual. The focus is on the fact that Jesus was the “son” who was able to deliver, unlike the leaders of the nation who fell short of God’s expectations. 

8:4 Whilst Jesus travelled around the land of Israel, but in particular the Galilee, people flocked to see him. We should remember than those who flocked to see him were not all local to where he was.

8:24  Jesus being woken out of sleep to still the storm seems to echo the call of the Psalmist – Psa 44:23 –

8:41      If Jairus had been amongst the rulers that came to Jesus – Luke 7:4 – to make request for the centurion’s servant then he had already seen Jesus’ healing powers.

8:18  the teaching that we see in this verse is seen elsewhere in Jesus’ preaching – Matt 25:29, Luke 19:26

Luke 8:13

“They on the rock, are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.”