KNOWING GOD IN HIS GLORY
Three Bad Apples
Ezekiel 19
Jerry A Collins
6/17/01
SCC
P What
makes a good person go bad?
P What is
the meaning of a lamentation?
P What is
the relationship between a lamentation and a person gone bad?
I was recently driving with my daughter, Haley, and
when I used the turning signal and for some reason it took me back to her age
when I was riding with my grandfather on some morning errand he was making. The
methodical sound of that turning signal somehow reminded me of my rides with
him throughout my childhood that were special moments for me. He is gone now
and these memories are all that I have of our relationship. For awhile I was
taking up a lamentation for my grandfather. We often lament our loved ones who
are gone by reciting our thots in honor of them.
In the Bible laments were usually funeral songs
that generally stressed the good qualities of the departed as well as the
tragedy or loss engendered by the death such as David’s lamentation over the
death of Saul and Jonathan in 2 Samuel 1:17-27. In Chapter 19 of Ezekiel, we
have a lament for the nation of Israel and her leaders. This is the first of
five laments in the book (26:17-18; 27; 28:12-19; 32:1-16).
This lament is taken up for the princes
of Israel vs 1. This is the title
given by Ezekiel for the Kings residing in Jerusalem. At the time of this
lament, Zedekiah was king. The date is 592BC, 5 yrs before the fall of
Jerusalem. So Ezekiel was taking up a funeral song even though the city’s death
was still in the future. The lament develops by tracing the fate of two of the
last three kings in Jerusalem who had preceded Zedekiah before speaking of
Zedekiah himself. However, this lament is not over just these kings but the
Davidic dynasty they represented and the death of its rule in the nation vs
14! It is the final chapter when
these last three kings of Judah are taken in captivity by foreign nations that
bring this nation and its leadership to an end.
1. LAMENT OVER THE FATE OF KING JEHOAHAZ 1-4
After Israel had divided itself into two nations,
Israel to the north and Judah to the south, the nations were ruled by a series
of kings. In Israel there were 19 kings and everyone of them were bad ones.
That nation was overrun by Assyria in 722BC and its people exiled effectively
ending the nations existence after nearly 200 yrs. The southern kingdom called
Judah had 19 kings and one queen, some good, some bad and is now nearing its
end after almost 350 yrs. Its the last three of these kings, all of them bad,
that Ezekiel laments. King Jehoahaz reigned 3 months at the age of 23. He was
made king by the people when Josiah his father died but he was a bad king. In
vs 3 we read that he learned to tear his prey, he devoured men. His
reputation motivated another king, Pharaoh Neco II of Egypt to depose him and
after doing so brot him with hooks probably in his nose attached to leashes
down to Egypt. He died there in captivity (2 Kings 23:31-34; Jer 22:11-12). The
sad thing is that Johoahaz had a godly father, Josiah, who had brought the
nation back to God and had worked to purge it of idolatry. He had reinstituted
religious reforms to have the nation conform to Gods law after generations of
negligence. Josiah had 4 sons, three of whom reigned o ver Judah but each were
bad. Jehoahaz could have continued his fathers work and followed his example
but a number of good kings who had been influenced by a good father or mentor
themselves, like Josiah, had bad sons because they did not do with their sons
what had been done for them.
Good people will not pass on their goodness to
others unless they specifically disciple them. Discipleship
is the process by which I intentionally impact the life of another in the
direction of Christlikeness. People need to be impacted by godly people thru
discipleship. In Matthew 16:6 Jesus says watch out and beware of the leaven of
the Pharisees. You just have to be around them to be impacted by their thinking
and dogma. Isaiah 1:17 says learn to do good. Good has to be learned.
Evil is like leaven. It permeates a group. You do not have to do anything to
get it. Just be there. But good has to be learned and it is thru discipleship. Christians are called
disciples more than believers in the New Testament. So you must pass on your goodness.
2. LAMENT OVER THE FATE OF KING JEHOIACHIN 5-9
After Jehoahaz and before Jehoiachin was another
king, Jehoiakim that Ezekiel does not lament here. The reason may be that this
king died in Jerusalem and was not exiled. Since the lament is about exile that
king was left out of the song. We do know that he was the eldest son of Josiah
but also failed to follow his fathers goodness and was a weak puppet king of Pharoah
Necco who could be controlled easily. His son Jehoiachin succeeded him and only
reigned for 3 mos as an evil king. His brief reign was a time of terror and
destruction vs 5-7 until he was dethroned by Nebuchadnezzar. He was taken with
hooks and possibly caged and imprisoned in Babylon. At the same time over 10000
people were exiled as well as all the treasures of the Temple and palaces in
597BC. We do know that he remained there for 37 years until he was released by
Nebuchadnezzars successor (2 Kgs 25:27-30). He remained in Babylon the rest of
his life and never returned to Judah. If believers do not disciple people
who are close to them, like their children, but any people, those people will most
likely follow bad people or the bad influences and examples of the society in
general. The rare
exception is the one who follows a past good leader or the Bible themselves. So
far we have seen two of Josiahs three sons reigning and both were bad.
3.
LAMENT OVER THE FATE OF KING ZEDEKIAH
10-14
This
is the third son of Josiah and the younger brother. He also did evil in Gods
sight for the 11 yrs he reigned in Judah. Judah is called a vine in vs 10. One
planted by waters, fruitful and strong vs 11. The nation had prospered under
Gods blessing producing many rulers fit to rule. But the contrast of the past
is acute with the present condition vs 12-14 uprooted, shriveled, consumed,
exiled and gone. ‘East Wind’ is
a contrary wind from the desert rather the Mediterranean water in the west
blowing its dust withering vegetation, destroying houses bringing distress
(Dust in Dallas). The nation shriveled under the heat of oppression and the
royal line is overthrown
producing no more kings vs 14. Not until Christ returns will a ruler again
rise in the line of David and reign as Israels king.
(1)
The people can set up kings but only God sets up leaders of His people.
Jehoahaz was chosen by the people but rejected by God.
(2)
Not even powerful kings like Pharoah Neco can interfere with what God is doing
to judge. For example, all the governments of the world will not be able to
prevent the horror of the tribulation.
(3)
If God is judging no man will be able to resist it. Jehoiachin carried oof
righjt on schedule.
(4)
Do not try to lead one way when God is working another like Zedekiah. Get as
close to Gods heart as possible!