CFBC Wed Study | 10-18-23 | Israel, Prophecy and the Middle East | Session 1

Dr. Chuck Herring | Ezekiel 36:1-15Like a well-worn baseball, the world seems to be coming apart at the seams.  I don’t need to remind you of that.  You’ve read or worse, seen the horrific images of Hamas violence against Israelis. Women were raped, babies beheaded, hostages were taken, and people were tortured. Over 1,300 were massacred.  Over 3,400 were injured and 200+ were kidnapped. 16 million Jews worldwide are mourning the worst attack since the Holocaust.The IDF is poised on the border of Gaza with the full intention of destroying the terrorist group, Hamas, while at the same time giving innocent Palestinians a chance to get out of harm’s way.  America has sent aircraft carriers and even troops to make sure that other nations do not get involved.  As a result, Iran has unleashed wicked threats against both Israel and America.  Hezbollah in Lebanon is firing rockets into northern Israel, and they are threatening to open a northern front in this expanding war.  It seems that the entire Middle East is a tinder box that is ready to explode at any moment.  What are the prophetic implications of all of this?  Open your Bible to Ezekiel.  This is one of those books in the Bible that attracts you with its vivid imagery, symbolism, parables, allegories, and apocalyptic visions.  However, when you actually start to read it, you suddenly realize that it’s hard to understand.  Before we jump into our study, I want to read Psalm 83.  Here are a few references to Gaza in the Bible…Genesis 10:19… The territory of the Canaanite extended from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; as you go toward Sodom and Gomorrah and Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. Judges 1:18–19… And Judah took Gaza with its territory and Ashkelon with its territory and Ekron with its territory. 19 Now the Lord was with Judah, and they took possession of the hill country; but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had iron chariots. Amos 1:6–7… Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions of Gaza and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they deported an entire population To deliver it up to Edom. 7 “So I will send fire upon the wall of Gaza And it will consume her citadels. Zechariah 9:5… Ashkelon will see it and be afraid. Gaza too will writhe in great pain; Also Ekron, for her expectation has been confounded. Moreover, the king will perish from Gaza, And Ashkelon will not be inhabited. Ezekiel was a priest by vocation, married, and among those exiled to Babylon. His name means “God strengthens” and he was a contemporary of Daniel.  God called him to confront the root causes of their sinful rebellion against God and their failure to listen to God’s Word and to obey it.  His Spirit-inspired book may be divided into three sections, following the prophet’s call in 1–3…(1) God’s judgment on Jerusalem, 4–24(2) God’s judgment on the surrounding nations, 25–32(3) God’s restoration of the Jews in the kingdom, 33–48.[1]Have you ever tried to skip rocks across the surface of a lake?  It hits the surface and then takes to the air again.  The process is repeated until it just runs out of steam.  That’s what we’re going to do tonight.  We’re going to skip through Ezekiel 36 touching down at significant points in the text.  We’ve already seen how the book itself breaks down.  Now, I want you to see how the chapter itself seems to breaks down …(1) The Promise to renew the land of Israel –Verses 1-15(2) The Promise to renew the people of Israel –Verses 16-38Okay, with this in mind, let’s dive into the first section which deals with the renewal of the land of Israel.Ezekiel 36:1–7… “And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. 2 ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Because the enemy has spoken against you, ‘Aha!’ and, ‘The everlasting heights have become our possession,’ 3 therefore prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “For good reason they have made you desolate and crushed you from every side, that you would become a possession of the rest of the nations and you have been taken up in the talk and the whispering of the people.” ’ ” 4 ‘Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the forsaken cities which have become a prey and a derision to the rest of the nations which are round about, 5 therefore thus says the Lord God, “Surely in the fire of My jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and with scorn of soul, to drive it out for a prey.” 6 ‘Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, “Thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and in My wrath because you have endured the insults of the nations.’ 7 “Therefore thus says the Lord God, ‘I have sworn that surely the nations which are around you will themselves endure their insults. Just as Ezekiel was commanded to prophesy to the Mount Seir (Edom) in chapter 35, now he prophesies to “the mountains of Israel” in chapter 36.  What’s behind this contrast?God promised to punish Israel’s enemies for their sin in hounding, slandering (v. 3), plundering (vv. 4–5), rejoicing over, and practicing cruelty against Israel.[2]  Here at the outset of this prophetic portion of Scripture there is a powerful emphasis on God’s judgment of the nations that surrounded Israel, that hated them with a passion, and that sought to take their promised land.  Look carefully at verse 5…Ezekiel 36:5… therefore thus says the Lord God, “Surely in the fire of My jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and with scorn of soul, to drive it out for a prey.” (MAP) God says that this tiny sliver of land is HIS LAND.  Who did He give it to?Genesis 15:7,18… And He said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.” 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.” He gave it to Abraham and his descendants—the Jewish people.  Ezekiel 36:8–12… ‘But you, O mountains of Israel, you will put forth your branches and bear your fru...