The Faithfulness and Effect of God's Judgment

Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations.  Ezekiel 14:6 

Ezekiel 12:1–14:23  – Ezekiel: Renewing God’s Glory
Second Sunday of Eastertide – April 7, 2024 (am)    

The psalmist wrote: Psa.115:1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! 2 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” 3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. 4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. 5 They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. 6 They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. 7 They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. 8 Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them. 9 O Israel, trust in the Lord! …

This is such a vivid description of idols, not to mention of the contrast between Israel’s true and living God and the lifeless, senseless idols of the nations. Those nations should never be put in the place of having to ask: Where is their God? But look how Eze.12 opens! 12:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not, for they are a rebellious house. Israel had taken their lifeless idols into their hearts (14:3ff.) and now they had become just like them (Psa.115:8).

We’ve said that in cc.4-24 and 33, Ezekiel pronounces God’s judgment against Judah, also called Israel here; cc.25-32 are His judgments against the surrounding nations; and then cc.34-48 are God’s promises of restoration to Israel and all the nations who receive His new covenant blessing. C.12 here does start a clear subsection, though: cc.12-24 constitute the third section of Ezekiel’s messages of doom and gloom for his nation (Block 1997 162), which take up the whole of cc.4-24: doom for the city and lands (cc.4-7), for the temple (cc.8-11), now here (cc.12-24) just assorted messages of doom and gloom. The prophecies collected here (12:1-24:14) vary greatly in form, style, length, and subject (Block 1997 360) even though there are discernible themes within this section: Block lists five such themes with respect to subject, and eight more with respect to form (Block 1997 360-1).

I won’t list them all, but it helps to know we’re in a section (for the next three Sundays) that’s moving back and forth through a set of topics and writing styles that express God’s certain destruction of Jerusalem. Despite what can seem like a disconnected thought-flow, Ezekiel’s writing is neither tedious nor boring! He begins here with vivid illustrations of Judah’s captivity (c.12), then of God’s condemnation of false prophets (c.13) and of idolatrous elders (14:1-11), then finishes with His assurance of Jerusalem’s certain doom (14:12-23).

Today is the last time in this series when we’ll be able to read the whole of an extended preaching passage. Three weeks from today I plan to preach c.24 by itself, and we’ll read that whole text. But today is the final multi-chapter section that’s realistic to read in its entirety during the service. But I also believe that, having heard all of cc.1-14 read and preached, we should be in a good place to understand and appreciate Ezekiel’s writing now and each time we return to it. Let’s use the esv section headings as our four-part outline today, and just read a section at a time as we progress.

Judah’s Captivity Symbolized 12:1-28

In vv.1-16 here, we first see a sign warning (3-6) that Israel will be going off into exile. Then Ezekiel affirms (7) that he’s [done] as the Lord commanded. This sign could be a bit unclear in meaning so the Lord had him explain it to the people (8-14). Then he explained its actual significance with a few added details (15-16). Let’s re-read vv.1-2 as we begin. 1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not, for they are a rebellious house. 3 As for you, son of man, prepare for yourself an exile’s baggage, and go into exile by day in their sight. You shall go like an exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house. 4 You shall bring out your baggage by day in their sight, as baggage for exile, and you shall go out yourself at evening in their sight, as those do who must go into exile. 5 In their sight dig through the wall, and bring your baggage out through it. 6 In their sight you shall lift the baggage upon your shoulder and carry it out at dusk. You shall cover your face that you may not see the land, for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel.”

7 And I did as I was commanded. I brought out my baggage by day, as baggage for exile, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my own hands. I brought out my baggage at dusk, carrying it on my shoulder in their sight.

8 In the morning the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’ 10 Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: This oracle concerns the prince in Jerusalem, the king, and all the house of Israel who are in it.’ 11 Say, ‘I am a sign for you: as I have done, so shall it be done to them. They shall go into exile, into captivity.’ 12 And the prince who is among them shall lift his baggage upon his shoulder at dusk, and shall go out. They shall dig through the wall to bring him out through it—him, again, is the king; he will go into exile. But this also shows that Ezekiel was switching roles here. First, he was illustrating the people when he went out by day (3) with his baggage. Then he was illustrating the attacking Babylonians when he [dug] through the wall at evening and [pulled out] the baggage (4-5). He, the king, shall cover his face, that he may not see the land with his eyes, possibly pointing forward to his being blinded by the Babylonians after witnessing the execution of his sons (2Ki.25:7), but more likely meaning he won’t return to the land (Block 1997 375-6). 13 And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare. And I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, yet he shall not see it, and he shall die there. 14 And I will scatter toward every wind all who are around him, his helpers and all his troops, and I will unsheathe the sword after them. Zedekiah is finished. David’s dynasty is on hold. Now comes some explanation: 15 And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries. 16 But I will let a few of them escape from the sword, from famine and pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the nations where they go—so that they can explain why I’ve turned against My people, and may know that I am the Lord.”

Next come some images of exile we’ve seen before (4:16-7). Block titles this A Pantomime of Horror (Block 1997 380).17 And the word of the Lord came to me: 18 “Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink water with trembling and with anxiety. 19 And say to the people of the land, Thus says the Lord God concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink water in dismay. In this way her land will be stripped of all it contains, on account of the violence of all those who dwell in it. 20 And the inhabited cities shall be laid waste, and the land shall become a desolation; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” There are several different ways to hear this recurring refrain, which really does explain the key lesson God’s people need to learn—the lesson that’s being taught to them through the trauma and tribulation of exile. The simplest way to say it is that we could repeat this phrase emphasizing a different word each time, and we’ll hear a subtle difference in meaning between them. Then they will know that I am the Lord. Then they will know that I am the Lord. Then they will know that I am the Lord. Then they will know that I am the Lord. With this help, we can read-in the appropriate emphasis based on context each time this statement reappears, and rarely be wrong! Here: 20 And the inhabited cities shall be laid waste, and the land shall become a desolation; and you shall know that I am the Lord.

21 And the word of the Lord came to me: 22 “Son of man, what is this proverb that you have about the land of Israel, saying, ‘The days grow long, and every vision comes to nothing’? 23 Tell them therefore, ‘Thus says the Lord God: 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 fulfillment of every vision. 24 For there shall be no more any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. 25 For I am the Lord; I will speak the word that I will speak, and it will be performed. 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.” In short, all the great prophesies are for the distant future, but in real time each day seems long. So, no one listens to God’s word. And the door is opened wide to false prophets who say whatever they want, and seemingly without consequence. So, God is now saying: Those days are over. What I say is going to happen will happen in your days, O rebellious house (25).

26 And the word of the Lord came to me: 27 “Son of man, behold, 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.’ 28 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord God: None of my words will be delayed any longer, but the word that I speak will be performed, declares the Lord God.” And you, rebellious Israel, will see it happen!

False Prophets Condemned 13:1-23

Now we begin a section where Ezekiel addresses the false prophets—a preacher exposing other preachers (Carson 2016). This chapter divides into two parts: the deceitful visions of false prophets (1-16) then the exploitative acts of women [sorcerers] (17-23) (Block 1997 393). 1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy from their own hearts: ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’ 3 Thus says the Lord God, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! They’re making it up their messages in their own heads! God is saying to Ezekiel. We see plenty of this with popular preachers today who want to say whatever people like to hear, and cloak it in just enough Scripture, just enough gospel, for people, even many Christians, to think they’re hearing from God. 4 Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins, O Israel. This is a vivid image. It pictures Israel as in ruins, yet these false prophets don’t seek to strengthen and fortify God’s people, but rather feed themselves off the ruins, as though they can do this without consequence. 5 You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the Lord. You’ve not strengthened your weakened defenses. 6 They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘Declares the Lord,’ when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word. 7 Have you not seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination, whenever you have said, ‘Declares the Lord,’ although I have not spoken?” My friends, we should be careful of this as we give counsel to one another, presuming to speak for the Lord.

8 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, therefore behold, I am against you, declares the Lord God. 9 My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord God. 10 Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash, 11 say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out. 12 And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the coating with which you smeared it?’ 13 Therefore thus says the Lord God: I will make a stormy wind break out in my wrath, and there shall be a deluge of rain in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to make a full end. 14 And I will break down the wall that you have smeared with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you shall perish in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the Lord. What a powerful image, this! Rather than repairing the true wall of God’s Word and His covenant through the obedience they’ve promised, God’s people are building their own wall of protection, perhaps employing those four great stones—the covenant, the land, the temple, and the throne of David, things they’re confident God will never forsake regardless of how they live—and the false prophets are painting their wall white to make it look good, strong, reliable! But it won’t survive when God puts it to the test! It won’t protect them in the day of His wrath! It will surely crumble! And they’ll die with it! 15 Thus will I spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have smeared it with whitewash, and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor those who smeared it, 16 the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, declares the Lord God. God is saying: Don’t speak for Me if I’ve not spoken!

Now, here’s the second part, the women [sorcerers] (17-23). It’s laid out in the same outline as the first part of this chapter (1-16): an introduction (2-3a; 17-18a), the charges (3b-7; 18b-19), and two rounds of judgment (8-9, 10-16; 20-21, 22-23) (Block 1997 394). 17 “And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own hearts. Prophesy against them 18 and say, Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the women who sew magic bands upon all wrists, and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature, in the hunt for souls, trying to ensnare My people for personal profit—ensnare their very souls! Will you hunt down souls belonging to my people and keep your own souls alive? Now, here’s a summary statement we’ll look at this one again as we close. 19 You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, putting to death souls who should not die and keeping alive souls who should not live, by your lying to my people, who listen to lies.

20 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against your magic bands, symbols of the magic—their brand markers really—but much more than that: they appear to have been instruments of black magic (Block 1997 414) intended to gain control over whoever wears them. 20 “Therefore [God says]: … I am against your magic bands with which you hunt the souls like birds, and I will tear them from your arms, and I will let the souls whom you hunt go free, the souls like birds. 21 Your veils also I will tear off and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand as prey, and you shall know that I am the Lord. 22 Because you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not grieved him, and you have encouraged the wicked, that he should not turn from his evil way to save his life, 23 therefore you shall no more see false visions nor practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand. And you shall know that I am the Lord.”

Idolatrous Elders Condemned 14:1-11

At first glance, vv.1-3 [here] seem to establish a new setting, a new set of problems. Elders were showing up and wanting some counsel [from Ezekiel]. Yet when we read through… to the end in vv.9-11, we discover that we’re still facing the same sort of issue: the issue of genuine prophets, false prophecy, and the like (Carson 2016). Even so, notice how similar the progression here is to that in cc.8-11 (Bock 1997 422), strikingly similar. 1 Then certain of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. 2 And the word of the Lord came to me: 3 “Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces, an intentionally fixed “state of mind” (Block 1997 425). Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them? 4 Therefore speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Any one of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart and sets the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him as he comes with the multitude of his idols, I’ll answer him myself 5 that I may lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel, who are all estranged from me through their idols.

6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations. We’ll come back to this as well. 7 For any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel, who separates himself from me, taking his idols into his heart and putting the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to a prophet to consult me through him, I the Lord will answer him myself. 8 And I will set my face against that man; I will make him a sign and a byword and cut him off from the midst of my people, and you shall know that I am the Lord. 9 And if the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. God is saying: I’ll put those lying words in the mouth of any prophet who’s consulted by idolaters, and then I’ll also hold him/her accountable for their words! This isn’t just the judgment of a sovereign God, it’s a massive demonstration of the parameters of His sovereignty! Some struggle with hearing that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Exo.4:21). And it’s surely a challenge for us to know how that works. But God Himself tells us through Ezekiel. A God Who is perfectly good will surely get to the place where He locks rebellious people into their rebellion, lying people into their lying, and then holds them accountable for it. Put most simply, it’s called judgment. 10 And they shall bear their punishment—the punishment of the prophet and the punishment of the inquirer shall be alike, both sides of this unrighteous enquiry—11 that the house of Israel may no more go astray from me, nor defile themselves anymore with all their transgressions, but that they may be my people and I may be their God, declares the Lord God.”

Jerusalem Will Not Be Pared 14:12-23

With the [familiar] formula at the end of v.11 Ezekiel’s debate with counterfeit prophecy ceases, and a new subject comes to the fore: the inevitability and totality of [God’s] judgment of Jerusalem (Block 1997 437). And really, this section continues on through c.15. But we’ll save that text for next week and use it as our transition into cc.16-19, and really cc.16-23. Here, though, Ezekiel lays out judgment scenarios that combine to achieve and confirm the full destruction of Jerusalem: famine (12-14), wild beasts (15-16), sword (17-18), and pestilence (disease, 19-20). And not even the most righteous people they can imagine can save them from it. By setting forth these four hypothetical test cases, the prophet has created a powerful if hyperbolic form to communicate that salvation may not be achieved by proxy (Block 1997 449-50).12 And the word of the Lord came to me: 13 “Son of man, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it and break its supply of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast, 14 even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord God. This is particularly interesting given that Noah was used to deliver at least his family back in his own evil day; but not so here in this day.

15 “If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they ravage it, and it be made desolate, so that no one may pass through because of the beasts, 16 even if these three men were in it, as I live, declares the Lord God, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the land would be desolate.

17 “Or if I bring a sword upon that land and say, Let a sword pass through the land, and I cut off from it man and beast, 18 though these three men were in it, as I live, declares the Lord God, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they alone would be delivered.

19 “Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out my wrath upon it with blood, to cut off from it man and beast, 20 even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, declares the Lord God, they would deliver neither son nor daughter. They would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness.

Those were the hypotheticals. Now comes the reality. 21 “For thus says the Lord God: How much more when I send upon Jerusalem my four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast! 22 But behold, some survivors will be left in it, sons and daughters who will be brought out; behold, when they come out to you, and you see their ways and their deeds, you will be consoled for the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, for all that I have brought upon it. 23 They will console you, when you see their ways and their deeds, and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, declares the Lord God.” These folk will be a negative example, not a positive; their lifestyle will prove God right! [His] judgment of Jerusalem is neither capricious nor arbitrary; it is more than deserved, and it is administered in precise fulfillment of the warnings issued long ago as He established His law (Block 1997 441).

Conclusion

So, what do we learn from all this? Three Selected Lessons to Remember Today:

1. It’s easier for us to be deceived than we might believe. We like to think we’re strong and firmly rooted in God’s truth. And generally speaking, I believe we in this body are just that. But it’s also amazing what we’ll consider doing in seasons of struggle, the ways of the world we’re willing to embrace.

Applying this text, Dan Block wrote that the people of God are most vulnerable to occult influences in times of crisis. Unless one is vigilant in his or her walk with God, difficult experiences may leave one doubting God’s presence and power, and open to the sinister powers of darkness (Block 1997 418).

At such times it likely won’t feel like darkness; it’ll feel more like common wisdom, what makes sense to do in circumstances like these. But just remember, Israel didn’t go into the land thinking they’d embrace the idols of the Canaanites. But after living there for a while, as the right circumstances arose, it just made sense; it seemed like the best thing to do. And God didn’t strike them dead immediately, so they just continued on until they got to where they were in Ezekiel’s day.

Just last Sunday we were talking about the vulnerability of Jesus’ disciples at crunch time, especially Peter. One of the worst things we can begin to believe about ourselves is that we’re invulnerable to such things as have ensnared God’s people for millennia, even denying Jesus under duress like Peter did, or the sort of idolatrous displacement of God like the elders of Israel, both those in Jerusalem and those in Babylon.

Another bad thing we can believe about ourselves is that if we’re sincere in our beliefs we’ll never fall prey to the enemy’s schemes. It was D. A. Carson who said: Some think… that if you’re sincere God won’t allow you to be deceived. That’s rubbish. Most of the NT is written to ‘un-deceive’ sincere people (Carson 2016). Let’s remember that!

2. It requires more for us to become righteous than we might imagine. In short, our own righteousness just won’t do. You heard it, 14:20 even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in [the land], as I live, declares the Lord God, they would deliver neither son nor daughter. They would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness. First, I love that Ezekiel put a contemporary young man (roughly his own age) in among these great historical heroes of righteous living (who weren’t even Israelites!). But even so, their righteousness couldn’t be credited to others, even their own families! We could spend a long time unpacking the rich meaning this statement would’ve had in Ezekiel’s day—like the fact that the righteousness of these three men wouldn’t inherit eternal life; it would only deliver them from this judgment—but this morning we need to take this directly to Jesus. In short, if we ask: What separates us from the spiritual state of God’s people during the days of the Babylonian captivity? The only answer is: The new heart that’s granted to us by faith in the only One Whose righteousness both pleases God and can be credited to others—the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. It required the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of the eternal Son of God for any of us to be declared righteous before God. And all who come to Him by faith will receive that righteous standing.

3. Repentance has always been the solution to our idolatry and rebellion. Even though God had made it clear to Ezekiel that it was game over for Israel (7:1-4) and His judgment was indeed going to fall, soon, the formula for their return was still included at the Lord’s direct charge. 6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations. This is surely an amazing statement to read at this point, but we as readers should surely ask: Why is it here? I appreciate Dan Block’s acknowledgement that, on the one hand, this call for repentance holds out no hope that Jerusalem can be saved. On the other hand, it does reflect [God’s] deepest desire: the willing obedience of his people (cf. v.11), and in so doing it opens the door just a crack to a new future for the immediate audience (Block 1997 428) and, we might add, for our audience today. It’s only possible that this condition can be met once the new covenant arrives, that glorious good news that peaked through at the end of c.11 but won’t be fully addressed until c.36.

This is our only hope today of escaping the very same distractions and detours and outright rebellious, idolatrous disobedience that characterized God’s people in Ezekiel’s day. But let’s not live in fear of that course; let’s rather live rejoicing that He has provided a way for us to hear and heed the call of Eze.14:6 … Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations. And let’s now celebrate that at the Lord’s Table.

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Resources

Block, Daniel I. 1997. New International Commentary on the Old Testament. The Book of Ezekiel, two vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

         . 2021. Recording Series: Ezekiel, online recordings and notes. Wheaton: College Church.

Bullock, C. Hassell. 2007. An Introduction to the Old Testament Prophetic Books. Ch. 11, Ezekiel: The Merging of Two Spheres, 274-307. Chicago: Moody.

Calvin, John. Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, two vols. Translated by Thomas Myers. Logos.

Carson, D. A. 2116. D. A. Carson Sermon Library. Bellingham, WA: Faithlife.

         . 2015. The Lord Is There: Ezekiel 40-48. TGC15: YouTube.

         , R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham, eds. 1994. New Bible Commentary 21st Century Edition. Ezekiel, by L. John McGregor, 716-744. Leicester, Eng.: InterVarsity.

Clendenen, E. Ray, gen. ed. 1994. New American Commentary. Vol. 17, Ezekiel, by Lamar Eugene Cooper, Sr. Nashville: Broadman & Holman.

Collins, C. John, OT ed. 2001. ESV Study Bible. Study notes on Ezekiel, 1495-1580, by David J. Reimer. Wheaton: Crossway.

Craigie, Peter C. 1983. The Daily Bible Study Series. Ezekiel. Louisville: Westminster John Knox.

Dever, Mark. 2006. The Message of the Old Testament. Ch. 26, The Message of Ezekiel: Paradise, 635-650. Wheaton: Crossway.

Duguid, Iain M. 1999. The NIV Application Commentary. Ezekiel. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Heschel, Abraham J. 2001.The Prophets, two vols. Peabody, MA: Prince.

Longman III, Tremper, & David E. Garland, gen. eds. 2010. Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 7, Jeremiah-Ezekiel. Ezekiel, by Ralph H. Alexander, 641-924. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Smith, Gary V. 1994. The Prophets as Preachers. Ch.14, Ezekiel: When Will You Acknowledge God, 251-281. Nashville: Broadman & Holman.

Smith, James E. 1995. The Major Prophets. The Book of Ezekiel, 351-508. Joplin, MO: College.

VanGemeren, Willem A. 1990. Interpreting the Prophetic Word. Ch. 11, The Message of Ezekiel, 321-353. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Walton, John H., gen. ed. 2009. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary, Old Testament. Vol. 4, Isaiah-Daniel. Ezekiel, by Daniel Bodi, 400-500. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Walvoord, John F. & Roy B. Zuck. 1983. The Bible Knowledge Commentary. Vol. 1, Old Testament. Ezekiel, 1224-1323, by Charles H. Dyer. Colorado Springs: Victor.

Wiseman, Donald J., gen. ed. 1969. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Vol. 22, Ezekiel, by John B. Taylor. Downers Grove: InterVarsity.

NEXT SUNDAY: Parables of Sin and Personal Responsibility, Ezekiel 15:1–19:14