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The Bible Breakdown
Ezekiel 22: Be the One
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The More We Dig. The More We Find.
Well, everybody, welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, pastor Brandon, today, ezekiel, chapter 22,. And today's title is Be the One. Be the One. Somebody's got to go first, someone's got to lead the way. Someone's got to say this is the right way to go. I'm going. Who's with me Might as well be us.
Speaker 1:I love that and I love that idea of never thinking of ourself as a victim, but rather, because of God, we have the opportunity to be the trendsetter for what is right. I can't wait to get into this. It's going to be a great chapter. And before we do that, as always, if you're getting out your Bible with me to Ezekiel, chapter 22, make sure you like, share and subscribe to the YouTube channel and the podcast. Make sure you leave us a five-star review on the podcast it really does help and make sure you go into the Bible breakdown discussion, because I'm going to tell you something the more we dig, the more we find man. I'm ready to get into this. So, if you have your Bibles and you want to get with me to Ezekiel, chapter 22, remember this is all about God's promise of renewal Over the next several chapters, and renewal over the next several chapters and we still got a little ways to go before we start to turn that corner. God is just, he's telling the nation of Israel sometimes you got to realize how far you have fallen before the renewal means something. And so he's telling them all these bad things are happening, but, man, I'm still going to bring you back. It wasn't a couple of days ago. We were talking about how God was saying when I bring you back, you're going to hate what you're doing right now. So he's like, one day you're going to do it. So it's all about God's promise of renewal. Bad things are happening. Better things are on the way. Today he's going to talk about that idea of being the one to make the difference. So, if you're ready, ezekiel 22, verse 1 says this Now, this message came to me from the Lord, son of man, or buddy, are you ready to judge Jerusalem?
Speaker 1:Are you ready to judge this city of murderers, publicly denounce her detestable sins and give her this message from the Sovereign Lord. Say this O city of murderers, doomed and damned, city of idols, filthy and foul, you are guilty because of the blood you have shed. You are defiled because of the idols you have made. Your day of destruction has come. You have reached the end of your years and I will make you an object of mockery throughout the world. O infamous city filled with confusion, you will be mocked by the people far and near.
Speaker 1:Every leader in Israel who lives within your walls is bent on murder. Fathers and mothers are treated with contempt. Foreigners are forced to pay for protection. Orphans and widows are wronged and oppressed. Among you, you despise my holy things and violate my Sabbath days of rest. People accuse others falsely and then send them to their death.
Speaker 1:You are filled with idol worshipers and people who do obscene things. Men sleep with their fathers' wives and force themselves on women who are menstruating. That's so gross. Women who are menstruating Verse 11. Within your walls live men who commit adultery with their neighbor's wives, who defile their daughters-in-law and who rape their own sisters. These jokers are messed up. They are hired murderers, long racketeers and extortioners everywhere. They never think of me.
Speaker 1:And my command, says the sovereign Lord. But now I clap my hands in indignation over your dishonest gain and bloodshed. How strong and courageous will you be in my day of reckoning? I, the Lord, have spoken and I will do what I said. I will scatter you among the nations and purge you of your wickedness. And then, when I have been dishonored among the nations because of you, you will know that I am the Lord.
Speaker 1:Then this message came to me from the Lord, son of man the people of Israel are worthless slag that remains after silver is smelted. They are the dross that is left over, a useless mixture of copper, tin and Iron and lead. Wow, thanks God. So I tell them this is what the sovereign Lord says. Because you are all worthless slag, I will bring you to my crucible in Jerusalem, just as silver, copper, iron, lead and tin are melted down in the furnace. I will melt you down in the heat of my fury. I will gather you together and blow the fire of my anger upon you and you will melt like silver and fierce heat. And then you will know that I, the Lord, have poured out my fury on you Again.
Speaker 1:This message came to me from the Lord, son of man. Give the people of Israel this message In the day of my indignation. You will be like a polluted land, a land without rain. Your princes plot conspiracies, just as lions stalk their prey. They devour innocent people, seizing treasures and extorting wealth. They make many widows in the land. Your priests have violated my instructions and defiled my holy things. They make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. They do not teach my people the difference between what is ceremonially clean and unclean. They disregard my Sabbath days. So I am dishonored among them. Your leaders are like wolves who tear apart their victims. They actually destroy people's lives for money. Your prophets cover up for them by announcing false visions, making lying predictions. They say my message is from the sovereign Lord, when the Lord has not spoken a single word to them. Even common people oppress the poor, rob the needy and deprive foreigners of justice.
Speaker 1:I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness. The guards that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn't have that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn't have to destroy the land, but I found no one. So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger, and I will heap on their heads the full penalty of their sin. I, the sovereign Lord, have spoken. I love that verse 30, where the Bible says I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I would not have to destroy the land, but I found no one. You know what that reminds me of is.
Speaker 1:The Bible says in Genesis I believe it's 18 and 19, that when God was looking at the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, that Abraham kept saying. He was like I really wish God that there was a little bit less, that you would just stop from destroying the city. And God was like okay, if there's this many less, I won't destroy the city. And then this many less, and then this many less. And it was like God was like okay, if there's this many less, I won't destroy the city. And then this many less than this many less. And it was like God was looking for something good, something holy, someone who was willing to at least try to do the right thing, and he couldn't find anybody.
Speaker 1:When I was thinking about this, as I was reading this, what kind of came to my mind is let that never be said of us, let that never be said of any environment that you and I are in Is that God wanted to do something special in that moment, but there wasn't anybody that he could trust. It wasn't anybody who would lean into him, who would remind everybody of his goodness, who would stand in the gap for those people. Let it never be said that we were not willing to do that. What that means is that we always keep in mind that God is near, that God is close, that when we're in a conversation, that God is in the moment, god is in the room, and that maybe God wants to use us through a kind word, through a prayer, through something.
Speaker 1:And so my challenge to you today is what would it look like if you went through your entire day and today you said God, I want to be hyper aware that you are with me today and that if there ever needs to be somebody to stand up for you, to stand in for you, to pray for someone, to offer that encouraging word and you want to bless somebody, let it never be said, while I'm there, that you couldn't find anybody, but rather let me be the one that you can depend on. What would it look like for your day today If you said in every environment, god, I will be the one. Watch what happens. I guarantee you you're going to have a fun day. Let's pray together right now. God, thank you so much for today. Thank you, god, that you're with us and that you're for us.
Speaker 1:And, lord, I pray that everybody who is listening or watching this right now, god, that you will open their eyes and that you will show them the opportunities all around them to make a difference. Maybe that difference is simply a smile when everybody else walks by, maybe it's a kind word, maybe it's having the courage to offer prayer, maybe it's the courage to defend the name of God. Whatever it is, help us to be the one today, be the one that stands up, stands out and says today is the day I'm going to represent my Jesus with all my heart. I pray as they do it. Holy Spirit, you will do what only you can do. Use them in the gifts of the Spirit to have your way. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen, amen. Well, god's Word says in Ezekiel 34, verse 14, I will put my Spirit in you and you will live again. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow. For Ezekiel, chapter 23.
