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The Bible Breakdown
Ezekiel 25: Don't Celebrate When Other People Struggle
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The More We Dig. The More We Find.
Well, hello everybody. Welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, pastor Brandon, today, ezekiel, chapter 25, and today's title is Don't Celebrate when Other People Struggle. Don't celebrate when other people struggle, because here's the thing God don't like that, and we're going to find out what that looks like in just a moment. So, if you have your Bibles, open up with me to Ezekiel, chapter 25. While you're doing that, make sure you take a moment to like, share, subscribe to the YouTube channel and the podcast, make sure you give us a five-star review on the podcast and make sure you're going to the Bible Breakdown discussion on Facebook. They're doing an amazing job over there and, as always, the more we dig, the more we find. Well, once again, remember that the overall goal of Ezekiel is God's promise of renewal, and one of the things we're going to start seeing very slowly is we're going to start seeing it turn to where God is starting to focus a little bit more on the restoration aspect and the renewal aspect. It's going to take a minute, but up until now, god has been talking about the judgment, talking about the judgment. Now he's going to start talking about judging other people, because, while the nation of Israel has been going downhill. There's been people sitting on the side laughing, just just making fun. And here's the thing God don't miss that kind of stuff. He, he sees when people do that. And so he's been kind of waiting, kind of looking, and now it is time for him to do what only God can do, and that is he's going to make sure that those who have been kind of doing all that they didn for him to do what only God can do, and that is he's going to make sure that those who have been kind of doing all that they didn't need to do and kind of holding up against God and his people, well, he's not going to let them get away with it. So if you're ready, let's read this.
Speaker 1:Ezekiel, chapter 25, verse one, says this this is the message that came to me from the Lord. Now pause once again. Remember. That means means some time passed, most likely between the last chapter and today. Every time you see him say this message came to me from the Lord, that likely means time passed. And then the Lord spoke to him again, verse two son of man, buddy, turn and face the land of Ammon and prophesy against his people. Give the Ammonites this message from the sovereign Lord.
Speaker 1:Hear the word of the sovereign Lord. Because you cheered when my temple was defiled and mocked Israel and her desolation and laughed at Judah as she went into exile. I will allow nomads from the eastern desert to overrun your country. They will set up their camps among you and pitch their tents on your land. They will harvest all your fruit. This is what the sovereign Lord says. Because you clapped and danced and cheered with glee at the destruction of my people, I will raise my fist of judgment against you. I will give you as plunder to many nations. I will cut you off from being a nation and destroy you completely, and then you will know that I am the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says. Because the people of Moab have said that Judah is just like all the other nations. I will open up their eastern flank and wipe out their glorious frontier towns, beth, jazimoth, baal, moab and Kiriathim. I will hand Moab over to the nomads from eastern deserts. This is what the so Lord says.
Speaker 1:The people of Edom have sinned greatly by avenging themselves against the people of Judah. Therefore, says the Lord, sovereign Lord, I will raise my fist of judgment against Edom. I will wipe out its people and animals with the sword, and I will make a wasteland of everything from Teman to Dedan. I will accomplish this by the hand of my people, israel. They will carry out my vengeance with anger, and Edom will know that this vengeance is from me. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken. This is what the Sovereign Lord says. The people of Philistia have acted against Judah out of bitter revenge and long standing contempt. Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says I will raise my fist of judgment against the land of the Philistines. I will wipe out the Kirithites and utterly destroy the people who live by the sea. I will execute terrible vengeance against them and punish them for what they have done, and when I have afflicted my vengeance, my revenge, they will know that I am the Lord.
Speaker 1:Now, this one is understandable, but at the same time, this one's hard, and the lesson that I think the Lord is teaching us in this one is remember that the city of Jerusalem that had been destroyed. It had been destroyed because the people had done a bad thing. The people were no longer following God, and so they were getting judgment that they had deserved. But what's something else is that then God looks at the people who are celebrating the suffering of others. And he says because you are celebrating the suffering of others, I'm going to hold you accountable as well. Now, that is something that we don't think about very often, do we? When we see somebody who gets caught doing something wrong, when we see someone who falls from grace, how often does our heart grieve for them and how often do we celebrate that they've been caught? Celebrate those things?
Speaker 1:Example in the time that I am reading this to you today, there are several high-profile people in ministry who've disqualified themselves by things they had done wrong. Let's ask this for a moment the people that maybe you've heard of, who have fallen because of sins they have committed, did you celebrate? Well, I'm so glad. I can't believe somebody would do that. I'm so glad they have been caught. Let judgment fall on them. Is that what you did, or was your heart broken, heartbroken for the victims and heartbroken for the type of person that would do that for another? It's very telling, isn't it? Because if we're honest, when someone does something terrible, there's a part of us that wants judgment Unless, of course, it's us Then we're like God. I just really believe you should have some grace on us. We're all trying to get there, trying to get better and all the things.
Speaker 1:But I wish that we could get to a place, me and you, that when we hear of somebody who falls into sin, that our first thought isn't ooh, tell me more, you know gossip. Ooh, I hope they suffer for what they did. I can't believe they do that to God's people and all that's true. They need to experience justice for what they did. But let us get to a place where our first thought isn't how dare they, how could they, why would they blah, blah, blah? And our first thought is God, be merciful God. How could they? Why would they Blah, blah, blah? And our first thought is God, be merciful God. First of all, be with the victims of what they have done.
Speaker 1:I pray that this doesn't get used by the enemy to do even more harm. But then also, what a brave, bold, courageous prayer it is. And God for the villain. Help us remember that if not for the grace of God, there would be a we. But then also, I pray for the villain, because I realize, god, that they're probably one of the most broken among us, that they would think that that's okay. What an amazing thing.
Speaker 1:And I think that's the lesson that God is teaching us is when God sends judgment and justice on someone, let us never be satisfied by it, let us never be entertained by it, but rather let our hearts be grieved and pray for restoration of that person. That's a hard prayer, especially if you think they deserve it, and in this situation, the nation of I mean you've been reading with me especially the city of Jerusalem deserved it. But it's a posture of our heart that we need to focus on. Let's pray God. Thank you so much for today.
Speaker 1:Thank you, god, that you are with us and you know us, you understand us. And God, I will admit to you, I'll be the first one to raise my hand and say there are times when I can look at people and my heart goes out to them and I ask for your mercy. But, god, there's other times when I'm not looking for mercy, I'm looking for your judgment. Forgive me, god, for ever thinking I was better than anybody else. If not for your grace, where would we be? I pray you will change our hearts, lord, you will soften our hearts, that when we see other people struggling, instead of reaching out in vengeance, we will intercede for mercy. And as you do that, god, you'll set our hearts free as well. We love you today. In Jesus' name. We pray Amen and what 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 26.
