A Lament Over Israel’s Princes:lions and vine in your vineyard

Ezekiel 19:1-14

Take up a lament concerning the princes of Israel and say: What a lioness was your mother among the lions! She lay down among them and reared her cubs. She brought up one of her cubs,  and he became a strong lion. He learned to tear the prey and he became a man-eater. The nations heard about him,  and he was trapped in their pit. They led him with hooks to the land of Egypt.

Another lion was netted and brought to the king of Babylon.

The third lament described the vineyards were dry and burned.

Why?

No matter how strong you are, when your heart and behavior are away from the Lord, all of this glory and power and property will gone, for all of these are given by the Lord.

How little a human life, is compared with other animals in the world. It is the Lord help us, so we may live and do something.

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17章用香柏樹比喻，葡萄樹不安於現狀，彎向埃及

18章自己的罪要自己承擔，兒子不能承擔父親的義。

19章約哈斯、約雅敬、西底加都要承擔自己的罪，約哈斯的父親約西亞的義卻不能傳給他的兒孫。為猶大的最後三個王寫哀歌。神在刑罰以色列人，心也是難過、傷心。

第一隻少壯獅子是指約哈斯，有能力卻錯用能力。第二隻是指約雅敬，武或說是西底加，被帶去巴比倫。從最不可一世的君王，卻像動物一樣被帶走，一點尊嚴也沒有。當人的能力很大時要謙卑，感恩，否則只會傷害人。

用葡萄樹比喻是指西底加王，似乎可以重新振作，重新開始，就有王的尊嚴，神藉著巴比倫來審判，要他在巴比倫之下做王，最後被拔除。東風就是從曠野的風，極乾燥、極熱。

三者都有共同問題，能力強大時，目中無人，做出神不喜悅的事，雖然是約西亞王的後代，義是不能繼承的。

羅12:3 不要看自己過於所當看的；要照着神所分給各人信心的大小，看得合乎中道。

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How?

Give thanks to the Lord and obey God's command, intimate God's mind, and way, and do my best to be a good Christian as I can.

Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall

Ezekiel 18:21-32

But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?

But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.

Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!

Why?
Actually, there is no one righteousness in the world, all are sinners. So we need to repent and turn away from all offenses, repent and accept Jesus Christ as our savior, so then we may live.

We need to get a new heart and a new spirit. This is the only way to get a new life in Christ.

It is easy but without the Holy Spirit, no one can get this new life.

We may like to see the wicked one die, but all of this belongs to the Lord. Let us see and wait for the consequences.

How?

Obey the words of the Lord, and don't let the Holy Spirit worry about us.

The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them

Ezekiel 18:1-20

The parable: The parents eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’. ?As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die.

Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.

But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things: 

He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live. But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.

The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.

Why?
Everyone has to face his own sins or credit and take his own responsibility before the Lord.

The parable about the parents and their sons is not available before the Lord.

Everyone has to know even the environment may influence our minds and our way. But we still need to make decisions about what is right and what is wrong.

How?

Don't be a fool but be a man of wisdom, knowing the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

I the Lord bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall.

Ezekiel 17:1-24

Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: A great eagle with powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied colors came to Lebanon. Taking hold of the top of a cedar, he broke off its topmost shoot and carried it away to a land of merchants, where he planted it in a city of traders. He took one of the seedlings of the land and put it in fertile soil. He planted it like a willow by abundant water, and it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out leafy boughs.

But there was another great eagle with powerful wings and full plumage. The vine now sent out its roots toward him from the plot where it was planted and stretched out its branches to him for water. 

Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will it thrive? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it withers? All its new growth will wither. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by the roots. It has been planted, but will it thrive? Will it not wither completely when the east wind strikes it—wither away in the plot where it grew?

As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, he shall die in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose treaty he broke. Pharaoh with his mighty army and great horde will be of no help to him in war, when ramps are built and siege works erected to destroy many lives. He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Because he had given his hand in pledge and yet did all these things, he shall not escape.

Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, I will repay him for despising my oath and breaking my covenant. I will spread my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment on him there because he was unfaithful to me.

All the trees of the forest will know that I the Lord bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.

Why?

The care about the oath claimed before the Lord, it is serious to make an oath before the Lord.

Because the king of Juda forsakes the oath the wrath of the Lord comes upon them. The King of Judah will die in Babylon and his troops will escape.

The king of Judah made an oath with Babylon, and he also made a covenant with Egypt to try to rely on Egypt, there is no one reliable compared to the Lord Almighty.

How?

I have not much treasure or money or power in this world, my strength and what I have relied on is the Lord Almighty. I have nothing without the Lord.

Because you did not remember the days of your youth but enraged me with all these things

Ezekiel 16:30-63

I am filled with fury against you, declares the Sovereign Lord, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute!

You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband! All prostitutes receive gifts, but you give gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors. So in your prostitution you are the opposite of others; no one runs after you for your favors. You are the very opposite, for you give payment and none is given to you.

Because you poured out your lust and exposed your naked body in your promiscuity with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols, and because you gave them your children’s blood, therefore I am going to gather all your lovers, with whom you found pleasure, those you loved as well as those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and will strip you in front of them, and they will see you stark naked. I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood; I will bring on you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger. Then I will deliver you into the hands of your lovers, and they will tear down your mounds and destroy your lofty shrines. They will strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry and leave you stark naked.

Because you did not remember the days of your youth but enraged me with all these things, I will surely bring down on your head what you have done, declares the Sovereign Lord. Did you not add lewdness to all your other detestable practices?

This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant. Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, both those who are older than you and those who are younger. I will give them to you as daughters, but not on the basis of my covenant with you. So I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord. Then, when I make atonement for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

Why?

The Israelites did detestable things are more worse than any other country, worse than Sodoma, and the people of Cannan. So the wrath of the Lord come upon them.

Because they did not remember the day of their youth engaged the Lord with all these things.

The is righteousness and full of love, even under the wrath of righteousness there is a way keep for them to return. The Lord remembers the covenant with them.

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1.拜偶像 2.向外國進貢：比喻為娼妓，甚至不拿酬勞，反而送禮給外國。

35節起 神的審判，一切所愛的，所恨的，都來攻擊以色列。原來以為有益的，追求的反而得到禍害，沒有面子！展現國力的建設，全被搗毀，全被奪走，回到原來赤身裸體的樣子。

所多瑪城義人不到5人，猶大的惡與他們相比，甚至比所多瑪不如。猶大驕傲自以為義，其實更惡。我們應當更多思想自己，是否我們也自以為聖潔，公義? 只因為神愛我們，憐憫我們。神記念與人立的約，我們也要記念人與神的約。

自覺自己犯罪，不再找藉口，感到羞愧才會悔改。神因為愛人，當人還沒有能力悔改時把神的義加給人身上。神的恩典白白的給我們。

How?

Praise the Lord and give thanks to the Lord, keep my way and my mouth along with the Lord.

But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute

Ezekiel 16:01-29

On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.

Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!” I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, yet you were stark naked.

Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.

But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his.

And you took your sons and daughters whom you bore to me and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough? You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols. In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, kicking about in your blood.

You engaged in prostitution with the Egyptians, your neighbors with large genitals, and aroused my anger with your increasing promiscuity. So I stretched out my hand against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were shocked by your lewd conduct. You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians too, because you were insatiable; and even after that, you still were not satisfied. Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia, a land of merchants, but even with this you were not satisfied.

Why?

The Israelites were born without love and caring. It is the Lord who has compassion for her, helps her and takes care of her. But when she was getting old enough she took her sons and daughters who were born with the Lord and sacrificed them as good to the idols. 

How sad of the Lord to see these situations, so the wrath of the Lord come upon Jerusalem.

The Lord told Ezekiel why destroyed Jerusalem for their crimes are too many, and the Lord was sad about their behavior like prostitution.

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v1-9 以色列人原來是棄嬰。本質上和迦南一樣，本來該全部被滅掉。人先天條件本來就是不合格。沒有人可憐的是最可憐的。這就是所有人的光景！神給我們盼望與勇氣！

v10-14 神不僅收養，還穿金戴銀：神愛人，用衣襟搭在人身上是遮羞之意，也是男人向女人告白的方式，表達保護。給人榮上加榮。抹油： 全身保養。打扮，吃美味，捧到最高地位。

v15-29 背叛神拜偶像，不倚靠神反而依靠其他國家：以色列蒙恩的人背叛施恩的神。以色列人用美貌、金銀、衣服、香膏、食物、兒女來背叛。用神給的恩典拿去給別人，或是佔為己有。人離開向就會覺得不可靠，還要找其他可靠的國。造圓頂花樓其實想引人注意。

仍不滿意二次：亞述，巴比倫。詩16:4 以別神代替耶和華的，他們的愁苦必加增。

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How?

May my heart and my mind go with the Lord, and don't let the Holy Spirit worry about me.

how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest?

Ezekiel 15:1-8

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest? Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful? Do they make pegs from it to hang things on? And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and the fire burns both ends and chars the middle, is it then useful for anything? If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it is charred?

“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem. I will set my face against them. Although they have come out of the fire, the fire will yet consume them. And when I set my face against them, you will know that I am the Lord. I will make the land desolate because they have been unfaithful, declares the Sovereign Lord.

Why?

The parable in the Bible says we are the grape branch, we have to connect to the branch of the tree. Here the Lord said a similar parable how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest. It is useful nothing.

So the Lord's wrath turns to Jerusalem because they have been unfaithful.

When the face of the against them, they will know that I am the Lord. No way to return!

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前面強調審判的必要性

15章 以色列人沒有比較優秀，神卻看顧以色列人，以葡萄樹來比喻以色列人。枝子沒有任何功用，葡萄樹只有一個功能是結葡萄。沒有活出神的使命，沒有傳神的道，沒有結果子就沒有用了。他們所在的地方是應許之地，必須作為世界的光與鹽，讓人看見我們而看見神。神賜給教會恩典，要叫基督徒成為世上的光。

我必向他們變臉；他們雖從火中出來，火卻要燒滅他們。我向他們變臉的時候，你們就知道我是耶和華。

變臉，他們：耶路撒冷的人，你們：在巴比倫的以色列人。從火中出來是給他們機會，不要心存僥幸，而是要悔改！

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How?

Am I useful before the Lord? May the Holy Spirit lead my way in my life.