Readings:
Ezekiel 17-21

Focusing completely on Ezekiel today, we start in chapter 17 with a couple of prophecies that track closely with some parables that Jesus told his disciples. Verse 23 is how Jesus finishes off the parable of the mustard seed.

The branch that will be planted on a mountain is a promise of a restored kingdom, but looking back at this verse through the lens of the New Testament we can see that the branch is Jesus and the mountain he was planted on is Jerusalem and mount Zion in general but the place of his crucifixion in particular.

God tells them that for too long they’ve had a proverb about a child bearing the responsibility for the sins of his father, but now the time has come where each man will be individually responsible for his own sins. Of course it had always been that way, but there was a measure of collective responsibility in the kingdom of Israel and Judah, and even where just a few righteous men would be enough to sway the Lord from destroying a whole city of wickedness. But a few chapters back we were told that if even Noah himself were in a wicked city it would still face judgement, but he himself would come through unscathed.

It flows both ways; the most wicked sinner can’t do anything bad enough to condemn anyone in his family, but also the most righteous man can’t achieve enough favor with God to affect a family member for the good either. Everyone must stand for their own judgment.

Then the book jumps forward slightly to a couple years after his initial visions and prophecy, although we still aren’t at the final siege and destruction of Jerusalem. The elders approach looking for some guidance and words from God. But it doesn’t go anything like what they probably expected.

God begins in Egypt and recounts the history of Israel, and all the times they’d fallen short of his commandments, so he’d lay additional commands and ordinances on them, and they’d inevitably fail those too. All the way down until they entered into the promised land and still they worshiped idols and turned from God. So no, he won’t be answering any questions from them like he is at their beck and call.

He gives a glimmer of hope when he tells them he will be their king in a restored kingdom, but there will be no more messing around and idolatry will not be tolerated in the least. I guess they can look at the period of exile like an extended period of the desert wanderings, and it’s almost double the time, because their sins are much greater and need more purging than the sins of their ancestors in the desert.

Tomorrow’s Readings:
Ezekiel 22-23
Titus 1