Fire in the Forest, The Sword of God

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Ezekiel 20:45-21:27

 

2 Timothy 4:3-4

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; ⁴ and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

(NKJV)

 

The accounts and warnings to Israel in the Old Testament serve as object lessons and warnings to the Church not to fall into the same abominations but to remain true to the word of God. Jesus gave the Church a clear mission, preach the Gospel to the world and make disciples. (Acts 1:8; Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20). The Church in the book of Acts focused on this mission from God and turned their world upside down (Acts 17:6). Unfortunately, we are witnessing a falling away from the truth in many churches today, something Paul warned Timothy about in 2 Timothy 4:3-4. For revival to occur in the world today, the Church must use the sword of the Spirit, the word of God to declare the truth of the Gospel.

 

Ezekiel receives another word from the Lord telling him to face toward the south, preaching against the south and prophesying against the forest land in the south (Ezekiel 20:45-46). The prophecy against the forest in the south tells of a fire kindled by the Lord which will scorch all the trees of the forest (Ezekiel 20:47-48). Ezekiel responds to the Lord by letting Him know the people say he speaks in parables (Ezekiel 20:49).

 

Ezekiel receives another word from the Lord providing details of the meaning of the parable of the fire in the forest (Ezekiel 21:1). The Lord tells Ezekiel to face toward Jerusalem and preach against the holy places and to prophesy against the land of Israel (Ezekiel 21:2). The word to the land of Israel is that the Lord is against them and that He intends to draw His sword and cut off both the righteous and wicked (Ezekiel 21:3). Since the sword of God goes out against the righteous and wicked, no flesh will escape so all will know the Lord is the Lord God (Ezekiel 21:4-5). Ezekiel is to sigh with a breaking heart and bitterness before the people (Ezekiel 21:6). When asked why he sighs, Ezekiel is to respond with how his heart breaks because when the news of the sword of God is delivered, hearts will melt, hands become feeble, spirits will faint, and all knees will become weak (Ezekiel 21:7).

 

Ezekiel receives another word from the Lord and utters a prophecy of a sharpened and polished sword (Ezekiel 21:8-9). The sharpened sword will bring a dreadful slaughter and flash like lightning causing Ezekiel to ask if this was a time for mirth as the sword despises the scepter of God’s Son (Ezekiel 21:10). The sword is sharpened and polished and given to the hand of the slayer (Ezekiel 21:11). Ezekiel is to wail for the sword is drawn against the people of God bringing terrors against the people, a sword of testing the despises the current scepter so it will be no more (Ezekiel 21:12-13).

 

Ezekiel is then to prophesy and strike his hands together with the sword doing double damage after the third strike of his hands (Ezekiel 21:14). The point of the sword is against all the gates of the city and going wherever it is ordered, causing hearts to melt and many to stumble (Ezekiel 21:15-16). The Lord will also beat his fist together causing His fury to rest (Ezekiel 21:17).

 

Ezekiel receives another word from the Lord telling him to appoint two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to go (Ezekiel 21:18-19). One path is to Raddah of the Ammonites and the other to Judah and Jerusalem (Ezekiel 21:20). The king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road, using divination to set up battering rams, a siege mound, and a wall in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 21:21-22). While the divination will seem like a false divination to those with oaths, it will bring the iniquity of Jerusalem to remembrance so they may be taken into exile (Ezekiel 21:23).

 

The Lord then tells the people they will be taken to Babylon because their transgressions are uncovered and remembered (Ezekiel 21:24). The Lord then has a word for the wicked and profane prince of Israel telling him to remove the turban, take off the crown for he intends to exalt the humble and humble the exalted (Ezekiel 21:25-26). The Lord will overthrow the present kingdom with it existing no longer until He comes whose right it is and God will give it to Him (Ezekiel 21:27).

 

God extends His mercy to Israel with another warning through a parable of a fire in the forest (Ezekiel 20:45-48). While many dismissed the parable as a story, Ezekiel explains what the parable represents the offer of a warning to anyone who will listen (Ezekiel 20:49-21:27). God changed Jacob’s name to Israel after prevailing in his struggle with God in Genesis 32:24-29. Unfortunately, Israel did not continue to Worship God but instead turned to the abominable worship of other gods, something for which they would suffer the consequences of exile by the sword of God in the hands of the Babylonians.

 

While we could sluff this off as ancient Jewish history with no relevance in the Church today, it is a lesson the Church must heed or suffer becoming irrelevant. God warned the lukewarm Church of Laodicea that their apathy and infatuation with their wealth and riches made the Lord sick (Revelation 3:14-17). The Laodicean Church had lost its focus on the commission of the Lord for the Church to take the Gospel to the Lost (Acts 1:8; Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20). The Lord is not with this Church congregation but stands outside knocking at the door, waiting to come in (Revelation 3:20).

 

There are many mega-churches in existence today and while there is nothing wrong with the gathering of a large congregation of people worshipping the Lord, how this Church growth occurred should concern us. As a child, I attended a large Billy Graham crusade and found it fascinating that this many people were coming to hear someone preach from the Bible. I discovered that the reason for this large gathering was to share the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in alignment with the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Unfortunately, many large Church gatherings today are the result of a compromising of the message of the Gospel to tickle the ears of listeners, so they become members and contribute money. Paul warned Timothy of such a falling away in the church (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Oh Lord, I pray the Church would repent of its lukewarmness and compromise and return to the mission of preaching the Gospel.

 

In fulfillment of this mission, I want to invite anyone reading this post who has not prayed for the forgiveness of their sins and to make Jesus the Lord of their lives, to do so now by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God challenge, convict, and bless everyone reading this post.