CHAPTER 16
God's Unfaithful Wife
Israel is seen as a helpless and unloved baby girl who has been dumped in a field and left to die. God has pity on the baby girl. He picks her up, cleans, puts clothes on her and raises her. When she is of age, God marries her, dresses her in the finest apparel, and gives her lavish gifts.
Then Israel betrays her husband and becomes a harlot. She commits spiritual adultery with the gods of other nations, such as Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon. She never seems to have enough lovers.
God's Punishment for Israel
Because of Israel's sin, God's punishment is great.
--1. Israel will be given over to her enemies.
--2. Israel will be stripped naked so her former lovers can destroy her.
--3. God will pour out His anger on Israel to repay her for sins.
--4. God will bring Israel back when His anger is over.
--5. Israel will be ashamed for her sins when they are exposed to the world.
CHAPTER 17
First Parable: A giant eagle plucks off the top of a tall cedar tree and plants it someplace else in fertile soil. The eagle is Nebuchadnezzar, who carries off many Jewish citizens into the Babylonian captivity where they will be fine because of God's faithfulness.
Second Parable: Part of the cedar tree that has been replanted gives allegiance to another eagle that shows up. Because of this, God destroys the tree. The second eagle represents Egypt's pharaoh with whom King Zedekiah allies again Nebuchadnezzar that resulted in Jerusalem's destruction.
Third Parable: God takes a tender sprout from a tall cedar tree and plants it atop Israel's highest mountain where it becomes the ultimate and universal tree. The original cedar tree was from the house of David from which Jesus comes as the second tree.
Two more parables are in Chapter 19.
CHAPTER 18
Ezekiel begins this chapter by referring to a popular proverb that is widely quoted in Israel at that time. The proverb is: "The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children's mouths pucker at the taste." The proverb means Israel will be punished for the sins of her fathers.
Ezekiel refutes this false teaching by pointing out God punishes only the individual for his or her own sins. The prophets give six examples to illustrate this point.
--1. It is the one who sins who will be punished.
--2. The righteous will surely live.
--3. The righteoue man's son will have to atone for his own sins.
--4. The son will not die because of the father's sin.
--5. The righteous man who becomes unrighteous will die.
--6. The unrighteous man who becomes righteous will live.
CHAPTER 19
The parables from Chapter 17 continue.
Fourth Parable: A lioness has two cubs that become man-eaters. Both are eventually trapped. The first cub is taken to Egypt, and the second cub is taken to Babylon.
Fifth Parable: A strong and fruitful vine planted in fertile soil alongside a stream is suddenly uprooted and replanted in a barren desert where it begins to wither away.
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