by Paul Apple | Oct 11, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY SILENCES ANY MOCKING OF DELAY IN GOD’S TIMETABLEINTRODUCTION:Scoffers have always made fun of God’s prophetic word – charging God with long delays in fulfillment – essentially mocking the veracity of God’s promises. But God is neither...
by Paul Apple | Oct 11, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: KING ZEDEKIAH AND THE JEWS STILL IN JERUSALEM SHOULD FEAR IMMINENT DEPORTATION- IT IS CERTAIN- IT WILL BE DEVASTATINGINTRODUCTION:Much false confidence and false optimism and arrogance can be traced to what seems to be a delay in God’s guillotine of judgment...
by Paul Apple | Oct 8, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: AS THE GLORY OF THE LORD DEPARTS JERUSALEM, EZEKIEL’S VISION CONCLUDES WITH WORDS OF JUDGMENT AND OF MERCYINTRODUCTION:God constantly proclaims a message of both Judgment and Mercy – as he does here in the conclusion of Ezekiel’s vision. At the crux always...
by Paul Apple | Oct 6, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: JERUSALEM WILL BE JUDGED BY FIRE AFTER THE GLORY OF GOD DEPARTS FROM THE TEMPLEINTRODUCTION:The imminent judgment upon Jerusalem (to be burned with fire by the Babylonian troops) was directly tied to the retreat of the Glory of God from His residence in the...
by Paul Apple | Oct 5, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE MARK OF GOD DIFFERENTIATES BETWEEN JUDGMENT AND PRESERVATIONINTRODUCTION:The visions of the abominations in chapter 8 naturally lead to the execution of God’s justice in chapter 9. Here we see the tension between the vast majority of ungodly who must be...
by Paul Apple | Oct 4, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: IDOLATROUS ABOMINATIONS POLLUTING THE TEMPLE AROUSE DIVINE JEALOUSY AND DISGUSTINTRODUCTION:Chapters 8-11 form our next unit of revelation in the book of Ezekiel. A series of visions captures the depravity of the idolatrous abominations defiling worship in...
by Paul Apple | Oct 1, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GOD’S PROMISED IMMINENT AND COMPREHENSIVE JUDGMENT AGAINST JUDAH REPAYS SINFUL ABOMINATIONS WITH HORRIFIC AND INESCAPABLE ABOMINATIONSINTRODUCTION:The end has come, according to Ezekiel. There is no possibility of God relenting or showing pity. Any remaining...
by Paul Apple | Sep 29, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: DIVINE JUDGMENT EXALTS THE SUPREMACY OF THE LORD IN THE EYES OF BOTH THE JEWS IN ISRAEL AND THE EXILES DISPERSED AMONG THE NATIONSINTRODUCTION:What a horrifying picture – God setting His face in judgment against His own people and His holy city Jerusalem. It...
by Paul Apple | Sep 24, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: CATASTROPHIC PUNISHMENT OF APOSTATE JERUSALEM EXECUTED BY THE ANGRY DIVINE JUDGE BEFORE A WATCHING WORLDINTRODUCTION:Privilege brings with it responsibility. The greater the light, the greater the accountability. Here the culpability of the privileged elect...
by Paul Apple | Sep 22, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: SINNERS CAN EXPECT GOD’S HORRIFYING JUDGMENT IN THE FORM OF EXTREME DEPRIVATION AND HUMILIATING DEFILEMENTINTRODUCTION:What should persistent sinners expect from a holy God? Despite His patience and long-suffering and mercy and lovingkindness, His justice...
by Paul Apple | Sep 21, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GOD HAS SET HIS FACE IN JUDGMENT AGAINST JERUSALEM IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DURATION OF HER INIQUITIESINTRODUCTION:Following his commissioning, the ministry of Ezekiel opens with a series of action-sermons where the Lord uses drama to enact special...
by Paul Apple | Sep 19, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE RESPONSIBILITY OF A WATCHMAN INVOLVES THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF FAITHFULLY COMMUNICATING GOD’S WORDS OF WARNING TO THOSE IN NEED OF REPENTANCEINTRODUCTION:This section concludes the commissioning of Ezekiel as he enters into his ministry to the Jews in exile...
by Paul Apple | Sep 18, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE REINFORCEMENT OF EZEKIEL’S COMMISSIONING STRESSES• THE VALUE OF THE WORD OF GOD,• THE RESOLVE TO FAITHFULLY COMMUNICATE GOD’S WORD• AND THE ACTIVITY OF THE SPIRIT OF GODINTRODUCTION:This continuation of the calling and commissioning of Ezekiel progresses...
by Paul Apple | Sep 17, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THERE CAN BE NO DEVIATION OF MISSION OR MESSAGE IN PROCLAIMING GOD’S WORD OF JUDGMENT DESPITE OPPOSITION AND REJECTIONINTRODUCTION:The vision of the glory of the Lord from chapter 1 prepared Ezekiel for his ministry. The calling and commissioning of Ezekiel...
by Paul Apple | Sep 15, 2021 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE FOUNDATION FOR DIVINE CALLING IS THE VISION OF GOD’S GLORY COMING IN JUDGMENTINTRODUCTION:Ezekiel and the other exiles had to be feeling alone and abandoned there in Babylon. What a hard fall from their nationalistic pride in God’s covenant promises...
