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March 30, 2021 2:00 am
The Bible tells us that we can't just be hearers of God's truth—we must be doers of His truth. Join Skip as he shares why that distinction is so crucial and how you can be a doer of God's truth today.
This teaching is from the series The Bible From 30,000 Feet - 2018.
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There's a principle here. Anyone who speaks for God effectively must first internalize the truth of God for themselves. The preacher must preach first to the preacher and then to everybody you Jeremiah 15 said your words were found, and I didn't eat them and they were to me the joy in the rejoicing of my heart. God calls the church to proclaim his work, but we must remember to follow his word. With our lives today on connect with Skip Heitzig Skip shares of vital lesson about living by and sharing God's truth. Right now we want to tell you about a special resource that reveals how Jesus resurrection brings you hope even pretty obvious that this world is filled with imperfect people and that's on purpose God is into restoring human beings he could make perfect people and in populated heaven with perfect people, but he doesn't do that. He takes people ordained up beat up bruised by time damaged by sin, and he does a full resto job on complete restoration celebrate the joy and beauty of redemption with the morning. That changed everything with Skip Heitzig sake. This DVD collection of six hope filled Easter weekend messages is our thanks to you when you get $35 or more today to help connect more people to God's word and the redeeming love of Jesus Christ. Restoration is based on redemption and redemption is tied to resurrection to give call 800-922-1888. Forgive online securely connectwithskip.com/offer music as we get into the message with Skip Heitzig of the Hebrew term for this vision and you see the vision of the glory of God, of the throne of God is called the mayor, some of you are familiar with her, or the matter, Bob. It is the chariots that the divine chariot the flown car of God.
I bring it up merely to state if you ever delve into town music interpretations, especially the mystical writings or a really weird subset of Judaism called Of the Kabbalah Kabbalistic Judaism is very mystical and it's all centered around what this is all about this vision in Ezekiel chapter 1 intent in his word interpretations are no need no desire to even get into a just a touch outburst 10 as for the likeness of their faces each have the face of a man. Each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side each other of the for the face of an ox on the left side each of the four had the face of an eagle, now he's got her attention. Now it's sounding more familiar. Let's redone thus were their faces. Their wings stretched upward two wings of each one touched one another in the two covered their bodies and each one went straight forward. They went wherever the spirit wanted to go and they did not turn when they went. Pause, think back to our study in the encampment of the children of Israel in the wilderness in the in the wilderness. There was the center of the camp, the tabernacle and on all four sides. The 12 tribes of Israel were divided into four main camps three tribes on the South Northeast and West and those three tribes on each side were under the banner of a single tribe so on one side, they were under the banner of the tribe of Judah, whose insignia happened to be a lion on another side. They were under the banner of the tribe of Ephraim, whose banner happened to be an ox on the other side. They were under the banner of the tribe of Reuben, whose banner happened to be a man and on the final side. They were under the banner of Dan, whose banner happened to be an eagle. Fascinating. So far right all of that gives to us at least an indication that maybe there's something to this.
Is there more.
Yes, there is, it seems that what we saw in the tabernacle, representing here by these cherubim is a picture of the throne of God and the tabernacle was a model crude, albeit, but a model of the throne of God because when we fast-forward to the book of Revelation.
We also have these four living creatures and the throne of God depicted in the book of Revelation. But what's beautiful is looking at the four Gospels, alongside all of that for Gospels, not three, not 54 the gospel of Matthew is the gospel of the kingdom. The kingdom is referred to more than any other book that's the lien then we have the gospel of Mark the word immediately pops up a lot in that book, and we see Jesus moving from place to place rapidly like a servant would in the animal of servitude was the ox.
Then we come to the gospel of Luke written by a Gentile doctor, especially with the Greeks in mind who idealized humanity, and they were looking for the ideal man, and so the term Son of Man is used frequently by Luke, and then the most majestic. I believe of all the Gospels soaring above the other is the gospel of John, who depicts Jesus as God the son God in human flesh, the divine the deity of Christ and the end of the book says that you might believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, so again I believe depicted in the Gospels seen in the tabernacle, and in the book of Revelation and seen here in this vision form. The presence of God. The full or the glory of God in these creatures verse 15 now as I look at the living creatures gets it gets weirder gets really cool. Weird.
Behold, a wheel was on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces the appearance of the wheels and their workings was like the color of barrel of a goldfish yellow and all the four had that same likeness. The appearance of their workings was as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel like a wheel going in one direction and the wheel going in another direction noticing while vision and I have to give you full disclosure.
Some have looked at this and believe this is proof positive of the existence of UFOs and I just wanted you I am maybe see some of your Grammy puzzle made here among those who believe this is your vote. Don't know I do know 14% of Americans believe in the existence of UFOs but I also know that 14% of Americans believe that they seen Elvis before as well. So there so I don't think this is UFOs for a couple of reasons. Number one, Ezekiel has no problem identifying what this is in chapter 10. These are cherubim. These are angels that are around the throne of God and this is a picture of kind of a mobile throne of God.
The presence of God dwelling with man so is not alien power. It's not horsepower. It's on its four cherub power better than 400 hp me this thing is a magnificent designed entity. Verse 18 at his this is cool. As for the rims come on rims. God has mags. They were so high they were awesome and the rooms were full of eyes. None of you have rooms like that of your chariot when the living creatures verse 19 went, the wheels went beside them. When the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went because they're the spirit went in the wheels were lifted together with them for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels so it speaks of site intelligence.
The omniscience of God.
II see in that okay tell now Ezekiel is been just sort of looking at the body in the chassis under the hood a little bit verse 828 tells us it's the appearance of the glory of God the appearance of the glory of garlic in chapter 2 verse one and he said to me, Son of Man stand on your feet and I will speak to you this is all that personal section chapter 1 God's hand is on in chapter 2 God speaks to him and chapter 3 as well.
Then after that chapter 4 he's gonna speak through him Son of Man, he said to me, stand on your feet and I will speak to you now that term Son of Man.
I want to explain it us a couple of different usages in the Bible don't want you to get confused. Generally, it means and I say generally, especially in Ezekiel because it it it pops up over 100 times in the book of Ezekiel Son of Man is a Hebrew, a-ism Hebrew way of saying human being. You're just the son of Adam, son of a human being. Thus a human being. It's God's way of saying I'm God, you're not. I'm God, you're a son of Adam, he's just simply calling him out as a human being in generic terms, when we get to the book of Daniel. However, the term Son of Man will be used in chapter 7, in a very different manner. I'm just giving you a preview. This is now the trailer at the beginning of the show and in chapter 7 Daniel sees a vision of the ancient of days, that is God Almighty and the Son of Man comes to him and God Almighty gives to the son of man in Daniel, a kingdom, a dominion, a power that is everlasting.
That is the kind of Son of Man that we read about when Jesus is called the Son of Man in the New Testament, and you need to know that when you read Son of Man in the New Testament.
It's a reference to Daniel chapter 7 how do I know that because when he said he was the Son of Man.
He was called the Son of Man, the Jewish leaders wanted to kill him for assuming that title if it if if that just meant I'm a human being they wouldn't. But if it meant I am saying that I am the fulfillment of Daniel seven. To whom the ancient of days will give an everlasting kingdom that's different. So now you know the distinction right now we can move this to Dennis spirit entered me. This is all-important the spirit of God spirit entered me when he spoke to me and set me on my feet and I heard him who spoke to me and he said to me, Son of Man, I am sending you to the children of Israel hold that thought. If you think your calling in ministry is hard. Maybe you have us a home group that is just driving you nuts if you are had a connect group and everybody hate you and I can a group. I doubt that. But if you have a really tough group you're dealing with our Sunday school class work organs could is a hard collar or your visiting faster than you think your churches is like, you know, sent from not heaven.
Listen to this crap Son of Man I'm sending you to the children of Israel to a rebellious nation that is rebelled against me, and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. So Ezekiel is sent to those captives by the canal between the Tigris and Euphrates River. Chapter 3 is his commissioning but assess the spirit entered me in chapter 2 verse two several times in this book it says the spirit of God entered. This explains how Ezekiel was able to do what he did. How do you deal with this group of people. How do you put up with with this difficult ministry.
How do you lay underside for a few hundred days in Lander other side for a few hundred days. How do you say what he said. How do you withstand the taunts of these people.
You can't unless the spirit of God enters you and and enables you something else.
I just I can't resist this look at look at verse three. I'm sending you to the children of who children of Israel to a rebellious what nation do you know what a glory is heard the term goi so some of you have your review of it. Give Jewish friends or you live in Jewish communities.
A goi is a Jewish word for a non-Jew or Gentile goi gene is the plural for lots of Gentiles or Gentile nations right. What's interesting is I'm sending you to the children of Israel to a rebellious goi team. He uses the term for Israel that Israel used for rebellious nations, i.e. the Gentile God says to me you are like they are to you rebellious against your God. When God spoke of pagans. He spoke of hot goi game, the nations chapter 3 verse one.
Moreover, he said to me, Son of Man, eat what you find, eat this scroll, and go speak to the house of Israel. You wouldn't expect parchment to taste very good. If you've ever eaten a piece of paper. Not good. Verse two so I open my mouth and he caused me to eat that scroll and goes on to say it was sweet to his taste, but there's a principle here. Anyone who speaks for God effectively must first internalize the truth of God for themselves. The preacher must preach first to the preacher and then to everybody else. Jeremiah 15 said your words were found, and I did eat them and they were to me the joy and the rejoicing of my heart, so he takes this message internalizes it is seen in this vision of the scroll or 17 of chapter 3 Son of Man. I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel therefore hear a word from my mouth and give them warning from me. In ancient times, a watchman was an important person in any city, a city in those days was a large is quite small. I city was a few acres with a wall around it and watched hours and it and watchman withstand in the watchtower and they would watch was adopted. They look out not easy to do that, you know we are. We stopped for a few moments we take out her phone because we can't stand her. The boredom we have to look at the screen matches watching watching watching watching watching no lodges to watch just watching out there to look for enemies to sound the alarm. They will call watchman in in Vineyards there was a little watchtower and and they got in the watchtower and they they watched from the watchtower. That's what they did their job was to watch, to see and to speak if there was a problem so that the term watchman is a really good description of what a prophet did in ancient times prophets were called prophets. They were called seniors in the early part of the Old Testament, the seer somebody who sees into the future and sees what the issue is with the people roadway is the Hebrew word for C a Sears and then they were called prophets.
The Hebrew would not be one who proclaims for God, but you put both those roles together somebody who watches, sees, and somebody who speaks if there's danger and you have the term watchman that's his job as a prophet watchman for the house of Israel and as a watchman he predicts in chapters 4 through 24. The fall of Jerusalem very graphically so become the second section in chapter 4 the correction of the problem. This is where the watchman tells the people in captivity. Hey you think we have a bad it's going to get worse. The city of Jerusalem, you're not going back anytime soon as Jeremiah has written you a letter already seem to be here 70 years.
He's right to be here long time not going back. In fact, the city of Jerusalem is going to be destroyed.
So chapter 4 verse one. You also Son of Man take a clay tablet and lay it before you and portray on it or draw a picture on this what clay city which city Jerusalem lay siege against the seeds wall against and keep up a mound against it said camps against it. Also, and place a battering ram or battering rams against it all around amend you member us kids playing with army men any anybody do that. I'm not ashamed to do some of the best days of my life playing in the front yard building little mounds and claim with army men.
Ezekiel got to do that. I was part of his calling.
Critical job right and what's my next sermon unify army you can argue to build a little model of the city and your dinner bill battering rams in the spring and make all his noises and and portray for the people. What is really going to happen over in the city of Jerusalem got play war verse four lie. Also on your left side like the iniquity of the house visible upon it. According to the number of the days that you lie on it you shall bear their iniquity for I have laid on you. The years of their iniquity. According to the number of the days 390 days, so you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.
You've completed them lie again on your right side and you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah 40 days I have laid on you a day for each year so I am guessing that he lay on one side facing north to depict the northern kingdom, and next on his other side facing south to depict the southern kingdom of Judah. The question I get asked whenever I go to the book of Ezekiel teaching through it is.
Did he lay there 24 hours a day, probably not secretive and then God would've had to supernaturally kept him from getting decubitus sores that any patient lying in one position for a long time to get probably just during the daylight hours.
The busiest part of the day. He laid on the side. Then he got up and went home did it again for number of days and then switch sides. My guess verse 12 and you shall eat, you shall eat it is the concoction estimate needed as barley cakes, and bake it using fuel CS to make these this meal of cakes using fuel of human waste. I don't want to be a prophet, I declare a nonprofit organization right right this is it. While Zeke is in the feel the same way the Lord said, so shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles of the words get so bad in Jerusalem and where I drive them in captivity later on. So I said Lord God indeed I have never defiled myself from my youth till now I've never eaten what died of itself was torn by B's or has abominable flesh ever come into my mouth, the sounds a lot like Peter when he saw those uncultured things in that vision he saw four-footed beasts coming down on the sheet and the Lord said rise, Peter kill and eat and he being obedient and acquiescent said not so, Lord, I've never done that.
What Ezekiel is saying is understandable, priests and kosher.
I don't do human dung.
I've never eaten like this. I've never eaten food like this.
Not so, Lord know what is going on. God is portraying what life is gonna be like when Jerusalem is under siege. Verse 15 then he said to me. See I am giving you Calgon in the Bible. Great you you who thought the Bible never has fun stuff and it is pretty cool. God is saying, and giving you Calgon is this just mark that instead of human waste and you shall prepare your bread over so what is God doing is making a gracious gracious concession that he can cook on on couch shifts Calgon was very gracious move or I should say a gracious move right for that to happen. Somebody says you can't resist. By the way, in the Middle East today. Some of the Arab tribes still cook over animal dung because of the scarcity of wood on it dries out in the user for fires this all the say the siege will be difficult. Chapter 6 verse seven describes the seeds of the slain shall fall in your midst, and you shall know that I am the Lord. That is a dominant theme in this book, you shall know that I am the Lord, 60 times in this book God is saying I'm going to get this message through your thick rebellious scrolls. I am the Lord is the purpose of the captivity to get them to know he is and it worked. When they returned from captivity. They never went into this blanket kind of idolatry ever again. That concludes Skip Heitzigs message from the series the Bible from 30,000 now we want to share about an exciting way you can help encourage a by keeping teachings like today's broadcast going strong. Do you want to see lost souls brought out of the darkness of this world to encounter the light of Jesus because that's what you make possible to your support today to Spring, thousands closer to Christ. If you help them grow in God's word so they can experience new life in hand. Now to share the good news of Jesus with more friends like you to connect with.com/donate to Gareth that connectwithskip.com/donate or call 800 9218 8892 to 18. Thank you.
Come back tomorrow skip-expose Ezekiel's prophecy that God would regather his chosen people and shares how God invites you to the castle, skip-visitation of connection communications to God's never changing to