Calvary: the Hill Sermons

This week in Ezekiel, God has tasked His prophet to bring a word regarding Egypt. God assures that His judgment will lead the people of Egypt to know that He is the true God. Despite this, God sends a written lament for Egypt, its fallen allies, and for Pharaoh himself.

When Jesus and His disciples celebrate the Passover, Jesus proves to be the ultimate fulfillment of the feast the Jewish people have celebrated for generations. His coming death on the Cross will seal Him as the true Passover Lamb (Mark 14:12-25).

Ezekiel's ministry of prophecy continues as God tells him a parable surrounding two women, Oholah and Oholibah, figures representing Judah and Israel respectively. Prophecies surrounding the siege of Jerusalem, and the nations of Ammon and Tyre are given to Ezekiel and in the midst of his prophetic career, his wife passes away.

When the chief priests and scribes are looking for a way to stealthily arrest and execute Jesus, they will find an ally in Jesus' apostle Judas. But before Mark tells that story, he first wants to pause and tell of the anointing at Bethany so we can see what's really going on (Mark 14:1-11).

Israel's continued rebellion has warranted judgment from God. Ezekiel is dispatched to tell God's people how God has temporarily replaced their promise of Holy dominion with divine judgment. But, as always, God promises to restore Israel to their place of grace.

In this final installment of our Politics by Design series, we learn that there is no simple cookie cutter paradigm for politics in the life of a disciple, but rather that the formation of laws and the applications therein must be based on deep consideration.

God describes His people as a faithless bride. The nation's idolatry is likened to adultery and prostitution. Even so, God promises to take back His people and restore them from their shame. God also speaks a parable of two eagles and the planting of a vine, this represents Jerusalem's betrayal of their arrangement with Babylon and the consequential backlash she received for it.

Love is God's brand. If we are to live in our society as image-bearers of God, all things, including our politics, must be done on brand. We learn in 1 John that our acts of love to people act as the very materialization of God's invisible love in the here and now (1 John 4:7-12).

Ezekiels ministry of performance art prophecy continues as he crawls through the wall of Jerusalem blindfolded and trembles as he eats. Through this, God means to show the people of Israel how their exile correlates with their blindness in idolatry. God also promises swift judgement upon the false prophets and names Jerusalem a fruitless vine.

We look to Job who is upheld in his community as an elder and public servant. In seeing his standard for justice, we learn how the people of God can't turn blind eyes from the needy (Job 29:11-17; 31:13-23).

God shows Ezekiel that there are idols and abominations in His temple and that His people had put them there. God promises judgment upon His workers who are given to idolatry. God's glory leaves the temple not to return. God also promises judgement upon the wicked counsellors in Israel who advise falsely.

Even though our exile is temporary, God calls us to care about our countries and be exemplary citizens. Our callings in this world are to be worshippers, watchdogs, witnesses, and waiters (Jeremiah 29:4-7).

Ezekiel is restrained as a prophet, he may only speak what God has commanded him to speak. What he has been told to prophesy is the coming judgment and seizure of Israel. In so doing, Ezekiel has spoken contrarily against the other prophets who claim that no such seizure should come. Through Ezekiel, God tells His people that His judgment is coming swiftly.

Governments are a limited good, but what about when government goes bad? Jesus disarmed the powers on His Cross so we need not fear government even at its worst and most demonic; when it claims to be divine (Colossians 2:15).

Ezekiel has a vision of God's throne roaming over the world and God calls him to be a prophet to the people of Judah who remain in the land after the destruction of the city.

When Jesus' enemies turn Him over to the leader of the Gentiles, we see that it is actually Pontius Pilate on trial; not Jesus. Jesus' kingdom is not from this world and His kingdom turns this one on its head. As representatives of Jesus' kingdom, we must operate in accordance to it (John 18:18-19:16).

At the landing of the Ark, God institutes the first letter of human government -the death penalty. We see in our study today that all human law, beginning with this first instance originates with the protective heart and nature of God (Genesis 9:1-17; Romans 13:1-7).

The book of Jeremiah concludes with God's people being exiled to Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar. The temple is destroyed and the city of Jerusalem is in ruins. Yet, hope glimmers when Jehoiachin, the last survivor of the Davidic line is released from prison.

In order to best understand how a disciple of Jesus is to view politics, we must start at the beginning (Genesis 1:26-28).

Jeremiah's prophecies continue as God speaks words unto the nations of the world. God rebukes the nations for their false security in the world and its systems. In response, God Himself will show his supremacy over them, yet still He provides the hope of redemption.

At the close of 2019, we look to the book of Jeremiah, not for 'the' vision, but 'a' vision for the coming year. In accordance to Jeremiah's prophecy, we're challenged to build all security upon our relationship with God rather than any other worldly glory (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

Though every Christmas since has been awaited and anticipated, the first Christmas was anything but expected. In Jesus, God gave the world a Gift no one knew we needed.

Now that Jerusalem has fallen, many are tempted to abandon the holy land and flee to Egypt. Despite Jeremiah's warnings to not go there, he himself is carried away to Egypt. Next, Jeremiah continues to prophesy against God's people's idolatry.

In regard to the end times, Jesus creates a tension between certain signs of the end and the uncertain arrival of those signs. Within that tension, how shall we live knowing what we know and not knowing what we don't? Jesus gives one charge --to stay awake (Mark 13:28-37).

Jeremiah warns king Zedekiah of the coming judgment and is soon imprisoned for his troubles. Cast to the bottom of a cistern, Jeremiah sank down waiting to die before he's rescued only to warn Zedekiah once more. Prophecy turns to reality when Jerusalem is destroyed, but Jeremiah stays in the city to continue his ministry.