FBC Morning Light – September 21, 2022

The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Weight of Prophecy

Well, good Wednesday morning to you, middle of the week, and I hope your week is going well for you. Well, you know, one of the most grievous times in Israel's whole entire history, I'm talking from the beginning to today, would have to be the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC.

That's not to downplay any of the other horrible things that have happened to Jewish people. You know, the Holocaust was absolutely horrific. But the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 was so devastating because this was the final collapse of the nation of Israel.

The final holdout of Israel has been destroyed. The city devastated. I mean, just completely wiped out. The temple destroyed. The palace destroyed. The walls of the city destroyed. It was a total destruction.

Now, the thing about that is, it was prophesied that it would happen years before it ever did. We're studying in our Sunday school, adult Sunday school class, studying the book of Isaiah, and recently we looked at the prophecy of Babylon's fall when Babylon didn't even exist yet.

But Ezekiel, in our reading today in Ezekiel chapter 21, Ezekiel's prophesying of the rise of the Babylonian Empire and its destruction and devastation that it's going to bring upon Israel, and particularly Judah and Jerusalem.

Why People Dismiss Bad Prophecy

But here's the thing about that. What typically happens when prophecy is given is it isn't believed. It just seems to be way too far-fetched. So, for example, in verse 7, after talking about using Babylon to destroy the land of Israel, the Lord says to Ezekiel, he says, Why are you sighing?

Here's Ezekiel, who's going to give an object lesson of sighing, because he knows what's going to come. And the Lord says,. But the people don't believe it. They just don't believe it. When prophecy is given, it seems to be so unlikely as to be absurd.

There's just no way. The predictions that are called for are so different from the status quo, so different from the way things are right now, that we can't imagine that this prophecy will ever come to pass.

But, the end of verse 7 says, Behold, it is coming, and it shall be brought to pass. It shall be brought to pass. And typically, the reason that people don't accept it, one of the reasons is because it seems so different from the way things are, but the other is people don't like to hear prophecy of bad news.

They don't like to hear the idea of a divine judgment coming upon a place. In fact, typically, when you think about a prophetic preacher who prophesies hellfire and brimstone, or prophesies doom of some kind, what's the stereotypical portrayal of such an individual?

Isn't he typically portrayed as a grumpy old man, kind of a guy who's just angry and lashing out at everybody? Yeah, and who wants to listen to that? Who wants to listen to someone like that? No, people typically dismiss any kind of prophecy that is bad news, any kind of prophecy of destruction.

So, like in verse 23, verse 23 says, it will be to them like a false divination in the eyes of those who've sworn oaths with them. In other words, people who hear this, it's going to seem to them like a false dream, a false prophecy.

The Fulfillment of Ezekiel's Warning

They're not going to buy it. They're not going to listen to it. They're not going to accept it. Now, that was a prophecy given by Ezekiel over 2 ,600 years ago, and it has come to pass. Babylon did come to Jerusalem, surrounded the city, destroyed the city, captured and took captive thousands of Jewish captives and sent them off into exile.

And the nation of Israel lay in ruins for years after that. The Lord said, it is coming, and it shall be brought to pass. You know, there are a lot of prophecies in the New Testament, and Old Testament for that matter, that have not yet come to pass.

We're still waiting for their fulfillment. And some of those aren't too pretty, aren't too pleasant to hear. But there they are. And this word that, you know, Ezekiel gives to the people who are asking him why he's sighing is a word that's still valid for us today.

The Certainty of God's Word for Believers and Unbelievers

It is coming, and it shall be brought to pass, says the Lord God. If God said it, he's purposed it, it's going to happen. That should really give us a great deal of confidence and comfort. The word of the Lord will come to pass.

Now, for those of us who are God's people, God has promised great prophetic promises for his people. We can rest in those. It is coming, it shall be brought to pass. So, you know Christ is your Savior, you're a follower of Christ.

Then rejoice in those promises, those prophecies that are sure to come to pass. And if you happen to be listening to me today, and you are outside of Christ, well, there are other prophecies that aren't so pleasant.

And you need to be aware that they shall come to pass. Turn to Christ. Turn to Christ today. Won't you do that? So, our Father and our God, we thank you for the faithfulness of your word. That it is trustworthy, and what you say will come to pass.

May we find confidence and comfort in that. We pray in Jesus' name, amen. All right, well, listen, have a good rest of your Wednesday, and God bless you in it.