Series: Questions
Title: Shall Covenant-Breakers Prosper? (2 of 2)
Text: Ezekiel 17: 1-24
Date: June 14, 2020
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Our subject is a question God asks a sinner—concerning a sinner
who breaks a covenant, his oath, his vow:
Ezekiel 17: 15: Shall he prosper?
shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant,
and be delivered?
Title: Shall Covenant-Breakers Prosper?
Ezekiel 17: 11: Moreover
the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 12: Say now to the rebellious house,
Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king
of Babylon [Nebuchadnezzar, the first great eagle] is come to Jerusalem, and
hath taken the king thereof, [Jeconiah] and the princes thereof, and led them
with him to Babylon; 13: And hath taken of the king’s seed, [Zedekiah—made king
in Jeconiah’s place] and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of
him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land: 14: That the kingdom might be base, that it
might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might
stand. 15: But [Zedekiah] rebelled against
him [Nebuchadnezzar] in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, [Pharaoh] that they
might give him horses and much people. 15: Shall he prosper? shall he escape
that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be
delivered?
16: As I live, saith the Lord GOD, [God
swears by himself] surely in the place where the king dwelleth
that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even
with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die. 17: Neither shall Pharaoh with his
mighty army and great company make for him in the war, by casting up mounts,
and building forts, to cut off many persons: 18: Seeing he despised the oath by
breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these
things, he shall not escape. 19: Therefore thus
saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised,
and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own
head. 20: And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare,
and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead [reason] with him there for his
trespass that he hath trespassed against me. 21: And all his fugitives with all
his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered
toward all winds: and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken it.
God brought Zedekiah, king of Judah, under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar,
he took an oath, vowing to remain humble under Zedekiah’s rule. For a while he did and God prospered him. Then Zedekiah broke his covenant, despised
his oath by looking to Pharaoh in Egypt to save him from Nebuchadnezzar. The question God asks is, “Shall he
prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant,
and be delivered?”
Fact is, you and
I who believe, as well as all sinners are covenant breakers who have despised
our oaths—and whatever covenants we have entered. Not one sinner under the old testament ever
kept the covenant of works in his flesh—from Adam until the day the veil split
in two: not Adam, not Moses, not David, not Ezekiel and not today. Even if they dotted every I and crossing
every T of the law outwardly—not one ever kept the covenant of works, not even
the apostle Paul who said outwardly “as touching the law was blameless”. The blood of lambs never put away sin, only
ceremonially until the next offering. And
to keep that covenant of works our sins must be put away.
Hebrews 10:1: For the law having a
shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never
with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the
comers thereunto perfect.
You and I who
believe God have never kept a single covenant from the heart perfectly—not old
testament law nor any covenant entered into in our lifetime. Shall the covenant breaker prosper? What if a believer breaks some earthly
covenant that God hates—shall he prosper?
Every person
who breaks covenant, even if only in his heart, lies to God and must die under
the holy judgment of God. Some shall die
in their flesh and go to hell under the judgment of God as did Zedekiah. Others were crucified in Christ by the grace
of God and constrained in their hearts by Christ’s love to repent from their
sins and cast all care on Christ. Only
the sovereign grace of God makes the difference—that same grace constrains a
believer to honor our covenant’s outwardly.
But what if at
true believer breaks their covenant, shall they escape? Shall a believer
prosper anytime we turn to our sinful flesh from Christ? No, God shall chasten us with sore chastening
and bring us to repentance. The reason God
brought Judah under Babylonian captivity was for his elect who God loved to
chasten them
Proposition: Since Christ
fulfilled the old covenant of works on behalf of his people and brought us
under the covenant of grace, God our Father will chasten those he loves to keep
his believing child looking only to Christ—that is what I want to show from
this passage.
CHASTENING TO HUMBLE
Ezekiel 17: 3:…[the
king of Babylon] came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar 6…he
placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree…14:
That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that
by keeping of his covenant it might stand.
God’s purpose in
chastening his child is to humble his child.
Notice how God describes the people of Judah. God called Judah Lebanon because of their
pride—Lebanon was place of proud cedars.
God chastened his elect to bring them down from being proud cedars to
make them weeping willows—he declares that in the last verses of the chapter. He brings down the lofty tree of our flesh and
dries it up that the kingdom might be base—humbled. That it might not lift itself up in pride.
Be sure get this. God does not correct his
saints because his child has to keep a covenant of works—he corrects us to keep
us looking to Christ alone, in whom the everlasting covenant is ordered in all
things and sure.
Think how offensive this was to the king. He is king of the choicest tribe, Judah, of
the choicest house, the house of David. Consider
how degrading to be carried captive to dwell in Babylon. What a blow to his pride! But God was humbling his true people in Judah. God often chastens you and I who believe due
to pride; pride is enemy number one and God hates it.
Brethren, when God puts us in trying
situations the pain is usually our fleshly pride. But remember how the Son of God willingly came
down to this degrading place? Remember, Christ willingly put himself in painful
circumstances to save us? Christ did so willingly! How did the Lord Jesus save his people: by
pride or humility? By humble obedience
to God his Father.
Philippians 2: 3: Let nothing be done through strife or
vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4: Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of
others. 5: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6: Who, being
in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7: But made
himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made
in the likeness of men: 8: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled
himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Though Christ is God,
in perfect humility, our Righteous Savior became the Father’s servant, to fulfill
his Father’s will.
John 5:30: I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my
judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which
hath sent me.
John 6:38: For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the
will of him that sent me.
When the trial causes great pain then use it
to remember the pain Christ suffered to redeem you, believer—Christ perfected
God’s will by dying the shameful cross. Oh, how painful? The shame of sin, the wrath of the Father, separation
from God. Yet what did Christ pray in
the garden of Gethsemane?
Matthew 26:39: And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and
prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless
not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Hebrews 10: 9: Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh
away the first,[covenant of works] that he may establish the second. [covenant
of grace] 10: By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the
body of Jesus Christ once for all.
When God chastens us believer, he places us
in a place or circumstance we may not like.
If you are in a relationship where you face difficulty then consider
that it may be God humbling you. So wait on God to work in that person. If you are at work with a superior who is
abusing their power. Remember, it may be
God is humbling you. So wait on God to
work in that boss. If we have sickness
or pain. It could be God is humbling us.
So wait on God.
Never rise up in pride like Zedekiah and try
to deliver ourselves from the trial. Remember
God is doing this—I cannot get out from under God’s hand. Remember, God is saving me from me—from my
pride, from my sinful nature, from my will and my works back to Christ.
Zedekiah took matters into his own hands. He was saying I do not care what God says. He broke his covenant because of sinful fleshly
wants. It was the lusts of his flesh. He
lifted his hand against God in utter pride by breaking his covenant. That is what we do when we run from the trial
and turn from God’s covenant of grace and/or break a covenant in earth.
Wait on God to exalt us in due time. After
Christ humbled himself under God’s hand, after accomplishing God’s will.
after suffering the cross and redeeming his people from all iniquity—when God’s
will be accomplished, we read,
Philippians 2: 9: Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given
him a name which is above every name:
Peter knew this didn’t he? He said,
1 Peter 5: 5:…Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed
with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6: Humble
yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due
time: 7: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
That is how we should deal with every trial. Humble ourselves under God’s might hand,
casting all our care on Christ.
NOT TO DESTROY BUT FOR GOOD
Ezekiel 17: 5:...plant
[them] in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters.…8: It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring
forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine.
When God chastens,
remember, it is not to destroy his child.
It is for our good. Even in
chastening, God remembers mercy for his chosen.
God ruled Nebuchadnezzar to put his chosen people in a fertile place
where they could profit.
Brethren, when God
brings you into a trial under his chastening hand, God is still providing our needs—not
fleshly wants but needs. Christ is still
our righteousness before God. God’s
everlasting covenant of grace has not changed.
And God provides our temporal needs as well
Psalm 37:25
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous
forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
Notice what happened while
Zedekiah humbled himself under Nebuchadnezzar’s hand—Ezekiel 17: 6: And it
grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward
him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought
forth branches, and shot forth sprigs
When God chastens
with perplexing, painful providence, remember God’s grace is sufficient right where
you are. Our salvation is not in the
circumstances. Our salvation is not a
change of conditions. Our salvation is God’s all-sufficient grace! God’s grace provides even in the midst of
trials. For example, God gave Paul a
thorn in the flesh to buffet him—to cause Paul pain and humble him.
2 Corinthians 12: 7: And lest I should be exalted above measure through
the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the
messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8: For
this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9: And he
said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect
in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that
the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10: Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities,
in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s
sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Our Lord Jesus prayed
three times in the garden of Gethsemane.
That is how—as the GodMan—he knew how to comfort Paul. What happened to
our Savior when he prayed three times? God the Father sent an angel to
strengthen the Lord Jesus. Christ
shall send the Spirit of God and strengthen you, believer.
WHAT AM I DOING?
Ezekiel 17: 15 But he rebelled against him in
sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much
people.
If I rebel against
God’s chastening hand what am I doing? If
I outwardly break a covenant or oath in this life what am I doing? Egypt were their former captives. If we break an
earthly covenant or turn from the everlasting covenant to our works or rebel
during chastening then we are looking to Egypt—to our sinful flesh—from which
God already delivered us. The king of Judah
rebelled because of sinful fleshly “wants” rather than his “needs.” He thought the grass was greener on the other
side. If we
do that we are looking to our will, our works, our wisdom—away from the Lord
Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Shall covenant-breakers
prosper? God has already delivered his
child from the bondage of our Egyptian sinful flesh in Christ so he will not allow
us to prosper in our sinful flesh. It
would result in us being totally overcome by our sin-nature. Our faithful heavenly Father will not allow
that.
Also, remember, if I break
a covenant and oath or vow to some person we are breaking a covenant with God—Ezekiel
17: 19: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely mine oath
that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I
recompense upon his own head. Though
our covenant to another person, it is to God.
Therefore, to break it I am lying to God, despising God. In truth, Zedekiah wanted out from under God’s
hand. So do we when our sinful flesh overcomes
us. It is what we do when we break a vow
or run into sin. We sin against Christ. We turn from his everlasting covenant of
grace back to the covenant of works. It
is what we do when we rebel against God’s chastening hand of providence. We are never justified to rebel against God out
of discontent over the trial God has sent us.
SHALL WE PROSPER?
Ezekiel 17: 15: Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such? or shall he break
the covenant, and be delivered?
Shall God allow a true child of God to prosper if he rebels against God
in his sinful flesh? When Zedekiah broke
his covenant, God brought him to the feet of the king for judgment: Nebuchadnezzar
killed his children, plucked his eyes out and he died in Babylon. But the Lord Jesus bore that judgment for his
people. He has fulfilled the everlasting
covenant of redemption for us. So instead
of judgment, God shall sorely chasten his child in mercy and bring us back to
the feet of Christ in love.
God shall mortify our flesh—Ezekiel 17: 9:…it shall wither in all the
leaves of her spring, [when we think we will prosper, have our way, God will
make our flesh and its fruit wither] even without great power or many people
to pluck it up by the roots thereof. 10: Yea, behold, being planted,
shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it
shall wither in the furrows where it grew. It is so painful. But it is best when God mortifies our sinful
flesh, breaking our plans by his grace and love.
When we sin
against God the grass never turns out to be greener on the other side. Our rebellion causes lasting divisions in the
earth. It causes lasting pain (the sword
never left David’s house). But if we are God’s child then God shall chasten his
child and bring us to repentance to Christ’s feet.
Shall we escape? Shall he break
the covenant and be delivered?—Ezekiel 17: 16: As I live, saith the
Lord GOD. Thank God, he swears by
himself in everlasting covenant grace because he can swear by no greater. God promises his child of mercy the opposite
of what he promised Zedekiah. I have
added some words to show you the opposite so we see it is in grace that God brings
us to Christ—Ezekiel 17: 16…surely in the place where the king dwelleth
that made him king, [Christ is the King who made us kings by his blood] whose
oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, [our sin is despising Christ’s
oath and covenant; we break a covenant to God.
But this is God’s unchanging grace to his people in Christ] even
with [Christ our King] in the midst of [heavenly Jerusalem] he
shall [live].
Listen to the rest of God’s unchangeable covenant of mercy—Ezekiel
17: 17: Neither shall Pharaoh [neither shall our sinful nature] with his
mighty army and great company make for him in the war, by casting up mounts,
and building forts, to cut off many persons: 18: Seeing [he] despised the
oath by breaking [turning from God’s everlasting covenant of grace,]…he
shall not escape. [sovereign Love
arrest that child of God and mortify his flesh!] 19: Therefore thus
saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised,
and my covenant that he hath broken, even [this sin have I already] recompensed
[not] upon his own head. [but upon the head of his Substitute, Christ
Jesus] 20: And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my
snare, and I will bring him to [Christ in heavenly Jerusalem by sovereign
grace and mercy], and will [reason with him] there for his trespass
that he hath trespassed against me. [when God reasons with his child what
happens?] 21:…and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken it.
This is God’s unchangeable covenant of grace toward his redeemed
because—Ezekiel 17: 22: [God]…planted [Christ our Substitute and Head]
upon an high mountain and eminent: 23: In the mountain of the height of
Israel
When God does this work in his child for Christ’s sake he—Ezekiel 17:
24: [brings] down the high tree [of our sinful flesh], exalts the low tree
[of our inward man], dries up the green tree [of our sinful flesh] and
makes the dry tree [of our inward man to be renewed and] to flourish:
[then he makes us know] I the LORD have spoken and have done it.
Then what shall the believer do when he sees his trespass and sees
Christ has born it away on his behalf? The
same thing he did the first time
Zechariah 12: 10…they shall look upon
me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for
his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness
for his firstborn.
This is the unchanging, unchangeable sovereign love of God in Christ
which brings us to repentance. No child
of God shall turn from the covenant of grace and escape. God shall constrain us inwardly to
repentance, and turn us to Christ alone
Proverbs 3: 5: Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto
thine own understanding. 6: In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall
direct thy paths.
Amen!