S2E202-Ezekiel 31-36: Say It Again

Transcript Today's Bible Translation Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 31-32 NIRV; Ch. 33-36 GNT Associate Producer Timothy LaFontaine Podcast Introduction Today is Prophecy Friday. We’ll read Ezekiel 31-36. I’m calling this episode “Say It Again.” Design: Jason Paschall | Photo: Sharon Waldron on Unsplash Comments on Ezekiel 36-38  Have you noticed a recurring phrase here in Ezekiel? If you haven’t, you haven’t been listening. Sure, it’s God saying, “Then they will know that I am the Lord.” One of the time tested, successful teaching methods is repetition, right? The more often you hear information, the more likely it is that you will remember it. The more often you repeat a skill, the better you will get at performing that skill.  “Then they will know that I am the Lord.” Or sometimes God says, “Then you will know that I am the Lord.” Time and time again God says this. Why? Why does He put so much emphasis on this? Why does He need to have us know that He is God? Is it an ego thing? Does He need to be the most popular guy in the universe? Is he going for the most “Likes”? Let’s think for a moment about what we know about His plan. We know that before anything was created, I AM. (Not me, but God.) And I did not misspeak. Not God WAS. God is outside of time. He is always past, present and future. That’s why when Jesus talked of Himself, He said, “I AM.” So before anything was created, God exists. Because He is the God of creation, He created the universe and all that is in it. And He created mankind. Why did He do that? Because God is also Love. God wanted to love His creation and be loved by HIs creation. And because love involves choice, or free will, mankind was given the ability to choose to love or reject God.  God is Holy and perfect. By definition, He is without sin. Sin causes a separation from God. Mankind chose to sin, so God’s desire to have a loving relationship with man necessitated a way for the sin problem to be dealt with. Another of God’s characteristics is Justice. He is a just God. He could not ignore the sin. There had to be a way for the sin to be acknowledged by and answered for, or made reparation for, or punished. “Steve,” you say, “if God is love, why couldn’t He just ignore the sin? Why couldn’t He just forgive without demanding punishment?” There are at least two reasons. The first reason is because of the Justice part of God that we have already mentioned. The second is that ignoring sin is not love.  If, as a father, I told my toddler to stay out of the street, knowing that a car might come along and run him over, and then saw him wander into the street, willingly ignoring me, would it be love for me to ignore his disobedience? Of course not. So God made a way for mankind’s sin to be dealt with. The ultimate act of love was for God’s only Son to take the sin of the world on Himself, and He paid the price for my sin and yours. He was put to the most cruel death that mankind has yet devised.  And then, on the third day, He was raised from death to life. Why? “So that they would know that I am the Lord.” Over and over again, throughout the centuries, God’s message is, “I am the Lord”. Why? So that we will know who He is and what He has done in order to bring us into a loving relationship with Him. Have you accepted God’s gift of forgiveness? Do you know without a shadow of a doubt that you will spend eternity in Heaven? Hoping that your good deeds will outweigh your bad deeds is not the answer. You can’t earn your way to Heaven. One sin disqualifies you. The wages of sin is death. But Jesus died so you don’t have to. He offers forgiveness for all you sins, but you have to accept that gift. A gift does no good unless you accept it. You can look at the pretty box, but unless you accept it, open it and possess it, it isn’t really yours, is it? That’s what you  have to do with the forgiveness Jesus offers you.

Episode Transcript

Steve Webb (00:00):
I don't think so.
Coming to you from Riverside,California, this is the
Lifespring! One Year Bible, andpodcasting since 2004, I'm your
OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. It'sProphecy Friday and we'll read
Ezekiel 31 through 36. And I'mcalling the episode "Say It

(00:24):
Again." Let's pray before we getstarted. Our heavenly Father, we
thank you for your Word, and wethank you for our time together
to study and to learn, to get toknow you better. I pray that you
would bless our time together.In Jesus' name, amen. Okay,
let's begin.
Ezekiel, chapter 31. It was the11th year since King Jehoiachin

(00:48):
had been brought to Babylon as aprisoner. On the first day of
the third month, a message cameto me from the Lord. He said,
"Son of man, speak to PharaohHophra, the king of Egypt. Also
speak to his huge army. Tellhim, "'Who can be compared with
your majesty? Think about whathappened to Assyria. Once it was
like a cedar tree in Lebanon. Ithad beautiful branches that

(01:11):
provided shade for the forest.It grew very high. The top was
above all of the leaves. Thewaters fed it. Deep springs made
it grow tall. Their streamsflowed all around its base. They
made their way to all of thetrees in the fields. So it grew
higher than any other tree inthe fields. It grew more limbs.

(01:31):
Its branches grew long. Theyspread because they had plenty
of water. All of the birds ofthe air made their nests in its
limbs. All of the wild animalshad their babies under its
branches. All of the greatnations lived in its shade. Its
spreading branches made itmajestic and beautiful. Its
roots went down deep to wherethere was plenty of water. The

(01:53):
cedar trees in my garden were nomatch for it. The pine trees
could not equal its limbs. Theplane trees could not compare
with its branches. No tree in mygarden could match its beauty. I
gave it many branches. They madeit beautiful. All of the trees
in my Garden of Eden werejealous of it.'" So the LORD and
King says, "The cedar tree grewvery high. Its top was above all

(02:18):
of the leaves. It was proud ofhow tall it was. So I handed it
over to the Babylonian ruler ofthe nations. I wanted him to
punish it because it was soevil. I decided to get rid of
it. "The Babylonians cut it downand left it there. They did not
show it any pity at all. Some ofits branches fell on the
mountains. Others fell in all ofthe valleys. They lay broken in

(02:41):
all of the stream beds in theland. All of the nations on
earth came out from under itsshade. And they went on their
own way. All of the birds of theair settled on the fallen tree.
All of the wild animals movedamong its branches. "So trees
that receive plenty of watermust never grow so high that it
makes them proud. Their topsmust never be above the rest of

(03:02):
the leaves. No other trees thatreceive a lot of water must ever
grow that high. They areappointed to die and go down to
the earth below. They will jointhe other nations that go down
into the grave." The LORD andKing says, "Assyria was like a
cedar tree. But I brought itdown to the grave. On that day I
dried up the deep springs ofwater and covered them. I held

(03:24):
its streams back. I shut off itsrich supply of water. Because of
that, Lebanon was dressed indarkness as if it were clothes.
All of the trees in the fieldsdried up. "I brought the cedar
tree down to the grave. Itjoined the other nations that go
down there. I made the nationson earth shake because of the
sound of its fall. Then all ofthe trees of Eden were comforted

(03:47):
in the earth below. Thatincluded the finest and best
trees in Lebanon. And itincluded all the trees that
received plenty of water. Othersalso went down into the grave
along with it. That includedthose that lived in its shade.
And it included those nationsthat were going to help it. They
joined those who had been killedwith swords. "Which one of the

(04:09):
trees of Eden can be comparedwith you? What tree is as
glorious and majestic as youare? But you too will be brought
down to the earth below. Thereyou will join the trees of Eden.
You will lie down with those whohave not been circumcised. You
will be among those who werekilled with swords. "That is
what will happen to Pharaoh andhis huge armies," announces the

(04:31):
LORD and King.
Ezekiel, chapter 32. It was the12th year since King Jehoiachin
had been brought to Babylon as aprisoner. On the first day of
the 12th month, a message cameto me from the Lord. He said,
"Son of man, sing a song ofsadness about Pharaoh Hophra,
the king of Egypt. Tell him, "'You are like a lion among the

(04:52):
nations. You are like a monsterin the sea. You move around
wildly in your rivers. You churnthe water with your feet. You
make the streams muddy.'" TheLORD and King says, "I will use
a large crowd of people to throwmy net over you. They will pull
you up in it. Then I will throwyou on the land. I will toss you

(05:13):
into an open field. I will letall of the birds of the air
settle on you. I will let all ofthe wild animals eat you up. I
will scatter the parts of yourbody all over the mountains. I
will fill the valleys with yourremains. I will soak the land
with your blood. It will flowall the way to the mountains.
The valleys will be filled withthe parts of your body. When I

(05:36):
wipe you out, I will put a coverover the heavens. I will darken
the stars. I will cover the sunwith a cloud. The moon will stop
shining. I will darken all ofthe bright lights in the sky
above you. I will bring darknessover your land," announces the
LORD and King. "The hearts ofmany people will be troubled.
That is because I will destroyyou among the nations. You had

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never known anything about thoselands before. Many nations will
be shocked when they see whathas happened to you. Their kings
will tremble with fear when theyfind out about it. I will get
ready to use Nebuchadnezzar asmy sword against them. On the
day you fall from power, each ofthe kings will tremble with
fear. Each will be afraid he isthe next to die." The LORD and

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King says, "I will send againstyou the sword of the king of
Babylonia. I will destroy yourhuge army. They will be killed
with the swords of Babylonia'smighty soldiers. The soldiers
will not show them any pity.They will bring Egypt down in
all of its pride. Its hugearmies will be thrown down. I
will destroy all of its cattlefrom the places where they have

(06:42):
plenty of water. Human feet willnever stir the water up again.
The hoofs of cattle will notmake it muddy anymore. I will
let the waters of Egypt settle.I will make its streams flow
like olive oil," announces theLORD and King. "I will turn
Egypt into an empty land. I willstrip away everything in it. I
will strike down everyone wholives there. Then they will know

(07:05):
that I am the Lord. "That is thesong of sadness people will sing
about Egypt. Women from othernations will sing it. They will
sob over Egypt and its hugearmies," announces the LORD and
King. It was the 15th day of amonth near the end of the 12th
year since King Jehoiachin hadbeen brought to Babylon as a
prisoner. A message came to mefrom the Lord. He said, "Son of

(07:28):
man, sob over the huge army ofEgypt. Tell the Egyptians they
will go down into the earthbelow. The women singers from
the other mighty nations will godown into the grave along with
them and others. "Tell them,'Are you any better than others?
Since you are not, go downthere. Lie down with those who
have not been circumcised.'"They will fall dead among those

(07:51):
who were killed with swords.Nebuchadnezzar is ready to use
his sword against them. LetEgypt be dragged off together
with its huge armies. "Themighty leaders who are already
in the grave will talk aboutEgypt. They will also speak
about the nations that weregoing to help it. They will say,
'They have come down here. Theyare lying down with those who

(08:11):
had not been circumcised. Theyare here with those who were
killed with swords.' "Assyria isthere with its whole army. Its
king is surrounded by the gravesof all of its people who were
killed with swords. Their gravesare deep down in the pit.
Assyria's army lies around thegrave of its king. All those who
spread terror while they werealive are now dead. They were

(08:33):
killed with swords. "Elam isalso there. Its huge armies lie
around the grave of its king.All those who spread terror
while they were alive are nowdead. They were killed with
swords. They had not beencircumcised. They went down into
the earth below. Their shame islike the shame of others who go
down into the grave. "A bed ismade for Elam's king among the

(08:55):
dead. His huge armies lie aroundhis grave. They had not been
circumcised. They were killedwith swords. They had spread
terror while they were alive. Sonow their shame is like the
shame of others who go down intothe grave. They lie down among
the dead. "Meshech and Tubal arealso there. Their huge armies
lie around the graves of theirkings. They had not been

(09:18):
circumcised. They had spreadtheir terror while they were
alive. So they were killed withswords. "They lie down with the
other dead soldiers who had notbeen circumcised. They and their
weapons had gone down into thegrave. Their swords had been
placed under their heads. Theyhad spread their terror while
they were alive. But now theshame of their sin covers their

(09:39):
bones. "Pharaoh Hophra, you toowill be broken. You will lie
down among those who had notbeen circumcised. You will be
there with those who were killedwith swords. "Edom is also
there. So are its kings and allof its princes. In spite of
their power, they lie down withthose who were killed with
swords. They lie down with thosewho had not been circumcised.

(10:02):
They are there with others whowent down into the grave. "All
of the princes of the north arethere too. So are all of the
people of Sidon. They went downinto the grave in dishonor.
While they were alive, they usedtheir power to spread terror.
They had never been circumcised.But now they lie down there with
those who were killed withswords. Their shame is like the

(10:24):
shame of others who go down intothe grave. "Pharaoh and his
whole army will see all of them.That will comfort him in spite
of the fact that his huge armieswere killed with swords,"
announces the LORD and King. "Ilet Pharaoh spread terror while
he was alive. But now he and hishuge armies will be buried with
those who had not beencircumcised. They will lie down

(10:45):
there with those who were killedwith swords," announces the LORD
and King.
Ezekiel, chapter 33. The Lordspoke to me. “Mortal man,” he
said, “tell your people whathappens when I bring war to a
land. The people of that countrychoose one of their number to be
a lookout. When he sees theenemy approaching, he sounds the

(11:06):
alarm to warn everyone. Ifsomeone hears it but pays no
attention and the enemy comesand kills him, then he is to
blame for his own death. Hisdeath is his own fault, because
he paid no attention to thewarning. If he had paid
attention, he could haveescaped. If, however, the
lookout sees the enemy comingand does not sound the alarm,
the enemy will come and killthose sinners, but I will hold

(11:28):
the lookout responsible fortheir death. “Now, mortal man, I
am making you a lookout for thenation of Israel. You must pass
on to them the warnings I giveyou. If I announce that an evil
person is going to die but youdo not warn him to change his
ways so that he can save hislife, then he will die, still a
sinner, and I will hold youresponsible for his death. If

(11:51):
you do warn an evil person andhe doesn't stop sinning, he will
die, still a sinner, but yourlife will be spared.” The Lord
spoke to me. “Mortal man,” hesaid, “repeat to the Israelites

what they are saying (12:03):
‘We are burdened with our sins and the
wrongs we have done. We arewasting away. How can we live?’
Tell them that as surely as I,the Sovereign Lord, am the
living God, I do not enjoyseeing sinners die. I would
rather see them stop sinning andlive. Israel, stop the evil you
are doing. Why do you want todie? “Now, mortal man, tell the

(12:27):
Israelites that when someonegood sins, the good he has done
will not save him. If an evilperson stops doing evil, he
won't be punished, and if a goodman starts sinning, his life
will not be spared. I maypromise life to someone good,
but if he starts thinking thathis past goodness is enough and
begins to sin, I will notremember any of the good he did.

(12:50):
He will die because of his sins.I may warn someone evil that he
is going to die, but if he stopssinning and does what is right
and good— for example, if hereturns the security he took for
a loan or gives back what hestole—if he stops sinning and
follows the laws that give life,he will not die, but live. I

(13:10):
will forgive the sins he hascommitted, and he will live
because he has done what isright and good. “And your people
say that what I do isn't right!No, it's their way that isn't
right. When someone righteousstops doing good and starts
doing evil, he will die for it.When someone evil quits sinning
and does what is right and good,he has saved his life. But

(13:32):
Israel, you say that what I doisn't right. I am going to judge
you by what you do.” On thefifth day of the tenth month of
the twelfth year of our exile,someone who had escaped from
Jerusalem came and told me thatthe city had fallen. The evening
before he came, I had felt thepowerful presence of the Lord.

(13:53):
When the man arrived the nextmorning, the Lord gave me back
the power of speech. The Lordspoke to me. “Mortal man,” he
said, “the people who are livingin the ruined cities of the land

of Israel are saying (14:04):
‘Abraham was only one man, and he was
given the whole land. There aremany of us, so now the land is
ours.’ “Tell them what I, theSovereign Lord, am saying: You
eat meat with the blood still init. You worship idols. You
commit murder. What makes youthink that the land belongs to
you? You rely on your swords.Your actions are disgusting.

(14:28):
Everyone commits adultery. Whatmakes you think that the land is
yours? “Tell them that I, theSovereign Lord, warn them that
as surely as I am the livingGod, the people who live in the
ruined cities will be killed.Those living in the country will
be eaten by wild animals. Thosehiding in the mountains and in
caves will die of disease. Iwill make the country a desolate

(14:50):
wasteland, and the power theywere so proud of will come to an
end. The mountains of Israelwill be so wild that no one will
be able to travel through them.When I punish the people for
their sins and make the countrya wasteland, then they will know
that I am the Lord.” The Lordsaid, “Mortal man, your people

(15:10):
are talking about you when theymeet by the city walls or in the
doorways of their houses. Theysay to one another, ‘Let's go
and hear what word has come fromthe Lord now.’ So my people
crowd in to hear what you haveto say, but they don't do what
you tell them to do. Lovingwords are on their lips, but
they continue their greedy ways.To them you are nothing more

(15:31):
than an entertainer singing lovesongs or playing a harp. They
listen to all your words anddon't obey a single one of them.
But when all your words cometrue—and they will come
true—then they will know that aprophet has been among them.”
Ezekiel, chapter 34. The Lordspoke to me. “Mortal man,” he
said, “denounce the rulers ofIsrael. Prophesy to them, and

(15:54):
tell them what I, the SovereignLord, say to them: You are
doomed, you shepherds of Israel!You take care of yourselves, but
never tend the sheep. You drinkthe milk, wear clothes made from
the wool, and kill and eat thefinest sheep. But you never tend
the sheep. You have not takencare of the weak ones, healed
the ones that are sick, bandagedthe ones that are hurt, brought

(16:16):
back the ones that wandered off,or looked for the ones that were
lost. Instead, you treated themcruelly. Because the sheep had
no shepherd, they werescattered, and wild animals
killed and ate them. So my sheepwandered over the high hills and
the mountains. They werescattered over the face of the
earth, and no one looked forthem or tried to find them.

(16:37):
“Now, you shepherds, listen towhat I, the Lord, am telling
you. As surely as I am theliving God, you had better
listen to me. My sheep have beenattacked by wild animals that
killed and ate them becausethere was no shepherd. My
shepherds did not try to findthe sheep. They were taking care
of themselves and not the sheep.So listen to me, you shepherds.

(16:58):
I, the Sovereign Lord, declarethat I am your enemy. I will
take my sheep away from you andnever again let you be their
shepherds; never again will Ilet you take care only of
yourselves. I will rescue mysheep from you and not let you
eat them. “I, the SovereignLord, tell you that I myself
will look for my sheep and takecare of them in the same way as

(17:20):
the shepherds take care of theirsheep that were scattered and
are brought together again. Iwill bring them back from all
the places where they werescattered on that dark,
disastrous day. I will take themout of foreign countries, gather
them together, and bring themback to their own land. I will
lead them back to the mountainsand the streams of Israel and
will feed them in pleasantpastures. I will let them graze

(17:43):
in safety in the mountainmeadows and the valleys and in
all the green pastures of theland of Israel. I myself will be
the shepherd of my sheep, and Iwill find them a place to rest.
I, the Sovereign Lord, havespoken. “I will look for those
that are lost, bring back thosethat wander off, bandage those
that are hurt, and heal thosethat are sick; but those that

(18:05):
are fat and strong I willdestroy, because I am a shepherd
who does what is right. “Nowthen, my flock, I, the Sovereign
Lord, tell you that I will judgeeach of you and separate the
good from the bad, the sheepfrom the goats. Some of you are
not satisfied with eating thebest grass; you even trample
down what you don't eat! Youdrink the clear water and muddy

(18:28):
what you don't drink! My othersheep have to eat the grass you
trample down and drink the wateryou muddy. “So now, I, the
Sovereign Lord, tell you that Iwill judge between you strong
sheep and the weak sheep. Youpushed the sick ones aside and
butted them away from the flock.But I will rescue my sheep and
not let them be mistreated anymore. I will judge each of my

(18:50):
sheep and separate the good fromthe bad. I will give them a king
like my servant David to betheir one shepherd, and he will
take care of them. I, the Lord,will be their God, and a king
like my servant David will betheir ruler. I have spoken. I
will make a covenant with themthat guarantees their security.
I will get rid of all thedangerous animals in the land,

(19:12):
so that my sheep can live safelyin the fields and sleep in the
forests. “I will bless them andlet them live around my sacred
hill. There I will bless themwith showers of rain when they
need it. The trees will bearfruit, the fields will produce
crops, and everyone will live insafety on his own land. When I
break my people's chains and setthem free from those who made

(19:34):
them slaves, then they will knowthat I am the Lord. The heathen
nations will not plunder themany more, and the wild animals
will not kill and eat them. Theywill live in safety, and no one
will terrify them. I will givethem fertile fields and put an
end to hunger in the land. Theother nations will not sneer at
them any more. Everyone willknow that I protect Israel and

(19:57):
that they are my people. I, theSovereign Lord, have spoken.
“You, my sheep, the flock that Ifeed, are my people, and I am
your God,” says the SovereignLord.
Ezekiel, chapter 35. The Lordspoke to me. “Mortal man,” he
said, “denounce the country ofEdom. Tell the people what I,

the Sovereign Lord, am saying: “I am your enemy, mountains of (20:17):
undefined
Edom! I will make you a desolatewasteland. I will leave your
cities in ruins And your landdesolate; Then you will know
that I am the Lord. “You wereIsrael's constant enemy and let
her people be slaughtered in thetime of her disaster, the time
of final punishment for hersins. So then—as surely as I,

(20:41):
the Sovereign Lord, am theliving God—death is your fate,
and you cannot escape it. Youare guilty of murder, and murder
will follow you. I will make thehill country of Edom a wasteland
and kill everyone who travelsthrough it. I will cover the
mountains with corpses, and thebodies of those who are killed
in battle will cover the hillsand valleys. I will make you

(21:04):
desolate forever, and no onewill live in your cities again.
Then you will know that I am theLord. “You said that the two
nations, Judah and Israel,together with their lands,
belonged to you and that youwould possess them, even though
I, the Lord, was their God. Sothen, as surely as I, the
Sovereign Lord, am the livingGod, I will pay you back for

(21:26):
your anger, your jealousy, andyour hate toward my people. They
will know that I am punishingyou for what you did to them.
Then you will know that I, theLord, heard you say with
contempt that the mountains ofIsrael were desolate and that
they were yours to devour. Ihave heard the wild, boastful
way you have talked against me.”The Sovereign Lord says, “I will

(21:48):
make you so desolate that thewhole world will rejoice at your
downfall, just as you rejoicedat the devastation of Israel, my
own possession. The mountains ofSeir, yes, all the land of Edom,
will be desolate. Then everyonewill know that I am the Lord.”
Ezekiel, chapter 36. The Lordsaid, “Mortal man, speak to the

(22:11):
mountains of Israel and tellthem to listen to the message
which I, the Sovereign Lord,have for them: Israel's enemies
gloated and said, ‘Now thoseancient hills are ours!’
“Prophesy, then, and announcewhat I, the Sovereign Lord, am
saying. When the neighboringnations captured and plundered
the mountains of Israel,everyone made fun of Israel. Now

(22:32):
listen to what I, the SovereignLord, say to you mountains and
hills, to you brooks andvalleys, to you places that were
left in ruins, and to youdeserted cities which were
plundered and mocked by all thesurrounding nations. “I, the
Sovereign Lord, have spoken outin the heat of my anger against
the surrounding nations, andespecially against Edom. With

(22:53):
glee and contempt they capturedmy land and took possession of
its pastures. “So prophesy tothe land of Israel; tell the
mountains, hills, brooks, andvalleys what I, the Sovereign
Lord, am saying in jealous angerbecause of the way the nations
have insulted and humiliatedthem. I, the Sovereign Lord,
solemnly promise that thesurrounding nations will be

(23:15):
humiliated. But on the mountainsof Israel the trees will again
grow leaves and bear fruit foryou, my people Israel. You are
going to come home soon. I am onyour side, and I will make sure
that your land is plowed againand crops are planted on it. I
will make your population grow.You will live in the cities and
rebuild everything that was leftin ruins. I will make people and

(23:38):
cattle increase in number. Therewill be more of you than ever
before, and you will have manychildren. I will let you live
there as you used to live, and Iwill make you more prosperous
than ever. Then you will knowthat I am the Lord. I will bring
you, my people Israel, back tolive again in the land. It will
be your own land, and it willnever again let your children

(24:00):
starve. “I, the Sovereign Lord,say: It is true that people say
that the land eats people andthat it robs the nation of its
children. But from now on itwill no longer eat people and
rob you of your children. I, theSovereign Lord, have spoken. The
land will no longer have tolisten to the nations making fun
of it or see the peoples sneerat it. The land will no longer

(24:24):
rob the nation of its children.I, the Sovereign Lord, have
spoken.” The Lord spoke to me.“Mortal man,” he said, “when the
Israelites were living in theirland, they defiled it by the way
they lived and acted. I regardedtheir behavior as being as
ritually unclean as a woman isduring her monthly period. I let

(24:44):
them feel the force of my angerbecause of the murders they had
committed in the land andbecause of the idols by which
they had defiled it. I condemnedthem for the way they lived and
acted, and I scattered themthrough foreign countries.
Wherever they went, they broughtdisgrace on my holy name,
because people would say, ‘Theseare the people of the Lord, but
they had to leave his land.’That made me concerned for my

(25:08):
holy name, since the Israelitesbrought disgrace on it
everywhere they went. “Now then,give the Israelites the message
that I, the Sovereign Lord, havefor them: What I am going to do
is not for the sake of youIsraelites, but for the sake of
my holy name, which you havedisgraced in every country where
you have gone. When Idemonstrate to the nations the

(25:28):
holiness of my great name—thename you disgraced among
them—then they will know that Iam the Lord. I, the Sovereign
Lord, have spoken. I will useyou to show the nations that I
am holy. I will take you fromevery nation and country and
bring you back to your own land.I will sprinkle clean water on
you and make you clean from allyour idols and everything else

(25:50):
that has defiled you. I willgive you a new heart and a new
mind. I will take away yourstubborn heart of stone and give
you an obedient heart. I willput my spirit in you and will
see to it that you follow mylaws and keep all the commands I
have given you. Then you willlive in the land I gave your
ancestors. You will be mypeople, and I will be your God.

(26:12):
I will save you from everythingthat defiles you. I will command
the grain to be plentiful, sothat you will not have any more
famines. I will increase theyield of your fruit trees and
your fields, so that there willbe no more famines to disgrace
you among the nations. You willremember your evil conduct and
the wrongs that you committed,and you will be disgusted with
yourselves because of your sinsand your iniquities. Israel, I

(26:36):
want you to know that I am notdoing this for your sake. I want
you to feel the shame anddisgrace of what you are doing.
I, the Sovereign Lord, havespoken.” The Sovereign Lord
says, “When I make you cleanfrom all your sins, I will let
you live in your cities againand let you rebuild the ruins.
Everyone who used to walk byyour fields saw how overgrown

(26:58):
and wild they were, but I willlet you farm them again.
Everyone will talk about howthis land, which was once a
wilderness, has become like theGarden of Eden, and how the
cities which were torn down,looted, and left in ruins, are
now inhabited and fortified.Then the neighboring nations
that have survived will knowthat I, the Lord, rebuild ruined

(27:18):
cities and replant waste fields.I, the Lord, have promised that
I would do this—and I will.” TheSovereign Lord says, “I will
once again let the Israelitesask me for help, and I will let
them increase in numbers like aflock of sheep. The cities that
are now in ruins will then be asfull of people as Jerusalem was

(27:38):
once full of the sheep whichwere offered as sacrifices at a
festival. Then they will knowthat I am the Lord.”
Beloved, have you noticed arecurring phrase here in
Ezekiel? If you haven't, youhaven't been listening? Sure,
it's God's saying, "Then theywill know that I am the Lord."
One of the most time-testedsuccessful teaching methods is

(28:00):
repetition, isn't it? The moreoften you hear information, the
more likely it is that you'llremember it. The more often you
repeat a skill, the betteryou'll get at performing that
skill. "Then they will know thatI am the Lord." Or sometimes God
says, "Then you will know that Iam the Lord." Time and time
again. God says this. Why? Whydoes he put so much emphasis on

(28:22):
it? Why does he need to have usknow that he is God? Is it an
ego thing? Does he need to bethe most popular guy in the
universe? Is he going for themost likes? Well, let's think
for a moment about what we knowabout his plan. We know that
before anything was created, IAM. (Not me, but God, of
course.) And I did not misspeaknor did he. Not God WAS. God is

(28:46):
outside of time. He is alwayspast, present, and future.
That's why when Jesus talked ofhimself, he said, "I AM." So
before anything was created, Godexists. Because he is the God of
creation, he created theuniverse and all that's in it.
And he created mankind. Why didhe do that? It isn't something I

(29:07):
would have done knowing howmankind would turn out, but God
created mankind because he islove. God wanted to love his
creation and be loved by hiscreation. And because love
involves choice or free will,mankind was given the ability to
choose to love or reject God.Now, God is holy and perfect. By

(29:30):
definition, he's without sin.Well, sin causes a separation
from God. Mankind chose to sin,so God's desire to have a loving
relationship with mannecessitated a way for the sin
problem to be dealt with.Another of God's characteristics
is justice. He is a just God. Hecouldn't just ignore the sin.

(29:53):
There had to be a way for thesin to be acknowledged by and
answered for or made reparationfor or punished. You say, "Steve
if God is love, why couldn't hejust ignore the sin? Why
couldn't he just forgive withoutdemanding punishment?" Well,
there's at least two reasons.The first reason is because of
the justice part of God thatwe've already mentioned. The

(30:15):
second is that ignoring sinisn't love. If as a father, I
told my toddler to stay out ofthe street, knowing that a car
might come along and run himover, and then I saw him wander
into the street, willinglyignoring me, would it be love
for me to ignore hisdisobedience? I don't think so.
So God made a way for mankind'ssin to be dealt with. The

(30:39):
ultimate act of love was forGod's only Son to take the sin
of the world on himself. And hepaid the price for my sin and
yours. He was put to the mostcruel death that mankind has yet
devised. And then on the thirdday, he was raised from death to
life. Why? "So that they wouldknow that I am the Lord." Over

(31:00):
and over again throughout thecenturies, God's message is, "I
am the Lord." So that we willknow who he is, and what he has
done in order to bring us into aloving relationship with him.
Have you accepted God's gift offorgiveness? Do you know without
a shadow of a doubt that you'llspend eternity in heaven? Hoping

(31:21):
that your good deeds willoutweigh your bad deeds isn't
the answer. You can't earn yourway to heaven. One sin
disqualifies you. The wages ofsin is death. It doesn't say the
wages of a lot of sin is death,or it doesn't say if your good
deeds just aren't enough to makeup for your bad deeds. The wages
of sin is death. But Jesus diedso that we don't have to. He

(31:44):
offers forgiveness for *all* ofyour sins, but you have to
accept that gift. A gift does nogood unless you accept it. You
can look at the pretty box, butunless you accept it, open it,
and possess it, it really isn'tyours is it? That's what you
have to do with the forgivenessJesus offers. How do you do it?
You have to believe. You have toask for it. A simple prayer is

(32:08):
all it takes. If you believewhat Jesus said of himself if
you believe that he died foryour sins if you believe that
he's the Son of God and lived asinless life and that he died on
the cross and was raised againon the third day, and you're
ready to turn away from yoursins and you want him to be your
Lord and Savior, you just haveto ask. Have you done that? If

(32:29):
not, now's a great time to doit. There's no time like the
present because tomorrow isn'tguaranteed to anyone. Pray this
prayer with me. Begin yourrelationship with him now. You
can pray out loud or in thequietness of your heart. Now
don't misunderstand. There's nomagic in these words. What's
important is what is in yourheart. But by saying this

(32:50):
prayer, you're putting a mark onthe calendar. This is the day
that I accepted Jesus. So prayafter me. Jesus, I want to
follow you. I know that I'm asinner, and I'm sorry. I turn
from my sins now, and I ask youto forgive me. I know that you
died in my place and that yourose from death on the third
day. Lord, please come into mylife now and be my Lord and my

(33:14):
Savior. Make me the person youwant me to be. I give you my
life now, Lord. Amen. Well, ifyou prayed that prayer and you
meant it, then congratulations,you are now a child of God.
Christianity is not about areligion. It's about a
relationship. And your newestbest relationship has now begun.

(33:34):
And there's rejoicing in heavenright now because of your
decision. Now, I want to helpyou get a great start with God.
I would like to send you a copyof the New Believer's Bible at
absolutely zero charge. It's theNew Living Translation, which I
like very much, and it's full ofhundreds of notes written by
Greg Laurie of HarvestMinistries. If you prayed that

(33:55):
prayer, send me an email [e-mail]. And
I'll send it right out to you. Ijust need your name and address.
I won't share your informationwith anybody and I won't put you
on a mailing list. You'll get nospam, nothing like that. I just
want you to have this Bible sothat you can get started on the
right foot. I would love to hearyour thoughts your questions.

(34:18):
Call the Lifespring FamilyHotline at [phone], or
go tocomment.lifespringmedia.com or
send a boostagram with yourcomment or question. Tomorrow
will be Gospel Saturday andwe'll read Luke 21 and 22.

(34:43):
We've got an Associate Producerto thank today. Timothy
LaFontaine came in with hismonthly $20 donation. Thank you
Timothy and God bless you.

Announcer (34:51):
Boostagram.

Steve Webb (34:53):
And also Sister Denise sent of 5000 sat Loaves
and Fishes boostagram for the"Leviticus 16-18: Go and Sin No
More" episode and she just said,simply, "Thank you for your
courage." And the day before shesent a 20,013 sat boostagram on

the "Psalms 84-86 (35:10):
Do It Anyway" episode, which was episode 200
of this season. And she sentthis message, "Congratulations
on 200 episodes in season 13."Well, thank you for those,
Sister Denise. God bless you.And thank you so much, Denise,
too, for doing all thetranscripts. That is not a small
amount of work. I appreciateyou. And the last time I looked

(35:33):
the Lifespring!, One Year Biblewas at number six on the
Fountain Top 50 list. How coolis that? Thank you to everyone
who's boosting and streamingthose sats. And by the way,
Fountain is doing a lot topromote this list in an effort
to help people find podcasts tolisten to. So, praise the Lord!
This is a really awesome thing.This list is not based on
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(35:56):
support, real people send totheir favorite podcasts. So
again, thank you so very much,and keep it going because you
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(36:18):
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And an added bonus when yousupport this show is that you're
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Jingle (36:42):
Lifespringmedia.com/support

Steve Webb (36:45):
I'll thank you and I believe that God will bless you.
Remember, this coming Sundaywill be the next time of prayer
requests and praises. So call inyour prayer request at
951-732-8511 or go toprayer.lifespringmedia.com or
email me [e-mail]. And

(37:07):
that's also where you can go toshare praises that would
encourage the rest of theLifespring family to hear how
God is working in your life.
Thanks again to Sister Denise,and Michael Haner, Scott Snider,
Jason Paschall, today's artists,and Sister Brittaney. And thanks

(37:30):
to today's Associate Producer,Timothy LaFontaine, and the
Lifespring family members whostream sats and send boosts
because you guys helped to makethis episode possible. And,
Beloved, thank you forcontinuing to make the
Lifespring! One Year Bible partof your day. I don't take it for
granted, believe me. And now,until tomorrow, may God bless
you richly. My name is SteveWebb. Bye.

Jingle (37:56):
Boost. Boo-oost! Boost? Boost. Boost represents the
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