Ezekiel lived in a time of international crisis and conflict. Assyria was the world power in the area under the rule of Tiglath-pilesar III. In 724 B.C Israel raged war upon Assyria, and Israel was no match for Assyria. In 627 B.C the last of the able Assyrian rulers, Ashurbanipal died. Following the death of Ashurbanipal, Babylon under Nebuchadrezzer II wanted independence from Assyria. In 614 B.C the Assyrians under Nineveh surrendered to the rising Babylonians. In 605 B.C the Babylonians defeated the Egyptians and established themselves as the leading power in the area. During all of this warring, Judah allied itself with Babylonia and kept her independence. However, in 597 BCE, after failing to continue their payment of tribute, Babylonia besieged Jerusalem. Nebuchadrezzer II, king on Babylonia, installs a puppet king, Zedekiah, in order to keep the Judeans in line. Nevertheless, Zedekiah rebels also. In 586, Babylonia exiles the most of the rulers and people of Judah to Babylonia, leaving only the poorest, and decimates Jerusalem, including the temple. Since the people believed the “Zion Theology,” which said Jerusalem is God’s choice of Zion and the monarchy comes from David, exile left the Judeans completely lost. The responses varied among the exiled Judeans, since they assumed that they were safe, after the temple wasn’t destroyed during the first destruction of Jerusalem and the fall of Israel. One response was lament, a feeling or an expression of grief, over their loss. Another was anger towards the Babylonians. A further response was anger toward neighbors who failed to aid them. Moreover, some Judeans turned to Marduk, chief god of the gods of Babylonia, figuring that he overpowered Yahweh, the god of the Judeans. Finally, the Judeans thought judgment had befallen them for their sins against Yahweh and Yahweh revoked his protection of Jerusalem. The Judeans remained in exile, until 538 BCE.
Ezekiel, son of Buzi, a Zadokite priest, received his call to prophesy at around 593 BCE, along the Chebar River at the village of Tel-abib. “As I [Ezekiel] looked, a stormy wind can out of the north; a great cloud with brightness around it and fire flashing forth continually…He said to me, Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel.” (Cook 1182-1184). Carried captive during the 597 BCE Exile, Ezekiel by some accounts made the “torturous trek to Meso...
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...him and give them new hearts that will not turn away and new spirits that will obey. Then they can renew their covenant with God and return to the land that he promise Abraham, then Moses. Furthermore, they can be once again God’s children, like the Prodigal son.
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When someone tells you they have experienced something "life changing" what lingers through your mind? Mine is November 10, 2010 12:04pm; This was the first 24 hour period when my mother’s ability to act single-handedly on her health became theoretical; Failing to recall whether she took her pills in the morning was no longer acceptable. My mother had undergone a surgery due to various cancerous cells that grew in both her thyroids. Having removed the right and left side, doctors informed her after this procedure she must consume two white pills everyday, for the rest of her life. The purpose of these pills
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Ezekiel lived in a time of international crisis and conflict. Assyria was the world power in the area under the rule of Tiglath-pilesar III. In 724 B.C Israel raged war upon Assyria, and Israel was no match for Assyria. In 627 B.C the last of the able Assyrian ruler, Ashurbanipal died. Right after the death of Ashurbanipal, Babylon under Nabopolassar wanted independence from Assyria. In 612 B.C the Assyrians under Nineveh surrendered to the rising Babylonians. In 605 B.C the Babylonians were at war against the Egyptians. The Babylonians won and they established themselves as the leading power in the area. During all of this Judea allied with the Babylonians and with this Judea kept her independence. During the last century before Judea was destroyed it was ruled by four rulers and of those rulers, all but Josiah were wicked. Josiah was committed to God and led Judea to him. All the others did not heed the warnings of Ezekiel and Jeremiah from God, and the rulers of Judea chose to rebel against God. God punished Judea by sending Nebuchadnezzar’s army to crush the nation of Judea and flatten the city of Jerusalem.
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The book of Ezekiel is expansive and has many encounters between nations, individuals and communities. It is also the embodiment of the life of ...
The jurors’ room is not a very large room and to make matters worse they are in the middle of a heat wave. The condition of the building is in poor working order there is no air conditioner and the only fan available is broken. As the jury members try to deal with the unbearable heat it does not take long before the restless jury men take a vote. Eleven out twelve jurors find the boy guilty as charged; however Juror #8 refuses to convict this young boy because he believes there is reasonable drought. It is up to Juror #8 Henry Fonda, to convince the other members of the jury to go back through and revisit the evidence. As the group begins to sort through the facts their attitudes and viewpoints begin to produce enormous conflict. Juror #8 Fonda, refuses to back down he knows all too well that the fate of the young boy lies in their hands.
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