Collierville First Baptist Church

Dr. Chuck Herring | Acts 4:23-31

Dr. Chuck Herring | Ezekiel 37:15-28ONE KINGDOM UNDER ONE KING Here’s a summary statement I want you to get firmly fixed in your mind and heart…Ezekiel clearly envisioned the transformed land of Israel in chap. 36 and the national resurrection of Israel in chap. 37.[1]1. Two Sticks Become One StickEzekiel 37:15–17… The word of the Lord came again to me saying, 16 “And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write on it, ‘For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.’ 17 “Then join them for yourself one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand.”(16) And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write on it, ‘For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions’— At God’s instruction, Ezekiel took two sticks. On one was writing identifying it with Judah and on the other was writing identifying it with Ephraim (that is, Israel). The sticks represented the kingdom of the northern ten tribes (Israel) and the kingdom of the southern two tribes (Judah).§ In Ezekiel’s day the northern kingdom had been conquered and destroyed for some 150 years. Yet God still considered them a people, even though they were scattered among the nations.§ “Incidentally, these same scriptures show the folly of the ten lost tribes.… The prophets all recognized the northern tribes as still in existence and knew of no such error as ‘lost’ tribes.” (Feinberg)Isaiah 49:5–6… And now says the Lord, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the Lord, And My God is My strength), 6 He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” § Joseph represents the ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel. The tribe of Ephraim was the largest and most influential tribe of the northern kingdom. In fact, several times in the Old Testament the northern kingdom was called Ephraim. Jeroboam, the first king of the northern kingdom, was from the tribe of Ephraim. (17) Then join them for yourself one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand—God told Ezekiel to join the two sticks together so they would become one.“Certainly no basis exists in this text for the strange Mormon teaching that the sticks refer to two scrolls. According to the convoluted interpretation of this cult, Ezekiel was prophesying that one day the Book of Mormon (the stick or scroll of Ephraim) would be joined to the Bible (the stick or scroll of Judah) to form the complete revelation of God.” (Smith)This new section begins with a command to perform a symbolic action (vv 16–17) and continues with a question and answer format that in Ezekiel is used to create a hinge between a symbolic action and its meaning.2. The Meaning Of The Joined SticksEzekiel 37:18–20… “When the sons of your people speak to you saying, ‘Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?’ 19 say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.” ’ 20 “The sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes. (18) Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?— Ezekiel’s audience among the exiles were somewhat mystified by this acted-out prophecy. Perhaps they wondered what God would do with the northern kingdom (Joseph/Ephraim) some 150 years after their apparent extinction. (19) Make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand—Here’s the meaning. When God would ultimately restore the tribes of Israel, He would restore them all. That which was previously divided in the days of Rehoboam (1 Kings 12-14) would be restored as one. Douglas Stuart observed…The north and the south of Israel had not been unified politically since the revolt of Jeroboam, after the death of Solomon in 931 b.c., nearly 350 years prior to this prophecy. Since 722 b.c., when the north lost its political identity and was annexed by the Assyrians, and especially since 586 b.c., when Judah had also fallen, the idea of a reunified Israel of the sort that David and Solomon had ruled over in the ninth century would have seemed ludicrous to any observer of international events in Ezekiel’s day.This prophecy about the two kingdoms again becoming one and never ever again becoming divided would have provided immense assurance that the Lord was not through with His covenant people. He does have a plan for Israel in the last days.

Dr. Chuck Herring | Romans 13:8-14 | 11-05-23cfbcfamily.org

Dr. Chuck Herring | Ezekiel 37:1-14Interesting things happen in cemeteries. Tonight, I want us to take a trip with the prophet Ezekiel to a very unusual one to say the least. Keep in mind that He is writing to God’s covenant people who are in exile in Babylon. They’ve been there for several years, and they are incredibly discouraged even bordering on sheer hopelessness (37:11). Is there a future for Israel? Some say, “No, for all these OT prophecies must be applied spiritually to the church.” Wait. These prophecies are too detailed to be “spiritualized” and applied only to the church today. Jesus taught a future for the Jews (Luke 22:29-30); so did Paul (Rom. 11); and so did John (Rev. 7:4-8, 14:1-5).[1]Ezekiel 37 easily may be divided into two sections by the introductory phrases “the hand of the Lord was upon me” in v. 1 and “the word of the Lord came again to me” in v. 15. This chapter illustrates Israel’s failed past, frustrated present, and future hope. With that in mind, let’s focus on an unusual vision that has often been referred to as…1. The Valley of Dry BonesEzekiel 37:1–3… The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. 3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” (1) The hand of the LORD came upon me: Ezekiel’s remarkable prophetic experience is not specifically called a vision, but it certainly has all the markings of a vision. Notice how the Scripture emphasizes that “He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD.” (1) In the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones: This was truly Death Valley; the floor of the valley was covered with human bones. The people represented by these bones were Jews and they were not only dead; they were also disgraced. (In the thinking of ancient Israel, an unburied corpse with exposed remains was a shocking disgrace to the dead.) (2) They were very dry: These dry bones are not only dead; they have been dead for a long time. When something or someone has been dead for so long, we give up hope that it will ever live again. It was a picture of utter defeat and desolation. What a vivid description of the Jewish people! [2](3) Can these bones live? Here’s the crux of the issue. Can a dead and impotent nation in exile and under the control of a godless nation be resurrected and become a living, thriving kingdom once again?One might hope that a recently dead corpse might somehow be resuscitated. However, no one hopes that scattered, detached bones might live. Ezekiel responded to God’s question the only way he could, saying “O Lord GOD, You know.”§ Ezekiel had no hope for the bones, but he did have hope in God.§ Ezekiel did not presume to know what God wanted to do with the bones.§ Ezekiel was confident that God did know.2. Speaking Life To Dead Bones.Ezekiel 37:4–6… Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’ 5 “Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. 6 ‘I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord.’ ” (4) Prophesy to these bones: In the previous verse, Ezekiel deliberately left the matter with God, to His power and wisdom. In turn, God gave the prophet something to do. God commanded him to speak, to prophesy, to preach to the dry, dead bones. By all outward observation this was a vain and foolish act. (4) O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD: Ezekiel could only preach this message by faith—faith in God’s ability to do the impossible. knew God’s word had supernatural power. (5) Behold I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life: God promised to fill the dry bones with breath—the breath of life. (6) I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive: God promised to raise the Jewish people to life again. This was not the creation of life from nothing; it was the restoration of life to something that had been long dead.The word for “breath” means wind or spirit. Here is a promise that God would one day give the Holy Spirit to His covenant people under the blessings of the New Covenant…Ezekiel 36:24–28… “For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. 25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in

Dr. Chuck Herring | 1 Corinthians 11:23-32Collierville, TN

Dr. Chuck Herring | Ezekiel 36:16-38Why is there so much antisemitism in the world? Zechariah 12:1–3… The burden of the word of the Lord concerning Israel. Thus declares the Lord who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him, 2 “Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. 3 “It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it. After discussing Israel’s sinful past (vv. 16–21), Ezekiel laid out the nation’s future restoration.1 I want you to see that his presentation is divided into three parts (verses 22,33,37) and each of them is introduced with these words—“Thus says the Lord God.” This passage unfolds the process and the benefits of the restoration of Israel as a nation. However, one thought dominates this portion of prophetic Scripture—God’s primary motivation is to vindicate His holy name before the watching nations. God refuses to allow the nations to interpret the desolation of Israel’s land and the dispersion of the Jewish people as any type of reflection on His inability to execute His sovereignty and to accomplish His ultimate purposes for His chosen people. God is speaking to a people he has blessed in remarkable ways, yet a people who have spurned him. He accuses them of defiling the land (Ezek. 36:17). This they did by their conduct and their action of ignoring God.2 Ezekiel 36:16–21… Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, 17 “Son of man, when the house of Israel was living in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. 18 “Therefore I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. 19 “Also I scattered them among the nations and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them. 20 “When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord; yet they have come out of His land.’ 21 “But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went. Before dealing with Israel’s restoration and future cleansing, Ezekiel reminded the exiles of their past sin which ushered in their judgment in the first place. The Jewish people were guilty of polluting God’s land and profaning God’s name! The polluting and profaning were like a menstrual discharge that rendered a woman ceremonially unclean and defiled everything she touched (Lev. 15:19–23).3 These verses clarify what the Scripture means here… Ezekiel 16:36… Thus says the Lord God, “Because your lewdness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered through your harlotries with your lovers and with all your detestable idols, and because of the blood of your sons which you gave to idols.” Ezekiel 23:37–39… “For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. Thus they have committed adultery with their idols and even caused their sons, whom they bore to Me, to pass through the fire to them as food. 38 “Again, they have done this to Me: they have defiled My sanctuary on the same day and have profaned My sabbaths. 39 “For when they had slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary on the same day to profane it; and lo, thus they did within My house.” Israel in the north and Judah in the south were exiled because of their idolatry described here as spiritual adultery. Even in their exile they profaned God’s holy name. That is, they did not glorify God in those foreign lands. The Babylonians would have concluded that Yahweh was a weak God because he allowed his people to be conquered and his temple to be destroyed. Ezekiel 36:22–23… “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. 23 “I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.” The revelation of God’s name or character was a major aspect of God’s dealing with Israel from the beginning.4 Exodus 9:13–16… Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 14 “For this time I will send all My plagues on you and your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. 15 “For if by now I

Dr. Chuck Herring | Ezekiel 36:1-15Like a well-worn baseball, the world seems to be coming apart at the seams. I don’t need to remind you of that. You’ve read or worse, seen the horrific images of Hamas violence against Israelis. Women were raped, babies beheaded, hostages were taken, and people were tortured. Over 1,300 were massacred. Over 3,400 were injured and 200+ were kidnapped. 16 million Jews worldwide are mourning the worst attack since the Holocaust.The IDF is poised on the border of Gaza with the full intention of destroying the terrorist group, Hamas, while at the same time giving innocent Palestinians a chance to get out of harm’s way. America has sent aircraft carriers and even troops to make sure that other nations do not get involved. As a result, Iran has unleashed wicked threats against both Israel and America. Hezbollah in Lebanon is firing rockets into northern Israel, and they are threatening to open a northern front in this expanding war. It seems that the entire Middle East is a tinder box that is ready to explode at any moment. What are the prophetic implications of all of this? Open your Bible to Ezekiel. This is one of those books in the Bible that attracts you with its vivid imagery, symbolism, parables, allegories, and apocalyptic visions. However, when you actually start to read it, you suddenly realize that it’s hard to understand. Before we jump into our study, I want to read Psalm 83. Here are a few references to Gaza in the Bible…Genesis 10:19… The territory of the Canaanite extended from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; as you go toward Sodom and Gomorrah and Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. Judges 1:18–19… And Judah took Gaza with its territory and Ashkelon with its territory and Ekron with its territory. 19 Now the Lord was with Judah, and they took possession of the hill country; but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had iron chariots. Amos 1:6–7… Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions of Gaza and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they deported an entire population To deliver it up to Edom. 7 “So I will send fire upon the wall of Gaza And it will consume her citadels. Zechariah 9:5… Ashkelon will see it and be afraid. Gaza too will writhe in great pain; Also Ekron, for her expectation has been confounded. Moreover, the king will perish from Gaza, And Ashkelon will not be inhabited. Ezekiel was a priest by vocation, married, and among those exiled to Babylon. His name means “God strengthens” and he was a contemporary of Daniel. God called him to confront the root causes of their sinful rebellion against God and their failure to listen to God’s Word and to obey it. His Spirit-inspired book may be divided into three sections, following the prophet’s call in 1–3…(1) God’s judgment on Jerusalem, 4–24(2) God’s judgment on the surrounding nations, 25–32(3) God’s restoration of the Jews in the kingdom, 33–48.[1]Have you ever tried to skip rocks across the surface of a lake? It hits the surface and then takes to the air again. The process is repeated until it just runs out of steam. That’s what we’re going to do tonight. We’re going to skip through Ezekiel 36 touching down at significant points in the text. We’ve already seen how the book itself breaks down. Now, I want you to see how the chapter itself seems to breaks down …(1) The Promise to renew the land of Israel –Verses 1-15(2) The Promise to renew the people of Israel –Verses 16-38Okay, with this in mind, let’s dive into the first section which deals with the renewal of the land of Israel.Ezekiel 36:1–7… “And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. 2 ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Because the enemy has spoken against you, ‘Aha!’ and, ‘The everlasting heights have become our possession,’ 3 therefore prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “For good reason they have made you desolate and crushed you from every side, that you would become a possession of the rest of the nations and you have been taken up in the talk and the whispering of the people.” ’ ” 4 ‘Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the forsaken cities which have become a prey and a derision to the rest of the nations which are round about, 5 therefore thus says the Lord God, “Surely in the fire of My jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and with scorn of soul, to drive it out for a prey.” 6 ‘Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, “Thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and in My wrath because you have endured the insults of the nations.’ 7 “Therefo

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Dr. Chuck Herring | 01-15-23 | 2 Peter 1:1-11

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Dr. Chuck Herring | 01-01-23 | Revelation 1:4-6

Dr. Chuck Herring | December 25, 2022 | Luke 2:1-20