Weeping for Those Who Lead Us

Ezekiel 19:5-9

Applied to the current lament, the phrase “same song second verse” could not be truer. In 19:5-9 a different lion is chosen, but his actions and consequences are similar to those of the first. The ruler identified with this lion is debatable. The possibilities include Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah (2 Kgs 23:34–24:20). Of those three candidates Jehoiakim is the only one who was not exiled from Jerusalem. If the lioness image is pressed, then Jehoahaz and Zedekiah shared the same mother whose name was Hamutal (2 Kgs 23:31; 24:18). If the lioness image refers to Judah itself, then Jehoiachin could be considered one of her cubs. Regardless, the second lion devoured people, devastated their strongholds, and destroyed their cities (Ezek 19:6-7). What is unclear is whether these acts were carried out on his enemies or enacted on his own people because of his evil leadership.

The consequences of the second lion’s behavior will be the same discipline as for the first lion but in a different destination. Instead of being carried to Egypt, the second lion will be yoked or put in a cage and led away to Babylon (v. 9). The roar of this lion will never be heard in Israel again, which simply means his time as the leader of God’s people is done.

What drove the second lion to his actions? Pride. Ezekiel says the second lion prowled or strutted among the lions (v. 6). Jehoiachin and Zedekiah were 18 and 21, respectively, when each became king. As leaders, both men did what was evil in the Lord’s sight (2 Kgs 24:9,19). Nothing drives these actions more than pride. To not regard what God says is holy is not only foolish but the height of arrogance. Both of these kings made decisions as if they were not accountable to Another for the stewardship of their reign. Unfortunately, their pride not only led to their own downfall but also to the destruction of many others (Ezek 19:7).

What should we do if someone leads us who is full of pride? We should pray for God to humble them, perhaps not in the same manner as Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 4:28-33) but certainly with the same result: “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and glorify the King of heaven, because all His works are true and His ways are just. He is able to humble those who walk in pride” (Dan 4:37). We should pray for them to be led to give God glory rather than seek their own (Acts 12:23). We should pray for the fear of the Lord and true knowledge to be produced in their lives (Prov 1:7). We should pray for them to understand that all authority has been given to Christ (Matt 28:18). Ezekiel 19 is a strong testimony that “pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall” (Prov 16:18). Above all, if our leaders are going to take pride in something, let us pray it is “in the name of Yahweh our God” (Ps 20:7).

As ministers we need to pay careful attention to everything in Ezekiel 19 but the issue of pride in particular. There is no place for arrogance in the pastorate. If your congregation is growing, it is due to the Master Builder’s doing His work more than your being especially skilled or wise (Matt 16:18). Every fruit of Christ produced in the congregation you lead is due to the Spirit of Christ using the Word of Christ. When our time of leadership is complete, I hope we can all point to our humble service (Acts 20:19) and our singular boast in the “cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal 6:14).

We Should Weep for Our Leaders

When They Refuse to Listen to God

Ezekiel 19:10-14

The image in the lament shifts from a lioness to a vine. The vine grows strong due to its proximity to plentiful waters and produces many strong branches that are fit for the scepters of rulers (vv. 10-11). Pride consumes the branches, so the vine is uprooted and replanted in a dry and thirsty land (vv. 11-13). Fire from the main branch has consumed the fruit of this vine with the result that there is no longer a branch strong enough for a scepter (v. 14).

The vine in these verses is Judah, and the branches for ruling represent the Davidic line. God placed Judah in a prime location for prosperity and growth. From David to Zedekiah, 22 kings came from Judah. But as we saw in Ezekiel 15, vines that fail to produce fruit have little other use (15:1-8). The evil leadership of Judah’s kings has stored up God’s wrath, and now He will uproot the vine “in fury” (19:12).

The sentence of doom falls heaviest in verse 14. Stuart notes, “Verses 2-9 spoke of the end of the reigns of two kings; verses 10-14 speak of the end of the reigns of all the kings. If this is the case, it is almost certain that the ‘fire’ of verse 14 is Zedekiah himself” (Stuart, Ezekiel, 162–63). Zedekiah could have submitted to the Lord’s plan (27:12-15), but he refused to listen. His legacy in the lineage of David will be as the guy who brought the family down in a blaze of glory. I use the phrase “will be” because at the time of Ezekiel 19, the events of verses 10-14 were still in the future. Ezekiel is told to sing the funeral song, though, because Zedekiah’s doom is certain. He will refuse the Lord’s calls to repent and to submit to Nebuchadnezzar’s leadership, and as a result he will bring many people to ruin.

What can we do if our leaders refuse to listen to God? We can first of all pray that God will silence all false counsel in his or her ears. Zedekiah’s counselors were advising him in direct contrast to the Lord’s revelation (2 Kgs 27:14). Zedekiah decided to accept their worldview over God’s. For our leaders we should pray they will give most attention to the Ancient of Days rather than men whose lives are but a vapor. If our leaders are refusing to heed the Lord’s wisdom, then we should pray and ask God to do for our leader what they cannot do for themselves. We should ask God to turn their hearts toward His instruction and incline their wills toward His (Prov 21:1). Zedekiah was not the only Davidic king who refused to listen to God, but he would be the last one for his generation. We should pray for our leaders who refuse to listen to God to repent before the opportunity to do so is removed.

Conclusion

Unlike Ezekiel 17, Ezekiel 19 ends without any promise of a planting of a sprig or any mention of a forthcoming shepherd-prince (34:23). If this were the only chapter in Ezekiel addressing the Davidic line, then we would be inclined to think the reign of this family is finished. I believe the Lord wants the heaviness of the situation to weigh on those who are listening to Ezekiel. The majority of their leaders have been evil, and now the time of their reign is over.

Ezekiel’s audience most likely has questions. Is David’s line done forever? Will we have a deliverer? First, God does not have to repeat His promises for them to hold true. What God said in Ezekiel 17 has not changed based on His declarations in Ezekiel 19. He does not need to be reminded to plant a sprig of hope (17:22). The cedar shoot originated in His heart and not theirs. I believe God does not add anything to this lament because His focus is just that—lamenting. He wants His people to weep for the wretched leadership they have endured. Hope has been provided in other places in Ezekiel and that hope is certain. In Ezekiel 19 the time has come for grief. Our appreciation for deliverance is in proportion to our understanding from what we have been delivered. Knowing that Christ is our substitute does not mean we should think less of the gravity of sin’s cost. Perhaps if we paused and considered the wretchedness of sin more, we would not so easily run to it.

Second, God’s people should not be looking for deliverance to come from an earthly ruler but from their heavenly One. God alone rescues His people. The announcing of the burned branches means deliverance from man is impossible but not deliverance from God. He brings beauty from ashes every day. Ultimately, God will deliver His people and give them the greatest King possible from David’s line (34:23).

Lastly, we must ask, What kind of leaders are we in our homes and our jobs? Are we leaders who know God’s Word but are rejecting it? Are we leaders who are full of pride and attribute our accomplishments to our own greatness? Are we leaders who think we can devise a better plan than God? How would our children describe our leadership? What phrases would our coworkers use to describe the way we lead in our jobs? We should not read Ezekiel 19 and merely grieve for Israel’s lack of godly leaders, but we should also seek God’s empowerment so that what was true of them will never be said of us. Wragg exhorts,

It is the godly character of a leader that determines the level of beneficial and long-term influence in spiritual matters. If others are to be effectively launched in a God-ward direction a leader must ignite the fuel of his own intimate walk with Jesus Christ. (Wragg, Spiritual Leadership, 21)

Reflect and Discuss