I turn with me again to God's Word in the seventh chapter of Ezekiel, the portion we read, and directing you for our text this evening to the words that we find here at verse 16. Ezekiel 7, 16. But they that escape of them shall escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning every one for His iniquity. Ezekiel chapter 7 and the 16th verse, But they that escape of them shall escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning every one for his iniquity. We know that the ministry of Ezekiel the prophet was for those who were taken into captivity in Babylon.

That remnant that the Lord spared and that the Lord saved and it is those that are being spoken of here in the verse that we've just read as our text. In fact, the paragraph that's marked from 16 through 19 refers quite definitely to that particular people in distinction from the great mass of the ancient people of God. It's a solemn chapter and very much speaks of that awful judgment that was to fall upon them.

The opening words Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Also thou son of man, thus hath the Lord God of the land of Israel an end. The end is come upon the four corners of the land. Now is the end come upon them, and I will send mine anger upon them, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations. born with them and all their wicked ways, all their idolatrous ways. But now the end has come. Verse 5, Thus saith the Lord God, an evil, an only evil. Behold, it is come, an end is come, the end is come. It watcheth for thee. Behold, it is come. Again at verse 10, Behold the day. Behold, it is come. The morning is gone forth, the rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded. And then at verse 12, the time is come, the day draweth near.

It was that awful day of judgment it's spoken of then throughout these first 15 verses of the chapter and it's speaking of God visiting their sins upon them by means of the the Babylonians who under their great emperor Nebuchadnezzar came and overran the land and we read of these things of course in those historical books of the kings and of the chronicles how the end did come and Jerusalem was left in ruin the temple was destroyed.

In fact, verses 21 and 22 are speaking quite specifically of what would become of that beautiful house that King Solomon had made, the Temple of the Lord, as for the beauty of his ornament. He set it in majesty, but they made the image of their abominations and of their detestable things therein. Therefore have I set it far from them, and I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a spoil, and they shall pollute it. My face will I turn also from them, and they shall pollute my secret place, or the holy of holies destroy it, robbers shall enter into it, and defile it."

The chapter is certainly speaking of terrible Judgment, because of all the abominations of the children of Israel. God does not wink at the sins of any man. He doesn't wink at the sins of His people. If we're the Lord's, He will not visit us with any judicial punishment, but He'll chasten us. he'll forgive us but he'll take his vengeance upon all our wicked inventions but there are those who escape and these are the ones we read of here in the text they that escape of them shall escape and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys all of them mourning everyone for his iniquity doesn't Isaiah speak of them also how that there would yet be a restoration and the ransom of the Lord would return from the captivity.

Well, I want us to consider the figure that is used here with regards to this people. The figure of mourning doves that we have in this 16th verse. It's a figure that's often used, isn't it, in the Song of Solomon in reference to God's people. to the believer, oh my God thou art fair thou art in the cliffs of the rock how God takes a delight in his people not only there in the Song of Solomon but remember how Isaiah also uses that figure describing God's ancient covenant people in chapter twenty 6 and verse 20, he's not using the same figure here of course, but he tells them that to enter into their chambers and shut their doors about them and hide themselves for a moment until the indignation be overpassed. But it's in the Song of Solomon really that we have that particular figure of the doves. Again in the Song of Solomon chapter 4 in the opening words we read of dove's eyes a description of the child of God dove's eyes, weeping eyes as we have it here then in the text that I want us to consider tonight I want to say something with regards to this morning and how it speaks to us really of repentance it speaks to us of compunction of conscience, the pricking of conscience, the experience of a man like Saul of Tarsus.

It was hard, says the Lord to him there at the gate of Damascus where Christ confronts him as he's about his wicked work of persecutions. It is hard for you to kick against the pricks. There must have been something going on in that man's conscience. he was being goaded by his conscience I want to say something then first of all with regards to conviction of sin and mourning over that sin and then also in the second place to say something about conflict with sin and that we have to continually mourn over our sins just following that simple division for a little while for a little time this evening first of all the conviction of sin and how it's associated with compunction and with repentance and mournings.

But first of all we observe the great need for real humility and we see it in the language that's employed here, the vocabulary. They are like doves of the valleys, it says. doves of the valleys. Doesn't that suggest humility? Before honour is humility. We have that expression twice in the book of Proverbs.

In Proverbs 15.33, again in chapter 18 and verse 12. Before honour is humility. And we see that humility illustrated really in the parable that the Lord Jesus Christ tells in Luke 18 concerning those two men who go to the temple at the hour of prayer.

What a contrast between the Pharisee and the publican. The Lord says concerning the Pharisee, how he prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week. I give tithes of all that I possess. But how personal he is. He contrasts himself with the despised publican, the tax gatherer, the man who's in the employ of the Roman forces, so despised in Israel. He thanks God that he's not as other men, or even as this publican. Oh, I'm so much better, is the language of pride.

And then the Lord contrasts that with what the publican says the publican we're told he's standing afar off he cannot lift up his eyes to heaven but he he smites upon his breast and he cries God be merciful to me a sinner oh what humiliation and what real compunction grieving mourning over sin we see in that man so much the penitent really.

His feet, his penitential feet, he doesn't come near, he stands so far off. He's unworthy to draw near to the Lord God. And his eyes are penitential, he cannot lift up his eyes, he's there before the great God, the Holy One, and his eyes are downcast. And his hand, it's a penitential hand, how he takes his hand, he takes his fist and he strikes his breast, he has a penitential heart and he strikes it. Oh, he feels what he is, he feels himself to be a sinner.

And what does the Lord say? What does the Lord say concerning that particular man? He goes down to his house justified rather than the other. He's a justified man. and the Lord goes on to say that he that exalteth himself shall be abased and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted and this is the man you see he's a humble man and this is what's spoken of here this is one of the marks of those who are the Lord's people the ones that the Lord has delivered the ones that have escaped they that escape of them shall escape And what are they like?

What's the figure? The Jews are like doves of the valleys. They're like that poor penitential publican there in the temple in Luke 18. Peter says, Be clothed with humility. God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God and you shall be exalted in due time.

How it goes against our all nature. Are we not by nature proud creatures? Isn't that part of what we have inherited from our first parents? When they embraced and believed that awful lie of the devil, you shall be as God. We think we're gods. We're proud. Proud sinners by nature.

And the way of salvation is the way of humility. and that will come where there is that real conviction of sin the Lord Jesus says, learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls what humility we see in the Lord Jesus Christ he thought it not robbery to be equal with God equality with God was not something he grasped after it was his, he is God of God.

He thought it not roughly to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation. He took upon him the form of a servant. In the covenant he willingly becomes the servant of God. Behold my servant whom I uphold, says God. Mine elect in whom my soul delighteth, I have put my spirit upon him. He is the Messiah, the Anointed, the Christ. and when we see him in fashion as a man he humbles himself and becomes obedient unto death even the death of the cross learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest unto your souls where is it that God delights to dwell? he dwells in the hearts of the humble and in the hearts of the contrite ones that word in Isaiah 57 verse 15, Thus saith the High and Lofty One, that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy. I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit. To revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Do we know it? That humility, that sense of grief, that mourning over our sins. All of them mourning, it says. Surely all God's people, in a sense, are mourning souls. They have dove's eyes, remember we referred just now to that word in the opening verse of the fourth chapter in the Song of Solomon. They have dove's eyes. They weep over their sins. They are made to groan in their repentance.

Blessed are they that mourn, says the Lord Jesus Christ. They shall be comforted. The Lord gives them That spirit of repentance, he's exalted, isn't he? A prince and a saviour to give repentance to Israel. And the forgiveness of sins, what is the evidence of repentance? Well, humility is there, but also mourning.

Because there's that conviction of sin, there's that ministry of the law of God. And what is the ministry of the law? Whatever the law said, it said to them who were under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law can no man be saved. By the law comes the knowledge of sin.

How it brings conviction into the soul, how it's administration of condemnation. the administration of death, nothing wrong with the law it's a good law, it's God's law the law is holy, the commandment is holy, it's just, it's good but it finds out the sinner, it's an offence to the sinner and God uses it to bring that conviction to prick the conscience that was the experience of Saul, wasn't it? he was a pharisee He was such an expert in the law, touching the righteousness of the law, he considered himself blameless.

What was his knowledge? It was nothing really, it was nothing but pride. He didn't understand what the law was. But then the commandment came, sin revived and that man died. He died to all hope in himself. He was brought to that place of conviction, he was prepped. in his conscience, and it was hard, kicking against those bricks.

But what does the Lord do? I think there's truth in the lines of the hymn that we often sing. Lord and terrors do but harden all the while they work alone. But a sense of blood-bored pardon soon dissolves the heart of stone. Thank God there's a ministry other than that of the Law, there's a ministry of the Gospel.

And we see it, don't we? We see it in the way in which the Lord deals with Simon Peter, when Simon denies the Lord, and denies him with terrible curses, after he'd been arrested there in the Garden of Gethsemane. that lovely passage that we have at the end of Luke 22 when the Lord turned and looked upon Peter and Peter remembered the word of the Lord how he said before the cock crowed twice thou wilt deny me thrice oh what a look the Lord turned and looked upon Peter and that That brought real repentance into the soul of Peter.

He went out and wept bitter tears. One of these mourning doves, you see. Oh, there's escape here, you see. They that escape, of them shall escape, and they shall be on the mountain like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning everyone for his iniquity. That's what Peter was mourning over, his iniquity. the terrible sin that he was guilty of.

It's the gracious work of the Spirit, isn't it? The Spirit of grace and of supplications that the Prophet Zechariah speaks of in chapter 12, I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication. And they shall mourn for me as one mourneth for his only Son, and shall be in bitterness for me, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." There's that spirit, the spirit of grace, the spirit of supplications. The prophets speak of these things. They tell us, you see, the Gospel, why? It's the blessed work of the Spirit.

Oh, let us never grieve that gracious work of the Spirit. not only Zachariah, Joel Joel also speaks of him Joel chapter 2 and there at verse 12 Therefore also now saith the Lord turn ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning and rend your heart and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and repenteth Himself of the evil, who knoweth if He will return and repent and leave a blessing behind Him, even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God." Oh, we turn to Him with weeping and mourning, when we've sinned against Him. The blessed ministry of the Gospel, the sense of blood-bought pardon, how it dissolves, how it dissolves the heart of stone into many tears. There is in that conviction of sin, that spirit of repentance, but in the second place, to say a little with regards to that continual conflict with sin, how daily we sin, daily we fail in that conflict and there are trials that come and the Lord's correctings and how we're often a grieving people, blessed are they that mourn, there's comfort for mourners oh we have a wonderful example don't we there in the Old Testament, King Ezekiah Remember those chapters in the middle of the prophecy of Isaiah in chapters 36 and 37 we read of how it was in Ezekiel's day that the Assyrians came.

Previous to the awful assault that would come later from the Babylonians, the Assyrians had come. They'd already destroyed the northern kingdom often referred to as Israel or Ephraim. The Assyrians had destroyed it, scattered it. And they'd come down through Judah, they were at Jerusalem, and there was the great Assyrian general, Rabshakei, taunting the men on the wall with a letter that was to be taken to King Hezekiah.

He's to sue for peace. And he won't do it. He takes that letter, remember, and he takes it into the temple and he spreads it before the Lord. And the Lord hears his prayer and he's delivered. Sennacherib must take his forces away from Jerusalem. He's got matters to deal with back at home. It's a miraculous turnaround of events, really.

But then in the 38th chapter of Isaiah we are told that subsequent to that the king is struck down and is sick and the prophet goes to him and tells him he is going to die. His sickness is unto death and he's there on his bed of sickness and he's not the strength to go to the temple of the Lord as he'd done previously with that letter and spread it before the Lord but he turns his face to the wall and he prays to his God and God hears his prayer and 15 years are added to his life and the answer is so immediate the Prophet has not left the royal courts And he has to turn around and go back and tell the king that God has heard his cry and his life has been spared. And then we have the record of the remarkable song of thanksgiving, his prayer of thanksgiving, there in Isaiah 38. And what does he say?

Verse 13, I reckon till morning that as a lion so will he break all my bones, from day even to night will thou make an end of me. Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter, I did mourn as a dove. I did mourn as a dove. Mine eyes fail with looking upward.

O Lord, I am oppressed. Undertake for me. What shall I say? He hath both spoken unto me and himself hath done it. I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul. O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit. So will Thou recover me and make me to live. Here he is, you see, mourning as a dove. The Lord is dealing with him. And he has not sought the Lord in vain. He has heard his prayer and his life is going to be spared, his days are going to be extended.

And remember that we have a threefold account of these things. It's not only there in the midst of the book of the Prophet, it's also there in the second book of Kings, in chapters 18, 19 and 20. And then the history is given again in 2 Chronicles 29-32. a three-fold cord, not quickly broken, these things are recorded.

Why? For our learning. That we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope. That's why these things are written. They're for us, upon whom the ends of the world are come. For us, under the Gospel, we have not just the New Testament, but the Old Testament. And there's so much of gospel truth buried away there in the Old Testament Scriptures and our text of Nitracy amongst so many others. They that escape of them shall escape and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys all of them mourning every one for his iniquity.

Not just true of that very small remnant in the days of the prophet Ezekiel that the Lord spared and would ultimately restore to the land but it's written for us, it's a description of gospel, religion really and so we don't only have the example of King Ezekiel in the Old Testament we also have the New Testament and we have the New Testament pattern in a man like the apostle, like Paul as he says there in 1 Timothy 1.16 a pattern to them which should hereafter believe previously in verse 15 where he speaks of that faithful and true saying that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief he says in verse 15 He's the chief of sinners and the chief of sinners is a pattern to them which believe.

And so we have those other portions of scripture in Paul's letters where at times he speaks of himself. I've said it many a time, it's not just that Paul sets great doctrinal truth before us. He does that time and time again in the earlier chapters of his epistles. full of great doctrine and then when we come to the end of the epistles all the implication of that doctrine, the practical part if we really embrace those truths for example in Romans the great truth of justification by faith in Christ Well, we'll live lives that will be a justification of our faith. By their fruit ye shall know them. So he goes on, you see, if we really are those who are favored with that justifying faith, our lives will be different.

So we come to the closing chapters of Romans, or any of the epistles, and he's always dealing with the practical. the outworking of the doctrine. But he also weaves in time and again the experience. He speaks of his experiences. Why was it so? Because he's a pattern, he's a type of the Christian believer. There are principles that we learn from that man's experiences.

This is the way the Lord has ordered things. and so Corinthian must be opposition in the church and so when he writes to the Corinthians he has to defend his ministry he has to remind them how different he is to those false teachers and all that the ministry has cost him and he does it in other parts as well we often think in particular of what he says there in that seventh chapter of Romans he's describing a man isn't he? he's describing himself as a believer I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to wear his presence with me without to perform that which is good I find not for the good that I would I do not and the evil that I would not that I do he feels the conflict the flesh lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and they are so contrary to each other and he is unable to do the things that he would and he cries out he cries out there at the end of that seventh chapter doesn't he? Lord wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God, through Jesus Christ my Lord, so then with the mind I myself serve the Lord of God, but with the flesh the Lord of sin. I myself, I myself, the real me, I'm serving the Lord of God, that's what I want to do, I want to conform to the image of Christ.

Oh, how the believer is such a singular person, such a strange person, different to others, because those that know what it is to feel sin and to mourn over their sins, those that have escaped, they're on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning everyone for his iniquity. the language that we have in the 12th chapter of Zechariah.

There in chapter 12, verse 11, In that day shall there be a great morning in Jerusalem as the morning of Adadrimon, in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn every family apart, the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart, the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart, the family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart, the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart, all the families that remain, every one, every family apart, and their wives apart. And it's like the great mourning at Jerusalem. The mourning of Adarimon in the valley of Megiddon. Now I looked it up and it's the death of Josiah. The death of Josiah in battle against Pharaoh Neca. And the record is there in 2 Kings 23, 24 and 25 and there was a great mourning. But here is a mourning, you see, compared to that.

The land shall mourn. God's people are mourning people. Because they know what sin is, they know the reality of it. It grieves them. God's people, such a strange people, such a singular people, different to all others. Men just carry on with their lives. to do the best that they can, some would say, well, you know, I try to be a decent person, a good person, that will see me all right at the end, if there is a God. But how, to the child of God, sin is such a dreadful reality, he feels it.

We see time and again in the experiences of these saints of God, so much the language of the psalmist, of course, in the 102nd Psalm. How this figure of birds has taken up time and again, isn't it? There in Psalm 102, verse 6, I am like a pelican of the wilderness, I am like an owl of the desert, I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the housetops. Now David, you see, feels these things, likens himself to these creatures of the air, the pelican of the wilderness, and owl of the desert, the sparrow, the loam.

Oftentimes, that's the experience of the child of God, finds that no one's quite like he is. And yet, we have the assurance of Scripture that it is the lot of all the Lord's people. Think it not strange concerning the trial that is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you, saith Peter. It's not strange, it's what God does, it's how God teaches His people.

And what do they desire? They desire that they might have the wings of a dove, ultimately. or that I had wings like a dove, for then would I fly away and be at rest. To fly away, where will we find rest? Only in the Lord Jesus Christ. Take my yoke upon you, He says. I am meek and lowly in soul, and you shall find rest, lowly in heart, and you shall find rest unto your souls.

Oh, we're to be, aren't we, wise as serpents, harmless as doves. It's a lovely figure. The dove, of course, is a clean bird. It's a clean bird in the Levitical laws. And it's the figure that is used in Scripture, as I said at the beginning so many times, to describe something of the experiences of the people of God. And so we have it in this text tonight. Oh, the Lord bless His word to us then.

But they that escape of them shall escape. What an escape it was. It was a terrible day. It was the destruction of Jerusalem, the destruction of the temple. It was God's wrath being poured out. But they that escape of them shall escape. There's an emphasis. And shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning everyone for his iniquity. Oh, the Lord then bless his word to us. Amen.