In the 34th chapter of Exodus,
God's servant Moses saw the glory of God in the cleft of the rock
as the pre-incarnate Christ passed before him and proclaimed the
name of the Lord, declaring who God is and how God's glory is
revealed, declaring that he will be gracious to whom he will be
gracious. He will have mercy on whom he
will have mercy. God's glory, whatever it is,
is completely wrapped up in and revealed in the salvation of
his elect by Christ. That's what Moses saw. In Judges
chapter 13, Manoah and his wife saw the glory of God in the sacrifice
that typified our Lord Jesus and his acceptance as our all-sufficient
substitute when the sacrifice was offered up to God. The angel
of the Lord did wondrously before Manoah and his wife, revealing
to them the glory of God. God's glory, I repeat. whatever
it is, and I don't attempt to declare what it is, whatever
it is, God's glory is completely wrapped up in and completely
revealed in the accomplishment of salvation for God's elect
by Christ Jesus. In Isaiah chapter six, the prophet
Isaiah saw the same thing. The glory of the Lord ascended,
the glory of the Lord appeared to Isaiah when he saw the Lord
Jesus ascended to his lofty throne. sitting upon a throne, having
accomplished redemption, and he experienced redemption and
forgiveness at the hand of God, Isaiah saw God's glory. We know this is the case because
our Savior said, this was the place where Isaiah saw my glory
and spoke of me. The glory of God, whatever it
is, is completely wrapped up in, and revealed in the salvation
of his elect by Christ Jesus. Now, that ought to be of interest
to us. Now, turn with me, if you will, to Ezekiel chapter
1. Ezekiel chapter 1. Here is another
marvelous, wondrous revelation of the great glory of the triune
Jehovah. I had prepared to preach to you
this evening and this morning from Romans chapter 10 and Isaiah
chapter 8, but I got to studying the book of Ezekiel and reading
through this book again. I just had to come back to this
text in the 37th chapter I dealt with this morning. I believe
God's given me a message for you. Let's take another look
at this marvelous revelation of the great glory of our God. revealed and wrapped up in the
salvation of his elect by Christ. Just before God sent his prophet
Ezekiel to reprove the rebellious children of Israel, he gave Ezekiel
a vision of wheels. It's a vision that goes all the
way through to chapter 11. In this vision of wheels, the
prophet of God was given the confidence and the assurance
that he needed. to serve God in the midst of
a crooked and perverse generation faithfully. If you and I would
walk with God and serve God in the midst of this crooked and
perverse generation faithfully, we need to have confidence and
assurance of God's purpose being accomplished, God's glory being
established, God's people being saved. The assurance that God
gave his servant was the assurance of God's glory. The assurance
that God in all things, by all things, is accomplishing his
glory in the saving of his people. To the extent that I have that
confidence and that assurance, I walk before God in every day
with peace and with comfort and with joy. I repeat, God's glory,
whatever it is, is completely wrapped up in and revealed in
the salvation of his elect by Christ. In these 11 chapters
of Ezekiel, Ezekiel tells us 11 times, he tells us 11 times
in these chapters that the thing revealed to him was the glory
of the Lord God of Israel. Eleven times he specifically
tells us, I'm talking to you now about the vision that God
gave me of his glory. The glory of the Lord God of
Israel. And it's given to him in this
vision of wheels. Now this morning, this evening,
we'll look just at verses one through 28 in this first chapter,
but I would encourage you to, as soon as you can, while the
message is on your mind, to read the first 11 chapters at one
setting and get the picture, the whole vision that was given
to Ezekiel. Let's read chapter one. Now it
came to pass in the 30th year, in the fourth month, in the fifth
day of the month, I was among the captives, the children of
Israel were in Babylonian captivity, by the river Kibar, that the
heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. in the fifth
day of the month, which was the fifth year of the King Jeconiah's
captivity, the word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel. Oh, what an honor, what a privilege. The word of God came expressly,
personally to Ezekiel. The priest, the son of Buzzi,
in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Kibar, and the hand
of the Lord was upon him. And I looked, and behold, a whirlwind
came out of the north, a great cloud and a fire enfolding itself,
and a brightness was about it. And out of the midst thereof
was the color of amber, and out of the midst of the fire also
out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance.
They had the likeness of a man, had the likeness of a man. Every one had four faces. and
every one had four wings, and the feet were straight feet,
and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot,
and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass, and they
had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides,
and they four had their faces and their wings. Verse nine,
their wings were joined one to another. They turned not when
they went, They went everyone straight forward. As for the
likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man and
the face of a lion on the right side. And they four had the face
of an ox on the left side. And they four also had the face
of an eagle. Thus were their faces and their
wings were stretched upward. Two wings of everyone were joined
to one another or one to another and two covered their bodies.
And they went every one straight forward, whither the spirit was
to go. They went, and they turned not
when they went. As for the likeness of the living
creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and
like the appearance of lamps. It went up and down among the
living creatures, and the fire was bright, and out of the fire
went forth lightning. And the living creatures ran
and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning. Verse
50, now as I beheld the living creatures, behold, one wheel
was upon the earth by the living creatures with his four faces.
The appearance of the wheels and their work was likened to
the color of beryl. And they four had one likeness,
and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in
the middle of a wheel. When they went, they went upon
their four sides, and they turned not when they went. As for their
rings, they were so high that they were dreadful, and their
rings were full of eyes round about them four. And when the
living creatures went, the wheels went by them. And when the living
creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted
up. Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went. Thither
was their spirit to go. And the wheels were lifted up
over against them. For the spirit of the living
creature was in the wheels. When those went, these went. When those stood, these stood.
And when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were
lifted up over against them, for the spirit of the living
creature was in the wheels. And the lightness of the firmament
upon the heads of the living creature was as the color of
terrible crystal stretched forth over the heads above. And under
the firmament were their wings straight, one toward the other. Everyone had two, which covered
on this side, and everyone had two, which covered on that side
their bodies. And when they went, I heard the
noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the
voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of a
host. When they stood, they let down
their wings. And there was a voice from the
firmament that was over their heads when they stood and had
let down their wings, verse 26. And above the firmament that
was over their heads was the likeness of a throne as the appearance
of a sapphire stone. And upon the likeness of the
throne was the likeness of the appearance of a man above upon
it. And I saw as the color of amber,
as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance
of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins
even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it
had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow
that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance
of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the
likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell
on my face and I heard a voice of one that spake. Now in preaching
the gospel, I use in this place certain words all the time. preachers commonly use them who
preach the gospel. Words that are commonly used
but perhaps are not clearly understood. I want you to clearly understand
the meaning of those words. They're the words with which
you should be familiar. Obviously, the first word is election. In this day of religious tomfoolery
and ignorance, few people have any idea what the scriptures
teach about election. Election is not a difficult doctrine
to understand. It's not something tucked away,
hidden away in scriptures that only real bright, very spiritually
minded people understand. It is plainly written across
the pages of Holy Scripture on every page of Scripture. What
is election? There are people in this world
chosen of God from eternity whom God must and will save because
he has decreed their everlasting salvation. God's elect shall
be saved, no matter what. God's elect shall be saved, let
me rephrase that, using every what that comes to pass. For
everything that is, has been, or shall hereafter be, was ordained
of God specifically for the salvation of His elect. Another word that's
looked upon with scorn and derided by many is the word predestination. There again, it is not a subject
that's mysterious at all. It's no mystery except to folks
who refuse to believe God. It's written plainly in the scriptures,
everywhere portrayed in the scriptures. It's not difficult to understand.
Predestinate means, guess what? Predestinate. It means to determine
the destiny of things from everlasting before ever they come to pass.
God Almighty predestinated from eternity everything that comes
to pass in time for the accomplishment of the salvation of His elect. God Almighty from eternity predestinated
everything that comes to pass in time for the salvation of
His people. Everything includes all things
good and all things evil. All things that are tasteful
and all things that are distasteful. All things that are sweet and
all things that are bitter. All things ordered by God for
the salvation of His people. Redemption is a big, big, big
word. Sometimes the word redemption
and the word salvation are used interchangeably in scripture.
But redemption specifically speaks of the ransom of chosen sinners
out from under the curse of God's broken law and offended justice
by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as our substitute. He who died
in our stead actually made full restitution to God, made full
atonement to God for the sins of his people, redeeming us,
he obtained for us everlasting salvation at the price of his
blood. Now understand this. See that
you understand this. Every sinner for whom Christ
died at Calvary was redeemed by Christ and shall be saved
by Christ for the glory of God. Should it be possible that any
sinner for whom Christ died should at last perish in hell, then
you're yet in your sins, you have no hope, Jesus Christ is
not God, and the gospel you've heard from this pulpit is a lie
and a fabrication. There is no salvation for anyone,
but that's not even a possibility. The good shepherd gave his life
for his sheep. And of those sheep, he says,
them also I must bring, and bring them he will for the glory of
God. Here's another word, regeneration. I talked about that this morning,
but it needs clear understanding. Regeneration is the new birth.
It is the gift of life. Men by nature are dead in trespasses
and in sins. If any live, they live by God
giving them life. It's as simple and as plain as
that. The new birth is not accomplished
by your decision, by your will, by the power of man, by the influence
of man. The new birth is the gift of
God, the Holy Spirit, forming Christ in you, making us new
creatures in Jesus Christ, the Lord. And then the subject tonight
is providence. Providence, oh, providence. Of these things I've been discussing
with you, it is difficult for me to say which is more delightful
to my soul. Nothing is more satisfying to
the redeemed sinner. Nothing more gratifying, nothing
more comforting, nothing more assuring, nothing more peaceful,
nothing more emboldening, than the realization of God's wise,
adorable, good providence. What is providence? Providence
is God working out in time all that he purposed in eternity.
God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform. He plants
his footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm. deep and
unfathomable minds of never failing skill. He treasures up his bright
designs and works his sovereign will. That's God's providence. Providence is God's sovereign
manipulation. I chose the word on purpose.
Yes, God manipulates things. He who controls everything, manipulates
everything. He fixes it so that everything
serves His purpose. Indeed, whatever comes to pass
in time, He ordained to serve the purpose for which it is brought
to pass and graciously, wisely, mysteriously forces even the
evil deeds of men and devils to accomplish His will, the saving
of His people for the glory of His name. Oh, thank you, my God, for your
wise and good providence. It is set before us here in Ezekiel
Ward as the wheels and their work. Let me talk to you for
a little bit about the doctrine of wheels as Ezekiel saw it. The vision Ezekiel had is a vision
of judgment. A judgment of God upon the children
of Israel, upon the city of Jerusalem, and upon the nation of Israel
and of Judah, declaring their sure destruction because of their
iniquities, their transgressions and their sins, because they
incessantly rebelled against God. God Almighty said, I'm going
to destroy you. I'm going to destroy you. But
casting away the rebellious people, in no way altered, hindered,
or thwarted God's purpose. Rather, it fulfilled it. The
scripture tell us, the prophet tells us here, the glory of the
Lord stood there. Ezekiel was commanded in the
fourth chapter to lay on his left side for 390 days, bearing
the iniquity of Israel. that being a picture of the Jerusalem
being besieged before him because the Lord God declared that in
390 years, he would destroy that people. Then God's prophet was
commanded in that fourth chapter to lay on his right side for
40 days, bearing the iniquity of Judah with the picture of
Jerusalem being besieged before him. He lay there because in
40 years Manasseh would reign and have a wicked, horrible,
ungodly reign in Judah. And so the prophet was to lay
on his side for those 40 days. Ezekiel typically bore the sins
and the judgment of God for Jerusalem and Judah. And as he typically
bore the sins of the people laying on his side, and typically bore
the judgment of God for his people laying on his side. The Lord
Jesus Christ, God's Son, our Savior, when he was made sin
for us upon Calvary's cursed tree, actually bore our sins
in his body on the tree. And he actually bore to complete
satisfaction the judgment and justice of God on our behalf.
And God told his prophet, that he would destroy 1 3rd of the
nation with pestilence, and 1 3rd of the nation by sword, but 1
3rd, he said, he would scatter among the nations of the world.
Just scatter them everywhere, scatter them everywhere. He said,
1 3rd of you, gonna starve to death. 1 3rd of you, gonna be
slain by the sword. 1 3rd, I'll scatter among the
nations of the earth. scatter the whole remnant to
the winds. Still he declares in verse four
of chapter eight, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was
there according to the vision that I saw in the plain. He scattered
that one third, which is described as his remnant. He scattered
them among the nations in judgment. When he destroyed Judah and Jerusalem,
when he destroyed the nation of Israel, he scattered them
among the nations that he might gather them. Picturing for us
how that God scattered his elect among the nations of the earth.
scattered them in judgment when Adam sinned in the garden, scattered
them in judgment when he came down at Babel and confused the
language of man, scattered them throughout the nations of the
world, throughout the four corners of the earth, but he scattered
them that he might gather them. Then the prophet was assured
that by means of all these things, all the wonders of God's providence
accomplished by the wheels and their work, all God's elect remnant,
scattered among all the nations of the earth, all Israel must
and shall be saved. and Jerusalem, not the physical
city, but the new Jerusalem, the city of God, the church of
God's elect shall be a city four square, perfect, complete, and
fully inhabited by the ransomed of the Lord to the praise of
his glory and his grace. Look at chapter 11, Ezekiel 11,
verse 22. did the cherubims lift up their
wings, and the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God
of Israel was over them above. And the glory of the Lord went
up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which
is on the east side of the city." Now, let's look at a few things
in this first chapter and let me try to tell you a little bit
about God's providence. And it can only be a little bit
because I just know a little bit. This is a subject that just
gets bigger and bigger and bigger the more it's contemplated. First,
God's providence is here compared to a wheel. A wheel. I realized that both the Romans
and the Greeks in their ancient writings compared divine providence
to a wheel, but Ezekiel didn't get his doctrine from Romans
or Greeks. He got it from God. Divine providence is here authoritatively
by a vision from God declared to be like a wheel. How is that? If you look at a wheel, There's
peace on the ground and a peace above. But as the wheel moves,
that which is on the bottom will soon be on top, and that which
is on top will soon be on bottom. In other words, God providentially
makes drastic changes Unexpected changes, radical changes in the
lives of men, in the affairs of nations, and in the affairs
of the world as it pleases Him. Now we have watched that and
we're watching that. If you pay any attention at all
to the news and you ignore God's providence, you come away pacing
the floor, biting your nails, pulling your hair, and wondering
what are we supposed to do next? God in his providence makes drastic
changes, radical changes, unexpected changes in the lives of men,
in the affairs of nations, and in the affairs of the world for
one purpose. The saving of his people for
the glory of his name. The saving of his people for
the glory of his name. Whatever transpires in the Middle
East or the Far East, whatever transpires in North Korea, whatever
transpires in Russia, whatever transpires in Washington, my
soul be at ease, God's performing His will. Does that mean we're
careless about our responsibilities? No. We exercise great care in
all things, exercise great care in all areas of responsibility,
but we are careless, careless, careless. I mean, without care
we should be with regard to the affairs of our lives and our
nation and this world as we bow before God. Caught David and Teresa's eye. How on earth does a pastor or
a friend explain to somebody how the events of your life the
last couple of years are really good? How do you do that? God did it. God did it not just for your
spiritual good and everlasting good. God did it for the accomplishment
of his glory in the salvation of his elect. And we don't need
to see how that's accomplished. We merely must believe God and
bow to him. Providence is compared to a wheel
because there's one part of the wheel that's always the same
and never turns. As you know, Shelby and I don't
watch much television, but we watch wagon train and gun smoke.
And every now and then, you'll see somebody on a wagon, and
they're pulling a stagecoach or a buckboard or whatever, pulling
it real fast, because they're either scared or got in trouble
or they're just in a hurry. And as you see the wheels turn,
I don't have any idea why it is, but those wheels going forward
always look like they're going backwards. You ever notice that?
They always look like they're going backwards. And they're
moving so fast you can't hardly see the spokes. But there's one
part of the wheel that never moves. That axle never, never
moves. If the axle starts to move, you're
in trouble. That axle doesn't move. It's steady. God's purpose,
God's decree never moves. It's never altered, it never
changes. I am the Lord, I change not. The foundation of God stands
sure, the Lord knoweth them that are his. God knows what he's
doing. And while I, God forgive me,
Well, I often am uneasy because I don't trust
him as I should to do what he said he would do, save his people
and get glory to his name. God's purpose is still unaltered.
God's purpose is sure. What's he doing? What's he doing?
He's saving his people from their sins for the glory of his name. And my God, that's everything
I want from you. That's all I want. His purpose,
his covenant, his decree is sure. And we put everything in his
hands and rest in him. A wheel moves real fast. So fast that when it moves with
speed, the only thing you can see is just the outside circle. You can't see anything else.
It's just moving too fast. I've told you several times about
an incident that took care with Carrie Simpson. Used to be Carrie
Coffey before she was married. She has children of her own now.
Brother Henry Mahan's granddaughter. When she was eight or nine years
old, she used to come by on the way home from school and stay
with Henry and Doris for at least an hour or two every day and
visit with them. And she came in one day and she went back
to Henry's study and Henry looked at her and said, hello, Carrie,
how are you, honey? And she said to him, said, Pawpaw, I've had
a rough day, but I've had a great life. Oh, what an attitude, what
an attitude. We have some rough days, but great lives. For our very
existence is wrapped up in the will and glory of God. And the
will and glory of God is wrapped up in our everlasting welfare
as his sons and daughters. Let me tell you one more thing
about these wheels. It's repeated throughout these
11 chapters. The wheels went straight. They went straight. Full of eyes,
knowing everything, observing everything, but they went straight.
They didn't turn to the right hand. They didn't turn to the
left. The wheels went straight. Now understand this. As confusing,
as changing, as waffling, as unsteady, as everything about
humanity and history is, God's purpose is being accomplished
perfectly all the time, everywhere, with everybody. And when it's
done, you'll see the glory of God. on the high mountain of
the new Jerusalem, and his glory revealed in that man who sits
upon that throne, surrounded by that bow, that covenant, ordered
in all things and sure. And that, my dear friends, is
all we want. Is it not? Is that not all we want? What
more can you desire? What more can you want? If we
are assured that God's purpose for the saving of His people,
for the glory of His name is being accomplished, let us be
bold in every day, confident in all things. At the
end of the vision, Ezekiel said, I heard a word from God. I heard
a word from him. He said, be not afraid. Be not afraid. For we know that
all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to his purpose. Amen.