Introduction
It’s been about a month since we last studied the book of Ezekiel together. And so, let me refresh your memory of it by reminding you of the historical background. God had settled his people in the Promised Land in the days of Joshua. When they asked for a king, he gave them first Saul and then David. David was a great king and he defeated their enemies and gave them peace in the land. Then Solomon succeeded his father and he too was a great king who was famous throughout the world for the wisdom and wealth which God had given to him. And the people lived in peace and prosperity. After his death, the one kingdom of Israel was divided into two: there was the larger kingdom in the north which kept the name Israel; and there was the smaller kingdom in the south which was known as Judah. The city of Jerusalem, where the temple was, was in the southern kingdom of Judah.
Lots of different kings ruled in the north, but the south was always ruled over by the descendants of David. Some of the kings were good and godly kings, but many, if not most, were wicked. And the people rebelled against the Lord and they turned to false gods instead of worshipping the Lord alone. God sent prophets to warn the people and to summon them to repent. But they did not listen to the prophets. And so, after many years of patience, God did what he said he would do, and he sent the people in the north into exile to Assyria. And then, when Jehoiachin was king in Judah, God sent King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to attack the city of Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar removed all the treasures from the temple and from the royal palace and he took away all the gold articles which Solomon had made for the temple. And he took away the best of the people: the officers and fighting men and the craftsmen and artisans as well as the king and his family. He took away the best people who could use their skills and talents for the good of Babylon. And Ezekiel was including among their number.
Nebuchadnezzar then made Zedekiah king in place of Jehoiachin. But in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, he rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar responded by not only attacking Jerusalem, but by destroying it. He destroyed the city and the temple and the walls around the city. At the beginning of Ezekiel’s book, that hasn’t happened yet, but it’s going to happen soon enough.
And while Ezekiel was among the exiles in Babylon, the Lord appeared to him and appointed him a prophet of the Lord. And over the first twenty chapters of the book of Ezekiel, Ezekiel records for us the things the Lord revealed to him and the message he was commanded to proclaim to the exiles. Although the Lord’s messages were for the exiles, most of the messages concerned the fate of Jerusalem. The exiles were hoping that the exile would end soon and they would be enabled to return to Jerusalem. But the Lord made clear through Ezekiel that Jerusalem will be destroyed and the exile will not end soon.
The book began with a record of the time the Lord appeared to Ezekiel. That’s when Ezekiel saw the Lord’s chariot-throne with its wheels and there were angels and then Ezekiel saw a figure like that of a man who shone with a brilliant light. And in this way the Lord revealed his glory to Ezekiel.
In the second chapter, the Lord called Ezekiel to be his prophet. And the Lord made clear that it was not going to be easy for Ezekiel, because the Lord was sending him to the exiles, who were a rebellious, obstinate and stubborn people. But Ezekiel was to declare to them the word of the Lord whether they listen or fail to listen.
And the Lord asked Ezekiel at times to perform certain sign-acts or mimes before the people. For instance, in chapter 4 the Lord commanded him to draw a picture of Jerusalem and then make model siege-works to put around it. This was to signify how the city will be besieged and destroyed by the Babylonians. And he was to eat small amounts of food to signify how the people in Jerusalem would end up eating food rations because of the siege. And then he was to take shave his hair and beard and cut up the strands of hair to signify the disaster that was coming on them. In chapter 12 he was told to pack his bag and set out from his home. And this was to signify how the people living in Jerusalem will soon have to pack their bags, because the city would be destroyed. And then the Lord told him to tremble as he ate his food to signify how the people of Jerusalem would eat in fear because the Babylonians were coming to get them.
And so, the Lord commanded Ezekiel to perform these mimes or sign-acts. He also told Ezekiel to tell the people certain parables. For instance, the Lord likened Jerusalem to an unfaithful wife who spurned her husband and went after other men. In a similar way, the people forsook the Lord and went after false gods and they trusted in pagan nations to help them instead of trusting in the Lord. Another time there was the story of the two eagles and the vine representing Babylon and Egypt and the people of Judah. And another time there was the story of the lioness, signifying Judah, and the two lion cubs to represent two of their kings, who were captured. And there was also a vine, which represented Judah, and it was transplanted to a desert. And so, the people would be taken from the Promised Land to Babylon.
And the Lord also revealed visions to Ezekiel. For instance, he showed him a vision of the temple in Jerusalem to show him the wicked things the people were doing there and how, instead of worshipping the Lord, they worshipped false gods and idols. And at the end of the vision of the temple, Ezekiel once again saw the glory of the Lord. But on this occasion, the glory of the Lord was leaving the temple. He would no longer dwell among his people, because they had desecrated his holy dwelling-place.
And so, the Lord revealed his message to his people through sign-acts and through riddles and through visions. He also revealed his message through straight-forward speeches in which he denounced the people for their unfaithfulness and announced his judgment on them.
But we’ve also seen how the Lord announced good news for the future. He announced hope and salvation. He spoke through Ezekiel about restoration to a purified land. And he spoke about a new covenant with his people and about atonement for their sins and about a new king who was coming, who is Christ the Lord. And he made clear that while the soul who sins will die, the soul who turns from his sin in repentance will live. And so, repent and live.
This is a magnificent book, because the Lord confronts his people with their sins in different ways. And not only does he confront them with their sins, but he also speaks to them of his salvation. And through his word to them, he also speaks to us today about our sin and guilt and shame and about the coming judgment. But he also speak to us about salvation, because our God does not change and he is unchangeably merciful and gracious and slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He does not always chide, nor will he keep his anger for ever. He doesn’t deal with us according to our sins and he doesn’t repay us according to our iniquities. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love towards those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. And he’s able to remove our transgressions from us because of Christ our Saviour who came into the world as one of us to give up his life on the cross to pay for our sins in full and to make peace for us with God.
This is a magnificent book. And today’s passage is all about God’s sword which he was going to use on his people because of their sinful rebellion. And so, it’s once again a message of judgment on his rebellious people. And it can be divided into four parts: from verse 45 of chapter 20 to verse 7 of chapter 21; then verses 8 to 17; then verses 18 to 27; and then verses 28 to 32.
20:45–21:7
The first part runs from verse 45 of chapter 20 to verse 7 of chapter 21. The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel and the Lord told him to do three things: firstly, to set his face towards the south (or the southland); secondly, to preach against the south; and thirdly, to prophesy against the forest of the southland. At this point, it’s not clear who or what he means when he refers to the southland, the south and the forest of the southland. And the Lord announces that he’s going to set fire to the forest and the fire will consume all its trees: the green trees and the dry trees. The fire will be a blazing flame and it will not be quenched so that every face from the south to the north will be scorched by it. And everyone will see that the Lord was the one who kindled this fire. He is the one who started it and who caused this destruction. He is responsible for it.
And at this point, we don’t know what the Lord is talking about. Is he talking about a literal fire or is he using the image of fire to signify something else? It’s not clear at this point which is perhaps why we have the complaint in verse 49. Ezekiel says to the Lord that everyone is complaining that he’s speaking in parables or riddles. They’re saying that he’s not being clear.
And as a result, the Lord explains the riddle of the fire in verses 1 to 7 of chapter 21. And just as he mentioned three places in verse 46 — the southland, the south and the forest of the southland — so he mentions three places in verse 2: Jerusalem; the sanctuary; and the land of Israel. So, when the Lord said set your face towards the southland, he meant set your face against Jerusalem. When he said preach against the south, he meant preach against the sanctuary or the temple. And when he said prophesy against the forest, he meant prophesy against the land of Israel. And when he referred to setting fire to the forest, he meant that he was going to draw his sword from its scabbard and use it to cut down the righteous and the wicked. The image of fire and the image of a sword conveys the message that the Lord was going to send war on the land of Israel. And by mentioning the righteous and the wicked, he probably means everyone. So, everyone will be affected by the coming war. God was going to send a destroyer on the land and everyone will be destroyed. And just to be absolutely clear, he repeats the message in verse 4: ‘Because I’m going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north.’ And everyone will know that the Lord is the one who has drawn his sword from its scabbard. That is to say, everyone will know that the Lord was the one to send war on the land and to bring disaster to it. This did not happen by chance, but by will the will of the Lord. He will draw his sword and it will not return to is scabbard until the land is devastated.
And so, it’s a message of judgment on Jerusalem. And in verses 6 and 7 the Lord commands Ezekiel to perform another sign-act for the exiles. The Lord tells him to groan: groan before the people with a broken-heart and with bitter grief. And when the people ask him why he’s groaning like this, he’s to tell them that it’s because of the news that is coming. What news? The news of God’s coming sword on Jerusalem.
And when the exiles hear what God intends to do to Jerusalem, their hearts will melt and their hands will go limp and their spirts will become faint and their knees will become weak. They will collapse in distress whenever they hear what the Lord intends to do to Jerusalem. And as if to underline what he intends to do, the Lord says in verse 7 that it is coming. The sword is coming on Jerusalem. War is coming. Death and destruction is coming. It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord.
That’s the message about the sword. When the Lord sends the destroyer on the land, Jerusalem and the whole of Israel will be destroyed as if a fire had been lit which consumes the whole of the land and leaves it desolate.
21:8–17
The next part of the passage runs from verse 8 to verse 17. The word of the Lord once again came to Ezekiel and the Lord commanded him to prophesy to the exiles about a sword which is sharpened and polished. It’s sharpened for the slaughter and it’s polished to flash like lightning.
Think of a chef who takes out his knife and runs both sides of the edge against the sharpening stone so that he’s able to slice through meat like it was butter. But the Lord’s sword is not being used to slice meat, but to slaughter his people. And because the sword is polished, it will catch the rays of the sun so that it will seem like flashes of lightning, flashing back and forth as it strikes and strikes and strikes again.
At the end of verse 10, Ezekiel asks if they’ll rejoice in the sceptre. The sceptre may be the king or it may refer generally to the people. So, shall they rejoice? It’s possible that the exiles think the Lord is going to use his sword against the Babylonians. But they need to realise that the Lord intends to use his sword against his own people because of their persistent wickedness. So, instead of rejoicing, they should lament, because the Lord despises every stick in Judah. That is to say, he despises his rebellious people.
In verse 11 he says that the Lord’s sword is going to be polished and sharpened and grasped by the hand of the slayer. And Ezekiel is told to cry out and to wail because the Lord’s sword is going to be used against his people and against the princes, or the kings, of Israel. Therefore — the Lord says to Ezekiel — beat your breast in anguish and mourning and sorrow.
Verse 13 is hard to translate and interpret, but the message of verse 14 is straightforward: the Lord’s sword will strike his people twice, even three times. It will strike again and again and again. It’s a sword for slaughter. In fact, it’s a sword for a great slaughter. Everywhere you look, there will be people who are cut down and slaughtered. Hearts will melt in fear and the number of the fallen will be many.
According to verse 15, the sword is made by God to flash like lightning: slashing to the right and then to the left, back and forth and back and forth. And in verse 17 the Lord says that he will strike his hands together. He perhaps means that he will strike his hands together in anger. And though the NIV says that his wrath will subside, it’s more like that he’s saying that he will satisfy his wrath. He will keep going until he has spent his wrath on his rebellious people. He will not stop until they are all destroyed. His sword will keep going until there is no one left standing.
And just so there’s no doubt about who is responsible, the Lord says at the end that he has spoken. He has declared that this is what he will do. And so, when it happens, everyone should understand that it was the will of the Lord for this to happen.
21:18–27
The third part of the passage runs from verse 18 to verse 27. The word of the Lord once again came to Ezekiel and this time he commanded Ezekiel to draw a map showing two roads for the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same country. So, these are two roads coming from Babylon. And on the map, Ezekiel is to draw a signpost to show that one road leads to Rabbah of the Ammonites, which was a city to the east of the Jordan, and the other road leads to Jerusalem, which was west of the Jordan. So, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, has a choice to make: will he head for Rabbah or will he head for Jerusalem? And kings in those days would seek an omen or a sign from their gods to decide what to do. So, Nebuchadnezzar will cast lots with arrows. Presumably one arrow will say Rabbah on it and the other will say Jerusalem on it and he’ll shake the arrows until one falls from the quiver to reveal which way he should go. Then he’ll consult his idols. And then he’ll examine the liver of an animal sacrifice to discern what he should do. And though Nebuchadnezzar is using a pagan method for making a decision and is consulting idols who are not real, the Lord — who determines all things including the roll of a dice — will ensure that all the signs point to Jerusalem. And so, it finally becomes clear that the Lord’s destroyer — his slayer, the sword in his hand — is Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. The Lord was going to use Nebuchadnezzar and his army as his sword to destroy the city of Jerusalem and to kill the people who inhabit it.
He will set up battering rams against Jerusalem; and he will give the command to his men to slaughter the people of the city; and he will sound the battle cry; and he’ll set battering rams against the gates; and he’ll build ramps to the walls; and will erect siege works.
The Lord says in verse 23 that it will seem like a false omen to those who have sworn allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar. He’s perhaps referring to King Zedekiah of Jerusalem and to the people there who once swore an oath of loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar. But they broke that oath and rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. And the omen to attack Jerusalem will seem false to the people of Jerusalem, because they can’t understand why the Lord would let Nebuchadnezzar attack them. They think they’re guiltless, when in fact the Lord is angry with them for all the wicked things they have done. But when Nebuchadnezzar comes to attack them, then they will remember their guilt and they will realise why the Lord has done this to them. And it’s because of their wickedness. And so, they will be taken captive, as it says in verse 24.
And in verses 25 to 27, the Lord tells the king of Jerusalem to take off his turban and crown, which are the signs of royalty. His reign is about to come to an end. And everything will be turned upside down when the lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low and when the Lord turns the city of Jerusalem into a ruin. Once, in the days of Solomon, the people of the nations came to Jerusalem to admire it. In those days, Solomon’s palace and the temple he built for the Lord were filled with gold. But now that once-glorious city was in ruins.
21:28–32
And in the final part of the passage — verses 28 to 32 — the Lord commanded Ezekiel to prophesy against the Ammonites and their insults. It seems the Ammonites had taunted Jerusalem because of what Babylon was going to do to them. But the Lord was going to send his sword against the Ammonites. So, the Lord was going to send Nebuchadnezzar on them too. The Lord’s sword will be laid on their necks, when the time for their punishment had reached its climax. In other words, when the time has come, God will destroy the Ammonites as well.
And then, take a look at verse 30. The Lord commands that his sword should return to its scabbard. And since the sword stands for Nebuchadnezzar, then he means that the day will come when Nebuchadnezzar will be brought back to Babylon. And there — in the place where he was created, in the land of his ancestry — God will judge Nebuchadnezzar. God will pour out his wrath upon Nebuchadnezzar and will breathe out his fiery anger against him. The Lord will hand Nebuchadnezzar over to brutal men who are skilled in destruction. And he will become fuel for the fire and his blood will be shed in his own land. And he will be remembered no more.
And so, while the Lord was willing to use Nebuchadnezzar as his sword to punish his people for their wickedness, the day will come when the Lord will punish Nebuchadnezzar for his wickedness. The Lord is able to use wicked men and women to accomplish his own good purposes. But just because the Lord is able to use their sins for his own good purposes doesn’t mean that he approves of what they have done. And so, when they have accomplished his will, he will judge them.
And he says at the end once again that he has spoken. He has announced his will so that when it happens, and Nebuchadnezzar is destroyed, everyone should understand that it was the will of the Lord for this to happen.
Application 1
Whenever we read about God’s judgment on sinners, we must remember that we too are sinners who deserve to be condemned and punished by God. Like the people of Jerusalem, we have done wrong and we have acted wickedly, because we have not loved the Lord above all other things, nor have we worshipped him with all of our heart. Instead of trusting in his steadfast love, we have been anxious about many things. And instead of loving and serving the people around us, we have been selfish and self-seeking. Like the people of Jerusalem, we are sinners who sin against the Lord every day. And so, we deserve to be condemned and punished by him.
But thanks be to God, who sent his Only Begotten Son into the world as one of us to take the blame for us and to suffer in our place the punishment they we deserve. The fire of God’s wrath, which should have consumed us, was poured out upon Christ our Saviour. The sword of God’s judgment, which should have slaughtered us, was aimed at him. He was pierced for our transgressions and the punishment that brought us peace was laid on him. The one man who never did anything wrong, and who did everything right, was nailed to a cross and he died as the once-for-all sacrifice for our sins. And because of the self-sacrifice of our Saviour we are pardoned by God and have peace with him and the hope of everlasting life in the new Jerusalem to come, where we will dwell with God for ever.
And so, whenever we read about God’s judgment on sinners, we should remember that we too are sinners who deserve to be condemned and punished by God, but we’re saved from the fire of God’s wrath and the sword of slaughter by Christ our Saviour who died for us. And we should therefore give thanks to God for his grace and mercy towards us in Christ and we should make it our aim to live, not for ourselves, but for Christ our Saviour who died for us and was raised. We should live for him and for God our Father who loved us and who sent his Son to save us.
And since we’re sinners saved by grace, then we should be the most humble of people, because we have no reason to boast or to exalt ourselves over one another. We have nothing to boast in with regard to ourselves, and instead we should boast in the kindness of our God.
Application 2
And since the Lord was able to use Nebuchadnezzar as his sword, then we should worship the Lord in whom we live and move and have our being and who directs our steps.
There was Nebuchadnezzar, consulting his idols for direction, trying to divine the way he should go by casting lots and examining livers. And when he reached Jerusalem, he no doubt believed that he was able to pull the city down to the ground by his own might and power. And yet, God was the one who raised him up for this task and gave him not only the idea to attack Jerusalem and but also the power to do so. And when Nebuchadnezzar was at that crossroads, and was trying to decide which way to go, it was the Lord our God who directed him and made him take the road to Jerusalem.
This is our God: the one who made all things in the beginning and who upholds and directs all of his creatures and all of their actions. And he directs our actions to ensure that his own holy and perfect will is done and that the wicked are judged and his people receive eternal life.
And when we worry what the leaders of the nations are doing, we need to remember and believe that this earth is the Lord’s and everything in it: the world and all who live in it. It all belongs to him and he controls it all and he’s able to use the plans of kings and presidents to fulfil his own holy purposes. And so, we should not be afraid, but we should trust our Heavenly Father to work all things together for our good and for his own glory.
Application 3
And finally let me turn your attention to verse 27 of chapter 21 where the Lord says that he will make a ruin of Jerusalem and it will not be restored until ‘he comes to whom it rightfully belongs.’ To him, the Lord says, I will give it.
The words ‘to whom it rightfully belongs’ can also be translated ‘to whom judgment belongs’. And some of the commentator suggest that the Lord is referring to Nebuchadnezzar. God has placed the right to judge his people in the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and he will make Jerusalem a ruin.
However, the words of this verse recall the words of Genesis 49:10, where the patriarch Jacob spoke as a prophet about his sons and their descendants. And Jacob said about Judah that the royal sceptre will not depart from Judah until ‘he comes to whom it belongs’. The Lord was saying through Jacob that the right to rule as king will remain in the tribe of Judah until the true king will come. And the true king of God’s people is the Lord Jesus Christ.
And in due course the true king of God’s people came to Jerusalem, riding on a donkey. And the people welcomed him as their king. But he came, not to bring judgment, but to save his people from the coming judgment by laying down his life on the cross for our forgiveness. And he came not to restore the kingdom to Israel, but to extend his kingdom out of Jerusalem and out of Israel and into all the world through the preaching of the good news of salvation. And everyone who hears and believes is added to his kingdom which will never end.
And so, we should rejoice, because although today’s passage contains a message of judgment, we know that the Lord our God is not only the judge, but he’s our Saviour who loved us and who sent his Son into the world to accomplish our salvation and to fill us with his Spirit and with the hope of everlasting life in his glorious presence in the new and better world to come.
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