Psalm 150 (continued, part 22)
"action sermon," Ezekiel not only cried and wailed (v. 12), but he smote his thigh and clapped his hands together (vv. 14, 17). It's possible that he was also brandishing a sword as he spoke, although the text doesn't state this. The Lord was preparing the Babylonian army to be effective and efficient in carrying out His plans. Despising the king of Judah (v. 13), the sword of Babylon would turn Judah's scepter into nothing but a stick (v. 10)! The invading soldiers would be so effective that one swordsman would do the work of three (v. 14), and for the Jews there would be no escape (v. 16). Even the Lord would applaud the soldiers as they executed the judgment that He had ordained (v. 17). Perhaps some of the Jews recalled Ezekiel's previous "action sermon" using the sword (5:1–4).
God identifies the target (20:45–49). Frequently in this book, God commanded His servant to "set his face" against something or someone (v. 46; 13:17; 21:2; 25:2; 28:21; 29:2; 35:2; 38:2). This was one way to point out the "target" at which His judgment would be hurled, in this case, Judah and Jerusalem (21:1–2). The prophet assumed a posture of stern judgment as he announced that threatened judgment was about to fall against "the south" (the Negev), and Judah and Jerusalem were in the territory south of Babylon. Using the image of a forest fire, he described the invasion of the Babylonians and the destruction of the Jewish nation. When you study chapter 21, you learn that the fire represents the deadly swords of the soldiers and that the "south" represents Judah and Jerusalem. According to Ezekiel 20:1, it was the year 591 BC when he gave these messages, so in five years, the Babylonians would set fire to the Holy City and the temple. During Israel's wilderness wanderings, God didn't severely punish His people for their rebellion because He wanted to honor His name before the Gentiles (20:14, 22, 44); but now He would honor His name by burning their city and temple and sending them into exile.
God directs the army (21:18–27). The pagan nations of that day used many forms of divination to discern the will of the gods, and Ezekiel pictured the Babylonian army at a fork in the road, trying to discover which way to go. Should they go to Rabbath, the capital of Ammon, and attack the Ammonites; or should they go to Jerusalem to attack the Jews? When the Lord told Ezekiel to "mark [appoint] two ways," he probably sketched on the ground a map of the roads looking like an inverted Y, and at the juncture stuck a "signpost" into the ground. (Remember his plan of Jerusalem drawn on a wet clay brick—4:1–8?) It was God's will that the army attack Jerusalem, so He overruled the soothsayers and diviners and made sure their decision was for Jerusalem. This doesn't mean that their system of divining was accurate or even proper, but that the Lord used it to accomplish His purposes.10
Nebuchadnezzar decided to attack Jerusalem, so he appointed his captains and made his plans. The people in Jerusalem were hoping he would attack the Ammonites, and when the word came that Jerusalem was his target, they hoped the diviners would say they had made a mistake. But God was in control and there had been no mistake. King Zedekiah had sworn an oath of allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar and had broken it (21:23; 2 Kings 24:20), and Nebuchadnezzar would not stand for this kind of rebellion from a weak vassal state. Zedekiah's sins had finally caught up with him (Ezek. 21:24). Ezekiel paused to give a special message to Zedekiah, whom he refuses to call a king but refers to as a prince. He calls him profane and wicked, a man who has committed iniquity and will suffer because of it. He would lose his crown and his throne. The day had arrived when God would turn everything upside down. Those who were "great and mighty" would be humbled, and those who were humble would be exalted. The word translated "overturn" ("ruin" niv) is awwa, and we can just hear Ezekiel lamenting: "Awwa—awwa—awwa!"
God draws the sword (21:1–7). The word sword is used nineteen times in this chapter to represent the invasion and attack of the Babylonian army. God has His eye on three targets: the land of Judah, the city of Jerusalem, and the holy place of the temple. Unfortunately, some of the righteous would suffer along with the wicked, but this is often the case in times of war. Note that God declared that it was "my sword," because it was He who summoned the Babylonian army to punish His sinful people. If His own people won't obey Him, at least the pagan nations will!
At this point, God commanded Ezekiel to perform another "action sermon" by groaning like a man experiencing great pain and grief. When the people asked him why he was groaning so, he would tell them, "Because of the bad news that is coming," referring to the news of the fall of Jerusalem. The news didn't come until January 8, 585 BC (33:21–22), five months after the city had been burned, which was August 14, 586 BC; but the Lord told Ezekiel that the news was coming. The exiles nurtured the false hope that the Lord would spare the city and the temple, but everything the Lord had prophesied would come to pass.
But once again, the Lord added a brief word of hope: the Messiah would one day come, the true Son of David and Israel's King, and would claim the Davidic
God sharpens His sword (21:8–17). In this second
Ezekiel 21
crown and reign over His people (v. 27). The phrase "whose right it is" takes us back to Genesis 49:8–12, a messianic promise that we met in Ezekiel 19 when we studied the images of the lion and the vine.
relative's example, teaching, and prayers could bring blessing to his or her descendants for years to come. Neither Ezekiel nor Jeremiah denied that innocent people were suffering because of the sins of the godless Jewish leaders (Lam. 5:7). The thing they opposed was that the people were using the proverb as an excuse for their own sins, claiming that their generation wasn't guilty of disobedience. 2 Idolatry and adultery were capital offenses (Deut. 13; 22:22; Lev. 18:20; 20:10). Offenses relating to material goods (stealing, exploiting, charging interest, etc.) were usually punished by restoration of an equal amount plus a fine. 3 The case described in verse 24 isn't that of a righteous man who commits one trespass, but it describes a righteous man who adopted a sinful lifestyle and repeatedly defied God's law. Certainly he could have repented and returned to God, even as King Manasseh did (2 Chron. 33:11–19); but the man Ezekiel described persisted in his sins. It's possible to have an outward behavior that appears righteous and still not have saving faith in the Lord. 4 It's interesting that the images of the lion and the vine are found in Genesis 49:8–12. 5 King Zedekiah tried the same approach with Jeremiah, but it didn't work (Jer. 37). 6 Peter's Quotations: Ideas for Our Time, 244. This is a version of George Santayana's famous saying, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." 7 The phrase "lifted up my hand" means to make a solemn oath and is used seven times in chapter 20. God swore that He was their God (v. 5) and would deliver them and give them their land (v. 6). At Kadesh Barnea, He swore that the older generation would not enter the land (v. 15), and in verse 23, He swore to disperse them if they disobeyed Him (v. 23). He swore to give them the land of Israel (v. 28), and He swore to bring them back to the land after their dispersion (v. 42). 8 The word Bamah (v. 29) means "high place." In the question "What is the high place to which you go?" the word go is ba in Hebrew and what is ma. 9 Note the repetition of "the word of the Lord came" in 20:45 and 21:1, 8, and 18. This phrase introduces a new portion of God's message to the people. 10 Several kinds of divination are mentioned in verse 21: selecting an arrow from the quiver, as if drawing straws; consulting small images of the gods; and inspecting the entrails of an animal sacrifice. Perhaps verse 22 is describing the casting of lots (see niv). 11 Adrienne Koch and William Peden, eds., The Life and Selected Writings of Thomas Jefferson (New York: The Modern Library, 1993), 258.
God completes the task (21:28–32). But what about the Ammonites? When the Lord directed the Babylonian army to Jerusalem, did this mean He would not judge the Ammonites for their sins against Him and the Jewish people? They would rejoice to see Babylon ravage the land of Judah and set fire to Jerusalem and the temple. (See Ezek. 25.) Along with Judah and the other nations, Ammon had joined the alliance against Babylon (Jer. 27:1ff.), so Ammon had to be punished. Their own false prophets and diviners would give them a false hope that they had been spared (Ezek. 21:29), but God hadn't told Nebuchadnezzar to put his sword in its sheath (v. 30). The message closed with another fire (see 20:47–48), but this time a furnace in which ore was smelted. God would "blow" against the furnace and make it hotter, and then He would pour out the molten metal on His enemies. The Ammonites would become fuel for the fire, and the nation would disappear from the earth.
We come away from the study of chapters 18 to 21 with a fresh realization of the tragedy of rebellion against the Lord. Israel had a long history of rebellion, but the other nations weren't any better, except that Israel was sinning against the light of God's Word and His providential care over His people. If any people had the obligation to obey and serve the Lord, it was Israel, for the Lord had blessed them abundantly. Instead of becoming a holy nation to the glory of God, she became like all the other nations and failed to be God's light to the Gentiles.
And yet, woven throughout this series of messages is the theme of Israel's hope. The prophet reminded them that God had promised to regather them from the Gentile nations and give them their King and their kingdom. Historically speaking, weak King Zedekiah was the last ruler in the Davidic dynasty, but not prophetically speaking; for Jesus Christ, the Son of David (Matt. 1:1), will one day come and reign from David's throne. Ezekiel will discuss that theme in detail before he completes his book.
E.The end of the city—22—24
Under "Query 18" in his Notes on the State of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson wrote, "Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just."11 Ezekiel has defended the justice of God and magnified the mercy and grace of God. What more could he do?
CHAPTER SEVEN Ezekiel 22—24 SEE THE SINFUL CITY! I
1 The guilt and condemnation for a parent's sin could not be passed on to the children, but the consequences of parental sin could bring suffering to the family. In Old Testament days, the Jewish people lived in extended families, and often four generations lived together. This meant that younger generations were influenced by the bad examples of their relatives as well as their good examples. Hereditary tendencies could be passed along as well as social diseases. But at the same time, a godly
f you refer to the suggested outline of the book of Ezekiel, you will see that these three chapters complete the second section of the book "The Fall of
Ezekiel 21—22
parents, strangers and aliens, and orphans and widows (Ezek. 22:7). The Jews were commanded to honor their fathers and mothers (Ex. 20:12), and so are believers today (Eph. 6:1–3). God even attached a special promise to this commandment—"that your days may be long upon the land"—and now the Jews were about to be exiled from their land. The law also gave special consideration to widows, orphans, and aliens (Ex. 22:21–24; 23:9–11; Lev. 19:33–34; Jer. 5:28), and this commandment contained a warning. If these needy people were abused, the Jewish wives would become widows and the Jewish children would become orphans. Disobedience is a serious thing! The church today has a ministry obligation to strangers (Matt. 25:35, 43; James 2:1–13), widows, and orphans (James 1:27; 1 Tim. 5). After dealing with the inhumanity of the people in Jerusalem, God condemned their idolatry (Ezek. 22:8). They defiled the temple with their idols (8:5ff.) and by "worshipping God" hypocritically, not worshipping with clean hands and obedient hearts (Isa. 1:10ff.). Jeremiah told them that they had turned God's house into "a den of robbers" (Jer. 7:11), a place where thieves run to hide after they've broken the law. The Jews also polluted the Sabbath by treating it like any other day. The Sabbath was a special sign between God and Israel that they were His special people (Ezek. 20:12–13, 20; Ex. 31:13–17), and to violate this law was to defy the Lord's authority and deny Israel's calling and ministry in the world.
Jerusalem." Ezekiel focuses on four final events: the end of the city (chap. 22), the end of the kingdom (chap. 23), the end of a delusion (24:1–14), and the end of a marriage (vv. 15–27). Chapter 24 records two heart-rending announcements from the Lord: the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem (vv. 1–2) and the death of the prophet's wife (vv. 15–17). What a sobering way to climax Ezekiel's many messages to the spiritually blind Jewish exiles in Babylon!
The End of the City (22:1–31) "David took the stronghold of Zion" (2 Sam. 5:7) and made Jerusalem his capital. Not only was the royal throne there but also the holy altar, for it was in Zion that God put His sanctuary. "For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation" (Ps. 132:13 nkjv). The Jews were proud of Mount Zion (Ps. 48) and claimed that the Lord loved Zion more than any other place (Ps. 87). But now the city of Jerusalem and the temple would be invaded by "unclean Gentiles" who were brought there by the Lord! Why would the Lord destroy His own beloved city and temple? Because His people had sinned and broken the covenant, and they were beyond remedy. Ezekiel described the true character of the "beautiful city" and named some of the sins that the people in Jerusalem were committing even while he spoke. Ezekiel had exposed the past sins of the nation, but now he brought Jerusalem into the courtroom and brought the record up-to-date.
But how could the people persist in these sins and not be judged by the courts? Because the courts were run by wicked men who had no desire to acquit the innocent or punish the guilty. The rich were set free and the poor were exploited. People accepted bribes and agreed to slander innocent people (Ezek. 22:9, 12), forgetting that the law prohibited slander and false witness (Ex. 20:16; 23:1–3, 6–8; Deut. 16:19; 27:25). According to the law, if someone were accused of a capital crime, at least two witnesses had to testify, and these witnesses would be the first to cast stones at the convicted guilty party (Num. 35:30–31; Deut. 17:6–7; 19:15). In my years of pastoral experience, I have seen local churches torn apart by slander and false witness, in spite of the clear teaching in the New Testament about integrity in bearing witness (1 Tim. 5:19; Matt. 18:16; 2 Cor. 13:1). It's a sobering thought that liars as well as murderers will have a place in the lake of fire and will not enter the heavenly city (Rev. 21:8, 27).
A defiled people (vv. 1–12). The words blood or bloody are repeated seven times in this paragraph and speak of death and defilement. The prophet named two grievous sins: the shedding of innocent blood (injustice) and the worship of foreign gods (see 7:23; 9:9). The officials in Jerusalem were accepting bribes and condemning innocent people to death so that others could claim their property (Amos 5:11–17; see 1 Kings 21). These judges had no respect for God or for man made in the image of God, and yet they were supposed to be honest men who upheld the law of the Lord (Ex. 18:21–26; Deut. 16:18–20). So evil was the judicial system in Jerusalem that the Gentile nations heard about it (Ezek. 22:4–5) and reproached the name of the Lord. Jerusalem was a "city infamous [defiled] and much vexed [full of confusion]" (v. 5).1 But the time of their judgment was fast approaching. God had already declared the sentence, but He had not yet begun the punishment. The princes had abused their power, but God would display His power.
In Ezekiel 22:9b–11, God targeted the immorality of the Jewish people, starting with their participation in the unspeakably filthy "worship" at the pagan shrines. The tragedy is that these idolatrous men brought their immorality home with them! Sons had intercourse with their own mothers or stepmothers, fathers with daughters-in-law, and brothers with sisters or half-sisters! (See Lev. 18:6ff.; 20:10ff.) Men were committing adultery with a neighbor's wife or with
Idolatry, injustice, and the abuse of power are rampant in our world today, and God in His mercy is holding back His hand of judgment to give sinners opportunity to repent and be saved. Divine truth and human rights are being ignored, but "the day of the Lord will come" (2 Peter 3:10), and sinners will be judged righteously by the all-knowing Lord.
Ezekiel named some of the sins that the people were committing, and he began with the abuse of people—
Ezekiel 22
Gentiles and through this experience bring His people back to Himself.
women having their monthly period (Ezek. 18:6; Lev. 18:19; 20:18). How easy it is for us today to pass judgment on God's ancient people, but what about God's contemporary people? Sexual sins in the church and in so-called Christian homes have ripped churches and families apart, and many churches close their eyes to these offenses. Pornography—in print, on video, and on the Internet—is a common thing these days, and it's getting more and more daring on television. Unmarried people living together, "trial marriages," "gay marriages," and even "mate-swapping" have shown up in evangelical churches, and when faithful pastors have attempted to deal with such sin, they were told to mind their own business. The offenders simply left and starting attending other churches where they could live as they pleased. As Ruth Bell Graham said, "If God doesn't judge America, He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah."
The second judgment would be fire (Ezek. 22:17–22), the destruction of their beloved city and temple. The prophet pictured a smelting furnace with different kinds of metals in it, and the dross (slag) being removed. That dross represented the people of Jerusalem who thought they were "the best" because they hadn't gone into exile. The image of the furnace is a familiar one in Scripture. Israel's suffering in Egypt was a furnace experience that helped to form the nation and prepare them for the exodus (Deut. 4:20; 1 Kings 8:31; Jer. 11:4). But now, God's furnace was Jerusalem, and the fire would be divine judgment for the sins of the people (Isa. 1:21–26; 31:9; Jer. 6:27–30). Two key words in this passage are "melt" and "gather." The people had gathered in Jerusalem for safety, but it was the Lord who gathered them so He could melt them in His furnace as He poured His fury upon them. This same image will be discussed in Ezekiel 24:1–14.
"The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" (1 Tim. 6:10 nkjv), so we aren't surprised that the businesspeople in Jerusalem were charging exorbitant interest on loans and were practicing extortion rather than business (Ezek. 22:12). The Jews could charge interest to outsiders, but not to their own people (Ex. 22:25–27; Lev. 19:13; 25:35–38; Deut. 23:19–20), and they were to be fair in all their business dealings. The world's motto "Business is business" must never replace our Lord's commandment, "Give, and it will be given to you" (Luke 6:38 niv).
A debased people (vv. 23–27). Ezekiel pointed the finger of accusation at the princes (vv. 25, 27),3 the priests (v. 26), the false prophets (v. 28), and the people of the land (v. 29), and each segment of society is found guilty. The princes were acting like animals, lions and wolves, hungry for their prey. Sin always debases people and turns them into beasts (Ps. 32:9; Prov. 7:21–23; 2 Peter 2:18–22), even into worse than beasts! These men abused their power and destroyed innocent people just to acquire more wealth. They manufactured poor widows by murdering innocent men and stealing their wealth.
Why were God's chosen people living such wicked lives? Because they had forgotten the Lord (Ezek. 22:12), a sin that Moses had commanded them to avoid (Deut. 4:9, 23; 6:10–12; 32:18). They were admonished to remember their slavery in Egypt and God's grace in redeeming them (5:15; 15:15; 16:12; 24:18), and also remember the Lord their God (8:18). People who forget God gradually become their own god and begin to disobey God's Word, mistreat other people, and take God's gifts for granted. The prophet Jeremiah in Jerusalem was accusing the people of the same sin (Jer. 3:21).
You would think that the priests would have upheld the law and protested the evil deeds of the rulers, but instead they broke God's law (Jer. 32:32; Lam. 4:13). These men were given the sacred calling of explaining God's holy law (Mal. 2:6–8) so that the people could live holy lives and make a difference between holy things and common things (Ezek. 44:23; Lev. 10:10; 11:47; 20:25). But instead of teaching the law, the priests violated the law; and when others broke the law, the priests looked the other way. It was a situation not unlike that of Eli and his sons in the days of young Samuel (1 Sam. 2:12ff.).
A doomed people (vv. 13–22). God strikes His hands in angry response to the sins of His people (6:11; 21:14, 17),2 and He announces that a day of reckoning is coming. The people of Jerusalem had the resolution to persist in their sins, in spite of God's warnings, but would they have the will and courage to endure God's day of judgment? His first act of judgment would be dispersion (22:13–16); the people would be exiled to Babylon and others scattered to the surrounding nations (vv. 15–16), some of which had already occurred. The people should have known this judgment was coming, because in His covenant, God had promised this kind of judgment (Lev. 26:27–39; Deut. 28:64–68). The Jewish people wanted to worship the gods of the Gentiles, so why not live with the Gentiles and learn how to do it? God would humiliate His people before the eyes of the
The people of the land (Ezek. 22:29) were the prominent land-owning citizens (12:19), often officers in the army, and they fell right in line with the princes and priests. They oppressed the poor when they should have aided them, and took advantage of the strangers instead of welcoming them and helping them. But everything they gained by their violence and abuse of power, they would lose when the day of judgment arrived.
A deceitful people (v. 28). Along with the priests, the false prophets supported the evil political regime and encouraged the common people with lies. Instead of exposing sin, they whitewashed it! (See 13:10–16; Jer. 6:14; 8:11; 23:16–22.) They announced that God would never allow His Holy City and temple to be
Ezekiel 22—23
ing the word tent, most Jews would immediately think of the tabernacle where God dwelt with His people. The northern kingdom of Israel had its own sanctuary and priesthood in Samaria, as well as idols and shrines throughout the land, but that was "her tent" and not "the Lord's tent." However, the Mosaic law was still held in Judah, even though not always obeyed, and the Levitical priests still served at the temple that Solomon built by God's direction and authority. Looking at Jerusalem, even with all of her sins, the Lord could still say, "My tent is in her." The glory had departed from the temple (9:3; 11:22–23), but the temple was still known as God's dwelling place.
trampled by the heathen, but that is exactly what the Lord planned to do. The false prophets manufactured lies and the people gladly believed them.
A disappointing people (vv. 30–31). God searched among His people for one person in authority who would stand in the gap so that the enemy wouldn't penetrate the wall and invade the city, but He found none. Of course, the prophet Jeremiah was in Jerusalem, but he was a man with no authority who was rejected by the politicians, priests, and false prophets. Jeremiah himself had scoured the city, looking for a godly man (Jer. 5:1–6), but his quest was a failure. The prophet Isaiah failed in a similar search (Isa. 51:18; 59:16). The Lord promised to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if He found ten righteous men in the city (Gen. 18:23–33), and He would have spared Jerusalem for one righteous man.
With that background, we can now examine this parable and see how it applied to the Jews in Ezekiel's day as well as to God's people in our own day. The main message the Lord wanted Ezekiel to get across to the Jewish people was that He was perfectly just in punishing the kingdom of Judah because of the way they had behaved toward Him. The Lord made three declarations: Judah arrogantly ignored God's warning when He judged Samaria (23:5–13); Judah then went beyond the sins the Samaritans committed (vv. 14–21); therefore, the Lord had every right to judge Judah (vv. 22–35). The people of Judah ignored God's warning (vv. 5–13). Both Israel and Judah were positioned in such a way geographically that the political tensions among the larger nations and empires (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon) affected them drastically. Israel and Judah were often the "bridges" over which these nations marched their armies, and it was impossible for the Jews not to take sides. In the days when the nation was united, King David trusted the Lord to help him defend and deliver his people, but King Solomon's policy was to make political treaties to guarantee peace. This is why he married numerous heathen princesses so that their fathers wouldn't attack the Jewish nation.
The Lord is still seeking men and women who will take their stand for the moral law of God, stand in the gap at the wall, and confront the enemy with God's help. As you read history, you meet godly men and women who had the courage to resist the popular evils of their day and dare to expose the breaks in the wall and seek to mend them. The Lord is looking for intercessors (Isa. 59:1–4, 16) who will cry out to God for mercy and for a return to holiness. Surely the Lord must be disappointed that His people have time for everything except intercessory prayer.
The End of the Kingdom (23:1–49) This chapter is a good deal like chapter 16 in that it depicts the history of the nation of Israel and its apostasy from the Lord. In both chapters, the image is that of prostitution, the nation breaking her "marriage vows" and like a harlot, turning to others for help.4 However, in chapter 16, the sin is idolatry, trusting the false gods of the pagans, while in chapter 23, the sin is trusting other nations to protect her. In this chapter you will find both Israel (the northern kingdom) and Judah (the southern kingdom) playing the harlot and looking for help from Assyria, Babylon, and Egypt, instead of trusting Jehovah God to guide them and rescue them.
Samaria had no true faith in the living God, so she looked to the Assyrians to help her. The picture here is that of a prostitute seeking a lover to care for her, and the language is quite graphic. Samaria not only welcomed Assyria's soldiers but also Assyria's idols, and the religion of the northern kingdom became a strange mixture of Mosaic law and Assyrian idolatry (2 Kings 17:6–15). So, to punish her, the Lord used the Assyrians—her "lovers"—to conquer her and put an end to the northern kingdom. The ten tribes that comprised the northern kingdom were mixed with other conquered nations, and the land became part of the Assyrian Empire.
During the reign of Solomon's son Rehoboam, the Jewish nation divided into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah. The northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria) almost immediately abandoned the true faith, started to worship idols, and eventually set up their own temple and priesthood; while the southern kingdom of Judah tried to remain true to the law of Moses. Things got so bad in Samaria that in 722 BC. God brought the Assyrians to conquer them and put an end to the nation. Judah had a few godly kings who sought to please the Lord, but the nation gradually disintegrated and was taken by the Babylonians (606–586 BC).
The leaders of Judah knew what had happened to their sister kingdom and why it happened, but they didn't take the lesson to heart. Judah also made alliances with Assyria and "fell in love" with the handsome soldiers in their beautiful uniforms (Ezek. 23:11–13). Instead of looking to the Lord to protect them, the people of Judah looked to their powerful neighbors for help, but they proved to be broken reeds.
Oholah represents Israel, whose capital was Samaria, while her sister Oholibah represents Judah, whose capital was Jerusalem. Oholah means "her tent" while Oholibah means "my tent is in her." When hear-
Ezekiel 23—24
The two accused sisters have been presented to the court and their crimes have been explained. All that remains is for the judge to sum up the case and describe the sentence, which Ezekiel does in 23:36–49. Neither Samaria nor Judah has any defense, and they can't take their case to a higher court. God's verdict is true and final. Ezekiel includes Samaria in this summation so that Judah can't say that God's judgment of the northern kingdom was unjust. All the evidence was presented and there could be but one decision: guilty as charged.
Assyria invaded Judah during the days of King Hezekiah, ravaged the land, and were stopped in their tracks at Jerusalem and slain by God's angel (Isa. 36— 37; 2 Kings 18—19). This was God's warning to Hezekiah not to let the people follow the sinful example of Samaria.
The people of Judah sinned even more than Samaria did (vv. 14–21). God's punishment of Samaria and His miraculous deliverance of Judah should have brought the people of Judah to their knees in gratitude and dedication, but it didn't happen that way. Hezekiah began to fraternize with the Babylonians (Isa. 39), a nation that was growing in power. As they had admired the Assyrian armies (2 Kings 16:1–9), so the rulers of Judah began to admire the power of Babylon. King Jehoiakim asked Babylon to help him break the power of Egypt (Ezek. 23:35—24:7), and this only made Judah a vassal state of Babylon. The kingdom of Judah became more and more idolatrous as one weak king after another took the throne, some of them for only three months. Judah was actually more corrupt than her sister Samaria (23:11)!
What were their sins? Idolatry, injustice, unbelief (depending on the heathen nations for help), followed by blatant hypocrisy. They worshipped idols and killed innocent people, and then marched piously into the temple to worship Jehovah! They prostituted themselves to heathen nations when, if they had trusted the Lord, He would have taken care of them and delivered them. In their idolatry, they even sacrificed their own children, sons and daughters who really belonged to God ("whom they bore to me").
When Judah should have remained a separated people, declaring their faith in Jehovah, their leaders participated in an international conference against Babylon and allied themselves with the enemies of the Lord (v. 40; Jer. 27). The prophet described how the Jewish leaders at the meeting behaved like harlots preparing to serve a customer, but he compared the meeting to a drunken brawl,5 a "carefree crowd" that didn't want to face the fact that Babylon was going to win.
The people of Judah will suffer the wrath of God (vv. 22–35). The logic is obvious: if God punished Samaria for her sins, and if Judah sinned worse than Samaria, then Judah must be punished also. In this section of his message, Ezekiel delivered four oracles from the Lord. First, God would bring the Babylonians to punish Judah just as He brought the Assyrians to punish Samaria (vv. 22–27). Ezekiel described in detail the officers in the army and the equipment they would carry. Using the image of punishing a prostitute, he described how the invaders would strip the nation, expose her lewdness, and mutilate her body. It isn't a very beautiful picture.
From God's point of view, Judah was nothing but a worn-out adulteress soliciting "lovers," and their sin was something His heart couldn't accept. As Samaria had sinned by patronizing Assyria, so Judah was playing the harlot by seeking the help of pagan nations instead of trusting the Lord. That being the case, Judah would be treated like an adulteress and even worse. The law of Moses called for the adulteress to be stoned (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 20:20), prostitutes to be burned (Gen. 38:24; Lev. 21:9), and murderers to be put to death, probably by stoning (Ex. 21:12–14; Lev. 24:17). Judah would be punished for adultery, prostitution, and shedding innocent blood (Ezek. 23:47).6 Her sins would find her out.
The second oracle (vv. 28–31) repeats some of the facts in the first one and reminded the people that this judgment was perfectly just. At one time, Judah courted the friendship of Babylon, but now they hated the Babylonians; yet God would allow the people they hated to ravage their land and destroy Jerusalem and the temple. The third oracle (vv. 32–34) uses the image of the cup, a familiar image in Scripture for experiencing suffering (Isa. 51:17, 22; Jer. 25:15–29; 49:12; Lam. 4:21; Hab. 2:16; John 18:11; Rev. 14:10). The cup He hands them will be large and deep and filled with the wrath of the Lord, and they will have to drink it.
The End of a Delusion (24:1–14) This chapter closes the section of the book that focuses on the destruction of Jerusalem (chap. 4—24) and it is divided into two parts: a parable about a boiling pot (24:1–14) and an "action sermon" involving the sudden death of the prophet's wife (vv. 15–27). After that, Ezekiel deals with God's judgment on the Gentile nations (chaps. 25—32) and His glorious promises for the people of Israel (chaps. 33—48).
The final oracle (Ezek. 23:35) explained why God judged His people: they had forgotten Him (22:12) and had cast Him behind their backs—that is, rejected Him and left Him out of their thinking and living. "There is no fear of God before their eyes" (Rom. 3:18). God's "wife" had become a harlot and abandoned her Husband. Jeremiah used a similar image (Jer. 2:1–8) and was astonished that a nation should change its gods (vv. 9–11). He said that Judah had rejected the fountain of living water and turned to broken cisterns that could hold no water (v. 13).
God's message came to Ezekiel on January 15, 588 BC, the date of the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem. So critical is this date that it's mentioned in 2 Kings 25:1–3 as well as Jeremiah 39:1–3 and 52:4–6. During
Ezekiel 24
interpretation of theology. Jeremiah warned Judah, "Do not trust in these lying words, saying, 'The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these'" (Jer. 7:4 nkjv). The presence of the temple in Jerusalem wasn't a guarantee that the city would be saved, especially when what was going on in the temple was contrary to the will of God. Any theology that makes sin easy and divine punishment unimportant is not biblical theology. God's judgment begins with His own people (2 Peter 4:17), and Hebrews 10:30 warns us that "the Lord will judge His people" (nkjv).
their years of exile, the Jews observed four annual fasts to remember the painful events of the destruction of Jerusalem (Zech. 7; 8:18–23). They marked when the siege began (tenth month), when the walls were breached (fourth month), when the temple was burned down (fifth month), and when Gedaliah the governor was assassinated (the seventh month, Jer. 41:1–2).
God called Judah a "rebellious house" not only because they broke His laws and violated His covenant, but also because Zedekiah had broken his treaty with Babylon and incited the displeasure of Nebuchadnezzar. The image of the cooking pot takes us back to Ezekiel 11:1–13, where the Jewish leaders boasted that the Jews left in Jerusalem were better than the Jews taken off to Babylon. The Jerusalem Jews were the best "cuts of meat," while the Jews in Babylon were only the scraps! Of course, God contradicted that idea and made it clear that the exiles in Babylon would form a remnant with which He could rebuild the nation and the temple. Jeremiah had written to the exiles and instructed them to settle down, build houses, and raise families so that the remnant could continue the ministry for which the Lord had chosen Israel. God warned the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem that they weren't the "meat"—they were the butchers! They were guilty of shedding innocent blood, and God would judge them for their sins. If they weren't "cooked" in the cauldron of Jerusalem, they would eventually be slain by the swords of the Babylonian soldiers. Even if they escaped the city, they would be caught and killed.
Our world today lives on delusions and myths because, like the Jews in Ezekiel's day, the world won't accept the authority of the Word of God. People still believe that might makes right, that money is the measure of worth and success, that the aim of life is to have fun and do what you want to do. You can believe whatever you please about God, yourself, and others, and everything will turn out fine because there are no consequences. But one day God will expose the stupidity of these delusions and the world will discover too late that there are consequences to what we believe and how we behave.
The End of a Marriage (24:15–27) It's interesting to study what is said in Scripture about the wives of the prophets. Abraham was a prophet (Gen. 20:7) who twice lied about his wife and got into trouble. Moses was criticized for the wife he chose (Num. 12:1), and Isaiah's wife was a prophetess (Isa. 8:3). She bore him at least two sons whose names were signs to the people of Judah. The prophet Jeremiah wasn't allowed to have a wife (Jer. 16:1–4), and this was a sign to the Jews that judgment was coming and people would wish they had never married and brought children into the world. Hosea's wife became a prostitute and he had to buy her out of the slave market (Hos. 1—3). What a trial that must have been!
In his parable about the cooking pot, Ezekiel used the image and vocabulary of the Jerusalem leaders. Yes, God would put "the best cuts of meat" into His pot (Jerusalem) and boil the meat and the bones (the Babylonian siege). He wouldn't "cook" the flesh; He would consume it (Ezek. 10)! Then He would pour out the burned mess and burn the pot itself! Jerusalem was an evil city, filled with sin like a filthy pot encrusted with rust and scum. She had shed innocent blood and hadn't even been decent enough to cover the blood (Gen. 4:10; Lev. 17:13; Deut. 12:16, 24; 15:23). The murderers left the evidence for everyone to see and didn't worry about the consequences! But God would avenge the innocent victims and expose the blood of their murderers for all to see.
But Ezekiel paid a greater price than all these prophets. In order to give his message, Ezekiel had to see his wife die suddenly, and he was not to show great grief because of it! God told him that she would suddenly die and that he was not to do what the Jews usually did in times of bereavement. He was allowed to groan quietly, but he was not permitted to weep or make the kind of lamentation that was typical of his people.
The Jerusalem leaders were confident of deliverance because they were depending on a lie: "Our God will never allow His chosen people to be killed, His Holy City and temple to be destroyed." This was a delusion, and Ezekiel put an end to it. It was because the Jews were His chosen people that God was punishing them, and because Jerusalem was His Holy City that He couldn't allow it to continue wallowing in wickedness. The only way to purge the city was to burn it and make it a great funeral pyre (Ezek. 24:9–10). He judged the people in the city (the "select pieces of meat in the pot") and then burned the pot as well!
He gave his morning message to the elders, at evening his wife suddenly died, and the next morning he buried her. When the Jews came to console him, they were shocked to see that he wasn't weeping aloud and displaying the usual signs of bereavement. Nor was he to eat the food that people would bring to help him in his sorrow. As they had done in the past, the people asked him for an explanation (Ezek. 12:9; 21:7), and the Lord gave him the message and opened his mouth so he could speak.
Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel had to deal with the false confidence of the people, a confidence based on a false
The prophet's wife was the joy of his life and the
Ezekiel 24—25
desire of his eyes (24:16), but the Lord took her away. The temple in Jerusalem was the joy of the Jewish people, for no other nation had such a sanctuary, but now the Lord would take the temple away. On August 14, 586 BC, the Babylonians set fire to the temple in Jerusalem. Nothing is said about Ezekiel's children and we don't know that he had any, but God announced that, along with the destruction of the temple, the relatives of the exiles still living in Jerusalem would lose their lives. Once again, Ezekiel was a sign to the exiles of what the Lord was doing, and this was the most painful and costly of all his "action sermons." In order to preach one sermon, Ezekiel had to lose his wife. But Ezekiel commanded the Jewish exiles to mourn over the loss of the temple just as he had mourned over the loss of his wife, without loud wailing, copious weeping, or any change in their dress or eating habits. The death of the prophet's dear wife was an act of God, and so was the destruction of the temple. The woman who had died was innocent of any gross sin, but the temple had become a den of thieves. God gave Ezekiel only one day's notice that he would become a widower, but He had been speaking to sinful Judah for many years and they had not listened. The destruction of the temple and the city should not be a surprise to anybody.
5 The word Sabeans in verse 42 could refer to the nomadic desert tribes who were invited to the conference, but the word may also mean "drunkards" (see niv margin). 6 Who are the "righteous men" who sentence Judah (v. 45 niv)? It probably refers to the people gathered at the conference, since "they" goes back to verse 40. The NASB translates it, "But they, righteous men . . ." referring to "they" (the delegates) in verse 44. But how could men from ungodly nations be called "righteous"? Ezekiel may have been using a bit of holy irony and saying, "These pagan Gentiles are more righteous than Judah who knows the true and living God but won't trust Him!" Of course, the prophets also passed judgment on Judah, and they were righteous men.
III. The nations judged (25—32)
CHAPTER EIGHT Ezekiel 25—28 GOD JUDGES THE NATIONS T
he destruction of Jerusalem was welcomed by the Gentile nations that were located in the vicinity of the kingdom of Judah. During the great days of their nation, the Jews had been a separated people, and this irritated their neighbors. The Jewish claim that Jehovah was the only true and living God meant that the other nations worshipped only dead idols. Both Saul and David had met many of these nations on the battlefield, and the Gentiles remembered and resented those humiliating defeats. But as the kingdom of Judah drifted from the Lord, the Jewish people adopted the gods and the practices of the Gentiles, and to their neighbors, this looked like pure hypocrisy. After all, if Jehovah is the true and living God, why do the Jews need other gods? And why would the kings of Judah look to human allies for protection if Jehovah is able to care for them? Nothing pleased the Gentiles more than to be able to laugh at the Jews in their day of humiliation and claim that the gods of the Babylonians were stronger than the God the Jews worshipped.
But how did the people know that the prophet was telling the truth? They didn't have instant news service as we have today, so perhaps the whole thing was only Ezekiel's way of dealing with his wife's death. But God said that a messenger would arrive in Babylon with the news of the fall of the city and the destruction of the temple, and this occurred five months later, on January 8,585 BC (33:21–22). The next day, God opened the prophet's mouth and removed the discipline He had imposed at the beginning of his ministry (3:25–27). From this point on, the prophet was free to speak as he felt led, and at the same time, the focus of his ministry shifted. He had exposed the nation's sins and announced her judgment. Now he would announce God's plans for the Gentile nations, including victorious Babylon; and then he would minister hope to the Jewish exiles and share with them visions of the kingdom yet to come.
What the nations didn't realize was that the destruction of Jerusalem wasn't just a punishment of the Jews; it was also a warning to the Gentiles. "If the righteous will be recompensed on the earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner?" (Prov. 11:31 nkjv). For if God displays His wrath against His own people, "What shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:17). There's a great difference between a loving parent chastening a child and a judge punishing a guilty criminal. Israel knew God's Word and therefore had sinned against a flood of light, but the Gentiles had the clear witness of creation (Rom. 1:18–32; Ps. 19) and conscience (Rom. 2:11–16) and were without excuse. But God was also judging the Gentiles for the way they had treated His people, because this was the covenant promise He had made with Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3).1 It's interesting that Ezekiel didn't have a message of judgment against the Babylonians; God used Isaiah (Isa.
Ezekiel has been a faithful servant of God, even to the point of sacrificing his beloved wife so he could declare the word of God. What an example of dedication!
1 For a graphic description of what happens to society when officials break the law and are not punished for it, read Isaiah 59. 2 Of course, God is spirit and therefore doesn't have literal hands; but the Bible uses human terms to explain spiritual truths. 3 The KJV reads "prophets" in verse 25, but the word refers to the nobility in the city, the people with authority. 4 You find a similar image and message in Jeremiah 3. The book of Hosea is an exposition of the image of religious and political prostitution.
Ezekiel 24—25
Israel was a special people set apart from every other nation (Num. 23:8–10).
13:1—14:23; 21:1–9) and especially Jeremiah (Jer. 31; 40; 50–51) for that job. God told Ezekiel to set his face against the nations (Ezek. 25:2; see 6:2; 13:17; 20:46; 21:2, 7) and declare that judgment was coming.
The Moabites were a very proud people because they thought their nation was impregnable (Isa. 16:6). Moab was located in the high mountains, with the Dead Sea on the west and the desert on the east. God told them He would bring invaders through their "inaccessible" northwest border ("flank," Ezek. 25:9 niv), even though it was made up of sheer cliffs; and He did. It was the Assyrians who invaded and destroyed Moab, and today Moab is no longer remembered among the nations.
Judgment on Nations Related to Israel (25:1–14) The Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites were all blood relatives of the Jews. The Ammonites and Moabites were related to Israel through Lot, Abraham's nephew. Ammon and Moab were the two sons born out of the incestuous union of Lot and two of his daughters (Gen. 19:29–38). Edom is another name for Jacob's twin brother Esau (Ezek. 25:30; Edom means "red"), and Jacob fathered the twelve tribes of Israel. You would think that nations related by blood would be supportive of one another, but these three nations had a long-standing hatred against Israel and kept the feud going.
Edom (vv. 12–14). Edom's hatred of the Jews began when Esau foolishly sold his birthright to his brother Jacob, and when their mother schemed to secure the patriarchal blessing for her favorite son Jacob (Gen. 25:29–34; 27).3 Jacob went to Haran to live with his uncle primarily to escape the anger and murderous intent of his brother. Esau's descendants became powerful tribal chiefs (Gen. 36), but Jacob's sons became the founders of the twelve tribes of Israel, the people God chose to accomplish His great purposes on this earth.
Note in these judgment messages that God gives the reason for the judgment ("because"—Ezek. 25:3, 6, 8, 12, 15; 26:2) and a description of the judgment ("therefore"—25:4, 7, 9, 13, 16; 26:3).
Ammon (vv. 1–7). When Israel was marching toward the Promised Land, defeating one nation after another, God commanded them not to attack the Ammonites because He had given them their land (Deut. 2:19). They were a fierce people (Jer. 40:14; 41:5–7), and both Saul and David had defeated them in battle (1 Sam. 11; 1 Chron. 19—20). Ammon had united with Moab in attacking Judah, but both were soundly defeated (2 Chron. 20). The Ammonites rejoiced at the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (Ezek. 25:3, 6), and when Nehemiah went to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls, the Ammonites joined with Sanballat in opposing him (Neh. 2:10–19).
A.Ammon—25:1–7 B.Moab—25:8–11 C.Edom—25:12–14 D.Philistia—25:15–17
The prophet Obadiah wrote that God would destroy Edom because of the way they treated the Jews (Obad. 10—14). When Jerusalem was being attacked, the Edomites cheered for the Babylonians (Ps. 137:7) and gave no help to the Jewish refugees who were trying to escape. Instead, the Edomites helped the Babylonians capture the fleeing people and rejoiced over the terrible calamities that had come to the Jews. Along with the Babylonians, they looted the city and robbed their own blood relatives. Sins against humanity are sins against God, because humans are made in the image of God. The day came when Edom felt the heavy hand of God's judgment (Lam. 4:21–22).
The Lord announced that He would deliver Ammon into the hands of "the men of the east" (Ezek. 25:4), meaning the Babylonian army. In his march, Nebuchadnezzar had paused at the juncture of two roads, one of which led to Jerusalem and the other to Rabbah, the capital of Ammon (21:18–24). There he sought guidance from his diviners, and God saw to it that he marched to Jerusalem. The Ammonites had breathed a sigh of relief and had been joyful when they saw Jerusalem ruined and the temple desecrated, but now their time had come. God would destroy Ammon, and the nation would perish from the earth forever.
God's message to Edom reminds us that family feuds are costly and often lead to pain and tragedy. The Edomites sustained their hatred for the Jews from generation to generation. "[Edom] stifled his compassion; his anger also tore continually, and he maintained his fury forever" (Amos 1:11 nasb). "Let no man pull you so low as to make you hate him," said Booker T. Washington, and Jesus said, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" (Matt. 5:44). Edom's hatred and lust for revenge finally led to their ruin (Obad. 1—14). Ezekiel will have more to say about Edom in chapter 35.
Moab (vv. 8–11).2 It was Balak, king of Moab, who hired Baalam to curse Israel as they camped on the plains of Moab (Num. 22—24), and it was Baalam who taught the Moabites how to seduce Israel into sinning against God (Num. 25:1–9; 31:16). The sin of Moab was slander against Israel, a refusal to see the Jews as God's special people. To the Moabites, the fall of Jerusalem proved that the Jews were just like any other people. "If you are such a special nation," they argued, "why have you experienced such a humiliating defeat?" Even Baalam had admitted that
Judgment on Neighboring Nations (25:15—26:21) Having dealt with the sins of the nations related to Israel, Ezekiel then set his face against Philistia (25:15–17) and Phoenicia, especially the Phoenician cities of Tyre (26:1—28:19) and Sidon (vv. 20–24). Once again, the themes of pride, hatred, and revenge come to the fore, sins that can motivate nations even today. It's very easy for arrogance to masquerade as patriotism, hatred as national zeal, and revenge as justice.
Ezekiel 25—27
think Nebuchadnezzar was "paid enough" for his efforts, so He gave him Egypt as an extra bonus (29:18–20).
Philistia (25:15–17). After the Israelites entered and occupied the land of Canaan, the neighboring Philistines became serious enemies.4 Among the judges, Shamgar (Judg. 3:31) and Samson (Judg. 13— 16) attacked them, and both Samuel and Saul had to contend with them. It was David who finally defeated the Philistines, and they were kept under control throughout the reign of Solomon (2 Sam. 5:17–25; 21:15–22; 23:9–17). When the Jewish nation divided, the Philistines asserted their independence and became successful merchants and traders along with the Phoenicians.
Destruction lamented (26:15–18). Since Tyre was at the center of all merchandising along the Mediterranean coast and did business with every known country, her fall was devastating to the economy. There wasn't a "ripple effect"; there was a tidal wave! Their partners in business—called "princes" (v. 16) and "kings" (27:35)—had lost everything and could only lament the great tragedy that had struck. In 26:17–18 we have a brief lamentation over the fall of the city. Keep in mind that in ancient days, the prophets sometimes used funeral lamentations in a satirical manner to poke fun at the enemies of God. We will have examples in chapters 27 and 32.
The Philistines cultivated a national hatred for the Jews and seized every opportunity to harass and attack them. Ezekiel wasn't the only prophet who prophesied God's judgment on the Philistines (see Jer. 47; Amos 1:6–8; Zeph. 2:4–7). The Philistines allied with Egypt in an attempt to withstand Nebuchadnezzar; Babylon was too much for them, and they were defeated and deported like the other vanquished nations (Jer. 25:15–32; 47). Tyre (26:1–21). Ezekiel devoted four messages to the sins and the fate of the capital of Phoenicia (vv. 1–21; 27:1–36; 28:1–10, 11–19). During their reigns, both David and Solomon were friendly with Hiram, king of Tyre (2 Sam. 5:11; 1 Kings 5:1ff.), and King Ahab's wife Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, a later king of Tyre (1 Kings 16:31). The message in this chapter contains four parts, each beginning with a statement about the word of the Lord (Ezek. 26:1–6, 7–14, 15–18, 19–21).
People along the coast trembled as they wondered what would happen to the economy now that the great mercantile network was destroyed. Our world today is united in a series of electronic networks that can transfer information, money, and orders for merchandise with such speed that it's scarcely possible to register them. Imagine what would happen in the world's economy if all these electronic business connections in New York City alone were dissolved. This reminds us that in the end times, when the Antichrist has organized his great world network called "Babylon," the Lord will destroy the whole thing and leave the businesspeople desolate and in mourning (Rev. 18).
E.Tyre—26:1—28:19
Destruction forever (26:19–21). The prophet gives us insight into the full extent of Tyre's destruction by describing the victims' descent into "the pit" (v. 20). The Hebrew word bor means "a well, a pit, a cistern," but it also refers to the pit of death (Ps. 28:1; 88:4, 6) and sometimes is an equivalent of sheol, the realm of departed spirits. There were tragic consequences to the pride of Tyre and their evil attitude toward the Jewish people. "I will make thee a terror" (26:21 kjv) should read, "I shall bring terrors on you" (nasb). Note the statements the Lord makes about His actions toward the city of Tyre: He would make them desolate, cover them with water, bring them down into the pit, bring them terrors, and remove them from the earth. On the other hand, He promised Israel, their enemies, future glory and blessing!
Destruction announced (26:1–6). The image used here is that of a storm producing great destructive waves (vv. 3, 19). The city of Tyre was situated partly on the Mediterranean coast and partly on an island about half a mile from the coast, so Ezekiel's storm image was appropriate. God was angry at Tyre for rejoicing at Jerusalem's destruction and seeing it as an opportunity for Tyre to prosper even more. But the Lord announced that the nations would come like successive waves of the sea and bring Tyre to ultimate ruin. The name "Tyre" means "rock," so the statement "like the top of a rock" (vv. 4, 14) is significant. Tyre did become a bare rock and a place where fishermen dried their nets.
Tyre was able to survive the Assyrian conquest, but when Babylon came to power, Nebuchadnezzar besieged the coastal city for fifteen years (586–571 BC) and overcame it, but he did not conquer the island city. In 322 BC, Alexander the Great besieged Tyre for seven months, built a causeway to the island, and was able to conquer the city.
Lament over Tyre's Destruction (27:1–36) The Old Testament prophets occasionally used "funeral dirges" in a satirical manner to ridicule their enemies, and you find something of that spirit in this lament over the fall of Tyre. Neither the prophet nor the Jewish nation was grieved over Tyre's destruction, but the event gave Ezekiel opportunity to express spiritual truth in this song. Since Tyre was a maritime city, the chapter compares the city and its business to a beautiful ship that eventually sinks and brings great grief to merchants and customers alike. This image is what is called "an extended metaphor," not unlike our "ship of state." A nation or a city isn't really a ship, but there are many points of comparison that can help us better
Destruction accomplished (26:7–14). He gives a description of the Babylonian siege of the part of Tyre that was on the shore of the Mediterranean. Nebuchadnezzar began his siege in 587 BC, after the siege of Jerusalem, and though the coastal city was a formidable fortress, he managed to persevere and conquer. The Babylonians threw the timbers and stones into the water and claimed the spoils for themselves. God didn't
Ezekiel 27
necessary parts of the business enterprise of Tyre. Certainly national defense is as important to the success of business as it is to the safety of the private citizen, and sometimes "national interest" and "business" become intertwined. "Big business" always appreciates a foreign policy that opens new markets and protects them.
understand the nation and the city. The words "merchant" and "merchandise" are used twenty-one times in this chapter, because Tyre was a mercantile city. The ship metaphor included all that was a part of the city of Tyre, its agents and customers, its business, and all the network it had developed in the Mediterranean world.
Building the ship (vv. 1–7). This was not only a useful ship that brought wealth to the city, but it was a beautiful ship that the nations admired (vv. 3, 11; see 28:12). Tyre was proud of its beauty and its success but didn't give any praise to the Lord for His goodness. The very best materials went into the building of the ship, starting with great fir timbers from Mount Hermon for the hull and deck, and cedars of Lebanon for the masts. They made the oars of oak from Bashan and the deck from pinewood from Cyprus, inlaid with ivory (see niv and nlt). A large Phoenician ship would have as many as fifty oarsmen in a crew of two hundred. Egypt provided embroidered linen for the sail and banner, and from Cyprus came the cloth to make the beautiful awnings for the decks.
Sailing the ship (vv. 12–25). The beautiful and impressive ship of state was made for the waters, not for the wharf, so Ezekiel described how the city of Tyre did business along the Mediterranean coast. The word merchant, used thirteen times in the KJV, means "to do business, to trade." The nations named here bought merchandise from Tyre and sold products to Tyre. It was a business partnership that benefited all that were involved. Silver, iron, tin, and lead came from Tarshish, which was probably in Spain. Slaves5 and bronze implements came from Greece and Turkey (Tubal). Also from Turkey came horses, chariot teams, and mules. But there were luxury items as well: ivory and ebony from Rhodes; and turquoise, coral, rubies, and fine fabrics from Jordan.
I once heard a sincere but ill-informed TV preacher declare that the United States should quit doing business with nations that espouse wrong political beliefs and the denial of human rights. His motives were right but his comprehension limited. He couldn't hear me, but I said out loud, "If we did, you wouldn't have either a microphone or a television camera!" I'm told that the familiar telephone has material in it from at least twenty different countries! Tyre's "ship of state" reminds us that the world is growing smaller and that nations that disagree still depend on one another for what they need. "Internet" is short for "international network," that invisible electronic system that ties together millions of computers and the minds and hearts of the people using them.
Tyre did business with the Jews and bought various foods from them. They also got wine and wool from Syria, and lambs, rams, and goats from Arabia. Also from Arabia came exotic spices, gold, and precious stones. Other nations supplied barks, perfumes, and manufactured products such as fabrics, wrought iron objects, and rugs. The people of Tyre would take the raw materials and manufacture various useful items and sell them to their agents and their customers. Along with bartering, money and credit were involved in these many transactions, so there were plenty of opportunities for moneylenders and brokers to make profits. Thanks to the business network of Tyre, luxuries and necessities, jobs and income were available to the nations of the known world.
Manning the ship (vv. 8–11). In describing the ship's crew, Ezekiel was actually naming some of the nations that made it possible for Tyre to become such a great success. Oarsmen came from Sidon and Arvad, two other cities in Phoenicia, but the skilled mariners, the people who really managed things, came from Tyre. Veteran shipwrights from Gebal, another coastal city, traveled on board to caulk the seams and keep the ship in good repair.
Sinking the ship (vv. 26–36). Admiration turns to desolation. "But look! Your oarsmen are rowing your ship of state into a hurricane! Your mighty vessel flounders in the mighty eastern gale. You are shipwrecked in the heart of the sea!" (v. 26 nlt). The storm arrives that was promised in 26:3 and 19, and the great ship is shattered in the mighty waters. The "east wind" speaks of the invasion of the Babylonian army (17:10; 19:12). The valuable cargo, the beautiful ship, and the capable crew are all lost in the heart of the sea.
Briefly, the image shifts from the ship metaphor to the actual city itself (vv. 10–11). Tyre had a paid army, mercenary soldiers from Persia, Lydia (Asia Minor), Libia (North Africa), Arvad (Phoenicia), Cilicia, and Gammad. These mercenaries sold their services to protect the city and its shipping enterprise. It doesn't appear that the soldiers anticipated any danger because they hung up their helmets and shields on the walls as decorations to add to the city's beauty. The coastal city of Tyre was a strong fortress, so much so that Nebuchadnezzar needed fifteen years to break through the defenses.
But that isn't all: Tyre's agents, brokers, traders, and customers will feel the repercussions of the sinking of the ship. People will stand on the shore and lament the end of the vast mercantile system that gave them jobs, income, and security. Some of the merchants will "whistle" or "hiss" when they hear the news (27:36), probably as a shocked response to the tragedy. However, the word can mean "to hiss in scorn or derision," suggesting that some of the leaders in the business network are happy to see Tyre fall. They cooperated in the system because they had to, but now perhaps they would have opportunity to build their
We shouldn't carry a metaphor too far, but it is significant that Ezekiel brought in the army and navy as
Ezekiel 27—28
chapters 25 and 26, but this paragraph is simply a statement of God's intention to judge the king of Tyre and destroy him. As you read these verses, you get the impression that this "king" is much more than a human regent and that this could be a description of Satan. That Satan wants to control nations and their leaders is clear from 1 Chronicles 21 and Daniel 9, and Matthew 4:8–10 states that he has delegated authority to dispose of the nations.
own network and make a greater profit. This great lamentation is an advance demonstration of what the whole world will do when Satan's system, "Babylon the great," collapses before the Lord returns to establish His kingdom (Rev. 18:17–19).
No matter how efficient, rich, and beautiful the "ship of state" might be, when the Lord decides to sink it, nothing can stay His hand. When Queen Victoria celebrated her "Diamond Jubilee" in 1897, Rudyard Kipling published his poem "Recessional," which sounded a quiet word of warning to a great nation somewhat intoxicated by its vast empire. When people read the third verse, we wonder if any of them thought of Ezekiel's description of "the ship of state":
The use of the word cherub (Ezek. 28:4, 16) suggests that we're dealing here with an angelic creature, also the fact that he had been "upon the holy mountain of God" (v. 14). This sounds a great deal like the description in Isaiah 14:12ff. Satan began as an obedient angel but rebelled against God and led a revolt to secure God's throne. The text describes his great beauty and names nine jewels that were a part of that beauty. All of these jewels were also found in the breastplate of the Jewish high priest (Ex. 28:17–20). This suggests that in "Eden, the garden of God" and upon "God's holy mountain," this person had special priestly functions to perform for the Lord. The settings and mountings for these jewels were of the finest gold. His pride and selfish ambitions led him into sin, and God judged him by casting him out. While the original description refers to the ruler of Tyre, it certainly applies to the god of this age, Satan, the enemy of the Lord.
Far-call'd our navies melt away—
On dune and headland sinks the fire— Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre! Judge of the nations, spare us yet, Lest we forget, lest we forget!
Judgment of Tyre's Ruler (28:1–19) It appears that two different persons are addressed in these verses: the prince of Tyre (vv. 1–10) and the king of Tyre (vv. 11–19). The first speech is a declaration of divine judgment, while the second is more of a lamentation. Both of these persons were guilty of great pride because of their wisdom and wealth, and both abused their privileges and offended the Lord. In fact, the prince of Tyre even claimed to be a god! However, foreign invaders would destroy the prince of Tyre (vv. 7–10), while the Lord Himself would judge the king of Tyre (vv. 16–19). The prince is called "a man" (v. 2), but the king is called "the anointed cherub" (v. 14). More than one student has identified the prince of Tyre as the ruler of the city when Nebuchadnezzar invaded, but they see the king of Tyre as Satan, the enemy of God and of the Jewish people, who energized the prince and used him to accomplish his own evil purposes.6
The prince of Tyre, motivated and energized by the devil, engaged in business and also in violence (Ezek. 28:16), for he considered himself a god (v. 2). His way of doing business was also dishonest, for verse 18 speaks of "dishonest trade" (niv). Satan's boast was, "I will be like the Most High" (Isa. 14:14), and his promise to Eve was, "[Y]ou will be like God" (Gen. 3:5 nkjv). The prince of Tyre accepted Satan's offer and it led to his downfall, just as it led to Satan's downfall. But during the career of the prince of Tyre, he was used of Satan to defile and destroy. The nations would be appalled at the judgment of the prince of Tyre and his city, but they had no idea that Satan was behind the city's success and Jehovah was behind the city's destruction. It reminds us of the ministry of the apostles in Luke 10:1–24. God used the apostles to heal the sick, cast out demons, and proclaim the message of the kingdom; but Jesus saw in their victories the fall of Satan (vv. 18–19).
F.Sidon—28:20–24
Judgment on the prince of Tyre (vv. 1–10). The issue here is pride, a sin that God hates (Prov. 6:16–17). This ruler was proud of his wisdom and his wealth (Ezek. 28:3–5), and because of this pride, he exalted himself as a god. However, God would demonstrate that he was but a man, for the prince of Tyre would be slain and die like any other man. When you read Scripture, you find occasions when God judged arrogant rulers, such as Pharaoh, whom the Egyptians treated as a god (Ex. 5:2), Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 4), and Herod Agrippa (Acts 12). World leaders who ignore the Lord and act as if they are gods will all be exposed and judged.