22:1ffChapter 22 explains why Jerusalem's judgment would Come (22:2-16), how it would come (22:17-22), and who would be affected by it (22:23-31).
Life Application Study BibleEzekielChapter 22
Ezekiel 22
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 1335, 1336
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
22Ezekiel 22
The Sins of Jerusalem
12 Now this message came to me from the LORD: 2"Son of man, are you ready to judge Jerusalem? Are you ready to judge this city of murderers? Publicly denounce her detestable sins, Sand give her this message from the Sovereign LORD: O city of murderers, doomed and damned—city of idols,* filthy and foul—you are guilty because of the blood you have shed. You are defiled because of the idols you have made. Your day of destruction has come! You have reached the end of your years. I will make you an object of mockery throughout the world. 5O infamous city, filled with confusion, you will be mocked by people far and near. 6“Every leader in Israel who lives within your walls is bent on murder. 7Fathers and mothers are treated with contempt. Foreigners are forced to pay for protection. Orphans and widows are wronged and oppressed among you. 9You despise my holy things and violate my Sabbath days of rest. People accuse others falsely and send them to their death. Youare filled with idol worshipers and people who do obscene things. 10Men sleep with their fathers’ wives and have intercourse with women who are menstruating. ‘Within your walls live men who commit adultery with their neighbors’ wives, who defile their daughters-in-law, or who rape their own sisters. 12There are hired murderers, loan racketeers, and extortioners everywhere. They never even think of me and my commands, says the Sovereign LORD. 13“But now I clap my hands in indignation over your dishonest gain and bloodshed. 14How strong and courageous will you be in my day of reckoning? I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do what I said. ‘51 will scatter you among the nations and purge you of your wickedness. 6And when I have been dishonored among the nations because of you,* you will know that 1 am the LORD.”
The LORD’s Refining Furnace
1717Then this message came to me from the Lor: 18“Son of man, the people of Israel are the worthless slag that remains after silver is smelted. They are the dross that is left over—a useless mixture of copper, tin, iron, and lead. 19So tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you are all worthless slag, I will bring you to my crucible in Jerusalem. 20Just as copper, iron, lead, and tin are melted down in a furnace, I will melt you down in the heat of my fury. 21I will gather you together and blow the fire of my anger upon you, 22and you will melt like silver in fierce heat. Then you will know that I the LORD, have poured out my fury on you.”
The Sins of Israel's Leaders
2323Again a message came to me from the LORD: 24“Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: In the day of my indignation, you will be like a polluted land, a land without rain. 25Your princes* plot conspiracies just as lions stalk their prey. They devour innocent people, seizing treasures and extorting wealth. They make many widows in the land. 26Your priests have violated my instructions and defiled my holy things. They make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. And they do not teach my people the difference between what is ceremonially clean and unclean. They disregard my Sabbath days so that I am dishonored among them. 27Your leaders are like wolves who tear apart their victims. They actually destroy people’s lives for money! 28And your prophets cover up for them by announcing false visions and making lying predictions. They say, ‘My message is from the Sovereign LORD,’ when the LORD hasn't spoken a single word to them. 29Even common people oppress the poor, rob the needy, and deprive foreigners of justice. 30“T looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. Isearched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one. 31So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!”
Textual footnotes
- 22:3 The Hebrew term (literally round things) probably alludes to dung; also in 22:4.
- 22:16 Or when you have been dishonored among the nations.
- 22:25 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads prophets.
Life Application Notes 7 notes
22:1,2Both are associated with the river in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 2:10). The river symbolizes life from God and the blessings that flow from his throne. It is a gentle, safe, deep river, expanding as it flows.
22:6-13The leaders, whom God chose, were responsible for the moral climate of the nation. The same is true today (see James 3:1). Unfortunately, many of the sins mentioned here have been committed in recent years by Christian leaders. We are living in a time of unprecedented attacks by Satan. We must uphold our leaders in prayer, and leaders must seek accountability in order to help them maintain their morat and spiritual integrity.
22:17-22Precious metals are refined with intense heat to remove the impurities or slag. When heated, the slag rises to the top of the molten metal and is skimmed off and thrown away. The purpose of the invasion of Jerusalem was to refine the people, but the refining process showed that the people, like worthless slag, had nothing good in them.
22:26and Deuteronomy 24:10-13 for the giving of this law.)
22:26The priests were supposed to keep God’s worship pure and teach the people right living. But the worship of God had become commonplace to them; they ignored the Sabbath, and they refused to teach the people. They no longer carried out their God-given duties (Leviticus 10:10, 11; Ezekiel 44:23). When doing God’s work becomes no more important than any mundane task, we are no longer giving God the reverence he deserves. Instead of bringing God down to our sinful human level, we should five in ways that reflect his holiness.
22:30The wall spoken of here is not made of stones but of faithful people united in their efforts to resist evil. This wall was in disrepair because there was no one who could lead the people back to God. The feeble attempts to repair the gap—through religious rituals or messages based on opinion rather than God’s will—were as worthless as whitewash, only covering the real problems. What the people really needed was total spiritual reconstruction! When we give the appearance of loving God without living his way, we are covering up sins that could eventually damage us deeply. Don’t use religion as a whitewash; repair your life by applying the principles of God’s Word. Then you can join with others to “stand in the gap” and make a difference for God in the world.