Reflections on Ezekiel 21

Ezekiel 21 (Contemporary English Version)
1. The LORD said:
   
2. Ezekiel, son of man, condemn the places in Jerusalem where people worship. Warn everyone in Israel
   
3. that I am about to punish them. I will pull out my sword and have it ready to kill everyone, whether good or evil.
   
4. From south to north, people will die,
   
5. knowing that my sword will never be put away.
   
6. Ezekiel, groan in sorrow and despair so that everyone can hear you.
   
7. When they ask why you are groaning, tell them you have terrifying news that will make them faint and tremble in fear and lose all courage. These things will happen soon. I, the LORD God, make this promise!
   
8. The LORD said:
   
9. Ezekiel, son of man, tell the people of Jerusalem: I have sharpened my sword to slaughter you; it is shiny and will flash like lightning! Don't celebrate-- punishment is coming, because everyone has ignored my warnings.
   
10. (SEE 21:9)
    
11. My sword has been polished; it's sharp and ready to kill.
    
12. Groan in sorrow, Ezekiel; the sword is drawn against my people and their leaders. They will die! So give up all hope.
    
13. I am testing my people, and they can do nothing to stop me. I, the LORD, have spoken.
    
14. Ezekiel, warn my people, then celebrate my victory by clapping your hands. My vicious sword will attack again and again, killing my people with every stroke.
    
15. They will lose all courage and stumble with fear. My slaughtering sword is waiting at every gate, flashing and ready to kill.
    
16. It will slash right and left, wherever the blade is pointed.
    
17. Then I will stop being angry, and I will clap my hands in victory. I, the LORD, have spoken.
    
18. The LORD said:
    
19. Ezekiel, son of man, mark two roads for the king of Babylonia to follow when he comes with his sword. The roads will begin at the same place, but be sure to put up a signpost where the two roads separate and go in different directions.
    
20. Clearly mark where the two roads lead. One goes to Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, and the other goes to Jerusalem, the fortified capital of Judah.
    
21. When the Babylonian king stands at that signpost, he will decide which way to go by shaking his arrows, by asking his idols, and by carefully looking at the liver of a sacrificed animal.
    
22. His right hand will pull out the arrow marked "Jerusalem." Then he will immediately give the signal to shout the battle cry, to build dirt ramps to the top of the city walls, to break down its walls and gates with large wooden poles, and to kill the people.
    
23. Everyone in Jerusalem had promised to be loyal to Babylonia, and so none of them will believe that this could happen to them. But Babylonia's king will remind them of their sinful ways and warn them of their coming captivity.
    
24. Ezekiel, tell the people of Jerusalem and their ruler that I, the LORD God, am saying: Everything you do is wicked and shows how sinful you are. You are guilty and will be taken away as prisoners.
    
25. And now, you evil and wicked ruler of Israel, your day of final punishment is almost here.
    
26. I, the LORD God, command you to take off your royal turban and your crown, because everything will be different. Those who had no power will be put in charge, and those who now rule will become nobodies.
    
27. I will leave Jerusalem in ruins when my chosen one comes to punish this city.
    
28. The LORD God said: Ezekiel, son of man, the Ammonites have insulted Israel, so condemn them and tell them I am saying: A sword is drawn, ready to slaughter; it is polished and prepared to kill as fast as lightning.
    
29. You wicked Ammonites see false visions and believe untrue messages. But your day of punishment is coming soon, and my sword will slaughter you!
    
30. Your days to punish others are over, so put your swords away. You will be punished in the land of your birth.
    
31. My furious anger will scorch you like fire, and I will hand you over to cruel men who are experts in killing.
    
32. You will be burned and will die in your own land. Then you will be forgotten forever. I, the LORD, have spoken.
    
    

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    The message of chapter 21 actually begins with verse 45 of chapter 20. 20:45-49 describes Judah's destruction by fire, but the people chose not to understand it saying that Ezekiel was speaking in riddles. So God changed the imagery from fire to the sword and was more pointed about the location of the destruction. Instead of the "forest land of the Negev," as it was described in 20:46, the sword in chapter 21 comes "against My people" and "against all the princes of Israel!" (21:12) The language is plain enough to be understood, but if the people choose again not to understand it, there will be no doubt about the message once the sword actually arrives against the people and princes of Israel.
    
    Judah's power of denial was enormous, though. Verses 18-27 foretell Nebuchadnezzar's march from Babylon to retaliate against Judah for her betrayal of the oath she had taken to be loyal to Babylon's rule. Judah was one of three countries seeking independence from Babylon's rule, thus breaking their oaths of loyalty. The other two were Tyre and Ammon. When Nebuchadnezzar marched from Babylon with his army he had to choose which of these three countries to attack first. Since Tyre was the most difficult of the three to attack, he eliminated it from his initial attack plan. To choose between Judah or Ammon he used divination by casting lots with arrows, consulting his idols, and examining the liver. God directed the results of all three means to point to Judah. Then, even as the Babylonian army set up siege ramps around Jerusalem, the people refused to believe Nebuchadnezzar would succeed, saying that his omens were false. "It will seem like false divination in the eyes of those who have sworn an oath to the Babylonians" (21:23) Even with the Babylonian army pounding on the gates of the city, the people of Judah refused to believe the word of God through the prophets, denying their guilt and the reality of their judgment.
    
    There was no turning away of Judah's judgment, though. It was certain. "The day has come for your punishment." said the Lord, "Things will not remain as they are; exalt the lowly and bring down the exalted. A ruin, a ruin, I will make it a ruin! Yet this will not happen until He comes; I have given the judgment to Him." (21:25-27)