Author: Jon Green

The Oxford Dictionary defines pride as “the quality of having an excessively high opinion of oneself or one’s own importance,” and Ezekiel 28 demonstrates God’s response when His creation, humans, become prideful through prophecies against the ruler of Tyre, against the nation of Sidon, and for the people of Israel. 

In the first part of the chapter, God focuses on the leader of Tyre, who allowed the amassing of wealth and wisdom to distort his perspective of who he was. Rather than using his wisdom and wealth for God’s purposes and recognizing God’s blessing, the king of Tyre became prideful and thought of these achievements as his own. The prophecy shares how God will correct the ruler of Tyre’s perspective by allowing the destruction of the kingdom and his death.

The nation of Sidon was about 20 miles away from Tyre, and the history of the two are often intertwined. Based on Ezekiel’s prophecy against Sidon in verses 20-23, it seems the nation also had grown proud and forgotten why they were blessed. God shares that difficult times will also come to Sidon to remind them “that I am the Lord.”

The nation of Israel had been proud, as well, (see the entire Old Testament) and lost their land, wealth, and wisdom by being dispersed throughout the region. The prophecy for the people of Israel was one of redemption. God shares He will bring them together, return their land, and protect them so that “they will know I am the Lord their God.” 

As humans, we often grow proud of our accomplishments: the job we have, the degree we earned, the appearance we present, the house we bought, and the money we make. These achievements are not sinful in themselves, it’s what we do with these things and how we allow them to affect us that makes the difference. Proverbs 3 states “Honor the Lord with your wealth,” and “Blessed are those who find wisdom,” and it warns “do not despise the Lord’s discipline,and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” 

God wants good for us. And He wants us to remember that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).

The previous chapter detailed Ezekiel’s prophecy over the city of Tyre. This chapter opens with a lament for Tyre. A prophecy is defined as the act of proclaiming a message from God. A lament, on the other hand, is to express deep regret, grief, or sorrow.

Ezekiel 27 describes Tyre as a beautiful ship and gives us intricate details of the magnificence of this ancient city. The description given to us in verses 4-6 tell us that this city had superior construction. We learn in verse 7 that it had impressive decoration. The list of the crew and their origins in verses 8-11 tell us that it had first class personnel. Ezekiel 27:11 says that all of these things “they made perfect your beauty.” The city of Tyre was perfectly constructed, perfectly decorated, and perfectly staffed…just like a mighty, beautiful, well-run ship!

Verses 12-26 detail out an impressive list of people and places that Tyre traded with. If we were to mark all of these on a map, we would understand that although small in territory, Tyre had a far-reaching impact on the world and could be considered an economic powerhouse. So why the call for lament? Why would Ezekiel express regret, grief, or sorrow over a mighty, beautiful, and economically successful place?

It’s important for us to note that as we read about the beauty, strength, and success of the city of Tyre, there is no mention anywhere of God. The people of Tyre cared a lot about their business and appearance but gave little or no regard to God. In addition to being a famous commercial center, Tyre was known for its wickedness and idolatry. Ezekiel was not the first prophet to predict its destruction (Isaiah, Joel, Amos, and Zechariah did as well!).

Deuteronomy 8:18 says “You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your father, as it is this day.” The people of Tyre were more concerned with acquiring wealth and success and stature than they were with remembering God. The very next verse in Deuteronomy says “And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish.” 

This is exactly what happened to Tyre. The entire city perished. This chapter ends with a very solemn statement: “You have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.” God desired their obedience. He gave them more than one chance to repent. But they consistently chose the superior construction, the impressive decoration, and the first class personnel over the provision that the creator of the universe was willing to give them in exchange for their hearts. That choice grieves the heart of God and is worthy of lament.

Ezekiel’s prophecies have begun to shift toward God’s judgment on nearby nations. The previous chapter began this series by focusing on Ammon, and the current chapter concentrates on God’s judgment regarding the city of Tyre. Located along the Mediterranean coast, Tyre served as an important point of commerce for the region. Tyre was a wealthy city that viewed Jerusalem’s fall as a commercial opportunity. In essence, Tyre claimed that Jerusalem’s destruction was “good for business.” God’s judgment fell on this city, and Ezekiel tells of “many nations” that would rise against Tyre. 

Tyre’s commercial power will be wiped away as a part of God’s judgment. In fact, Tyre will be absolutely demolished down to “a bare rock, a place where only fishnets can be spread” (v. 14). God plans to destroy Tyre as if vast waves of the sea overtook the city. From Ezekiel’s words we can imagine Tyre’s utter destruction equal to that of a giant tsunami overtaking a city, destroying everything and everyone in its path.

God promised that the same king who destroyed Jerusalem would take over Tyre. And in fact, not long after Ezekiel’s prophecy, Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, laid siege to Tyre for thirteen years. The prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar’s ravaging invasion paints a grim picture: battering rams against Tyre’s walls, dust hovering everywhere from so many horses and wagons overtaking the city, and throwing the city’s houses into the sea. It all points to the downfall of a powerful city of the sea. History tells us that the Persians, Alexander the Great, Antiochus III, Rome, and finally the Saracens (who annihilated the city completely in 14th century AD) all followed Nebuchadnezzar in its rule against Tyre. All fulfilled the prophecy of “many nations” rising against Tyre. 

Ezekiel’s prophecy of the destruction of Tyre teaches us that God is sovereign and powerful. God does not take pleasure in destruction, but we are reminded that there are consequences of sin and rebellion. Ezekiel speaks boldly of the future. Let’s also speak boldly about the future. Let’s tell others what will or will not happen for their future in eternity. Salvation through Jesus Christ guarantees a future of eternity with our Heavenly Father in heaven. Without salvation, this future does not exist. Let’s be bold with this gospel message, like Ezekiel.

God Almighty, being the only Just Judge, turns His wrath from the people of Israel to the nations surrounding Judah. This continues through chapter 32 and follows the principle of 1 Peter 4:17-18. God has already addressed the sins of His people (Israel), and now addresses the sins of the pagan nations. God, as Creator, is sovereign to judge over all humans whether those humans acknowledge Him as The Lord or not. 

The Lord begins with the Ammonites. God exposed their sin of rejoicing over the fall of Jerusalem. They treated God’s people with contempt and refused to mourn over God’s desecrated sanctuary, all of which subjected them to judgment. Their judgment was to be conquered by and absorbed into another nation, so that they might know The Lord. Secondly, God speaks to the Moabites. They found pleasure in mocking Judah, and this taunt was not only directed to God’s people but to God Himself. Even though the nation of Judah did not reflect God’s call for them to live as a people set apart for Godliness (hence their judgment with the fall of Jerusalem), the Moabites further humiliated the nation of Israel with their taunting. Their judgment was the loss of independence as a nation, so that they might know The Lord. 

Next, The Lord addresses the Edomites. They took vengeance against Judah, and their revenge contributed to Judah’s downfall. God, being the only righteous avenger, judges man and animal through His just vengeance so that they might know The Lord. Lastly, God ends with the Philistines. They were ancient enemies of Israel and were in a longstanding conflict with them. The Philistines treated the people of Judah with deep hatred. God Himself rebuked the Philistines with their own downfall, so that they might know The Lord.

All paragraphs open with the Lord providing His reason for their specific judgment: that nation’s particular sins against Israel and God Himself. All paragraphs close with the Lord providing His ultimate purpose for their judgment: that all people might know Him as The Lord. How does severe judgment bring these pagan nations to know The Lord? While this chapter addresses God’s power to judge, His purpose is always larger than judgment. 

Within our own lives, all we may understand is His refinement of us. Yet it is within the refinement that we learn more of God’s character. God provides self-revelation for us to know Him through His commandments, creation, Word, and more. Yet there is a day, for believers and nonbelievers alike, that God will make Himself known through His judgment. This judgment day is approaching (Matthew 25:31-46). God does not want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9), so He has gifted His believers with the gospel message of Jesus to spread (Matthew 28:18-20)! May this urgency sink deeply into our soul and take root there, as we rely on God to open doors for sharing this Gospel message.

This chapter includes the final prophecy of doom against Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar’s armies have surrounded Jerusalem and complete defeat is imminent. Ezekiel had warned of this doom for over four years, and in this chapter, he uses a parable of a cooking pot as the final warning. Jerusalem was accustomed to being in a “pot” of protection, but Ezekiel is explaining to the people that God’s judgment would turn this pot into their destruction.  To understand context, in the process of cooking meat impurities rise to the surface and are scraped off and dumped out. If they are not removed, it ruins the meal and it must be thrown away. Jerusalem’s sins could no longer be hidden and therefore the contents of the pot had to be dumped.  

In verses 9-14 Ezekiel describes cooking the meat until the bones are charred and setting the “empty pot” on the coals until all the “impurities may be melted and its deposit burned away.” He is letting the people know that total destruction of the pot was necessary to make it clean again. The very pot itself would be melted after all its people were killed.  In other words, God had tried and tried and tried to cleanse His people and this place, but He had enough and it was time for Him “to act.” (v. 13-14). He had no more pity, would not hold back, and would not relent. Judgment had finally come.  This date of destruction was so marked and important that it later became a day of fasting and commemoration of the fall of this holy city. (Zechariah 8:19).

The second half of this chapter includes a personal loss for Ezekiel with an incredibly difficult command from God. God was taking Ezekiel’s wife, the “desire of his eyes,” and Ezekiel was not allowed to publicly show grief or mourning. Commentaries explain that this is the only time in scripture that God commanded such a non-reaction. So why would God ask this of Ezekiel? We see the answer in verses 20-24. Ezekiel’s obedience to God’s difficult command gave him the authority with which to answer the people’s question of how they should respond to the destruction of Jerusalem. They were to respond as he did to tragedy, as Ezekiel understood that the shock of what was happening would likely prevent normal mourning and expressions of grief. 

As one commentator described, “They would experience a grief which is beyond tears, a despondency which could not be expressed with outward acts…only a quiet moan.” Verse 24 reiterates that the purpose of God’s plans is always to reveal Himself and His sovereignty. While Ezekiel’s tragedy was undeserved, the people of Jerusalem should not have been surprised by the destruction surrounding them. Yet Ezekiel was obedient and willing to provide them with an example. 

How often do we take the Lord’s protection for granted? How often do we forget He is Holy, sovereign, and to be feared? Let today’s reading remind us to heed any warnings the Lord may be giving us to take Him at His word and obey with expediency.

If you felt uncomfortable after reading this chapter, that’s the point. God (through Ezekiel) is using detailed imagery to help portray just how drastic a situation is. To avoid any misunderstanding, God states it clearly that in this story of the two promiscuous sisters, Oholah is Samaria (the capital of Israel) and Oholibah is Jerusalem (the capital of Judah). This story depicts the relationship between Yahweh and His people who have been unfaithful. 

We see an overall theme of Israel’s unfaithfulness from the start. They engaged in this type of sinful behavior first with Egypt (as previously noted in Ezekiel 20) and now with the Assyrians. They lusted after their gods, power and protection, ultimately rejecting God and choosing the path of sin. Because Israel gave herself to Assyrian idols and morals, God allowed them to be conquered by them. Ultimately their lovers became their destroyers, which is exactly how sin works—what seems enticing at first, will lead to destruction. 

The shocking part is that Judah, referenced as the “younger sister”, sees what happens to Israel and decides to do the same thing with Babylon. This chapter even says that she “carried her prostitution even still further” (v. 14). Again, the same fate for Judah was that the Lord allowed for them to be taken into captivity and captured by the very nation that they idolized and devoted themselves to. We can see here that for those who continue to walk in sin and disobedience, the natural consequence is distance from God. 

When the Lord refers to Judah’s punishment, He mentions that they will “drink the cup of ruin and isolation…they will drink it and drain it dry” (v. 32-24). This is referring to the full cup of the Lord’s wrath. They would drink it and drain it and suffer the full penalty of their sin. Thankfully, this is not our same fate for those who have trusted in Jesus! 

We see this same language used when Jesus is praying in the Garden of Gethsemane before he is about to be arrested (Matthew 26). He asks for the Lord to “let this cup pass”, referring to the suffering He was about to endure for our sake. When Jesus died on the cross, He took the full cup of God’s wrath and bore the punishment that we deserved. Let’s remind ourselves of that today, fixing our eyes on the cross and all that entails, and giving thanks to Jesus for being the propitiation for our sins.

We tend to be a forgetful people. We forget birthdays and anniversaries, names and faces, and chores we’re supposed to do. If you forget things, you’re not alone—you’re in good company with every other human being on the planet.

Sometimes our forgetfulness comes at a low cost and can be fixed with a quick apology or explanation. If you forget to take out the trash, it’s not a big deal—you can bring it out next time they come to pick it up. If you forget a name, you can simply admit it and ask for grace. But other times our forgetfulness comes at a high price with significant consequences. For God’s people in Ezekiel 22, their forgetfulness came at an extremely high cost.

Ezekiel 22:12b says, “And you have forgotten me, declares the Sovereign Lord.” This forgetfulness led them to all kinds of wicked sin. They shed innocent blood and created and worshipped idols. They used their power to take advantage of the weak and vulnerable. They violated women with all kinds of sexual sin and dishonored their God-given authorities. They extorted unjust gain and accepted bribes. They forgot everything God told them and desired for them.

Their sin cost them dearly. The Lord saw them as dross that was wiped away in the refinement of silver, like impurities that lack value. So would God’s people be removed from the blessings of God. They would face judgment and separation and God would ‘disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries’ (v. 15). God would consume them with His fiery anger. Their forgetfulness cost them everything.

What if they remembered God’s love for them? What if they remembered to keep His commandments and chose to obey the Lord instead of walking away from Him? Have you forgotten what the Lord has done for you? Have you forgotten about your sin and the cost it incurred? Our sin came at the highest cost possible: the death of God’s only Son, Jesus Christ. As God’s Church, let’s be men and women who remember the Lord.

God continues the message of judgment in Ezekiel 21 consisting of the song of the sword, the model of the map, and Ammon’s fate. God is going to cut off both the righteous and the wicked and Ezekiel is to mourn this. (v. 4). God says to Ezekiel, “As for you, son of man, groan; with breaking heart and bitter grief, groan before their eyes…because of the news that it is coming. Every heart will melt, and all hands will be feeble; every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming, and it will be fulfilled” (v. 6-7). The reason for grief and broken hearts is because people have not repented of sin. God tells Ezekiel to grieve this news and to go tell people about it. 

Ezekiel is asked by the Lord to perform a public demonstration as a warning to the people. Since the parable of the devouring fire wasn’t hitting home, Ezekiel acted out the coming judgment now with a sword. God tells Ezekiel, “So then, son of man, prophesy and strike your hands together. Let the sword strike twice, even three times. It is a sword for slaughter—a sword for great slaughter, closing in on them from every side” (v. 14). God was going to use wicked Babylon to draw His sword against the people. Destruction was coming and Ezekiel needed to get people’s attention!

Ezekiel also makes a representation of a highway with a fork in the road. The road was coming out of Babylon and there were two options: a road that leads to Rabbah (the capital of the Ammonites) and the other to Jerusalem (the capital of the Israelites). It says, “For the king of Babylon will stop at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He will cast lots with arrows, he will consult his idols, he will examine the liver” (v. 21). There was a pagan practice called divination that was used to discover hidden knowledge through supernatural means. King Nebuchadnezzar was using divination and being directed by evil spirits to choose which path to take. 

It turned out that Jerusalem was the winner and was going to be destroyed first. The Lord of course was sovereign over this divination and controlled the outcome. God’s people were going to experience the consequences of their sins. However, the Ammonites were next. Their sin had not been overlooked by God. God says concerning the Ammonites, “Despite false visions concerning you and lying divinations about you, it will be laid on the necks of the wicked who are to be slain, whose day has come, whose time of punishment has reached its climax” (v. 29). This was going to be the end for the Ammonites. 

Like Ezekiel, we are surrounded every day by people who are headed towards eternal destruction. Are we broken hearted over those who do not know God in our city? Are we grieved that there are billions of people around the world who have never heard of Jesus and will experience eternal separation from Him? There was an urgency to the message of Ezekiel, and likewise there is an urgency to the message of the gospel for us. Would we live with the urgency of eternity today, warning people of God’s judgment towards sin and the freedom from it found in Christ alone.

Ezekiel 20 starts off with the elders of Israel coming to Ezekiel, ready to inquire of the Lord once again. What happens next is a long, winding recounting of Israel’s history. The word of the Lord comes to Ezekiel and he walks them through the pattern of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God, dating back to the time when they left slavery in Exodus up to the present day. They’re reminded of the oath and covenants God had established with them and how Israel’s tendency of creating and worshiping idols of their own creation had led to their impending judgment. 

As the chapter goes on, it reaches a tipping point. God promises that he will restore Israel (v. 33-36) and that there will be some (but not all) who return back to their land in Israel (v. 38). But God also makes it really clear that this continued unfaithfulness cannot continue. David Guzik in the Enduring Word commentary describes it this way:

“God called His people to a decision point. If they wanted to serve their idols, then they might as well make up their minds and do it. Let them become Babylonians in every regard now that they were in Babylon. What God did not want from Israel was a divided heart. When they brought Yahweh worship from hearts also given to idols, it profaned God and His name.”

This passage can help us today as we live here on earth, all while being citizens of another kingdom (Philippians 3:20). Will we worship and surrender to God alone, or will we assimilate into culture and become just like everyone else? In this modern-day Babylon we find ourselves in, we must remember that there is a distinct call on our lives to live differently. 

This passage ends with a parable of judgment directed towards Judah, the southern kingdom (v. 45-48). Based on Ezekiel’s plea at the end of the chapter (v. 49), it seems as though the elders of Israel were quick to dismiss Ezekiel’s message because they claimed it was hard to hear or understand. As we read it today, it’s a helpful reminder to us to ask God each day for ears to hear and eyes to see what it is that He has for us each day. 

This chapter of Ezekiel is dedicated to lamenting the princes of Israel. They were called princes, not kings, to diminish their rule and detail their lack of leadership. This is the first out of five laments in the book of Ezekiel. God through Ezekiel is expressing great sorrow, or grief, over the sins of the leaders of Israel. This chapter is essentially an allegory for what went wrong with the tribe of Judah. In verses 1-9, Ezekiel uses the image of a lion and her cubs to depict the Davidic line, and in verses 10-14, Ezekiel uses the image of a vine to depict Israel’s final strong branch or kings. The illustration of a lion and her cubs show what has happened to Judah. The lioness is Judah, and the cubs are Judah’s kings. A lot of the context for this passage comes from 2 Kings, and the wicked kings who lead the nation into exile. Israel was a mighty and powerful nation under King David but a majority of the kings following him had become idolatrous and corrupt in their ruling. 

Describing Israel’s king, verse 4 says, “The nations heard about him, and he was trapped in their pit. They led him with hooks to the land of Egypt.” This is referring to King Jehoahaz who ruled in 609 BC for three months before he was exiled to Egypt (2 Kings 23). There is another depiction of a king in verse 9 which says, “With hooks they pulled him into a cage and brought him to the king of Babylon. They put him in prison, so his roar was heard no longer on the mountains of Israel.” This is in reference to King Jehoiachin who was carried off into Babylon in 597 BC (2 Kings 24). 

There is a second imagery Ezekiel uses of a vine which was once healthy but now has been burned in a fire. The vine is Judah, and the fire is symbolic of God’s wrath and judgment. The stems are no longer, and its strong branches were torn off and dried up (v. 13). The chapter ends saying, “fire has gone out from the stem of its shoots, has consumed its fruit, so that there remains in it no strong stem, no scepter for ruling” (v. 14). The Davidic line was cut off with Zedekiah being Israel’s last king. This verse references a promise made to Judah at the end of Genesis. 

In Genesis 49, Jacob blesses his sons and gives a noteworthy blessing over Judah. Jacob refers to Judah as a lion saying that Judah will be victorious over its enemies. It says,  “You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son.” (v. 9). Jacob also says, “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his” (v. 10). A scepter was a staff that symbolized absolute authority over a nation or tribe. When Jacob says that the scepter will not depart from Judah, he is referencing one descendant that would come from the line of Judah, whose throne will be established forever: Jesus Christ. 

Before Jesus was crucified, Roman soldiers mocked Him, placed a crown of thorns on His head and gave Him a staff as a royal scepter. They beat Him with the scepter chanting “Hail, king of the Jews!” (Matthew 27:29). The scepter, a symbol of worldly authority, was used to beat the One who holds all authority in Heaven and on Earth. The scepter in the hands of earthly kings will perish, but the scepter the Messiah holds will remain forever. The scepter will not ever depart from the lion of Judah, Jesus Christ. This ancient prophecy will be fulfilled when Jesus Christ, in all His glory, returns with all the angels and the saints. Revelation 19:15 says “He will rule [the nations] with an iron scepter” as a righteous judge. The King of Kings from the line of Judah will one day come, and every nation will bow down and worship Him.