Imagine yourself seated as an exile in Babylon, engaging in conversation with the prophet Ezekiel. In past years, you celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles and joined others in singing Psalm 48 as a member of God’s people.
If Ezekiel’s audience believed the words of Psalm 48, they were in for a shock to hear his message.
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain,
Within its citadels God
has shown himself a sure defense. (Psalm 48.1 and 3)
Jerusalem and the Temple were the habitation of God, and He was their defender.
Your name, O God, like your praise,
reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with victory.
Walk about Zion; go all around it;
count its towers;
Consider well its ramparts;
go through its citadels,
that you may tell the next generation
That this is God,
our God forever and ever.
He will be our guide forever. (Psalm 48.10, 12-14)
Psalm 48 was deeply embedded in the hearts of Ezekiel’s listeners. They had seen the fortified walls surrounding the temple, which appeared to make it impregnable.
Warring armies also recognized the temple as a formidable obstacle. To reach Egypt, secure victories, and transport food supplies from Egypt back to their own lands, these armies first had to conquer Jerusalem and its temple.
Ezekiel faced the very difficult duty of proclaiming God’s judgment on the beloved temple in Jerusalem.
The word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, set your face toward Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries; prophesy against the land of Israel.
And say to the land of Israel: Thus says the Lord: I am coming against you and will draw my sword out of its sheath and will cut off from you both righteous and wicked (Ezekiel 21.1-3).
A modern reader may easily overlook Ezekiel’s denunciation of the sanctuaries and his proclamation of impending judgment in later verses. In light of Psalm 48, where God is celebrated as the protector of Mount Zion, it is shocking to hear that God Himself would declare war against it.
Just as Ezekiel’s audience would have been shocked to hear that God was opposed to Jerusalem, they would also have been stunned to hear that He was against the land itself. This land had been given to them specifically by God and, even today, is regarded as a sacred place by the Jewish people.
I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord” (Exodus 6.8).
Unbelievable
A lengthy poetic section, vividly describing the brutal realities of war, dominates most of Chapter 21. Here is a sample of what Ezekiel said to his audience:
And the word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord; say:
A sword, a sword is sharpened;
it is also polished;
It is sharpened for slaughter,
honed to flash like lightning!
How can we make merry?
You have despised the rod
and all discipline.
For consider: What! If you despise the rod, will it not happen? says the Lord God. (Ezekiel 21.8-10, 13).
Why did God wage war against His own people, the Promised Land, and Zion? They left Him no choice after multiple years of ignoring His remedial judgment.
Repeatedly, God sent corrective judgments and prophets to help the people understand these warnings. Yet, rather than learning from them, they persisted in idolatry, with the powerful continuing to oppress the vulnerable.
People in America would do well to reflect on this lesson. We often believe ourselves to be invincible, immune to decline.
Yet, God has sent various forms of corrective judgment through mass shootings, natural disasters, and even attacks on our own soil. Though we have shown brief moments of repentance, we largely continue worshiping our idols and oppressing those more vulnerable than ourselves.
When Frank Laubach faced tremendous challenges in the last century, he called on a million people to offer daily “flash prayers” of repentance and alignment with God’s will. Every time they thought about the world’s difficulties, he encouraged them to pray a brief prayer.
I encourage you to do the same. Whenever troubling thoughts about the world arise, no matter where or what they concern, turn them into prayers to the Lord.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 