Reasoning Through the Bible
Taking a cue from Paul, Reasoning Through the Bible is an expository style walk through the Scriptures that tells you what the Bible says. Reviewing both Old and New Testament books, as well as topical subjects, we methodically teach verse by verse, even phrase by phrase.
We have completed many books of the Bible and offer free lesson plans for teachers. If you want to browse our entire library by book or topic, see our website www.ReasoningThroughTheBible.com.
We primarily do expository teaching but also include a good bit of theology and apologetics. Just like Paul on Mars Hill, Christianity must address both the ancient truths and the questions of the people today. Join Glenn and Steve every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as they reason with you through the Bible.
Reasoning Through the Bible
S24 || The Sword of Babylon || Ezekiel 21:18 - 22:5 || Session 24
The divine hammer falls on Jerusalem in Ezekiel 21, as God reveals His impending judgment through the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. We witness one of Scripture's most vivid contrasts - the world's most powerful ruler making life-or-death decisions through occult practices while fulfilling the sovereign plans of the one true God.
Nebuchadnezzar stands at a literal and figurative crossroads, throwing arrows, consulting idols, and examining animal entrails to determine his military path. Meanwhile, Jerusalem's inhabitants cling to false security, convinced God will protect them despite centuries of rebellion. This dangerous cocktail of presumption and unrepentance sets the stage for their devastating fall.
What makes this passage particularly striking is how it simultaneously delivers both crushing judgment and messianic hope. When God declares, "Remove the turban and take off the crown... A ruin, ruin, ruin I will make it. This also will be no more until he comes whose right it is," He effectively ends the Davidic monarchy with Zedekiah while pointing forward to Jesus Christ - the rightful heir who would one day reclaim the throne.
For modern believers, this passage offers profound wisdom about guidance. While Nebuchadnezzar relied on superstition, we have Scripture as our foundation, the Holy Spirit as our guide, and the church community as our support system. This episode reminds us that presuming upon God's protection while living in disobedience is spiritual suicide, yet even amid His severest judgments, God weaves threads of redemption and restoration.
Listen as we navigate this challenging text that forces us to confront the reality of divine judgment while clinging to the promise that one day all wrongs will be made right when the rightful King takes His throne.
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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve
Welcome to Reasoning Through the Bible. My name is Glenn. I'm here with Steve. If you have your copy of the Word of God, turn to the book of Ezekiel, chapter 21. If you've been with us then you've seen the severe language that the Lord, god, is giving the prophet to tell the Jewish people. It's severe language because of the severe actions that God is taking against his chosen people. They had disobeyed for many centuries, but now God is dealing with them in punishment. Today's lesson doesn't get any better. God is going to get quite graphic, quite blunt with what is going to happen with the Babylonian army and the king Nebuchadnezzar that goes up against Israel. With this, let's go ahead and dive in. Let's start at Ezekiel, chapter 18, and read down to verse 23.
Speaker 2:The word of the Lord came to me saying as for you, son of man, make two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come. Both of them will go out of one land and make a signpost. Make it at the head of the way to the city. You shall mark a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the sons of Ammon and to Judah and to fortified Jerusalem. For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways to use divination. He shakes the arrows, he consults the household idols, he looks at the liver. Into his right hand came the divination Jerusalem to set battering rams to open the mouth for slaughter. To lift up the voice with a battle cry. To set battering rams to open the mouth for slaughter. To lift up the voice with a battle cry. To set battering rams against the gates, to cast up ramps, to build a siege wall. And it will be to them like a false divination in their eyes.
Speaker 1:They have sworn Solomos, but he brings iniquity to remembrance that they may be seized With this we have Babylon, the strongest nation in the world at the time, and the king of that nation, nebuchadnezzar, who's the most powerful man in the world, is taking his army into battle against the Jewish people. He had a choice of which geographic path to take in order to attack the city, so he has to make a military decision with his army on which way to go, and the text here says that he used occultic divination. One of the ways he used was to take a quiver of arrows and throw them and see which way the arrows landed would tell you which way to go. Another way was to consult the small household idols that they were bringing with them, and a third way of deciding was to look at the entrails of animals. Now, what's amazing to me is here we have again the most powerful man in the world that has thousands, or possibly hundreds of thousands of lives at stake. Before you go into a battle, you never really know who's going to win, so conceivably, at least logically possible, he could have lost. He didn't know he was necessarily going to win. He's gambling not only the lives of thousands of people, but gambling the future of his nation, going into a major military activity on occultic divination, such as throwing arrows down, consulting idols and looking at the liver of animals.
Speaker 1:Steve, I hope that we, or our audience, are not using such means today. But what can we learn from the fact that this man was in such a high position? He was quite wealthy, quite powerful, yet he's using these very pagan practices.
Speaker 2:Well, for number one, we're told that we shouldn't use any type of divination, of necromancy or any of the ways that were depicted here in order to make decisions on what we should do. Us as Christians today. We obviously have the Holy Spirit that indwells us, but we should look to the Scripture to find out what we should do, to learn God's ways, and we should also seek guidance from the Holy Spirit. That's who we want to get our information from. That's who we want to get our direction from. Is God. We don't want to get our direction from some sort of spirits that are out there or angels or anything else like that. We need to get the information and direction of what we want to do directly from God, and we can do that in our day and age. So I just want to mention here, as we continue for our listeners is that once again, ezekiel is giving this information.
Speaker 2:God is giving it through Ezekzekiel, prior to this actually happening. So he's showing this to the people and he says depict this decision that Nebuchadnezzar is going to have to make. So I think one thing we can't get out of this, glenn, is that divination works all the time and we should use divination to make decisions. We certainly should not get that from it. God already knows, as what he's been explaining, that there's going to be judgment on Jerusalem and Judah and that he's going to use Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar to do it. We certainly can't take out of this that divination is what Nebuchadnezzar actually paid off for him to make this decision. This is already a decision that's made by God to use Babylon to discipline Judah and Jerusalem.
Speaker 1:If we ask the question, by what means should the Christian use to determine what we should do about decisions in our daily lives? You rightly answered, steve. The primary source is the Bible. The Bible has quite a bit of advice on a lot of things in life, including things like how we should spend our finances, what kind of people we should marry, how we should work in our jobs, and on and on. It speaks to many areas of our life. We also have, as you well mentioned, the leading of the Holy Spirit. We should always check that, though, with what we find in the Scriptures, simply because we can deceive ourselves. But I would also add that God has provided still another way, which is the Church, and God has set up the church so that we have wise counselors, wise leaders in the church that can give us advice on how to live our lives, and when we have major decisions to make, there are wise, godly people that can help us make decisions. So the church is a source of guidance in our lives. We have here again this thoroughly pagan king using thoroughly pagan means to make major decisions that impact the lives of entire nations and many thousands of people In this section that we've been reading here in Ezekiel 21, god is giving a detailed description of all that will happen when Babylon attacks Jerusalem.
Speaker 1:He goes into quite a bit of detail. Remember, the people at the time did not think God would allow a foreign nation to come in and take Jerusalem, destroy the temple. They had had some false prophets that were telling them that God would not allow that. It had not happened for many, many centuries. They had convinced themselves that their city and their region was not going to be taken by foreign people. But here God goes into a lot of detail when he gives the prophet Ezekiel this message. He talks about battering rams, siege machines, the shouting that the soldiers would do and the death they would inflict on Jerusalem. What this does in the immediate context is it gives the people in the sound of Ezekiel's voice. It gives them a way to sound of Ezekiel's voice. It gives them a way to tell whether Ezekiel was a true prophet or a false prophet, because Ezekiel was telling exactly what it would look like and sound like and, as we're going to see in coming verses and passages even when the attack will happen, so that the people that were listening to Ezekiel had evidence that was fulfilled literally in their hearing so they would know this man was a true prophet. Therefore, when Ezekiel predicted things that would happen way in the future, they knew that those were true as well. So if we look at this, we look down at verse 23, it says to them it will seem like a false divination.
Speaker 1:Here the Lord is saying that to the Jews in Jerusalem. Babylon's omens are going to seem false, up to the point where the walls were actually falling. The Jews will not think that Babylon will succeed. The army will be coming, the army will surround the city, the army will lay siege and the Jewish people in Jerusalem will think, oh, it's not going to happen. They will be deceived.
Speaker 1:At the point the cities fall and the sudden death of the people, they're going to suddenly remember their past sins and their guilt. It's really a horrible way to die, especially when all they had to do was repent and turn to the Lord At any point in their history. If they would have repented and turned to the Lord, then the Lord would have supported them, would have driven out the foreign gods and the foreign peoples and would have defended them, just like he did many times in Israel's past. But here they were convinced they could stay in their sin and also have God protect them, and that's a horrible way to die sin and also have God protect them, and that's a horrible way to die, steve. What would we tell about?
Speaker 2:the condition of these people at the time. We can see, glenn, a little bit as to why they would think that God is going to come through one more time in the protection of Jerusalem. Earlier, when the Assyrians years before, decades before, had come up against Jerusalem, assyria had come down, they had taken over the northern kingdom of Israel and they had come up and laid siege around Jerusalem. Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, had 185,000 men that had put a siege around Jerusalem and were going to prepare to attack Jerusalem. God protected Jerusalem in a miraculous way, sent an angel out overnight and killed those soldiers that were there. Sennacherib then retreated back to Assyria and Jerusalem was protected and the city was not sacked.
Speaker 2:This is just one example of the people have a history. Oh, god's going to come through one more time and we're his chosen people and he's not going to allow his city and his temple to fall. But to answer your question is that's background? Even though they saw this miraculous thing that had happened, as the example I just gave with Assyria they didn't turn from their evil ways. They kept on worshiping the idols and doing all the sinful things that we have been describing all throughout Ezekiel here, and they didn't repent. They didn't go back and return to God.
Speaker 2:Now we're seeing it come to fruition that in their hearts they're saying God's going to come through for us one more time. Yet they haven't changed their attitude towards God at all. God has finally gotten to the point where he's not going to come to their rescue anymore. As we mentioned on our last session, he is resolute. This is what's going to happen, and they're just having to face the reality that this is going to happen to them and their country, their nation, their city, their temple is going to be sacked and taken away from them In this next section, god has a direct message for the leader of Judah.
Speaker 1:I'm reading, starting in verse 24. Therefore, thus says the Lord God, because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your deeds your sins appear, because you have come to remembrance, you will be seized with the hand and you, o slain, wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day has come in the time of the punishment of the end. Thus says the Lord God, remove the turban and take off the crown. This will no longer be the same. Exalt that which is low and abase that which is high. A ruin, a ruin, a ruin. I will make it. This also will be no more until he comes, whose right it is, and I will give it to him.
Speaker 1:And you, son of man, prophesy and say Thus says the Lord God, concerning the sons of Ammon and concerning their reproach, and say A sword, a sword is drawn, polished for the slaughter, to cause it to consume, that it may be like lightning, while they see for you false visions, while they divine lies for you, to place you on the necks of the wicked, who are slain, whose day has come in the time of the punishment of the end. Return it to its sheath in the place where you were created, in the land of your origin. I will judge you, I will pour out my indignation on you, I will blow on you with the fire of my wrath and I will give you into the hand of brutal men skilled in destruction. You will be fuel for the fire. Your blood will be in the midst of the land. You will not be remembered, for I, the Lord, have spoken. Steve, what strikes you about this message that God is giving One of the things?
Speaker 2:that strikes me, glenn. As you were reading, that is in verse 26. Where he says remove the turban and take off the crown. This will no longer be the same. This is a depiction of the turban, if you remember, was the turban that the high priest wore, and it had a plate on the front of it that said holy unto the Lord Yahweh, and the crown is talking about the kings. This is a depiction that, yes, the city's going to be destroyed, the temple's going to be destroyed and also the priesthood is going to be destroyed and the crown is going to be destroyed as well. It's a depiction that the rulers are also going to be judged in this sacking and destruction of the temple and everything else like that, and it's not going to be the same.
Speaker 1:It's not going to be the same, because God will judge them. He will change things. He is now taking charge. He is filled with his wrath and he will not allow them to continue in the path of sin and disobedience. He gives a message here in what we just read in that section, a message of utter, complete destruction. This is not a mild chastisement. This is not a mild message of oh, you need to correct, this was utter, complete, total destruction.
Speaker 1:If you look at verses 24 and 25, god says that directly, because of the king's sin, that the king will be taken in hand. It says Babylon will capture the king of Judah because of his sin and it says his day has come. He is profane and wicked. God is very direct, very blunt. The lesson for us is that I will not get away with my sin and, my friend, you will not get away with your sin. The wonderful thing about our day is that we have a God that has sent us the Lord Jesus Christ. In the midst of all this wrath and judgment, he desires loving repentance. My sin is just as bad as the sins of the people in Jerusalem and his wrath is just as strong against my sin and my friend, wrath is just as strong against yours. But if we repent now and take up the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, then he will allow us to return. He has loving arms of love that come out to us because of the forgiveness that he offers through Jesus Christ. He sent Jesus to take away our sin so that we don't have to experience the bad things like Judah or even worse.
Speaker 1:If we look at verses 26 and 27, these are very descriptive, very emotional language. The power and the emotion described here should hold our attention and keep us in awe. He says there remove the turban, take off the crown, no longer be the same. This is strong language. Ruin, ruin. He says it three times Be no more until he comes. Well, steve, who's the? He?
Speaker 2:there. Yeah, the he I think depicted here, Glenn, is Jesus and it's talking about the second coming whenever he's going to come to establish the millennial kingdom. Now we say that because we have in the past talked that there's various verses, We've gone through Zechariah and through the prophets, and even here times in Ezekiel, that there's going to be a future kingdom, restoration of Israel that's going to be set up and it's a physical kingdom here on earth. So I think this is referring to that time. Until he comes, who is right? And I will give it to him. This is Yahweh saying he's going to give it to Jesus, the Messiah.
Speaker 1:This is Yahweh saying he's going to give it to Jesus the Messiah. At the time of Ezekiel's prophecy, king Zedekiah was quickly to become the last king in the line of the kings. He was the last king until Jesus came. Jesus came as king. Jesus is the rightful heir to the throne. At the end of verse 27 here in Ezekiel, god says I will give it to him. Well, the him is Jesus, the. It is the throne, the scepter. God says I'm cutting off this line of kings and I'm going to give the throne to my son, the Lord Jesus, throne to my son, the Lord Jesus. God will give it to Jesus the same throne, the same throne of Israel that he took from Zedekiah. He says it right here which throne is he going to give? It's the throne of Israel, the one that he cut off from Zedekiah.
Speaker 1:Back here in Ezekiel, chapter 21. My friend, it's as plain as the words on the page. Starting in verse 28, god speaks about the Ammonites. He uses more powerful language to describe their destruction. In verse 32, it says you shall be fuel for the fire. Your blood shall be in the midst of the land. You shall be no more remembered. Steve, does anybody remember the?
Speaker 2:Ammonites today? I really don't, Glenn, and the backdrop to this is that Zedekiah was the last king, but he wasn't the legitimate king. The legitimate king was Jehoiakim. He had been deposed by Nebuchadnezzar and his son, Jehoiachin, was the next in line and Jehoiachin, I believe, served about three months, something like that, and Nebuchadnezzar deposes him. Then Nebuchadnezzar puts Jehoiakim's brother, Jehoiachin's uncle, emplaced Mattaniah, and changes his name to Zedekiah. So Zedekiah is serving as the king, but he's not the rightful king number one.
Speaker 2:Number two is he's sworn his loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar but he makes a decision to rebel against Nebuchadnezzar. He makes a pact with the Pharaoh from Egypt and the Ammonites that were also serving under Nebuchadnezzar to go and fight Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar hears about this. This is what brings him down as a final destruction for Jerusalem and the temple and everything else temple and everything else. God here in verse 28, is saying that the reproach of Ammon is going to be dealt with. What happened was the Ammonites. They rejoiced whenever Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and sacked the city. God is saying here that he's going to bring judgment on the Ammonites for them celebrating Jerusalem's and the nation of Judah's final destruction.
Speaker 1:The final destruction was what literally fulfilled these prophecies. Then they were literally fulfilled when Nebuchadnezzar attacked the region in 587 BC. When Nebuchadnezzar attacked the region in 587 BC and, as we said before, the people in Ezekiel's day would know hey, this prophet predicted something that came true right before my eyes. Therefore, we're going to write down everything he says. We know that the future prophecies are just as solid. The prophets always provided evidence of the truthfulness of their message. That brings us to the end of chapter 21. The beginning of chapter 22 continues with still more of these condemnations of the sins of the people. When we read this, I'll be honest with you, we get almost tired of hearing the wave after wave of God's condemnation. But remember, this was pent-up anger from many centuries of God not taking action. It also happened over about a 22-year period in Ezekiel's life. Starting at Ezekiel, chapter 22, we're going to see more condemnation of the people.
Speaker 1:I'm reading in verse 1,. Then the word of the Lord came to me saying and you, son of man, will you judge? Will you judge the bloody city, then cause her to know all her abominations? You shall say Thus says the Lord, god, a city shedding blood in her midst, so that her time will come and that makes idols, contrary to her interest, for defilement. You have become guilty by the blood which you have shed and defiled by your idols, which you have made. Thus, you have brought your day near and have come to your years. Therefore, I have made you a reproach to the nations and a mocking to all the lands. Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you, you of ill repute, full of turmoil. What do we see in those?
Speaker 2:verses, steve, by the description of the bloody city. It's a depiction of what the city. There had been murder and bloodshed that was taking place in the city, and God is giving his justification for the city to be sacked and for the temple to be taken down and for the southern nation of Judah to finally be a done away with. Through Ezekiel, he's telling the people that are in exile, who think that God is going to come through for them once again, as we've talked about previously in this session, that no, here's a reason why your city, jerusalem, the capital where the temple is, has become a city full of murderous bloodshed and therefore there's going to be a discipline and judgment on it. Because of that, and that's just one thing that is depicted of, what's happening in the city is that the murderers and bloodshed and the crime had gotten so bad that God is going to take and deal with the city once and for all.
Speaker 1:We're going to see some of that as we go into these next chapters, because God is going to get quite direct, quite blunt, quite detailed, with listing off many of their sins. But here again we have this prophet, ezekiel, that is claiming to be giving the very words of God In verse 1, the word of the Lord came to me, and we have the same type of language given over by the writers in the New Testament. Remember, the apostle Paul said the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. He said that in 1 Corinthians 14.37. And he also said the things that God revealed to us, the apostles, in 1 Corinthians 2.10.
Speaker 1:So we have places where the prophets claim to be speaking God's exact words. And in here in Ezekiel, we have wave after wave of very direct, very blunt language. And again, as we said, I am quite tired. I want to get over to the nice things, the roses and the sweetness and the light. But the sin is quite ugly and it needs to be dealt with. And we're not over yet because, again, god's going to detail some of these sins.
Speaker 2:He is going to do that, and then he's also going to detail some of the ways he's going to deal with the Gentile nations. But then he's going to give some hope in the latter chapters of Ezekiel, and we're going to get to that at some point.
Speaker 1:We'll see that as we continue to reason through the book of Ezekiel next time.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for watching and listening. May God bless you.
