FIRE, SWORD, SCEPTER AND CROWN

Passage: Ezekiel 20:45-21:32

Key verse: 21:27b

NIV

Prophecy Against the South

45 The word of the Lord came to me: 46 “Son of man, set your face toward(A) the south; preach against the south and prophesy against(B) the forest of the southland.(C) 47 Say to the southern forest:(D) ‘Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to set fire to you, and it will consume(E) all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north(F) will be scorched by it.(G) 48 Everyone will see that I the Lord have kindled it; it will not be quenched.(H)’”

49 Then I said, “Sovereign Lord,(I) they are saying of me, ‘Isn’t he just telling parables?(J)’”[a]

Babylon as God’s Sword of Judgment

21 [b]The word of the Lord came to me:(K) 2 “Son of man, set your face against(L) Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary.(M) Prophesy against(N) the land of Israel 3 and say to her: ‘This is what the Lord says: I am against you.(O) I will draw my sword(P) from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.(Q) 4 Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword(R) will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north.(S) 5 Then all people will know that I the Lord have drawn my sword(T) from its sheath; it will not return(U) again.’(V)

6 “Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief.(W) 7 And when they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?(X)’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt with fear(Y) and every hand go limp;(Z) every spirit will become faint(AA) and every leg will be wet with urine.’(AB) It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

8 The word of the Lord came to me: 9 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘A sword, a sword,
    sharpened and polished—
10 sharpened for the slaughter,(AC)
    polished to flash like lightning!

“‘Shall we rejoice in the scepter of my royal son? The sword despises every such stick.(AD)

11 “‘The sword is appointed to be polished,(AE)
    to be grasped with the hand;
it is sharpened and polished,
    made ready for the hand of the slayer.
12 Cry out and wail, son of man,
    for it is against my people;
    it is against all the princes of Israel.
They are thrown to the sword
    along with my people.
Therefore beat your breast.(AF)

13 “‘Testing will surely come. And what if even the scepter, which the sword despises, does not continue? declares the Sovereign Lord.’

14 “So then, son of man, prophesy
    and strike your hands(AG) 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.(AH)
15 So that hearts may melt with fear(AI)
    and the fallen be many,
I have stationed the sword for slaughter[c]
    at all their gates.
Look! It is forged to strike like lightning,
    it is grasped for slaughter.(AJ)
16 Slash to the right, you sword,
    then to the left,
    wherever your blade is turned.
17 I too will strike my hands(AK) together,
    and my wrath(AL) will subside.
I the Lord have spoken.(AM)”

18 The word of the Lord came to me: 19 “Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword(AN) of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same country. Make a signpost(AO) where the road branches off to the city. 20 Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites(AP) and another against Judah and fortified Jerusalem. 21 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(AQ) with arrows, he will consult his idols,(AR) he will examine the liver.(AS) 22 Into his right hand will come the lot for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to give the command to slaughter, to sound the battle cry,(AT) to set battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp(AU) and to erect siege works.(AV) 23 It will seem like a false omen to those who have sworn allegiance to him, but he will remind(AW) them of their guilt(AX) and take them captive.

24 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you people have brought to mind your guilt by your open rebellion, revealing your sins in all that you do—because you have done this, you will be taken captive.

25 “‘You profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come,(AY) whose time of punishment has reached its climax,(AZ) 26 this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Take off the turban, remove the crown.(BA) It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low.(BB) 27 A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! The crown will not be restored until he to whom it rightfully belongs shall come;(BC) to him I will give it.’(BD)

28 “And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says about the Ammonites(BE) and their insults:

“‘A sword,(BF) a sword,
    drawn for the slaughter,
polished to consume
    and to flash like lightning!
29 Despite false visions concerning you
    and lying divinations(BG) 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.(BH)

30 “‘Let the sword return to its sheath.(BI)
    In the place where you were created,
in the land of your ancestry,(BJ)
    I will judge you.
31 I will pour out my wrath on you
    and breathe(BK) out my fiery anger(BL) against you;
I will deliver you into the hands of brutal men,
    men skilled in destruction.(BM)
32 You will be fuel for the fire,(BN)
    your blood will be shed in your land,
you will be remembered(BO) no more;
    for I the Lord have spoken.’”

Footnotes
  1. Ezekiel 20:49 In Hebrew texts 20:45-49 is numbered 21:1-5.
  2. Ezekiel 21:1 In Hebrew texts 21:1-32 is numbered 21:6-37.
  3. Ezekiel 21:15 Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

45 [a] And the word of the Lord came to me: 46 (A)“Son of man, (B)set your face toward the southland;[b] (C)preach against the south, and prophesy against the forest land in the Negeb. 47 Say to the forest of the Negeb, Hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord God, Behold, (D)I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every (E)green tree in you and every (F)dry tree. The blazing flame shall not be quenched, and (G)all faces from south to north shall be scorched by it. 48 (H)All flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.” 49 Then I said, (I)“Ah, Lord God! They are saying of me, (J)‘Is he not a maker of parables?’”

The Lord Has Drawn His Sword

21 [c] The word of the Lord came to me: 2 (K)“Son of man, (L)set your face toward Jerusalem and (M)preach against the sanctuaries.[d] Prophesy against the land of Israel 3 and say to the land of Israel, Thus says the Lord: (N)Behold, I am against you and will draw (O)my sword from its sheath and (P)will cut off from you both righteous and wicked. 4 Because I will cut off from you both righteous and wicked, therefore my sword shall be drawn from its sheath against all flesh from south to north. 5 (Q)And all flesh shall know that I am the Lord. I have drawn (R)my sword from its sheath; (S)it shall not be sheathed again.

6 “As for you, son of man, (T)groan; with breaking heart and bitter grief, (U)groan before their eyes. 7 (V)And when they say to you, ‘Why do you groan?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news (W)that it is coming. (X)Every heart will melt, and (Y)all hands will be feeble; every spirit will faint, and (Z)all knees will be weak as water. (AA)Behold, it is (AB)coming, and it will be fulfilled,’” declares the Lord God.

8 And the word of the Lord came to me: 9 (AC)“Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord, say:

(AD)“A sword, a sword is sharpened
    and also polished,
10 (AE)sharpened for slaughter,
    (AF)polished to flash like lightning!

(Or (AG)shall we rejoice? You have despised the rod, my son, (AH)with everything of wood.)[e] 11 So the sword is given to be polished, that it may be grasped in the hand. It is sharpened and polished (AI)to be given into the hand of the slayer. 12 (AJ)Cry out and wail, son of man, for it is against my people. It is against all the princes of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with my people. (AK)Strike therefore upon your thigh. 13 For it will not be a testing—what could it do if you despise (AL)the rod?”[f] declares the Lord God.

14 “As for you, (AM)son of man, prophesy. (AN)Clap your hands and let the sword come down twice, (AO)yes, three times,[g] the sword for those to be slain. It is the sword for the great slaughter, which surrounds them, 15 that their hearts may melt, and many stumble.[h] At all their gates I have given the glittering sword. Ah, it is made like lightning; (AP)it is taken up[i] for slaughter. 16 Cut sharply to the right; set yourself to the left, wherever your face is directed. 17 I also will (AQ)clap my hands, (AR)and I will satisfy my fury; (AS)I the Lord have spoken.”

18 The word of the Lord came to me again: 19 “As for you, son of man, mark two ways for (AT)the sword of the king of Babylon to come. Both of them shall come from the same land. And make (AU)a signpost; make it (AV)at the head of the way to a city. 20 Mark a way (AW)for the sword to come to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah, into Jerusalem the fortified. 21 For the king of Babylon stands (AX)at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination. He shakes the arrows; he consults (AY)the teraphim;[j] he looks at the liver. 22 Into his right hand comes the divination for Jerusalem, (AZ)to set battering rams, to open the mouth with murder, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, (BA)to cast up mounds, to build siege towers. 23 But to them it will seem like a false divination. (BB)They have sworn solemn oaths, but he brings their guilt to remembrance, (BC)that they may be taken.

24 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have made your guilt to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your deeds your sins appear—because you have come to remembrance, (BD)you shall be taken in hand. 25 And you, O profane[k] (BE)wicked one, prince of Israel, (BF)whose day has come, (BG)the time of your final punishment, 26 thus says the Lord God: Remove the turban and take off the crown. Things shall not remain as they are. (BH)Exalt that which is low, and bring low that which is exalted. 27 A ruin, ruin, ruin I will make it. (BI)This also shall not be, (BJ)until he comes, the one to whom judgment belongs, and I will give it to him.

28 “And you, (BK)son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord God (BL)concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach; say, (BM)A sword, a sword (BN)is drawn for the slaughter. (BO)It is polished to consume and to flash like lightning— 29 while (BP)they see for you false visions, while they divine lies for you—to place you on the necks of the profane wicked, (BQ)whose day has come, the time of their final punishment. 30 (BR)Return it to its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, (BS)I will judge you. 31 And (BT)I will pour out my indignation upon you; (BU)I will blow upon you with the fire of my wrath, and I will deliver you into the hands of (BV)brutish men, skillful to destroy. 32 You shall be fuel for the fire. Your blood shall be in the midst of the land. (BW)You shall be no more remembered, (BX)for I the Lord have spoken.”

Footnotes
  1. Ezekiel 20:45 Ch 21:1 in Hebrew
  2. Ezekiel 20:46 Or toward Teman
  3. Ezekiel 21:1 Ch 21:6 in Hebrew
  4. Ezekiel 21:2 Some Hebrew manuscripts, compare Septuagint, Syriac against their sanctuary
  5. Ezekiel 21:10 Probable reading; Hebrew The rod of my son despises everything of wood
  6. Ezekiel 21:13 Or For it is a testing; and what if even the rod despises? It shall not be!
  7. Ezekiel 21:14 Hebrew its third
  8. Ezekiel 21:15 Hebrew many stumbling blocks
  9. Ezekiel 21:15 The meaning of the Hebrew word rendered taken up is uncertain
  10. Ezekiel 21:21 Or household idols
  11. Ezekiel 21:25 Or slain; also verse 29
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. Fire, sword and scepter (2 :45-21:1 a) The parable of the fire (2 :45-49) is explained in parallel by the sword of Babylon against Israel (21:1-5,19). Green and dry trees destroyed by fire represents both righteous and wicked people slain by the sword. The scepter of Judah's throne was like a stick before the sword of Babylon. What if the scepter did not continue? (13) Would that mean God's promises and Israel's hopes failed? 2. The crown will be restored (21:1 b-32) God directed Babylon to take the road to destroy Jerusalem, rather than Rabbah of the Ammonites (2 -22). God's people would be taken captive because of their open rebellion (24). Judah's profane, wicked king would lose his crown, and Judah would be ruined. But the crown would one day be restored to whom it rightfully belongs-the Messiah and true King, Jesus Christ (Gen 49:1 ; Ac 2:36). Both the Ammonites and Babylon would also face the sword and fire for their own wickedness, and they would not be remembered (28-32).

Prayer: Lord, thank you that through our true King Jesus we escape the wrath and judgment we deserve.

One Word: The crown rightfully belongs to Jesus