Ezekiel 21:18

Ezekiel 21:18 says, The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying,  Ezekiel got another message from God, and we as Christians need to continually be listening for God’s word to us.  

Verse nineteen adds, Also, thou son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come: both twain shall come forth out of one land: and choose thou a place, choose it at the head of the way to the city.  Ezekiel was to draw two ways that the king of Babylon might go when he reached a certain point in his attack.  There always seems to come a point at which people can choose to go one way or the other, but in this case the choice was not to be for the good of those in the way chosen.  We should present two ways to go spiritually to unsaved people today, but only one choice, to follow Jesus Christ, is the way that is good for them.   

Verse twenty continues, Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced. The point where these two ways diverged would represent the way to Rabbath of the Ammonites or to Jerusalem in Judah, which was a fenced in, or walled city.  Rabbath would have seemed to be the easiest to defeat, and today lost people may feel safe because they are in a more powerful nation than other people, but if they are depending on anything other than God to keep them safe, they are not so powerful that they cannot be defeated.   

Verse twenty-one states, For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver.  When the king of Babylon reached the point where these two ways separated, he would use some form of divination to determine which way to go.  Whatever the method, it was based on the thought that his god would lead him the right way.  People today are still looking for false gods to show them the way to go when confronted with a choice in life.   

Verse twenty-two adds, At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appoint captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a mount, and to build a fort.  God said that this divination would point him to the right, which was toward Jerusalem, and he would begin to make plans to take it by force, even preparing battering rams to knock down the gates. They were to set up a fort, or to lay siege to the city, ready to stay as long as necessary to bring Jerusalem down.  As followers of Christ, our enemies may batter us with their attack against us spiritually, but they will also be ready to fight against us long term if they are not successful at first.   

Verse twenty-three continues, And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths: but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.  The people of Jerusalem were to be made aware that it was because they followed false prophets who told them that they were going to be safe that they were now in this position.  God had sent His word to them calling on them to repent and put their faith in Him once more or they would be defeated, but they chose to listen to false prophets instead who said they would not be defeated.  If we find ourselves in danger of being defeated spiritually, it will be because we have not been listening to God.  Of course, if we begin to listen to the people of the world instead of God’s word, even if they tell us that we will be okay if we don’t follow God’s commandments, we set ourselves up to be defeated in this life, even if we are forever saved  spiritually by having accepted God’s gift of salvation.   

Verse twenty-four concludes, Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because, I say, that ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand.  God said it was because of the iniquities of the people of Jerusalem that they were going to be defeated.  They had chosen to listen to false prophets who promised them success without repentance instead of listening to God’s true prophet who said that they were now going to be defeated.  They had become God’s chosen people in name only and believed that this would keep them safe, but God said that since they had not repented of their sins and started to follow Him again when called on to do so that they had lost His protection.  We may call ourselves a Christian nation, but if we are not being obedient to God’s word, we will not have His protection.  We cannot claim to be a Christian nation if we do so many things that are not in accordance with God’s word. 

Ezekiel 21:14

Ezekiel 21:14 says, Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thine hands together. and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain: it is the sword of the great men that are slain, which entereth into their privy chambers.  Ezekiel was told to hit his hands together and let the sword be doubled a third time and this would represent the slaying of the men who thought they were great.  This would happen when they thought they were safe in their private chambers.  They were most responsible for leading the people away from God, but they thought they would be safe in their own chambers.  People who are in a position of power today who lead people away from God will one day have to answer for their actions and there is no place where they will be safe.   

Verse fifteen adds, I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may faint, and their ruins be multiplied: ah! it is made bright, it is wrapped up for the slaughter.  God said He had already set the point of the sword against these great men and that their ruin was multiplied.  Their ruin would be made bright, or very clear, I believe, as they were wrapped up as an animal ready for slaughter.  If we don’t put our faith in Jesus Christ we face an even greater suffering, since we will be forever separated from God.   

Verse sixteen continues, Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set.  Ezekiel was told to go whichever way he wanted to go because the evil of the people of Israel was to be found everywhere.  In the world today, wherever we look, we will find evil, and I believe that we are to share the gospel wherever we are going.   

Verse seventeen concludes, I will also smite mine hands together, and I will cause my fury to rest: I the Lord hath said it.  God told Ezekiel that He would hit His hands together just as Ezekiel had done before the people.  What Ezekiel did was just a  representation of what God was going to do.  Just like Ezekiel, we can only share with people what God is going to do to those who will not accept His gift of salvation, but it is God Who will actually take action against them.  God said that once He had punished those who refused to live in obedience to their covenant with Him that His fury would rest.  God reaches out to people with His love, but if they don’t put their faith in Him, He will punish those who do not, but His fury is not to all the world, and it will rest on those who choose His fury over his love.  His fury will not come to those who put their faith in Jesus Christ.     

Ezekiel 21:8

Ezekiel 21:8 says, Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,  Once more God’s word came to Ezekiel, as it will to us today.   

Verse nine adds, Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:  Ezekiel was to tell the people that a sword was sharpened and ready to destroy them.  God is never going to allow people to be destroyed spiritually without giving them a warning, but His judgment is ready and waiting those who do not accept His gift of salvation, and we need to be warning lost people of this, just as Ezekiel was told to do then.   

Verse ten continues, It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter: should we then make mirth? it contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree.  God asked if the people of Israel should continue to make mirth when they knew that His sword was ready to cut them down for their refusal to obey His word.  Nothing was going to be able to stand when this sword was cutting it down.  God’s word is said to be a two-edged  sword, and nothing can stand victorious against it.  There are many people today who are doing everything they can to find pleasure in life, and this seems to be their greatest desire, but if they are looking outside of God’s will, they will face God’s judgment if they are looking for this based on worldly desires instead of looking for true joy by obeying God’s commandments after accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.   

Verse eleven states, And he hath given it to be furbished, that it may be handled: this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.  God said this sword was ready to be given into the hand of the destroyer.  God’s judgment is coming, and if people do not put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, then He will become their Judge.  

Verse twelve adds, Cry and howl, son of man: for it shall be upon my people, it shall be upon all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon my people: smite therefore upon thy thigh.  Ezekiel was told by God to cry and howl this message to the people of Israel, telling them that the sword was going to fall on them since they refused to repent and put their faith in Him.  As Christians, we should be loudly proclaiming God’s word to people today, because if they don’t put their faith in Jesus Christ, they are going to be forever separated from God.   

Verse thirteen continues, Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? it shall be no more, saith the Lord God.  God said that the rod had been used to punish people who did not put their faith in Him, but it brought temporary suffering where the sword was going to bring death.  God may send the rod of correction on His people, or even those who aren’t, in this lifetime, but when His judgment comes after anyone dies or when Jesus Christ returns in victory, they will be forever cut off from God and His kingdom.