Ezekiel 17:19

Ezekiel 17:19 says, Therefore thus saith the Lord God; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head.  God once again spoke of Zedekiah despising God's oath to Him and breaking his covenant with Him.  I believe that Zedekiah had never put his faith in God, but he had only put his faith in his position in the world.  Matthew Henry says that Zedekiah thought that his position as king set him above other men, and there are still people in the world today who believe that they are better than other people because of their position in the world and don’t feel the need to put their faith in God.   

Verse twenty adds, And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me. God said that Zedekiah, and the people of Israel. was going to go away to punishment in Babylon because of their lack of faith in Him and that none would escape.  He was going to allow them to be carried away, but He still wasn’t going to desert them.  He would still continue to try to reason with them there.  As long as we are alive, God still continue to call us to Him, unless we say no to Him to the point that He decides He has given us enough chances, and then He will give us over to a reprobate mind.  Of course, after His final judgment comes, it is forever too late to accept His forgiveness, so He will no longer call those who are sent away to everlasting punishment.   

Verse twenty-one continues, And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward all winds: and ye shall know that I the Lord have spoken it.  God said that all His fugitives, those who were no longer under His protection because of their rebellion, would mostly die by the sword but even those who escaped would be scattered to the winds. Matthew Henry says this also refers to the Egyptians that the people of Israel had relied on for protection.  They too would fall by the sword or be scattered.  When this happened people would know that God is God, especially those who were supposed to be a part of His kingdom but had refused to remain faithful to Him.  One day those who have put their faith in anyone or anything other than God will know that He is God, but it will be too late to save them.   

Verse-twenty-two states, Thus saith the Lord God; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent:  This refers to Zedekiah and his descendants being cut off from the kingdom of God because they refused to obey their covenant relationship with Him.  No matter how powerful anyone may be in the world today, they will be cut off from the kingdom of God if they do not enter into a covenant relationship with God by putting their faith in Jesus Christ, the only way to salvation.  Of course, their children will not be cut off  from God’s kingdom because of the parents’ refusal to put their faith in Jesus Christ, unless they also refuse to do so. 

Verse twenty-three adds, In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.  God said that He was going to plant this cutoff top in the highest mountain of Israel and it would bring forth boughs and bear fruit.  God would still be with the remnant of the people of Israel and would once again give them a king.  This promise was fulfilled when Zerubbabel became king and the people of Israel were allowed to return to Israel.  Of course, the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy would be Jesus Christ came to be the everlasting King of all who put their faith in Him.   

Verse twenty-four continues, And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done it.  God said that after He bought down the high tree and exalted the low tree that people would know that He was God.  The nation of Israel had been a great nation, but they turned away from God.  Now, God was going to take one of low estate and make Him the everlasting King.  Even though this prophecy was partly fulfilled with Zerubbabel, its ultimate fulfillment was when Jesus Christ came to die for the sins of all people. 

Ezekiel 17:16

Ezekiel 17:16 says, As I live, saith the Lord God, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.  God said as surely as He lived, which would mean that what He was going to say was certainty.  People may not believe it, but God’s word will always be true.  God said as surely as Zedekiah had despised his word when he was made the ruler over the people of by the king of Babylon that he would die in Babylon.  If we refuse to believe God’s word, then we will die spiritually forever separated from His kingdom.   

Veres seventeen adds, Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in the war, by casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons:  God further said that the Pharoah of Egypt with his horses and army would not save Zedekiah, even though he had put his faith in the Pharoah instead of  God.  Nothing that we look to for deliverance in life will ever save us but our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.   

Verse eighteen continues, Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape.  God said the Zedekiah was going to die in exile because he had broken his covenant with the king of Babylon after he had shaken hands with him swearing his allegiance. He had broken his vow to God even before that.  If a person never accepts God’s gift of salvation, they will have to pay the penalty of their sins for themselves, but if a person has accepted His gift of salvation, even if their works are destroyed, they will always be a part of God’s kingdom.  Of course, the everlasting fulfillment of this would be when Jesus Christ came to be the everlasting King,  

Ezekiel 17:11

Ezekiel 17:11 says, Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,   

Verse twelve adds, Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon;  God’s word continued to come to Ezekiel, and now he was to give them the interpretation of the riddle or parable.  The first thing was that the king of Babylon was to come and take the king, princes, and people of Jerusalem away captive.  God had given them time to repent and they hadn’t, so now He was going to allow them to be taken away captive.  If we do not accept God’s gift of salvation, one day we will be taken away captive by sin and sent away to everlasting punishment.  It will be our choice and not God’s since He made a way to forgiveness when He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die in our place and we refused to accept His gift of salvation by accepting Him as our Savior and Lord.  

Verse thirteen continues, And hath taken of the king's seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land:  The king of Babylon was going to make a covenant with Zedekiah and his descendants that they could rule over Judah but they would still be under his authority.  Zedekiah and his descendants would come out fairly well as long as they lived under the authority of the king of Babylon, but they would never come out as good as they would have if they had lived under their covenant with God.  We may look to other powers in the world today to keep us safe and maybe even put us in a position of power under them, but it will be but a temporary thing.   

Verse fourteen states, That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand.  The people of Judah would always be under the rule of Babylon and would never be considered their equals. We are always going to be under the authority of either God or Satan, but Satan will always want us to suffer with him, whereas with God, we are seen as joint heirs with Jesus.  This doesn’t mean that we are equal to God, but that loves us as much as He loves Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. This doesn’t mean that we are equal to God, but that loves us just as much as He loves Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son is.   

Verse fifteen adds, But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?  God said that Zedekiah had broken his covenant with Babylon when he sent to Egypt for help in overcoming Babylon.  These were people who were still known as God’s people, but they were looking everywhere but to Him for deliverance.  We may call ourselves a Christian, but if we are looking to the powers of this world to keep us safe instead of living by faith in God, then as the people of Judah came under the wrath of Babylon when they broke their covenant, so will we come under the judgment of God because we have not entered into a true covenant relationship with Him.