Eze 33:29 | KingComments | STEP | After Ezekiel’s mouth is opened, the word of the LORD comes to him ( ). The LORD tells him that there are still people left in the devastated land ( ). These people, however, are far from humbled by the judgment that has struck them and the land. Instead, they believe they have a special claim to the land. They point to Abraham. Abraham is only by himself if he is granted the land as an inheritance. They, on the other hand, are many, so they have that much more right to the land. These people claim the land because of their numbers compared to Abraham, while they have no part in the faith of Abraham, but continue to sin ( ). They eat meat with the blood still in it, they bow down to their stink idols and act violently against their neighbor (cf. ). With such wicked behavior, how do they think they can assert a right to the land and repossess it? They do not lean on the LORD, but on their sword ( ). With it they commit violence and loot for themselves what they think they need. They commit atrocities and take the wife of their neighbor. Thus they continue to commit the heinous sins that brought God’s judgment on Jerusalem and Judah. So how do they think they can still keep the land? This section does show how hardened they are, how jaded in their feelings of what is sin in the eye of God. Ezekiel is commanded to announce judgment to them ( ). Wherever they are, they will perish, whether by the sword, by the wild beasts, or by pestilence. Nothing will come of their proud, misplaced expectations ( ). All life will disappear from the land and from the mountains. When the LORD has made the land an even greater desolate waste than it already is, they will be forced to acknowledge that He is the LORD ( ).

‏ Ezekiel 33:29

Arrogance of the Remnant

After Ezekiel’s mouth is opened, the word of the LORD comes to him (Eze 33:23). The LORD tells him that there are still people left in the devastated land (Eze 33:24). These people, however, are far from humbled by the judgment that has struck them and the land. Instead, they believe they have a special claim to the land. They point to Abraham. Abraham is only by himself if he is granted the land as an inheritance. They, on the other hand, are many, so they have that much more right to the land.

These people claim the land because of their numbers compared to Abraham, while they have no part in the faith of Abraham, but continue to sin (Eze 33:25). They eat meat with the blood still in it, they bow down to their stink idols and act violently against their neighbor (cf. Jer 41:2-7). With such wicked behavior, how do they think they can assert a right to the land and repossess it?

They do not lean on the LORD, but on their sword (Eze 33:26). With it they commit violence and loot for themselves what they think they need. They commit atrocities and take the wife of their neighbor. Thus they continue to commit the heinous sins that brought God’s judgment on Jerusalem and Judah. So how do they think they can still keep the land? This section does show how hardened they are, how jaded in their feelings of what is sin in the eye of God.

Ezekiel is commanded to announce judgment to them (Eze 33:27). Wherever they are, they will perish, whether by the sword, by the wild beasts, or by pestilence. Nothing will come of their proud, misplaced expectations (Eze 33:28). All life will disappear from the land and from the mountains. When the LORD has made the land an even greater desolate waste than it already is, they will be forced to acknowledge that He is the LORD (Eze 33:29).