Eze 8:17 | KingComments | STEP | Again the LORD asks Ezekiel if he, son of man, has seen it ( ). He involves him in His observation. He also involves him in His judgment when He asks him if the house of Judah can make it worse than what they are doing now with these abominations. Surely this beats everything, doesn’t it? Surely it can’t get any worse, can it? If Ezekiel may have had some hesitation in announcing the judgment, surely what the LORD has shown him convinces him of its justice. The violence that fills the land was caused by them. They have provoked the LORD to wrath, not just once or occasionally, but again and again, continuously. In addition, they also put “the twig to their nose”. Its meaning is unclear. Given the connection and the LORD’s indignation at this custom, we might think of it as an extremely offensive and reprehensible gesture toward Him. We might compare this to expressions we are familiar with, such as contemptuously sticking out the tongue at Him, thumbing their noses at Him, or making obscene gestures with hands and fingers at Him. The LORD cannot but deal with them in His wrath ( ). That will be a fully justified action. He will have no pity and will spare no one. They caused it themselves. If they cry out loud to Him then, He will not listen to them. The time for Him to listen is over because they never listened to Him. In this chapter the diagnosis has been made. It has been established how terribly the people have fared. God has to judge His People. There is no alternative. Judgment is presented in the next chapter. It is not yet the actual judgment. Ezekiel is still in a visionary state. The actual judgment will come when Nebuchadnezzar destroys the city of Jerusalem.

‏ Ezekiel 8:17

The Judgment of the LORD

Again the LORD asks Ezekiel if he, son of man, has seen it (Eze 8:17). He involves him in His observation. He also involves him in His judgment when He asks him if the house of Judah can make it worse than what they are doing now with these abominations. Surely this beats everything, doesn’t it? Surely it can’t get any worse, can it? If Ezekiel may have had some hesitation in announcing the judgment, surely what the LORD has shown him convinces him of its justice.

The violence that fills the land was caused by them. They have provoked the LORD to wrath, not just once or occasionally, but again and again, continuously. In addition, they also put “the twig to their nose”. Its meaning is unclear. Given the connection and the LORD’s indignation at this custom, we might think of it as an extremely offensive and reprehensible gesture toward Him. We might compare this to expressions we are familiar with, such as contemptuously sticking out the tongue at Him, thumbing their noses at Him, or making obscene gestures with hands and fingers at Him.

The LORD cannot but deal with them in His wrath (Eze 8:18). That will be a fully justified action. He will have no pity and will spare no one. They caused it themselves. If they cry out loud to Him then, He will not listen to them. The time for Him to listen is over because they never listened to Him.

In this chapter the diagnosis has been made. It has been established how terribly the people have fared. God has to judge His People. There is no alternative. Judgment is presented in the next chapter. It is not yet the actual judgment. Ezekiel is still in a visionary state. The actual judgment will come when Nebuchadnezzar destroys the city of Jerusalem.