Eze 21:3 | KingComments | STEP | The word of the LORD comes to Ezekiel ( ). He is commanded to set his face toward Jerusalem and to speak, or: let his words flow, against the sanctuaries ( ; cf. ). After the Negev in the previous verses ( ), by which Judah is meant, it is now Jerusalem’s turn to hear words of judgment. Judgment is directed primarily against “the sanctuaries” by which, given the plural, is possibly meant the temple complex (cf. ; ). Ezekiel is also to prophesy against the whole land of Israel. The whole land has so forsaken the LORD that He will cut off from it both the righteous and the wicked ( ). They are the green and the dry tree of the previous riddle ( ). The fire, spoken of there, has now become a sword. The LORD will draw His sword out of its sheath to exercise the judgment. This refers to the carnage that will be wrought by Nebuchadnezzar, who is His sword. The word ‘sword’ occurs no less than thirteen times in the following verses. This does show the severity and certainty of the judgment. It is also a general judgment, for the sword will be against “all flesh” (cf. ), “from south [to] north” ( ), including the princes ( ). The judgment will be unstoppable ( ). As Ezekiel lets his words flow, he must “groan with breaking heart [literally: loins] and bitter grief” ( ). The groaning must be so deep that he is like a broken man, like someone bent or huddled with his hands on his stomach because of an excruciating stomachache. Strength to walk is not there. He has to show this dejection because there is no hope of recovery from the pain. When the people ask him why he is doing this, he must say that he is weighed down by the burden the LORD is placing on him ( ). The prophet is committed to his message and he is deeply burdened by it himself. The inner feelings and expressions that show this show that he does not bring his message with pleasure. The suffering he has to announce that will come upon his people affects him deeply. If we have to admonish someone, we must have the right inner mind for it and give it the right expression. Do we also know the groaning because of the disasters that will befall the world and professing Christianity? Just as the imminent suffering coming upon his people deprives him of all strength already now at its announcement, so it will be with those over whom the sword of God’s judgment will soon come. Ezekiel uses four expressions to describe the physical and spiritual reaction to the news of the fall Jerusalem: 1. “And every heart will melt (cf. ; ; ), 2. all hands will be feeble (cf. ; ; ; ), 3. every spirit will faint (cf. ) and 4. all knees will be weak [literally: flow] as water” ( ). When the news of the fall and destruction of Jerusalem comes, it will take away the courage of all who hear it. And it will surely come, for the LORD has said so. This is what Ezekiel needs to show and let hear to the exiles with whom he is.

‏ Ezekiel 21:3

The People Are Massacred

The word of the LORD comes to Ezekiel (Eze 21:1). He is commanded to set his face toward Jerusalem and to speak, or: let his words flow, against the sanctuaries (Eze 21:2; cf. Eze 20:46). After the Negev in the previous verses (Eze 20:45-49), by which Judah is meant, it is now Jerusalem’s turn to hear words of judgment. Judgment is directed primarily against “the sanctuaries” by which, given the plural, is possibly meant the temple complex (cf. Lev 26:31; Mt 24:1). Ezekiel is also to prophesy against the whole land of Israel.

The whole land has so forsaken the LORD that He will cut off from it both the righteous and the wicked (Eze 21:3). They are the green and the dry tree of the previous riddle (Eze 20:47). The fire, spoken of there, has now become a sword. The LORD will draw His sword out of its sheath to exercise the judgment. This refers to the carnage that will be wrought by Nebuchadnezzar, who is His sword.

The word ‘sword’ occurs no less than thirteen times in the following verses. This does show the severity and certainty of the judgment. It is also a general judgment, for the sword will be against “all flesh” (cf. Eze 20:48), “from south [to] north” (Eze 21:4), including the princes (Eze 21:12). The judgment will be unstoppable (Eze 21:5).

As Ezekiel lets his words flow, he must “groan with breaking heart [literally: loins] and bitter grief” (Eze 21:6). The groaning must be so deep that he is like a broken man, like someone bent or huddled with his hands on his stomach because of an excruciating stomachache. Strength to walk is not there. He has to show this dejection because there is no hope of recovery from the pain. When the people ask him why he is doing this, he must say that he is weighed down by the burden the LORD is placing on him (Eze 21:7).

The prophet is committed to his message and he is deeply burdened by it himself. The inner feelings and expressions that show this show that he does not bring his message with pleasure. The suffering he has to announce that will come upon his people affects him deeply.

If we have to admonish someone, we must have the right inner mind for it and give it the right expression. Do we also know the groaning because of the disasters that will befall the world and professing Christianity?

Just as the imminent suffering coming upon his people deprives him of all strength already now at its announcement, so it will be with those over whom the sword of God’s judgment will soon come. Ezekiel uses four expressions to describe the physical and spiritual reaction to the news of the fall Jerusalem:

1. “And every heart will melt (cf. Psa 22:14; Isa 13:7; Nah 2:10),

2. all hands will be feeble (cf. 2Sam 4:1; Isa 13:7; Jer 6:24; Eze 7:17),

3. every spirit will faint (cf. Isa 61:3) and

4. all knees will be weak [literally: flow] as water” (Eze 7:17).

When the news of the fall and destruction of Jerusalem comes, it will take away the courage of all who hear it. And it will surely come, for the LORD has said so. This is what Ezekiel needs to show and let hear to the exiles with whom he is.