Ezekiel chapter 21

vs 11

You can see how this repetition makes this part sound very much like poetry. This sword has long been prepared, really. How much more preparation does it need? Not much, really. Slaughtering is going to happen all too soon.

vs 12

It almost sounds like this sword is like a magical dancing sword, but of course really it represents the destruction of war. God's people are handed over to it, and will be destroyed by it - or at least destruction will be wrought by it. And Ezekiel is not meant to be dispassionate when he gives these words - he is to wail, to beat his breast. It is the judgement of God, and it is not good. It is not happy. It is a time to mourn and wail.

vs 13

I'm not sure what to make of this verse. It almost sounds as if God is saying, "So what if the scepter (that is the rulership of Judah) does not continue?" It's as if God is not very concerned about there being an unbroken line of kings to rule a people who are about to lose their land anyway.

vs 14

Throw your body into this message, Ezekiel. Whack! The sword will come on Israel. Crack! And again! Slash! Three times, more! God is not going to hold back, it is going to be a slaughter. People, lots of people, are going to die this time.

vs 15

There might have been a time where God would have said, "So, the sword is coming from the north. I'm not going to protect you, but if you flee south, I might keep you alive." But not now. He says, "The sword comes from the north. And the west. And the south. Even from the east. There's no safe place now. The sword will just flash, and flash, and flash, and people will fall, and fall, and fall.

vs 16

This is a blade that is working overtime. Wherever it chooses to slash, it will find people to slay. And it doesn't discriminate. It can go around slashing wherever it wants in Jerusalem, says God.

vs 17

Of course, when Ezekiel strikes his hands together, it goes "clap". When God does it, people die.

vs 18

And now there is a new word in this chapter. That's lots of word.

vs 19

Is Ezekiel seriously going out into the road and putting up signs saying, "Sword of Babylon - this way to Jerusalem"? That's so crazy.

vs 20

Okay, so one road goes to the Ammonites, and the other goes to Jerusalem. But he is totally doing that. This is the sort of thing that, if I had time, and a camera, and someone to film me, and wasn't a pussy, I could do for sermons. You go out, do a thing, film people interacting with you (God's Wrath this way ---->) and then put it up in church and show them what happened. This is a pretty strong object lesson, and because God's prophet is doing it, it shows that this is a message from God - to the Babylonians, showing them which ways to march, because ultimately they are under his control.