Tuesday, January 27, 2015

God Sharpens His Sword (Ezek. 21:8-17)


SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/27/2015 11:27 PM

My Worship Time                                                                        Focus:  God Sharpens His Sword

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Ezekiel 21:8-17

            Message of the verses:  “8 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 9  "Son of man, prophesy and say, ’Thus says the LORD.’ Say, ’A sword, a sword sharpened And also polished! 10 ’Sharpened to make a slaughter, Polished to flash like lightning!’ Or shall we rejoice, the rod of My son despising every tree? 11 “It is given to be polished, that it may be handled; the sword is sharpened and polished, to give it into the hand of the slayer. 12 “Cry out and wail, son of man; for it is against My people, it is against all the officials of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with My people, therefore strike your thigh. 13 “For there is a testing; and what if even the rod which despises will be no more?" declares the Lord GOD. 14 “You therefore, son of man, prophesy and clap your hands together; and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword for the slain. It is the sword for the great one slain, which surrounds them, 15 that their hearts may melt, and many fall at all their gates. I have given the glittering sword. Ah! It is made for striking like lightning, it is wrapped up in readiness for slaughter. 16 “Show yourself sharp, go to the right; set yourself; go to the left, wherever your edge is appointed. 17 “I will also clap My hands together, and I will appease My wrath; I, the LORD, have spoken."”

            We mentioned in yesterday’s SD that the word sword is mentioned some 19 times in this 21st chapter of Ezekiel, and it is mentioned many of those times in these verses.  We also mentioned that this chapter is showing another of Ezekiel’s action sermons, sermons to teach the exiles what the Lord was doing in Jerusalem.  We see in this section that Ezekiel cries and wailed, but he also clapped his hands together (see verses 13 and 17). 

            The sharpening of the sword means that the Lord was preparing the Babylonians army to attack and destroy the city of Jerusalem, along with burning down the temple of the Lord.  As we read verse 13 we can see that the Lord did not like the leader of Judah and was about to deal with him.  The sword of Babylon would turn Judah’s scepter into nothing but a stick.  In verse 14 we see that the sword of the Babylonians would take care of three of the men of Judah.  God pointed this out when we look at the writings of Moses in the book of Deuteronomy which stated that if the Jews keep His covenant then they would be able to kill many of their enemies, but if they did not then their enemies would be the ones killing them.  In verse seventeen we see that God will clap His hands when the Babylonians would defeat Judah.  He was feed up with their sin.

1/27/2015 11:45 PM

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