August 17, 2022: Day 176 – Ezekiel 21-25 and Proverbs 30

It seems like things are coming to a head in Ezekiel.  The prophecy describes a sword sharpening itself because it is just about to strike.  This sword is described as Babylon and it is used by God as His instrument of judgment.  Interestingly enough these are a pagan people but God uses them to carry out his work.  Think about what that means.  If we, the people of God, refuse to carry out God’s work, God has options, many, many options besides us.  We rely upon God, God doesn’t rely upon us.

We read about two adulterous sisters and clearly one is Samaria (to be interpreted as Israel, the northern kingdom) and the other is Jerusalem (to be interpreted as Judah).  We know that Samaria was the religious and political capital of the divided kingdom of Israel, up north.  Likewise Jerusalem was the political and religious capital of Judah, down south.

A painful metaphor that Ezekiel is given is the death of his wife.  He is commanded not to mourn publicly for her, in the same way that the people were not to mourn publicly for the destruction of Israel and Judah.  That’s pretty harsh.  

I really enjoy Proverbs 30 because to me it describes the majestic power of our creator God.  What God has made and what God has done is seen in the beauty of nature all around us.