Ezekiel 22: A City Consumed by Iniquity
Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt shew her all her abominations.
Then say thou, Thus saith the Lord God, The city sheddeth blood in the midst of it, that her time may come, and maketh idols against herself to defile herself.
Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed; and hast defiled thyself in thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years: therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the heathen, and a mocking to all countries.
Those that be near, and those that be far from thee, shall mock thee, which art infamous and much vexed.
Behold, the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood.
In thee have they set light by father and mother: in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger: in thee have they vexed the fatherless and the widow.
Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.
In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood: and in thee they eat upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they commit lewdness.
In thee have they discovered their fathers’ nakedness: in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution.
And one hath committed abomination with his neighbour’s wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter in law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father’s daughter.
In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord God.
Behold, therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee.
Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I the Lord have spoken it, and will do it.
And I will scatter thee among the heathen, and disperse thee in the countries, and will consume thy filthiness out of thee.
And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself in the sight of the heathen, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem.
As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you.
Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof.
As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the Lord have poured out my fury upon you.
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation.
There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.
Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.
And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken.
The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.
And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God.
Ezekiel 22 unveils a scathing indictment against Jerusalem and its inhabitants, revealing a society riddled with corruption, violence, and a profound disregard for God's law. This chapter serves as a stark warning, illustrating the consequences of abandoning righteousness and the urgent need for repentance and intercession. The chapter echoes the question posed earlier in Ezekiel 20:4, "Son of man, will you pass judgment?" (Ezekiel 22:2), emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
The Shedding of Innocent Blood
The central theme of Ezekiel 22:1-5 is the shedding of blood within Jerusalem. This refers not only to physical violence but also to the oppression and injustice perpetrated against fellow citizens. The city was drowning in a moral crisis, with the blood of the innocent staining its streets and its conscience. Ezekiel 22:3-4 highlights the violence as a sin against one's fellow man, a direct violation of God's command to love one's neighbor.
A Catalogue of Transgressions (Ezekiel 22:6-16)
This section meticulously details the various ways in which Judah's leaders and people had broken God's laws. It paints a grim picture of societal decay, where fundamental principles of justice and compassion were utterly disregarded.
- Disrespect and Exploitation: The most vulnerable members of society – parents, foreigners, orphans, and widows – were mistreated and exploited (Ezekiel 22:7). This demonstrates a complete lack of empathy and a blatant disregard for God's call to protect the marginalized.
- Profaning the Sacred: The people profaned God's holy things and Sabbaths (Ezekiel 22:8), showing contempt for the very foundations of their faith. This desecration of the sacred was a direct affront to God's holiness.
- Moral Depravity: The nation was plagued by sexual sin, bribery, and brutal extortion (Ezekiel 22:9-12). These acts of depravity reveal a society that had lost its moral compass, driven by greed and lust. The people had forgotten their holy God, leading them down a path of destruction.
- Divine Retribution: Because of their wickedness, God would clap his hands in derision against his dishonest people and against the blood shed among them. Their courage would melt when judgment came and they were scattered (Ezekiel 22:13-15).
Jerusalem: A Furnace of Judgment (Ezekiel 22:17-22)
God uses the powerful image of a furnace to illustrate the impending judgment on Jerusalem. The city is depicted as a melting pot, where God's wrath will consume the wicked, leaving behind only dross and scum. "Because all of you have become dross, he said, I am about to gather you into Jerusalem" (Ezekiel 22:19). The Babylonians would act as instruments of God's fury, burning the sinful people in the fire of divine judgment (Ezekiel 22:21). Through this devastating experience, God's sinful people would know that He is the LORD as His wrath was poured out on them (Ezekiel 22:22). This serves as a sobering reminder that God's sovereignty will be confirmed, either through the blessings of obedience or the consequences of disobedience.
The Failure of Leadership (Ezekiel 22:23-29)
Ezekiel specifically indicts various groups within society, highlighting their contribution to the nation's downfall.
- False Prophets: The prophets are condemned for conspiring to seize wealth by delivering false visions and lying divinations (Ezekiel 22:25, 28). They prioritized personal gain over truth, leading the people astray.
- Corrupt Priests: The priests failed to teach God's law and profaned His holy things, even ignoring the Sabbaths (Ezekiel 22:26). They were "the (intentionally) blind leading the blind." Their negligence in upholding God's standards contributed to the widespread spiritual decline.
- Greedy Officials: The officials are portrayed as greedy bureaucrats, destroying lives for dishonest profit (Ezekiel 22:27). Their abuse of power further eroded the fabric of society.
- Corrupt People: Even the common people were corrupt and deserving of judgment (Ezekiel 22:29).
This paints a picture of a society in complete chaos and breakdown. Every sphere of authority in God’s kingdom program—from the religious leaders, to the civil government, and even the family unit—was failing in its responsibility to carry out God’s kingdom agenda.
The Absence of an Intercessor (Ezekiel 22:30-31)
The chapter culminates with a heartbreaking realization: "I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one" (Ezekiel 22:30). This verse highlights the critical role of intercession in averting God's judgment. The principle of representation allows God to hold back his judgment if he has sufficient intermediaries whose righteousness can be credited to the benefit of the unrighteous. When such representatives are absent and the people do not repent, then judgment falls (see Genesis 18:22-33; 1 Corinthians 7:13-14). Because no one was found to stand in the gap, God was left with no choice but to pour out His wrath upon the land (Ezekiel 22:31).
Ezekiel 22 serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of righteousness, justice, and intercession. It challenges us to examine our own lives and societies, asking ourselves whether we are contributing to or standing against the forces of corruption and injustice. It also calls us to be intercessors, standing in the gap for our communities and nations, pleading for God's mercy and intervention.
Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt shew her all her abominations.
Then say thou, Thus saith the Lord God, The city sheddeth blood in the midst of it, that her time may come, and maketh idols against herself to defile herself.
Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed; and hast defiled thyself in thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years: therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the heathen, and a mocking to all countries.
Those that be near, and those that be far from thee, shall mock thee, which art infamous and much vexed.
Behold, the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood.
In thee have they set light by father and mother: in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger: in thee have they vexed the fatherless and the widow.
Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.
In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood: and in thee they eat upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they commit lewdness.
In thee have they discovered their fathers’ nakedness: in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution.
And one hath committed abomination with his neighbour’s wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter in law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father’s daughter.
In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord God.
Behold, therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee.
Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I the Lord have spoken it, and will do it.
And I will scatter thee among the heathen, and disperse thee in the countries, and will consume thy filthiness out of thee.
And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself in the sight of the heathen, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem.
As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you.
Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof.
As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the Lord have poured out my fury upon you.
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation.
There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.
Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.
And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken.
The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.
And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God.
Ezekiel 22 unveils a scathing indictment against Jerusalem and its inhabitants, revealing a society riddled with corruption, violence, and a profound disregard for God's law. This chapter serves as a stark warning, illustrating the consequences of abandoning righteousness and the urgent need for repentance and intercession. The chapter echoes the question posed earlier in Ezekiel 20:4, "Son of man, will you pass judgment?" (Ezekiel 22:2), emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
The Shedding of Innocent Blood
The central theme of Ezekiel 22:1-5 is the shedding of blood within Jerusalem. This refers not only to physical violence but also to the oppression and injustice perpetrated against fellow citizens. The city was drowning in a moral crisis, with the blood of the innocent staining its streets and its conscience. Ezekiel 22:3-4 highlights the violence as a sin against one's fellow man, a direct violation of God's command to love one's neighbor.
A Catalogue of Transgressions (Ezekiel 22:6-16)
This section meticulously details the various ways in which Judah's leaders and people had broken God's laws. It paints a grim picture of societal decay, where fundamental principles of justice and compassion were utterly disregarded.
- Disrespect and Exploitation: The most vulnerable members of society – parents, foreigners, orphans, and widows – were mistreated and exploited (Ezekiel 22:7). This demonstrates a complete lack of empathy and a blatant disregard for God's call to protect the marginalized.
- Profaning the Sacred: The people profaned God's holy things and Sabbaths (Ezekiel 22:8), showing contempt for the very foundations of their faith. This desecration of the sacred was a direct affront to God's holiness.
- Moral Depravity: The nation was plagued by sexual sin, bribery, and brutal extortion (Ezekiel 22:9-12). These acts of depravity reveal a society that had lost its moral compass, driven by greed and lust. The people had forgotten their holy God, leading them down a path of destruction.
- Divine Retribution: Because of their wickedness, God would clap his hands in derision against his dishonest people and against the blood shed among them. Their courage would melt when judgment came and they were scattered (Ezekiel 22:13-15).
Jerusalem: A Furnace of Judgment (Ezekiel 22:17-22)
God uses the powerful image of a furnace to illustrate the impending judgment on Jerusalem. The city is depicted as a melting pot, where God's wrath will consume the wicked, leaving behind only dross and scum. "Because all of you have become dross, he said, I am about to gather you into Jerusalem" (Ezekiel 22:19). The Babylonians would act as instruments of God's fury, burning the sinful people in the fire of divine judgment (Ezekiel 22:21). Through this devastating experience, God's sinful people would know that He is the LORD as His wrath was poured out on them (Ezekiel 22:22). This serves as a sobering reminder that God's sovereignty will be confirmed, either through the blessings of obedience or the consequences of disobedience.
The Failure of Leadership (Ezekiel 22:23-29)
Ezekiel specifically indicts various groups within society, highlighting their contribution to the nation's downfall.
- False Prophets: The prophets are condemned for conspiring to seize wealth by delivering false visions and lying divinations (Ezekiel 22:25, 28). They prioritized personal gain over truth, leading the people astray.
- Corrupt Priests: The priests failed to teach God's law and profaned His holy things, even ignoring the Sabbaths (Ezekiel 22:26). They were "the (intentionally) blind leading the blind." Their negligence in upholding God's standards contributed to the widespread spiritual decline.
- Greedy Officials: The officials are portrayed as greedy bureaucrats, destroying lives for dishonest profit (Ezekiel 22:27). Their abuse of power further eroded the fabric of society.
- Corrupt People: Even the common people were corrupt and deserving of judgment (Ezekiel 22:29).
This paints a picture of a society in complete chaos and breakdown. Every sphere of authority in God’s kingdom program—from the religious leaders, to the civil government, and even the family unit—was failing in its responsibility to carry out God’s kingdom agenda.
The Absence of an Intercessor (Ezekiel 22:30-31)
The chapter culminates with a heartbreaking realization: "I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one" (Ezekiel 22:30). This verse highlights the critical role of intercession in averting God's judgment. The principle of representation allows God to hold back his judgment if he has sufficient intermediaries whose righteousness can be credited to the benefit of the unrighteous. When such representatives are absent and the people do not repent, then judgment falls (see Genesis 18:22-33; 1 Corinthians 7:13-14). Because no one was found to stand in the gap, God was left with no choice but to pour out His wrath upon the land (Ezekiel 22:31).
Ezekiel 22 serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of righteousness, justice, and intercession. It challenges us to examine our own lives and societies, asking ourselves whether we are contributing to or standing against the forces of corruption and injustice. It also calls us to be intercessors, standing in the gap for our communities and nations, pleading for God's mercy and intervention.