When Jerusalem refused to listen to the warnings God delivered through Ezekiel, the Lord raised up His sword in the form of the powerful Babylonian Empire. Ironically, God used the pagan land Abraham was called out of to accomplish His will against his descendants, who had returned to those same practices. Ezekiel is instructed to announce judgment against the southern kingdom of Judah and against Jerusalem, the self-proclaimed “holy city”.
I am about to set fire to you, and it will consume all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north will be scorched by it.
Ezekiel 20:47 (NIV)
This southern kingdom is portrayed as a forest ignited by God Himself, a fire symbolising unavoidable and total judgement. It would consume both green and dry trees alike—the righteous and the wicked—without discrimination, and no one would be able to extinguish it. Yet despite the clarity of this message, the people brushed it aside, dismissing the warning as nothing more than parables and refusing to change their ways.
From Sanctuary to Corrupted
“Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary. Prophesy against the land of Israel and say to her: ‘This is what the Lord says: I am against you…
Ezekiel 21:2-3 (NIV)
How could Jerusalem be called a sanctuary, and yet become the object of Ezekiel’s prophetic condemnation?
The people treated Jerusalem as sacred because of its history and symbols, but God’s presence had departed long before—and they did not even notice its absence. Jerusalem was meant to function as a sanctuary because it was the city where the LORD placed His name, His altar, and His law among His people. It was intended to be the moral and spiritual centre of Israel—a place where justice, obedience, and reverence for God were to be upheld. Those entrusted to protect holiness—the princes, priests, prophets, and elders—had corrupted their roles. Leaders abused power, priests violated the Law, prophets spoke falsely for gain, and the people practised violence, idolatry, and oppression. Instead of being a refuge of righteousness, the city became a place where blood was shed, and God’s standards were openly defied.
Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says’—when the LORD has not spoken.
Ezekiel 22:28 (NIV)
The LORD commands the prophet to speak directly against Jerusalem, declaring that He Himself stands against it and will draw His sword in judgment. This judgment will come upon both the righteous and the wicked and will sweep through the entire land from south to north. The people of Jerusalem had long regarded themselves as holier than the tribes of the northern kingdom, but this false confidence will be shattered.
We are often taught that God is always for us and never against us—but is it possible that there are times when God stands against us?
The problem is that we often assume God is with us in whatever we are doing, rather than asking whether what we are doing is in fact His will. We are taught to think of ourselves as chosen and privileged, and over time this can turn into a dangerous assumption that others are less favoured. It is like a salesman promising a “privileged” holiday experience—making us feel special and secure—only for us to discover at the destination that we were not privileged at all, merely easily persuaded. In the same way, many will be shocked when they stand before God and realise that their confidence was misplaced.
The deepest issue is not open rebellion, but self-deception. We do not realise that we are not doing God’s will. Because we are convinced in our own minds that we are serving Him, we never question our direction. Only when we slow down and honestly examine our lives do we begin to see the misalignment—our choices, priorities, and values drifting away from God’s purposes. If we are convinced that we are already doing God’s will, then the very possibility of being wrong never enters our thinking, and that blindness is what places us most at risk.
The Sword that Brings Disaster
Ezekiel is instructed to publicly mourn with intense grief as a sign of the devastating judgment about to come upon Jerusalem. His groaning symbolised the news that would cause widespread fear and paralysis among the people. The LORD reveals that this judgment will come through a sharpened and polished sword—His appointed instrument of destruction—symbolising an unstoppable invasion by the Babylonians. Neither the people nor the Davidic princes will be spared, as their royal authority will offer them no protection.
Shall we rejoice in the scepter of my royal son? The sword despises every such stick.
Ezekiel 21:10 (NIV)
Why were the people of Judah confident that David’s kingdom would last forever?
The people of Judah believed themselves to be set apart by God as their kings came from David’s lineage, to whom God had promised an everlasting kingdom (“Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” – 2 Samuel 7:16). Even the Pharisees regarded David as Israel’s greatest king and hoped that the Messiah would arise from his line and continue his legacy. Because of their confidence in their heritage, Jerusalem became the place that killed the prophets—anyone who pointed out their mistakes and tried to bring them back to the path of God. They did the same to the Messiah, who died for the sins of many, because they were too arrogant to receive Him.
All Roads Lead to Jerusalem
God tells Ezekiel to mark out two roads beginning from the same land—one leading to Rabbah of the Ammonites, the other to Jerusalem. At the crossroads, the Babylonian king will use divination—casting lots with arrows, consulting idols, and examining a liver—to decide which city to attack. From a human perspective, this decision appears random and guided by false beliefs. But God reveals that the outcome is already determined by Him as the lot falls toward Jerusalem. To the people of Judah, especially those who had sworn allegiance to Babylon, this decision will seem mistaken or invalid. Yet the attack on Jerusalem will expose their guilt—years of rebellion, broken covenants, and their refusal to repent. God makes it clear that the siege, destruction, and captivity of Jerusalem were not happenstance, but God’s judgment carried out through Babylon.
Like the king of Babylon, why do many modern-day believers in Christ still give weight to bad luck and superstitions?
Casting lots—or its modern equivalents—is what people do when they are unwilling or unable to seek the LORD’s will. When there is no genuine communion with God, believers begin to rely on formulas for success: read the Bible in the morning, pray before leaving the house, say certain promise words in a certain order. These practices are no longer acts of relationship but rituals of fear—unspoken bargains based on the idea that if we fail to perform them correctly, God will strike us. In this way, even our prayers quietly turn into a superstitious practice.
Superstition thrives because it gives a false sense of control. Patterns and routines feel safer than surrender. They allow us to believe that we can manage outcomes without submitting our will. Prayer itself can become a tool for control—used not to seek God’s purposes, but to change His mind. We pray habitually, not humbly; we speak often, but we do not ask that God’s will be done. Our reliance on luck, signs, and routines reveals the same problem seen in Babylon and Jerusalem alike: where trust in God is replaced by trust in systems—whether pagan or religious. What remains is not obedience, but anxiety dressed up as devotion.
The LORD declares that Israel has become worthless dross rather than pure silver. Because of this corruption, He gathers the people into Jerusalem like metal thrown into a furnace. In anger and wrath, the city becomes the place of melting, so that they will recognise that it is the LORD who has poured out His wrath. The people trusted in the city, the temple, and their religious patterns—but none of these could shield them when God Himself stood against them. Let us look honestly at our relationship with Him and ask whether it is based on fear, or on a true desire to do His will.
As silver is melted in a furnace, so you will be melted inside her, and you will know that I the LORD have poured out my wrath on you.
Ezekiel 22:22 (NIV)
The Jordan Valley 
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