Ezekiel 21:10

“Should we then make mirth? The rod of my son it condemns every tree.”

Having revealed the warlike picture God now challenged Israel. In spite of the warnings of Jeremiah and Ezekiel they continued to enjoy life and make mirth, confident in their security as though they had no care in the world. But what was about to happen would make neither them nor God laugh. For God has chosen ‘His son' (Nebuchadnezzar -compare Cyrus as ‘His anointed' - Isaiah 45:1) whose kingly authority (or rod of punishment) has already condemned them all to slaughter (compare here Isaiah 10:5 - ‘Assyria, the rod of my anger'). For men as ‘trees' see Ezekiel 20:47.

The depicting of Nebuchadnezzar as ‘His son' is particularly telling in view of the fact that he was dealing with those He had once called ‘My son, My firstborn' (Exodus 4:22). Now they were displaced (temporarily) by a foreigner. God can use any instrument in His purposes.