Ezekiel 5:16,17

E. The Third Threat 5:16-17

TRANSLATION

(16) When I send against them the evil arrows of famine that are for destruction which I shall send against you to destroy you; and I shall increase famine upon you and I shall shatter your staff of bread; (17) and I will send against you famine and wild beasts and they shall bereave you; and pestilence and blood shall pass through you; and I will bring a sword upon you. I the LORD have spoken it.

COMMENTS

In the third threat of this discourse Ezekiel enumerates six calamities which will befall Judah!
1. God was about to send against His people the evil arrows of famine, i.e., blasting, mildew, locusts and other plagues which would lead to a scarcity of food.

2. On top of this God would increase the famine. He would withhold the rain. Thus would He shatter the staff of bread (Ezekiel 5:16; cf. Ezekiel 4:16).

3. In addition to famine, God would send other disasters against His wayward people. The land would become so de populated that wild beasts would be a problem. They would especially attack children and thus would the wicked mothers and fathers be bereaved.

4. Pestilence plagues against man and beast would also take their toll.

5. Others would die by violence as blood would pass through their midst

6. Finally, they would face the sword of divine retribution, the Chaldean enemy.

It should be noted that three times in this first discourse Ezekiel stressed the fact that I the Lord have spoken (Ezekiel 5:13; Ezekiel 5:15; Ezekiel 5:17). It is not the existence of the Lord that is being stressed, but the identity of the speaker as Yahweh. It is really Yahweh, the God of revelation and redemption, who has made these threats. He is a God who reveals Himself in acts as well as in words In fact His acts accredit and validate His words. The dire threats of this chapter were certain to befall Judah.

In summarizing the first discourse, three stages of backsliding can be observed (1) the Jews had rebelled against the ordinances of God in their hearts (Ezekiel 5:6); (2) they ceased to walk in God's statutes in the outer life (Ezekiel 5:6); and finally, (3) they were so brazen that they defiled God's sanctuary (Ezekiel 5:11). With regard to Jerusalem's punishments again a threefold progression is observable: (1) God was against His people (Ezekiel 5:8); (2) God would execute judgments on His people (Ezekiel 5:8); and finally (3) those judgments would be executed in anger and wrath (Ezekiel 5:15).