Ezekiel 7:19-22

3. The economic distress (7:19-22)

TRANSLATION

(19) They shall cast their silver into the streets, and their gold shall become an unclean thing; their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD; they shall not satisfy nor shall they fill their inward parts; because their iniquity has become a stumblingblock. (20) And as for their beautiful adornments, they appointed them for their pride; and they made the images of their abominations, their detestable things with it; therefore I have given it to them for an unclean thing. (21) And I will place it in the hand of strangers for spoil, and to the wicked of the earth for booty; and they shall profane it. (22) And I shall turn My face from them, and they shall profane My secret place, and robbers shall come into it and they shall defile it.

COMMENTS

Worldly wealth would be worthless in that day. Silver and gold came to be regarded as an unclean thing, (lit., something defiled by menstrual impurity, Leviticus 20:21). The precious metal only proves cumbersome to those who are fleeing for their lives. In that day of Yahweh's wrath men would not be able to purchase deliverance, nor food for their bellies (Ezekiel 7:19).

Worthless wealth! How tragic! Yet how appropriate. Silver and gold had proved to be iniquity and a stumbling block to the nation (Ezekiel 7:19). Their wealth had been the cause of their sin (cf. Hosea 2:10). These precious metals and their beautiful adornments (I. E., jewelry) they had fashioned into objects of pride and images of their abominable and detestable gods. They had committed the same sin as the Sinai generation in fashioning a graven image of their jewelry. Because they had so abused God's gifts, the Lord would bring them into circumstances in which these precious substances would be regarded as filthy and unclean (Ezekiel 7:20),

The wealth of Judah would become the possession of strangers, i.e., the invading army. In the hands of the wicked of the earth these riches, once devoted to sacred, albeit illegitimate, services would be profaned (Ezekiel 7:21).

Not only would the Jews be deprived of their material support, they would also be denied spiritual support. God would turn His face from them. The turning of God's face from the people is the reverse of the priestly blessing which invoked God to make His face shine upon them (Numbers 6:25 f.). The Temple would provide no protection. The invader would profane God's secret place, i.e., the holiest part of the Temple. The sacred precincts would be pillaged, plundered and defiled by these greedy thieves (Ezekiel 7:22). God had no desire to keep mere outward forms of worship when that worship had become perverted by the devices of wicked men.

The despoliation of Judah and the Temple were a necessary part of God's plan for reclaiming a remnant of Israel. With material possession gone and the Temple in ruins the people of God were forced to cast themselves completely on the Lord. As it turned out, the death of material security turned out to be the resurrection of faith.[192]

[192] Blackwood, EPH, p. 70