Ezekiel 5

Ezekiel 5:1

3. The People’s Fate Predicted by the Use of a Sharp Sword and Hair (Chap. 5)5:1-9 In an object lesson, Ezekiel showed that one-third of the city would die of pestilence (fire) or famine (v. 2), one-third would fall by the sword (knife), and a third would be scattered to other lands (compare v. 2 and v. 12). A remnant would be spared, but even some of these would later perish (vv. 3, 4), perhaps those who were killed at the time Ishmael assassinated Gedaliah. These calamities would come upon Jerusalem because the people acted more wickedly than the surrounding nations, in spite of their greater privileges. We as Christians have even higher privileges than the Jews. May the Lord give us grace not to misuse them and thus bring about our own temporal judgment and loss of eternal rewards! 5:10-17 Cannibalism would be prevalent (v. 10). Because the temple had been defiled, God would not have . . . pity (vv. 11-13). The Jews would be despised among the nations and would suffer violence and destruction (vv. 14-17).