Day 835 of 939
EZK 21
EZK 21 · PHM 1:1-14
Not written yet
The reading for this day is below. The commentary has not been written and reviewed yet — it is added a book at a time, and every day is read by a person before it appears here.
EZK 21
1And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2“Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel 3and tell her that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am against you, and I will draw My sword from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked. 4Because I will cut off both the righteous and the wicked, My sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north. 5Then all flesh will know that I, the LORD, have taken My sword from its sheath, not to return it again.’ 6But you, son of man, groan! Groan before their eyes with a broken heart and bitter grief. 7And when they ask, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you are to say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt, and every hand will go limp. Every spirit will faint, and every knee will turn to water.’ Yes, it is coming and it will surely happen, declares the Lord GOD.” 8Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 9“Son of man, prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord says: ‘A sword, a sword, sharpened and polished— 10it is sharpened for the slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! Should we rejoice in the scepter of My son? The sword despises every such stick. 11The sword is appointed to be polished, to be grasped in the hand. It is sharpened and polished, to be placed in the hand of the slayer. 12Cry out and wail, O son of man, for the sword is wielded against My people; it is against all the princes of Israel! They are tossed to the sword with My people; therefore strike your thigh. 13Surely testing will come! And what if even the scepter, which the sword despises, does not continue?’ declares the Lord GOD. 14‘So then, son of man, prophesy and strike your hands together. Let the sword strike two times, even three. It is a sword that slays, a sword of great slaughter closing in on every side! 15So that their hearts may melt and many may stumble, I have appointed at all their gates a sword for slaughter. Yes, it is ready to flash like lightning; it is drawn for slaughter. 16Slash to the right; set your blade to the left— wherever your blade is directed. 17I too will strike My hands together, and I will satisfy My wrath.’ I, the LORD, have spoken.” 18Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 19“Now you, son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same land. And make a signpost where the road branches off to each city. 20Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and another against Judah into fortified Jerusalem. 21For the king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He shakes the arrows, he consults the idols, he examines the liver. 22In his right hand appears the portent for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to call for the slaughter, to lift a battle cry, to direct the battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp, and to erect a siege wall. 23It will seem like a false omen to the eyes of those who have sworn allegiance to him, but it will draw attention to their guilt and take them captive. 24Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you have drawn attention to your guilt, exposing your transgressions, so that your sins are revealed in all your deeds—because you have come to remembrance—you shall be taken in hand. 25And you, O profane and wicked prince of Israel, the day has come for your final punishment.’ 26This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Remove the turban, and take off the crown. Things will not remain as they are: Exalt the lowly and bring low the exalted. 27A ruin, a ruin, I will make it a ruin! And it will not be restored until the arrival of Him to whom it belongs, to whom I have assigned the right of judgment. ’ 28Now prophesy, son of man, and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says concerning the Ammonites and their contempt: ‘A sword! A sword is drawn for slaughter, polished to consume, to flash like lightning— 29while they offer false visions for you and lying divinations about you— to be placed on the necks of the wicked who are slain, whose day has come, the time of their final punishment. 30Return the sword to its sheath! In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I will judge you. 31I will pour out My anger upon you; I will breathe the fire of My fury against you; I will hand you over to brutal men, skilled in destruction. 32You will be fuel for the fire. Your blood will stain your own land. You will not be remembered, for I, the LORD, have spoken.’”
Secondary reading — PHM 1:1-14
1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker, 2to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets at your house: 3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4I always thank my God, remembering you in my prayers, 5because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. 6I pray that your partnership in the faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every good thing that is ours in Christ. 7I take great joy and encouragement in your love, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints. 8So although in Christ I am bold enough to order you to do what is proper, 9I prefer to appeal on the basis of love. For I, Paul, am now aged, and a prisoner of Christ Jesus as well. 10I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while I was in chains. 11Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me. 12I am sending back to you him who is my very heart. 13I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel. 14But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness will not be out of compulsion, but by your own free will.