Ez 22:1-31

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National decay (Eze 22:1-31)

With Jerusalem’s end approaching, God again told Ezekiel to show the city its sins and the humiliating judgment that these sins would bring upon it (Eze 22:1-5).

Powerful people exploited others, without any respect for the laws of God or the dignity of their fellow human beings (Eze 22:6-8).

The corrupt city was characterized by lies, violence, idolatry, bribery, oppression and sexual sins of the worse kind (Eze 22:9-12).

God warned that in punishment for its wickedness, he would destroy the city and scatter its people among the nations (Eze 22:13-16).

As a refiner puts metals into a furnace to refine them, so God would gather the people in Jerusalem for a fiery judgment. But instead of the refining process producing pure metal, it would show that there was nothing but worthless metal. As the fire of the furnace melts the metal, so God in his anger would punish Jerusalem (Eze 22:17-22).

Jerusalem’s wickedness extended to people in all sections of the community. Leaders made themselves rich through oppression and violence, while priests encouraged corruption by ignoring God’s law (Eze 22:23-27).

Prophets approved of wrongdoing for the sake of their own gain, and the people as a whole took advantage of any who were less fortunate than themselves (Eze 22:28-29).

Not one person among all the country’s official leaders was prepared to work for God in trying to stop the nation from crumbling to ruin (Eze 22:30-31).