The sword symbolises the Babylonian army sweeping all before it. Maybe the people in Judah would think that they would be spared, for David speaks in the Psalm 91 of His people not needing to fear the things that attack other nations. But the people of Judah had moved out from the covering of the Lord. The Lord only protects those who seek shelter in Him, and Israel had long ago forsaken the Lord's protection.
God had appointed Babylon for the very purpose of executing judgement on Judah. Ezekiel was to emphasise how certain the slaughter would be. The language of the prophecy is so vivid for it is essential that the people realise the seriousness of it all.
Why does God say all this? I think there are two reasons. The first is that all these passages are followed by promises of salvation. Now after these things had happened the people who were left, including the faithful ones, might conclude that God had given up on them completely, or that there was no God. Yet when they looked back at what God ha said, they would see that, terrible though it was, it was all part of God's plan. They might not understand fully, but they would know in their hearts that it was somehow part of His plan.
The second reason is to do with the people hearing the message. Remember they were already in exile. Yet their hearts would still be hankering back to Jerusalem, they needed to let go of the past, as long as they were holding on to it they could not go forward.
God had appointed Babylon for the very purpose of executing judgement on Judah. Ezekiel was to emphasise how certain the slaughter would be. The language of the prophecy is so vivid for it is essential that the people realise the seriousness of it all.
Why does God say all this? I think there are two reasons. The first is that all these passages are followed by promises of salvation. Now after these things had happened the people who were left, including the faithful ones, might conclude that God had given up on them completely, or that there was no God. Yet when they looked back at what God ha said, they would see that, terrible though it was, it was all part of God's plan. They might not understand fully, but they would know in their hearts that it was somehow part of His plan.
The second reason is to do with the people hearing the message. Remember they were already in exile. Yet their hearts would still be hankering back to Jerusalem, they needed to let go of the past, as long as they were holding on to it they could not go forward.
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