Compare Ezekiel 11:7 with Jeremiah 19:7 on God's judgment against Jerusalem. Setting the Stage • Ezekiel is prophesying from exile in Babylon (c. 592 BC), addressing leaders still inside Jerusalem. • Jeremiah is preaching in Jerusalem itself (c. 605-587 BC), warning of the coming Babylonian siege. • Both prophets speak before the final fall of the city (586 BC), calling the people to repent and announcing the same divine verdict. Reading the Texts “Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘The slain you have laid within this city are the meat, and this city is the pot; but I will bring you out of it.’” “And in this place I will ruin the plans of Judah and Jerusalem. I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, by the hand of those who seek their lives; and I will give their carcasses as food to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.” Key Similarities • Same Judge – the covenant-keeping LORD (YHWH) is speaking in both passages. • Same People – Jerusalem’s residents, especially the leaders (Ezekiel 11:1; Jeremiah 19:1). • Same Crime – persistent idolatry, violence, and refusal to heed previous warnings (cf. 2 Kings 21:10-15; Jeremiah 7:24-26). • Same Penalty – death by the sword and public exposure of the dead (Leviticus 26:25; Deuteronomy 28:26). • Same Instrument – Babylon’s armies (Jeremiah 21:4-10; Ezekiel 24:2). • Same Purpose – to demonstrate God’s holiness and to vindicate His word (Ezekiel 11:12; Jeremiah 19:15). Distinct Emphases • Ezekiel: – Uses the “cooking pot” metaphor the leaders coined to feel safe (Ezekiel 11:3). – God flips the image: the corpses already in the city are the “meat”; the leaders will be dragged out to face judgment at the city’s border (Ezekiel 11:10-11). – Focuses on removal from presumed security. • Jeremiah: – Stands in the Valley of Hinnom, smashes a clay jar (Jeremiah 19:1-2, 10). – Highlights the futility of their “plans” or “counsel” (same Hebrew root as “pot” imagery in Ezekiel—an ironic link). – Stresses public disgrace: bodies become carrion for birds and beasts (fulfilling Deuteronomy 28:26). What We Learn About God’s Character • He is patient but not permissive (2 Peter 3:9; Romans 2:4-5). • His judgments are precise, fitting the crime—bloodshed is answered with bloodshed (Numbers 35:33). • He unmasks false security; no symbol, slogan, or strategy can shield from His verdict (Psalm 20:7; Isaiah 31:1). • Even in judgment He preserves a remnant and promises restoration (Ezekiel 11:17-20; Jeremiah 24:5-7). Timeless Applications • Reject empty slogans of safety; trust in wholehearted obedience (Proverbs 3:5-6). • Leadership carries heightened accountability (Luke 12:48; James 3:1). • National and personal sin, if unrepented, invite real consequences (Galatians 6:7-8). • God’s warnings today through Scripture are as literal and reliable as in Ezekiel’s and Jeremiah’s day—heed them while there is time (Hebrews 3:15). |
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