How does Ezekiel 21:22 demonstrate God's sovereignty over nations and leaders? Text Under Consideration “In his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to set up battering rams, to open the mouth for slaughter, to lift the voice with a battle cry, to set battering rams against the gates, to build a siege wall and to erect a ramp.” (Ezekiel 21:22) Historical Snapshot • Babylon’s king stands at a literal crossroads (v. 21) consulting pagan divination—casting arrows, checking the liver. • God has already declared, through Ezekiel, the outcome of that divination. • The pagan ritual appears to guide the king; in reality it fulfills God’s prior word. Sovereignty Displayed in the Verse • God controls the “divination”—even a heathen practice bends to His plan. • The king’s “right hand” holds what he believes is his decision tool; God guides the lot (cf. Proverbs 16:33). • Military details—battering rams, siege wall, ramp—show that the coming siege unfolds exactly as God ordained, not as random wartime strategy. God Directs Leaders, Even Unwitting Ones • Proverbs 21:1: “The king’s heart is a watercourse in the hand of the Lord; He directs it wherever He pleases.” • Isaiah 10:5–7: Assyria acts as “the rod of My anger,” though it intends only conquest. • Jeremiah 27:6: Nebuchadnezzar called “My servant” though he never seeks Yahweh. • Daniel 2:21: God “removes kings and establishes them.” Certainty of God’s Word • Ezekiel had proclaimed Judah’s judgment long before the siege began (Ezekiel 4–7). • The fulfillment through pagan divination underscores the inerrancy of prophetic Scripture. Implications for Nations Today • Political maneuvers, elections, and international crises sit under the same sovereign hand (Acts 17:26). • Human rulers bear responsibility for their choices, yet every choice ultimately forwards God’s redemptive timeline (Acts 4:27–28). • Believers can rest, pray, and act with confidence, knowing God’s throne is never challenged (Psalm 103:19). |
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