Connect Ezekiel 21:23 with Proverbs 16:9 on God's control over human plans. Verse Texts • Ezekiel 21:23: “But it will be to them like a false divination in their eyes; they have sworn oaths. But He will remember their guilt and take them captive.” • Proverbs 16:9: “A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” Setting the Scene • Ezekiel 21 records God guiding Nebuchadnezzar’s military decision at a literal fork in the road—one path to Rabbah of Ammon, the other to Jerusalem. • Judah’s leaders believed the pagan divination would mislead the king of Babylon. Instead, God overruled every omen so that His judgment on Jerusalem came precisely as He had spoken. • Proverbs 16:9 offers a timeless principle: we draft blueprints for life, but God finalizes the itinerary. The Illusion of Human Control • Judah trusted treaties (“they have sworn oaths”) and assumed Babylon’s diviners would point elsewhere—human schemes layered on human superstition. • God “remembers their guilt” and turns the pagan ritual into the very means of fulfilling His word. The lot falls toward Jerusalem, not by chance but by divine decree (cf. Proverbs 16:33). • Solomon’s proverb pulls back the curtain on everyday life: sketches on a planner or strategies in a war room succeed or fail only as the Lord wills. God’s Unseen Hand in National Decisions • Military intelligence, diplomatic promises, even occult practices appeared to drive Nebuchadnezzar. Yet the true Driver was the sovereign Lord directing history (Isaiah 46:9-10). • Psalm 33:10-11 echoes the scene: “The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations… The counsel of the LORD stands forever.” • Acts 4:27-28 shows the pattern continued at the cross: rulers did “whatever Your hand and Your purpose had predestined to occur.” Personal Application: Our Daily Plans and God’s Lordship • We map careers, vacations, budgets, ministries. Scripture never forbids planning; it insists we plan with humility, aware that every detail rests in God’s jurisdiction (James 4:13-15). • When plans unravel, Ezekiel 21 reminds us: apparent detours may be divine steering. • When plans succeed, Proverbs 16:9 calls us to worship, not self-congratulation—every step was established by the Lord. Supporting Scriptures • Jeremiah 10:23 — “A man’s way is not his own; no one who walks directs his own steps.” • Psalm 37:23 — “The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way.” • Romans 8:28 — God works “all things together for good” for those who love Him. Takeaways to Live By • Plan diligently, but hold plans loosely. • Trust God’s sovereignty when circumstances seem guided by ungodly forces—He still rules the outcome. • View successes as gifts, failures as redirections, and uncertainties as invitations to deeper dependence on the One who “determines [our] steps.” |
    |