Connect Ezekiel 17:20 with other scriptures about God's judgment and covenant faithfulness. Key Verse “I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. Then I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there for the treachery he committed against Me.” — Ezekiel 17:20 Context Snapshot • The prophecy targets King Zedekiah, who broke an oath sworn in the LORD’s name (2 Chronicles 36:13; Ezekiel 17:16–18). • God’s “net” pictures inescapable judgment—He Himself guarantees the capture. • The event vindicates God’s covenant standards: disloyalty meets discipline, yet His larger redemptive plan stands firm. God’s Judgment: His Net Never Misses • Psalm 9:7–8 — “The LORD reigns forever; He has established His throne for judgment.” • Nahum 1:2–3 — “The LORD is a jealous and avenging God… the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.” • Hebrews 10:30 — “For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,’ and again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’” • The “net” image also appears in: – Ezekiel 12:13; 32:3 — same Hebrew verb, same certainty. – Lamentations 1:13 — Judah confesses, “He has spread out a net for my feet.” Broken Covenants Invite the Net • Deuteronomy 28:15–68 — covenant curses promised for rebellion. • Leviticus 26:14–17 — enemies triumph as divine discipline. • Ezekiel 17:18 — “Since he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, he will not escape.” • God’s judgment is therefore not arbitrary; it is a covenant response to oath-breaking. Covenant Faithfulness on Display • Exodus 34:6–7 — God proclaims Himself “abounding in loving devotion and truth… yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.” • Psalm 105:8 — “He remembers His covenant forever.” • Psalm 89:30–34 — even when David’s offspring forsake the law, God “will not violate My covenant.” • Lamentations 3:22–23 — Judah’s survival amid judgment proves, “Great is Your faithfulness.” • 2 Timothy 2:13 — “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” Judgment and Faithfulness Meet at the Cross • Isaiah 53:5–6 — judgment for sin falls on the Servant, satisfying covenant justice. • Romans 3:25–26 — God “demonstrated His righteousness… so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” • The cross fulfills the pattern: sin is punished, yet mercy secures the covenant eternally (Hebrews 9:15). Takeaway Points • God’s judgment is personal, precise, and unavoidable for unrepentant covenant breakers. • His faithfulness means He keeps every promise—of discipline and of restoration. • The same God who spread the net over Zedekiah spread grace over us in Christ; trust and obey to live inside His covenant blessing today. |
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