What is the meaning of Ezekiel 12:16? But I will spare a few of them “‘But I will spare a few of them…’” (Ezekiel 12:16) • God’s judgment on Judah was devastating, yet He declares that a “few” will be spared. This is the biblical theme of the remnant—seen earlier with Noah (Genesis 6:8), Lot (Genesis 19:29), and later with the exiles who return from Babylon (Ezra 2:64–65). • Mercy does not cancel justice; it highlights it. Romans 11:5 reminds us that “at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.” from sword and famine and plague • The triple threat—sword, famine, plague—summarizes the covenant curses listed in Leviticus 26:25–26 and reiterated in Jeremiah 14:12. • God is not arbitrary; these judgments are the promised consequences of persistent rebellion (Deuteronomy 28:22, 25). • Sparing a remnant from these very judgments underlines that deliverance is not earned but granted (Psalm 103:10). so that in the nations to which they go • The spared few will not remain in Judah; they will be scattered among “the nations.” This fulfills Leviticus 26:33 and Deuteronomy 4:27. • Exile turns the people into living testimonies of both judgment and grace, similar to how Joseph witnessed in Egypt (Genesis 50:20) and Daniel in Babylon (Daniel 2:47). they can recount all their abominations • The remnant’s mission is to confess, not to boast. Psalm 51:13 pictures restored sinners teaching transgressors God’s ways. • Public acknowledgment of sin counters Judah’s earlier denial (Jeremiah 2:23). Confession becomes evangelism, alerting the nations to God’s holiness (Isaiah 43:10–12). Then they will know that I am the LORD. • This refrain dominates Ezekiel (used over 60 times). Judgment and mercy together reveal God’s identity (Ezekiel 6:7; 39:28). • Knowing the LORD is relational and covenantal, much like the new-covenant promise in Jeremiah 31:34 and fulfilled ultimately in Christ (John 17:3). • The spared remnant, by surviving and testifying, leads both Israel and the nations to recognize Yahweh’s supremacy (Zechariah 8:23). summary Ezekiel 12:16 shows God’s faithfulness on display: He judges persistent rebellion with sword, famine, and plague, yet preserves a remnant. Their exile positions them to confess their sins openly among the nations, turning personal failure into a global witness. Through this blend of justice and mercy, the remnant—and all who hear—come to know that He alone is the LORD. |
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