1. As Ezekiel judges the bloody city, who was he to say would mock them?
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All countries, far and near: “(1) Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (2) Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt shew her all her abominations. (3) Then say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD, The city sheddeth blood in the midst of it, that her time may come, and maketh idols against herself to defile herself. (4) Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed; and hast defiled thyself in thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years: therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the heathen, and a mocking to all countries. (5) Those that be near, and those that be far from thee, shall mock thee, which art infamous and much vexed” (Ezekiel 22:1-5).
Ezekiel was to judge [pronounce sentence; Strong’s # 8199] on the children of Israel (Ezekiel 20:4; 23:36). This judgment would be according to their ways (Ezekiel 18:30; 33:20).
The Lord shall judge the people (Psalms 9:7-8 and Romans 14:11-12). However, whether it be then or now, the righteous can use proper judgment (John 7:24) according to the word of God (John 12:44-48) to tell someone what will befall them because of their actions (Acts 13:46).
They were set on shedding blood in the midst of themselves. To be clear, this bloodshed was the blood of the innocent (Jeremiah 22:17). Such indicated how wicked they were (Proverbs 1:11-19).
Defiled herself with idols (Ezekiel 23:7).
For these things they were made a reproach unto the heathen (Psalms 44:14).
They will later come to know “great affliction and reproach” (Nehemiah 1:3).
Vexed is a well stated term (Nehemiah 9:27).
2. Did the princes of Israel abuse their authority?
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Yes: “(6) Behold, the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood. (7) In thee have they set light by father and mother: in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger: in thee have they vexed the fatherless and the widow” (Ezekiel 22:6-7).
This had become the pattern for the behavior of the princes in Israel (Isaiah 1:23, Isaiah 3:14, Jeremiah 5:26-29, Jeremiah 32:32, Jeremiah 44:21, and Micah 3:1-12).
3. In addition to despising the things of God, how did the Israelites treat each other?
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From family to neighbors, they were horrible to each other even taking advantage for dishonest gains: “(8) Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths. (9) In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood: and in thee they eat upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they commit lewdness. (10) In thee have they discovered their fathers' nakedness: in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution. (11) And one hath committed abomination with his neighbour's wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter in law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father's daughter. (12) In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD. (13) Behold, therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee” (Ezekiel 22:8-13).
They despised the holy things of the Lord (Amos 2:4).
They sinfully mistreated each other (Proverbs 4:16, Jeremiah 12:6, and Micah 7:5-6).
They did all of this and still pretended to be God’s people (Jeremiah 7:9-11).
The Lord didn’t just let all of this go (Micah 2:1-3).
4. Were they strong enough to prevent God from punishing them?
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No: “(14) Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I the LORD have spoken it, and will do it. (15) And I will scatter thee among the heathen, and disperse thee in the countries, and will consume thy filthiness out of thee. (16) And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself in the sight of the heathen, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD” (Ezekiel 22:14-16).
How was it that they thought they were strong enough to fight with the Lord (Isaiah 45:9 and I Corinthians 10:22)?
God DOES what He says He is going to do (Ezekiel 24:14).
They would know He is the Lord when they were scattered (Ezekiel 12:14-15).
5. What was the Lord’s plan for Israel since they became as dross to Him?
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Melt them in the fire: “(17) And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (18) Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver. (19) Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. (20) As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you. (21) Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof. (22) As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out my fury upon you” (Ezekiel 22:17-22).
They had become as dross [refuse] (Psalms 119:119).
This resembles the “furnace of affliction” (Isaiah 48:10).
Melt it down to make something else, of greater value (Zechariah 13:9).
6. Did the priests, princes, prophets, or any man help correct the sins of the people?
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No: “(23) And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (24) Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation. (25) There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. (26) Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. (27) Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. (28) And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken. (29) The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. (30) And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none” (Ezekiel 22:23-30).
A land not cleansed (Isaiah 64:6 and Jeremiah 6:29-30).
Prophets conspiring (Lamentations 2:14 and Ezekiel 13:10-23).
The priests violating the Law and mixing the holy with the profane (Micah 3:11 and Malachi 1:6-8).
As already discussed the princes are crooks (vs. 6-7).
The point is, from top to bottom, the leaders of these people are horrible (Isaiah 9:13-16).
No one was stepping up to bridge the gap (Ezekiel 13:1-6) though they were looked for (Jeremiah 5:1).
7. What was recompensed upon their heads?
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Their own way: “Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 22:31).
II Chronicles 6:23, Ezekiel 9:10, Ezekiel 11:21, Ezekiel 16:43, and Ezekiel 17:19
As we often consider, you reap what you sow (Job 4:8, Job 34:11, Proverbs 1:31, Proverbs 12:14, Proverbs 14:14, Proverbs 22:8, Proverbs 24:12, Isaiah 3:10-11, Jeremiah 2:19, Jeremiah 4:16-18, Jeremiah 32:19, Ezekiel 22:31, Hosea 7:2, Hosea 8:7, John 5:28-29, II Corinthians 5:10, and Galatians 6:7-8).