Ezekiel 20:45-49 – Be receptive to God.

Ezekiel 20:45-49 should rightly be seen together with the next chapter. In the Hebrew Bible, this final section is part of Ezekiel 21 because it naturally leads into the message of that chapter. In this paragraph, God told Ezekiel to set his face toward three locations. Toward Teman, towards the south, and finally towards the Negev. In referencing these three locations, God was pointing to the southern kingdom of Judah. This prophecy of Ezekiel 21 focuses on Judah.  

What was God going to do to Judah? In verse 47 He said, “Behold, I am about to kindle a fire in you, and it will consume every green tree in you, as well as every dry tree; the blazing flame will not be quenched and the whole surface from south to north will be burned by it. All flesh will see that I, the Lord, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.”

God was talking about the judgment of Judah. He was going to start a fire that would consume every green and dry tree, meaning every righteous and wicked in Judah would be burned up. From the south to the north of Judah, everywhere would be affected. God would not distinguish between the good and the bad in this judgment so that none would escape.  The fire in this judgment was to make known to all flesh knowing that the Lord had brought about this calamity.  The real character of the Lord would be revealed.

These verses point to the third invasion of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. They were the unstoppable enemy force coming mercilessly to attack Judah from end to end, leaving no city and only a few survivors standing. Judah would be wiped out. As Ezekiel was warning them, he heard their unbelief in sarcasm asking, “Is the prophet speaking in parables?” Their question implied that what he was saying made no sense to them.  So, Ezekiel relayed it to the Lord, seeking an answer from Him.

The people who had heard Ezekiel’s message accused him of speaking in parables. It was their excuse to dismiss what they had heard. When His message spoke to their conscience, they would accuse him of spreading falsehood. When he spoke to them about God’s judgment, they would say he must be crazy. It’s obvious that they had refused to see the truth, hence they were unreceptive. This shows us how needful it is for us to evaluate the word of God that what we have heard and respond appropriately. We must not dismiss what He is saying to us. We must learn to accept the truth concerning ourselves, deal with them, and not seek to excuse our wrongs.