Ezekiel 19

This series of graphic messages of doom (Ezek. 12-19) ends with a lamentation (19:1).  It centers on the “princes of Israel” (19:1), the various sons of Josiah that ruled on the throne after him, although the weeping is for their “mother”, the wife of Josiah who bore these sons.

Keep in mind that Ezekiel is prophet in Babylon, to the people who have already been deported.  They were still denying that God would bring more judgment on Jerusalem.  They refused to trust God’s word through the prophet but were drawn to the message of “peace” proclaimed by the false prophets.  In this chapter God speaks through Ezekiel concerning things that have already happened and things that will happen in the days to come.  (The list of events given in the Day 12/Ezekiel 17 devotional will help with references to the historical record in 2 Kings.)

·        In 609 BC Josiah was killed in battle with the Egyptians.  Pharoah’s armies were on the way to do battle with Nebuchadnezzar.  Instead they had to deal with Judah.

·        19:2-4: Upon his death, Josiah’s son Jehoahaz became king but only reigned 3 months.  The Egyptians took him to Egypt where he died, and put another son of Josiah on the throne, Jehoiakim.  He reigned 11 years and then died.

·        19:5-9: Jehoiachin was then given the throne, but he reigned only 3 months and was then removed by the Babylonians, taken to Babylon where he eventually died.  The time of his deportation was also the time when Ezekiel, Daniel and many others were deported. 

·        19:10-14: In his place Nebuchadnezzar installed Zedekiah as king, another son of Josiah.  He is the one on the throne as Ezekiel prophesies.  He was weak and for this reason the lamentation bemoans the fact that the mother of these kings has “no strong branch” (v14).

The point of this for the people in Ezekiel’s day was that the trust they put in Zedekiah was misplaced.  Like those before, he would not be able to withstand the enemy that God was bringing on Judah and Jerusalem.  This has been the point of this series of judgments.  The people have had various arguments against God’s message of doom.  They have argued and taken exception.  But God was saying that just as He had humbled the previous kings, so he would humble the current king in whom the people put their hope.  God is the God who exalts and humbles the mighty.

It seems that Israel has a problem in this matter today, of trusting politicians and armies and allies.  But certainly she is not alone in this.  Many today have the same misplaced trust.  Think about this.  When you read or hear the news do you see the hand of God at work?  Or is your hope in men?