Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Woe to the city of bloodshed, to the pot now rusted, whose rust will not come off! Empty it piece by piece; cast no lots for its contents. Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says:This phrase introduces a divine pronouncement, emphasizing the authority and seriousness of the message. In the context of Ezekiel, God often speaks directly to convey His judgments and plans. This reflects the prophetic tradition where God communicates His will through chosen messengers. ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed:
The "city of bloodshed" refers to Jerusalem, known for its violence and idolatry. The term "woe" is a lamentation and a pronouncement of impending doom. This echoes earlier prophetic warnings found in books like Isaiah and Jeremiah, where Jerusalem's sins are condemned. The city's history of violence, including the shedding of innocent blood, is a central theme in its judgment. to the pot now rusted, whose rust will not come off!:
The imagery of a rusted pot symbolizes the corruption and impurity of Jerusalem. In ancient times, a pot was a common household item, and rust would render it useless. The rust that "will not come off" signifies the deep-seated sin and moral decay that cannot be cleansed. This metaphor is consistent with other prophetic imagery, such as Jeremiah's vision of the marred potter's vessel, representing Israel's spiritual state. Empty it piece by piece;
This phrase suggests a methodical and complete judgment. The city will be dismantled, and its people will be taken away in stages. This reflects the historical sieges of Jerusalem, particularly the Babylonian conquest, where the city was gradually stripped of its inhabitants and treasures. The process of emptying piece by piece indicates thoroughness in God's judgment. cast no lots for its contents:
In ancient times, casting lots was a method of decision-making or dividing spoils. The instruction to "cast no lots" implies that the destruction and desolation of Jerusalem will be so complete that there will be nothing left to divide. This can be seen as a fulfillment of prophecies where Jerusalem's wealth and people are taken without the usual procedures of war, highlighting the totality of divine judgment. Persons / Places / Events 1. EzekielA prophet of God, Ezekiel is the one delivering God's message to the people of Israel. He is known for his vivid visions and symbolic acts. 2. The Lord GODThe sovereign God of Israel, who is speaking through Ezekiel, pronouncing judgment on Jerusalem. 3. City of BloodshedRefers to Jerusalem, which is being condemned for its violence, idolatry, and injustice. 4. The PotSymbolizes Jerusalem, encrusted with sin and corruption, which will be emptied as a sign of judgment. 5. The JudgmentThe event of God's impending judgment on Jerusalem, symbolized by the emptying of the pot. Teaching Points The Seriousness of SinSin is not just a personal failing but has communal consequences. The "city of bloodshed" shows how collective sin leads to collective judgment. God's Righteous JudgmentGod's judgment is just and righteous. The imagery of the pot being emptied piece by piece signifies thorough and complete judgment. Repentance and RedemptionWhile judgment is pronounced, the call to repentance is implicit. God's desire is for His people to turn from their ways and seek Him. The Consequences of IdolatryJerusalem's idolatry led to its downfall. We must guard against modern forms of idolatry that can encrust our lives with sin. God's SovereigntyThe passage reminds us of God's ultimate control over nations and history. His plans and purposes will prevail. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the imagery of the "pot" in Ezekiel 24:6 help us understand the nature of God's judgment on Jerusalem? 2. In what ways can we see the consequences of communal sin in our society today, and how should we respond as Christians? 3. How does the concept of God's righteous judgment in Ezekiel 24:6 connect with the New Testament teachings on judgment and grace? 4. What are some modern forms of idolatry that can lead to spiritual "encrustation," and how can we guard against them? 5. How does understanding God's sovereignty, as demonstrated in Ezekiel 24:6, provide comfort and assurance in times of personal or national crisis? Connections to Other Scriptures Jeremiah 19This chapter also speaks of Jerusalem's impending destruction due to its sins, using the imagery of a broken jar. 2 Kings 24-25These chapters describe the historical context of Jerusalem's fall to Babylon, which is the fulfillment of the judgment prophesied by Ezekiel. Revelation 18The fall of Babylon in Revelation echoes the judgment on Jerusalem, symbolizing God's judgment on sinful cities. People EzekielPlaces Babylon, Jerusalem, SamariaTopics Bits, Blood, Bloodshed, Bloody, Bring, Caldron, Casting, Choice, Clean, Cooking-pot, Curse, Deposit, Empty, Encrusted, Fall, Fallen, Fate, Filth, Inside, Lot, Lots, Making, Piece, Pot, Rust, Says, Scum, Sovereign, Therein, Thus, Town, Unclean, Wherefore, Wo, WoeDictionary of Bible Themes Ezekiel 24:1-13 4478 meat Ezekiel 24:3-13 5438 parables Ezekiel 24:5-8 1690 word of God Library Divine Sovereignty.
In this discussion I shall endeavor to show, I. What is not intended by the term "sovereignty" when applied to God. It is not intended, at least by me, that God, in any instance, wills or acts arbitrarily, or without good reasons; reasons so good and so weighty, that he could in no case act otherwise than he does, without violating the law of his own intelligence and conscience, and consequently without sin. Any view of divine sovereignty that implies arbitrariness on the part of the divine will, …
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic TheologyThe Jews Make all Ready for the War; and Simon, the Son of Gioras, Falls to Plundering.
1. And thus were the disturbances of Galilee quieted, when, upon their ceasing to prosecute their civil dissensions, they betook themselves to make preparations for the war with the Romans. Now in Jerusalem the high priest Artanus, and do as many of the men of power as were not in the interest of the Romans, both repaired the walls, and made a great many warlike instruments, insomuch that in all parts of the city darts and all sorts of armor were upon the anvil. Although the multitude of the young …
Flavius Josephus—The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem That the Ruler Should not Set his Heart on Pleasing Men, and yet Should Give Heed to what Ought to Please Them.
Meanwhile it is also necessary for the ruler to keep wary watch, lest the lust of pleasing men assail him; lest, when he studiously penetrates the things that are within, and providently supplies the things that are without, he seek to be beloved of those that are under him more than truth; lest, while, supported by his good deeds, he seems not to belong to the world, self-love estrange him from his Maker. For he is the Redeemer's enemy who through the good works which he does covets being loved …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great The End
'1. And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about. 2. And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. 3. And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land. 4. And the city was broken up, and all the …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture How those who Fear Scourges and those who Contemn them are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 14.) Differently to be admonished are those who fear scourges, and on that account live innocently, and those who have grown so hard in wickedness as not to be corrected even by scourges. For those who fear scourges are to be told by no means to desire temporal goods as being of great account, seeing that bad men also have them, and by no means to shun present evils as intolerable, seeing they are not ignorant how for the most part good men also are touched by them. They are to be admonished …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great How Christ is the Way in General, "I am the Way. "
We come now to speak more particularly to the words; and, first, Of his being a way. Our design being to point at the way of use-making of Christ in all our necessities, straits, and difficulties which are in our way to heaven; and particularly to point out the way how believers should make use of Christ in all their particular exigencies; and so live by faith in him, walk in him, grow up in him, advance and march forward toward glory in him. It will not be amiss to speak of this fulness of Christ …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life The Seventh Commandment
Thou shalt not commit adultery.' Exod 20: 14. God is a pure, holy spirit, and has an infinite antipathy against all uncleanness. In this commandment he has entered his caution against it; non moechaberis, Thou shalt not commit adultery.' The sum of this commandment is, The preservations of corporal purity. We must take heed of running on the rock of uncleanness, and so making shipwreck of our chastity. In this commandment there is something tacitly implied, and something expressly forbidden. 1. The …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Ezekiel 24:6 NIVEzekiel 24:6 NLTEzekiel 24:6 ESVEzekiel 24:6 NASBEzekiel 24:6 KJV
Ezekiel 24:6 Commentaries
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