One study Bible I scoured for Ezekiel chapter 7 facts suggested that the Prophet here uses 5 “word pictures” to depict God’s judging Hand on the people of Judah! Here they are:

From the world of nature, verses 10-11. Judah’s sins had blossomed and budded and now ripened … and “reaping” time had come!

From the business world, verses 12-13. The Festival of Jubilee, which evened things between buyers and sellers every 50th year, would be ignored, abrogated, rendered null and void!

From the military world, verses 14-15. Even when summoned, the Jewish army would have lost their “will” to fight, their moral resolve!

From the world of animals, verses 16-18. Particularly the birds, “doves,” specifically “mourning doves,” weeping for their own sins!

From the world of capitalism, a good form of government, verses 19-21. A man’s own hard-earned possession will be valueless to him, in fact, he will throw them into the streets!

Wow!

But the verse that most struck me in today’s chapter, another whole unit of Judgment, is verse 24. Where we are told, God Himself speaking: “Wherefore I will bring the worst of the heathen, and they shall possess their houses: I will also make the pomp of the strong to cease; and their holy places shall be defiled.”

Did you read that?

God was willing to use a Nation (probably) even more sinful than Israel … to “whip” His erring little Nation! “The worst of the Heathen!”

If (when) God picks up a “rod” to chasten one of His children, He does not require that it be a particularly “perfect” rod! Apparently … even a “vile, crooked” one will do!

“The worst of the Heathen!”

This truth is illustrated in the Book of Habakkuk as well. Yes, in Habakkuk 1:13 that Prophet wondered why the Lord God stayed “quiet” while … “when the wicked (Babylon) devoureth the man (Judah) that is more righteous than he?”

Could God use a nation much more vile than America (if one exists) … I mean an atheistic or even (seemingly) demon-possessed army of people … to destroy the United States?

Looks like He could!

At least, He has acted in that manner in the past!

Let me close with God’s words in Ezekiel 7:4. “And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity: but I will recompense thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.”

Somber indeed.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Babylon, the “worst” of the heathen?

Worse than Assyria?

Than Egypt?

Yes!

Therefore here we see the sad but inevitable downward progression of sin as the years unfold … not only among individuals, but among nations!