Reading for February 2nd

Read Ezekiel 21.18-32. In 21.18-32: The sword of Babylon. In 18-23: When Babylonian king reaches a fork in the road, he employs divination to decide which route to take. His alternatives are Jerusalem and Rabbah, the capital of Ammon. Ammon is one of Judah's allies in revolt against Babylon (Jer 27.3). Jerusalem is a former ally of Babylon (2 Kings 20.12-19, Isa 39), but Judah's revolt justifies the protracted siege. He shakes the arrows, he consults the terephim, he inspects the liver: common techniques of divination. Terephim are household or clan gods (Gen 31.19; Judg 17.5; 18.17, 20). In verses 24-27: The vile, wicked prince is Zedekiah. In verses 28-32: The sword will be weided against Ammon, but it will be destroyed in Babylon where it was created. Comments or Questions..