Ezekiel 21:1-7

These are troubling times. Be as wise as a serpent but as gentle as a dove. The wise stay silent in times like these. The sword of Holy Spirit…conquers all.

Ezekiel is outwardly mourning for events that have not yet occurred. Uncertain Hebrew phrasing obscures the details (but not the primary sense) of the central segment of the oracles focused on the sword motif. The section can be divided into two parts: the preparation of the sword and the execution of judgment by the sword. Faithlife Bible.

This pairing shows that God was going to allow the dreadful temporal consequences of sin to affect everyone in the land, both faithful and unfaithful. If the people reacted with mirth, it would show that they mistakenly believed that such judgment would never come on God’s people and must therefore be meant for an enemy nation. The sword would strike God’s people, specifically the nation’s rulers (the meaning of the word scepter). God would applaud the fact that even evil events can be made to serve His purposes and plans. NKJ Bible.

Ezekiel 21:1-7

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, preach against the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel; 3 and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I am against you, and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off both righteous and wicked from you. 4 Because I will cut off both righteous and wicked from you, therefore My sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh from south to north, 5 that all flesh may know that I, the Lord, have drawn My sword out of its sheath; it shall not return anymore.” ’ 6 Sigh therefore, son of man, with a breaking heart, and sigh with bitterness before their eyes. 7 And it shall be when they say to you, ‘Why are you sighing?’ that you shall answer, ‘Because of the news; when it comes, every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming and shall be brought to pass,’ says the Lord God.”

Isaiah 45:23 | I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath.

Isaiah 55:11 | So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Jeremiah 4:19 | O my soul, my soul! I am pained in my very heart! My heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, Because you have heard, O my soul,The sound of the trumpet,The alarm of war.