Ezekiel 5:5

The Message

“This is what God, the Master, says: This means Jerusalem. I set her at the center of the world, all the nations ranged around her. But she rebelled against my laws and ordinances, rebelled far worse than the nations ranged around her—sheer wickedness!—refused my guidance, ignored my directions.

Cross References

Jeremiah 6:6

God-of-the-Angel-Armies gave the orders: “Chop down her trees. Build a siege ramp against Jerusalem, A city full of brutality, bursting with violence. Just as a well holds a good supply of water, she supplies wickedness nonstop. The streets echo the cries: ‘Violence! Rape!’ Victims, bleeding and moaning, lie all over the place. You’re in deep trouble, Jerusalem. You’ve pushed me to the limit. You’re on the brink of being wiped out, being turned into a ghost town.”

Lamentations 1:1

Oh, oh, oh . . . How empty the city, once teeming with people. A widow, this city, once in the front rank of nations, once queen of the ball, she’s now a drudge in the kitchen.

Ezekiel 4:1

“Now, son of man, take a brick and place it before you. Draw a picture of the city Jerusalem on it. Then make a model of a military siege against the brick: Build siege walls, construct a ramp, set up army camps, lay in battering rams around it. Then get an iron skillet and place it upright between you and the city—an iron wall. Face the model: The city shall be under siege and you shall be the besieger. This is a sign to the family of Israel.

Micah 5:7

The purged and select company of Jacob will be like an island in the sea of peoples. They’ll be like dew from God, like summer showers Not mentioned in the weather forecast, not subject to calculation or control.

Matthew 5:14

“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.