Ezekiel 21:18-23: a reflection

18The LORD’s word came to me again, saying, 19“Also, you son of man, appoint two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come. They both will come out of one land, and mark out a place. Mark it out at the head of the way to the city. 20You shall appoint a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and to Judah in Jerusalem the fortified. 21For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination. He shook the arrows back and forth. He consulted the teraphim. He looked in the liver. 22In his right hand was the lot for Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, and to build forts. 23It will be to them as a false divination in their sight, who have sworn oaths to them; but he brings iniquity to memory, that they may be taken.

As the king of Babylon halts at a crossroads to use his divination and decide which city to attack, God shows that even this pagan king's choices, made by casting lots and consulting omens, served God's own overruling purpose. The king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, the passage says, to use divination; he shook the arrows, consulted his idols, looked in the liver; and in his hand fell the lot for Jerusalem. The king thought he was choosing his own course by his omens; but his choice fell as it did because God was bringing his purpose to pass. Even the divination of a king who did not know God served, unknowingly, the purpose of the God who rules over all. This shows that God overrules even the choices of those who do not know him. God overrules even the choices of those who do not know him. Even those who do not acknowledge God serve his purpose. God's purpose stands, even through the decisions of the unbelieving. Nothing, not even a pagan king's choice, falls outside God's rule.

Notice whose choice this was and whose purpose it served. The king of Babylon, a pagan ruler who did not know the true God, stood at a crossroads and used his own methods, casting lots with arrows, consulting idols and omens, to decide which way to march. By his own reckoning, he was choosing his course by his divination, steering his own campaign. Yet the lot fell for Jerusalem because God was bringing his own purpose to pass through this king's choice. The unbelieving king's decision, made by pagan means, served, without his knowing it, the overruling purpose of God. This reveals the reach of God's rule. God rules not only over those who acknowledge him, but over all, even over the choices and decisions of those who do not know him or serve him. The plans of kings and powers who never think of God, the decisions of those who reject him, do not fall outside his rule; he overrules even them, bending them to serve his purpose. This is a comfort and a ground of trust: that nothing, not even the choices of those who oppose or ignore God, escapes his overruling hand; his purpose stands, working even through the decisions of the unbelieving. We do well to trust that God overrules even the choices of those who do not know him, so that his purpose stands over all. God overrules even the choices of those who do not know or serve him. Nothing falls outside God's rule, not even a pagan king's decision. God's purpose stands, working even through those who ignore him. Trust that God rules over all, even those who oppose him.

That is worth resting in, for God overrules even the choices of those who do not know him, so that his purpose stands over all, as the Babylonian king's divination served God's purpose. We can fear that the decisions of those who ignore or oppose God are beyond his rule; but even the pagan king's lot fell as it did because God was bringing his purpose to pass. God rules over all. When you fear that the choices of those who do not know God are outside his control, remember that even a pagan king's divination served God's overruling purpose, and trust that his purpose stands. Trust that God overrules even the choices of those who do not know or serve him, so that his purpose stands over all, as when the king of Babylon halted at a crossroads to use his divination and decide which city to attack, God showed that even this pagan king's choices, made by casting arrows and consulting omens, served God's own overruling purpose, since the lot fell for Jerusalem; for the king thought he was choosing his own course by his omens, but his choice fell as it did because God was bringing his purpose to pass, so that even the divination of a king who did not know God served unknowingly the purpose of the God who rules over all, which reveals the reach of God's rule, that he rules not only over those who acknowledge him but over all, even over the choices and decisions of those who do not know or serve him, so that the plans of kings and powers who never think of God and the decisions of those who reject him do not fall outside his rule but he overrules even them, bending them to serve his purpose, which is a comfort and a ground of trust, that nothing, not even the choices of those who oppose or ignore God, escapes his overruling hand, his purpose standing and working even through the decisions of the unbelieving, so that we do well to trust that God overrules even the choices of those who do not know him.

Lord, as the king of Babylon halts at a crossroads to use his divination and decide which city to attack, you show that even this pagan king's choices, made by casting lots and consulting omens, served your own overruling purpose. The king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, the passage says, to use divination; and in his hand fell the lot for Jerusalem. The king thought he was choosing his own course by his omens; but his choice fell as it did because you were bringing your purpose to pass. Even the divination of a king who did not know you served, unknowingly, your purpose, for you rule over all. Show me whose choice this was and whose purpose it served. The king of Babylon, a pagan ruler who did not know you, stood at a crossroads and used his own methods to decide which way to march. By his own reckoning, he was steering his own campaign. Yet the lot fell for Jerusalem because you were bringing your own purpose to pass through this king's choice. The unbelieving king's decision, made by pagan means, served, without his knowing it, your overruling purpose. This reveals the reach of your rule. You rule not only over those who acknowledge you, but over all, even over the choices of those who do not know you or serve you. The plans of kings and powers who never think of you, the decisions of those who reject you, do not fall outside your rule; you overrule even them, bending them to serve your purpose. This is a comfort and a ground of trust: that nothing escapes your overruling hand; your purpose stands, working even through the decisions of the unbelieving. Take that to my heart. When I fear that the choices of those who do not know you are outside your control, help me remember, Lord, that even a pagan king's divination served your overruling purpose, and trust that your purpose stands over all, even over those who oppose or ignore you.