[5] “Thus says the Lord GOD: This is Jerusalem. I have set her in the center of the nations, with countries all around her. [6] And she has rebelled against my rules by doing wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries all around her; for they have rejected my rules and have not walked in my statutes. [7] Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you are more turbulent than the nations that are all around you, and have not walked in my statutes or obeyed my rules, and have not even acted according to the rules of the nations that are all around you, [8] therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, even I, am against you. And I will execute judgments in your midst in the sight of the nations. [9] And because of all your abominations I will do with you what I have never yet done, and the like of which I will never do again. [10] Therefore fathers shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers. And I will execute judgments on you, and any of you who survive I will scatter to all the winds. [11] Therefore, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations, therefore I will withdraw. My eye will not spare, and I will have no pity. [12] A third part of you shall die of pestilence and be consumed with famine in your midst; a third part shall fall by the sword all around you; and a third part I will scatter to all the winds and will unsheathe the sword after them.
[13] “Thus shall my anger spend itself, and I will vent my fury upon them and satisfy myself. And they shall know that I am the LORD—that I have spoken in my jealousy—when I spend my fury upon them. [14] Moreover, I will make you a desolation and an object of reproach among the nations all around you and in the sight of all who pass by. [15] You shall be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and a horror, to the nations all around you, when I execute judgments on you in anger and fury, and with furious rebukes—I am the LORD; I have spoken—[16] when I send against you the deadly arrows of famine, arrows for destruction, which I will send to destroy you, and when I bring more and more famine upon you and break your supply of bread. [17] I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will rob you of your children. Pestilence and blood shall pass through you, and I will bring the sword upon you. I am the LORD; I have spoken.”
(Ezekiel 5 ESV)
1/3 to be burned in a fire in the midst of the city.
1/3 to be struck by a sword all around the city
1/3 to be scattered to the wind.
And from each group, a small amount to be bound in the skirt of his robe.
From those bound, a small amount is to be taken and tossed into the fire, for a fire will come out into all the house of Israel.
FOR THUS SAYS THE LORD
This is Jerusalem. I have set her in the center of the nations, with countries all around her. And she has rebelled against my rules by doing wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries all around her; for they have rejected my rules and have not walked in my statutes.
Therefore I will execute Judgements against you, says the Lord.
God will execute judgements such as never have been seen before because of the abominations they have committed. Families will cannibalize each other, God will scatter them to the wind and not show them pity. He will withdraw from them.
1/3 shall die of pestilence and be consumed by famine
1/3 shall fall by the sword
1/3 shall be scattered by the wind
AND THUS shall the Lord's anger be spent.
AND THUS they shall know I am the Lord.
All the nations around shall know of my reproach of you.
You shall be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and a horror, to the nations all around you, when I execute judgments on you in anger and fury, and with furious rebukes—I am the LORD; I have spoken— when I send against you the deadly arrows of famine, arrows for destruction, which I will send to destroy you, and when I bring more and more famine upon you and break your supply of bread. I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will rob you of your children. Pestilence and blood shall pass through you, and I will bring the sword upon you. I am the LORD; I have spoken.”
The Lord's anger, it will burn mightily against his people.
When I read that God will withdraw from his people, it brought to mind a day in my teens when I was so angry against the Lord and I told him to JUST LEAVE ME ALONE.. and he did. He left.
I felt so incredibly alone and desolate. It was the WORST time of my life to feel so desperately without the hand of God on my life. I repented and HE CAME BACK. Life was better again. I was still an angry inside myself teen, but life was better knowing the difference between having God and not having God. It was a valuable lesson for me.
My mom said I turned as pale as a ghost and she wondered if I was okay and I brushed her off...I was so not okay at that moment... stupid eh?
BUT HE CAME BACK.
It was such a good thing.
And I am POSITIVE that if the Israelites had repented that God would not withhold himself from them. That he would, just as he did with me, COME BACK.