A LIONESS AND HER CUBS

Passage: Ezekiel 19:1-14

Key verse: 2

NIV

A Lament Over Israel’s Princes

19 “Take up a lament(A) concerning the princes(B) of Israel 2 and say:

“‘What a lioness(C) was your mother
    among the lions!
She lay down among them
    and reared her cubs.(D)
3 She brought up one of her cubs,
    and he became a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
    and he became a man-eater.
4 The nations heard about him,
    and he was trapped in their pit.
They led him with hooks(E)
    to the land of Egypt.(F)

5 “‘When she saw her hope unfulfilled,
    her expectation gone,
she took another of her cubs(G)
    and made him a strong lion.(H)
6 He prowled among the lions,
    for he was now a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
    and he became a man-eater.(I)
7 He broke down[a] their strongholds
    and devastated(J) their towns.
The land and all who were in it
    were terrified by his roaring.
8 Then the nations(K) came against him,
    those from regions round about.
They spread their net(L) for him,
    and he was trapped in their pit.(M)
9 With hooks(N) they pulled him into a cage
    and brought him to the king of Babylon.(O)
They put him in prison,
    so his roar(P) was heard no longer
    on the mountains of Israel.(Q)

10 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard[b](R)
    planted by the water;(S)
it was fruitful and full of branches
    because of abundant water.(T)
11 Its branches were strong,
    fit for a ruler’s scepter.
It towered high
    above the thick foliage,
conspicuous for its height
    and for its many branches.(U)
12 But it was uprooted(V) in fury
    and thrown to the ground.
The east wind(W) made it shrivel,
    it was stripped of its fruit;
its strong branches withered
    and fire consumed them.(X)
13 Now it is planted in the desert,(Y)
    in a dry and thirsty land.(Z)
14 Fire spread from one of its main[c] branches
    and consumed(AA) its fruit.
No strong branch is left on it
    fit for a ruler’s scepter.’(AB)

“This is a lament(AC) and is to be used as a lament.”

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Footnotes
  1. Ezekiel 19:7 Targum (see Septuagint); Hebrew He knew
  2. Ezekiel 19:10 Two Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts your blood
  3. Ezekiel 19:14 Or from under its
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

A Lament for the Princes of Israel

19 And you, (A)take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, 2 and say:

What was your mother? (B)A lioness!
    Among lions she crouched;
in the midst of young lions
    she reared her cubs.
3 And she brought up one of her cubs;
    (C)he became a young lion,
(D)and he learned to catch prey;
    he devoured men.
4 The nations heard about him;
    (E)he was caught in their pit,
(F)and they brought him with hooks
    to the land of Egypt.
5 When she saw that she waited in vain,
    that her hope was lost,
(G)she took another of her cubs
    and made him a young lion.
6 He prowled among the lions;
    he became a young lion,
and he learned to catch prey;
    he devoured men,
7 and seized[a] their widows.
    He laid waste their cities,
and the land was appalled and all who were in it
    at the sound of his roaring.
8 (H)Then the nations set against him
    from provinces on every side;
(I)they spread their net over him;
    (J)he was taken in their pit.
9 With hooks (K)they put him in a cage[b]
    and (L)brought him to the king of Babylon;
    they brought him into custody,
that his voice should no more be heard
    on (M)the mountains of Israel.

10 Your mother was (N)like a vine in a vineyard[c]
    planted by the water,
(O)fruitful and full of branches
    (P)by reason of abundant water.
11 Its strong stems became
    rulers' scepters;
it towered aloft
    among the thick boughs;[d]
it was seen in its height
    with the mass of its branches.
12 But the vine was plucked up in fury,
    cast down to the ground;
(Q)the east wind dried up its fruit;
    they were stripped off and withered.
As for its strong stem,
    fire consumed it.
13 (R)Now it is planted in the wilderness,
    in a dry and thirsty land.
14 (S)And fire has gone out from the stem of its shoots,
    has consumed its fruit,
(T)so that there remains in it no strong stem,
    no scepter for ruling.

This is (U)a lamentation and has become a lamentation.

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Footnotes
  1. Ezekiel 19:7 Hebrew knew
  2. Ezekiel 19:9 Or in a wooden collar
  3. Ezekiel 19:10 Some Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts in your blood
  4. Ezekiel 19:11 Or the clouds
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

When the princes of Judah were taken into exile into Babylon, the nation lost its best and brightest young leaders. In this chapter, Ezekiel gives a poetic lament for them. They are compared to lion cubs who are trained by their mother, a mighty lioness. The lioness represents Jerusalem (1-7). These princes were the latest in a historical line of leaders raised up in Israel (10-11). But after the Babylonians attacked, Jerusalem looked like a withered vine with no fruit (8-9, 12-14).

The young generation is the best hope for any nation’s future, so it is indeed sad when so many of them are lost—especially when young people of our time are carried away by sin. How can we prevent this from happening? The church should be an environment where young disciples are nurtured and raised up by spiritual mothers and fathers to be strong spiritual leaders. Then they can use their lion-like strength to save others and bring them into the kingdom of God. Let’s pray that the church may be a lioness that prepares young people to fight the spiritual battle in their generation.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the strong young people who are God’s hope for the future. Please use our church to raise up godly young leaders.

One Word: Raise many spiritual lions