Why does God send judgment?

In Ezekiel 4-7, God has the prophet act out the coming siege of Jerusalem in a series of dramatic object lessons. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt explains the purpose behind God’s judgment.

Ezekiel builds a model of the besieged city, lies on his side for many days, and eats rationed food — picturing the famine and hardship coming on Jerusalem. God’s people had sinned worse than the pagan nations around them, despite their covenant. Again and again God says judgment will come “that you may know that I am the LORD.” Dr. Holt explains that even God’s discipline has a saving aim: to bring His people back to Himself. And He always preserves a remnant.

Questions this study answers:

1. What does God’s judgment reveal about His holiness? That He takes sin seriously and will not ignore it, even among His own people. His holiness demands justice.

2. Why does God repeat “you shall know that I am the LORD”? Because the goal of His judgment is that people would recognize and return to Him. Even discipline is meant to lead to knowing God.

3. Is there mercy in the midst of judgment? Yes. God promises to spare a remnant, showing that His covenant love endures even through discipline.

“The slain shall fall in your midst, and you shall know that I am the LORD.” — Ezekiel 6:7 (NKJV)

Speaker: Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.

Listen and go deeper: This sermon is part of the Ezekiel Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.