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she reared her cubs

Ezekiel 19:1-9 (JDV)

Ezekiel 19:1 “As for you, take up a dirge for the princes of Israel,
Ezekiel 19:2 and say: What was your mother? A lioness! She lay down among the lions; she reared her cubs among the young lions.
Ezekiel 19:3 She brought up one of her cubs, and he became a young lion. After he learned to tear prey, he devoured people.
Ezekiel 19:4 When the nations heard about him, he was caught in their pit. Then they led him away with hooks to the land of Egypt.
Ezekiel 19:5 When she saw that she waited in vain, that her hope was lost, she took another of her cubs and made him a young lion.
Ezekiel 19:6 He prowled among the lions, and he became a young lion. After he learned to tear prey, he devoured people.
Ezekiel 19:7 He devastated their strongholds and destroyed their cities. The land and everything in it shuddered at the sound of his roaring.

Ezekiel 19:8 Then the nations from the surrounding provinces set out against him. They spread their net over him; he was caught in their pit.
Ezekiel 19:9 They put a wooden yoke on him with hooks and led him away to the king of Babylon. They brought him into the fortresses so his roar could no longer be heard on the mountains of Israel.

she reared her cubs

Judah, the lioness — produces two significant cubs — Jehoahaz and Jehoiachin. Both of these kings are notorious for their evil and violence. Alexander [Ezekiel, 1976, p. 63] says that through “this figure Ezekiel is demonstrating the wickedness of these last kings of Judah and, by implication, the judgment which they are helping to bring upon Judah through their wicked leadership.

What kinds of leaders are being brought up by this generation? What are the principles they will live by? What kinds of action will they produce? Will they lead our nations closer to God or away from him? Cubs grow up to be young lions, experts at destroying life and devouring flesh. Is that what we want?

Judah reared her cubs to be the kind of leaders who brought judgment down from heaven. If our nations continue the same kind of activity, we will suffer the same kind of judgment.

LORD, give us the wisdom to stop producing leaders who lead us to sin and shame.