The Lord Has Spoken: A Thorough Cleansing.

 Ezekiel 22:13 “Behold, I strike my hand at the dishonest gain that you have made, and at the blood that has been in your midst. 14 Can your courage endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it. 15 I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you through the countries, and I will consume your uncleanness out of you. 16 And you shall be profaned by your own doing in the sight of the nations, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

Yet another picture of God's judgment on Jerusalem and Judah was that of cleaning house - especially His temple.  His cleansing was going to be complete: First, He would cleanse the palace and temple of their riches and gold. Next, He was going to throw out the bums who were on the throne, the false prophets, and the crooked religious leaders who "made a killing" by dishonest gain. Finally He would clean the Holy Hill of the temple itself and the city of its grandeur.  In this brief paragraph we have two of Ezekiel's key phrases: I the Lord have spoken and you shall know that I am the Lord.  May we listen to Him today and know Him AS Lord.