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The Siege of Jerusalem
24 In the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. And utter a parable to the rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD:
“Set on the pot, set it on;
pour in water also;
put in it the pieces of meat,
all the good pieces, the thigh and the shoulder;
fill it with choice bones.
Take the choicest one of the flock;
pile the logs under it;
boil it well;
seethe also its bones in it.
“Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose corrosion is in it, and whose corrosion has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, without making any choice. For the blood she has shed is in her midst; she put it on the bare rock; she did not pour it out on the ground to cover it with dust. To rouse my wrath, to take vengeance, I have set on the bare rock the blood she has shed, that it may not be covered. Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great. Heap on the logs, kindle the fire, boil the meat well, mix in the spices, and let the bones be burned up. Then set it empty upon the coals, that it may become hot, and its copper may burn, that its uncleanness may be melted in it, its corrosion consumed. She has wearied herself with toil; its abundant corrosion does not go out of it. Into the fire with its corrosion! On account of your unclean lewdness, because I would have cleansed you and you were not cleansed from your uncleanness, you shall not be cleansed anymore till I have satisfied my fury upon you. I am the LORD. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; I will not spare; I will not relent; according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord GOD.”
Ezekiel’s Wife Dies
The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down. Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban, and put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.” So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded.
And the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?” Then I said to them, “The word of the LORD came to me: ‘Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword. And you shall do as I have done; you shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men. Your turbans shall be on your heads and your shoes on your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but you shall rot away in your iniquities and groan to one another. Thus shall Ezekiel be to you a sign; according to all that he has done you shall do. When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’
“As for you, son of man, surely on the day when I take from them their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes and their soul’s desire, and also their sons and daughters, on that day a fugitive will come to you to report to you the news. On that day your mouth will be opened to the fugitive, and you shall speak and be no longer mute. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD.”
(ESV)
Ezekiel 24 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Ministry is hard. And I don’t just mean formal ministry positions. I really mean following Jesus is hard. There are so many days I feel like I’ve run for miles and traveled nowhere. Love your enemies. Humble yourself to the lowliest position. Renounce all your possessions. Consider your worst days as pure joy. That’s just the shortlist.
I’m not complaining. I’m verbalizing the reality of taking Jesus’ commands as seriously as we should. He loves us and we love Him, so He expects obedience. After all, He gave us the Word (which He exemplified in the flesh) as well as the Holy Spirit. On top of that, He formed the church which allows us to work together as His Body. He also removed sin and death from our sight. No matter how difficult it may be to follow, we have been given the strength and the power to follow through.
Out of all the commands of the OT, there are few I can think of more difficult than what is asked of Ezekiel in Chapter 24.
“Son of man, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you with a fatal blow. But you must not lament or weep or let your tears flow. 17 Groan quietly; do not observe mourning rites for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your mustache or eat the bread of mourners.”
Ezekiel 24:16-17 HCSB
Yes, that would be Ezekiel’s wife. Why would God do such a thing?
The command God gave to Ezekiel was an illustration of God’s pain over His wife (Jerusalem) being slain. The fact that Ezekiel was not allowed to mourn paralleled the fact that God could not mourn over Jerusalem because she deserved the judgment and punishment that was coming. He was called to “be a sign to the exiles” and amazingly, he did it. Did you read that? Husbands and wives out there… how would you respond if God took your spouse from you and then commanded you not to mourn? Let’s broaden the reach. What if it was your sister, your brother, your mother, or your father? Would you obey out of your love for God?
Ezekiel’s unbelievable obedience to the harshest commands of God illustrated his heart condition and contrasted the heart condition of Jerusalem who could not even follow the most basic commands of God’s law. When God’s people respond to extreme situations with faith and trust in what God has commanded, the world takes notice.
Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things you are doing mean for us?”
Ezekiel 24:19 HCSB
The extreme obedience of Ezekiel accomplished its intended purpose. Their curiosity was piqued which created a perfect opportunity for truth to be spoken into their life. And here is where we have a light bulb moment as NT Christians. When we follow through with what Jesus asks of us (through His strength), we become a walking testimony that will attract the attention of those around us. Unconditional love leading to unwavering obedience is tough, but it is effective. This life isn’t about us… it’s about bringing glory to our Father!