Remember that Ezekiel was in exile, so neither he nor the people would know exactly what was happening in Jerusalem. God informs him that the siege of Jerusalem has started.
In order to make the message more graphic, Ezekiel is told to put on a cooking pot, and put various pieces of meat into it. He is then to take them out. This is all to signify the terrible destruction that would take place. There would be great suffering within Jerusalem itself, and people would also be taken out of the city.
This is representing the impurity of Jerusalem, her refusal to be cleansed by the Lord.
Now the message gets even more dramatic, and more personal for Ezekiel. Ezekiel's wife would die, and Ezekiel is instructed not to mourn for her. Today we often talk too glibly of being a prophet, and sometimes see it more as entertainment than anything else. Now there is a place for prophecy amongst all the members of the church, which is used for encouraging and building up the church, indeed we are to eagerly desire this gift (1 Cor 14:1), but the office of a prophet is in a different league. A prophet like Ezekiel (or Hosea) becomes much more closely and intimately involved with God's message, sometimes at enormous personal cost.
Ezekiel loved his wife, but was not allowed to mourn her. In the same way God loved Jerusalem, but did not mourn the destruction. The destruction had to happen, there was no alternative. This would be a sign to the people in exile. Ezekiel would be silent, letting the message sink in. Then people from Jerusalem would start to arrive, and Ezekiel would speak again. This will demonstrate that Ezekiel was indeed speaking the word of God.
We do well to consider the great price Ezekiel had to pay, and the great commitment he had to make. He really had to believe the message.
In order to make the message more graphic, Ezekiel is told to put on a cooking pot, and put various pieces of meat into it. He is then to take them out. This is all to signify the terrible destruction that would take place. There would be great suffering within Jerusalem itself, and people would also be taken out of the city.
This is representing the impurity of Jerusalem, her refusal to be cleansed by the Lord.
Now the message gets even more dramatic, and more personal for Ezekiel. Ezekiel's wife would die, and Ezekiel is instructed not to mourn for her. Today we often talk too glibly of being a prophet, and sometimes see it more as entertainment than anything else. Now there is a place for prophecy amongst all the members of the church, which is used for encouraging and building up the church, indeed we are to eagerly desire this gift (1 Cor 14:1), but the office of a prophet is in a different league. A prophet like Ezekiel (or Hosea) becomes much more closely and intimately involved with God's message, sometimes at enormous personal cost.
Ezekiel loved his wife, but was not allowed to mourn her. In the same way God loved Jerusalem, but did not mourn the destruction. The destruction had to happen, there was no alternative. This would be a sign to the people in exile. Ezekiel would be silent, letting the message sink in. Then people from Jerusalem would start to arrive, and Ezekiel would speak again. This will demonstrate that Ezekiel was indeed speaking the word of God.
We do well to consider the great price Ezekiel had to pay, and the great commitment he had to make. He really had to believe the message.
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