24:19-24
The people are frustrated, demanding that Ezekiel tells them what he is up to. So Ezekiel gives them the word of the Lord straight. God will shortly desecrate His sanctuary, the temple in Jerusalem. The people claimed to love the temple, yet, like Ezekiel, they would not mourn for the place. It is not clear why they would not mourn. One would like to think it was because they realised that the place had been desecrated by the sins of the people, but given their track-record, this seems somewhat unlikely.
24:25-27
The chapter closes with God speaking to Ezekiel. First He tells Ezekiel that on the day that Jerusalem collapses a fugitive from the city will come and tell him the news. Remember that much earlier in Ezekiel, God had strictly limited what he could speak, essentially only the words God gave him. On that day his mouth would be freed. The judgement had to come, deeply unpleasant and horrific as it was. In the same way Jesus had to die on the cross in order to open up the way to salvation. And it is only when we face up to the reality of our own sin that we can begin to find true freedom.
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