Ezekiel 4
-Jerusalem’s besiegement is foretold to Ezekiel by the LORD
as this chapter engages the reader with some complicated spiritual-prophetic
symbolism, which Ezekiel had to obediently carry out in the physical. He had to
lay on his left side 390 days portraying the iniquity of Israel that the LORD
was laying on him. These days corresponded to the years of their iniquity,
which the prophet had to bear in pain and suffering discomfort. Then, at the
completion of this act of over a year in duration, he was instructed to turn
over and lay on his right side and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah for
40 days, a day for each year. At the end of this period he was instructed to
set his face toward the siege of Jerusalem with his arm bared and prophesy
against it. God put ropes upon him so that he could not turn from one side to
the other until he completed the days of the siege (Ezekiel 4:1-8).
-He could eat during this time of wheat, barley, beans,
lentils, millet, and spelt blended into one vessel and made into a bread. He
was to eat this according to the number of days he lay on his side, 390 days.
He also was given water to drink. This barley cake was to be baked in the sight
of the Israeli people over human dung for the LORD’s stated purpose that they
will “eat their bread unclean among the nations where I (the LORD) will banish
them.” Ezekiel protests this defiling thing with the LORD and gets to eat his
meals over cow dung instead. What an improvement, right? This showed that the
LORD was going to break the staff of bread in Jerusalem, and that they would
eat their bread there “by weight and with anxiety, and drink water by measure
and in horror, because bread and water will be scarce; and they will be
appalled with one another and waste away in their iniquity (Ezekiel 4:9-17).”
-*Application* Ezekiel’s vision of sin and judgment begins
here with some uncomfortable symbolic actions for sure. As Christians we too
may have to go through struggles at the LORD’s command to get His message across
to people. Yield to His ways no matter how strange or painful they may seem. Be
a faithful, obedient, and willing servant like Ezekiel. He argued a bit with
the LORD for the right reasons, and God relented. God may do the same with you
sometimes if you cry out.
Verse to Memorize:
Ezekiel 4:5-6
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