CHAPTER 4

1 Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and portray upon it the city, even Jerusalem: 2 And lay siege against it, and build a fort against it, and cast a mount against it; set the camp also against it, and set battering rams against it round about. 3 Moreover take thou unto thee an iron pan, and set it for a wall of iron between thee and the city: and set thy face against it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it. This shall be a sign to the house of Israel.

Now Ezekiel is given physical prophetic demonstrations. First, he is to take a "tile" (or brick) and use it as it were Jerusalem. Around the tile he is to form the embattlements of a great army.

Then he is to take an iron pan and prophecy that there is no escape from the army.

When a person, or a nation for that matter, wholly turns its back upon God, there is no escape from His discipline. Remember, God's discipline has the purpose of turning people back to Him.

4 Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity. 5 For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. 6 And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year. 7 Therefore thou shalt set thy face toward the siege of Jerusalem, and thine arm shall be uncovered, and thou shalt prophesy against it. 8 And, behold, I will lay bands upon thee, and thou shalt not turn thee from one side to another, till thou hast ended the days of thy siege.

There have been many explanations of this prophecy. And it seems that the number of days becomes the topic of discussion. Suffice it to say that no adequate addition or subtraction of the number of "days" from the years of 722 B.C. or 586 B.C. yields an answer that is viable.

However, the intent of the prophecy is to show that Israel (the northern kingdom) and Judah (the southern kingdom) have both sinned against God through idolatry. Further, the intent of the prophecy is to let the people realize that God has KNOWN the length of their sin, and has provided righteous judgment.

9 Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof. 10 And thy meat which thou shalt eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time shalt thou eat it. 11 Thou shalt drink also water by measure, the sixth part of an hin: from time to time shalt thou drink. 12 And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man, in their sight. 13 And the LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them. 14 Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! behold, my soul hath not been polluted: for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn in pieces; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth. 15 Then he said unto me, Lo, I have given thee cow's dung for man's dung, and thou shalt prepare thy bread therewith. 16 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care; and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment: 17 That they may want bread and water, and be astonied one with another, and consume away for their iniquity.

Now, the horrible nature of starvation during the seige of Jerusalem is displayed.

Ezekiel is only allowed to drink "the sixth part of a hin" (verse 11) of water per day which was equal to about one quart. He was also allowed to eat only "twenty shekels" (verse 10) weight of bread per day (about 1/2 pound). That is a very MINIMAL diet which would produce weight loss and other problems.

Question for pondering: Do prophets suffer in giving prophecy?

But the situation was WORSE! Ezekiel was commanded to prepare the bread over a fire of "dung that cometh out of a man" (verse 12). Ezekiel felt this would desecrate him, and asked to be allowed some other means of fire (verse 14 -- see also Deuteronomy 23:13-14). God granted Ezekiel's request (verse 15).

The whole idea of this prophecy was the horror of the seige which Jerusalem would face because of their insistent idolatry. They had determinedly designed to fulfill their own lust, and now God would discipline them by depriving them of the basic desires.

CHAPTER 5

1 And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber's rasor, and cause it to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair. 2 Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled: and thou shalt take a third part, and smite about it with a knife: and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind; and I will draw out a sword after them. 3 Thou shalt also take thereof a few in number, and bind them in thy skirts. 4 Then take of them again, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire; for thereof shall a fire come forth into all the house of Israel. 5 Thus saith the Lord GOD; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her. 6 And she hath changed my judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and my statutes more than the countries that are round about her: for they have refused my judgments and my statutes, they have not walked in them. 7 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye multiplied more than the nations that are round about you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my judgments, neither have done according to the judgments of the nations that are round about you; 8 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, am against thee, and will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations. 9 And I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all thine abominations. 10 Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments in thee, and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds. 11 Wherefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD; Surely, because thou hast defiled my sanctuary with all thy detestable things, and with all thine abominations, therefore will I also diminish thee; neither shall mine eye spare, neither will I have any pity. 12 A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them. 13 Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted: and they shall know that I the LORD have spoken it in my zeal, when I have accomplished my fury in them. 14 Moreover I will make thee waste, and a reproach among the nations that are round about thee, in the sight of all that pass by. 15 So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the nations that are round about thee, when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it. 16 When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread: 17 So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the LORD have spoken it.

Now the prophecy of Jerusalem's destruction is given in a picture of Ezekiel's hair. He is to shave his head, which represented shame and disgrace. The hair is to be divided into three parts -- with some saved for another statement.

The first part of the hair is to be burned inside the tile representing Jerusalem. These represented the people that would die in Jerusalem (verse 12).

The second part is to be struck with a knife representing the "sword" of the Babylonians. These represented the people who would be killed by the sword (verse 12).

The third part Ezekiel is to "scatter in the wind" representing the fact that many of the people would be scattered and persecuted (verse 12).

A few of the hairs were to be reserved for a further burning in the fire (verse 3). These represented the faithful remnant who would also undergo difficulty, but would be saved.

The REASON stated is that the people have "refused" God's "judgments" and "statutes" (verses 6-7). God had set His people "in the midst of the nations" (verse 5) as an example of His love and grace. But they refused to abide in His love and grace by refusing to be governed by His Word.

Many Christians do the same today! Refusing to abide by the express will of God dams up the "rivers of grace" that God would pour out upon His people.

God does not desire retribution, but redemption. God had a purpose in using the prophets to tell of the discipline to come. His purpose was not the evil intent of retribution. His purpose was the good love of God shown by redeeming the faithful, lest they be consumed by the wicked.

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.