Ezekiel 4-5 - Siege of Jerusalem

by Katrina

LINK: Ezekiel 4-5

SUMMARY
God told Ezekiel to act instead of preach and gave him some specific object lessons to use. Ezekiel was not to speak at all. Maybe this was because nobody was listening to God's prophets, so God used a different method to communicate. Ezekiel was to stay in his house most of the time as well. His odd behavior drew people to his house to see what he was up to.

First, Ezekiel was to "act out" the coming siege of Jerusalem using a brick to represent the city and then "playing soldier" against the city. After scaling the wall and attacking it with battering rams, he held up an iron plate between his face and the city to represent how God could not look on His people anymore because of their sin. How heartbreaking this must have been to Ezekiel as well as to any other exiles who "got" the message. There was no doubt that God was communicating to them that Jerusalem would be destroyed.

Ezekiel's second "act" was to lie on his left side bearing the iniquity of the past sins of Israel. He had to do this at some point every day for 390 days. This might represent the approximately 390 years from the beginning of Rehoboam's reign through Zedekiah's reign, because during these years the temple was desecrated by idolatry. Ezekiel also had to lie down on his right side for 40 days. This might represent the 40 years in the wilderness. After lying on both sides, representing the iniquity of the people, Ezekiel "set his face" toward the brick Jerusalem with his arm bared and demonstrated the prophecy against it. His arm would represent the strong arm of God bringing His wrath on the city, and by extension, on the people of Israel. The clear message here was that God had waited very patiently for many years, but He would not hold back His judgment any longer.

The third demonstration took place during the second one. Ezekiel was to have very meager portions of bread and water to eat while he was lying on his side. His daily portion of bread amounted to about eight ounces, and his daily water would be about 21 ounces. This demonstrated the severe famine in Jerusalem during the siege. How sad that this would be the condition in the once beautiful city and in the land "flowing with milk and honey."

In the fourth "act" Ezekiel shaved all the hair from his head and divided it into three equal portions. The first portion was burned on the brick Jerusalem, representing the people who would die in Jerusalem during the siege. The second portion, Ezekiel chopped up with the sword, representing those who would die by the swords of the Babylonian soldiers. And the third portion was scattered in the wind, representing the Jews scattered all over the world among the Gentiles. But before he destroyed all the hair, Ezekiel tucked a few hairs in his robe. These represent the remnant of faithful people whom God would preserve.

REFLECTION/APPLICATION
God gave the exiles a vivid picture of what was about to happen to Jerusalem. Although they had been hearing such messages for years through the prophets, it must have hit home to be shown a visual demonstration of the destruction and death that would come upon their beloved city and nation. God was longsuffering with His people, but His waiting had come to an end. God is also longsuffering with me. I pray I never push Him to the end of His patience! I have experienced His chastening, and would not like to experience His wrath!

PRAYER
Lord, you cared enough about your people Israel to always have your word speaking to them. And you have given us the Bible today, full of your message to us. Thank you for teaching and leading us through your word and through your Holy Spirit. May I always be attentive to you and learn to obey you and not take your patience for granted. In the name of Jesus, amen.