Ezekiel 24 1 - 27
The boiling pot runeth over
“1 In the ninth year, in the tenth month on the tenth day, the word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, record this date, this very date, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. 3 Tell this rebellious house a parable and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: " 'Put on the cooking pot; put it on and pour water into it. 4 Put into it the pieces of meat, all the choice pieces—the leg and the shoulder. Fill it with the best of these bones; 5 take the pick of the flock. Pile wood beneath it for the bones; bring it to a boil and cook the bones in it. 6 " 'For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: " 'Woe to the city of bloodshed, to the pot now encrusted, whose deposit will not go away! Empty it piece by piece without casting lots for them. 7 " 'For the blood she shed is in her midst: She poured it on the bare rock; she did not pour it on the ground, where the dust would cover it. 8 To stir up wrath and take revenge I put her blood on the bare rock, so that it would not be covered. 9 " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: " 'Woe to the city of bloodshed! I, too, will pile the wood high. 10 So heap on the wood and kindle the fire. Cook the meat well, mixing in the spices; and let the bones be charred. 11 Then set the empty pot on the coals till it becomes hot and its copper glows so its impurities may be melted and its deposit burned away. 12 It has frustrated all efforts; its heavy deposit has not been removed, not even by fire. 13 " 'Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided. 14 " 'I the LORD have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will not have pity, nor will I relent. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declares the Sovereign LORD.' " 15 The word of the LORD came to me: 16 "Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears. 17 Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners ." 18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded. 19 Then the people asked me, "Won't you tell us what these things have to do with us?" 20 So I said to them, "The word of the LORD came to me: 21 Say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary—the stronghold in which you take pride, the delight of your eyes, the object of your affection. The sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword. 22 And you will do as I have done. You will not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners . 23 You will keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep but will waste away because of your sins and groan among yourselves. 24 Ezekiel will be a sign to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.' 25 "And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes, their heart's desire, and their sons and daughters as well- 26 on that day a fugitive will come to tell you the news. 27 At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD."
There are certain dates that are etched in our memories. Let me throw a few dates at you and see if you can guess their significance.
. December 7th
. December 25th
. September 11th
. November 22nd
. June 25th
Let’s see how you did. You get 20 points for each one you guessed correctly. 100 = an A; 80 = a B, the rest well – nice try.
December 7th = Pearl Harbor
December 25th = Christmas
September 11th = Attack on World Trade Center
November 22nd = JFK’s assassination
June 25th = my birthday. – Hey, I didn’t say the test was easy. Make sure you remember this date in the future.
“1 In the ninth year, in the tenth month on the tenth day, the word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, record this date, this very date, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.”
Our Lord also wanted His elect people the Jews to remember a day. This one however was not one to celebrate. It would be remembered with tears and sorrow. “1 In the ninth year, in the tenth month on the tenth day, the word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, record this date, this very date, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.” This was in the year 588 BC.
2 Kings 25: 1 reports, “1 Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around.”
This was the 9th year that king Jehoiachin was held as a prisoner in Babylon.
“3 Tell this rebellious house a parable and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: " 'Put on the cooking pot; put it on and pour water into it. 4 Put into it the pieces of meat, all the choice pieces—the leg and the shoulder. Fill it with the best of these bones; 5 take the pick of the flock. Pile wood beneath it for the bones; bring it to a boil and cook the bones in it.”
Our Holy God used an allegory to describe the conflict that was going on hundreds of miles away in the land of Judah by the use of a caldron. In chapter 11 of Ezekiel we read, “1 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the East Gate of the LORD’s house, which faces eastward; and there at the door of the gate were twenty-five men, among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. 2 And He said to me: “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give wicked counsel in this city, 3 who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses; this city is the caldron, and we are the meat.’ 4 Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man!”5 Then the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said to me, “Speak! ‘Thus says the LORD: “Thus you have said, O house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind. 6 You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain.” 7 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Your slain whom you have laid in its midst, they are the meat, and this city is the caldron; but I shall bring you out of the midst of it. 8 You have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you,” says the Lord GOD. 9 “And I will bring you out of its midst, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and execute judgments on you. 10 You shall fall by the sword. I will judge you at the border of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. 11 This city shall not be your caldron, nor shall you be the meat in its midst. I will judge you at the border of Israel. 12 And you shall know that I am the LORD; for you have not walked in My statutes nor executed My judgments, but have done according to the customs of the Gentiles which are all around you.” 13 Now it happened, while I was prophesying, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then I fell on my face and cried with a loud voice, and said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Will You make a complete end of the remnant of Israel?”
The people were trapped in the city of Jerusalem surrounded by the army of the Babylonians. It was as if they were in a pot that was about to boil. The Babylonians began their assault by firing boulders against the walls and into the city. Once they softened up the defenses of the Jews then an all out assault would proceed. Everything was heating up and there was no way out of the pot.
6 " 'For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: " 'Woe to the city of bloodshed, to the pot now encrusted, whose deposit will not go away! Empty it piece by piece without casting lots for them. 7 " 'For the blood she shed is in her midst: She poured it on the bare rock; she did not pour it on the ground, where the dust would cover it. 8 To stir up wrath and take revenge I put her blood on the bare rock, so that it would not be covered.”
The judges, leaders, and all the people of Judah were unashamed of their lives. The judges were corrupt, the leaders were contemptible, and the people were callus to the violence and innocent blood that was being taken as the preferred ‘choice’ We read this evil attitude way back in the book of Genesis chapter 4, “9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. 11 So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.”
The blood of Abel cried out just the same as the blood of innocent people were also crying out to God. If it was blood that was shed ‘rightly’ such as death by war, killing of murderers, accidental deaths, then it would and could have been covered by dust [dirt]. The book of Leviticus has something to say regarding this in chapter 17, 13 “Whatever man of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who hunts and catches any animal or bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust;”
The book of Isaiah chapter 26 also reports a message from out Lord regarding this issue, “21 For behold, the LORD comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain.”
Your sins will surely find you out. You see on TV each day the finding of bodies that were murdered. It is difficult to hide the evidence. Our Precious Jehovah Shammah Is always there to reveal the sins of man. He will not let it be covered up.
9 " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: " 'Woe to the city of bloodshed! I, too, will pile the wood high. 10 So heap on the wood and kindle the fire. Cook the meat well, mixing in the spices; and let the bones be charred. 11 Then set the empty pot on the coals till it becomes hot and its copper glows so its impurities may be melted and its deposit burned away. 12 It has frustrated all efforts; its heavy deposit has not been removed, not even by fire.”
One thing that really bothers me is when people put something on the stove or microwave and then walk away without keeping an eye on their food. It happens over and over again that they forget to check on their food and you pick up the smell of something burning. No matter what we cooked, once you have burnt the food – everything in the house or office stinks. Now picture a nice hot summer day and you are out jogging. You travel past a dead animal. How does it smell? Pretty bad!. Picture in your minds thousands of dead bodies swelling and smelling. That is one scent that is not easily forgotten.
In the first instance Jerusalem can be seen as contributing to her own destruction. They went out of their way to do the evil caused them exhaustion. In addition, our Holy Father expresses His weariness in putting up for so long with their sins. “It has frustrated all efforts; its heavy deposit has not been removed, not even by fire.” describes the sinful lifestyles being so deeply ingrained that it cannot be erased. Have you ever had a stain on you clothes or a household item that could not be removed. What do you ultimately do? You throw the thing away.
13 " 'Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.”
The rust and filthiness and scum is the vile sins that God has explained His attempts to purge. He tried twice before with the prior deportations. These military actions by the Babylonians occurred in 605 and 597 BC. Our Holy Jehovah Sabbaoth – the Lord of Hosts, determined that the only effort to successfully eliminate the stain was the destruction of the city.
14 " 'I the LORD have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will not have pity, nor will I relent. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declares the Sovereign LORD.'
Many of you have watched the movie The Ten Commandments. A famous line I remember was by Pharaoh. He said to an order, ‘This it has been said, Thus let it be written.’ The Lord Most High Jehovah Elyon has now issued the same judgment. He has spoken. The verdict is sealed. There are no more appeals. No Supreme Pardon. The death sentence was to be carried out.
For all of us and our families, friends, co-workers, relatives, and neighbors we need to pay serious attention to this teaching. It is not just some history lesson. If others or we continue to disobey Him, there will come a time of accounting.
“15 The word of the LORD came to me: 16 "Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears. 17 Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners."
Anyone want to be a prophet? Sure these guys had some pretty great things or gifts. God worked miracles through them. They heard directly from God Himself. Yet, when you read about what happened to them, how they were persecuted and killed, I think I would pass on the job. This may sound silly but my heart’s desire would be to have God pick me like He did Abraham and Moses. That He would love me more than David and Daniel. That I would have more anointing of the Holy Ghost than Elijah and Elisha. Pretty greedy on my part, huh?
Out of all the hardships and difficult assignments, I believe that Ezekiel had the hardest. We read now that the Righteous God Jehovah Tsidkenu, informs him that his wife is going to die and it will be for a sign to the Jews. It will not be the death that will cause the people to react but God’s instructions on how he was to act to this sorrow was the key issue.
Some scholars have suggested that there was a long-term illness of Ezekiel’s wife. This point is contrived to made it somewhat less painful for Ezekiel to deal with. I do not agree. We read that it was a stroke. God was giving Ezekiel this information about what would happen that very day. Think with me about this. Ezekiel has just received this unbelievable message, ‘the desire of your eyes’. Imagine looking up and seeing his wife moving about he house cooking or doing chores. How his heart must have been moved. Would you tell her? ‘Hey honey, just wanted to let you know that you are going to die today.’ How do you handle such a message? On top of that, God tells him that he is not to cry or mourn for her. ‘Oh, by the way honey, you also need to know that there will not be any memorial service for you. And I will not be shedding any tears for you.’ Say what? I would encourage you to make an effort to pray for pastors’ wives and children. The abuse and suffering that they have to go through because the husbands are trying to serve our Lord God is beyond anything that you could ever imagine or stand.
These were the normal signs of mourning that Ezekiel was prevented from doing;
1. No wailing loudly
2. Cannot take off his priestly robes and hat [turban]
3. No scattering of dust and ashes
4. No mourning clothes
5. No isolation [taking off of sandals]
6. No covering face [veil]
7. No Memorial service
“18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.”
We read here that he spoke to the people in the morning. That night his wife had a stroke and died. What was this day like for Ezekiel. How did he spend it? Watching his wife all day, trying to keep telling her how much he loved and appreciated her. When I think about this, I start to cry. How would you treat your loved ones if you knew that the same things were about to happen to them?
I had the opportunity to go to New York City after 9/11 and try to assist those who lost loved ones. Do you know what their main statement was? ‘I wish I could have told him/her how much I love them and appreciate them.’
“19 Then the people asked me, "Won't you tell us what these things have to do with us?"
Would this action taken by Ezekiel not also get your attention like it did the elders. It was not normal. He had been doing a lot of strange things but this act had really drawn their response.
“20 So I said to them, "The word of the LORD came to me: 21 Say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary—the stronghold in which you take pride, the delight of your eyes, the object of your affection. The sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword. 22 And you will do as I have done. You will not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners . 23 You will keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep but will waste away because of your sins and groan among yourselves. 24 Ezekiel will be a sign to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.'
No Proverb or story is given - Only the answer to their question. You will note the term, ‘the desire of your eyes.’ The Temple in Jerusalem would be totally destroyed. Being away as a captive in Babylon they will hear of the ruin but will not react emotionally. Their attitudes and hardness of heart kept them from responding with grave emotions even when they knew that their relative were also slain. Since they didn’t see them killed, oh well. ‘Out of sight, out of mind,’ they say.
It possibly did get them remorseful realizing that their hopes of returning to their homes and land was probably out of the question. The reality would cause them to fear and mourn for themselves.
This is the first time our Holy Father spoke through Ezekiel in the third person. Our Lord was declaring to the people of Israel that Ezekiel was His mouthpiece.
25 "And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes, their heart's desire, and their sons and daughters as well- 26 on that day a fugitive will come to tell you the news. 27 At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD."
Ezekiel will once again be able to speak freely. This will occur when the news of the final battle reaches the captives in Babylon. There will be no further word from the Holy Yahweh until He lets the nations surrounding Israel how He Is going to deal with them for their hatred and brutality towards His people.
Has God stopped speaking to you? If so, why? He has not left – you have. Turn around and start communicating with Him again. I close with this Scripture passage of David’s wise advise to his son as listed in 1 Chronicles chapter 28, 9 “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.” Like Solomon, if you seek Him, you will find Him. Try it!
