In The Word
Read: Ezekiel 24
Parable of the Boiling Pot
24 Now the word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, saying, 2 “Son of man, write the name of the day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. 3 Present a parable to the rebellious house and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says:
“Put on the pot, put it on and also pour water into it;
4 Put in it the pieces of meat,
Every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder;
Fill it with choice bones.
5 Take the choicest of the flock,
And also stack wood under the pot.
Make it boil vigorously.
Also boil its bones in it.”
6 ‘Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:
“Woe to the bloody city,
To the pot in which there is rust
And whose rust has not gone out of it!
Take out of it piece after piece,
Without making a choice.
7 For her blood is in her midst;
She placed it on the bare rock;
She did not pour it on the ground
To cover it with dust.
8 So that it may cause wrath to come up to take vengeance,
I have put her blood on the bare rock,
So that it will not be covered.”
9 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:
“Woe to the bloody city!
I also will make the wood pile great.
10 Heap on the wood, kindle the fire,
Cook the meat thoroughly
And mix in the spices,
And let the bones be burned up.
11 Then set it empty on its burning coals
So that it may be hot
And its bronze may glow,
And its filthiness may be melted in it,
Its rust eliminated.
12 She has wearied Me with work,
Yet her great rust has not gone from her;
Let her rust be in the fire!
13 In your filthiness is outrageous sin.
Because I would have cleansed you,
Yet you are not clean,
You will not be cleansed from your filthiness again
Until I have expended My wrath on you.
14 I, the Lord, have spoken; it is coming and I will act. I will not overlook, I will not pity, and I will not be sorry; according to your ways and according to your deeds I will judge you,” declares the Lord God.’”
Death of Ezekiel’s Wife Is a Sign
15 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 16 “Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you what is precious to your eyes with a fatal blow; but you shall not mourn and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not come. 17 Groan silently; do no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban and put your sandals on your feet, and do not cover your mustache, and do not eat the bread of otherpeople.” 18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded. 19 And the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are doing?” 20 Then I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 21 ‘Speak to the house of Israel, “This is what the Lord God says: ‘Behold, I am about to profane My sanctuary, the pride of your power, that which is precious in your eyes and the longing of your soul; and your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword. 22 And you will do just as I have done; you will not cover yourmustache, and you will not eat the bread of other people. 23 Your turbans will be on your heads, and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn and you will not weep; but you will rot away in your guilty deeds, and you will groan to one another.24 So Ezekiel will be a sign to you; according to all that he has done, you will do. When it comes, then you will know that I am the Lord God.’”
25 ‘As for you, son of man, will it not be on the day when I take from them their stronghold, the joy of their splendor, that which is precious in their eyes and their heart’s longing, their sons and their daughters, 26 that on that day the one who escapes will come to you with information for your ears? 27 On that day your mouth will be opened to him who escaped, and you will speak and no longer be silenced. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.’”
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
A few months ago we read about the glory of Jerusalem. Now we just read about the Lord God entering the house built for Him by King Solomon (1 Kings 8). Here in Ezekiel, 370 years later, is the end of Jerusalem. God’s people were warned that this day would come. “But if you or your sons indeed turn away from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them, and the house which I have consecrated for My name, I will cast out of My sight” (1 Kings 9:6-7).
The Lord gave Ezekiel a parable of Jerusalem as a boiling pot, but I want to make reference to the fire. Here in Louisiana, we love to boil seafood. And many times, we will use a very large pot. After you’ve added all your ingredients, it takes a long time to bring that large pot to a boil. So it was with God’s wrath towards Jerusalem. For over 300 years, God dealt with His people even when they left Him to serve other gods. He showed great mercy by sending prophets to warn them of the ensuing judgment, but they would not listen. God told Ezekiel that his wife would die, but not to show forth any grief. It was a sign to the people: do not waste your time grieving or crying to me, it is over. I find in our lives that God gives us much room for repentance, but there comes a time when He must move. Either listen to His Word or to the people He sends into your life. If you do not, there will be a reckoning. He loves you too much to see you fall away.