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  2. Wed: 1 Samuel 1-6
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Friday · Week 12
The Later Prophets

Ezekiel 24-25

Week 12 · about 9 min
  1. Sat: Psalms 1-8
  2. Sun: Exodus 6-9
  3. Mon: Mark 1-3

The siege of Jerusalem begins. Ezekiel loses his wife, and then he speaks against the neighboring nations.

The Day Ezekiel’s Wife Died

Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.

Ezekiel 24:16 (KJV)

Chapter 24 is dated to the exact day Babylon’s army surrounded Jerusalem. That same day God tells Ezekiel his wife will die and that he must not mourn in public. Ezekiel writes it plainly: “at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.” When people ask what it means, he tells them that when the temple, the delight of their eyes, falls, they’ll be too stunned to mourn. Prophets often paid a personal price for the message. Chapter 25 turns to the neighbors who cheered when Jerusalem fell. Ammon said “Aha,” and God noticed.

Reflect: Is there anything you love so much that losing it would leave you speechless?

Ezekiel 24

1In the ninth year, on the tenth day of the tenth month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2“Son of man, write down today’s date, for on this very day the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem.

3Now speak a parable to this rebellious house and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Put the pot on the fire; put it on and pour in the water.

4Put in the pieces of meat, every good piece— thigh and shoulder— fill it with choice bones.

5Take the choicest of the flock and pile the fuel beneath it. Bring it to a boil and cook the bones in it.’

6Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed, to the pot now rusted, whose rust will not come off! Empty it piece by piece; cast no lots for its contents.

7For the blood she shed is still within her; she poured it out on the bare rock; she did not pour it on the ground to cover it with dust.

8In order to stir up wrath and take vengeance, I have placed her blood on the bare rock, so that it would not be covered.’

9Yes, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed! I, too, will pile the kindling high.

10Pile on the logs and kindle the fire; cook the meat well and mix in the spices; let the bones be burned.

11Set the empty pot on its coals until it becomes hot and its copper glows. Then its impurity will melt within; its rust will be consumed.

12It has frustrated every effort; its thick rust has not been removed, even by the fire.

13Because of the indecency of your uncleanness I tried to cleanse you, but you would not be purified from your filthiness. You will not be pure again until My wrath against you has subsided.

14I, the LORD, have spoken; the time is coming, and I will act. I will not refrain or show pity, nor will I relent. I will judge you according to your ways and deeds,’ declares the Lord GOD.”

15Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

16“Son of man, behold, I am about to take away the desire of your eyes with a fatal blow. But you must not mourn or weep or let your tears flow.

17Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.”

18So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And the next morning I did as I had been commanded.

19Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things you are doing mean to us?”

20So I answered them, “The word of the LORD came to me, saying:

21Tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I am about to desecrate My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the delight of your soul. And the sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.’

22Then you will do as I have done: You will not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.

23Your turbans will remain on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep, but you will waste away because of your sins, and you will groan among yourselves.

24‘Thus Ezekiel will be a sign for you; you will do everything that he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’

25And you, son of man, know that on the day I take away their stronghold, their pride and joy—the desire of their eyes which uplifted their souls—and their sons and daughters as well,

26on that day a fugitive will come and tell you the news.

27On that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped; you will speak and no longer be mute. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD.”

Ezekiel 25

1Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2“Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites and prophesy against them.

3Tell the Ammonites to hear the word of the Lord GOD, for this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you exclaimed, “Aha!” when My sanctuary was profaned, when the land of Israel was laid waste, and when the house of Judah went into exile,

4therefore I will indeed give you as a possession to the people of the East. They will set up their camps and pitch their tents among you. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk.

5I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels, and Ammon a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’

6For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you clapped your hands and stomped your feet and rejoiced over the land of Israel with a heart full of contempt,

7therefore I will indeed stretch out My hand against you and give you as plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from the peoples and exterminate you from the countries. I will destroy you, and you will know that I am the LORD.’

8This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because Moab and Seir said, “Look, the house of Judah is like all the other nations,”

9therefore I will indeed expose the flank of Moab beginning with its frontier cities—Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim—the glory of the land.

10I will give it along with the Ammonites as a possession to the people of the East, so that the Ammonites will no longer be remembered among the nations.

11So I will execute judgments on Moab, and they will know that I am the LORD.’

12This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because Edom acted vengefully against the house of Judah, and in so doing incurred grievous guilt,

13therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: I will stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off from it both man and beast. I will make it a wasteland, and from Teman to Dedan they will fall by the sword.

14I will take My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, and they will deal with Edom according to My anger and wrath. Then they will know My vengeance, declares the Lord GOD.’

15This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because the Philistines acted in vengeance, taking vengeance with malice of soul to destroy Judah with ancient hostility,

16therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant along the coast.

17I will execute great vengeance against them with furious reproof. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I lay My vengeance upon them.’”

Berean Standard Bible (BSB). The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain.