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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

1Again, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

2“Son of man, write the name of the day, this same day. The king of Babylon drew close to Jerusalem this same day.

3Utter a parable to the rebellious house, and tell them, ‘The Lord GOD says, “Put the cauldron on the fire. Put it on, and also pour water into it.

4Gather its pieces into it, even every good piece: the thigh and the shoulder. Fill it with the choice bones.

5Take the choice of the flock, and also a pile of wood for the bones under the cauldron. Make it boil well. Yes, let its bones be boiled within it.”

6“‘Therefore the Lord GOD says: “Woe to the bloody city, to the cauldron whose rust is in it, and whose rust hasn’t gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece without casting lots for it.

7“‘“For the blood she shed is in the middle of her. She set it on the bare rock. She didn’t pour it on the ground, to cover it with dust.

8That it may cause wrath to come up to take vengeance, I have set her blood on the bare rock, that it should not be covered.”

9“‘Therefore the Lord GOD says: “Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great.

10Heap on the wood. Make the fire hot. Boil the meat well. Make the broth thick, and let the bones be burned.

11Then set it empty on its coals, that it may be hot, and its bronze may burn, and that its filthiness may be molten in it, that its rust may be consumed.

12She is weary with toil; yet her great rust, rust by fire, doesn’t leave her.

13“‘“In your filthiness is lewdness. Because I have cleansed you and you weren’t cleansed, you won’t be cleansed from your filthiness any more, until I have caused my wrath toward you to rest.

14“‘“I, the LORD, have spoken it. It will happen, and I will do it. I won’t go back. I won’t spare. I won’t repent. According to your ways and according to your doings, they will judge you,” says the Lord GOD.’”

15Also the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

16“Son of man, behold, I will take away from you the desire of your eyes with one stroke; yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, neither shall your tears run down.

17Sigh, but not aloud. Make no mourning for the dead. Bind your headdress on you, and put your sandals on your feet. Don’t cover your lips, and don’t eat mourner’s bread.”

18So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. So I did in the morning as I was commanded.

19The people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things mean to us, that you act like this?”

20Then I said to them, “The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

21‘Speak to the house of Israel, “The Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pities; and your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword.

22You will do as I have done. You won’t cover your lips or eat mourner’s bread.

23Your turbans will be on your heads, and your sandals on your feet. You won’t mourn or weep; but you will pine away in your iniquities, and moan one toward another.

24Thus Ezekiel will be a sign to you; according to all that he has done, you will do. When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’”’”

25“You, son of man, shouldn’t it be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their heart—their sons and their daughters—

26that in that day he who escapes will come to you, to cause you to hear it with your ears?

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

Ezekiel 25

1The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

2“Son of man, set your face toward the children of Ammon, and prophesy against them.

3Tell the children of Ammon, ‘Hear the word of the Lord GOD! The Lord GOD says, “Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against my sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity,

4therefore, behold, I will deliver you to the children of the east for a possession. They will set their encampments in you and make their dwellings in you. They will eat your fruit and they will drink your milk.

5I will make Rabbah a stable for camels and the children of Ammon a resting place for flocks. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”

6For the Lord GOD says: “Because you have clapped your hands, stamped with the feet, and rejoiced with all the contempt of your soul against the land of Israel,

7therefore, behold, I have stretched out my hand on you, and will deliver you for a plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from the peoples, and I will cause you to perish out of the countries. I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”

8“‘The Lord GOD says: “Because Moab and Seir say, ‘Behold, the house of Judah is like all the nations,’

9therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are on its frontiers, the glory of the country, Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon, and Kiriathaim,

10to the children of the east, to go against the children of Ammon; and I will give them for a possession, that the children of Ammon may not be remembered among the nations.

11I will execute judgments on Moab. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

12“‘The Lord GOD says: “Because Edom has dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has greatly offended, and taken revenge on them,”

13therefore the Lord GOD says, “I will stretch out my hand on Edom, and will cut off man and animal from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman. They will fall by the sword even to Dedan.

14I will lay my vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel. They will do in Edom according to my anger and according to my wrath. Then they will know my vengeance,” says the Lord GOD.

15“‘The Lord GOD says: “Because the Philistines have taken revenge, and have taken vengeance with contempt of soul to destroy with perpetual hostility,”

16therefore the Lord GOD says, “Behold, I will stretch out my hand on the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast.

17I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I lay my vengeance on them.”’”

World English Bible (WEB). World English Bible (WEB), public domain. “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org.