Monday, July 15, 2024

Ezekiel 24: announcement of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in a unique way

 
Imagine that one day Ezekiel wakes up and the Lord communicates him that the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. The Lord explains why to his people:

13-14 “‘Your encrusted filth is your filthy sex. I wanted to clean you up, but you wouldn’t let me. I’ll make no more attempts at cleaning you up until my anger quiets down. I, God, have said it, and I’ll do it. I’m not holding back. I’ve run out of compassion. I’m not changing my mind. You’re getting exactly what’s coming to you. Decree of God, the Master.’”

The Lord has run out of compassion. The destruction of the temple is on the way.
The Lord is taking the life of the wife of Ezekiel and asks him not to mourn for her:

15-17 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, I’m about to take from you the delight of your life — a real blow, I know. But, please, no tears. Keep your grief to yourself. No public mourning. Get dressed as usual and go about your work—none of the usual funeral rituals.”

His wife is a symbol of the temple of Jerusalem.

20-21 So I told them, “God’s Word came to me, saying, ‘Tell the family of Israel, This is what God, the Master, says: I will desecrate my Sanctuary, your proud impregnable fort, the delight of your life, your heart’s desire. The children you left behind will be killed.

22-24 “‘Then you’ll do exactly as I’ve done. You’ll perform none of the usual funeral rituals. You’ll get dressed as usual and go about your work. No tears. But your sins will eat away at you from within and you’ll groan among yourselves. Ezekiel will be your example. The way he did it is the way you’ll do it.
“‘When this happens you’ll recognize that I am God, the Master.’”

A Jew should go to the temple three times per year in accordance to the Law, but the temple is going to be destroyed. How a Jew would go to the temple? Is the Lord really governing the world? It was possible to believe so because the Lord has conducted his people in this stressful moment through the messages of the prophets such as Ezekiel.

25-27 “And you, son of man: The day I take away the people’s refuge, their great joy, the delight of their life, what they’ve most longed for, along with all their children — on that very day a survivor will arrive and tell you what happened to the city. You’ll break your silence and start talking again, talking to the survivor. Again, you’ll be an example for them. And they’ll recognize that I am God.”

Ezekiel will remain silent until the day when this prophecy happens, when the Jews in Babylon receive a survivor telling about Jerusalem and the temple destruction. This is a great sign that will make the Jews recognize that the Lord is Adonai.

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