13 August 2002

Text: Ezekiel 24

THE SIEGE OF JERUSALEM

1. The Siege of Jerusalem solemnly recorded

"Son of man, write down the name of the day, this very day-
the king of Babylon started his siege against Jerusalem- this very day" Eze. 24:2

2. A Parable of the Dirty Cooking Pot

a) Preparation of food to be put in the cooking pot
"Gather pieces of meat into it; every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder;
Fill it with choice cuts" Eze. 24:4

b) A major problem- The cooking pot is dirty
"Woe to the bloody city,
To the pot whose scum is in it,
And whose scum is not gone from it!" Eze. 24:6

"She has grown weary with lies,
and her great scum has not gone from her.
Let her scum be in the fire!
In your filthiness is lewdness.
Because I have cleansed you and you were not cleansed,
You will not be cleansed of your filthiness anymore,
Till I have caused My fury to rest upon you." Eze. 24:12-113

3. No further stay of execution of Judgment

"I, the Lord have spoken it;
It shall come to pass, and I will do it;
I will not hold back, Nor will I spare, Nor will I relent;
According to your ways and according to your deeds
They will judge you.'
Says the Lord God" Eze. 24:14

a) All judgments- could be stayed
b) Judgments could also be set aside if there is repentance
c) Judgments- according to mercy
d) Judgments- according to the sins of men!

4. The Death of Ezekiel's Wife forewarned

a) Ezekiel forewarned- that his wife will die
"Son of man, behold, I take away from you the desire of your eyes with one stroke" Eze. 24:16

b) However, the prophet is not to mourn in the usual way for his wife
"Yet, you shall neither mourn nor weep, nor shall your tears run down.
Sign in silence, make no mourning for the dead;
Bind your turban on your head, and put your sandals on your feet,
Do not cover your lips, and do not eat the bread of sorrows." Eze. 24:17
(Cf. Lev. 10 where Aaron is not allowed to mourn for the death of his 2 sons judged by the Lord).

c) The death of Ezekiel's wife
"So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died;
and the next morning I did as I was commanded." Eze. 24:18

5. People ask for an explanation of Ezekiel's strange behaviour (of not mourning for his wife)

"And the people said to me, 'Will you not tell us what these things signify to us; that you behave so" Eze. 24:19

6. A special message from the Lord

a) Ezekiel to be a sign from the Lord
"Thus Ezekiel is a sign to you…
according to all that he has done, you shall do" Ezekiel 24:24

"Thus you shall be a sign to them, and they shall know that I am the Lord" Eze. 24:27

b) God will judge Jerusalem and cause the Temple service to be at an end
"Thus says the Lord God, 'Behold, I will profane My sanctuary, your arrogant boast,
the desire of your eyes, the delight of your soul, and your sons and daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword" Ezekiel 24:21

7. Life and Death

a) Life and death are in God's hand

b) Normal death- old age or disease

c) Unusual death-
i) Good- Used as a sign from the Lord
ii) Bad- as Judgment from the Lord