What’s Really Important?

Series on Ezekiel

I. The Fall of Jerusalem

P. Faith’s Example, Text: 24:15-27

Title: What’s Really Important?

Introduction

This is a turning point in the book of Ezekiel. From now on everything that Ezekiel writes will have reference either to the judgment of other nations or to the revival of God’s people. But before he embarks on this ministry of hope there must be the final desolation. This means the most incredible, the hardest, the saddest and most miserable of tasks. It should give us pause to think that in the providence and wisdom of God he did not deem any other alternative equal to the task. Ezekiel is to lose his wife, as a part of his ministry. I remember when I visited a couple after they lost a child by drowning. The father had been reading the scripture and the two passages he had read were the book of Job and the 24th chapter of Ezekiel, Behold I take away the desire of your eyes with a stroke. There was little I could add because God had already spoken. In the providence of God no death occurs without a purpose. No suffering is endured without meaning, but what God commands Ezekiel to do is even more difficult. This brings me to the first of two points: the prophesying of judgment, and then we will consider the prophesying of jubilation.

I The Prophesying of Judgment

This consists of two things: the prophet’s example and the prophet’s explanation.

A The Prophet’s Example

When his wife suddenly dies and is taken from him Ezekiel is commanded to do the most difficult of tasks. he is not to mourn. The account is in verses 15-18, The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears. Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners.” So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded. Set aside for the moment that such mourning is therapeutic, and that it helps the mourner overcome the grief and misery he feels at the loss of his loved one. Perhaps the worst part of the prophet’s experience is that everyone else will feel that he doesn’t care. Verse 17 includes five typical actions which it was the custom in Israel to do when a loved one died, sighing, removing the turban, removing the sandals, covering the lips, that is the lower part of the face, and eating a special mourning bread. Ezekiel is not allowed to do any of these. The result was exactly what you might expect; the people wondered why. It is as if he didn’t have enough grief. He had to endure the suspicion of the people that he really didn’t care when he cared very much. As a servant of the Lord have you ever been placed in that kind of situation? The ministry of Christ takes precedence over our personal suffering and disaster. Here is a man really putting the kingdom of God first in his life, but we only find out why as we look at the prophet’s explanation.

B The Prophet’s Explanation.

Jerusalem is about to be destroyed. The judgment of God is about to be completed. The residue of the covenant people is about to be carried off. This is parallel and tantamount to the church being virtually exterminated. According to verse 21 their brothers and sisters, their parents and children remaining, and the beloved temple, the desire of their eyes, all destroyed, Say to the house of Israel, “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary-the stronghold in which you take pride, the delight of your eyes, the object of your affection. The sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.” And the people are commanded to do exactly as Ezekiel did in the situation of his wife’s death in verses 22-24, And you will do as I have done. You will not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners. You will keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep but will waste away because of your sins and groan among yourselves. Ezekiel will be a sign to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD. They are not to mourn in any way at all. Why did God tell the Israelites not to mourn? I believe there were two reasons. The first was that you are not supposed to mourn when people get what they deserve. In all of the passages of scripture which call for capitol punishment in the Old Testament there is not one mention of mourning for the deceased. There was to be no regret. Obviously this was not true of Ezekiel’s wife, but it was true of the nation. The second reason is that any form of ritual public mourning would be embarrassingly inadequate to reflect the magnitude of the tragedy. In other words mourning for the lost nation was just inappropriate. What the people needed to do was to repent and look forward in hope. The past was done, the judgment was made, the penalty was inflicted, they got what they deserved, and that was it. From now on they could not afford to concentrate on their individual personal interests. They needed to look forward in hope to another fulfillment of God’s kingdom, something better. They needed to come to their senses and leave less significant things. They needed to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. They needed to focus on the work of God. So we have the prophesied jubilation.

II The Prophesied Jubilation

Look now at verses 25-27, And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes, their heart’s desire, and their sons and daughters as well-on that day a fugitive will come to tell you the news. At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD. There are three things to be noted briefly. First, nobody listens until he has the obstacle taken out of the way. They were so proud of Jerusalem, as long as it stood they would not listen to the prophet Ezekiel. They thought they were invincible and more than that that they were favored that they were loved above others that they were special. All of that dissolves when Jerusalem dies. Secondly after the disaster everyone is going to come to Ezekiel to hear what he has to say because there will not be any other alternative. In 3:26 and 27 silence had been imposed on the prophet by God, except for what he was commanded to say, I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, though they are a rebellious house. But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, “This is what the Sovereign LORD says.” Whoever will listen let him listen, and whoever will refuse let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house. The thrust of this is that he was not allowed to speak of anything but the impending destruction of the holy city. However once the city was destroyed, Ezekiel will be able to utter many prophecies concerning the fate of others and especially the future hope for Israel. Thirdly, and most important, Ezekiel’s ministry will change, and that, I am sure, to his great relief. The prohibition of chapter 3:26 and 27 is lifted and he is freed as the priest he was, to talk normally, to truly minister to the survivors. His ministry of doom is finished., and a ministry of hope begins. We shall see more of this as we study in future passages. However you might wonder right now how this applies to us.

Conclusion

The lesson to be learned here is one which Jesus emphasized. in Matthew 8: 21 and 22, we read, Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” Paying attention to God’s plan is more important than otherwise legitimate personal concerns. This is not insensitive. It is simply a matter of putting first things first.