Ezekiel 4
Ezekiel 4 contains an account of how God uses the prophet Ezekiel to symbolically show the destruction of Israel and the judgment of Jerusalem. Ezekiel delivers his message through symbolic actions, according to the commands he received from God. In this chapter, in particular, the siege of Jerusalem and the sins of Israel and Judah are portrayed symbolically.
1verse“You also, son of man, take a tile, and lay it before yourself, and portray on it a city, even Jerusalem.
2verseLay siege against it, build forts against it, and cast up a mound against it. Also set camps against it and plant battering rams against it all around.
3verseTake for yourself an iron pan and set it for a wall of iron between you and the city. Then set your face toward it. It will be besieged, and you shall lay siege against it. This shall be a sign to the house of Israel.
4verse“Moreover lie on your left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel on it. According to the number of the days that you shall lie on it, you shall bear their iniquity.
5verseFor I have appointed the years of their iniquity to be to you a number of days, even three hundred ninety days. So you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.
6verse“Again, when you have accomplished these, you shall lie on your right side, and shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah. I have appointed forty days, each day for a year, to you.
7verseYou shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm uncovered; and you shall prophesy against it.
8verseBehold, I put ropes on you, and you shall not turn yourself from one side to the other, until you have accomplished the days of your siege.
9verse“Take for yourself also wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel. Make bread of it. According to the number of the days that you will lie on your side, even three hundred ninety days, you shall eat of it.
10verseYour food which you shall eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day. From time to time you shall eat it.
11verseYou shall drink water by measure, the sixth part of a hin. From time to time you shall drink.
12verseYou shall eat it as barley cakes, and you shall bake it in their sight with dung that comes out of man.”
13verseThe LORD said, “Even thus will the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them.”
14verseThen I said, “Ah Lord GOD! Behold, my soul has not been polluted; for from my youth up even until now I have not eaten of that which dies of itself, or is torn of animals. No abominable meat has come into my mouth!”
15verseThen he said to me, “Behold, I have given you cow’s dung for man’s dung, and you shall prepare your bread on it.”
16verseMoreover he said to me, “Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem. They will eat bread by weight, and with fearfulness. They will drink water by measure, and in dismay;
17versethat they may lack bread and water, be dismayed one with another, and pine away in their iniquity.
Structure and Development
- Verses 1-3: Ezekiel draws the city of Jerusalem on a brick and stages a scene of a military siege. This is how God makes it symbolically clear that judgment is near.
- Verses 4-8: Ezekiel lies on his side, and the scene shows symbolically the number of days representing the sins of the remaining tribes of Israel and the tribe of Judah. It is shown as 390 days for the tribes of Israel and 40 days for the tribes of Judah, meaning the respective periods of wrongdoing.
- Verses 9-17: During the period of judgment, the quantity of food and water Ezekiel may eat is limited, symbolizing extreme distress and lack in the besieged city. It also emphasizes that the way the food is prepared is very restricted and abnormal.
The Symbolic Meaning of the Whole Chapter
Ezekiel 4 foretells the judgment of Jerusalem for the sins of Israel and Judah through symbolic acts. The prophet’s symbolic actions clearly reveal the stubbornness of the people and the consequences that result from it. It repeatedly emphasizes that they will lose prosperity and peace, be placed in severe lack, and that judgment is unavoidable.
Points for Reflection
- You can think about how important it is not merely to hear God’s words, but to live them out in daily life.
- In the face of clear warnings about the consequences and responsibility of sin, you can examine our own spiritual condition today.
- As you reflect, see that even in the message of harsh judgment, God continues to warn and is giving opportunities to repent.
Try Applying It to Yourself
- If there is any sinful behavior that you have grown numb to in your life, look back and reflect on what it might be, and think seriously about the areas that need change.
- If there is any part where you know God’s will but do not carry it out, start with small acts of practice.
- Even amid difficulty, you can make a decision to rely on God and live a faithful life.
