EZEKIEL – PROPHET OF SYMBOLIC ACTION

Ezekiel 33:7-16

Watchman for Israel – Warn – Failure to warn = Blood on your hands.

Once warned – the responsibility shifts.

If wicked are warned and change they will not die.

If the righteous are warned and they sin – they will die.

Symbolic Actions of Ezekiel

1. Eat the scroll – Digest the Words of God. 3:1-2

2. Chapter 4 – Draw map of Jerusalem – set iron pot against it – Lay on right side 390 (Israel) and 40 days (Judah) – eat small amounts of food – little meat – ration the water – use human (changed to cow) waste for cooking fuel = Captivity and siege of Jerusalem.

3. Chapter 5 – Sharp knife, razor, cut some hair from your head and beard – Divide into three parts – Part 1; remove a few hairs into pocket – burn the rest; Part 2; remove a few – chop, cut up; Part 3; remove a few – toss rest into the wind. MEANING: Burned – die in Jerusalem siege; Cut up – Die by sword or famine; Wind – Taken into captivity; Few in the pocket – This is the remnant – hope of a return.

4. Chapter 8 – Vision of trip to Jerusalem – Image of jealousy at north gate; At door of temple – pictures on the walls (snakes, beasts, etc.) – the 70 men (elders) offering incense to these pictures; Women weeping for Tamuz; 25 men worship the sun – turn back on the temple. Understand that God has no other choice but to punish. To do less = He would not be Holy God.

5. Chapter 12 – Chops a hole in wall of house – crawls out – blindfolded – walks off. Meaning – Zedekiah will watch his sons be killed; he will be blinded; journey to Babylon – blind.

6. Chapter 12:17 – Eat your food with trembling, shaking = Fear of people in Jerusalem during the siege.

7. Chapter 15 – Allegory of Vine wood – Worthless when whole, burn it = more worthless; burn it again. The two burnings represent the two attacks on Jerusalem. (597, 586).

8. God does things “for the sake of his name” – 20:9 – Brought out of Egypt; 20:14 – Died in wilderness; 20:22 – Punish, send to captivity for the same reason. GOD COULD DO NO LESS AND STILL BE GOD.

9. Chapter 24:15-27 – His wife died; no mourning; (Verse 18); Message = Jerusalem is about to die; you will not weep or mourn.

10. Chapter 37 – Valley of dry bones – THERE IS HOPE!

Practical Observations

1. God does not delight in punishment – He MUST punish or he would not be a Just God.

2. Just as the wicked can be saved; the righteous can die. Don’t get too smug.

3. Discuss: Repentance – See 2 Corinthians 5:10-11; Matthew 21:28-30; 2 Peter 3:9