FRAMEWORKS:
Ezekiel 12: The
Exile Symbolized & Zedekiah warned
Context:
Part
4: Prophecies of warnings up to the fall of Jerusalem
Ch.12
– The
Exile Symbolized & Zedekiah warned
Ch.13
– False prophets & prophetesses condemned
Ch.14
– Divided-heart Prophet-Seekers condemned
Ch.15
– Jerusalem as a useless vine
Ch.16
– Jerusalem as an adulterous wife & a prostitute
Ch.17
– Two eagles and a vine
Ch.18
– Teaching: The one who sins will die
Ch.19
– A lament over Israel's
princes
Ch.20
– Rebellious Israel's Failures
& Purging
Ch.21
– Babylon as God's sword
of judgment
Ch.22
– Judgment on Jerusalem's sins
Ch.23
– Two adulterous sisters
Ch.24
– Jerusalem as a cooking pot & Ezekiel's wife dies, Jerusalem's
impending fall
[Preliminary
Comment: The visual element of this chapter is an action-prophecy
by Ezekiel that his neighbours will witness, gossip about, and
then question him about, so he can then give a specific explanation
– it is all about Zedekiah, who reigned at that moment in Jerusalem,
fleeing the city, being caught, having his sight taken and taken
in chains to Babylon. It is very specific in its description and
the fulfilment was exact. Ezekiel is to reinforce it with a further
action drama of eating and drinking in fear, to demonstrate what
will be happening back in the land. To this he is to refute those
in the land who say these prophecies never seem to come to anything
– they are about to be fulfilled!]
v.1,2
The Lord makes very clear the state of the people
v.1
The word
of the LORD came to me :
v.2
“Son
of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes
to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they
are a rebellious people.
[Notes:
The
state of the people requires special measures to get through to
them – action prophecies that will be talked about and then perhaps
thought about.]
v.3-6
Ezekiel instructed to carry out an action prophecy
v.3
“Therefore,
son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in the daytime,
as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another place.
Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious people.
v.4
During the
daytime, while they watch, bring out your belongings packed for
exile. Then in the evening, while they are watching, go out like
those who go into exile.
v.5
While they
watch, dig through the wall and take your belongings out through
it.
v.6
Put them on
your shoulder as they are watching and carry them out at dusk.
Cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have made
you a sign to the Israelites.”
[Notes:
Ezekiel
is to pretend to go on a journey while others watch, preparing
in the morning, going in the evening and as they watch he is to
dig a hole through a wall [presumably of his home] and clamber
through it carrying his belongings, with a cloth over his face.]
v.7
He obeys
v.7
So I did as
I was commanded. During the day I brought out my things packed
for exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my
hands. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulders
while they watched.
[Notes:
Ezekiel
exactly carries out the instructions producing a double spectacle
to be watched.]
v.8-15
The focus is on Zedekiah who may flee but be caught
v.8
In
the morning the
word of the LORD came to me :
v.9
“Son
of man, did not the Israelites, that rebellious people, ask you,
‘What are you doing?'
v.10
“Say to them,
‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: This prophecy concerns
the prince in Jerusalem and all the Israelites
who are there.'
v.11
Say to them,
‘I am a sign to you.' “As I have done, so it will be done to them.
They will go into exile as captives.
v.12
“The prince
among them will put his things on his shoulder at dusk and leave,
and a hole will be dug in the wall for him to go through. He will
cover his face so that he cannot see the land.
v.13
I will spread
my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare; I will bring
him to Babylonia, the land of the Chaldeans, but he will not see
it, and there he will die.
v.14
I will scatter
to the winds all those around him—his staff and all his troops—and
I will pursue them with drawn sword.
v.15
“They will
know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations
and scatter them through the countries.
[Notes:
When
the people question him, Ezekiel is to explain this symbolizes
what will happen to Zedekiah – see 2 Kings 25:4-7 for the exact
fulfilment. Note – ‘at dusk' so Zedekiah won't see the country
and perhaps cover his face in disguise – v.6b,12b. He will be
caught [v.13], taken to Babylon but will not see it [blinded]
and will end his life in Babylon. His men will flee.]
v.16
A ray of hope – there will yet be a remnant saved
v.16
But I will
spare a few of them from the sword, famine and plague, so that
in the nations where they go they may acknowledge all their detestable
practices. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”
[Notes:
Although
large numbers will die, those who are taken captive [seen elsewhere]
will be spared to join the exile.]
v.17-20
Ezekiel to eat & drink in fear to demonstrate what the people
of Jerusalem will feel
v.17
The
word of the LORD came to me :
v.18
“Son
of man, tremble as you eat your food, and shudder in fear as you
drink your water.
v.19
Say
to the people of the land: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says
about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: They
will eat their food in anxiety and drink their water in despair,
for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of
the violence of all who live there.
v.20
The inhabited
towns will be laid waste and the land will be desolate. Then you
will know that I am the LORD.'”
[Notes:
Ezekiel
is to act out the fear that the people of Jerusalem and in the
Land will feel. It will simply add to the store of things the
exiles will speak about and which will find their way back to
Jerusalem to back up and support Jeremiah's prophecies.]
v.21-25
A warning that there will be no more delays
v.21
The
word of the LORD came to me :
v.22
“Son
of man, what is this proverb you have in the land of Israel: ‘The
days go by and every vision comes to nothing'?
v.23
Say to them,
‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am going to put an end
to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.'
Say to them, ‘The days are near when every vision will be fulfilled.
v.24
For
there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations
among the people of Israel.
v.25
But I the
LORD will speak what I will, and it shall be fulfilled without
delay. For in your days, you rebellious people, I will fulfill
whatever I say, declares the Sovereign LORD.'”
[Notes:
The
people had been disparaging the prophecies – probably of both
Jeremiah and those coming from Ezekiel – and so the Lord warns
that all their words will shortly be fulfilled.]
v.26-28
The same word comes again – no more delays
v.26
The
word of the LORD came to me :
v.27
“Son
of man, the Israelites are saying, ‘The vision he sees is for
many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.'
v.28
“Therefore
say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: None of my
words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled,
declares the Sovereign LORD.'”
[Notes:
The
word comes to Ezekiel a second time to emphasise it and ensure
it is being heard and understood.]
[Concluding
Note: It
is a scarily accurate prophecy, initially acted out but then explained,
that warns what will soon happen to the king in Jerusalem. He
has been warned!]
Continue
to Chapter 13