Ezekiel 4:5-8,12 – I have assigned to you one day for each year its punishment will last. So for 390 days, you will bear the punishment for the sins of the nation of Israel. When you finish this, you will lie down again, this time on your right side. You will bear the punishment for the sins of the nation of Judah for 40 days, one day for each year I have assigned to you. Turn your face toward the blockaded Jerusalem. Shake your fist and prophesy against it. I will tie you up with ropes so that you will not be able to turn from one side to the other until you have finished attacking Jerusalem…Eat the bread as you would eat barley loaves. Bake the bread in front of people, using human excrement for fuel.
There are a lot of people rushing to call themselves prophets. But have they truly considered what a prophet is called to do? It’s not easy. Granted there were some prophets who did, at some point have it easy (not really, but kinda), like David, but the things that prophets were asked to do by Yahweh in order to make his point, I don’t think that many of these “modern-day” prophets would be willing to do. I’m not sure if I would be willing to do it, if I were called to be such a prophet. Human excrement as fuel. Sigh.
Ezekiel 4:14 – I answered, “Almighty Lord, I have never dishonored myself. From the time I was young until now, I have never eaten an animal that died by itself or was killed by other wild animals. No unclean meat has ever entered my mouth.
Push back! Hallelujah! Shows that Yahweh can be reasoned with within reason of course. And Yahweh altered his instructions due to Ezekiel’s conviction. He was to use cow dung instead. The thing is, his conviction was based on Yahweh’s laws and not in his own personal thoughts.
Ezekiel 13:4-5 – Israel, your prophets are like foxes among the ruins of a city. They haven’t repaired the gaps in the wall or rebuilt the wall for the nation of Israel. So Israel will not be protected in battle on the day of the Lord.
So often prophets cause more harm than good. I have an unproven theory that if a prophet is only prophesying prosperity and no correction of what is wrong, then chances are they aren’t sent by Yahweh. Chances are they are there for our downfall.
Ezekiel 16:28 – You had sex with the Assyrians because you weren’t satisfied. You still weren’t satisfied.
This is the problem with sin. While it feels good many times, it does not satisfy in the end. And so we go searching for more.
Ezekiel 18:32 – “I don’t want anyone to die,” declares the Almighty Lord. “Change the way you think and act!”
This is a declaration from Yahweh. He wants us to live. He wants us to live. He put the prophets through what he did, because he wants us to live.
CONFESSION: It does have some horrible imagery, but Ezekiel is not as bad as I remembered. Or maybe my perspective have changed.