Ezekiel 24
About EzekielWritten by AI
Ezekiel is a book of prophecy from exile. Ezekiel was a priest taken to Babylon with King Jehoiachin in 597 BC. Five years later, by the River Kebar, he saw a stunning vision of God's glory and was called as a prophet. His messages are carefully dated, running from about 593 to 571 BC, and are usually held to be his own.
The book moves in three parts. Chapters 1 to 24 warn that Jerusalem will fall, and show God's glory leaving the temple. Chapters 25 to 32 speak to the surrounding nations. After news arrives that the city has fallen, chapters 33 to 48 turn to hope: a new heart, dry bones brought to life, and a renewed temple where God dwells.
Expect strange visions and acted signs. Ezekiel lies on his side, shaves his head, and loses his wife as a sign. Watch for the repeated phrase that they will know that I am the LORD. The whole book is about God making Himself known.
Before you read Ezekiel 24Written by AI
On the day Babylon's siege begins, Ezekiel gives a parable of a rusted cooking pot. Then God tells him his wife, the desire of his eyes, will die, and he must not mourn openly. She dies that evening. His silent grief becomes a sign of the shock coming to the exiles.
The Parable of the Cooking Pot
In the ninth year, on the tenth day of the tenth month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, write down today’s date, for on this very day the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem. Now speak a parable to this rebellious house and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says:
‘Put the pot on the fire;
put it on and pour in the water.
Put in the pieces of meat,
every good piece—
thigh and shoulder—
fill it with choice bones.
Take the choicest of the flock
and pile the fuel beneath it.
Bring it to a boil
and cook the bones in it.’
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says:
‘Woe to the city of bloodshed,
to the pot now rusted,
whose rust will not come off!
Empty it piece by piece;
cast no lots for its contents.
For the blood she shed is still within her;
she poured it out on the bare rock;
she did not pour it on the ground
to cover it with dust.
In order to stir up wrath
and take vengeance,
I have placed her blood on the bare rock,
so that it would not be covered.’
Yes, this is what the Lord GOD says:
‘Woe to the city of bloodshed!
I, too, will pile the kindling high.
Pile on the logs and kindle the fire;
cook the meat well
and mix in the spices;
let the bones be burned.
Set the empty pot on its coals
until it becomes hot and its copper glows.
Then its impurity will melt within;
its rust will be consumed.
It has frustrated every effort;
its thick rust has not been removed,
even by the fire.
Because of the indecency of your uncleanness
I tried to cleanse you,
but you would not be purified
from your filthiness.
You will not be pure again
until My wrath against you has subsided.
I, the LORD, have spoken;
the time is coming, and I will act.
I will not refrain or show pity,
nor will I relent.
I will judge you
according to your ways and deeds,’
declares the Lord GOD.”
Ezekiel’s Wife Dies
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, behold, I am about to take away the desire of your eyes with a fatal blow. But you must not mourn or weep or let your tears flow. Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.”
So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And the next morning I did as I had been commanded.
Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things you are doing mean to us?”
So I answered them, “The word of the LORD came to me, saying: Tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I am about to desecrate My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the delight of your soul. And the sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.’
Then you will do as I have done: You will not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners. Your turbans will remain on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep, but you will waste away because of your sins, and you will groan among yourselves.
‘Thus Ezekiel will be a sign for you; you will do everything that he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’
And you, son of man, know that on the day I take away their stronghold, their pride and joy—the desire of their eyes which uplifted their souls—and their sons and daughters as well, on that day a fugitive will come and tell you the news. On that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped; you will speak and no longer be mute. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD.”