Ezekiel Acts Out Going into Exile
Study note
God told Ezekiel to pack a bag as if going on a journey, then dig through the wall of his house in the evening and carry his things out on his shoulder with his face covered. The exiles had 'eyes to see but did not see,' meaning they heard the warnings but did not believe them. This dramatic act was meant to get their attention and show them what was about to happen to the people still in Jerusalem.
1 The Lord spoke to me again. The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying,
2 "Son of man, you live among a population of rebels. They have perfectly good eyes but refuse to see, and perfectly good ears but refuse to hear, all because of their rebellious hearts." Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.
3 "So, son of man, pack up your belongings as if you are being sent into exile. Do it during the daytime while they watch. Move your things from your house to another location. Maybe they will get the message, even though they are so rebellious." Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house.
4 "Bring out your packed bags during the day while they look on, as if preparing for exile. Then that evening, leave while they watch, like a captive being marched away." Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing: and thou shalt go forth at even in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity.
5 "Break a hole through the wall while they are looking, and carry your belongings out through it." Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.
6 "As they watch, hoist your bags onto your shoulder and carry them out at dusk. Cover your face so you cannot see the ground. I am making you into a living illustration for the people of Israel." In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.
7 I followed every instruction precisely. During the day I brought out my bags, packed as if for exile. That evening I broke through the wall with my bare hands. At dusk I carried everything out on my shoulder, before everyone. And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the even I digged through the wall with mine hand; I brought it forth in the twilight, and I bare it upon my shoulder in their sight.
The Meaning: Zedekiah's Failed Escape
Study note
God explained that this sign was about King Zedekiah, the 'prince in Jerusalem.' Just as Ezekiel dug through a wall and covered his face, Zedekiah would try to escape through the city wall at night. But God would catch him in a net and bring him to Babylon, where he would die without ever seeing the land. This prophecy was fulfilled exactly: Zedekiah was captured, blinded by Nebuchadnezzar, and taken to Babylon, so he went to Babylon but never saw it.
8 The next morning the Lord spoke to me. And in the morning came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,
9 "Son of man, did those rebellious Israelites ask you, 'What are you doing?'" Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou?
10 "Give them this answer. The Lord God says -- this word is for the prince in Jerusalem. It is for all Israel's people living there." Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them.
11 "Tell them, 'I am a living picture of what will happen to you. Everything I acted out will happen to them. They will be dragged away as prisoners into exile.'" Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove and go into captivity.
12 "Their prince will throw his belongings over his shoulder at twilight and sneak away. Others will dig a hole through the wall so he can escape. He will cover his face because he will never see this land again." And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.
13 "I will throw my net over him, and he will get tangled in my trap. I will haul him off to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans -- yet he will never see it with his own eyes. That is where he will die." My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.
14 "All his advisors and soldiers I will scatter to the four winds, and I will pursue them with a drawn sword." And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them.
15 "I will scatter them among the nations. I will spread them across many lands. Then they will know that I am the Lord." And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries.
16 "I will preserve a handful of them from war, famine, and disease. They will be able to openly confess all their disgusting sins to the foreigners among whom they live. Then those nations will understand that I am the Lord." But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
Eating and Drinking with Fear
Study note
God told Ezekiel to eat his food with trembling and drink his water with anxiety. This was another acted-out sign showing how the people of Jerusalem would eat in fear as their city was destroyed and their land was stripped bare because of their violence.
17 The Lord spoke to me again. Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
18 "Son of man, eat your food with trembling hands and drink your water shaking with nervousness." Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness;
19 "Then announce to the people: The Lord God says this about those living in Jerusalem in the land of Israel. They will eat with gnawing worry and drink with total despair. The violence of the people living there will cause everything to be stripped from the land." And say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.
20 "The thriving cities will be leveled and the land left barren. Then you will grasp that I am the Lord." And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
God's Word Will Not Be Delayed
Study note
The people had a popular saying: 'The days go by and every vision fails.' They believed the prophets' warnings would never come true. God said he would put an end to this saying. There would be no more false visions or flattering predictions. Whatever God spoke would happen soon, not in the distant future as the people assumed. In the people's own lifetime, God's word would be fulfilled.
21 The Lord gave me another message. And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
22 "Son of man, what is this popular saying that keeps going around Israel? People are saying, 'Time drags on and on, but none of these prophecies ever come true.'" Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?
23 "Tell them the Lord God says: I am putting an end to that saying once and for all. No one in Israel will ever repeat it. Instead, tell them, 'The time is near when every prophecy will be fulfilled.'" Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.
24 "Fake visions will be no more among Israel. Feel-good lies will end." For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.
25 "I am the Lord. When I say something, it happens -- no delays. During your own lifetime, you rebellious people, I will speak and immediately follow through, says the Lord God." For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD.
26 The Lord spoke to me once more. Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
27 "Son of man, the Israelites are saying, 'The things he sees in his visions are about the far-off future. He is prophesying about events that will not happen for ages.'" Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.
28 "So tell them the Lord God says: There will be no more waiting. Everything I have declared is about to happen, says the Lord God." Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.