CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Ezekiel 24
Chapter 24 of 48
Chapter Overview
What happens in Ezekiel 24
On the very day the siege of Jerusalem begins, God tells Ezekiel a parable about a rusty cooking pot that cannot be cleaned. Then God tells Ezekiel that his wife will die, and he must not mourn publicly. This is a sign of the grief the people will feel when the temple is destroyed.
Scripture
Ezekiel 24
The Rusty Pot
Study note
God told Ezekiel to record the exact date, because on that very day the king of Babylon began his siege of Jerusalem, hundreds of miles away. God compared Jerusalem to a cooking pot filled with the best pieces of meat. But the pot was so rusted that even boiling could not clean it. The rust represented the city's bloodshed and sin. God would empty the pot piece by piece and then heat it until even the rust burned away. Jerusalem's sin was so deep that no normal cleansing could fix it.
1 During the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day, the Lord's message came to me. Again in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 "Son of man, write down today's exact date. The king of Babylon has launched his assault on Jerusalem this very day." Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this same day: the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day.
3 "Give this rebellious people a word picture. Tell them the Lord God says: Set a cooking pot on the fire. Fill it with water." And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Set on a pot, set it on, and also pour water into it:
4 "Put in the finest cuts of meat -- the thigh and the shoulder. Pack it full of the best bones." Gather the pieces thereof into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones.
5 "Select the best animals from the flock. Stack firewood underneath. Bring the pot to a rolling boil and cook the bones thoroughly." Take the choice of the flock, and burn also the bones under it, and make it boil well, and let them seethe the bones of it therein.
6 "So the Lord God says: What disaster awaits this blood-soaked city! What disaster for this corroded pot that cannot be scrubbed clean! Pull out the pieces randomly, without sorting them." Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it.
7 "The blood this city spilled is still there for all to see. It was poured out on exposed rock, not on the ground where dirt could cover it up." For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust;
8 "To stoke my fury and bring my vengeance, I placed that blood on bare rock where nothing could hide it." That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance; I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered.
9 "So the Lord God says: What disaster awaits this blood-stained city! I will pile the firewood even higher." Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire great.
10 "Stack on the logs and light the blaze. Cook the meat thoroughly. Add the spices and let the bones char." Heap on wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burned.
11 "Then set the empty pot back on the hot coals until it glows red. This will melt away what is dirty inside and burn off the rust." Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that the brass of it may be hot, and may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it, that the scum of it may be consumed.
12 "Every attempt to clean this pot has been useless. Its thick corrosion will not come off, not even in the fire." She hath wearied herself with lies, and her great scum went not forth out of her: her scum shall be in the fire.
13 "Your uncleanness is your shameful behavior. I tried to purify you, but you refused to be purified. So you will stay unclean until my fury against you has been fully satisfied." In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee.
14 "I, the Lord, have spoken. The time to act is now. I will not hold back, show pity, or change my mind. Your behavior and choices will determine your judgment, says the Lord God." I the LORD have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord GOD.
The Death of Ezekiel's Wife
Study note
God told Ezekiel that his wife, 'the delight of his eyes,' would die suddenly. But Ezekiel was not allowed to mourn publicly, cry loudly, or follow the normal mourning customs. He could only groan quietly. His wife died that evening, and the next morning he did as God had commanded. This was a sign: when news of the temple's destruction reached the exiles, they would be so stunned that they would not be able to mourn normally either.
15 The Lord spoke to me. Also the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
16 "Son of man, I am about to suddenly take from you the person you love most. But you must not mourn, cry, or shed a single tear." Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.
17 "You may groan quietly, but do not go through the normal rituals of mourning. Keep your turban on and your sandals on your feet. Do not cover the lower part of your face, and do not eat the food mourners traditionally eat." Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men.
18 That morning I spoke God's message to the people, and that evening my wife died. The following morning I did exactly as God had instructed. So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.
19 The people asked me, "Tell us what this means for us. Why are you behaving this way?" And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?
20 I answered, "The Lord gave me a message." Then I answered them, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
21 "Tell the people of Israel that the Lord God says: I am about to ruin my own temple. It is the place you are most proud of. It is the joy of your eyes and the thing your hearts love most. Your sons and daughters left behind in Jerusalem will be killed by the sword." Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword.
22 "And you will respond exactly the way I did. You will not cover the lower part of your face or eat mourner's food." And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.
23 "You will keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not grieve or weep openly. Instead, you will slowly waste away under the weight of your sins, groaning among yourselves." And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward another.
24 "Ezekiel will serve as your example. Everything he did, you will also do. When all of this happens, you will recognize that I am the Lord God." Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel Will Speak Again
Study note
God told Ezekiel that on the day he received news from a survivor that the temple had been destroyed, his mouth would be opened and he would no longer be silent. The period of restricted speech that began in chapter 3 would end. Ezekiel would be a sign to the people, and they would know that he was a true prophet of the Lord.
25 "Son of man, a day is coming. I will take away their fortress. It is their pride and joy. It is the delight of their eyes. I will also take their sons and daughters." Also, thou son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their minds, their sons and their daughters,
26 "on that very day, a survivor will arrive to bring you the news." That he that escapeth in that day shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine ears?
27 "When that happens, your mouth will be opened and you will speak freely to the survivor. You will no longer be mute. You will be a living sign for them, and they will know that I am the Lord." In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
Key Themes
Themes in Ezekiel 24
The siege beginsJerusalem as a rusty potEzekiel's personal lossJudgment cannot be avoided
Apply This Today
Living Ezekiel 24
When Ezekiel's wife died and God told Him not to mourn publicly, it became a sign to the people about the grief that was coming. Sometimes our personal suffering becomes part of a bigger story. Even in our deepest pain, God can work through us to reach others.
Go Deeper
Study Ezekiel in Covenant Path
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