Ezekiel 4 reminds me of the power of
symbols. The mere sight of the Nazi swastika evokes powerful
emotions of hatred, the horrors of war and bigotry. Very few today
do not know the history associated with that symbol. What about the
symbols of good? In today’s chapter God makes Ezekiel himself a
symbol to the Jews in exile. It is important to point out that
Ezekiel is willing to humble himself to be used by God. While we
sometimes grumble about being inconvenienced for an hour or exposing
our appearance of goodness, we see the prophet’s trust in God’s
plan. The chapter begins, “son of man, take a
block of clay… draw the city of Jerusalem on it“.
This Babylonians used clay tablets to write on, since paper was
scarce. The directions continue, “Lay siege to it… set
up camps against it and put battering rams around it“.
He created a model of what the Jews now in captivity had lived
through. And He continues, “Take an iron pan, place it
as an iron wall between you and the city and turn your face toward
it… you shall besiege it. This will be a sign to the people of
Israel“. Perhaps this image
represented that God was watching, but would not interfere with the
Babylonian invasion. Don’t think for a minute that God is unaware
of your situation, though He may not prevent the lesson.
Next
Ezekiel is given odd physical actions to help preach a message.
“Then lie on your left side… You are to bear
their sin for the number of days you lie on your side… the same
number of days as the years of their sin. So for 390 days you will
bear the sin of the people of Israel“.
Laying down doesn’t seem too tough until you consider the many
places you would not want to lay down, not to mention doing it for 13
months. “After you have finished this, lie down again,
this time on your right side, and bear the sin of the people of
Judah… 40 days, a day for each year… with bared arm prophesy
against her. I
will tie you up with ropes… until you have finished the days of
your siege“. Is it really so hard to
speak to someone, smile, or go a few blocks out of your way?
The
live action lessons conclude with a final picture of submission.
Ezekiel was to mix grains, store them in jars and “them
to make bread for yourself… eat it during the 390 days you lie on
your side“. God rationed him to 8
ounces of bread and two pints of water per day, just enough to
survive. There is one very important instruction Ezekiel refuses.
To demonstrate the depth of scarcity the besieged people would fall,
God said, bake the bread “in the sight of the people,
using human excrement for fuel… In this way the people of Israel
will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them“.
The prophet has a clear line he will not pass, “I have
never defiled myself… No impure meat has ever entered my mouth“.
We must be very careful that we make very clear lines we cannot
cross in the name of ministry. God is not honored when we allow our
behavior to break the non-negotiables. Today, there is no more
powerful symbol of sacrificial love than the Cross. “For
the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God…
we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and
foolishness to Gentiles… the foolishness of God is wiser than human
wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength”
(1 Corinthians Chapter1). Are you willing to represent sacrificial
love in your life picture?