Today we read some more of Ezekiels prophecies to the nation. Many of these messages had some strange imagery.... “And now, son of man, take a large clay brick and set it down in front of you. Then draw a map of the city of Jerusalem on it. Show the city under siege. Build a wall around it so no one can escape. Set up the enemy camp, and surround the city with siege ramps and battering rams. Ezekiel 4:1-2 “Now lie on your left side and place the sins of Israel on yourself. You are to bear their sins for the number of days you lie there on your side. I am requiring you to bear Israel’s sins for 390 days—one day for each year of their sin. After that, turn over and lie on your right side for 40 days—one day for each year of Judah’s sin. Ezekiel 4:4-6 Now go and get some wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and emmer wheat, and mix them together in a storage jar. Use them to make bread for yourself during the 390 days you will be lying on your side. Ration this out to yourself, eight ounces of food for each day, and eat it at set times. Then measure out a jar of water for each day, and drink it at set times. Prepare and eat this food as you would barley cakes. While all the people are watching, bake it over a fire using dried human dung as fuel and then eat the bread.” Ezekiel 4:9-1 Ezekiels unusual actions symbolically portrayed the fate of Jerusalem. He lay on his left side for 390 days to show that Israel would be punished for 390 years; then he lay on his right side for 40 days to show that Judah would be punished for 40 years. Ezekiel was not allowed to move, symbolizing the fact that the people of Jerusalem would be imprisoned within the walls of the city. We know that Ezekiel did not have to lie on his side all day because these verses tell of other tasks God asked him to do during this time. The small amount of food he was allowed to eat represented the normal ration provided to those living in a city under siege by enemy armies. The food that was to be cooked over dried human dung was a symbol of Judahs spiritual uncleanness. Im sure most people saw these spectacles and, in the process, heard Ezekiels occasional speeches. Moving along in the reading we come to more prophecy from Jeremiah. The Lord told Jeremiah to.... “Make a yoke, and fasten it on your neck with leather straps. Then send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon through their ambassadors who have come to see King Zedekiah in Jerusalem. Give them this message for their masters: ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: With my great strength and powerful arm I made the earth and all its people and every animal. I can give these things of mine to anyone I choose. Now I will give your countries to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control. All the nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until his time is up. Then many nations and great kings will conquer and rule over Babylon. So you must submit to Babylon’s king and serve him; put your neck under Babylon’s yoke! I will punish any nation that refuses to be his slave, says the Lord. I will send war, famine, and disease upon that nation until Babylon has conquered it. “‘Do not listen to your false prophets, fortune-tellers, interpreters of dreams, mediums, and sorcerers who say, “The king of Babylon will not conquer you.” They are all liars, and their lies will lead to your being driven out of your land. I will drive you out and send you far away to die. But the people of any nation that submits to the king of Babylon will be allowed to stay in their own country to farm the land as usual. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”Jeremiah 27:2-11 The Lord had decided that Judah needed to be corrected. He had sent them prophets and lessons along the way, but nothing seemed to ever get through to them. He was now telling them that although King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was their enemy, they needed to be under his rule. It was a lesson He needed them to learn. In this, we see that God can use the most unlikely people and situations to accomplish His Will. In this case He was using Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. This doesnt mean that Nebuchadnezzar was doing something good. He was conquering the nations just as all tyrants do, but God was using this as a tool to achieve His Purposes. Political leaders have fallen and risen throughout the ages. We may not be happy with the leaders we have, but the truth is, God allows those people to rule, not necessarily because they are good, or because theyd even be good for the nation, but for His own purposes.
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 05:00:02 +0000
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