Introduction of Ezekiel 5
Ezekiel’s book is so named after the Lord’s servant Ezekiel, a priest and prophet to captives in Judah while they were in exile. His name means God is strong. Ezekiel was one of approximately three thousand exiles taken captive during Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon's first siege of Jerusalem. Jehoaichin, king of Judah, was also taken as an exile and was replaced with his uncle, Zedekiah, by Nebuchadnezzar. According to biblical scholars, Ezekiel had grown up in Palestine, near Jerusalem, and was taken into exile around 597 B.C. They also believe he was around twenty-five years old when he was exiled. Therefore, his first vision would have taken place nearly five years from that time.[1] However, God called him into the office of a prophet around age thirty.
The Lord called Ezekiel to minister to the exiles during Jerusalem’s most challenging time and when he would have ordinarily been entering his call to the priesthood.[2] Even though Ezekiel was away from Jerusalem and unchartered territory, the Lord showed that He was not limited by circumstances or geographical location and was still the God of Israel. Therefore, He is omnipresent, thus working whenever and wherever He deems fit.[3]
In Chapter 5, Ezekiel is instructed to cut off his beard and shave his hair as a sign of judgment to the residents still residing in Judah. While the book of Ezekiel is often considered a challenge to read for many people because of its language and extensive repetitive nature, it is important to take note of why the book was written, which was to warn the people of what they were to face due to a lack of repentance. Their false teachers had given them false hopes of security and had not spoken against the evil they had done due to their own self-interests. The false prophets encouraged the people to continue in their sins, thus the Lord had to send true prophets, such as Ezekiel to rebuke the people’s adultery against the Lord.[4]
God’s Razor of Judgment
[“Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber’s razor to shave your head and your beard. Then take a set of scales and divide up the hair” (Ezekiel 5:1).]
The Lord addressed Ezekiel as “son of man,” meaning that he was human, mortal, and not a god nor divine. Ezekiel’s name is rarely used in the book, and God does most of the talking, but the Lord has Ezekiel to do depictions for the people to understand His message.[5] The term son of man is used approximately 108 times in the Old Testament, of which 93 of those occurrences are in the book of Ezekiel. The distinction that the son of man establishes is a reminder of God’s omnipotence, thus superior to man’s humanity.[6] Son of man also describes man being made in the image and likeness of God. Nevertheless, Ezekiel was God’s agent and shofar, an instrument used to sound the alarm regarding the Lord’s judgment and will for His people. Although he had grown up in Judah, the Lord used him mightily in Babylon.[7]
The sharp sword to be used like a razor to shave Ezekiel’s head and beard was a sign of distress regarding God’s judgment and humiliation of the nation in terms of the coming food crisis and famine, various illnesses and diseases, forced displacement and relocation, and death by the sword.[8] By Ezekiel being both a priest and prophet, it was out of character for priests to shave their heads and cut their beards. More so, a sword was not the standard tool to use in cutting one’s hair, but this symbolized how the Lord was going to cut down the nation as a part of their judgment with the sword. Everyone who watched as Ezekiel did this must have been shocked to see a man of God operate in this fashion, possibly questioning his sanity and relationship with God. According to the Lord's ordinances, priests were forbidden to cut their hair or shave their beards. The Bible says: “They (the priests) shall not make any bald place on their heads, nor shall they shave the edges of their beards nor make any cuttings in their flesh” (Leviticus 21:5). God’s priests were not allowed to operate, dress, and behave as the people did. They were to be holy and set apart for the Lord’s work. They were to live by example and intercede on behalf of the people to God. Even so, the Lord had Ezekiel put aside the traditional ordinance to teach the nation how they had defiled themselves with sin.
If one were to study certain ancient cultures, such as the Greeks, one would find that women during the first century were considered prostitutes if they wore their hair short and/or shaved their heads. Most served in the Greek goddess’ temple, Aphrodite, with a portion of their earnings being given as an offering to this goddess.[9] Therefore, the Lord could have also used what Judah had known about some heathen customs to show in His reenactment through Ezekiel that He referred to them as a prostitute who had strayed away from her husband. This analogy or comparison was quite common for the Lord’s reference to Israel and Judah regarding their rebellion towards Him. The Bible says: “I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery” (Jeremiah 3:8). Israel and Judah had become spiritual prostitutes before the Lord. They had refused to be faithful in honoring their vows and covenant with the Lord. Their minds and hearts strayed from the Lord into the arms of heathen gods who could not hear, see, smell, or do anything for them. Therefore, Israel and Judah had been weighed in the balance and found wanting, thus giving reason for the Lord’s judgment.
Instructions Given to Ezekiel Regarding Division of Hair
[“When the days of your siege come to an end, burn a third of the hair inside the city. Take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city. And scatter a third to the wind. For I will pursue them with drawn sword. But take a few hairs and tuck them away in the folds of your garment. Again, take a few of these and throw them into the fire and burn them up. A fire will spread from there to all Israel” (Ezekiel 5:2-4).]
This enactment of dividing the hair into thirds, each coming to a different end, represented the various judgments that befell each group. Not everyone would receive the same judgment, but all would be horrible and have an undesirable end for those who had been disobedient. It took two years for Babylon to break through Judah’s walls and overtake it, but once he did, destruction was certain. King Zedekiah had rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar by unsuccessfully making an alliance with the king of Egypt despite the Lord’s warnings. However, three of the sections of divided hair represent some being punished by famine inside the city because they could not go outside the city’s walls to get food. Second was death by the sword, as those who tried to fight off the Babylonians would surely die in battle. Finally, they would be scattered and pursued by their enemies, with death being the final result for those who mistakenly thought they had escaped God’s judgment.
There was another set of hairs Ezekiel was told to put away in his garment. This enactment was a sign of the Lord’s protection towards His faithful remnant, but this did not mean that they would not go through challenges. Even so, they were under the Lord’s covering. However, some were later tossed into the fire and burned up, representing those who had not repented of their sins but were punished later. God’s judgment was purposeful and well-calculated.
The Lord Outlines His Charges Against Judah
[“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with countries all around her. Yet in her wickedness she has rebelled against my laws and decrees more than the nations and countries around her. She has rejected my laws and has not followed my decrees” (Ezekiel 5:5-6).]
Israel and Judah were supposed to be an example for all the other nations to follow.
Jerusalem was God's dedicated city for all to come and worship Him. It was His temple's location and where the Lord's glory was to dwell. Unfortunately, the Lord was angry with His people, for they had sinned far worse than their heathen neighbors. They knew what the Lord rquired, yet they allowed idolatry to enter their hearts. The Lord had repeatedly told them of His laws and decrees through His servants, but they failed to obey. For example, Leviticus 26 clearly outlines what the Lord expected.
A.) They were not to make idols, sacred high places, or worship any foreign gods (Leviticus 26:1).
God’s people lived in an idolatrous society. They had taken on the characteristics of the foreign nations throughout their time of being liberated from Egypt. Unfortunately, they had not turned from idolatry in their hearts even when they were not actively practicing it outwardly. Oftentimes, as their leaders went, so did the people. In other words, if the leader followed God, the people did too, but if the leader strayed, so did the people.
It is important that people have a relationship with God for themselves. No man or woman is to be worshiped regardless of how much trust you place in them because some people have turned their leaders into gods, with those same leaders not telling them the wiser. They will quote their leader before they quote the Word of God. They will call on their leader before they fall on their knees. They can see their leader doing wrong, but protect their name instead of holding them accountable. This is why there is a lot of idolatry inside and outside of the church. People are looking for a man instead of looking to the Son of Man. The Bible says: “Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?” (Isaiah 2:22). You are to follow God’s leaders as they follow God, but never allow them to become a god.
B.) They were to observe His sabbaths, feasts, and other holy days (Leviticus 26:2; 23:5-22).
The Lord told Israel to observe His weekly sabbaths, where they were to rest and worship Him. They were to observe His additional sabbaths, feasts, and holy days as reminders of the blessings He had bestowed upon them and their ancestors. Unfortunately, when Israel and Judah turned away from God, they also defied keeping His ordinances. However, observances of holy days did not make the people holy, for a festival without God is nothing more than a mere party. The Bible says: “I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps” (Amos 5:21-23). Was God being double-minded to give an ordinance for them to follow, only to reject it later? No! The Lord did not want their celebrations to be ceremonial without having a heart for Him.
For example, many people attend church but have failed to become the church. Leaders often preach to others, but the sermon has not taken root inside of them. Some profess to cast out demons while being a host to one. There are others who speak in tongues but fail miserably at controlling their own. Therefore, they are nothing more than church attendees because they have not become the true body of Christ. The Bible says: “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity” (Joel 2:13).
C.) They were to obey all the Lord’s decrees and commands (Leviticus 26:3).
Israel and Judah wanted to pick and choose which commands from the Lord they would follow, which included some leaders. For example, the Lord instructed King Saul, through the Prophet Samuel, to have him kill all the Amalekites as punishment for how they treated Israel when they left Egypt. Saul was not to leave anyone or anything alive, including man, woman, child, or beast. However, King Saul defied the Lord’s commands by taking the best of the animals for himself and his men and not killing the Amalekite king. Therefore, the Lord rejected Saul as king (1 Samuel 15).
The Lord would not have His people to pick and choose which of His decrees they would follow. Obedience to the Lord requires total submission to Him in all areas of one’s life. Therefore, when Israel and Judah disobeyed the Lord, He had to judge them for His righteousness to be established across the land. The Bible says: “In the path of your judgments, O Lord, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness” (Isaiah 26:8-9). This is similar to children who become defiant to their parents by selecting which rules they will and will not follow. The parents would be remiss if they failed to apply the appropriate corrective measures regarding their behavior. Only then would the children learn and understand that disobedience is not rewarded nor tolerated. It is the same way with God.
D.) In return, their land would be blessed with rain and crop growth, protection from enemies and wild beast, and they would increase in numbers (Leviticus 26:4-13). The Lord promised to be their God, and they would be His people.
The Lord did not want to punish His children but only wanted the best for them. He held out as long as He could to keep from totally destroying them. Unfortunately, there comes a time when God’s wrath will no longer be contained, and the judgments of the Lord will be poured out on mankind. Where there would have been blessings, curses abound. Only after the Lord’s wrath had been appeased would His mercy and grace once again be recognized amongst the nations.
Judah could not expect the blessings of God while refusing to be obedient to Him. They wanted to live like the devil but be blessed with the keys to the Kingdom. The Bible says: “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons” (1 Corinthians 10:21). Unfortunately, many are living their lives in the same manner today. They give the Lord part-time service but expect full-time benefits. They want to serve Him on the weekend but live like the devil during the week. Many pastors want to hoop and holler for a shout but are running on fumes and in a spiritual drought. Many Christians want to say the blessing is mine but refuse to give the Lord any of their time. The world wants to live life by “doing as thou wilt,” but dare anyone to challenge their ungodliness so they can live free from guilt. America says: “In God we trust,” but their words are as useless as a pot filled with rust. If only Judah had returned to the Lord. Similarly, if only this nation would return to the Lord.
The Lord Restates the Charges Against Judah
[“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: You have been more unruly than the nations around you and have not followed my decrees or kept my laws. You have not even conformed to the standards of the nations around you” (Ezekiel 5:7).]
Israel and Judah were to be holy, set apart from the rest of the world, and live as an example to the nations regarding the Lord’s mighty works and wonders. This is why the Lord sent prophets, such as Ezekiel, to proclaim His plans for His people, which included foretelling divine judgments when they drifted into idolatry. Therefore, one of the main genres of the prophets was to announce imminent or future disasters.[10] The heathen nations should have been able to look to Israel as an example of what the Lord would do for those who honored and obeyed Him. The Bible says: “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 14:12). Israel did not choose God, but He chose them. Therefore, when Israel worshiped pagan gods, shed innocent blood, sacrificed their children to Molech, and prostituted themselves to Baal, Asheroth, and other demonic gods, then their sins became worse than those of the heathen nations because they were supposed to know better. The Bible says: “But the one who did not know and did what deserved punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be expected” (Luke 12:48). Some people often question if God’s wrath is warranted due to being New Testament Christians. God’s wrath and judgments are always justified because He is holy and righteous, thus those who are His should live accordingly. The Lord’s plan for mankind is perfect, righteous, and holy just as He is, which is why He provided a plan of salvation, even before Jesus came, was for the sinner to repent and turn away from sin. Unfortunately, when Judah rejected God’s plan, they also repudiated His grace and mercy, thus incurring His divine judgments.
Similarly, Christians are to be ambassadors for Christ, but many commit the same sins as the world does. They live a compromised life and go along to get along in this sin-sick society. Churches have pastors who support homosexuality, believers shouting their abortions, couples swinging and watching porn, and children being molested and sex-trafficked, all in the church. America has been greatly blessed but has taken the Lord’s blessing for granted, thus bringing a curse upon herself. While some say, “Make America great again,” the Lord is wanting the people to return to Him. The prophets of old announced judgments through many woe speeches, but they also gave prophecies of salvation if the people would only turn from their wicked ways, just as the Lord has given to the people today.[11]
Declaration of Judgment
[“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself am against you, Jerusalem, and I will inflict punishment on you in the sight of the nations. Because of all your detestable idols, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again” (Ezekiel 5:8-9).]
The Lord was totally displeased with the unfaithfulness of His people. He wanted them to know that He alone was sovereign and no other god could compare. The Lord had been patient with His people, giving them time to repent from their sins, with the opportunity to return to Him and obey His decrees and ordinances. Yet, they persisted in their rebellion and committed lewd acts in front of the other nations. Therefore, the Lord would punish them in front of those same nations, with whom they bore no shame in allowing them to see their defiance and dishonor towards God. The Lord had dealt similarly with David when he took another man’s wife by allowing his son to sleep with his wives in broad daylight in front of others, thus showing that there were no secrets before the Lord that would not be revealed or reprised. The Bible says: “ This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel” (2 Samuel 12:11-12). Therefore, all of the curses that had been foretold would occur should Israel break their covenant with God had already begun, with more to come because God is a God of His word, and His jealousy and faithfulness demanded a righteous response.
The Punishment of Cannibalism
[ “Therefore in your midst parents will eat their children, and children will eat their parents. I will inflict punishment on you and will scatter all your survivors to the winds” (Ezekiel 5:10).]
The Lord had warned the Children of Israel during Moses’ day that if they should turn away from Him and not honor His decrees, one of the judgments they would face was cannibalism. The people were going to run out of food and be so starved that they would subject themselves to eating their own children and vice versa. The Bible says: “You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters” (Leviticus 26:29). This same judgment is repeated in Deuteronomy and Lamentations. The Bible says: “Because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege, you will eat the fruit of the womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters the Lord your God has given you” (Deuteronomy 28:53). This was a dreadful curse where one would eat another human being, especially their children, in a time of famine where starvation would cause one to lose their mind. Cannibalism embodied how dreadful sin had eaten away at the people, causing them to do unthinkable and immoral acts unheard of, thus exemplifying the horror of spiritual apostasy, degradation, and rebellion.
God never intended for man to become the meal of another human being. Many movies have been made for entertainment about such acts, but God never entertained the thought as a pleasurable experience. Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer, was a box office hit in the psychological thriller The Silence of the Lambs produced in 1991 with Sir Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster.[12] However, contrary to Hollywood’s view, man was created in the image of God, and his food, after the flood, was to consist of plants and animals, not people. Therefore, when God allowed cannibalism to occur with His people, this was a judgment that resulted from all other calls to repentance having failed.
The Lord Promises Vengeance
[“Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your vile images and detestable practices, I myself will shave you; I will not look on you with pity or spare you. A third of your people will die of the plague or perish by famine inside you; a third will fall by the sword outside your walls; and a third I will scatter to the winds and pursue with drawn sword” (Ezekiel 5:11-12).]
The people of God had humiliated themselves in front of Him and the other nations. Judah brought shame to His name because of their lifestyle that was contrary to the Lord’s desire for them. They not only worshiped their idols, but they were daring enough to bring their abominations into His temple. Therefore, the Lord made a promise to Himself that He would judge them. When the Lord has to swear against Himself, that is a sign that what He has said, He will do without hesitation because no one is greater than He. The Bible says: “When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself” (Hebrews 6:13).
The Lord did not want Judah to think that it was merely by happenstance calamity came upon them. He let them know that He was the One bringing the judgments against them because He is the Lord. He was not going to empathize with their plight nor show any pity on them because they showed no regard for Him nor His covenants. Their prophets were false, and their worship in the Lord’s temple was vile, distasteful, and a stench to His nostrils. Similarly, many Christians believe that the Lord will accept any type of service, worship, praise, or monetary seed, while they live in every evil manner before Him. However, God is not a God who will accept anything less than being in total submission to Him.
A true believer in Christ does not function on autopilot. God wants His children to be intentional in their worship to Him with the help of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual preparation is vital to growing spiritually and living faithfully in the Lord. Judah thought they could live successfully without the Lord, but they found out that nothing could be further from the truth. Pride, arrogance, and laziness does not work with the Lord, so He punished Judah with famine in the city that led to death, battle in the city that also led death, and those who thought they had escaped judgment also encountered death. The guilty reaped the reward of their defiance towards the Lord, and received their due penalty.
A Time Limit to the Lord’s Anger
[“Then my anger will cease and my wrath against them will subside, and I will be avenged. And when I have spent my wrath on them, they will know that I the Lord have spoken in my zeal” (Ezekiel 5:13).]
Judah had committed great sins against the Lord, and He was going to judge them accordingly. Sin can be defined as the absence of obeying God’s moral law in one’s actions, mindset, and character. Sin goes deeper than individual acts such as murder and theft, but any attitudes that are contrary to what God would have of us. Thus, not being in full submission to Him, even in the essence of who we are, leads to sin.[13] Yet, even God’s wrath, brought about because of their sins, would end once their punishment had been complete. Therefore, Ezekiel was to speak and warn Judah about God’s hatred of evil and idolatry, which would bring about His anger and fury. His judgments were to be a deterrent from a continuous lifestyle of sin and served to warn others not to follow down the same destructive path because the Lord is loving and gracious, but is also a God of justice, holiness, and righteousness.[14] The Bible says: “ ‘…I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:24b).
America has a day of reckoning coming just as Judah did. At the conclusion of the 2017 National Day of Prayer, Pastor Ann Graham Lotz mentioned twelve major sins that America has committed against the Lord, similar to Judah's.[15] Here is some of what she mentioned with some clarity for better understanding.
a.) America had been foolish in not recognizing God as the Creator, thus living as if there were no eternal consequences to the nation’s sins.[16]
b.) America has failed to fear the Lord, the beginning of wisdom, where knowledge without the Lord’s wisdom is foolish.[17]
c.) America has been foolish in crediting itself with its blessings instead of giving the Lord credit for its prosperity.[18]
d.) America has been arrogant in having faith in its military might instead of understanding that without God, there is no greatness.[19]
e.) America has foolishly surrendered itself to pluralism in the name of inclusivity instead of standing on the truth that there is only One True God.[20]
f.) America has taken pride in materialism instead of thanking the Lord for all its blessings.[21]
g.) America has a narcissistic spirit of entitlement instead of taking responsibility for its actions.[22]
h.) America believes its lust for wealth and prosperity produces happiness instead of acknowledging that joy comes from the Lord.[23]
i.) America has allowed its greed to cause the nation’s national debt to be trillions of dollars due to the belief in self-sufficiency and not God.[24]
j.) America is the greatest importer and exporter of pornography, drugs, alcohol, and more due to its addiction to pleasure and entertainment instead of relying on God.[25]
k.) America has an allergen to truth and would instead prefer to embrace falsehood from mainstream media, educational institutions, government, and more.[26]
l.) America has lost its moral compass due to having many idols, thus ignoring God’s law and embracing perverted justice, granting itself a license to sin.[27]
America has committed these sins and abuses plus much more against the Lord. Unfortunately, this nation refuses to repent and return to the Lord. Therefore, this nation can expect a fate similar to Judah's. The Bible says: “With a mighty voice he shouted: “’Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’ She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal” (Revelation 18:2).
A Mockery to the Surrounding Nations
[“I will make you a ruin and a reproach among the nations around you, in the sight of all who pass by. You will be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and an object of horror to the nations around you when I inflict punishment on you in anger and in wrath and with stinging rebuke. I the Lord have spoken” (Ezekiel 5:14-15).]
Judah had the idea that the Lord would never destroy the city because His temple was located there. However, the Lord was going to do exactly that because His temple was there, and they were to live righteously as a representation of who He is. However, the Lord was not wanting to dwell in just a building, He wanted them to allow Him to reign in their hearts, thus producing good fruit and works for all to see. Therefore, Judah should not have been unfamiliar with the Lord leaving them when they disobeyed Him. He had done it before during the days of Eli when his sons disrespected their roles as priests in the Lord’s temple. The Lord placed a curse on the house of Eli and allowed the Ark of the Covenant to be captured. The Bible says: “She named the boy Ichabod, saying, ‘The Glory has departed from Israel’—because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. She said, ‘The Glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured’ ” (1 Samuel 4:21-22). These were the words of Eli’s dying daughter-in-law and wife to his son Phinehas. The Lord was not playing then, and is not playing now, with the seriousness of being holy before Him.
The Lord told Judah that they would be a mockery before other nations just as they tried to make a mockery out of Him. The Lord’s judgments were going to be fierce because they had broken covenant with Him and did not adhere to the conditions He had made with their forefathers, ultimately themselves. Similarly, the nations will mock America who has become Babylon and is no longer a mystery, for she has defied the Lord and run after other gods. The Bible says: “When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!’ ” (Revelation 18:9-10). The Lord used Babylon as instruments of His justice just as He had with the Assyrians for Israel. God did not want any doubt in their minds that He was the One behind their calamities as a reward for their disobedience to Him and ignoring His true prophets.
The Judgment of Famine
[“ When I shoot at you with my deadly and destructive arrows of famine, I will shoot to destroy you. I will bring more and more famine upon you and cut off your supply of food. I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring the sword against you. I the Lord have spoken (Ezekiel 5:16-17)”]
Judah had knew of the destruction the Lord had brought upon Egypt when they defied Him by way of hail, locust, and even killing their firstborn sons. Therefore, the arrows of famine would destroy what limited food supply that had left within the city in various stages. The Lord was not a God who would share His worship with any other gods, so famine was one of the punishments they would receive as a result of their idolatry. This judgment would also bring out the wild beasts that would be looking for food to eat whatever or whomever they could find for food as part of their instinct for survival. Not only would Judah have to contend with wild beasts, but once Babylon broke through the city’s walls, they would come with a vengeance to put most of Judah to the sword.
There is a lot of talk about the nations going into World War Three (WWIII), but a nation without God cannot confidently fight a battle and win. America thinks that it can win battles with its own might, but nothing can be done without the Lord, just as it was with Judah. The Bible says: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance” (Psalm 33:12). Ezekiel told the exiles that they would have a future, but that future was solely dependent upon God and not of their own accord.[28] There is no great nation without the Lord, any nation that presumes to think they are, as with the United States, will find out differently because the Lord is God and the entire universe is under His control. Repentance is necessary for the Lord to continue His blessings upon a nation just as it was vital for Judah, but when there is a lack of genuine repentance, that nation will fall because the Lord reputation is at stake.[29]
Integration of Passage and Larger Message of Book
The Lord had made a covenant between Abraham and his descendants that they would have specific blessings based on their obedience to Him. Unfortunately, the nation did not maintain its covenantal relationship with the Lord, thus forfeiting the blessings He had intended for them. Instead, they had to go through God’s righteous judgments before restoration could take place to receive the divine promises He had in store for them.[30] So, how does this chapter tie in with the rest of the book?
First, God had chosen Ezekiel to be His mouthpiece to the people in captivity and Judah. Ezekiel’s prophetic tenure is entirely in the exile. His ministry differs from that of many other prophets because it was solely done while he was in captivity. The Lord gave Ezekiel visions and had him enact certain events that would transpire with the people due to their rebellion and later restoration. However, their later redemption was not based on their covenant with God, but His faithfulness and covenant with them for His name’s sake, which was part of a larger plan.[31] Therefore, when one reads Ezekiel 5, they can understand that God was making His sovereignty known throughout the nation.
Ezekiel 5 embodies the entire book by establishing the Lord as the only One to be worshipped and that rebellion was not going to be tolerated by Him. One can also see that Ezekiel’s call to be a watchman required obedience, even on His part, because Judah had become wicked due to the many false prophets who led them astray.[32] Even as the Lord referred to Ezekiel as son of man gave credence to his humanity and that he was a mere messenger, not to be uplifted as a god.[33] Ezekiel 5 outlines the charges the Lord had set forth against Judah, including idolatry in His temple. The Lord found it detestable that His people were acting worse than the heathen nations around them with their idolatrous practices. Judah figured they could sin, and it would go unpunished because the Lord’s temple was in their midst. However, the Lord was not as concerned about the temple as He was with dwelling in their temple. The Bible says: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Theological Reflection and Principles
The Lord gave instructions that Ezekiel had to follow to relay an important message to Judah. The various enactments Ezekiel was told to do had to be followed precisely as the Lord had given them. Therefore, the first thing that Judah’s leaders had to understand was the principle of obedience for both them and the people. One can see this reflected in the life of Jesus, who came as a servant and was obedient to God.[34] The Bible says: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8). No leader is higher than God nor should be exalted above Him. Therefore, humility was an important trait that Ezekiel had to have in his obedience to God, which was lacking both the leaders and people of Judah.
Second, judgment was to be proclaimed by Ezekiel as punishment for the people’s sins. Even though the Lord is gracious and merciful, He still requires His people to follow in total obedience as an example for the rest of the world. Babylon was not allowed to judge Israel because of their mighty military force, but Judah had broght judgment upon themselves, which enabled the Lord to use Babylon as His tool of judgment.[35] Even so, His judgments were not because of His hatred towards Judah, but they were to guide the people back to Him. After which, He would bless them, not because they deserved it, but because of who He is, for He did not want anyone to be destroyed, but had with deal with sin accordingly. The Bible says: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
A third thing to realize in this chapter is that the Lord did not just send judgment upon Judah without warning them. He was not obligated to give them advance notice regarding what was to come, but the Lord gave them a chance to repent and change in His mercy and grace. Even though there were going to be a remnant of survivors, even this was not an obligation for the Lord to divulge to them but He did so because of His love.[36] Therefore, the Lord told His prophet to provide them with His warning message. The Bible says: “Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). One can see that whenever the Lord sends a judgment, He will not have done so without having given words of warnings through His servants the prophets. One of the important things about the prophet was they had to be called by God.[37] Otherwise, they were operating independently and could lead the people astray, which took place in Israel and Judah.
Judah took for granted that there was wrath to God’s righteousness and justice. They failed to appreciate the standards He had established for them as a holy people, which would bring about judgments for failing to observe and obey them. Therefore, when Ezekiel was told to shave his head and beard, this was not something the Lord would have ordinarily told His priests to do as other cultures were known for doing.[38] On the contrary, this embodied the shame, distress, and humiliation that would befall them. Jesus suffered a similar humiliation when the people beat and mocked Him, but there was a difference because unlike Judah, Jesus was not guilty of any wrong doing. The Bible says: “I offered My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard. I did not hide My face from scorn and spittle” (Isaiah 50:6). It is one thing to suffer humiliation at the hands of others for something done wrong, but Jesus had done no wrong and bore the sins of mankind upon Himself in total humility and humiliation at the hands of others.
Application
The Lord chose Ezekiel to be a prophet during a challenging time for both those in exile and the ones still living in Judah. The people had fallen short of listening to the Lord through His prophets and became disobedient, defiant, and rebellious towards the Lord and His commands. One of the most important principles to be taken from Ezekiel 5 and the entire book is that God expects obedience. Many want His hand but do not want to obey His decrees. They misuse and abuse grace in an effort and excuse to live any way they want when the Lord wants His people to obey and follow Him wholeheartedly.
Within the United States, there is murder, disease, greed, sexual sins, and more that has become a stench to the Lord’s nose. This nation cannot be blessed and will forfeit future blessings without returning to the Lord. So, as with Judah, many judgments have already started with more to come because of this nations’s defiance against the Lord. Like Judah, many leaders fail to be watchmen on the wall and would rather prophesy about good times than to sound the alarm and warn the people of what is to come as outlined in Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation.
The Lord desires for His people to have hearts completely sold out for Him. Failure to do so will bring about the wrath of God as seen in the book of Ezekiel and prophesied for the book of Revelation. Time is short, and little is left to warn the nation, church, and world to repent and turn from evil. The Bible says: “As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion” (Hebrew 3:15).
[1] William S. LaSor, David A. Hubbard, and Frederic W. Bush, Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1996), 356-358.
[2] Martin Luther, Luther's Works (Philidelphia: Muhlenberg Press, 1960), 282-290.
[3] Leonard P. Maré, "Ezekiel, Prophet of the Spirit: רוח in the Book of Ezekiel," Old Testament Essays 31, no. 3 (2018): xx, doi:10.17159/2312-3621/2018/v31n3a9.
[4] Kathleen Rochester, "Grief in exile and the City of God," STJ | Stellenbosch Theological Journal 5, no. 1 (2020): 352-353, doi:10.17570/stj.2019.v5n1.a16.
[5] Hayyim Angel, "Ezekiel: priest--prophet," The Jewish Bible Quarterly 39, no. 1 (2011): 35, file:///C:/Users/evang/Downloads/retrieve-12.pdf.
[6] Alinda Damsma, "From Son of Man to Son of Adam—the Prophet Ezekiel in Targum Jonathan," Aramaic Studies 15, no. 1 (2017): 22-25, doi:10.1163/17455227-01501001.
[7] Jack R. Lundbom, The Hebrew Prophets: An Introduction (Mineapolis: Augsburg Fortress Publishing, 2010), 167.
[8] Iain M. Duguid, Ezekiel (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999), 99-100.
[9] Curtis E. Montier, "Let Her be Shorn: 1 Corinthians 11 and Femail Head Shaving in Antiquity," (PhD diss., University of North Texas , 2015).
[10] William W. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, and Jr. Robert L. Hubbard, Introduction to Biblical Interpretation (Zondervan Academic, 2017), 462-463.
[11] Klein, Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard, Biblical Interpretation, 464-465.
[12] The Silence of the Lambs, directed by Jonathan Demme. (1991; Hollywood, CA: Orion Pictures, 1991), Film.
[13] Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (New York: HarperCollins, 1994), 490-491.
[14] Ibid.
[15] Samuel Smith, "Anne Graham Lotz Confesses 12 'National Sins' of America at National Day of Prayer Observance," Christian Post | Christian News & Commentaries, last modified May 5, 2017, https://www.christianpost.com/news/anne-graham-lotz-confesses-12-national-sins-of-america-at-national-day-of-prayer-observance.html.
[16] Ibid.
[17] Smith, "National Sins."
[18] Ibid.
[19] Ibid.
[20] Ibid.
[21] Ibid.
[22] Ibid.
[23] Ibid.
[24] Ibid.
[25] Smith, "National Sins."
[26] Ibid.
[27] Ibid.
[28] C. A. Strine, "The Role of Repentance in the Book of Ezekiel: A Second Chance for the Second Generation," The Journal of Theological Studies 63, no. 2 (2012): 467-468, doi:10.1093/jts/fls064.
[29] Ibid.
[30] Daniel I. Block, Beyond the River Chebar: Studies in Kingship and Eschatology in the Book of Ezekiel (Eugene: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2013), 32-34.
[31] Hayyim Angel, "Ezekiel: priest--prophet," The Jewish Bible Quarterly 39, no. 1 (2011): 35-36, file:///C:/Users/evang/Downloads/retrieve-12.pdf.
[32] William H. Brownlee, "Ezekiel's Parable of the Watchman and the Editing of Ezekiel," Vetus Testamentum 28, no. 4 (1978): 392, doi:10.2307/1517473.
[33] Alinda Damsma, "From Son of Man to Son of Adam—the Prophet Ezekiel in Targum Jonathan," Aramaic Studies 15, no. 1 (2017): 22-23, doi:10.1163/17455227-01501001.
[34] Landon Dowden, Exalting Jesus in Ezekiel (Nashville: Holman Reference, 2015), 27-31.
[35] Pieter De Vries, "The presence of YHWH in exile according to the Book of Ezekiel, with special reference to the meaning of the expression מִקְדָּ֣שׁמְעַט in Ezekiel 11:16," Old Testament Essays 31, no. 1 (2018): 2, doi:10.17159/2312-3621/2018/v31n1a13.
[36] Michael A. Lyons, "Out of the (Model) City, into the Fire: The Meaning of Ezekiel 5:3–4," Journal of Biblical Literature 138, no. 3 (2019): 605-610, doi:10.1353/jbl.2019.0036.
[37] Jack R. Lundbom, The Hebrew Prophets: An Introduction (Mineapolis: Augsburg Fortress Publishing, 2010), 9.
[38] Curtis E. Montier, "Let Her be Shorn: 1 Corinthians 11 and Femail Head Shaving in Antiquity," (PhD diss., University of North Texas , 2015).
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