September 4: Ezekiel 24-27

September 4, Ezekiel 24-27

Ezekiel continued…

Ezekiel 24 a chapter of losses. First is the siege of Jerusalem because of their idolatrous ways. God referred to Jerusalem as a bloody city and God was bringing a cleansing fire upon them… Babylon began to seize Jerusalem. 

Second, God told Ezekiel that He was about to take from Ezekiel the delight of his eyes - his wife. Here is the tough caveat - Ezekiel is told by God that he cannot even weep for her loss or mourn. Ezekiel went and told the people about what was to happen, and sure enough that night his wife died. Ezekiel obeyed God. This was another physical sign to God’s people that their beloved Jerusalem was to be taken away from them.

Ezekiel 25 Ezekiel is told by God to prophesy against Judah’s neighbors. All four surrounding nations loved that Judah had fallen and they rejoiced over God’s sanctuary being profaned. Because they rejoiced in the falling of Judah, God is going to stretch out His hand against them and destroy them. Even though God was disciplining His people, He was against those that were against Judah.

Ezekiel 26 is a prophecy and vision against Tyre. They were really devoted to their false gods, especially the Baal worship of Jezebel. Tyre was a powerful port city full of wealth and splendor, but infiltrated with idolatry. God was against them. God was going to use the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar to destroy them. This was going on the same time that Judah was being taken over. God will lay Tyre to waste.

Ezekiel 27 God then told Ezekiel to raise a lamentation over Tyre. They were an arrogant people in a beautiful land. In spite of all their beauty and wealth, they were about to be submerged by God. Ezekiel used a merchant ship as an analogy with Tyre - a wealthy merchant ship, that is to have a tragic loss at sea. Tyre is doomed…

To sum it all up: 

• My heart aches for what Ezekiel had to go through. As I ponder that, can you imagine what God had to go through (and still goes through) because of His people intentionally going against Him?
• God was going to do what God said He would do…