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FTER Ezekiel's vision of
Jerusalem, God gave him a very strange assignment. He had to pack a travel bag
and act as if he was going on a long journey. He was supposed to do it in broad
daylight. And, strangest of all, he was supposed to dig a hole through the wall
of his house through which we he was to exit (vs. 5). Oh, and he was supposed
to wear a blindfold (vs. 6). Evidently, he started this mission in the
daylight, but the sun was setting by the time the hole was completed. Finally,
Ezekiel was expected to eat bread and drink water as if he was a frightened and
starving child (vs. 18). How very odd.
Ezekiel's actions were an illustration to the
people of Jerusalem. They and their king were destined to take a hasty trip
too. The Chaldeans (that is, the Babylonians) were coming again to Jerusalem to
take captives. The blindfold on Ezekiel must have represented the blindness of
Zedekiah (perhaps not only the actual blindness that would result from
Nebuchadnezzar plucking out Zedekiah's eyes, but also the absolute spiritual
blindness of Zedekiah). No matter how many times Jeremiah the prophet explained
the situation to Zedekiah, he did not get it. Neither did his people. They
refused to surrender to the Babylonians (as God clearly demanded of them); even
resorting to cannibalism (rather than to obedience). It's a grim commentary on
how depraved and rebellious the hearts of God's people had become. Of course,
they would learn... eventually. Ezekiel
12:16 tells us that the survivors of this scenario would end up doing two good
things: 1. They would admit the specifics of their guilt (and even despise
their own sin), and 2. They would recognize (and also respect) the supreme
exclusivity of Jehovah as their rightful judge.
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