Chapter 24

This chapter is titled "The Siege of Jerusalem" in the ESV.

Has a time stamp. 

1 In the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. [Eze 24:1-2 ESV]

Seems to be dated from the time of Ezekiel's captivity.  It says this day - 9th year, 10th month, 10th day.  The "very day" that the king of Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem.  Per MSB, this was January 15, 588 BC.  The siege would last 18 months.

A parable is presented, of a pot on a fire, with water and choice cuts of meat and bones thrown in.  A meal prepared.  A cooking pot.  This represents Jerusalem as the siege begins.  God has gathered them, confined them, and now the fire will be applied.  The phrase "Woe to the bloody city" shows up.  MSB has explanatory notes here.  This is a pronouncement against Israel's sin, her open sin that disregards God's presence.  The "soup" is going to be boiled away, and then the bones left in the dry pot will be charred to ash also.  This is the picture of the siege.  This verse:

12 She has wearied herself with toil; its abundant corrosion does not go out of it. Into the fire with its corrosion! 13 On account of your unclean lewdness, because I would have cleansed you and you were not cleansed from your uncleanness, you shall not be cleansed anymore till I have satisfied my fury upon you. 14 I am the LORD. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; I will not spare; I will not relent; according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord GOD." [Eze 24:12-14 ESV]

This is Jerusalem's judgment.  No quarter to be given.  All God's judgment will be poured out.  This happens again in 70 AD.  Perhaps it is what Hitler was about, and perhaps the judgment on Israel continues to the present time.  It will happen also at the end of the world.  Instead of just a city, God's judgment will be poured out on the whole world.  Because of the "Age of the Gentiles", at the end, it won't just be Israel that is judged.  In fact, at that time, they will be brought home to the Holy City.  The Gentiles of the world will be judged at the end. 

2023 - Just look at vs 14:

14 I am the LORD. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; I will not spare; I will not relent; according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord GOD." [Eze 24:14 ESV].  If someone said this to you, would you think they were just joking around, or as serious as cancer?  Naturally, he states his intent seven times to show that there is no changing.  This judgment is divine, this judgment is seven.

(((Oh my...Consistency.  Equal justice.  If Gentiles get to partake of the blessing, they are also subject to the wrath if they reject the one who offers the covenant. 

Revelation is about the wrath of God to Gentiles - or more accurately, to those not part of the church - concurrent with the restoration of Israel, since at that time, they will have served their full sentence!!!  They are still serving the sentence God pronounced on them 586 BC!  At the end of Revelation, both the faithful of Israel, and the faithful church will receive their rewards.  Israel will be seated as guests at the marriage supper of the Lamb, where Christ will wed His bride, the Church.  All together, all united, all looking to the Lamb of God as Savior!!!)))

2022 - I want to re-emphasize the building wrath of God in this verse:

14 I am the LORD. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; I will not spare; I will not relent; according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord GOD." [Eze 24:14 ESV]

I have spoken, I will do it, I will not turn back, I will not spare, I will not relent.  YOU WILL BE JUDGED!!!  His stated intention, His resolve to begin now, His commitment to completion, His impartiality in action, His immunity to the horror.

A possible FB post some day.

Vs 15 begins a new section titled "Ezekiel's wife dies".

It starts this way:

16 "Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down. [Eze 24:16 ESV]  Ezekiel must have adored his wife.  Perhaps her love was a great comfort to him when he was unpopular with the elders of Israel.  And she will die, suddenly, without pain...and he is not to cry for her.  Now that is a hard order.

2023 - Only God can know why this was the "best" of all the options, just as the death of Christ was the best of al the options.  In Jesus' case, nothing else could have sufficed.  I choose to believe that the case here was the same.  Nothing else could have made the point, and the point was important to make even at a very high cost.

Ezekiel does as he is told.  The people don't understand why he is behaving this way, and they ask him to explain.  He says that his behavior is a foretelling of how they are to behave when Jerusalem falls.  The sanctuary - the pride of their power, the delight of their eyes, and also the sons and daughters they left behind in Jerusalem - will be profaned.  This verse:

23 Your turbans shall be on your heads and your shoes on your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but you shall rot away in your iniquities and groan to one another. [Eze 24:23 ESV]

The grief of individual lives lost - Ezekiel's wife, and the children of the exiles - pale to nothing in comparison to the "universal" grief at the fall of Jerusalem and the Temple of the God of Israel.  AND, the further significance is that Ezekiel is telling them what the future holds, so that when it happens that way, THEY WILL KNOW that God is the Lord!

2020-Also I see here that Ezekiel is not to mourn for his wife, nor the people for the sanctuary, because God is not going to mourn for Jerusalem.  She was "the delight of His eyes", as in vs. 16, but He will not mourn.  Never mourn God's justice.  It will always be preceded by inhuman patience, forgiveness, infinite chances...but ultimately, there will be justice.  To nations as wells as to me.

A messenger will come with the devastating news that Jerusalem has fallen.  From then until add'l captives arrive, Ezekiel would be silent.  No longer any need to speak of judgment of Jerusalem, because it would then be in the past.  This per MSB, and it says the silence lasted about two years..