Ezekiel 5:1-4
God called Ezekiel to another sign-act to symbolize the judgement before the people, particularly the fall of Jerusalem and scattering of the people of Judah. Shaving with a sword would certainly be awkward, but God specifically called for a sword as a symbol of how this would come. God's wrath would be poured out, in part, by the sword. Shaving wasn't a normal part of grooming in those days. It was done in mourning; forced shaving was done to humiliate someone. God was about to bring the nation to humiliation for her sin.
The hair was to placed on scales and weighed out evenly. This parallels some Babylonian practices of magic. It's not clear why this is important other than the precision of the prophecy conveys that this judgment is a forgone conclusion.
- 1/3 were burned with fire in the midst of the city
- 1/3 were to be scattered around the city and struck with the sword (promised in Lev 26:25).
- 1/3 were to be scattered in the wind
The scattering to the wind may have offered hope to some, but that was not to be allowed. A sword would be drawn against those. A small number gathered in the fold of the garment, again may have offered a brief hope. Yet the intention was to show it as a hopeless situation apart from Christ. From the fold, more would be thrown into the fire.
Ezekiel 5:5-10
The Lord said this was Jerusalem. The wickedness, done in rebellion, was worse than the unbelieving nations around Judah. Even the ungodly had higher standards of morality and spirituality and faithfulness. The disobedience was multiplied. The abominations were sacrilegious, unholy, unrighteous, impure standards of God. Because of this the Lord set His face against them and He would execute judgment, doing what He'd never done and would never do again. These judgments included cannibalism (Lev 26:29; Deut 28:53)
Ezekiel 5:11-12
Idolatry polluted the temple. It was defiled by ceremonial uncleanness by the priests who were to maintain it. The detestable things and abominations were nearly the same. Not only were they were worshiping the right God the wrong way; they were also worshiping the wrong gods in the same way and place. Because of this and the repeated, ignored calls for repentance, they would be diminished in God's eyes. They would not be spared, nor would there be pity for them.
- 1/3 would die by pestilence and famine
- 1/3 would die by the sword all around them
- 1/3 scattered to the winds from which the sword would pursue them.
See also Zechariah 13:8-9.
Ezekiel 5:13-17
I can imagine the people of Judah waiting patiently for God's venting to end, and then hear how much he loves them and will fix it all. While the false prophets were speaking similar messages, no one listening to God's warnings heard this. The Lord repeated warned and called them and sought after them, yet they turned away and rebelled. They would serve as a lesion to the nations who witnessed this. Judah would draw reproach, taunting and astonishment as they stood as a testimony to the nations. The plagues of judgment would fall on them in famine, pestilence, wild beasts and the sword.
©2019 Doug Ford
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