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September 4th

The bible reading today is in Ezekiel 24-27.

Some of the reading is about God’s judgment upon Judah and Israel. Most of the reading concerns God’s judgment upon several foreign nations that applauded the destruction that Babylon brought upon Judah.

Now to the text...“The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke;

God was telling Ezekiel that his wife (the delight of his life) was about to die. It’s one thing for God to tell Ezekiel that someone else's wife was going to die back in Jerusalem in the months to come. It must have been a far harder message to receive about his “own wife” who was going to die tomorrow night.

Warren Wiersbe observed that a least in some way the wife of a prophet was attached to his mission and message.

Sarah trusted God even when her husband, Abraham, struggled with faith. Abraham would be called, later in life, the Father of the faithful...and I'll bet that he gave credit for that tribute to his wife.

Ezekiel’s wife made the trek to Babylon with her husband. I would venture to say that Ezekiel loved his wife very much as they did life together in Babylon. Why do I think that? Because God was going to use their relationship in life and death to foreshadow a hard prophetic truth.

“Your wife is going to die tomorrow...” “yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down.

Moses forbade his brother, Aaron, to mourn over the death of his two sons. It was indeed a unique situation. Otherwise, weeping and mourning was a common and accepted practice among God’s children.

Same in the day of Ezekiel. When God commanded the prophet not to weep, not to shed tears over the death of his wife, it was a unique situation. God had a message for his people. And Ezekiel and his wife’s death and funeral would be the visual aid.

“Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. Ezekiel was not forbidden to be sorrowful. Even Jesus wept at the grave of Lazarus, but the prophet would not be allowed to be overly demonstrative and manifest any loud wailing as was customary.

“Bind on your turban, and put your shoes on your feet;” Go to the funeral like you would be going to work...working with Me and for Me and My people. Do not cover your lips, because I have a message I want you to deliver to My children...“And on the next morning, I did as I was commanded. “

O friends, see how obedience must be yielded by us to our Savior God? Especially when the duties are difficult?

And the people said to Ezekiel...“Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting so strangely?”

So Ezekiel spoke “Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword.”

‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭24:15-19, 21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Ezekiel had a proper affection and confidence and satisfaction in his wife. But Judeans, those in exile and those left in Jerusalem, had a very improper relationship with the Temple.

And because the people loved the Temple’s presence and promise more than the God who dwelled with them. Because the Temple had become the pride, delight, and the soul desire of the people, rather than God Himself...God was going to destroy it suddenly and completely. And you won't have tears to mourn.

O Lord protect us from placing our confidence and our love and our satisfaction in things other than You.

Have a great day