Ezekiel Chapter 24
Ezekiel 24
The Death of the Prophet’s Wife
Ezekiel 24 marks a major turning point in the book. On the very day that Nebuchadnezzar began the final siege of Jerusalem, the LORD told Ezekiel to record the date and proclaim a parable of a boiling cauldron. Jerusalem was the pot, the people were the meat, and the fire beneath it was the judgment of God. The city’s bloodguilt and corruption had not been cleansed, so the LORD would make the fire great until both the contents and the pot itself were consumed. The second half of the chapter becomes intensely personal: God tells Ezekiel that his wife, the desire of his eyes, will die suddenly, and that Ezekiel must not mourn outwardly. His silent grief becomes a sign to the exiles. Just as Ezekiel would lose the desire of his eyes, Israel would lose the temple, the desire of their eyes, and their sons and daughters in Jerusalem. The uploaded notes emphasize the historic date of the siege, the bloody city as a rusted cauldron, the certainty of God’s judgment, and Ezekiel’s wife as a prophetic sign of grief too deep for normal mourning.
A. The parable of the boiling cauldron.
1. Ezekiel 24:1-2, The start of the siege of Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 24:1, Again in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Ezekiel 24:2, Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this same day: the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day.
In the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month gives the exact date of the prophecy. This was not symbolic vagueness. It was a historical day that would be remembered by the exiles as one of the decisive moments in Jerusalem’s fall. Ezekiel was in Babylon, yet by the word of the LORD he knew the very day Nebuchadnezzar began the siege of Jerusalem.
The same date is recorded in the historical books and Jeremiah.
2 Kings 25:1, And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about.
Jeremiah 39:1, In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.
Jeremiah 52:4, And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about.
This date later became part of Israel’s fasting memory after the exile.
Zechariah 8:19, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.
Write thee the name of the day, even of this same day shows the importance of the moment. The LORD wanted Ezekiel to record it because this was the beginning of the final siege, the event Ezekiel had warned about again and again. Jerusalem’s fall was no longer only future warning. The siege had begun.
The king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day means Nebuchadnezzar had now taken his position against the city. The sword of Yahweh’s judgment, described in Ezekiel 21, had arrived at Jerusalem. Babylon was the visible army, but the LORD had already made clear that this judgment was His doing.
2. Ezekiel 24:3-5, Jerusalem like a cooking pot, a boiling cauldron.
Ezekiel 24:3, And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Set on a pot, set it on, and also pour water into it:
Ezekiel 24:4, Gather the pieces thereof into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones.
Ezekiel 24:5, Take the choice of the flock, and burn also the bones under it, and make it boil well, and let them seethe the bones of it therein.
Utter a parable unto the rebellious house shows that the people still need to be confronted through vivid prophetic imagery. The house of Israel is still called rebellious because they have refused the word of the LORD through Ezekiel and Jeremiah.
Set on a pot, set it on, and also pour water into it introduces the image of a cooking pot or cauldron. Ezekiel had used a pot image earlier when the leaders of Jerusalem falsely said the city was the cauldron and they were the flesh, meaning they thought Jerusalem protected them like meat safely inside a pot.
Ezekiel 11:3, Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.
Ezekiel 11:7, Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron: but I will bring you forth out of the midst of it.
In Ezekiel 24, the pot image returns, but with a darker force. Jerusalem is the pot, and the people are inside it, but this does not mean safety. It means they are being cooked in judgment.
Gather the pieces thereof into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder pictures choice cuts of meat being placed in the pot. Jerusalem may have thought of herself as choice and protected, but the image shows that the city has become a meal prepared for judgment. The best pieces will not escape the boiling.
Fill it with the choice bones continues the image of a rich and full pot. The siege would gather Jerusalem’s people together. Many had fled into the city thinking it was the safest place, but in God’s purpose they were being gathered into the cauldron.
Take the choice of the flock emphasizes that the contents are high quality from a human point of view. Leaders, nobles, priests, soldiers, and people all would be enclosed in the city.
Burn also the bones under it, and make it boil well shows the intensity of the judgment. The fire beneath the pot must be strong. The bones become fuel, and the boiling is thorough. The siege would be long, intense, and deadly.
Let them seethe the bones of it therein means the judgment would reach everything inside. Jerusalem would not merely be warmed; it would boil. The people would not escape the heat of the LORD’s wrath.
3. Ezekiel 24:6-8, Woe to the bloody city of Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 24:6, Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it.
Ezekiel 24:7, For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust;
Ezekiel 24:8, That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance; I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered.
Woe to the bloody city repeats the accusation of Ezekiel 22. Jerusalem is condemned as a city full of bloodshed. She was guilty of murder, oppression, false judgment, violence, and child sacrifice. The holy city had become the bloody city.
Ezekiel 22:2, Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt shew her all her abominations.
Ezekiel 22:3, Then say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD; The city sheddeth blood in the midst of it, that her time may come, and maketh idols against herself to defile herself.
To the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it means Jerusalem’s corruption remained inside her. The word translated scum may carry the idea of rust or corrosion. The pot is not clean. Its filth remains. The city’s abominations had not been removed by repentance, reform, or justice.
Bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it means the contents will be removed without favor or selection. No special piece will be chosen for protection. King, priest, prince, noble, and commoner will all come under judgment.
For her blood is in the midst of her again emphasizes bloodguilt. Jerusalem’s crimes are not hidden from God. Innocent blood cries out.
The blood of Abel cried from the ground after Cain murdered him.
Genesis 4:10, And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.
Job also used the image of blood crying out and not being covered.
Job 16:18, O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.
Isaiah speaks of the earth uncovering blood and no longer covering the slain.
Isaiah 26:21, For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
She set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust means Jerusalem’s bloodguilt was exposed before God. Blood was not to be treated casually. Even animal blood was to be poured out and covered, acknowledging that life belongs to God.
Leviticus 17:13, And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust.
Deuteronomy 12:16, Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water.
Deuteronomy 12:24, Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water.
Deuteronomy 15:23, Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.
Jerusalem’s blood was not covered. It stood exposed like blood on a rock. The guilt was visible, calling for vengeance.
That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance means the exposed blood called forth divine wrath. God’s fury was not irrational. It answered bloodguilt.
I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered means God Himself would not allow Jerusalem’s guilt to be hidden. What the city had done would be exposed, remembered, and judged.
4. Ezekiel 24:9-13, Further woe to the bloody city.
Ezekiel 24:9, Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire great.
Ezekiel 24:10, Heap on wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burned.
Ezekiel 24:11, Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that the brass of it may be hot, and may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it, that the scum of it may be consumed.
Ezekiel 24:12, She hath wearied herself with lies, and her great scum went not forth out of her: her scum shall be in the fire.
Ezekiel 24:13, In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee.
Woe to the bloody city is repeated because Jerusalem’s guilt is great. The city has not merely stumbled. It has persisted in bloodshed and defilement.
I will even make the pile for fire great means the LORD Himself will increase the fire beneath the pot. The siege will be severe. The burning will be intense. The judgment will not be mild.
Heap on wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh shows that the contents of the pot will be thoroughly cooked and consumed. The people inside Jerusalem will suffer under siege, famine, sword, and fire.
Spice it well, and let the bones be burned continues the image of complete consumption. Even the bones will not remain untouched. This is a picture of total devastation.
Then set it empty upon the coals thereof means after the contents are consumed, the pot itself will be placed on the coals. The city itself, not only the people within it, will be judged.
That the brass of it may be hot, and may burn describes the metal pot heated until its corruption is exposed and consumed. Jerusalem’s walls, houses, palace, and temple would not protect her from the heat of judgment.
That the filthiness of it may be molten in it, that the scum of it may be consumed shows the purpose of the fire. The city’s corruption must be dealt with. If washing and earlier discipline did not cleanse her, then fire would come.
She hath wearied herself with lies means Jerusalem exhausted herself in deception. False prophets, false confidence, false worship, false political hopes, and self-deception had worn her down. She labored in lies and still would not repent.
Her great scum went not forth out of her means her corruption remained. The reforms, warnings, prophets, temple service, sacrifices, and Sabbaths did not remove the filth because the people refused true repentance.
Her scum shall be in the fire means the corruption that would not be removed by mercy will be consumed in judgment.
In thy filthiness is lewdness identifies Jerusalem’s uncleanness as deliberate moral and spiritual corruption. The term points to the worst kinds of impurity, not accidental failure. Jerusalem’s sin was chosen, repeated, and defended.
Because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged is one of the saddest statements in the chapter. God had given Jerusalem means of cleansing. He sent prophets, gave His law, established sacrifices, raised reforming kings, and called the people again and again to repent. Yet they were not cleansed.
Josiah’s reform was one major historical attempt at cleansing.
2 Kings 23:24, Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all-the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he-might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the-house of the LORD.
2 Kings 23:25, And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his-heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses;-neither after him arose there any like him.
Hezekiah also removed idolatrous things.
2 Kings 18:4, He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in-pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to-it: and he called it Nehushtan.
Thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee means the time for ordinary cleansing had passed. Jerusalem had refused mercy, warning, and reform. Now only judgment would deal with the filth. God’s fury would rest only when His appointed judgment was complete.
5. Ezekiel 24:14, The certainty of God’s pronouncement.
Ezekiel 24:14, I the LORD have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord GOD.
I the LORD have spoken it gives the authority behind the prophecy. This is not Ezekiel’s opinion or Babylon’s threat. The LORD has spoken.
It shall come to pass, and I will do it shows certainty. What God declares, He performs. Jerusalem’s judgment is no longer avoidable.
I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent means the announced judgment will not be withdrawn. God had shown patience over many generations, but the city had reached the point where the decree would stand.
According to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee means the judgment is righteous. Jerusalem will not be judged arbitrarily. Her own ways and deeds have brought the sentence.
The covenant had warned Israel that disobedience would bring curses, siege, exile, and desolation.
Deuteronomy 28:15, But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy-God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these-curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
Deuteronomy 28:52, And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down,-wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy-land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
Deuteronomy 28:64, And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto-the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and-stone.
The siege of Jerusalem was therefore not a contradiction of God’s covenant. It was the fulfillment of covenant warnings.
B. The death of Ezekiel’s wife.
1. Ezekiel 24:15-17, God tells Ezekiel his wife will die and how he must react.
Ezekiel 24:15, Also the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Ezekiel 24:16, Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.
Ezekiel 24:17, Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men.
The word of the LORD came unto me introduces one of the most painful prophetic signs in all Scripture. Ezekiel’s ministry now reaches into his own home and marriage.
I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke refers to Ezekiel’s wife. The phrase is tender. She was the desire of his eyes, beloved and precious to him. Ezekiel is often seen as stern because of the severity of his messages, but this verse gives a glimpse of his heart and home. He loved his wife.
With a stroke means her death would be sudden. The loss would come quickly and painfully.
Yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down is a shocking command. Ezekiel was not forbidden to feel sorrow, but he was forbidden to express normal public mourning. His grief had to be restrained because his behavior would become a sign to the people.
Scripture does not normally forbid mourning. Even the Lord Jesus wept at Lazarus’s grave.
John 11:35, Jesus wept.
Priests, however, had restrictions in mourning because of their holy service.
Leviticus 21:1, And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto-them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people:
Leviticus 21:2, But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother, and for-his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother,
Leviticus 21:3, And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for-her may he be defiled.
Leviticus 21:4, But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.
Jeremiah was also given commands that limited ordinary mourning because judgment was coming upon Judah.
Jeremiah 16:5, For thus saith the LORD, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor-bemoan them: for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the LORD, even lovingkindness and-mercies.
Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead means Ezekiel must not perform the usual loud lamentation for his wife. He may sigh, but he must sigh in silence.
Bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet means he must not adopt normal mourning dress. He is to remain outwardly composed.
Cover not thy lips refers to another mourning custom. Ezekiel must not cover his mouth as a mourner.
Eat not the bread of men means he must not take part in the customary mourning meal provided by others. Every normal outward sign of grief is withheld. His private sorrow will become public prophecy.
2. Ezekiel 24:18-19, The death of Ezekiel’s wife.
Ezekiel 24:18, So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.
Ezekiel 24:19, And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?
So I spake unto the people in the morning shows Ezekiel carrying out his prophetic duty even under the shadow of impending personal loss. He gave the message God had commanded.
At even my wife died records the event with heartbreaking simplicity. The desire of Ezekiel’s eyes was taken in one stroke. This was not theoretical suffering. The prophet truly lost his wife.
I did in the morning as I was commanded shows Ezekiel’s obedience. The next morning, when public mourning would have been expected, Ezekiel obeyed the LORD and did not mourn outwardly. His obedience did not mean he did not love his wife. It meant his love for God and submission to God’s command governed even his grief.
This is one of the most difficult examples of prophetic obedience in Scripture. Ezekiel had already acted out many signs, but this sign cost him deeply. The prophet became part of the message in the most painful way.
Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so? shows that the sign had its intended effect. The people noticed. They knew Ezekiel’s behavior was strange and prophetic. They asked for its meaning.
3. Ezekiel 24:20-24, God explains the sign to the people: death without the ability to mourn.
Ezekiel 24:20, Then I answered them, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Ezekiel 24:21, Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword.
Ezekiel 24:22, And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.
Ezekiel 24:23, And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward another.
Ezekiel 24:24, Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
Then I answered them, The word of the LORD came unto me means Ezekiel’s explanation is not personal speculation. The meaning of his grief and silence is given by God.
I will profane my sanctuary is a shocking statement. The temple was holy because the LORD had placed His name there, but now God says He will profane it by handing it over to destruction. This does not mean God becomes unholy. It means He will treat the sanctuary as profaned because the people had already profaned it by sin.
The excellency of your strength means the people saw the temple as their stronghold. They believed its existence guaranteed Jerusalem’s safety. The temple had become their arrogant boast.
The desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth means the temple was to Israel what Ezekiel’s wife was to him in the sign: beloved, precious, and deeply desired. Yet the people had turned the temple into a false source of security.
Jeremiah warned against trusting in the temple as a magical guarantee of safety.
Jeremiah 7:4, Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD,-The temple of the LORD, are these.
Jeremiah 7:8, Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.
Jeremiah 7:9, Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk-after other gods whom ye know not;
Jeremiah 7:10, And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say,-We are delivered to do all these abominations?
Jeremiah 7:11, Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold,-even I have seen it, saith the LORD.
Your sons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword means the exiles in Babylon still had loved ones in Jerusalem. The death of Ezekiel’s wife symbolized not only the loss of the temple, but also the loss of their children and family members left behind.
Ye shall do as I have done means the exiles would be unable or forbidden to mourn in the normal way when Jerusalem fell. The tragedy would be too deep and stunning for ordinary mourning. They would sit under the weight of divine judgment.
Ye shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men repeats the signs of withheld mourning. What Ezekiel did personally, the people would do collectively.
Your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet means they would not adopt normal mourner’s customs. The grief would be internal, stunned, and burdened by guilt.
Ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities gives the reason. This was not merely sorrow over loss. It was the crushing weight of sin’s consequences. They would waste away under guilt and grief.
And mourn one toward another means their grief would be shared, but subdued and inward. There would be no normal consolation because the destruction was deserved judgment.
Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign makes the purpose clear. Ezekiel’s life, loss, obedience, and silence became a prophetic sign to the exiles.
According to all that he hath done shall ye do means his behavior foretold theirs.
When this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD repeats the great purpose of Ezekiel. Even through tragedy, loss, and stunned silence, the LORD would reveal Himself. The fall of Jerusalem would prove that His word was true.
4. Ezekiel 24:25-27, God explains the sign to Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 24:25, Also, thou son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their minds, their sons and their daughters,
Ezekiel 24:26, That he that escapeth in that day shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine ears?
Ezekiel 24:27, In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
In the day when I take from them their strength refers to the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. The people regarded the temple and city as their strength, but God would remove that false confidence.
The joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their minds again refers especially to the temple, but also to everything bound up with Jerusalem: worship, identity, beauty, family, national hope, and religious pride. Their hearts were fixed on these things, but often not on the LORD Himself.
Their sons and their daughters adds the personal cost. The fall of Jerusalem would not only destroy buildings and institutions. It would take loved ones. Sons and daughters would die by the sword.
He that escapeth in that day shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine ears points ahead to the day when a survivor from Jerusalem would arrive in Babylon and report the city’s fall.
This is fulfilled later in Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 33:21, And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the-fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city-is smitten.
In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped means Ezekiel’s restricted speech would change when Jerusalem’s fall was confirmed. Earlier in the book, God had made Ezekiel mute except when the LORD opened his mouth for prophetic speech.
Ezekiel 3:26, And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be-dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they are a rebellious house.
Ezekiel 3:27, But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them,-Thus saith the Lord GOD; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him-forbear: for they are a rebellious house.
Thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb means Ezekiel’s ministry would enter a new phase after Jerusalem fell. The long warnings of doom would be vindicated. From that point forward, his message would increasingly turn toward restoration, hope, shepherding, and the future of Israel.
Thou shalt be a sign unto them means Ezekiel’s life and ministry embodied the message. His signs, silence, suffering, and speech all testified to the LORD’s word.
And they shall know that I am the LORD closes the chapter with the repeated purpose. The siege, the boiling pot, the death of Ezekiel’s wife, the destruction of the temple, the report of the escaped survivor, and the opening of Ezekiel’s mouth all served this end: Israel would know that the LORD is God.
Ezekiel 24 is a devastating chapter because public judgment and private grief come together. Jerusalem is the bloody city, the rusted cauldron, the pot that cannot be cleansed except by fire. The siege begins on the very day God says it begins. The city’s bloodguilt is exposed on the rock, and the fire is made great. Then Ezekiel’s own wife dies, the desire of his eyes, and the prophet’s silent obedience becomes a sign. Israel would lose the temple, the desire of their eyes, and many sons and daughters, yet their grief would be stunned and restrained because the judgment was deserved. Still, the chapter also marks a turning point. Once Jerusalem falls and the escaped messenger arrives, Ezekiel’s mouth will be opened, and the ministry of judgment will begin to give way to the hope of restoration.
