Ezekiel 12:1-28

Ezekiel: ‘They shall know that I am God’

The *Sin of Judah and the Judgement of God

Ezekiel Chapter s 1 to 24

Ian Mackervoy

Chapter 12

*Prophecy of the *exile – Ezekiel 12:1-20

v1 The *LORD spoke to me again. v2 ‘*Son of man, you live among people who refuse to obey me. They have eyes to see. But it is as if they do not see. They have ears to hear. But it is as if they do not hear. They are a people who refuse to obey.

v3 So, *son of man, get ready as if to go into *exile. Pack what you need in your bags. Then go in the daytime as the people watch you. Go from your place to another place. Go as an *exile would. Perhaps they will consider what it means. But they are people who refuse to obey. v4 Bring out the things that you would pack for *exile during the daytime. Then the people will see what you do. In the evening, let them see you go. And leave like someone who is going into *exile. v5 While they watch, dig through the wall. Go through the hole with your bags. v6 Put your baggage on your shoulders as they watch you. As the daylight ends, go your way. Cover your face so that you cannot see the ground. All of this will be to warn the *Israelites.’

v7 I did what the *Lord told me to do. During the day, I brought out my things that I had packed as for *exile. In the evening, I dug through the wall with my hands. I went out as the daylight ended. I carried the baggage on my shoulders. And the people saw what I did.

v8 Then in the morning the *LORD spoke to me again. v9 ‘*Son of man, the *Israelites refuse to obey me. However, they still asked you, “What are you doing?’’

v10 Say to them, “This is what the *LORD your King says. This message is about the prince in Jerusalem. And it is for all the *Israelites who are still there.’’ v11 Say to them, “I have warned you. What I have done, the people in Jerusalem will have to do. They will have to go into *exile.”

v12 The prince who is among them will put his baggage on his shoulders. As the daylight ends, he will leave the city. He will go through a hole that someone has dug in the wall. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the ground. v13 But I will be like a hunter. It will be as if I am spreading my net over him. Or it will be as if I am catching him in my trap. Then I will bring him to Babylon in the country of the *Chaldeans. He will not see that country, but he will die there. v14 I will scatter those who are with the king in all directions. I will chase them, his helpers and all his army, with the sword.

v15 I will scatter them among the nations. I will send them to foreign countries. Then they will know that I am the *LORD. v16 But I will save a few of them from the sword. And I will save them from hunger and disease. Then they can tell about their wicked actions among the nations where they go. Then they will know that I am the *LORD.’

v17 The *LORD spoke to me. v18 ‘*Son of man, tremble as you eat your food. Shake with fear as you drink your water. v19 Say to the people in the country: “This is what the *LORD your King says. Those people who live in Jerusalem and in the country called *Israel will do this. They will eat their food in fear and drink their water in despair. Their land will produce nothing because of the wicked cruelty of the people who live in it. v20 The cities, where people live, will become piles of rubbish. And the country will become empty. Then you shall know that I am the *LORD.” ’

Verses 1-2 God spoke to Ezekiel again. He reminded Ezekiel that the people refused to obey the *Lord. Ezekiel had told them what God said. He had shown them by actions what would happen soon. He had told them about the *visions that the *Lord had given to him. But the *exiles among whom he lived would not hear (believe) the message. They had seen his actions, but they did not really understand. They did not believe the words, the actions or the *visions.

Still the people hoped for an early return to Jerusalem. They did not believe that God would destroy the city.

Verses 3-7 Here, Ezekiel acts as if he were still in Jerusalem. The people there will have to escape from the city. So, Ezekiel must pack his bag with the things that he would need for his *exile. He would know what to pack. He went into *exile in the year 597 *BC. God tells Ezekiel to pack during the day so that the people will see it.

In the evening, Ezekiel must dig a hole through the wall of his home. Then he must leave his home. He must go through the hole in the wall as if to escape. He will put his bag on his shoulder and he will go. He will cover his face as he goes. He would go far enough from his home to show what the action meant.

All of this is to warn the *Israelites. The message to the *exiles is that they will not return to Jerusalem soon. They will watch the strange acts of Ezekiel. And probably they will ask him questions. They will want to know what he is doing. They may ask him why he is doing it. Perhaps some of them will understand. At last, they may believe what Ezekiel had told them. God will destroy Jerusalem.

Ezekiel did all that the *Lord had told him to do. The *exiles who were with him saw everything.

Verses 8-11 All the *exiles with Ezekiel should have understood what he did. God refers to their questions. But now, on the morning after, God tells Ezekiel to explain it to them.

Those who remained in Jerusalem would go into *exile. This did happen in the year 586 *BC. This included Zedekiah, who was the ruler in Jerusalem.

Verses 12-14 The ‘prince among them’ meant Zedekiah. Ezekiel writes of him as the ‘prince’ rather than the ‘king’. The real king was Jehoiachin who was already in *exile in Babylon.

Zedekiah would pack his bags at night. He would then escape through the gates of the king’s garden. He would try to escape to the river Jordan. There the army of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, would catch him. The army would catch him like an animal in a trap. It was as if God was the hunter. And he set up his net as a trap to catch Zedekiah.

Those who were with Zedekiah would run in all directions. But they would not escape. Many would die. Those who remained would go into *exile.

All these things happened to Zedekiah in 586 *BC.

The *Babylonians took Zedekiah and his sons to Nebuchadnezzar at a town called Riblah. As Zedekiah watched, the *Babylonians killed his sons in front of him. Then they made him blind. The last thing that he saw was the death of his sons. Then the *Babylonians took Zedekiah to Babylon. But, of course, he was not able to see the country. He died there. (See Jeremiah 52:7-11.)

Verses 15-16 God would save a small number of the people. He would save them from the three dangers of the sword, hunger and disease. He would send these people to other countries. They would speak about the reasons for their *exile. The *Lord sent them away from their country because of their *sin. All that the *Israelites suffered was their own fault. They would at last realise what they had done. Then they would understand that God was right to punish them. In those foreign countries, they would know that God is the *Lord.

Verses 17-20 The *Lord told Ezekiel to show the *exiles what it was like to be in Jerusalem. He had to eat his food as those in Jerusalem would eat. There would not be enough food or water in the city. They would tremble because of their fear and despair. So, Ezekiel ate his food and he trembled as with fear. He showed the fear that the people in Jerusalem would feel. Then he explained to the *exiles what his actions meant.

The land would produce no food for the *Israelites. Their own actions had spoiled the land. Those who lived in the country were wicked and cruel. The enemy would strip the country. That is, the *Babylonians would take away everything that had any value. They would destroy all the cities. Nobody would remain there in the country.

What Ezekiel said to them would happen. Then they would know that God is the *Lord.

These things will happen soon – Ezekiel 12:21-28

v21 The *LORD spoke to me again. v22 ‘*Son of man, you people in the country called *Israel like to say: “Each day ends and none of the *visions and *prophecies actually happen.” v23 Therefore say to them, “The *LORD your King says. I will stop them so that they will not say this. Nobody in *Israel will say it again.” However, tell them, “The time is near. What the *visions and *prophecies spoke about will happen soon. v24 There will be no more false *visions among the *Israelites. And there will be no more false *prophecies that seem pleasant. v25 I, the *LORD, shall speak. And whatever I say will happen. There will be no more delay. It will happen during your lives, you people who refuse to obey me. I will say what will happen. And I will do it, says the *LORD your King.” ’

v26 The *LORD spoke to me again. v27 ‘*Son of man, this is what the *Israelites say: “What Ezekiel sees, will happen many years from now. What he *prophesies is about a future time.”

v28 Therefore say to them, “This is what the *LORD your King says. There will be no delay in what I say. All that I speak will happen. The *LORD your King has spoken and he will do it.” ’

Verses 21-25 The *exiles with Ezekiel did not believe the *prophecies that he brought to them. There had been so many such *prophecies in the past. What the *prophets said had not yet happened. The delay made the people think that nothing would happen. Often the people said, ‘Each day ends, and none of the *visions actually happen.’ They refused to believe that any of these *prophecies were true. They did not think that they had any cause to worry.

There had been many false *prophets. They had told the people the kind of things that they (the people) wanted to hear. They believed these false *prophets. But they refused to believe the true words of the *Lord. This is what they were saying: ‘God will not punish us. We are God’s people. God will not destroy Jerusalem. It is the city of God.’

They were wrong. God would do all that he had said. He would punish them. His people did not obey him. He would destroy Jerusalem. God had been patient with them for a long time. But they had not *turned back to him. There would be no more delay. All these terrible things would happen soon; and they would see them.

Verses 26-28 Some people did believe what Ezekiel said. But they thought that it was for a future time. They said: ‘It will happen many years in the future. We need not worry. It will not happen while we are alive.’

God’s answer was that there would be no delay. These things would happen soon. God said it and God would do it.

sin ~ Sin means the wrong things that we do. To sin is to do wrong, bad or evil deeds and not to obey God. People are called sinners because of their sins.
prophecy ~ a message from God; a gift of the Holy Spirit.
exile ~ When people have to live in a foreign country they are in exile. Such a person is called an exile.
Lord ~ a title for God, to show that he is over all people and things.
LORD ~ ‘LORD’ is the special name that God gave to himself. It probably means ‘always God’. This name has a relationship with the special promises that God gave to his people.

'son of man ~ Ezekiel. ‘Son of man’ was the title that God used for Ezekiel. It emphasised that Ezekiel was a mere man. Ezekiel would have to depend on God’s Spirit to make him strong. Only then could Ezekiel do what God told him to do.'son of man ~ Ezekiel. ‘Son of man’ was the title that God used for Ezekiel. It emphasised that Ezekiel was a mere man. Ezekiel would have to depend on God’s Spirit to make him strong. Only then could Ezekiel do what God told him to do.
Israelites ~ the people whose ancestors are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
ancestors ~ people in history from whom your family has come.
Lord ~ a title for God, to show that he is over all people and things.
LORD ~ ‘LORD’ is the special name that God gave to himself. It probably means ‘always God’. This name has a relationship with the special promises that God gave to his people.
Chaldeans ~ another name for the Babylonians.
Babylonian ~ a person from the nation called Babylon or anything that has a relationship with Babylon.
Israel ~ Israel is the nation whose ancestors were Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The country in which they live is called Israel. Israel became the name of the northern nation when it separated from Judah. However, Ezekiel sometimes uses the word ‘Israel’ to refer to Judah.
ancestors ~ people in history from whom your family has come.
vision ~ something that God shows to a person but not with the physical sight. Visions are often in the form of dreams.
BC ~ years before Christ was born.
Babylonian ~ a person from the nation called Babylon or anything that has a relationship with Babylon.
sin ~ Sin means the wrong things that we do. To sin is to do wrong, bad or evil deeds and not to obey God. People are called sinners because of their sins.
prophecy ~ a message from God; a gift of the Holy Spirit.
prophesy ~ to speak a prophecy.
prophecy ~ a message from God; a gift of the Holy Spirit.
prophet ~ person who speaks for God. He can sometimes say what will happen in the future. However, false prophets are people who merely pretend to speak God’s words.
turn ~ to change your behaviour, your friends, or your God; or, to carry out actions in order to oppose someone.