March 1, 2025

God told Ezekiel that if he didn’t warn the people of their sins, their blood would be on his hands. Then God closed his mouth so he couldn’t speak, but when He decided it was time, He would open his mouth. Rather than speak his prophetic warning, he was required to act it out because words didn’t seem to affect people’s behavior, so he had to treat them like children and give them pictures. God told Ezekiel to set up a diorama showing a siege against them, gather less than ideal grain for bread to last for the entire time, and cook it over dung. This act would show them that they would eat defiled bread among the Gentiles, which would be measured so they couldn’t consume too much. He was to lay on his side for 390 days for the sins of Israel and 40 days for the sins of Judah; this represented how long they would be under siege. Ezekiel was acting so he could get up and move about while the people weren’t there to see him. Understanding this may be hard for us because times are different, but in that day and time, it would have penetrated their hearts if they weren’t hardened against God. 

The point for us is to use whatever means necessary to get our message across to the sinful people around us; God will show us how. Though we may not be prophets like Ezekiel, we have been given a commission by Jesus to tell the world about him. Not doing so could put their blood on our hands. If they don’t turn, that’s their problem, but your hands will be clean if you warn them of their coming doom. 

When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Ezekiel 3:18-19

Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity. Ezekiel 4:4