Ezekiel 2 to 7
At the end of the vision of the power and glory of God which Ezekiel saw, a roll of a book was given to him, There was writing on both sides of roll, the telling of the woes to come to the people in and around Jerusalem. Then in the vision Ezekiel was told “to eat the roll”, and to feel the sorrows written on the roll as though they were his sorrows. In the vision he ate the roll, and he said the taste was sweet as honey. That was because he believed its words of God’s judgment were right, for it was because of the wicked ways of the people that trouble was to come.
God told Ezekiel to tell all His words to the Jewish people who were captives with him in Chaldea, although many did not want to hear; Ezekiel was to tell God’s words anyway, and not to fear their angry looks.
Ezekiel obeyed God, and went to some captives by a river, but the sadness of the troubles he should tell, astonished him so much he could not speak for seven days. He was to be as a watchman who warns of danger; he was to warn the people that trouble would come, unless they gave up their evil ways. If he did not warn, he would be wrong, yet he was told they would put bands on him to keep him front speaking.
This was about six years before the siege and destruction of Jerusalem, ye God told Ezekiel to show the people vihat would be done. He was to take a me or piece of flat metal or clay, and on that model to draw a city, then shape an army’s camp and fort outside, with battering rams, which were then used to break down walls (Ezek. 4:1,21Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and pourtray upon it the city, even Jerusalem: 2And lay siege against it, and build a fort against it, and cast a mount against it; set the camp also against it, and set battering rams against it round about. (Ezekiel 4:1‑2)). The people must have been curious when they saw this made.
Ezekiel was to stay by the me city himself many days, with only a small measure of grain for food, and small measures of water to drink. All this was to cause the people to realize the misery there would be in the city of Jerusalem when the army besieged it; some would die by the soldiers’ sword; some by famine, some flee to other lands, a few would be saved.
All that Ezekiel told the people proved true, and should have taught them to believe other words from God.
Do you know that all of us who believe God’s words now are to be as watchmen to tell people that God will save them if they believe Him? We do not tell them that they will be saved from trouble in some city, but, if they trust in God’s Son, their souls will be saved for eternity. We are to feel sorrow for any who may not know God’s words, as Ezekiel felt sorrow for the people then.
ML 05/03/1942