And the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you the desire of your eyes with a blow; but you shall not mourn and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not come.” (vv.15-16)
People from different cultures mourn the death of a loved one in various ways. In some places, it is customary to hire people to wail in sorrow at the wake. In others, the death of a family member leads to elaborate rituals of mourning. In no culture, however, is it natural to do what God asked Ezekiel to do when his wife died. The Lord told him that his wife, the “desire of his eyes,” would succumb to a sudden death (24:16). Yet Ezekiel was not to mourn openly, but he was to remain silent (v.17).
Why did God ask Ezekiel to do something that seems so unfair, difficult, and unnatural? He wanted to illustrate to the people of Jerusalem that just as the prophet’s delight was taken from him, so also their delight—the temple—would be taken from them. Ezekiel pronounced God’s judgment on Israel, stating that they would lose their temple to the Babylonians. And like Ezekiel, they were told that they would not mourn in the normal way (v.23).
The destruction of the temple would be so horrifying, and their guilt and grief so overwhelming, that normal expressions of sorrow would be inadequate. Certainly not an easy road for the prophet (or the people) to walk, yet Ezekiel was faithful and obeyed God. And through his personal loss, Ezekiel put God's will above his own.
O if only man would seek to do the will of God and not his own. If he would love his neighbor as himself, this world would be much better off.
The Truth: “'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
People from different cultures mourn the death of a loved one in various ways. In some places, it is customary to hire people to wail in sorrow at the wake. In others, the death of a family member leads to elaborate rituals of mourning. In no culture, however, is it natural to do what God asked Ezekiel to do when his wife died. The Lord told him that his wife, the “desire of his eyes,” would succumb to a sudden death (24:16). Yet Ezekiel was not to mourn openly, but he was to remain silent (v.17).
Why did God ask Ezekiel to do something that seems so unfair, difficult, and unnatural? He wanted to illustrate to the people of Jerusalem that just as the prophet’s delight was taken from him, so also their delight—the temple—would be taken from them. Ezekiel pronounced God’s judgment on Israel, stating that they would lose their temple to the Babylonians. And like Ezekiel, they were told that they would not mourn in the normal way (v.23).
The destruction of the temple would be so horrifying, and their guilt and grief so overwhelming, that normal expressions of sorrow would be inadequate. Certainly not an easy road for the prophet (or the people) to walk, yet Ezekiel was faithful and obeyed God. And through his personal loss, Ezekiel put God's will above his own.
O if only man would seek to do the will of God and not his own. If he would love his neighbor as himself, this world would be much better off.
The Truth: “'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
