Ezekiel 12:17

Ezekiel 12:17 says, Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying,  God’s word came to Ezekiel once more.  God does not just speak to us once, but He continues to speak to us as long as we are listening for His word to us.   

Verse eighteen adds, Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness;  God told Ezekiel to eat and drink with fear and trembling.  We often say that God wants us to be happy and safe in the world, but the opposite is often the truth.  Sometimes, we may find that things in the world frighten us, but as followers of Christ, that should never stop us from doing what we know is right, even if it were to cost us our life.   

Verse nineteen continues, And say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord God of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.  God said this was to be a message to the people of Israel that they were going to be lacking in food and water because their land was going to be desolate where it had once been a land flowing with milk and honey.  If we turn away from God, we may find ourselves spiritually desolate where we had once been overflowing with the joy of God.  Still, if we repent and turn to Him once more, we should have  the glory of God fill our soul once more.   

Verse twenty concludes, And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.  God then told Ezekiel that the cities of Israel were then going to be desolate because of their disobedience to Him.  We may not be materially desolate if we turn away from God, but we will be spiritually desolate as individuals and as a nation.   

Ezekiel 12:8

Ezekiel 12:8 says, And in the morning came the word of the Lord unto me, saying, Though Ezekial was now outside the city, God had not left him.  We may be outside the church building today, but if we are obeying God’s commandments, He will never leave us. 

Verse nine adds, Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou?  Ezekiel said the next morning, God’s word came to him asking him if the people of Israel had not asked him what he was doing.  If we are doing what God has called on us to do, the people of the church may be curious about what we are doing, especially if it seems somewhat strange in the eyes of the world.   

Verse ten continues, Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them.  God said if they asked, Ezekiel was to tell them that the burden concerned the prince of Jerusalem and all the people there.   God will always make His word and will known to those who are willing to understand it.  

Verse eleven states, Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove and go into captivity.  God said Ezekiel was to tell those who asked that he was a sign of what was going to happen to the people of Israel and that they were to be taken away captive.  The walls of Jerusalem were not going to protect them.  We need to be telling people that the cross of Calvary and the empty tomb are a sign to us today, and if we do not put our faith in God because of what happened there, then we will be taken away as captives of sin.   

Verse twelve adds, And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.  Ezekiel said that the prince of the city would try to escape with his goods the same way that Ezekiel did, but that it would do him no good.  He would still be taken away captive.  People today may attempt to find another way to salvation other than putting their faith in Jesus Christ, but it will never keep them from bearing the burden of sin.  Some may think that materiel wealth will keep them safe in the world, but that will never be true.   

Verse thirteen continues, My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.  Ezekiel said that God had spread His net to capture the prince and take him away in captivity to Babylon.  Jeremiah said Zedekiah would see the king of Babylon, whereas Ezekiel said he wouldn't see it.  Matthew Henry says that some would say that the two prophets contradicted themselves when one said that the prince, or king, would be taken away captive to Babylon, and the other said he would never see it.  Since the king was blinded before he was taken to Babylon and therefore could not see it that both were correct.  People today may try to claim that God’s word often contradicts itself, but it never does nor never will.   

Verse fourteen says, And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them.  Ezekiel said that God was going to scatter the people of Israel to every wind, or in every direction.  God had called them to be His people and had gathered them together as a nation, but He was now going to allow them to be scattered once more. Those who will not obey God will be scattered throughout the world, but they will never be a part of God’s kingdom.     

Verse fifteen adds, And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries.  God said that when the people of Israel were scattered throughout the nations that they would know that He is God and that He had been their protector., but it would be too late for it to do them any good.  One day, everyone will know that God is God, but for too many it will be too late to do them any good.   

Verse sixteen continues, But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the Lord.  God said He was going to spare a few good men so that they could declare the abominations that the people of Israel had committed.  They were not going to be saved by their own goodness but were to be saved because they had come to God in repentance for their sins, and they were to spread God’s word wherever they were.  As followers of Christ, we have been freed from the power of sin in our lives and we should be proclaiming the gospel of Christ to the world, wherever we may be. 

Ezekiel 12:5

Ezekiel 12:5 says, Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.  God told Ezekiel to dig through the wall and go out that way.  The people of Isreal were depending on the wall and not God to defend them, and I believe this was God’s way of showing them how useless the wall would be if they were depending on it instead of repenting and turning to God.  No matter what we are looking to for security in the world today other than faith in God will always fail us.   

Verse six adds, In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.  Matthew Henry said Ezekiel covering his face represented those who were carried away captive and often had their faces covered so they couldn’t see where they were going.  As long as we are a captive of sin, we will never see where we are ultimately going, which is to everlasting punishment separated from God.   

Verse seven continues, And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the even I digged through the wall with mine hand; I brought it forth in the twilight, and I bare it upon my shoulder in their sight.  Ezekiel said he did as he had been told to do, digging through the wall and carrying all his stuff, which he said was stuff of captivity, in the twilight but in the sight of all the people.  Matthew Henry said Ezekiel had to dig through the wall because the gates were guarded.  Once we know what God wants us to do, even if it might seem strange to us, we need to do whatever it is that He has commanded us to do.