The Coming JerUSAlem Siege, Ezekiel 4

It’s around 592 BC. Ezekiel’s been captive in Babylon for about 5 years.

Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets. Amos 3:7.

Here the Lord reveals through Ezekiel the siege on Jerusalem that will take place about a half dozen years later, in 586 BC. (2 Kings 25:1, Jeremiah 39:1-2).

The Siege

Ezekiel 4:1 “You also, son of man, take a clay tablet and lay it before you, and portray on it a city, Jerusalem. ² Lay siege against it, build a siege wall against it, and heap up a mound against it; set camps against it also, and place battering rams against it all around.

Zeke told about it before it happened.

Now we read about it after it happened.

HIStory tells us it happened exactly as the Lord said through His prophet.

Even though it was about 2,600 years ago, perhaps the siege feels a little too familiar.

The siege wall all around. Ever felt surrounded and stuck, with no way out?

The siege mound. Ever felt violated? like your security’s been breached, the walls that once kept you safe, now the enemy walks straight in.

The siege camps. Does it seem like the enemy’s settling in and staying?

The siege battering rams. SLAM! First surrounded and stuck, then security breached, then enemy settling and staying, then SLAM the battering rams bust down the door.

Why is this happening?

Where is God?

The Lord knew you’d be asking and so it’s the next thing He’s answering.

The Separation

3 Moreover take for yourself an iron plate, and set it as an iron wall between you and the city. Set your face against it, and it shall be besieged, and you shall lay siege against it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel.

Ruh roh, this ain’t good.

Sometimes God gives a warning to repent, preprayer and perhaps prevent the coming tragedy.

Other times, like this time, there’s no preventing the judgement that’s coming (like the coming Great Tribulation), the only thing we can do is repent and preprayer and make sure our hearts are on the right side of the Lord. 

The prophet of God, who is representing God, puts an iron wall between himself and the city under siege.

What does that mean?

Isaiah 59:2, But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.

From the Garden of Eden to this morning, separation from God is a result of the severity of sin.

The Severity

4 “Lie also on your left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it. According to the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their iniquity. 5 For I have laid on you the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days; so you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.

The Severity of sin lays heavy.

Ezekiel, lay on your left side.

Simple enough, no problem. Then what?

Stay there.

How long?

A year, and a month. 

Oh boy. Simple, but not easy. Often a characteristic of God's commands. 

6 And when you have completed them, lie again on your right side; then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year.

Then, after 390 days on your left side, switch to the right and do it again for 40 days.

In case you’re wondering. Zeke wasn’t Rip Van Winkle; he didn’t just lie there and sleep for over a year. He was like one of those folks who hold signs to advertise on the side of the road. Remember, verse three said, “This shall be a sign to the house of Israel.”

But what’s up with the numbers? What does it mean, 390 days on the left and 40 on the right, representing 430 years of iniquity?

Many schools of thought. Some say it’s future, others say it’s past.

When interpreting Scripture, context is king. So, let’s simply look at the text in context.

The Lord mentions both the north and the south, Israel and Judah. That means He’s referring to the divided kingdom.

HIStory reveals about 930 BC the kingdom of Israel divided due to iniquity. Israel in the north, Judah in the south.  After about 400 or so years they were restored back to their land.

Thus, it appears, according to God, who sees the thoughts and intents of the heart, the Divine timeline of their iniquity was 430 years.

7 “Therefore you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem; your arm shall be uncovered, and you shall prophesy against it.

This reflects that the strong arm of the Lord shall perform this.

8 And surely I will restrain you so that you cannot turn from one side to another till you have ended the days of your siege.

The Word of the Lord is set and established, He will not relent, He will not turn aside from completing all that He has spoken.

The Scarcity

9 “Also take for yourself wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; put them into one vessel, and make bread of them for yourself. During the number of days that you lie on your side, three hundred and ninety days, you shall eat it.

Have you ever eaten Ezekiel 4:9 Bread?

We had some during this sermon. It’s good. But how would you like the same meal every day for a year?

10 And your food which you eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day (8 oz); from time to time you shall eat it. ¹¹ You shall also drink water by measure, one-sixth of a hin (2 ½ cups); from time to time you shall drink.

Your choice of food is very restricted, and the amount is rationed. (8 oz. is about 8 slices of bread).

Iniquity brings scarcity. Sin leads to lack.

Today many are facing scarcity and lack due to the government shutdown and the SNAP program running out of funding.

What if the Church SNAPped to help the needy? What if the Church stood up into its rightful place and removed the government's controlling stranglehold on the throats of the needy—and lazy?

The Church, not the institution, not the steeple, but the people, (Ekklésia).

Real Help, not just a handout but a hand up.

Not just giving fish but teaching to fish and pointing to Who made the fish.

Fixing the hole in the bucket, addressing the cause of the lack, and pointing to the One Who meets our needs.

Demanding accountability and responsibility and pointing to the One who requires it.

Lord, help us be Your wise, discerning, loving, hands extended.

Some without SNAP admit they will resort to looting, thinking it’s their right. The controlling communist mindset will love this and paint it not as looting and stealing but as “symbolic taking.” Like during the demonically created crisis of the George Floyd fiasco. “Give me what I want or I’ll take it!”

Sin has created this wicked welfare mentality and stupid nation destroying sense of entitlement.

Scarcity is not due to lack. God’s creation has never lacked. Scarcity is due to sin.

Corrupt politicians are more concerned about their pockets and party than being fiscally responsible to we the people.

During the siege Ezekiel prophesied about, some of the people resorted to cannibalism.

Such wickedness reeks to high heaven...

The Stink

12 And you shall eat it as barley cakes; and bake it using fuel of human waste in their sight.”

Zeke, the logs for your woodburning oven, are... different.

Use, #2 for fuel.

13 Then the Lord said, “So shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, where I will drive them.”

That is how defiled, how disgusting, how grotesque, how abhorrent, sin is to God.

Do we abhor that which is evil? (Romans 12:9).

14 So I said, “Ah, Lord God! (that’s too gross!) Indeed I have never defiled myself from my youth till now; I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has abominable flesh ever come into my mouth.”

15 Then He said to me, “See, I am giving you cow dung instead of human waste, and you shall prepare your bread over it.”

The prayers of the saints are as sweet smelling incense to the Lord. Psalm 141:2, Revelation 5:8, 8:3-4.

Sin is like a burning stench in the nostrils of God. Isaiah 65:5.

The Sorrow

16 Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, surely I will cut off the supply of bread in Jerusalem; they shall eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and shall drink water by measure and with dread, 17 that they may lack bread and water, and be dismayed with one another, and waste away because of their iniquity.

The pleasure of sin for a season produces a harvest of sorrow.

With anxiety and dread and lack and dismay they waste away.

Why?

Because of their iniquity.

Friends, this not only applies to JerUSAlem, but also to all.

Remember:

Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets. Amos 3:7.

In Revelation 6 the first seal reveals the antichrist coming on a white horse to conquer.

An antithesis. Speaking peace, to conquer.

Evil is always inverted.

Islam means peace, their goal to conquer.

Today we hear talk of peace, foreshadowing the antipeace soon to come.  

The second seal, the red horse, conflict. People fighting, rioting, killing one another. Today’s headlines.

The third seal, the black horse, scarcity. Today this object lesson is brought to you by SNAP, thanks to our greedy, irresponsible, government shutdown.

Don’t stress. Our Jesus tells us when you see these things begin to happen, lift up your head for your redemption draws nigh. Luke 21:28.

Did you notice the Diamond in the rough?

Right smack dab in the middle of our mess, the siege, the separation, the severity, the scarcity, the stink, the sorrow, lay...

The Savior.

Look again at Ezekiel 4:4-7 and see how the Lord laid the iniquity of them, on him who represented Him.

This beautifully reflects Isaiah 53 where Jesus lays down His life for the iniquity of us all.

Knowing Christ really knowing him, changes everything. All those slithering, sad, smelly, “S” words turn into Sweet Sanctified Salvation Satisfaction Smiling around the Lord’s Table Sipping Sweet Communion, with our Savior, forever. Hallelujah. Amen.

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, thank You for loving us enough to tell us the Truth. Please reveal any sin that’s separating us from You. We pray You’ll make it stink so we abhor it. Help us to walk in the beautiful, Life giving fragrance of Your Love.

Thank You.

We love You, forever.

Amen.

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