For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Exile enacted  

Ezek  12:1-16

1 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.

³ “Therefore, son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in the daytime, as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another place. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious people. ⁴ During the daytime, while they watch, bring out your belongings packed for exile. Then in the evening, while they are watching, go out like those who go into exile. ⁵ While they watch, dig through the wall and take your belongings out through it. ⁶ Put them on your shoulder as they are watching and carry them out at dusk. Cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have made you a sign to the Israelites.”

⁷ So I did as I was commanded. During the day I brought out my things packed for exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulders while they watched.

⁸ In the morning the word of the Lord came to me: ⁹ “Son of man, did not the Israelites, that rebellious people, ask you, ‘What are you doing?’

¹⁰ “Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: This prophecy concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the Israelites who are there.’ ¹¹ Say to them, ‘I am a sign to you.’

“As I have done, so it will be done to them. They will go into exile as captives.

¹² “The prince among them will put his things on his shoulder at dusk and leave, and a hole will be dug in the wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land. ¹³ I will spread my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare; I will bring him to Babylonia, the land of the Chaldeans, but he will not see it, and there he will die. ¹⁴ I will scatter to the winds all those around him—his staff and all his troops—and I will pursue them with drawn sword.

¹⁵ “They will know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries. ¹⁶ But I will spare a few of them from the sword, famine and plague, so that in the nations where they go they may acknowledge all their detestable practices. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

A. Find Out

1. How did the Lord describe Israel? v.1,2
2. What was Ezekiel told to do? v.3-7
3. Who did the Lord say this referred to? v.8-10
4. What did the Lord say Ezekiel was? v.11
5. What did the Lord say would happen at Jerusalem? v.12-14
6. What did the Lord say overall would happen? v.15,16

B. Think:

1. Among whom was Ezekiel living?
2. Who was this latest prophecy about?
3. Why, therefore, do you think this word came to him there?

C. Comment:

We don’t know when this word came to Ezekiel but we are now looking at a fresh word that came to him. Again the Lord tells him to act out a prophecy so that the people among whom he lives will see and understand what the Lord is saying.

Ezekiel is to pack up like he is going on a journey and he is to burrow his way through a wall. When the watchers ask what he is doing, he is to tell them that he is portraying what will be happening in Jerusalem. Zedekiah (who Ezekiel never refers to as king, possibly because throughout he was only a puppet king there by permission of Babylon) will seek to flee Jerusalem but will be caught and taken into Babylon. In 2 Kings 25:4-7 we find a very specific record of the exact fulfilment of this prophecy, even to noting that they put out his eyes and then took him to Babylon where he died, thus fulfilling exactly Ezekiel’s word in v.13. [We have noted that chapters 12 to 24 come in Zedekiah’s reign and thus we should note the extensive way the Lord seeks to draw back this nation from destruction in this last king’s reign, with warning after warning as well as long-term encouragement.]

Again there is also a reference to a remnant that will be saved. God’s intention is never just to wipe out, but to deal with the sin in such a way that it is removed leaving a healthy remnant.  Why does God say this in the place of exile? Because they are the remnant and they are to understand, when they hear what has happened in Jerusalem, that this is no accident of history but the purpose of God being worked out.

D. Application:

1. God will destroy sin. Make sure you have none. (1 Jn 5:18)
2. God saves a righteous remnant. Make sure you are it.

No more delay 

Ezek  12:17-28

¹⁷ The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁸ “Son of man, tremble as you eat your food, and shudder in fear as you drink your water. ¹⁹ Say to the people of the land: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: They will eat their food in anxiety and drink their water in despair, for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who live there. ²⁰ The inhabited towns will be laid waste and the land will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

²¹ The word of the Lord came to me: ²² “Son of man, what is this proverb you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by and every vision comes to nothing’? ²³ Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.’ Say to them, ‘The days are near when every vision will be fulfilled. ²⁴ For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations among the people of Israel. ²⁵ But I the Lord will speak what I will, and it shall be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, you rebellious people, I will fulfill whatever I say, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

²⁶ The word of the Lord came to me: ²⁷ “Son of man, the Israelites are saying, ‘The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.’

²⁸ “Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

A. Find Out

1. How is Ezekiel then to act? v.18
2. What is he to say this portrays? v.19,20
3. What had the people been saying? v.22
4. What is the Lord’s answer to this? v.23-25
5. What also had the people been saying? v.27
6. So what was the Lord’s answer to this? v.28

B. Think:

1. What is the point of the first word? v.17-20
2. What is the point of the second word? v.21-25
3. What is the point of the third word? v.26-28

C. Comment:

Three times in this passage we have read “The word of the Lord came”.  In each case there is a sense of a specific message rather than a picture prophecy.

In the first one, Ezekiel is instructed to act in a particular way again, as a visual aid to the word being communicated. He is to communicate the anxiety that will come upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem. This will be because of the things that God is bringing on that land.

In the second word the Lord rebukes the feeling that has been going around Israel – these prophetic words never come to anything.  Oh yes they will, declares the Lord, they will come very soon. Just because the Lord in His mercy had held off utterly destroying Jerusalem, as He had been warning again and again, they should not think it will never happen. It will!

In the third word, some of the people had not been saying it will never happen, but they had been saying it won’t happen for a long time, i.e. probably not in their time so they can relax!  Not so, says the Lord again, it is about to happen and it will happen to you. These are the two ways of foolish thinking that all men are prone to.

D. Application:

1. Merely because the Lord delays fulfilling His word we should not think it won’t ever happen.
2. Merely because the Lord days His word, we should not be foolish and think we can get away with wrong.