CHAPTER 20
Ezekiel warns Israel about the consequence of her sins. The nation is reminded of her sins toward God. For instance, the people did not get rid of idols as they were instructed to do when they were in Egypt. The people refused to obey God's laws while they traveled in the wilderness. When they reached Canaan, they blasphemed and disobeyed God. During Ezekiel's time of prophecy, the people continued to sin and were not ashamed of doing so.
Zedekiah, the wicked prince of Israel, will be punished as well as the pagan nations will be punished for their national sins.
CHAPTER 21
Ezekiel acts out God's punishments.
First Illustration: Ezekiel groans to depict Jerusalem's response to the Babylonian attack.
Second Illustration: The prophet beats upon his own thighs to represent swords piercing through the hearts of Judah's people.
Third Illustration: He claps his hands and slashes a sword from left to right. This message has the same explanation as the second illustration.
Fourth Illustration: Ezekiel draws a map showing two roads with a fork in the middle. This signifies that the king of Babylon will decide to attack Jerusalem before the Ammonite capital city of Rabbah.
CHAPTER 22
The sins of Israel are outline in this chapter.
--1. Bloodshed and idolatry. Everyone in the city are murderous and idolatrous.
--2. Contempt for parents, orphans and widowed. They are destroyed for profits.
--3. Disregard for the Sabbath by violating God's holy day for rest.
--4. Adultery and incest.
--5. Bribe taking and extortion.
--6. Lying. They say they are speaking on behalf of God when God has not spoken to them.
The punishment for the above includes God scattering the people among the nations so they can be purged of their wickedness. They are thrown into the furnace of God's fiery wrath. God heaps on them the full penalty for their sins.
CHAPTER 23
Ezekiel tells a parable of two sisters who are prostitutes. The older sister is named Oholah who represents Samaria. The younger sister is named Oholibah who represents Jerusalem. Both sister were married to God but betrayed Him. Oholah committed spiritual adultery with the Assyrian gods. As a punishment, God allowed the Assyrians to capture and enslave the city of Samaria.
Like her sister, Oholibah also commits spiritual adultery with the Assyrian gods. Se did the same thing with the Babylonian gods. She was captured and enslaved by the Babylonians for her punishment.
Each sister and her city is guilty of the following sins:murder, idolatry, child sacrifice, hypocrisy, drunkenness, and gaudy lifesttyle by painting themselves and wearing their finest jewels.
CHAPTER 24
Ezekiel is ordered to boil some meat in a pot or water until the flesh falls off the bones. Then he was to cast everything out on the land. That means that God would consume Israel because of her sin and cast her out.
This is one of the saddest passages in the Bible, according to most Bible scholars. They read the passage over and over hoping they missed something. However, the passage seem to be clear, according to Ezekiel 24:15-17.
A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, “Son of man, I will take away from you the wife you delight in. It will happen very soon. But do not sing songs of sadness. Do not let any tears flow from your eyes. 17 Groan quietly. Do not mourn for your wife when she dies. Keep your turban on your head. Keep your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your mustache and beard. Do not eat the food people eat to comfort them when someone dies.”.
Notice that God told Ezekiel in advance that his beloved wife would die just as Israel was about to die. Ezekiel's grief over his beloved wife would match God's grief over Israel. The difference is that Israel would eventually come back to life but not Ezekiel's wife.
God instructed Ezekiel to remain tearless at the funeral of his wife in addition to the other things he was told not to do to indicate any sign of mourning that is listed in the above verses. He was told to show no sorrow to be an example for the people who would not be allowed to display any tears over the coming destruction of their city.
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