Ezekiel chapter 24

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vs 11

Yes, this really is like a self-cleaning oven, although I don't know that self-cleaning ovens make the metal glow with heat. Still, interesting to know that some things never change.

vs 12

Israel's filthy deposit of sin and rebellion against God is so caked on that even the fires of punishment don't seem to be enough to burn it off. That's not a good sign for Israel.

vs 13

God is so good as to give us what the impurity is - in the case of Jerusalem, it is lewdness. Now, whether this is actual lewdness, or whether it is lewdness as idolatry (since last chapter was pretty lewd, but was really about Jerusalem's idolatry of other gods and other nations) is a little harder to say. I've got to say it could be both though.

And now that God can't cook off the impurities, he's going to have to bring out his scourer of wrath.

vs 14

This really makes me think, how often do we deserve judgment, but God relents or has mercy? This time in Jerusalem's history is rather unique (or at least very uncommon) in that God does not relent, does not have mercy, but instead pours out his full cup of wrath.

vs 15

And now another word comes to Ezekiel.

vs 16

When you hear words like this, probably your mind starts racing, "What is the delight of my eyes? What's he going to take away? My sight?" Whatever it is, it won't be good, because you're going to want to mourn, but God says he's not allowed to.

vs 17

His grief is not to impact his outside life. Nowadays, when we are always trying not to let our grief be shown (and some people take drugs at funerals to stop themselves from losing it), it is hard for us to imagine the middle eastern culture of mourning and wailing loudly at funerals. But this is in fact still done today - just watch any funeral of a young Palestinian boy killed by the Israeli army.

So God telling Ezekiel not to mourn is actually quite a cultural shift - it will be noticed.

vs 18

This verse is just so bleak, so plain. His wife died. Just like that. I feel so bad for him, that God chose to send a message to his people this way. But God knows best, and it's a reminder that we must always value God first - not even our own families come before Him.

vs 19

See, I told you his outward appearance of not mourning would have an effect. People are very much paying attention and asking questions.

vs 20

An important preface, because if it's not from God, then they really don't need to listen. Ezekiel repeats this idea of God's word coming to him over and over, really reinforcing the authority of his words. Nowadays, we probably would think that such repetition is a trick to try and make it seem more authoritative than it should be. But back then, it was most likely just a writing device. Probably works on the same level, but it's not meant to deceive, it's meant to highlight.