Daily Bible Readings
Today’s Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)
Today’s devotion is another interesting one, and bares (pun intended) a striking resemblance to the devotion on Sep 12, since they’re both dealing with some of the major “Prophetic Signs*” (or symbolic actions) that God had some of the prophets enact (although this one is a bit less…cheeky). This could also have been titled “So You Want to be a Prophet…”. Today’s reading shows pretty clearly that being a prophet was incredibly difficult at times. The thing is, as a prophet, you don’t get to do the things you want to do, you do what you’re told to do (by God). The one who is sent by God can only say (and do) the things God tells them (per Jesus, John 12:49).
Most of the time when people think about the prophets, they think of long bearded wild-eyed unkempt men, haggard and lean, and booming out with a loud baritone voice “Thus says Yahweh…!”. That may or may not be the case eventually, but most of the prophets started out just as normal guys: just like anyone else. Ezekiel was probably just a nice Jewish guy like all the other Jewish guys who had been taken in the capture of Jerusalem during the process of The Exile, but if you imagine his appearance after these events listed here in Chapter 4, you can kind of see where the stereotyped impression may have come from.
In Ezekiel 4:1-3, God has Ezekiel set up a display that is reminiscent to me of playing with army men as a kid: using a brick as the city of Jerusalem and then building little siegeworks against it. Then, in Ezek 4:4-6 we get to the prophetic sign that is central to our study this morning. Again, just like Isaiah, it’s such a short bit that if you read quickly you’ll skip past it, but remember: sometimes the nutrients we get from scripture are incredibly dense, and a verse or two of scripture can encompass years or an entire lifetime and have deep lying ramifications. There are stories within the stories, if you look hard enough, and this is definitely one of those instances. It’s so quick that you can easily miss it if you’re not paying attention.
Ezek 4:4-6 says: “Moreover lie on your left side and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel on it; according to the number of the days that you will lie on it, you will bear their iniquity. For I have appointed the years of their iniquity to be to you a number of days, even 390 days; so you will bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. Again, when you have accomplished these, you will lie on your right side, and will bear the iniquity of the house of Judah: 40 days, each day for a year, have I appointed it to you.” (REV translation used throughout this devotion). Did you catch that? Ezekiel’s job is to lie down on his side for 430 days and prophesy against Jerusalem (using his set up army man camp, see v7).
Oh, and if you were thinking about doing that part time, and maybe getting up every now and then to do a little shopping, think again: Ezek 4:8 goes on to say, “And behold, I will put cords on you so you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have completed the days of your siege. ” Ready to be a prophet yet?
But wait, there’s more: “Take for yourself also wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread out of it; according to the number of the days that you will lie on your side, even 390 days, you are to eat of it. Your food that you will eat will be by weight, 20 shekels a day; from time to time you will eat it. You are to drink water by measure, the sixth part of a hin; from time to time you are to drink “. So for over a year, this is what you get to eat and drink every day. I was curious about this and did a little digging: 20 shekels weight is right at about 8 ounces, and the sixth part of a hin is about 2/3 of a quart (for comparison, 1 qt= @1.06 liters). Oh yes, and that bread? Cook it over poop (see Ezek 4:12).
That is significantly less than is recommended for an adult male to eat and drink, that is not a lot of food or water. Imagine eating about half a pound of food and drinking about 2/3 of a liter of water, every day, for well over a year. Now we’re probably starting to more closely resemble the long bearded wild-eyed unkempt men, haggard and lean, that we generally imagine when we think of the prophets.
Jeremiah and Ezekiel were contemporaries, but Jeremiah spoke primarily to the people in Judah and Ezekiel spoke to the Jews who were in exile. Throughout the books of both you’ll see some very striking parallels, which makes sense given that they were both speaking what they were told (by God) at the time. Jeremiah presents the new covenant as a restructured legal relationship (new terms, new medium, new knowledge), while Ezekiel presents it as a restructured human capacity (new heart, new spirit, new power to obey) that makes the covenant relationship possible again. Both speak of a transforming of the heart, and an internalizing of God’s commands. Both speak of a restoration, after a rebuke.
In Ezekiel 5, it clearly lays out the reasons for this punishment (in v6, 7, 9, 11), but it also offers hope once again in v13: “Thus my anger will have an end, and I will cause my wrath toward them to rest, and I will be appeased; and they will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken...”.
Ezekiel laid down on his side for over a year, basically starving himself because God told him to do so as an example to the Israelites in exile. Comparatively and to my shame, I complain sometimes when I have to get up just a little bit earlier than I’d like to make it to church on time. It’s not just me though, this attitude is endemic in our culture and society. We have become so distracted and disobedient in this evil age that many of us are lying down on the job without being told to: maybe it’s time to stand back up and get to work not only by purifying ourselves, but also gathering others in to the kingdom…to the glory of God.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- Do you ever exaggerate your own struggles or problems? If so, is it rarely or often?
- Why? What is the reinforcement for that behavior that makes it recur? Is that a good reason?
- What can we do to stand up and get back to work? (Try to think of 3 things you can do for yourself, and then also 3 things you can do for others- we’re not in this alone!)
PRAYER
Father God, please forgive me for being stubborn, stiff-necked, and complaining. You have given me gifts beyond measure, and it’s still hard for me sometimes to appreciate the amazing generosity which you’ve shown me. I’m sorry, God. Please help me to remember the too high price that was already paid for me, and to be appreciative of every small thing that you have given to me: life, breath, and all things. Your son. The way out which you have provided me. Thank you. In Jesus name, Amen.
* the Prophetic Signs (or symbolic actions) that God had the prophets do are very interesting, and some more intense than others. These include Ezekiel’s siege and exile Simulations (today’s devotion), Jeremiah’s yoke and property, also linen and broken flask (Jer 13, 19, 27, 32). Isaiah’s nakedness and naming (Is 8, naming his son**, and Is 20 for the nakedness), and Hosea’s marriage to a prostitute and subsequent naming of his children by her (Hos 1), among a few others that were less intense.
** He named his kid Mahershalalhashbaz. Say that 5 times fast. Now imagine having to call him in to dinner: “Hey, Mahershalalhashbaz , time for supper! Mahershalalhashbaz, time to come home!” etc, etc.
