Thanks to all you who have expressed appreciation for this study. It concludes with today's post.
Thirteenth Symbol: The Road Marker
In chapter 21, Ezekiel is asked to illustrate how it is that even false prophecy and divination can be used by God to bring about His purposes. The king of Babylon's attempts to find out by consulting idols and fortunetelling devices are portrayed to show how he will come to a decision about whether to attack Jerusalem or the Ammonites first. It is not clear whether Ezekiel is to only pantomime the marking out of the roads or to also act out the decision-making process of the king of Babylon. But the same sword of the Lord would punish both the Ammonites and the inhabitants of fortified Jerusalem.
“¢ In this symbol, Ezekiel is called to the appearance of aiding the destruction of Jerusalem. By marking out the two roads, he seems to be making it easier for the king of Babylon to achieve the goal of destruction of both countries. However, God makes it plain that His will is being achieved. There is a parallel thought in Philippians chapter one, where Paul counsels those who might be discouraged because Christ is being preached out of selfish ambition and insincerity. Doesn't matter, says Paul– God is accomplishing His purposes, and that's all that counts.
“¢ We might generalize that being a visible symbol used by God might require that we hold out some disturbing alternatives before the eyes of people. Showing the king of Babylon the way to destroy either the Ammonites or the people or Jerusalem or both hardly seems like a joyful gospel message. And it is not–because of the sin of the people. There is no “good” road of rescue or relief for the nations– only the possibility of some sort of personal redemption of individuals who can repent and restore their relationship with God.
Fourteenth Symbol: The Tearless Widower
Perhaps no other symbol to which Ezekiel was called is as heart-wrenching as this one. Ezekiel is told of the coming death of his wife. We must assume that he loved her dearly, since she is the “delight of his eyes.” We know that that his inclination would be to cry and to mourn for her, but he is forbidden to do so.
Ezekiel is to carry the message of his wife's imminent death to the people in the morning. Then suddenly, precipitously, that same evening she dies as with “one blow” from the hand of the Lord. Exodus 9:13 is another example of a swift and decisive action of destruction by the Lord to make His identity known to unbelievers.
Ezekiel's actions of not mourning and instead acting as one preparing to flee are unnatural and designed to cause questions from his viewers. He is told directly that such actions are part of his role as a symbol (he is also called a sign in 12:6 as we have previously seen.)
Apparently the very day that his wife dies, the city of Jerusalem was sacked and the temple burned. The horror his listeners would experience at such an inconceivable disaster would be shown in microcosm by his own personal loss. More than anyone else that day, Ezekiel suffered most acutely– and most mutely.
“¢ Though we must acknowledge the extreme suffering that Ezekiel underwent, we must be very careful to acknowledge as well the character of a God who is most economical with what He requires of us. God takes no pleasure in the suffering of the righteous, and is oath-bound to compensate them for whatever He requires of them (if not here on earth, then surely in heaven.) That may seem little comfort to someone who is called to be a sign before others.
“¢ But the fact that we would subjugate our emotions –even those as “valid” as mourning for a beloved one– is a powerful witness of His control over our lives, and our trust in Him. Paul asks the same of New Testament believers in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, who are told that they are not to mourn like the rest of men who have no hope. Instead, they must exemplify their confidence in a coming reality– the day Jesus will return. We might say that Ezekiel's obedience in not mourning was exemplifying that God was more real to him than his own emotions.
“¢ We as symbols are called to a stance of vigilance, even in the most difficult of personal circumstances and in what would seem to be the most hopeless of trials. We wipe tears from our eyes and keep our shoes on, for even as Winston Churchill labeled his priority papers, we must be ready for “Action This Day.”
Fifteenth Symbol: The Watchman of Warning
Just as in the third symbol Ezekiel is told that he is to function as a sentinel to warn the people of coming attack, so Ezekiel is told again in chapter 33 of the importance of alerting the people to coming destruction and the way to avert it personally. Whereas a lookout is usually hired by the people he is to protect, this watchman is hired by the One who will besiege them if they do not shore up their defenses.
The only way of protection, says God, is relationship with God as exemplified by personal righteousness. Though all will be saved ultimately only by the favor and grace of God; nonetheless one's present posture of relationship with God is the indicator God will use in judgment. Personal responsibility is paramount, emphasized here perhaps because the people in Jerusalem had relied on their heritage from Abraham, their increase in numbers and their “squatters' rights” (all in verse 24) to try to prove they had the favor of God in spite of both personal and corporate sin.
It is significant that no one is allowed to fear because of past sins, nor to be over-confident because of past righteousness. At the time of the trumpet call, all assets will be frozen, so to speak.
One of the most telling passages about the attitude of Ezekiel's listeners is found in verses 30-32. It is revealed to Ezekiel that people are talking about him behind his back as a form of entertainment. They come to him with words of devotion but they're just looking for an advantage they can profit from–something like knowing a stock market crash in advance so that you can hedge your bets. They have no intention of actually repenting, just using information from him for personal advantage.
“¢ We might generalize that though Ezekiel is called to carry the message, he and anyone called to be a symbol and a preacher is as personally responsible for his own spiritual condition as any of his listeners. He in fact has an additional weight of responsibility–not only for the discharge of the message, but also as a member of the audience of God who requires obedience from all.
“¢ The vigilance that Ezekiel was called to reminds us that each of us must examine himself or herself to ascertain our spiritual condition daily. Although we don't drift across and back on the “line” of salvation and thus must not fall prey to fear of unknowingly losing our souls, nonetheless we must keep a finger on the pulse of our souls and take action so that when the hour of decision or judgment arrives, we are not found without the defense of obedience. Taken in concert with New Testament teaching, we would have to conclude that the righteousness that God would require would mean not only personal actions of righteousness but also the way in which we relate to and depend upon God.
“¢ Someone who is called to be a symbol must face an unpleasant fact: just because you have a willing audience who comes regularly to hear you and expresses support and devotion to you, they may have ulterior motives. It is possible that they want only to have their “ears tickled” or to be stimulated intellectually as sought the people of Mars Hill. Even worse, they may be learning from you with the thought of using your teaching techniques, insights into Scripture, or Bible information solely to gain personal advantage over others. Paul in 2 Timothy said that there are people that believe that the appearance of godliness is a means of financial
gain. Even more insidious are those who use their knowledge of Scripture to gain power over tender-hearted Christians who believe they should give credence to anyone who says that God has spoken about a situation dear to them.
