The lessons I am learning from ancient Israel continue to enthral me. My latest admiration is for the prophet Ezekiel who was a contemporary of Jeremiah and Daniel. Whereas Jeremiah was a prophet sent to Judah's kings and leaders soon to be conquered and Daniel, a prophet sent to preach to the conquerors, Ezekiel was called of God to be "a watchman unto the house of Israel" (Ezekiel 33:7). Ezekiel was of priestly lineage and was carried away to Babylon during the first siege of Jerusalem in 601 BC. As a prophet called to preach to the exiles and captives, the Lord laid upon him an immense burden of calling to repentance what He constantly referred to "a rebellious house" and an "impudent and hardhearted people" (Ezekiel 2:4-7; 3:6-7). The house of Judah had become so wicked that the Lord asked Jeremiah, "do you not see what they are doing in the streets of Jerusalem? The children are gathering wood, the fathers are kindling fire and the women make cakes for offerings to other gods. Don't pray for them or try to make intercession for them for I will not hear you." (Jeremiah 7:16-18). Considering the Saviour's immensely merciful character, it would have taken a lot for Him to say this. This is a good indication that Judah had reached the point of no return as far as repentance was concerned and they were ripe for destruction. As a result Jerusalem was sacked by the Chaldeans three times before Christ and by the Romans in 70 A.D.
Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Chaldeans (Babylon), had hoped to subdue the kingdom of Judah twice and requested they pay him homage but the kings of Judah would not submit and instead sought political alliance with Egypt, something that Jeremiah warned them not to do. By the third siege Nebuchadnezzar had had enough. He built a wall around Jerusalem so no one could escape and no supplies could be brought in. The siege lasted 18 months. The starvation of the people was so severe they resorted to cannibalism. By the time Nebuchadnezzar had finished, Jerusalem was levelled to rubble. Ezekiel was shown in visions all the perversions of the Jews and the winding up scenes of the total destruction of Jerusalem. So horrendous were his visions that they made him weep. Following his visions the Lord instructed him to teach the people in exile of what was happening in Jerusalem through the most intricate object lessons. No internet for him to make things easier..... The first eleven chapters of Ezekiel speak of these object lessons and the horrors that befell Jerusalem. In these eleven chapters Jehovah says “ye shall know that I am the Lord” 17 times. It makes for heart wrenching reading....
Why did the Lord bother to let those in exile, who had been saved because they were less wicked, know what was happening in Jerusalem? The answer is obvious: to teach them to repent. The most fascinating lesson that lies within the chapters of Ezekiel is that the Lord did not turn His back on the house of Judah in captivity and left them to suffer the consequences of their sins. He ensured their exile would bring them to the point of repentance. He proved through Ezekiel that His mercy will always step in to save His chosen people and that His constant focus is to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). So effective was His teaching that the Jewish people never again returned to idolatry. It was in exile that Judah remembered their God and became over zealous for His laws. It was a great turning point in Israel's religious life. Their repentance was complete, the lesson learnt.
The lesson from this period of history is clear: it is best not to sin for as sure as we do, we will suffer. However, there will be a way back, if we do not reach the point of no return, the Lord in His mercy will turn our suffering into a learning curve to assist us to repent and return to the embrace of His protective arms. He will not forsake His chosen people. He will always do His part to bring us back. The rest will be up to us. He is our God and we are His people.
I have a list of ancient prophets I admire which keeps getting longer the more I study the scriptures. With each prophet I recognise the burdens of their calling. These I admire the most:
Abraham for his utter devotion to God;
Joseph for his powerful leadership and success;
Jeremiah for his suffering and persistent ministry despite it all;
Lehi for being a dreamer;
John the Beloved for being the Beloved;
and now Ezekiel for being a watchman to the house of Israel.....
The burdens they carried,
the hardships they endured,
I am in awe.....
