UNROLL
Dawn before a low mud-brick house in an exiles’ settlement: on the beaten earth by the door, a clay brick drawn with a walled city, ringed by tiny banks of earth like a siege ramp.

Signs of the siege

Ezekiel 4

What would it take for you to see what’s coming?

17 verses≈ 4 minBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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Where we are

  1. 1–3Visions of gloryBy the Kebar, about 593 BC: the throne, the scroll, the watchman
  2. 4–7Signs of the siegeA brick, a ration, a razor: the end has comeChapter 4
  3. 8–11The glory departsAbout 592 BC: the temple’s abominations, the mark, the glory goes east
  4. 12–15False hopesExile acted out, false prophets, a useless vine
  5. 16–19Parables and lamentsAn unfaithful bride, two eagles, the one who sins
  6. 20–24The sword drawnRebellion retold; the siege begins, about 588 BC
  7. 25–32The nations judgedAmmon to Egypt: the LORD is Judge of all the earth
  8. 33–36A new heartThe city falls; the Good Shepherd; cleansed and made new
  9. 37–39Dry bones liveOne people raised up, and Gog of Magog defeated
  10. 40–48The LORD is thereAbout 573 BC: the new temple, the river, the land

A Sign of Jerusalem’s Siege

God
Close at ground level: a clay brick drawn with a walled hill city, ringed by a little siege wall of earth, a tiny ramp against its side, small heaps for camps and little wooden rams at rest.

“Now you, son of man, take a brick, place it before you, and draw on it the city of Jerusalem. Then lay siege against it: Construct a siege wall, build a ramp to it, set up camps against it, and place battering rams around it on all sides.

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God
A dark iron griddle plate stands on its edge like a wall between the viewer and a clay brick drawn with a city, its little siege works around it, a reed mat behind.

Then take an iron plate and set it up as an iron wall between yourself and the city. Turn your face toward it so that it is under siege, and besiege it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel.

God
In the shade of a mud-brick wall, a bearded priest seen from behind lies on his left side on a reed mat, facing a clay brick drawn with a city; a water jar by the mat, a few exiles watching far down the lane.

Then lie down on your left side and place the iniquity of the house of Israel upon yourself. You are to bear their iniquity for the number of days you lie on your side. For I have assigned to you 390 days, according to the number of years of their iniquity. So you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.

God

When you have completed these days, lie down again, but on your right side, and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah. I have assigned to you 40 days, a day for each year.

God

You must turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared, and prophesy against it.

Now behold, I will tie you up with ropes so you cannot turn from side to side until you have finished the days of your siege.

Question

Quick question

Ezekiel’s first sermon in Babylonia used no words at all. Think back to the brick.

What did Ezekiel draw on the brick?

The Defiled Bread

God
On a rough wooden board in morning light, six small heaps of grain and pulse in one row: wheat, barley, brown beans, red lentils, millet and spelt, a plain clay jar behind.

But take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; put them in a single container and make them into bread for yourself. This is what you are to eat during the 390 days you lie on your side.

God
On a plain wooden table by a clay oil lamp, a hand-held beam balance with stone weights holds a small round barley cake on one pan; beside it a small clay cup of water, half full.

You are to weigh out twenty shekels of food to eat each day, and you are to eat it at set times.

You are also to measure out a sixth of a hin of water to drink, and you are to drink it at set times.

God

And you shall eat the food as you would a barley cake, after you bake it over dried human excrement in the sight of the people.”

Then the LORD said, “This is how the Israelites will eat their defiled bread among the nations to which I will banish them.”

Ezekiel

“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have not eaten anything found dead or mauled by wild beasts. No unclean meat has ever entered my mouth.”

God

“Look,” He replied, “I will let you use cow dung instead of human excrement, and you may bake your bread over that.”

God
A cool stone storeroom in dim light from one high slit: a row of tall clay storage jars, the nearest tipped and empty, a scatter of last grain on the floor, an empty wooden pole on pegs.

Then He told me, “Son of man, I am going to cut off the supply of food in Jerusalem. They will anxiously eat bread rationed by weight, and in despair they will drink water by measure. So they will lack food and water; they will be appalled at the sight of one another wasting away in their iniquity.

0:19

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Pray

Pray

Lord GOD, You warned Your people so plainly that they could see it in the dust. Give me eyes to see Your warnings and a heart that turns while there is time. Amen.

You’ve experienced

Ezekiel 4

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A verse to carry with you

This will be a sign to the house of Israel.

Ezekiel 4:3

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