I can’t believe she’s dead. I’m not a fan of this passage at all! It’s one thing to lose a beloved spouse, but quite another not to be able to mourn the loss because God tells you not to! The text doesn’t say Ezekiel didn’t mourn in private, only that he is not to display any of those behaviors publicly. But when you live a life of ministry you are more visible than most, and people are watching.
We’re halfway through the book of Ezekiel, and now everything God used Ezekiel to say has happened. Now what? This first section was focused on the fall of Israel, and the next two focus on the judgment of nations and future blessings for Israel.
We may question why Ezekiel’s wife had to die, but God explains it. Ezekiel’s contemporaries in Babylon would need consoling. God was setting Ezekiel up to be the model they were to follow. The message was to refrain from mourning the loss their homeland and loved ones left behind. In other words, accept it and learn from it.
Ezekiel miraculously obeyed God. I don’t think I would have been that stoic. That speaks volumes to us all these generations later. Ezekiel didn’t abandon God because things in life were hard. Ezekiel rose above his own grief and chose to be obedient to God. He knew it was that important.
God’s message has the markings of “tough love” written all over it. Merriam Webster defines tough love as: “love or affectionate concern expressed in a stern or unsentimental manner (as through discipline) especially to promote responsible behavior.” For some reason, God didn’t want the people in exile to mourn the fall of Jerusalem and loss of loved ones. Would that help them accept their homeland would not be recognizable if they were ever free to go back.
The ban on mourning was not all the message had to say. While fighting their urge to mourn, the people would soon wither away from their own sinfulness. Of course, that’s what happens to all our bodies over time. We age and grow older and start to “wither”. Body parts stop working like they used to. Living a sinful life only accelerates this natural process.
My final observation is again continuation of the theme of being known. God wants us all to see his hand at work in the fall of Jerusalem. While it was the siege of the Babylonians that would be in the news, it was happening at God’s direction. The people would know it because the Sovereign LORD has spoken.
Let’s pray. LORD speak into my life the direction you want me to go. I want to be on track, acting in ways that are obedient to you and your desires for me. Thank you for giving me the freedom to show my emotions. I can’t imagine not showing grief in a situation like Ezekiel. May the fact that my priority is you be a good example for those watching me live my life. I love you, LORD. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
