Ezekiel 12:1-28
Q.1. How was Ezekiel to drive home the fact that the exile of Israel from the land would be very soon? Why would a few people be spared? – (Ezk.12:1-16)
Ezekiel was to act out the message from God (Ezk.12:1-6). None of the people took much notice (Ezk.12:8). The Lord then told him to say – I am a sign to you. As I have done, so it will be done to them; they will go into exile, into captivity (Ezk.12:11). He then declared the coming terrible destruction, and their captivity in the land of Babylon. However, some would be spared – I will spare a few of them from the sword, the famine, and the pestilence that they may tell all their abominations among the nations where they go and may know that I am the Lord (Ezk.12:16). The survivors would be witnesses to the fact that God kept His promises, so that all might know that the God of Israel was the Lord. Ezekiel foretold the exact judgment on King Zedekiah, who would have his eyes blinded before going into Babylon (Ezk.12:12-13 c.f. Jer.39:6-7; 52:11)
Q.2. How did the leaders and people deflect the warning about captivity? How will history repeat itself in the Last Days? – (Ezk.12:17-28)
The common defence against Ezekiel, the prophet was to deride him as a prophet of doom, claiming that Judah was safe, since the prophetic message had not yet been fulfilled. The Lord told Ezekiel – 22 Son of man, what is this proverb you people have concerning the land of Israel, saying, The days are long and every vision fails? 23 Therefore say to them,Thus says the Lord God, “I will make this proverb cease so that they will no longer use it as a proverb in Israel.” But tell them, “The days draw near as well as the fulfilment of every vision” (Ezk.12:22-23). We must contend with a similar mocking of the message of the Lord’s return, as predicted in the Bible – 2 … you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Saviour spoken by your apostles. 3 Know this first of all, that in the Last Days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation (2 Pet.3:2-4 c.f. Jude 1:17-18). Like our Master, we must be prepared for the ridicule and rejection by the lost and ill-informed.