From Ezekiel 5-8

Ezekiel is given another way to demonstrate what will happen to Judah and Jerusalem for rebelling against the LORD. He has to give himself a haircut!

This post is part of my bible in a year series.

Passage and Comments

5 “And you, O son of man, take a sharp sword. Use it as a barber’s razor and pass it over your head and your beard. Then take balances for weighing and divide the hair.

2 A third part you shall burn in the fire in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are completed.

And a third part you shall take and strike with the sword all around the city.

And a third part you shall scatter to the wind, and I will unsheathe the sword after them.

3 And you shall take from these a small number and bind them in the skirts of your robe. 4 And of these again you shall take some and cast them into the midst of the fire and burn them in the fire. From there a fire will come out into all the house of Israel. (Eze 5.1-4)

Bear in mind, its implied Ezekiel will be doing all this publicly. People are watching. The cut off hair he has to divide into three portions and each has a different fate.

What do you do with your hair when it is cut off?

The hair is actually symbolic.

5 “Thus says the Lord GOD: This is Jerusalem.

I have set her in the center of the nations, with countries all around her. 6 And she has rebelled against my rules by doing wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries all around her; for they have rejected my rules and have not walked in my statutes.

7 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you are more turbulent than the nations that are all around you, and have not walked in my statutes or obeyed my rules, and have not even acted according to the rules of the nations that are all around you,

8 therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, even I, am against you. And I will execute judgments in your midst in the sight of the nations. 9 And because of all your abominations I will do with you what I have never yet done, and the like of which I will never do again.

10 Therefore fathers shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers. And I will execute judgments on you, and any of you who survive I will scatter to all the winds. (Eze 5.5-10)

The hair represents Jerusalem and what will happen to the people. The LORD is punishing Jerusalem for their sin and disobedience.

11 Therefore, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations, therefore I will withdraw. My eye will not spare, and I will have no pity.

12 A third part of you shall die of pestilence and be consumed with famine in your midst;

a third part shall fall by the sword all around you; and

a third part I will scatter to all the winds and will unsheathe the sword after them.

13 “Thus shall my anger spend itself, and I will vent my fury upon them and satisfy myself. And they shall know that I am the LORD—that I have spoken in my jealousy—when I spend my fury upon them. (Eze 5.11-13)

They have defiled the temple of the LORD. Their punishment is pestilence, famine, and violent death. The LORD will pour out his jealous wrath on Jerusalem.

Story of Israel

Ezekiel’s prophecy will play itself out in Jerusalem’s history. But there is another day when the LORD will come in judgment and will punish sin.

Story of Jesus

In the gospel, John the baptist predicts a future pouring out of wrath.

7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
15 As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16 John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
18 So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. (Lk 3.7-18)

He instructs his audience to turn from their sin and repent. He predicts the coming of the Christ.

You might want to have a look at your life and see if you to should repent and ask for forgiveness. God will judge sin in holy wrath.

Copyright © Joshua Washington and thescripturesays, 2016. All Rights Reserved.