God often called on the prophet Ezekiel to portray what would happen to the Jews if they failed to obey God during the time of their trials and the exile. Ezekiel acted out various scenarios, like packing up his baggage and going off into exile or binding himself with ropes or cutting off his hair with a sword, to show the Jews exactly what they would be in for as a result of their stubborn hearts and stiff necks.
Yet in this chapter, God calls on Ezekiel to act out a prophecy in a way that must have hurt the prophet deeply. The Jews are about to lose everything through their sinful behavior. They are about to be carried off into exile, leaving many of their loved ones dead behind them.
Therefore, God tells Ezekiel that he must, by his own experience, prophesy what is about to happen. Ezekiel will lose the delight of his eyes, yet he must not mourn. He must not go through any of the normal rituals. Rather, he must go on as if nothing has happened.
That evening, Ezekiel's wife dies. He does not mourn or weep. He does not eat the bread of mourning or cover his face or tear his clothing or remove his sandals. Rather, he speaks God's message to the Jewish people, telling them that they, too, will lose the delight of their eyes. God will allow the sanctuary to be destroyed and their city to fall. Their loved ones will die in the streets. Yet they will not have time to mourn or weep. They will not follow the normal customs of honoring the dead. Rather, they will be carried off into exile.
Think of how difficult this must have been for Ezekiel. He loved his wife, but he loved God even more. Even in his grief, he was obedient, and he trusted that God's plan was perfect no matter how heartbreaking it seemed.
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