Eze 12:9 | KingComments | STEP | When Ezekiel has performed his play, the next morning the word of the LORD comes to him ( ). The LORD is curious, as it were, about the reaction of the people ( ). How did they react to the performance? Did they also ask Ezekiel about the meaning? Whether they did or not, in any case Ezekiel must go and tell them what he wanted to make clear with his performance ( ). What he has played out is a speaking of God that applies to the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel in Jerusalem. He must say in plain words that he is a sign and that what he has played out will actually happen to the prince and the inhabitants of Jerusalem ( ). Ezekiel says that in his performance he has mainly played out what will happen to the prince ( ). That prince is Zedekiah. Several years later, what Ezekiel has played out and is described again here will literally happen to Zedekiah ( ; ). Zedekiah flees through the wall at night. But the soldiers of the king of Babylon pursue him and seize him. So the LORD spreads His net over him and takes him captive ( ). It is not bad luck that Zedekiah is seized. Zedekiah is taken to Riblah and there his eyes are put out. Then the Chaldeans take him to Babylon, but he cannot see that land because he is blind. There, in Babylon, he dies. Those who helped him flee are scattered by the LORD throughout all the winds and will fall there by the sword ( ). Through their dispersion and scattering, they will know that He is the LORD ( ). The dramatic conquest of Jerusalem and the extermination of its inhabitants will not put a final end to them ( ). The LORD will leave a small number of people alive. He will spare them so that they can tell the nations why all this has happened to them (cf. ). It is the message to all that God punishes evil no matter how long the judgment waits because He is longsuffering. It is folly to deny eternal judgment when there is so much evidence that God punishes evil. We can learn another lesson from the play that Ezekiel performed. Is our life in line with what he showed? Do we have only the bare necessities and are we ready to go to another place ( ). For us, it is not a departure to go into exile, but to the Father’s house. Maybe then people will ask us why we live the way we do. Then we can point them to the anger of God that is coming upon the world and to the Savior Who can and wants to save from it. We can then give witness to the hope that is in us ( ).

‏ Ezekiel 12:9

The Exile of the King

When Ezekiel has performed his play, the next morning the word of the LORD comes to him (Eze 12:8). The LORD is curious, as it were, about the reaction of the people (Eze 12:9). How did they react to the performance? Did they also ask Ezekiel about the meaning? Whether they did or not, in any case Ezekiel must go and tell them what he wanted to make clear with his performance (Eze 12:10). What he has played out is a speaking of God that applies to the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel in Jerusalem. He must say in plain words that he is a sign and that what he has played out will actually happen to the prince and the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Eze 12:11).

Ezekiel says that in his performance he has mainly played out what will happen to the prince (Eze 12:12). That prince is Zedekiah. Several years later, what Ezekiel has played out and is described again here will literally happen to Zedekiah (2Kgs 25:1-7; Jer 39:1-10 ; Jer 52:7-11). Zedekiah flees through the wall at night. But the soldiers of the king of Babylon pursue him and seize him. So the LORD spreads His net over him and takes him captive (Eze 12:13). It is not bad luck that Zedekiah is seized.

Zedekiah is taken to Riblah and there his eyes are put out. Then the Chaldeans take him to Babylon, but he cannot see that land because he is blind. There, in Babylon, he dies. Those who helped him flee are scattered by the LORD throughout all the winds and will fall there by the sword (Eze 12:14). Through their dispersion and scattering, they will know that He is the LORD (Eze 12:15).

The dramatic conquest of Jerusalem and the extermination of its inhabitants will not put a final end to them (Eze 12:16). The LORD will leave a small number of people alive. He will spare them so that they can tell the nations why all this has happened to them (cf. Eze 14:22 ; Eze 33:21). It is the message to all that God punishes evil no matter how long the judgment waits because He is longsuffering. It is folly to deny eternal judgment when there is so much evidence that God punishes evil.

We can learn another lesson from the play that Ezekiel performed. Is our life in line with what he showed? Do we have only the bare necessities and are we ready to go to another place (1Pet 1:13). For us, it is not a departure to go into exile, but to the Father’s house. Maybe then people will ask us why we live the way we do. Then we can point them to the anger of God that is coming upon the world and to the Savior Who can and wants to save from it. We can then give witness to the hope that is in us (1Pet 3:15a).