Eze 24:9 | KingComments | STEP | In the previous chapters, Ezekiel has always told the exiles that Jerusalem will also be judged. The exiles believe that things are still good in Jerusalem and that it must be very nice to be there. Ezekiel has described to them at length the sins of Jerusalem and that therefore the LORD will give up the city to judgment. That thought does not enter the minds of the exiles. They simply do not believe the LORD and His servant Ezekiel. They have all kinds of arguments to reject Ezekiel’s statements. These arguments are related to their national pride and their wrong view of the LORD and of the remnant in Jerusalem. They boast in their religious center. They believe that the LORD will never give up His city and His temple. Therefore, to them Ezekiel is a gloom and false prophet. In this chapter, the LORD no longer speaks of a judgment that is coming soon, but of a judgment that is in progress. This chapter also begins with the introductory words that the word of the LORD is coming to Ezekiel ( ). But now a particularity is added and that is the date on which it happens. In fact, that date is so special that Ezekiel has to write that date down ( ). What makes the date special is that on this day the king of Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem ( ; ). This day is later kept as a day of fasting during the exile ( ). First, a parable is told in . The explanation follows in , while new details are added in . Ezekiel is commanded to present the siege of Jerusalem in a parable to the rebellious house of Israel ( ). Here we see a prophetic representation of which the fulfillment occurs at the same time. The symbol and the event coincide. The judgment that Ezekiel announces through his parable is being carried out at the same time hundreds of miles away. Ezekiel is to put a boiling pot on the fire and put water in the pot (cf. ). Then he must put good pieces of flesh and choice bones into the pot ( ). He must take the choicest of the flock and put the bones in the pot ( ). He must make it boil vigorously, paying special attention to the bones that they seethe. In order for bones to cook, the fire must be very hot. By the choicest of meat and bones is meant the most distinguished of the people, the flower of the nation. The word “therefore” ( ) introduces the explanation of why the flesh and bones are in the cooking pot (cf. ). The LORD is to pronounce His “woe” on Jerusalem, the city He calls “blood city” with horror, because of the many murders committed in the city (cf. ). Blood sticks to the city (cf. ). The pot is Jerusalem. It is not just any pot, it is a pot with rust on it. Whatever the LORD has tried to remove the rust has been in vain. Jerusalem is so attached to her harlotry and apostacy that any discipline is in vain. She doesn’t want to listen. Therefore the flesh, that is the inhabitants of the city, will be removed from it piece by piece. There will be indiscriminate judgment. Judgment will strike all. A choice will not be made. No lot will be cast to set anyone free so that that person would be spared. Jerusalem has gone so far in her shameless and brutal violence that she has not bothered to cover the innocently shed blood ( ). The blood was not poured out on the earth to be absorbed by the earth so that it is no longer visible, but it lies like a testimony on a bare rock that does not absorb the blood. Nor is the blood covered with earth ( ). Here the blood remains uncovered on the rock and testifies against them. It cries out for vengeance and retribution, just as the blood of Abel, murdered by Cain, cried out to God from the earth ( ; cf. ). Ultimately, God Himself caused the blood to remain uncovered as a charge ( ; cf. ). He can refer to it as an occasion for His wrath and to exercise vengeance. The wrath of God on Jerusalem is great ( ). Again He pronounces “woe” on the city and again calls it “blood city”. He expresses His great wrath by making the pile great. He will make the fire of His judgment very hot and therefore calls for the gathering of much wood ( ). The flames are to blaze high so that the flesh is boiled all over and the bones be burned. Just as everything in the pot decomposes and burns by the fire that is set under it, so the entire population of Jerusalem will be annihilated by the glow of God’s wrath. The announcement of judgment here is even stronger than in . When everything in the pot is consumed, the pot itself is dealt with ( ). When in Jerusalem all the inhabitants have been killed, the city itself will be destroyed ( ; ). With the destruction of the city, the rust, the uncleanness, will also disappear. Thus judgment has a purifying, cleansing effect. Only in this radical way can the rust disappear. All previous efforts by the LORD to remove the uncleanness have proved futile, so that nothing remains for Him but this discipline ( ). Because Jerusalem has not wanted to be cleansed, she has come to her shameful behavior ( ). She has not wanted to repent of her idolatry despite many forms of discipline. Her unrepentance has caused God to bring His wrath upon her. The greatest evil is not that we sin, although of course that is bad, but that we refuse to turn away from sin. The law states that a person must be put to death if he refuses to use the water for impurity for his cleansing in a particular case ( ; cf. ; ). For us, this speaks of refusing to confess a sin, with the result that God and fellow believers cannot have fellowship with us. Because of Jerusalem’s unrepentance, an unmitigated judgment must strike her ( ). God owes it to His holiness. He is longsuffering, but His longsuffering ends once. His longsuffering ends when He sees that someone, after many attempts to bring him to repentance, stubbornly refuses to repent. Those who do not repent will have to deal with a God Who will not repent of the judgment He must exercise. That judgment comes because it is deserved. It is according to the ways and deeds of the one being judged, here Jerusalem.

‏ Ezekiel 24:9

Introduction

In the previous chapters, Ezekiel has always told the exiles that Jerusalem will also be judged. The exiles believe that things are still good in Jerusalem and that it must be very nice to be there. Ezekiel has described to them at length the sins of Jerusalem and that therefore the LORD will give up the city to judgment.

That thought does not enter the minds of the exiles. They simply do not believe the LORD and His servant Ezekiel. They have all kinds of arguments to reject Ezekiel’s statements. These arguments are related to their national pride and their wrong view of the LORD and of the remnant in Jerusalem. They boast in their religious center. They believe that the LORD will never give up His city and His temple. Therefore, to them Ezekiel is a gloom and false prophet. In this chapter, the LORD no longer speaks of a judgment that is coming soon, but of a judgment that is in progress.

Parable of the Boiling Pot

This chapter also begins with the introductory words that the word of the LORD is coming to Ezekiel (Eze 24:1). But now a particularity is added and that is the date on which it happens. In fact, that date is so special that Ezekiel has to write that date down (Eze 24:2). What makes the date special is that on this day the king of Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem (2Kgs 25:1; Jer 39:1 ; Jer 52:4). This day is later kept as a day of fasting during the exile (Zec 8:19).

First, a parable is told in Eze 24:3-5. The explanation follows in Eze 24:6-8, while new details are added in Eze 24:9-14. Ezekiel is commanded to present the siege of Jerusalem in a parable to the rebellious house of Israel (Eze 24:3). Here we see a prophetic representation of which the fulfillment occurs at the same time. The symbol and the event coincide. The judgment that Ezekiel announces through his parable is being carried out at the same time hundreds of miles away.

Ezekiel is to put a boiling pot on the fire and put water in the pot (cf. Jer 1:13). Then he must put good pieces of flesh and choice bones into the pot (Eze 24:4). He must take the choicest of the flock and put the bones in the pot (Eze 24:5). He must make it boil vigorously, paying special attention to the bones that they seethe. In order for bones to cook, the fire must be very hot. By the choicest of meat and bones is meant the most distinguished of the people, the flower of the nation.

The word “therefore” (Eze 24:6) introduces the explanation of why the flesh and bones are in the cooking pot (cf. Eze 11:3 ; 11). The LORD is to pronounce His “woe” on Jerusalem, the city He calls “blood city” with horror, because of the many murders committed in the city (cf. Eze 22:2). Blood sticks to the city (cf. Rev 18:24). The pot is Jerusalem. It is not just any pot, it is a pot with rust on it. Whatever the LORD has tried to remove the rust has been in vain.

Jerusalem is so attached to her harlotry and apostacy that any discipline is in vain. She doesn’t want to listen. Therefore the flesh, that is the inhabitants of the city, will be removed from it piece by piece. There will be indiscriminate judgment. Judgment will strike all. A choice will not be made. No lot will be cast to set anyone free so that that person would be spared.

Jerusalem has gone so far in her shameless and brutal violence that she has not bothered to cover the innocently shed blood (Eze 24:7). The blood was not poured out on the earth to be absorbed by the earth so that it is no longer visible, but it lies like a testimony on a bare rock that does not absorb the blood. Nor is the blood covered with earth (Lev 17:13). Here the blood remains uncovered on the rock and testifies against them. It cries out for vengeance and retribution, just as the blood of Abel, murdered by Cain, cried out to God from the earth (Gen 4:10; cf. Job 16:18). Ultimately, God Himself caused the blood to remain uncovered as a charge (Eze 24:8; cf. Isa 26:21). He can refer to it as an occasion for His wrath and to exercise vengeance.

The wrath of God on Jerusalem is great (Eze 24:9). Again He pronounces “woe” on the city and again calls it “blood city”. He expresses His great wrath by making the pile great. He will make the fire of His judgment very hot and therefore calls for the gathering of much wood (Eze 24:10). The flames are to blaze high so that the flesh is boiled all over and the bones be burned. Just as everything in the pot decomposes and burns by the fire that is set under it, so the entire population of Jerusalem will be annihilated by the glow of God’s wrath. The announcement of judgment here is even stronger than in Eze 24:5.

When everything in the pot is consumed, the pot itself is dealt with (Eze 24:11). When in Jerusalem all the inhabitants have been killed, the city itself will be destroyed (2Kgs 25:9; Jer 38:18 ; Jer 52:13). With the destruction of the city, the rust, the uncleanness, will also disappear. Thus judgment has a purifying, cleansing effect. Only in this radical way can the rust disappear. All previous efforts by the LORD to remove the uncleanness have proved futile, so that nothing remains for Him but this discipline (Eze 24:12).

Because Jerusalem has not wanted to be cleansed, she has come to her shameful behavior (Eze 24:13). She has not wanted to repent of her idolatry despite many forms of discipline. Her unrepentance has caused God to bring His wrath upon her.

The greatest evil is not that we sin, although of course that is bad, but that we refuse to turn away from sin. The law states that a person must be put to death if he refuses to use the water for impurity for his cleansing in a particular case (Num 19:13; cf. Mt 23:37; Lk 13:34). For us, this speaks of refusing to confess a sin, with the result that God and fellow believers cannot have fellowship with us.

Because of Jerusalem’s unrepentance, an unmitigated judgment must strike her (Eze 24:14). God owes it to His holiness. He is longsuffering, but His longsuffering ends once. His longsuffering ends when He sees that someone, after many attempts to bring him to repentance, stubbornly refuses to repent. Those who do not repent will have to deal with a God Who will not repent of the judgment He must exercise. That judgment comes because it is deserved. It is according to the ways and deeds of the one being judged, here Jerusalem.