Ezekiel 4:9-17 – God is faithful to His Word

The first scene Ezekiel acted out in the first eight verses of chapter 4 shows the siege of Jerusalem. The purpose of the siege was to deprive the inhabitants of the city of provisions so that they would be weakened and left with no strength to resist. God gave instruction to Ezekiel in verses 9-17 to act out another scene to portray what would happen to a people under siege.  

He was to eat a meager diet to depict what happened during their time of famine and starvation. Ezekiel was to dramatize the scarcity of food supply and water. Rationing of food and water became a necessity. Verse 9 shows that even baking bread Ezekiel had to “take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and emmer, and put them into a single vessel and make bread from them.” In other words, to have enough to bake bread, ingredients would be scrapped from leftover meals. This was to show how miserable the condition of the city under siege would be.

Besides, Ezekiel was to cook his food using human excrement as fuel. This was to show that the inhabitants would be forced to partake of unclean meals.  Not only would this happen to the people during their siege but also when they were taken into exile.  For a person raised as a priest, Ezekiel had never defiled himself this way by eating unclean food. It was unthinkable for him to violate the requirement and to partake of food baked with human faeces. So, he protested.  God then granted him to use cow dung to bake it as a concession. This tells us that even in judgment, God would still consider the plea of those who had been obedient to Him.  

In the enactment of Ezekiel, God was even showing His faithfulness to the covenant. In the covenant, it was stipulated that when His people obey Him, they would be blessed. But when they disobey, they would experience a curse. And He was now enforcing the curse because of their disobedience.  God meant every word that He said and would keep it.   

It is foolishness to expect a blessed life when one chooses to walk in disobedience. The law of cause and effect always takes place. When we obey God and live according to divine principles, we will reap His peace, protection, and provision. When we choose to violate His word, we must expect to have negative consequences. Whatever, our experience in life may be, whether smooth or rough, God’s desire is for a right relationship with us. Relate with Him rightly each moment of life!