Ezekiel’s actions symbolize the Jews’ exile
12
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 📚“Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house. They have eyes to see, but do not see. They have ears to hear, but do not hear. For they are a rebellious house. 3 📚“Therefore, son of man, pack up your things for exile, and in the daylight go into exile in their sight, going into exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will consider, though they are a rebellious house. 4 📚Then you are to bring out your things in the daylight in their sight, like things for exile, and in the evening set out in their sight, like those going away into captivity. 5 📚Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry the things out through it. 6 📚In their sight you carry them on your shoulders, and bring them out at twilight. You are to cover your face, so that you will not see the ground. For I have made you a sign to the house of Israel”.
7 📚And I did as I was commanded. I brought out my things in daylight, like things for captivity, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I brought them out at twilight, and carried them on my shoulder in their sight.
8 And in the morning the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 9 📚“Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’
10 📚“Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: This burden is concerning the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel who are among them.’ 11 📚Say, ‘I am your sign. It will be done to them just as I have done. They will be exiled and go into captivity.’
12 📚“And the prince who is among them will carry his things on his shoulders at twilight, and go out. They will dig through the wall to carry their things out through it. He will cover his face, so that he will not see the ground with his eyes. 13 📚And I will spread my net over him, and he will be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans. But he will not see it, though he will die there. 14 📚And I will scatter all his helpers who are around him and all his troops to all the winds, and I will draw out the sword after them.
12:12-14 This prince was King Zedekiah. He was brought to Babylon but did not see it because his eyes had been put out (Jer 52:6-11).⚜
15 📚“And they will know 📖 that I am the LORD, when I scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries. 16 📚But I will spare a few of their men from the sword, from famine, and from the plague, so that they may declare all their abominations among the nations where they go; and they will know that I am the LORD”.
12:3-16 Neither the exiles in Babylon nor those who remained in Jerusalem believed that Jerusalem would be destroyed and all the people exiled. To convince them of the truth God once again makes Ezekiel an object lesson to them (v 11).⚜
17 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 18 📚“Son of man, eat your food with shuddering, and drink your water with trembling and with anxiety, 19 📚and say to the people of the land, ‘Thus says the Lord God concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and concerning the land of Israel: They will eat their food with anxiety, and drink their water with astonishment, for their land will be emptied of everything that is in it, because of the violence of all those who live there. 20 📚And the cities that are inhabited will be laid waste, and the land will be desolate; and you will know that I am the Lord.’ ”
12:17-20 Another object lesson showing the hopelessness of the situation of the people in Jerusalem (Ezek 7:27).⚜
21 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 22 📚“Son of man, what is that proverb you have in the land of Israel, saying, ‘The days go on, and every vision fails?’
12:21-22 This “proverb” showed the unbelief of the people. Compare 2 Pet 3:4.⚜
23 📚Tell them therefore, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will put a stop to this proverb, and they will no longer use it as a proverb in Israel.’ And say to them, ‘The days are at hand, and the fulfilment of every vision.
12:23 Verses 25,28.⚜
24 📚For there will no longer be any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel.
12:24 For false visions see next chapter and Jer 14:14.⚜
25 📚For I am the LORD. I will speak, and the word that I speak will come to pass. It will no longer be delayed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word, and will fulfil it, says the Lord God.’ ”
26 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 27 📚“Son of man, see, those of the house of Israel say, ‘The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies about times far off.’
12:27 Since the Lord through the prophets kept giving the same message again and again the people finally admitted that it might be fulfilled – but only far in the future. They tried to escape the plain meaning of God’s word by saying it did not apply to their own time. They were not the last to do so.⚜
28 📚“Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: None of my words will be delayed any longer, but the word which I have spoken will be done, says the Lord God.’ ”