Ezekiel 24:18-27: a reflection

18So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. So I did in the morning as I was commanded. 19The people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things mean to us, that you act like this?” 20Then I said to them, “The LORD’s word came to me, saying, 21‘Speak to the house of Israel, “The Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pities; and your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword. 22You will do as I have done. You won’t cover your lips or eat mourner’s bread. 23Your turbans will be on your heads, and your sandals on your feet. You won’t mourn or weep; but you will pine away in your iniquities, and moan one toward another. 24Thus Ezekiel will be a sign to you; according to all that he has done, you will do. When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’”’” 25“You, son of man, shouldn’t it be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their heart—their sons and their daughters— 26that in that day he who escapes will come to you, to cause you to hear it with your ears? 27In that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped, and you will speak and be no more mute. So you will be a sign to them. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

God asked of the prophet Ezekiel a very hard thing. His wife, the delight of his eyes, was taken from him; and he was told not to mourn openly as others would, but to bear the loss quietly, as a sign to the people of a coming loss they too would bear. Ezekiel obeyed, doing in the morning as he was commanded, bearing a deep grief in a way that itself became a message to others. It was a costly obedience, asked of him for the sake of the people to whom he was a sign.

Notice the costliness of what God asked of Ezekiel, and that it was for the sake of others. He was asked to bear a profound personal loss in a particular way, not for his own sake, but as a sign to the people, that through his bearing of it they might be warned and taught. It was obedience at great personal cost, a hard thing borne for the sake of others' good. God's servant was called to a costly obedience, carrying something heavy so that others might be reached through it.

That God sometimes calls his servants to costly obedience is worth soberly taking to heart, for we can imagine that following God should always be comfortable. We can suppose that obedience to God will not cost us much, that God will not ask hard things of us; but Ezekiel was asked to bear a deep grief in obedience, for the sake of others. There may be times when God asks of you a costly obedience, a hard thing borne not for your own comfort but for the good of others, or for his purposes. Do not imagine that following God will always be without cost; he sometimes calls his servants, as he called Ezekiel, to a hard obedience for the sake of others. When God asks something costly of you, remember Ezekiel, who bore a heavy grief in obedience for the sake of the people; and trust that costly obedience, borne for God and others, is not wasted, but serves purposes beyond your own comfort, as Ezekiel's obedience served as a sign to the people God loved.

Lord, you asked of the prophet Ezekiel a very hard thing. His wife, the delight of his eyes, was taken from him; and he was told to bear the loss in a particular way, as a sign to the people of a coming loss they too would bear. Ezekiel obeyed, bearing a deep grief in a way that itself became a message to others. It was a costly obedience, asked of him for the sake of the people to whom he was a sign. Show me the costliness of what you asked of Ezekiel, and that it was for the sake of others. He was asked to bear a profound personal loss, not for his own sake, but as a sign to the people, that through his bearing of it they might be warned and taught. It was obedience at great personal cost, a hard thing borne for others' good. That you sometimes call your servants to costly obedience is worth soberly taking to heart, for I can imagine that following you should always be comfortable. I can suppose that obedience to you will not cost me much; but Ezekiel was asked to bear a deep grief in obedience, for the sake of others. There may be times when you ask of me a costly obedience, a hard thing borne not for my own comfort but for the good of others, or for your purposes. Keep me from imagining that following you will always be without cost. When you ask something costly of me, help me remember Ezekiel; and help me trust that costly obedience, borne for you and others, is not wasted, Lord, but serves purposes beyond my own comfort.