We are truly reaching the end of Judah as a nation at this point.
After years of warning from Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and many others, Babylon was now on the doorstep of Judah, ready to destroy it once and for all.
On the day the siege started, God told Ezekiel, “This is it. This nation is so wicked, they spill blood and don’t even care to hide it.
“I’ve tried to cleanse this nation from its impurities, but despite all my warnings and efforts, it has all been in vain.
“So I’m no longer going to hold back. I will show no pity. The time of judgment has now come. (Ezekiel 24:1–14)”
Then God gave Ezekiel news that had to devastate him: “Your wife will die.”
Not only that, he commanded Ezekiel not to do all the traditional Jewish things that people did to mourn for their dead. He told Ezekiel,
Do not lament or weep or shed any tears. Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead.
Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners. (Ezekiel 24:16–17)
Why did he command this?
It was to be a sign to the people around him of what their response would be at the destruction of Jerusalem. Their stronghold, their glory, their delight, their desires, even their very children would be taken from them.
As a result, their grief would be so deep that they would not be able to find any comfort or release from their usual customs of mourning.
Yet despite their grief, they still would not repent. Instead, they would waste away because of their sins, groaning among themselves.
What can we take from this?
Mourning can be a good thing. When mourning causes us to turn from our sins and turn to God, it can bring us comfort, restoration, and life.
Jesus himself said,
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)
But we can get so jaded by our sins that even when we lose everything we hold dear, even when our grief is so deep nothing can seem to relieve it, we refuse to repent. Instead, we shout in defiance to God or waste away in self-pity.
That’s what would happen to the people of Judah. And that’s what can happen to us if we let ourselves get hardened to sin in our lives.
How about you? Has your heart become jaded because of sin? Have you lost all hope because of it? Are you simply wallowing in your anger toward God or in self-pity?
You don’t have to be that way. Confess your sins before God. Mourn for your sins, not just for the consequences of them.
And if you do, God will reach down, touch you, forgive you, and restore you.
Remember it’s never too late, no matter what you’ve done.
The apostle Paul was a man who had blasphemed Christ and had murdered Christ’s own people. But after his conversion, he wrote,
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. (1 Timothy 1:15–16)
Paul’s weeping brought repentance and salvation. May your weeping bring you the same.
Moment to Moment (Bible blog) 