Ezekiel's Wife

 

Last year I underwent a long spell of months of demonic oppression. I was under attack by some whom I had called ‘’Brother’ and ‘’Sister’. I was having health and pain issues. I was being 'accused'. It was generally a very difficult and trying time. I brought myself continually before the Lord for examination with the invitation and plea for His correction upon me. 

God used that time to teach me some things… one being that it is very important to Him that His children exercise correct (righteous) judgement. Sometimes when we are incorrectly judging God's child it becomes not only an accusation against that person, but also against God! God told me I was ‘’standing on holy ground' during this oppressive time. Sometimes God allows His children to go through difficult times and circumstances they don't really understand at the time. Yet, it is for a (good) purpose! It is not always due to a particular sin in their life, or lack of faith. It may even be an exercise to practice and increase their faith. God builds our faith. He doesn't tear it down.

As I was being incorrectly judged and accused by those I had called Brother and Sister God brought me to the account of Job and his ‘’friends’. Job was being incorrectly judged, and finally it came down to God telling Job's friends that they had not spoken what was right about God as they were judging Job. They did not exercise righteous judgement.

Job 42:7-11 says, "It came about after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him so that I may not do with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has." So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job. The LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold. Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the LORD had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold.

Recently an individual wrote an account of Ezekiel that did not set right in my spirit. I prayed about it. This person asserted that God killed Ezekiel's wife as a punishment for Ezekiel's disobedience. This individual said that Ezekiel was in disobedience to God, and that God showed her this by bringing her to Ezekiel 22:30-31 where God says, “I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. Thus I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their way I have brought upon their heads," declares the Lord GOD.” 

The context of this scripture is found in the proceeding and following verses - and Ezekiel's disobedience was never mentioned in any of the scriptures. In fact, Ezekiel was an exceptionally obedient prophet with a very difficult calling! God prepared Ezekiel for his calling as we see in Ezekiel 3:8-9 where God tells Ezekiel, “Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. Like emery harder than flint I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, though they are a rebellious house.”

This person went on to say that God had made Ezekiel mute because ‘’perhaps the Lord didn't trust Ezekiel to not speak from his flesh during this most challenging time…’’ (of God's discipline upon the people). 'Perhaps' isn't enough. It is best to stick with the script rather than to judge on speculations.

The 'disobedience’ this individual accused Ezekiel of was that he had failed as an ‘intercessor’ for Israel based upon the aforementioned scripture Ezekiel 22:30-31. However, in Ezekiel 3:17 God tells Ezekiel, "Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me.” God tells Ezekiel, specifically, in scripture that Ezekiel is to WARN the people, and give them God's words. The word ‘’Watchman’ here means:

- to look out or about, spy, keep watch.

- To peer into the distance; by implication, to observe, await.

- Usage: behold, espy, look up (well), wait for, (keep the) watch(-man).

A watchman warns - sounds the alarm. This Ezekiel obediently did.

As far as Ezekiel being made mute, we find out ‘’why’ in Ezekiel 3:26-27. It does not have to do with God's trust in Ezekiel, but in God's purpose. God tells Ezekiel, “Moreover, I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be mute and cannot be a man who rebukes them, for they are a rebellious house. (The ‘’why’) But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you will say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.' He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.”

Now let's address WHY God takes Ezekiel's wife. Ezekiel 24:15-17 says, “And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you what is precious to your eyes with a fatal blow; but you shall not mourn and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not come. Groan silently; do no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban and put your sandals on your feet, and do not cover your mustache, and do not eat the bread of other people.” Ezekiel then goes on to address the people with the explanation as to why God did this thing, and why Ezekiel did not mourn - behaving in exact obedience to God's instruction - continuing in verses 18-27, “So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded. And the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are doing?” Then I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Speak to the house of Israel, “This is what the Lord God says: ‘Behold, I am about to profane My sanctuary, the pride of your power, that which is precious in your eyes and the longing of your soul; and your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword. And you will do just as I have done; you will not cover your mustache, and you will not eat the bread of other people. Your turbans will be on your heads, and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn and you will not weep; but you will rot away in your guilty deeds, and you will groan to one another. So Ezekiel will be a sign to you; according to all that he has done, you will do. When it comes, then you will know that I am the Lord God.’” ‘As for you, son of man, will it not be on the day when I take from them their stronghold, the joy of their splendor, that which is precious in their eyes and their heart’s longing, their sons and their daughters, that on that day the one who escapes will come to you with information for your ears? On that day your mouth will be opened to him who escaped, and you will speak and no longer be silenced. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.’”

God told Ezekiel that he would be a sign to the people. God often had Ezekiel do physical acts as a demonstration and warning to the people of what God was going to do. Ezekiel was obedient to perform these acts - even to his own loss and hardship. And God miraculously assisted him all along the way.  

God desires of us righteousness (correct judgement). We must repent of unrighteous judgement and seek forgiveness, just as Job's friends were required when their false accusations against Job became falsehood against God. God is accused and dishonored when we falsely judge and accuse His Prophets and people.