At times, Ezekiel served as a “sign prophet,” meaning he acted out visual representations and dramas to convey God’s coming judgment to the people. Chapter 4 presents one of Ezekiel’s more dramatic signs, which he performed in front of the people.
Here is a summary of the first sign Ezekiel portrayed.
- God instructs Ezekiel to take a brick and represent the city of Jerusalem on it.
- Ezekiel is commanded to construct siegeworks against the brick, symbolizing a siege against Jerusalem.
- He is to build a siege wall, cast up a ramp, set up camps, and position battering rams around the symbolic city.
- An iron plate is to be placed between Ezekiel and the city, symbolizing an iron wall.
- Ezekiel is to face the city, pressing the siege against it, as a sign to the house of Israel (Ezekiel 4.1-3).
Ezekiel was among the prominent individuals exiled from Jerusalem during Babylon’s first invasion in 597 BC. In 593, he received a vision and began speaking to the exiles about the events that would occur in 587.
As my friend Rudy Ross often says, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Imagine this dramatic scene unfolding in the public square, performed by a well-known prophet in front of the community leaders. It must have made a profound impact on them.
Israel’s Iniquity and Guilt
Ezekiel was a faithful servant of the Lord, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed his tasks. The next sign he acted out before the people involved lying on his side for a part of each day to symbolize the length of time the people would bear the consequences of their iniquity.
“Then lie on your left side and place the guilt of the house of Israel upon it; you shall bear their guilt for the number of the days that you lie there.
For I assign to you a number of days, three hundred ninety days, equal to the number of the years of their guilt, and so you shall bear the guilt of the house of Israel.
When you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the guilt of the house of Judah; forty days I assign you, one day for each year.
You shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, and with your arm bared you shall prophesy against it.
See, I am putting cords on you so that you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have completed the days of your siege” (Ezekiel 4.4-8).
There’s an interesting perspective when considering the time Ezekiel spent lying on his side. When you combine the days, it totals 430 days. Rudy Ross points out that this is the same length of time Israel spent in exile.
Daniel Block, in his commentary on Ezekiel, observes that if you count backward from the destruction of Jerusalem, the 430 years also trace back to the completion of Solomon’s temple.
The word ‘guilt’ plays a significant role in these verses. In Hebrew, the word for guilt can have a dual meaning—it can refer to either iniquity or guilt. If it refers to iniquity, this aligns with what happened in Israel after the temple was completed.
Although they built a temple to God, under Solomon they also mixed the worship of God with the worship of other idols.
This blending of the true faith with what was false was their iniquity.
When we interpret the word as ‘guilt,’ the penalty for iniquity becomes evident in the exile. This punishment unfolded during the 430 years between the destruction of Jerusalem and the reestablishment of God’s people.
Iniquity
The word ‘iniquity’ or ‘guilt’ plays a significant role in these verses, appearing four times to emphasize the people’s position before God.
Rudy Ross emphasizes that the heart is where God’s Holy Spirit dwells, but it is also where iniquity arises. In biblical thought, the heart is less about emotions and more about the intellect, will, and decision-making process.
When our will and thought patterns are set in opposition to God at the deepest level, we are exerting our own human influence rather than submitting to the Holy Spirit.
Iniquity also carries with it the idea of punishment as is reflected in the NRSV translation.
It serves as a reminder of the deep connection between inner thought patterns, will, and the consequences that follow when they are misaligned with God’s will.
Iniquity and resulting guilt were a core issue for both Israel and Judah, contributing to their downfall and exile.
Reflections
God undoubtedly approached His iniquitous people with a broken heart. The last thing He desired from them was divided loyalty—where they called on His name but also devoted themselves to other gods and engaged in behaviors that harmed others.
When we read the prophets, we should ask, “Lord, what needs to change in our lives? How can we become different people?”
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 