Ezekiel 4:12 Eat the food as you would a loaf of barley bread; bake it in the sight of the people, using human excrement for fuel.”
I’ll be honest—I’m not exactly sure what to do with today’s passage. God lays out His plan for Ezekiel, and Ezekiel asks Him to reconsider part of it. He is all for doing God’s will, but what God is asking of him—eating bread cooked over human excrement—will cause Ezekiel to break kosher requirements. Because Ezekiel speaks up, God amend His plan. What am I supposed to do with that?
Ezekiel 4:13 The Lord said, “In this way the people of Israel will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them.”
I am a rule follower from way back. You give me the rules and I will follow them to the letter. And I would have thought God would appreciate that. After all, this is His plan. Is He proud of Ezekiel for speaking up? Is this the testing of that bold persona? What does this mean for my own untenable situations? Do I just need to learn to speak up like Ezekiel?
Ezekiel 4:14 Then I said, “Not so, Sovereign Lord! I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead or torn by wild animals. No impure meat has ever entered my mouth.”
Lord, I know You have called me to this passage. Help me to understand the message You have for me here. You are not mean or cruel. You can be found by those earnestly seeking. Help me understand, Lord. Help me to know You more. Amen.
Ezekiel 4:15 “Very well,” he said, “I will let you bake your bread over cow dung instead of human excrement.”
Have a blessed day.