What is the meaning of Ezekiel 24:20? So I answered them – Ezekiel has just performed the startling sign-act of refusing public mourning for his wife (Ezekiel 24:15-18). The exiles press him for an explanation (v. 19). – His immediate reply shows: • Obedience: like Isaiah in Isaiah 6:8 and Jeremiah in Jeremiah 26:12, Ezekiel speaks when prompted. • Pastoral concern: he does not ignore their bewilderment; he responds, modeling 1 Peter 3:15’s call to give an answer with gentleness. The word of the LORD came to me – This phrase underscores that what follows is not Ezekiel’s opinion but God’s authoritative revelation, echoing the prophet’s call in Ezekiel 2:2 and Amos 3:8. – It reminds the people that, just as God’s warnings through Moses in Deuteronomy 28:15-68 proved trustworthy, so will this new message. – The statement also reassures the faithful remnant: God is still speaking in exile, fulfilling promises like Jeremiah 29:11-14 to be found when sought. saying: – Verses 21-24 disclose the content: • The “delight of your eyes” (the temple) will be profaned (2 Kings 25:8-10). • Sons and daughters will perish (Ezekiel 12:15-16), yet the people must not mourn outwardly; their shock will render them silent (Psalm 137:1-4). • Ezekiel himself is the sign (v. 24), just as Hosea’s family was a living message (Hosea 1:2-9). – The verse thus introduces a hard but redemptive purpose: to bring Israel to know “I am the LORD” (Ezekiel 24:24), pointing forward to the new covenant restoration in Ezekiel 36:24-28. summary Ezekiel 24:20 marks the pivot from a dramatic enacted parable to God’s explicit explanation. By promptly answering, grounding his words in divine revelation, and preparing listeners for a sobering oracle, the verse affirms that every loss Israel is about to endure stems from the LORD’s righteous judgment—and that understanding this truth is the first step toward eventual restoration. |
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