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You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth. Eze. 4:4-6 4 Lie [shakab] thou also upon thy left [sama'liy] side [tsad], and lay [suwm] the iniquity [avon] of the house [bayith] of Israel [Yisra'el] upon it: according to the number [micpar] of the days [yowm] that thou shalt lie [shakab] upon it thou shalt bear [nasa] their iniquity [avon]. 5 For I have laid [nathan] upon thee the years [shaneh (in pl. only),] of their iniquity [avon], according to the number [micpar] of the days [yowm], three [shalowsh] hundred [me'ah] and ninety [tish`iym] days [yowm]: so shalt thou bear [nasa] the iniquity [avon] of the house [bayith] of Israel [Yisra'el]. 6 And when thou hast accomplished [kalah] them [el-leh], lie [shakab] again [sheniy] on thy right [yamaniy] [yamiyniy] side [tsad], and thou shalt bear [nasa] the iniquity [avon] of the house [bayith] of Judah [Yahuwdah] forty [arba`iym] days [yowm]: I have appointed [nathan] thee each day [yowm] for a year [shaneh]. KJV-Interlinear 4 'As for you, lie down on your left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel on it; you shall bear their iniquity for the number of days that you lie on it. 5 'For I have assigned you a number of days corresponding to the years of their iniquity, three hundred and ninety days; thus you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. 6 'When you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah; I have assigned it to you for forty days, a day for each year. NASB This is one of those difficult passages. Many a commentator have come up with lots of different scenarios trying to calculate the days, converted to years using different and arbitrary beginning and ending points in history. Ezekiel is to lay on one side facing the north (on the left) and then lay on his other side facing the south (on his right) as instructed in these verses. But in the remainder of this chapter he is to perform other duties, such as baking food and eating it with certain restrictions. Ezekiel is not laying on his side continuously, twenty-four hours a day for this entire period. But rather he is to lay on his side for a period of time each day for the designated number of days (ie. 390 and 40 respectively). The first and second signs (laying on each side) visualize the years that God has dealt with the iniquity (not punishment) of the two respective nations - Israel and Judah. Israel was to the north and Judah was to the south. Ezekiel is to representatively bear their iniquity. Someone must do it for them, as they cannot bear the punishment of their own sins. This is a picture of the patience and salvation mercy of the Savior. The next sign (being bound) visualizes the coming siege against Jerusalem, and the third and fourth signs (verses 9-17 and chapter 5) focus on the results of the siege and downfall of the city of Jerusalem. From the time and the revolt of Jeroboam to the time of the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar, the 390 years passed. From the time of Jeremiah's prophecy to the fall of Jerusalem, 40 years passed. These dates correlate to the time of the apostasy of both nations respectively. Of course Judah was not the perfect nation for the most of those years, but in Jeremiah's time a new covenant was formed, but immediately discarded. These dates are not necessarily consecutive as most commentators suggest. Their dates and timing then become arbitrary. When you are arbitrary then you can prove anything. But the dates represent not an adding of years of iniquity, but the times of each respective nations period of iniquity counting down to the siege of Gods capital (not mans capital), Jerusalem. The Northern Kingdom was destroyed over a hundred years earlier (before Ezekiel's day) when the Assyrians overwhelmed that nation and eliminated it from history. But their iniquity continued in the remnant (and its subsequent generations) which remained in captivity due to their continued rejection of God. Judah followed in their arrogance and after two invasions were finally destroyed in the third and final invasion by Nebuchadnezzar. Ezekiel did not leave his home for the entire duration of these signs. He was visited by the elders (we'll note that in the chapters ahead), and in their visits they would learn of the meaning of the signs. The duration and inconvenience of the signs (laying on one side then on the other side, and being bound up) are further symbols of the lengths to which a negative people will go in order to avoid God, even to their own detriment. Laying on ones side for an extended period will produce sores, muscle spasms, atrophy, aches and pains, and such. It isn't comfortable. Living out of fellowship with God is not meant to be comfortable either. The worst possible miseries that one can have are because you choose to live apart from God in your life. Your own fault, by the way. The result? Lamentations, mourning, and woes. That is all to be brought together eventually in our study. Ezekiel does not note a beginning date, nor an ending date. These are implied to the reader. They are then not important. What is important if the long duration of the apostasy of the people towards God. These years represent not just many years of negative volition in the life of an individual, but the many years over several generations of peoples. As the parents fail their children in not teaching them right from wrong, and as also the children reject their parents wisdom, not wanting to learn right from wrong. Each generation is at fault with no one to blame for their own spiritual failure but themselves as negative individuals. These negative attitudes continued until the entire house of Israel (both the northern (Israel) and southern (Judah) kingdom) was destroyed with the final fall of Jerusalem. God is patient. Even though it might take many generations before a negative nation will fall, the individual still has only his life span to get his own life in order. All people stand or fall on their attitude toward Christ. That is the correct and only interpretation of history. As goes the attitude toward Christ, so goes history. But regardless of the details and events that occur in ones life, everything comes to an end. That is the moment of which everyone should be very concerned. For once your life comes to an end, then you have no take overs, no do overs, no opportunity to go back and then change your life. That opportunity occurs now before your life comes to an end. Don't wait until your life is over. Make your changes right now and get with a daily study habit. Time goes by very fast. You really don't have a minute to lose if you want anything of value out of life. 
Now is the time to post a prayer. End Of Lesson Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth. |
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