Sermon Illustrations from the book of Ezekiel
God asked the prophet, Ezekiel, to perform some strange object lessons in order to get the attention of the Israelite exiles. In this post, we’ll look at the meanings of these unusual “sermon illustrations”.
[1] Ezekiel writes on a clay tablet
Found in Ezekiel 4:1-3
Explanation: Ezekiel used a clay tablet to sketch out/build a model depicting how Babylon would lay siege to Jerusalem
[2] Ezekiel lays on his side
Found in Ezekiel 4:4-8
Explanation: Ezekiel lay on his side to demonstrate that the length of Babylon’s siege would correspond to the number of years Israel had sinned against their God
[3] Ezekiel bakes bread over dung
Found in Ezekiel 4:9-17
Explanation: Ezekiel baked his bread with a fire fueled by dung, which was offensive to the Jews. Ezekiel was illustrating that their impending captivity would force them to eat polluted food that would mirror the filthiness of their sin.
[4] Ezekiel shaves his head
Found in Ezekiel 5:1-4
Explanation: Ezekiel shaved his head as a sign of mourning. The burning of a third of his hair symbolized the fires that would destroy Jerusalem; the chopped hair stood for the people who would die by the sword, and the hair scattered in the wind represented those Jews who would be taken away into captivity.
[5] Ezekiel packs his bags
Found in Ezekiel 12:1-16
Explanation: Ezekiel pantomimed leaving Jerusalem to prepare the watching crowds for the coming exile of the citizens of Jerusalem.
[6] Ezekiel quivers
Found in Ezekiel 12:17-28
Explanation: Trembling and shuddering while he ate, Ezekiel acted out the awful fear the Jews would face when their enemies swept through the land.
[7] Ezekiel faces south and preaches to the forest
Found in Ezekiel 20:45-49
Explanation: Ezekiel preached toward the south in order to show that God would send judgment on Judah, the southern kingdom.
[8] Ezekiel preaches about a sword while singing
Found in Ezekiel 21:1-32
Explanation: Facing Jerusalem, Ezekiel used, instead of fire, the picture of a sword to prophesy destruction. His deep sighs were intended to demonstrate the heavy hearts the people would have.
[9] Ezekiel does not mourn for his wife after her death
Found in Ezekiel 24:15-27
Explanation: God took Ezekiel’s wife as a sign of the overwhelming sadness the nation would feel when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed.
[10] Ezekiel holds two sticks together
Found in Ezekiel 37:15-28
Explanation: Ezekiel pictured the restoration of Israel by wiring on one stick the name of Judah and on the other the name of Joseph, and then holding them together.
