God tells Ezekiel to shave his head and beard and then divide his hair into 3 parts: 1/3 to burn in a fire, 1/3 to chop in pieces, and 1/3 to toss into the wind. Then He says to bind a few strands in his garment. This is to illustrate the fate of the people. Some will die by famine and pestilence when Jerusalem is set on fire, some will die by the sword, and some will be exiled into foreign lands. But the Lord will save a remnant of the people and restore them to accomplish His plans and purposes.
The Lord says the end has come for Jerusalem and He will judge them for their wicked ways and have no pity for, “Then you shall know that I am the Lord who strikes.” God says that all the worthless stuff they value and receive joy from will be useless. “Their silver and gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They will not satisfy their souls, nor fill their stomach, because it became their stumbling block of iniquity.”
Then the Lord gives Ezekiel a horrific vision of Jerusalem:
– In the court of the temple is an idol of jealousy.
– Inside the temple are 70 elders practicing idolatry.
– At the gate of the temple are women weeping for the false god Tammuz.
– At the door of the temple, people are worshipping the sun.
Although idolatry is a trivial thing for the people it is not for God and He will not tolerate it forever.
The next vision is of 7 angels, with one being a scribe, coming to execute the people. He told the scribe to mark the ones who have repented so they would be spared. The rest will be killed beginning with the elders who led the people astray.
Tomorrow the glory of the Lord departs the temple. Keep reading.
(Ezekiel 5:1-9:11)
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Chronological Bible in Layman's Terms 