Preparation for Eternity

Ezekiel 24 Ezekiel is known as the servant who obeys whether he understands or not. Are we? The Lord graciously prepared Ezekiel to be a sign to the exiles by responding to his wife’s untimely death. God told him, “I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you with a jolt, but you must not mourn or weep or shed tears.” [Ezek 24:15] And it happened just as the Lord had said. In the evening, his wife died, and Ezekiel did just as the Lord had said.

Ezekiel is not the first told not to mourn over the death of a loved one. Moses told Aaron he was not to grieve over the loss of his two sons, Nadab and Abihu. Unlike Mrs. Ezekiel, these two sons had committed a flagrant sin, but Mrs. Ezekiel was the desire of Ezekiel’s eyes. Ezekiel prepared the people, and that evening Mrs. E. died much like Enoch; he was, and God took him away. We don’t know why God took her, but we do know that Ezekiel obeyed God. In the evening, Mrs. E. left earth to sit at the feet of Yahweh. Perhaps, God lovingly took her home so that she would not see the tragedy soon to unfold. God knows our hearts.

Ezekiel obeyed and did not mourn. Ezekiel trusted God’s purpose even as he experienced this tragedy. How about us? Do we trust God enough to be obedient even when we don’t understand the reasons behind His request?