June 19 A Husband's Grief

  Ezekiel 24:15-19 The word of the Lord came to me: 16 "Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down. 17 Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban, and put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men." 18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded. 19 And the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?"

WITH one illustration upon another, Ezekiel obediently shows to the exiles in Babylon the picture of God's judgment to occur in Jerusalem. Here is the saddest and hardest of all for the Prophet. God will take Ezekiel's wife from him. But Ezekiel is not to mourn her death in the customary ways of removing his turban or his shoes, nor separating himself from others. He is to continue to associate in conversation and meals. What is the meaning of this?

    Have you ever experienced a grief that caused you to feel, "My grief is so deep others cannot possibly know my sorrow." (I'm feeling that way with the news of the 9 people killed in a Charleston, SC church.) This great grief describes God's heart as he causes his city's death. He longed for them to repeatedly turn and seek him. But he is just, and his judgment is sure against evil. God's grief is deep as he does what he must do.

    Ezekiel's wife is the image of Jerusalem. As she dies, so will Jerusalem. Ezekiel's response is to mirror God's response to his city's death. This is also to be the response of the people who survive Jerusalem's "death". They are to feel a deep grief beyond understanding. This profound sadness will occur only if they fully understand the remarkable blessings they have missed as they sought pleasure in sin.

    We see God's great grief in Paul's writings of Ephesians 4:30 "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." Our disobedience to God grieves him deeply. He is the loving Father who longs for his children to return home.

    How do you think God feels about your life? You don't live to cause those you love to grieve, do you? I hope not. Live that way for God. Live as if you love God and desire to please him in all things.

Prayer: Lord, your grief is deep for those who oppose you. May we feel that sorrow and help all to truly love you. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.