9 God Humiliates Ezekiel

This is the last of the series of symbolic acts God gave Ezekiel to give him empathy for God’s feelings and attitude toward purposeful sin against Him. This particular illustration is one of humiliation that God wanted to convey toward His Chosen People the Jews. First, the sword (Hebrew cherev) is the common weapon used by ancient armies. It is used eighty-three times in this book in reference to the tool of judgment coming upon Jerusalem (Ezekiel 6:11), Edom (Ezekiel 25:13), Tyre (Ezekiel 26:6, 8), Egypt (Ezekiel 29::8-9; 30:4), and Gog (Ezekiel 38:21). This action which Ezekiel was about to undertake would humiliate him and cause him and the Jewish leaders who saw him to feel the shame and humiliation of God’s judgment on the Nation Israel at Jerusalem if they did not turn from their sins. The idea of shaving a priest’s hair violated the Mosaic Law, was a symbol of humiliation and mourning.