Ezekiel 4 - 6 "The Recipe For Ezekiel Bread!"

Read the passage HERE. 

The company Food For Life developed a delicious bread called "Ezekiel Bread." In fact, it was formulated based on the ingredients God gave to Ezekiel as a nutritious supplement to an extended meal plan that was to last 430 days!  That's right, Ezekiel was to eat this bread - his only source of food - for over a year. Can you imagine that?  But, God had a distinct purpose in it. And we read about it in chapter 4.

In fact, God commanded Ezekiel to do something really strange. God was so angry with the Israelites and Judah, that he had Ezekiel grab a brick (in which a map was drawn of the city of Jerusalem), with rocks and things that would mimic the invasion of the Babylonians against Jerusalem. It almost sounds like something kids would come up with or play with. But, God was trying to use it as an example of what He was doing to the people of Israel and Judah due to their sinfulness. 

Now, keep in mind, you just finished reading the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah spent years since a young teenager warning Israel and Judah of their impending doom. While Jeremiah was given the privilege to warn them, Ezekiel was given the privilege to remind them of what happened and why. So, in a different style of ministry than what Jeremiah was called to, Ezekiel is called to demonstrate through unusual visual responses exactly what God was doing.

Here Are Some Visuals:

First, Ezekiel was to grab a brick and draw a map of Jerusalem on it. Then, after that was completed, God told Ezekiel to gather together some brick and stones to act as a map of the Babylonian attack. Then, as an additional visual, God said he would bind Ezekiel up with a rope and cause him to lie on his left side for 390 days - each day representing one year Israel was in deep sin, and to lie on his right side for 40 days - each day Judah was in deep sin against God.  Imagine laying on your side for over 1 year!!!  All of us would suffer serious injury if we tried that ourselves, but remember God is involved and He'll protect Ezekiel.

During this time, God gave Ezekiel instructions on how to make a special bread that would sustain him for those 430 days. You can read about these ingredients in 4:9 - "wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt."  He was to combine these ingredients in an 8 ounce jar, mix them up and cook them over a fire to make bread.  And, he was to only eat this bread at certain intervals throughout the day. Imagine only eating 8 ounces of bread per day for 430 days!  As tiring as it must have been, it was a nutritious meal!

The company Food for Life has replicated this recipe and calls it "Ezekiel Bread."  And, it's sold in stores all over the world. One slice is only 80 calories and loaded with micro and macronutrients that can keep a person satiated and healthy.  In fact, according to their website, this bread is high in protein containing 18 amino essential amino acids, as well as vitamin C, vitamin B, fiber, and numerous minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc.  Only God would know exactly how to keep the human body healthy under these extreme conditions.

Sadly, all of these things were done as visuals or symbols of what God was doing as a way of punishing His people for their sin.

Here's another visual - God even had Ezekiel shave his entire beard off as well as the hair on his head (Ezek.5). God had him weigh the hair, then divide it into three sections. Each section of hair was to represent a group of people within the nation of Israel and Judah.  And, for each group, God had a separate judgment for them.

God tells Ezekiel what this means in 5:12. Here's the summary:

One third of his hair was burned on the brick that contained the handwritten map of the city of Jerusalem. This was to represent God's demand to kill 1/3 of His people of famine and disease within the city of Jerusalem.  

The second bundle of hair was to be sliced by a sword, meaning that 1/3 of His people He would kill with the sword.

The third bundle of hair was to be thrown into the fire and scattered to the wind, meaning that 1/3 of God's people would be destroyed and scattered throughout the world.

However, in chapter 6, God tells Ezekiel that a small remnant will be left alive to be eye-witnesses to what God has done. It would be this remnant of people who would remind future generations of God's wrath against sin and to prove to the world (especially to His people) that He is the only True God!

Imagine God's long-suffering if you will.  He put up with Israel's sin for 390 years!  The question is, how long will He put up with your sin or mine before He must act to bring us back to Him?

If you have sin in your life right now, turn from it, seek God's forgiveness, and you'll find Him lovingly forgiving you and restoring the joy He wants you to enjoy.