This chapter is very odd – God tells Ezekiel that his wife will die, but that he’s not allowed to show any external signs of mourning. This command is to make Ezekiel another object lesson for the people.
” ‘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… 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… Then I said to [the people], ‘The word of the Lord came to me: “…I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes… and your sons and your daughters… shall fall by the sword… you shall not mourn or weep, but you shall rot away in your iniquities and groan to one another. Thus shall Ezekiel be to you a sign… When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord God.” ‘ ” (v16, 18, 20, 21, 24 abr)
This account is unique throughout all of scripture – nowhere else in the Bible does God command someone not to externally mourn the loss of their loved one in such a specific way (yes, Ezekiel loved his wife very much, because God referred to her as “the delight of his eyes”). Thankfully, this was a one-time occurrence (not a pattern) of this command from God, so it was clearly very specific to this circumstance.
What I’ve learned from this strange chapter is the Holy Spirit can override our default, gut reactions / emotions in our circumstances, even when the emotion is strong, such as mourning a loved one. This means God can help us when we’re overrun by strong emotion, and enables us to obey His commands, no matter how impossible it may seem. This would be especially helpful with emotions tempting us to sin, such as hatred, envy, or lust.
Father God, our Glorious Lord and Everlasting Creator, we honor Your holy name and seek to obey You in all circumstances. Please aid us in times of great struggle, granting us the ability to obey You regardless of the situation. May we never shy away from Your will and Your leading, no matter what the rationale may be, and no matter how impossible obedience may seem. To You be all honor, glory and praise, forever and ever, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training