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"You shall bear their iniquity"

Text: Ezekiel 4:4

BEARING THE INIQUITY OF ISRAEL

The portrayal of a siege was the first sign God gave to Ezekiel to enact. The second sign was even more complex.

“Lie also on your left side,
and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it.
According to the number of the days that you lie on it,
you shall bear their iniquity.
For I have laid on you the years of their iniquity,
according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days;
so you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.”
Ezekiel 4:4-5

1. Lying down on the left side.

a) This sign is with reference to Israel (the Northern kingdom).

b) He is to lie on his left side for 390 days.

c) Ezekiel was to also bear the iniquity of Israel for 390 days.

2. A symbolic sign.

a) 390 days

i) Various suggestions have been suggested to explain the phrase “390 days”.

ii) Were these literal days? That would mean Ezekiel would have to lie down this way for more than 1 year.

iii) The Septuagint translated this as “190 days”.

iv) Nobody has been able to fully establish with any certainty the significance of “390” days (or “190 days”).

v) The essential meaning remains intact.

b) Israel would be punished severely because of its deep iniquity. The meaning of the phrase “390 days”:

i) This was a long period of punishment meted out to Israel.

ii) The reason for this great punishment was because of the depth of its sinfulness.

iii) Ezekiel would have to portray this meaning.

iv) He would have to bear this punishment for this lengthy period of time as a sign that God would have to chastise the nation.

3. Israel’s punishment

a) Israel was conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BC.

b) But its punishment would continue even after the Assyrians were conquered by the Babylonians.

c) The iniquity of Israel was too grave to receive a light punishment.

d) Israel was not set free after Assyria was conquered.