Ezekiel 11, The Pot and the Meat

Moses prophesied in Deuteronomy 30, before Israel even took the land of Canaan, that Israel would so violate the covenant with Yahweh in the future that He would cast her out of the land. But Moses also prophesied that God would “circumcise” the hearts of His people in exile so that they would love Him and obey Him, keeping covenant with Him once again, and that He would return them to their land. Ezekiel is now living in that exile and God repeats what He had spoken through Moses.

1 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of Yahweh that faces east. There at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men, and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. 2 Yahweh said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who are plotting evil and giving wicked advice in this city. 3 They say, ‘Haven’t our houses been recently rebuilt? This city is a pot, and we are the meat in it.’ 4 Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, son of man.”

As the glory of Yahweh is leaving the city, the Spirit shows Ezekiel leaders in the city are sources of evil and wickedness. In their minds they are the precious meat cooking in the pot, being protected in the holy city of God, Jerusalem. But Yahweh is actually against them.

5 Then the Spirit of Yahweh came on me, and he told me to say: “This is what Yahweh says: That is what you are saying, you leaders in Israel, but I know what is going through your mind. 6 You have killed many people in this city and filled its streets with the dead.

7 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Yahweh says: The bodies you have thrown there are the meat and this city is the pot, but I will drive you out of it. 8 You fear the sword, and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign Yahweh. 9 I will drive you out of the city and deliver you into the hands of foreigners and inflict punishment on you. 10 You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am Yahweh. 11 This city will not be a pot for you, nor will you be the meat in it; I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. 12 And you will know that I am Yahweh, for you have not followed my decrees or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you.”

Yahweh accuses these men of murder specifically, and disobedience to God’s law generally, including, no doubt, worshiping idols. While they think they are the valuable meat in the pot, in reality the people they have killed are the meat, the righteous ones who are honored, and these wicked rulers will be driven from the city and executed for their evil, and made to know who the true God is, Yahweh.

13 Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, “Alas, Sovereign Yahweh! Will you completely destroy the remnant of Israel?”

14 The word of Yahweh came to me: 15 “Son of man, the people of Jerusalem have said of your fellow exiles and all the other Israelites, ‘They are far away from Yahweh; this land was given to us as our possession.’

16 “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Yahweh says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.’

17 “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Yahweh says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.’

18 “They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. 19 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. 21 But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign Yahweh.”

Ezekiel once again despairs for the nation of Israel, fearing all its people will perish. But Yahweh explains that the remnant of Israel with which He will rebuild Israel, includes those like him in exile. The people of Jerusalem had explained the exiles removal from Jerusalem as caused by their wickedness. But in fact, these are the one Yahweh will give new hearts to, new spirits, to enable them to keep His law. They are the ones who will be restored to covenant relationship with Yahweh, devoting themselves to him instead of idols. 

This promise is what Jeremiah calls the New Covenant and what Ezekiel will later call the Covenant of Peace (37:26). Israel has violated the old covenant, so God will make a new one with her. The sacrifice that atones for the sin of the people and makes this covenant possible will come in the death of Messiah Jesus.

22 Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. 23 The glory of Yahweh went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it. 24 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia in the vision given by the Spirit of God.

Then the vision I had seen went up from me, 25 and I told the exiles everything Yahweh had shown me. (Ezekiel 11)

The glory of Yahweh leaves the city to her judgment. In his vision Ezekiel is returned to Babylon where he is living with the other exiles. The elders who have been visiting in his home see Ezekiel come out of his vision, and Ezekiel relates it all to them.