Monday, November 17, 2025
Scripture Readings
- Primary Reading: Ezekiel 24-33
Key Verse
Ezekiel 29:2 — “Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt:”
Devotional Thought
The date is exact: the ninth year, the tenth month, the tenth day. On that very day, Nebuchadnezzar’s army closed its grip on Jerusalem, and God told Ezekiel to write the date down. Then He gave the prophet a parable of a boiling pot—a pot full of choice bones and flesh, set over a fire until the scum rose and the contents were consumed. Jerusalem was that pot, and her blood was in the midst of her, uncovered, crying out from the rock. The city that should have been a light to the nations had become a bloody city, and the fire of judgment would not be quenched until the filth was molten and the scum consumed.
Then comes one of the most wrenching scenes in all Scripture. God told Ezekiel that He would take away “the desire of thine eyes” with a stroke—his wife—and that he was not to mourn or weep. That evening she died. In the morning, Ezekiel did as he was commanded. When the people asked what his strange behavior meant, he told them: this is what you will do when I profane my sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes. Your sons and daughters will fall by the sword, and you will not mourn. Ezekiel himself became a sign. The prophet’s silent grief was a living sermon, and his mouth would not open again until an escaped refugee arrived with the news.
The surrounding chapters pronounce judgment on Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, and Tyre. Each is condemned for a specific sin: Ammon clapped her hands and stamped her feet when Jerusalem fell; Moab said Judah was no different from any heathen nation; Edom took vengeance; Philistia nursed an old hatred; Tyre said, “Aha, she is broken… I shall be replenished.” And in chapter 27, Tyre is remembered in a funeral lament for her beauty and her commerce—silver and iron, ivory and ebony, wheat and honey, horses and mules—all the trade of the ancient world flowing through her harbors. Yet her rowers brought her into great waters, and the east wind broke her in the midst of the seas.
In this season of the year, as the days shorten and the year wanes, we do well to remember that God is not indifferent to the pride of nations or the cruelty of neighbors who rejoice when others stumble. He sees. He marks the date. And He calls His people to something deeper than the world’s applause—to trust Him even when He takes the desire of our eyes, even when He asks us to be a sign rather than a success. Ezekiel’s silence was not despair; it was obedience. And in that obedience, the word of the Lord was not bound.
Reflection
- When God takes from you the thing your eyes most desire, do you mourn as the world mourns—or do you trust that He is still the Lord GOD, even in the stroke?
- The nations around Jerusalem were judged for how they responded to her fall. How do you respond when someone you dislike or envy stumbles—with “Aha,” or with grief and mercy?
Prayer
Lord GOD, You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. You marked the day Jerusalem fell, and You mark every day of our lives. When You take from us the desire of our eyes, give us grace not to mourn as those without hope, but to be a sign of Your faithfulness to a watching world. Keep us from the pride of Tyre and the spite of Ammon. Teach us to weep with those who weep, to rejoice in Your judgments as true and righteous altogether, and to wait in silence until You open our mouths again to speak Your praise. In the name of Jesus, Amen.