Some may say that God should have allowed Ezekiel to speak and rebuke the Israelites in Babylon. They say that if He had, they would have repented. Some might say that God is merciless because He did not allow the Israelites to be rebuked. They speak like fools. Repentance is always the result of the work of the Holy Spirit. The Israelites would not have repented even if Ezekiel could speak and rebuke them. Ezekiel became mute because God had determined to destroy Jerusalem. The false shadow must be destroyed. Jeremiah was living in Jerusalem at that time and warned the Israelites in Jerusalem including the kings. However, he was mocked and disregarded. Other prophets were also mocked and killed. Their words will be the evidence at God’s court on the day of His judgement. People say they have wisdom and understand God and yet, have refused to listen to God’s prophets.

The Book of Ezekiel speaks similar prophecies like other prophets. But Ezekiel is given a special task. In this chapter, we read that God made Ezekiel bear the sins of both the Northern Israel and the kingdom of Judah.

Then lie on your left side and put the sin of the people of Israel upon yourself. You are to bear their sin for the number of days you lie on your side. (v.4)

After you have finished this, lie down again, this time on your right side, and bear the sin of the people of Judah. I have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year. (v.6)

The Northern Israel was destroyed in 721 B.C. Historians believe Ezekiel became a prophet around 593 B.C. And Jerusalem fell in 587 B.C. Although the Northern Israel was long gone, Ezekiel had to bear their sins as well as the sins of the kingdom of Judah. Ezekiel, as the son of man, was a shadow of Christ. Christ came and bore the sins of His chosen people of the past, present, and future, with much suffering.

In this chapter, we can read that Ezekiel has been trying to keep the Law and has never eaten defiled food.

Then I said, “Not so, Sovereign Lord! I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead or torn by wild animals. No impure meat has ever entered my mouth.” (v.14)

And God allowed cow dung to be used instead of human dung. This is contrasted to what Apostle Peter was told.

But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” Again, a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” (Acts 10:14-15)

Many interpret that Peter was allowed to eat unclean animals because Christ has ended the sin issue. It is true. But I think God gave the Law and taught the Israelites regarding clean and unclean animals/food so that they would know that they could not keep the Law perfectly. (Those who follow the active obedience of Christ (AOC) doctrine say that Christ came to keep the Law perfectly. But it is a misunderstanding. It is not the Law that gives righteousness. It is the righteousness of God in a person that enables keeping of the Law. Without the Holy Spirit, there is no keeping of the Law.)

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. (Galatians 5:18)

God did not promote sinning when He told Ezekiel to use human dung. But because of Ezekiel’s conscience, God allowed cow dung to be used instead. Verse 13 may appear that God promote sinning, but we understand the reason in verse 16 and 17.

The Lord said, “In this way the people of Israel will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them. (v.13)

He then said to me: “Son of man, I am about to cut off the food supply in Jerusalem. The people will eat rationed food in anxiety and drink rationed water in despair, for food and water will be scarce. They will be appalled at the sight of each other and will waste away because of their sin. (v.16-17)

The Israelites were made to eat defiled food as they were taken to other nations as captives. They were appalled at each other because God brought them low. They thought they were clean by what they do. They thought they were keeping the Law. They thought they were different from other nations. But they were rebellious. All the calamities were brought due to their corrupt heart. God did not expect them to keep the Law perfectly from the beginning. If He had expected it, it means He changed His plan along the way. From the beginning, obedience is not the way to be saved. Why was the Law given? Can anyone become holy by keeping the Law? What does God want us to know through the Law written in the OT?

The Lord of armies says this: ‘Now ask the priests for a ruling:If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and touches bread with this fold, or touches cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?’” And the priests answered, “No.” Then Haggai said, “If one who is unclean from a corpse touches any of these things, will the latter become unclean?” And the priests answered, “It will become unclean.” Then Haggai responded and said, “‘So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean. (Haggai 2:11-14)

By giving the Israelites the Law, God taught them that sinning is not about doing or not doing but is from within. Sinning is not from works. But sinful works are the result of the corrupt heart.

It is not what enters the mouth that defiles the person, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles the person. (Matthew 15:11)

That is why the new covenant promises the heart of flesh. However, those who are not given the knowledge of God, are condemned by the Law because they say they can achieve holiness by keeping the Law. They do not want Christ. While they say they love God and keep His commandments, they reject Christ. They only want a savior who can free them from other nations. Therefore, they set up an idol. Therefore, those who say Christ kept the Law to gain righteousness have no understanding of God. They merely put Christ into their theories so that they would look legitimate. In their mind, there is no Christ.

Was God going to be satisfied if the Israelites kept the Law? The answer is no. They were bound to sin against God because their heart was not clean. Adam (and Eve) corrupted themselves by listening to the devil. They did not have wisdom to overcome temptation. They were not one with God through the Spirit. They were given the command (or a Law as some theologians claim) because they had the potential to rebel against God. And they rebelled. Sacrifices were needed to atone their sins. But, because of their corruption, all sacrifices done by human hands are unclean.

You have not desired sacrifice and meal offering;

You have opened my ears;

You have not required burnt offering and sin offering.

Then I said, “Behold, I have come;

It is written of me in the scroll of the book.

“I delight to do Your will, my God;

Your Law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:6-8)

Did God change His mind? He gave all the Laws regarding sacrifices. And now He says He has never wanted them!

God gave the Law so that we would know that numerous sacrifices are only shadows of the real one. Whatever we offer with our hands are detestable to God. The Law was given to teach us that.  

Therefore, anyone who says that our own hands can please God and Christ is only a helper who fills whatever is lacking in our works, is condemned. Yes, I am talking about those who follow Pelagianism (Arminianism) or semi-Pelagianism. Churches are full of teachers who follow false teachings. The Bible also condemns those who think Adam could achieve eternal life by works (obedience). There is no place for the Covenant Theology or the AOC in the Kingdom. It is not the obedience that changes the status of a person. It is the Spirit that produces obedience. One must change inside to produce good fruit. And that change is done by God alone.

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh provides no benefit; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit, and are life. (John 6:63)

And this Spirit is a gift from God. By the Spirit, we become one with the Father and the Son. We share the Son’s glory and suffering.