Ezekiel 5

Okay, this is the second chapter in a row where God has asked Ezekiel to do something that, as a priest, he “shouldn’t” do: “Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber’s razor to shave your head and your beard. Then take a set of scales and divide up the hair. When the days of your siege come to an end, burn a third of the hair inside the city. Take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city. And scatter a third to the wind.” (vs 1-2)

This probably doesn’t seem like a big deal to us, but priests were specifically forbidden to cut their hair (Lev 19:27). And, God went to a lot of trouble to make sure everyone would notice exactly what Ezekiel was doing. (Have you ever smelled burning hair?!)

This comes right on the heels of God’s command to Ezekiel to eat bread that had been baked over a fire made of human feces (Ezek 4:12). This, aside from being totally gross, would have assured that both the bread and Ezekiel would be ceremonially unclean (thus, Ezekiel’s stringent objection).

Would God really do this? Would He specifically ask His prophet to do something provocative that would shock and offend those around Him? You bet He would! God has no problem being provocative, especially if it will grab the attention of those who are hard to reach.

Let’s face it: the ceremonial law had long become an idol for Israel anyway. What did it matter if the priests were meticulous about caring for their beards… if they were making sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven? What did it matter if the priests were careful not to make themselves ceremonially unclean… if they were burning children alive in order to worship Molech?

I think all of us, to some degree, have this sort of spiritual blindness—where we are holding tight to religious traditions and rituals while trampling on important spiritual principles in the meantime. Wherever and whenever this happens, I think we can expect to encounter God, The Provocateur.

He will expose and overturn our empty rituals—even if they are traditions He recommended in the first place! Wherever spiritual blindness is creeping in, He will shine a bright, provocative light!