Ok, that sounds really weird, but hey, it got your attention right?
I am often challenged by the faith of people in the Bible that go un-named. So many stories that never made the Sunday School list, or the faith Hall of Fame, but their faith is just as inspiring as the stories we’ve come to know and love. The wife of Ezekiel is one of those un-named faith heroes in the Bible.
We know that Ezekiel was married because in Ezekiel 24:16 he was told not to mourn the death of his wife when she died the very next day. That’s another story for another day. I assume that in the beginning of Ezekiel he was already married. Maybe he wasn’t, but I think my assumption is a safe bet. So let’s say he was married in Ezekiel 4. What would that mean for his wife?
Well, in Ezekiel 4:4-6 God commands Ezekiel to lay on his side for 390 days, one day for every year of Israel’s rebellion. After that he was to roll over and lay on his other side for 40 days, one day for every year of Judah’s rebellion. Again, I’m assuming here, but the text makes it appear that Ezekiel literally laid there every day for 430 days. It does say that Ezekiel would be tied up with ropes so he can’t turn from side to side until the days were over. WOW!
In Ezekiel 4:9-17 God commands Ezekiel to ration out his food and water for the total amount of days, and that his food should be baked using dried human dung as fuel. Yes, you heard that right. Ezekiel talked God down to animal dung so as not to defile himself.
Now we read the story of Ezekiel and marvel at the obedience he had to do all that, but what about Ezekiel’s wife. Working off the assumption that he was married, is she the one who tied him up with ropes and then basically had no husband for 430 days? Did she cook his food using cow dung for fuel? Did she feed him while he was laying there? Offer him a drink? Did she clean him up after he urinated or defecated?
I don’t know how involved his wife was in the process but if she was involved in the way I think she was, I want to have a faith like Ezekiel wife. She was ALL IN to whatever God wanted to do through her and her husband. It wasn’t easy. It caused quite a mess. People didn’t understand and she was more than inconvenienced, but she was willing to do whatever was required of her to be obedient to the God she loved.
I don’t know about you, but I want a faith like Ezekiel’s wife!