Say to them, 'I am a sign to you.' "As I have done, so it will be done to them. They will go into exile as captives. – Ezekiel 12:11

Today's Scripture Reading (June 20, 2023): Ezekiel 12

"Misery loves company." Well, at least according to Christopher Marlow. In his play "The Tragic History of Doctor Faustus," Marlow places the phrase on the lips of the demon Mephastophilis, an agent for Satan in the deal that dealt the soul of the historical Johann Georg Faust to the Devil as his possession. Marlow's phrase was written in Latin and translated to "it is a comfort to the unfortunate to have had companions in woe," or more simply, "Misery loves company." It seems likely that the use of the phrase even precedes Marlow, but Marlow's example is the most well-known of the early uses.

But it is also true. Maybe it is just that we know that those in misery can empathize with how we feel. Or perhaps it is that we are not the only ones missing out on something because of our tragic circumstances; others are also missing out. But there is something comforting in being among those suffering as we suffer.

This had to be one of the most striking scenes recorded in the Bible. I must admit that even as I read the passage, I had to carefully review everything I knew about Ezekiel, verifying each point. Is it possible that this passage has mysteriously taken us back in time to a period before the exile? But the answer is no. Ezekiel, as he goes through this charade, is definitely in Babylon. So, here the prophet acts as if he is going to be taken into exile when, in reality, he is already in exile, and he is going through this drama in front of people who are also already in exile—confused yet?

The reality is that those taken in the first rounds of exile may have believed the teaching going around that those in exile were being punished for their sin, and the remnant that God was going to restore was actually back home in Jerusalem. Somehow, they had missed the mark, and God's punishment was resting hard on them

Ezekiel needed them to understand that that was not true. Yes, they had been brought into the Babylonian captivity. But they were the first and not the only. More misery was on its way to Babylon. More Israelites were coming, they would join them by the Kebar River, and there they would weep the tears witnessed by the Psalmist. "By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion" (Psalm 137:1).

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 13