The stronghold in which you take pride, the delight of your eyes, the object of your affection

Ezekiel 24;15-27

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears. Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover your mustache and beard or eat the customary food of mourners.”

So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.

So I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: Say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary—the stronghold in which you take pride, the delight of your eyes, the object of your affection. The sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword. And you will do as I have done. You will not cover your mustache and beard or eat the customary food of mourners. You will keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep but will waste away because of your sins and groan among yourselves. Ezekiel will be a sign to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’

And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes, their heart’s desire, and their sons and daughters as well— on that day a fugitive will come to tell you the news. At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.”

Why?

The Lord takes away the stronghold in which they take pride, the delight of their eyes, the object of their affection. Anyone who takes something instead of the Lord will be sad.

Follow the Lord and honor the Lord on the first. For the delight of our eyes will be taken away by the Lord in His time.

To be a prophet of the Lord has to suffer for his wife to be taken away for his delight as a sign to Israelites.

The way of the Lord is hard with joy, for we need to get rid of the delight of our eyes.

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讓以西結哀痛的故事，喪妻卻不能哀傷。行動劇令人好奇。

頭上仍勒裹頭巾：表示仍然過平常的日子，不能撒灰在頭上。不可蒙著嘴唇： 不能說我不潔淨。不可吃弔喪的食物：不能如喪家一樣的飲食。

當時被擄的人仍然將盼望放在耶路撒冷。這個行動劇，不舉哀，忽然被取走如以西結的妻子。聖殿被毀，兒女被殺。因為災難大到一個程度，沒有任何一個方式可以來表達傷痛。極大的災難，哀哭已經沒有用。耶路撒冷被毀，百姓也沒有感覺！諷刺耶路撒冷的居民，大難臨頭卻沒有感覺。神用這廝激烈的方式來提醒以色列人，因為神愛他的百姓。用以西結親身經歷，讓百姓來到以西結面前，他的事奉來到下一個階段，他的傳講、事奉更有能力。如耶穌付上極大的代價。參孫死時殺的人比他活著時殺的人更多。當試煉艱難臨到我們都與神的國有關。讓我們有承受的能力。

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How?

May the Holy Spirit help me get rid of the delight of my eyes.