Ezekiel: The Babylonian Exile of Israel | Handmaidens, Harems, Heroines

<p>In this episode of Handmaidens, Harems and Heroines: Women in the Old Testament, Lynne Hilton Wilson explores the book of Ezekiel and its powerful prophetic messages, symbolic actions, and striking portrayals of women. Called to serve as a prophet during the Babylonian exile, Ezekiel delivers difficult messages to the people of Judah, warning of Jerusalem’s destruction while offering hope for Israel’s eventual restoration. His unusual prophetic assignments—including lying on his left side for 390 days and his right side for 40 days—dramatically illustrate the consequences of Israel’s and Judah’s sins. What can these symbolic acts teach us about covenant responsibility, judgment, and the Lord’s enduring desire to bring His people back to Him?Ezekiel also uses the image of a woman to portray Jerusalem and the covenant relationship between the Lord and His people. Through vivid and sometimes unsettling imagery, he describes Jerusalem as an unfaithful woman, exposing the spiritual betrayal, idolatry, and broken covenants that contributed to the city’s downfall. Lynne examines how women appear throughout these prophetic messages and how their experiences and symbolic roles illuminate the book’s larger themes of faithfulness, accountability, loss, and renewal. From Ezekiel’s warnings of destruction to his visions of restoration and new life, discover how this challenging Old Testament book invites us to reflect on our own covenants with God and the hope of returning to His presence through Jesus Christ.#HandmaidensHaremsAndHeroines #LynneHiltonWilson #OldTestament #BookOfEzekiel #WomenInScripture #BibleStudy #LDS #ComeFollowMe #ScriptureCentral #JesusChrist</p>