What Are “Mashonde”? (Ezekiel 4:15)

by esther phinias | 21 December 2023 08:46 am12

Question: What are “mashonde” as mentioned in Ezekiel 4:15, and what do they represent?

Answer: Let’s dive deeper into the text…

Ezekiel 4:12 (NKJV)

You shall eat it as barley cakes, and bake it using fuel of human waste in their sight

In this passage, the term “mashonde” refers to dried dung, whether from animals or humans. The word itself is a colloquial term in the Hebrew, essentially describing a fuel source for baking or cooking. This concept may sound strange to us today, but it was part of the ancient world’s survival tactics, especially in times of scarcity.

Historical Context: Dung as Fuel

Historically, both human and animal dung was used as a resource, particularly in regions where wood was scarce. Dung burns with a hotter flame than dry wood and was often collected and used for fuel. This practice is still observed in some parts of the world today, especially in rural or impoverished areas. In the ancient Near East, it wasn’t uncommon to use camel or cattle dung as fuel.

This practice can also be seen in the Middle East, where dry camel or cattle dung was used as a practical source of heat. Interestingly, in some cultures, it was occasionally used during periods of extreme hardship or famine. The idea of human dung being used in this way is also recorded in some ancient texts, though it would generally be considered taboo. However, as Ezekiel’s context suggests, God commanded this specific practice to send a powerful message to the nation of Israel.

The Symbolism Behind “Mashonde” in Ezekiel

Ezekiel’s instructions from God were not arbitrary; they had profound symbolic meaning. The prophet Ezekiel was commanded to use human dung to bake his bread in front of the people. This was a deliberate act designed to communicate a very serious message to the Israelites, who were facing impending exile and destruction due to their unfaithfulness to God.

This bizarre command was meant to show Israel that their sins would lead them to a state of extreme deprivation. They would suffer so greatly that they would be reduced to eating food baked over the very waste of their bodies—representing the complete degradation of their condition. The use of dung symbolized not only physical depravity but also spiritual corruption.

God had chosen Ezekiel as a prophetic symbol for Israel, and like Hosea’s marriage to an unfaithful woman (Hosea 1:2), Ezekiel’s actions would become a living parable for the nation of Israel. As Hosea’s life portrayed Israel’s spiritual unfaithfulness to God, Ezekiel’s actions symbolized the coming judgment, famine, and suffering due to their sins.

Ezekiel 4:13 (NIV)

The Lord said, ‘This is how the Israelites will eat their food defiled among the nations where I will drive them.

A Deeper Theological Reflection: The Cost of Turning Away from God

Theologically, this passage highlights the serious consequences of spiritual apostasy—turning away from God and following our own sinful desires. The Israelites were about to experience God’s judgment because of their idolatry, disobedience, and rejection of His covenant. The use of dung to bake bread becomes a vivid metaphor for how low Israel’s spiritual and physical state would sink.

In the Bible, idolatry and disobedience are often linked to destruction and suffering. The Israelites had forsaken God’s commands and sought after foreign gods (idolatry), leading them to moral and spiritual corruption. This corruption led to national disintegration and devastation. The use of human dung in Ezekiel’s prophecy highlights the extent of their degradation—spiritually, they had reached a place of impurity so severe that they would soon resort to consuming bread made from something unclean and offensive.

Isaiah 1:5-6 (NIV)

Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil.

This passage from Isaiah mirrors the severity of the Israelites’ condition—both physically and spiritually. When we abandon God, we invite His judgment, and this judgment can manifest in both external hardships (famine, captivity) and internal decay (spiritual death, moral collapse).

God’s Mercy and Ezekiel’s Plea

Ezekiel’s immediate reaction to God’s command was one of objection based on his own sense of purity. Ezekiel’s plea to God underscores the importance of maintaining holiness and purity, even in the face of divine judgment.

Ezekiel 4:14 (NIV)

Then I said, ‘Alas, Sovereign LORD, I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead or torn by wild animals; no impure meat has ever entered my mouth.

This plea is not just a personal declaration of holiness, but it also emphasizes the high value placed on ritual purity within Jewish law. For Ezekiel, eating food prepared over human dung would defile him according to Levitical law (Leviticus 11). This law symbolized God’s desire for His people to maintain spiritual cleanliness.

Yet, God responds with mercy and modifies the command.

Ezekiel 4:15 (NIV)

He said to me, ‘Very well, I will let you bake your bread over cow dung instead of human dung, and you will use it.

This change is significant. Even in the midst of judgment, God’s mercy is evident. By allowing Ezekiel to use cow dung instead of human dung, God mitigates the defilement while still conveying His judgment through the act of baking bread over dung.

What Do We Learn from This Passage?

The theological lesson here is powerful: When we forsake God and choose to follow our own desires, we put ourselves in a dangerous position, spiritually and physically. Just as the Israelites were warned of impending destruction because they had abandoned the covenant and turned to idolatry, we too are reminded of the consequences of turning away from God.

Jeremiah 2:13 (NIV)

My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

This verse encapsulates the essence of Israel’s spiritual problem—rejecting the true source of life (God) and seeking fulfillment in things that cannot satisfy (idols and sin). In Ezekiel’s case, the Israelites would be forced to eat bread baked over dung, symbolizing how their rebellion would lead them to a place of desperation and hopelessness.

Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Jesus’ words echo the warning of Ezekiel. There are consequences for walking away from God’s path, and though the road to destruction may seem easy and enticing, it ultimately leads to ruin.

Have You Accepted Jesus Christ as Your Lord and Savior?

Just as God provided a way out of Israel’s judgment through His mercy (allowing Ezekiel to use cow dung instead of human dung), we find mercy and grace in Jesus Christ. Through His sacrifice, we are offered forgiveness, cleansing, and a new life.

John 14:6 (NIV)

Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Let us not follow the broad road of destruction but choose the narrow path that leads to eternal life in Christ.

May God help us all to walk faithfully with Him.

 

 

 

 

 

Source URL: https://wingulamashahidi.org/en/2023/12/21/49893/

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