Who was told by God to shave his head and his beard as a sign? What four things were to be done with the shorn hair?
Answer: The prophet Ezekiel was told by God in Ezekiel 5:1-5 to do some seemingly strange things. Ezekiel was told to take a sharp sword and use it as a razor on his head and beard. He was then to weigh and divide the shorn hair into thirds, reserving a small number for a fourth purpose. One-third of the hair was to be burned, one-third was to be struck with the sword and one-third was to be scattered to the wind. The small reserve amount was to be sewn up in the hem of Ezekiel’s garment. The remainder of chapter five explains the significance of these signs. There were signs of coming judgment against Jerusalem because they had “multiplied disobedience” (Ezekiel 5:7). The reserve amount of hair was a sign that a small remnant would remain in Jerusalem and not be taken into captivity, however, they would be poor and still experience suffering despite being left behind.