Ezekiel 4:9-17. God is telling Ezekiel what and how he is to eat and drink as he lies on his side for 390 days, bearing the punishment of Israel. He is to make bread of certain specified grains, cook it over cow's dung, and eat it by weight - 20 shekels a day. He is to drink only water, and only one-sixth of a hin one time per day. God says this is by way of example, since He will "break the staff of bread in Jerusalem" and they will eat bread by weight and drink water by measure "and in dismay. I will do this that they may lack bread and water, and look at one another in dismay, and waste away under their punishment."

Ezekiel is not only taking on some of the punishment of Israel, he is also showing them what is coming. God is going to bring them from a place of plenty to a place where the they eat meagerly by measure and even their water supply is limited. This will, of course, cause them great dismay. But Ezekiel is a prophet, and God is using him as such here. Ezekiel will be doing this for over a year - 390 days - but not forever. Thus any Israelites who were paying attention to Ezekiel will know, when their time of want comes, that it will not last forever. It will be punishment from which the people must learn and which should cause them to repent.

Because Ezekiel first did this extreme fast by example, the wiser of the Jews will know, when the unlooked for fast comes, that it a divine punishment foretold by Ezekiel. They will also be able to somewhat resist the dismay and help their fellow citizens carry on in the face of uncertainty and fear, while learning the appropriate lessons from this punishment.