Defiled bread is the word of God without the Spirit of God.

Ezekiel 4:12-14

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 “And you shall eat it as barley cakes; and bake it using fuel of human waste in their sight. Then the Lord said, “So shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, where I will drive them” Ezekiel 4:12

A common practice in Ezekiel’s time was to use human feces as fuel for cooking, like charcoal in a barbecue. However, this was forbidden by Jewish law and considered unclean. Yet, the Lord God told Ezekiel to bake his bread with human feces. This was a symbolic act for the house of Israel to witness. It meant that the Israelites would eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles.

Today, the Jewish people are eating defiled bread among the Gentiles. Before the coming of Jesus Christ, the Jewish people called every non-Jew a “defiled Gentile” who were barred from entering into a relationship with God. When the Jewish people rejected Jesus Christ, they were driven to live among the Gentiles in the sense that they are now barred from entering into the presence of God. They live by the Old Testament and have eliminated the “scarlet cord” that points to Jesus Christ as their Messiah. They are eating their defiled bread as unbelieving Gentiles.

“So I said, “Ah, Lord God! Indeed I have never defiled myself from my youth till now; I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has abominable flesh ever come into my mouth.” Ezekiel 4:14

Ezekiel was judging his righteousness based on the Old Testament laws. However, God wanted Ezekiel’s righteousness to be by obedience to His word and not by keeping the letter of the law. Ezekiel’s righteousness was to exceed those of the Israelites around him. As Jesus teaches us today, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20 “...who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” 2 Corinthians 3:6

The Apostle Peter had a similar conversation with our Lord, “But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” Acts 10:14

The carnal nature of the human beast has its own sense of righteousness which is not rooted in the Spirit. This carnal sense of righteousness is what makes people put their own version of right and wrong above the righteousness of God. A carnal sense of righteousness leads people to be condemning and judgmental of others. It is what leads to conflict and violence as people form their own justice as they live by the law, “an eye for an eye”. “And all our righteousness is like filthy rags;” Isaiah 64:6

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11