4:15 cow’s dung. In the ancient Middle East, cow dung was (and is still today) often used for fuel. To bake bread using human waste for fuel, however, would “defile” the bread (Ezekiel 4:12-13), and God respected Ezekiel’s objection. In symbol, of course, the lesson was the warning that Israel would be forced to many ritualistic defilements when they were living among the Gentiles.