The book of Ezekiel is a prophetic book written by...uhm...who was that again...oh, yeah, that's right - EZEKIEL! Shocking, I know. God came to him in a vision during the Judean exile and Ezekiel is called by God to go to the exiled Jews and warn them about what will happen if they continue to rebel against their God.
1:4-21 - The theme of this passage from Ezekiel is definitely movement - can you see that? Ezekiel sees this vision of God and He is definitely not static. God is on the move...He cannot be contained by some man-made temple...He is roaming the earth. We see a stormy thundercloud swirling around with lightning coming out of it. We see huge wheels rolling back and forth. We see cherubim flying around. We see trails of fire shooting back and forth. God is depicted as living and active. God is at work and He is going to do whatever it takes to bring His people back to Him. Through these images we also get the impression of God as a warrior on the march. Lightning, storm, fire, and wheels (Like chariots) are all representations of war. Ezekiel can see immediately that God is active in the lives of His people and He is going to wage war on their unfaithfulness.
1:22-26 - This reminds me alot of the throne room imagery that appears in Revelation chapter 4. The expanse of crystal, the living creatures all around, the storms with lightning, etc. Both descriptions of the presence of God exude infinite power. This is not a God to be trifled with...this is not a God to turn your back on. The Israelites found that out the hard way, hopefully you and I don't have to in our lives.
1:28 - Even int he midst of this vision of judgment - there is hope. Do you see how Gos is described in verse 28? Ezekiel sees an image of a rainbow when he looks at the Glory of the Lord. After God flooded the world in Noah's time, He sent a rainbow as a promise that He would never again devastate the earth in such a fashion. The rainbow is a reminder of God's faithfulness to His promises. Though the people have brought the exile and the judgment upon themselves, God in His graciousness will welcome them back in the end.
2:1 - "Son of Man" - This phrase is used over 90 times in the book of Ezekiel to address Ezekiel. It is a very multi-faceted term. It is a reminder for Ezekiel that he is just a man - He is not God - and God wants him to understand his place in the relationship. God says, "Jump!" and Ezekiel says, "How high?" On the other hand, the rest of the people of Judah are consistently described as the "sons of Israel" - this carries the connotation that they are as rebellious and unfaithful as their forefathers. When Ezekiel is called the some of man, he is being set apart from the rest. An exact translation is actually - "the son of Adam (Adam means man)." Adam as you recall from Genesis was brought to life when God breathed the Spirit into him. Ezekiel is set apart by God and made a prophet when is is filled with the Spirit of God...He is the son of Adam.
2:2 - The spirit of God enables Ezekiel to do what his countrymen could not - to attain a level of faithfulness and commitment that is super-human. This reminds me to be thankful for the fact that we have access, through the blood of Jesus Christ, to the Holy Spirit of God every day of our lives! Thank you Jesus.
2:5 - Sadly, Ezekiel is told by God that his ministry will be a failure. God tells him that the rebellious people will not listen to his words. Then why is God making Ezekiel go through this charade. Because God is always one step ahead of the game (It is His "game" after all). Even though the people for the most part will not listen to Ezekiel, he will come and prophecy about God's judgement on the men and women of Judah. So that after the punishment has been poured out on the people, they will be able to look back and understand that God told them this would happen. It will lead to a revival among the people and a return to God. Sometimes success is defined by planting seeds for the Spirit of God to work through, even though you don't get to see the end result.
3:3 - Ezekiel is told to eat the scroll (i.e. God's Word/prophecies), and he does. The scroll tastes like honey to Ezekiel who is filled with the Spirit of God, but the words of God will be bitter and indigestible for those who are rebellious. This is something for each of us to think about. Is it easy for you to listen to hard truth about yourself? Is it easy for you to be challenged by God's Word and incorporate change in your life? Or do you get defensive and make excuses for yourself. A Spirit-filled life is one that enables us to hear God's truth and act on it.
3:14 - What does this mean? The hand of the Lord was on him, but he was still filled with bitterness and anger? What is going on there? Well, there is this war that is going on within Ezekiel at this point. He has been filled with the Spirit of God, so he fully understands God's wrath towards the people. He is filled with the righteous anger of God. Yet at the same time, the Israelite within him is weeping in bitterness at the fact that his people have to go through such harsh judgment so that they will return to God. He is torn between being absolutely livid at his people and brokenhearted for their suffering.
3:17 - God has called Ezekiel to be a watchman for the people of Judah. Whenever Ezekiel sees or hears God on the move, he must warn the people...he must call them to repentance...to turn back to God. Whether evil or righteous, the people must hear the warning and heed Ezekiel's advice. That is the only chance for hope for the people of Judah.
3:25ff - This is a strange passage, but Ezekiel becomes a mouthpiece for God. Literally, God makes him into was amounts to a microphone for His truth. Ezekiel is removed from walking among the people...God binds him so that he cannot leave. God makes it so that he cannot talk, except for when he is speaking the words that come directly from God. He cannot beg God to have mercy on the people, because the time for mercy has passed and the people will only receive judgement from God's mouthpiece.
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