Ezekiel 1-5, 33-37

I have added chapter 5 to your assignment so that the vision there would be complete. In the words of the 70's, Ezekiel is a "trip." You wonder if he either had too much sun or was smoking something. Ezekiel is an exilic prophet, in that he himself was exiled to Babylon. In chapter 1, you are introduced to the "four living creatures covered with eyes," which are also in the book of Revelation. The common ground these two books share is that both are written in exile(John was on Patmos in exile during Revelation). a second part of the vision are wheels within wheels, from which
we get the famous African-American spiritual, "Ezekiel Saw de Wheel." For Ezekiel this becomes an experience of the glory of God. This is huge. From your previous readings, the glory of God is what came down on the Tent of Meeting in the tabernacle in the form of a cloud or, in the case of Isaiah, in the temple (which people believed housed God's glory). The glory of God is no longer restricted to a place. As I write this, I am reminded of John 1:14, "And the word became flesh and dwelt (literally 'made his tent') among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth."

This is all part of Ezekiel's call story (like Isaiah 6, like Jeremiah 1, like Samuel, like Moses, like Elisha, like the disciples, like you), more fully desribed in chapters 2 and 3. Notice the designation "son of man," which Ezekiel uses over and over. Jesus' form of the son of man seems to be more related to Daniel's version (Dan. 7:13). Notice also the role of the spirit of God in his ministry. He is told to eat a scroll which has a sweet taste, but the words of it are bitter (again common ground with Revelation). Now that I have mentioned Revelation twice it would be good to note another kind of biblical literature, what is known as apocalyptic literature (apocalyptic means "hidden"). Revelation is often called "the Apocalypse." It is found in a more developed way in Daniel and Revelation, with some of it in Zechariah and Isaiah. It makes use of visions, word pictures and symbolic use of numbers as a form of code language to communicate a message to the readers of the prophet or writer, but that would not be so obvious to the captors. In Revelation this becomes a fine art with a 21 chapter protest to the rule of Rome ("the whore of Babylon" on seven hills) and the proclamation of a rider on a white horse as "king of kings and lord of lords" (a description of Jesus when Caesar already claimed that title). Revelation is written to seven struggling churches who are also in occupied territory so that they will remain strong in the face of persecution and threat. We can see why John would use some of the imagery and language of Ezekiel.

The role of the watchman in chapter 3 is repeated later. To not pronounce judgement and disaster when you know it is coming is to be an unfaithful watchman and accountable to God. I can't help but wonder how the church has refused to play this prophetic (read controversial) role and where God might be holding us accountable. Chapters 4 and 5 describe how he is to lay on one side for 390 days for the punishment of Israel (northern kingdom) and then 40 days on the other side (for each year of exile for the south). He is to eat food that is cooked over fire with manure in it (certainly not a sweet aroma!), to show how God's people have become defiled among the nations. The language here is vivid, exaggerated and offensive.

We skip to Ezekiel 33 (seven years later) and see another side of this prophet. While odd and offensively confronting, this prophet is not without hope. The role of the watchman is given again in a more expanded version. In my first church, I preached a sermon from this passage entitled, "Where Are All the Prophets?", about the need for Christians to play a prophetic role in their world.

Ezekiel 34 is a passage that has always haunted me as a pastor (pastor means "shepherd"), as the spiritual leaders fail to carry out their God-given role: to protect, guide, heal, care, and feed. Yet, the role of shepherd is not limited to those who are paid in an official position. So I am willing to share my accountability with you, those who teach and care for the young, the middle-aged and the old around you. Nor is the setting only in the church (the place of worship), but also in the world around us. Jesus talked about the lost and broken people of his day as "sheep without a shepherd." Ezekiel and Jesus would look at our world today and say something very similar. How are you and I called to respond?

Ezekiel 35 promises that those who have overrun God's people will pay for what they have done and Ezekiel 36 gives a vivid portrayal of redemption by God of his people. The prophet sees the behavior of the people while they were in their own land and while they were in exile as a violation of the third commandment. They have "profaned the name of the Lord wherever they went." So it is not just with our speech that we take the name of the Lord in vain, but also by our actions. For the sake of God's own nature, he is going to restore and redeem Israel, not because they deserve it. Verses 26 has a powerful image,

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a hearth of flesh."

Is this not a wonderful description of what the saving work of God does in us - taking our hardness of heart away and teaching us a new sensitivity to the things of God and the brokenness of people, freeing us to fully love?

Chapter 37 is the basis of another African-American spiritual, "Dry Bones" (the ankle bone's connected to the shin bone...). It is a vivid picture of hope in which dead dry bones are made alive again by the Spirit of God and raised up as a mighty army. This passage is often read at Easter in some churches. The words of Ezekiel 37:14a are something God does in his people over and over, taking them from dryness and deadness to new life and significance. I love the words, "I will put my Spirit in you and you will live." The other thing I notice is the echo here from Genesis 2, when the creature of dust is transformed into a living soul by "the breath of God." The old hymn sings, "Breathe on me, breath of God, fill me with life anew; that I may love what thou dost love and do what thou dost do." We truly are alive only by the Spirit of God. Have a Spirit-filled day.