Ezekiel

Garry Leonard Harding

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Introduction

The book of Ezekiel is the first of five prophetic books in the Old Testament, written after the fall of Jerusalem and during the period of the exile. Ezekiel’s prophetic career overlapped those of both Jeremiah and Daniel, who authored two of the other prophetic books in the Old Testa- ment canon.

The name Ezekiel means “God strengthens,” which is appropriate since Ezekiel wrote during the period of Judah’s servitude to Babylon. Ezekiel’s life and message provided enduring hope and sustaining purpose to the Jews languishing under the weight of God’s judgment for the accu- mulated transgressions of their previous generations. As Isaiah spoke of God’s salvation, and Jeremiah described God’s judgment, Ezekiel reminds us of the Lord’s strength.

Reading the book of Ezekiel for the first time, it can seem like a confusing maze of visions, pre- dictions, symbols, and prophecies. With further study, however, you can find the promise of God’s strength for life’s challenges and temptations.

The People’s Servitude

Ezekiel lived during the time of Daniel and Jeremiah—a time of subjugation to Babylon. Daniel arrived in 606 BC with the first group of exiles and obtained a position in the high court of the king. Ezekiel arrived nine years later, with the second group of captives, living with and minis- tering among the common people. Wherever God’s people lived, God’s message was kept alive. Daniel worked among the leaders, Ezekiel among the exiles, and Jeremiah among the remnant that stayed in Jerusalem. We see that even during times when God is disciplining us, He seeks to encourage us with the message of His love.

Ezekiel was 25 when he and about 10,000 Jewish citizens were carried into captivity in Babylon. Five years after arriving in Babylon, Ezekiel began writing, and he ministered to the exiles for 11 years before the fall of Jerusalem. Ezekiel is the only major prophet to write with a precise chronological arrangement. Among the 12 authors of the books of the Minor Prophets, only Haggai and Zechariah wrote with such careful ordering of events. Ezekiel’s ministry and mes- sage were tailored around the fall of the beloved city. We can see the shift in focus and the underlying message of God’s strength by noting the flow of the text:

Chapters

Time

Message

1-24

Before siege of Jerusalem

Judgment on Judah

(Strength through understanding)

25-32

During siege of Jerusalem

Judgment on Gentiles (Strength through justice)

33-48

After siege of Jerusalem

Blessings for Israel (Strength through hope)

Through each of these major periods of enslavement, the Jews in Babylon remembered Jerusa- lem. As they longed for their city, nearly 1,000 miles away, they looked for their God. He spoke to them through Ezekiel to give a sense of understanding in their current crises, of His justice

You must speak My words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen... But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you...

against the nations around them, and of their hope for the future.

The Lord’s Strength

The book of Ezekiel opens with a vision of the sovereign glory and power of God. Ezekiel tells us he was “among the exiles by the Kebar River,” when the heavens were opened and he saw visions of God (). The river Kebar was about 50 miles north of Babylon, one of the many canals carved by the Babylonians as an offshoot of the Euphrates. Ezekiel and the other exiles may have been placed at Kebar to dig and expand the waterway. While there, he saw an immense cloud of glory. Inside the cloud were what looked like four living creatures. Each creature had four faces representing strength and ability—for God is all powerful (omnipotent). Each of the faces looked intently toward the four corners of the earth—for God is all-knowing (omniscient). Each of the four creatures had four wings—for God is everywhere present (omnipresent).

While the details of the vision may have been confusing to Ezekiel (and to readers today), the fact that God is supreme Lord over all is clear throughout the narrative. Ezekiel fell face down before the Lord (), where he would receive his call to ministry. The God who called Ezekiel to a very difficult task commanded him not to be afraid ().

The prophet would speak to the people through symbols (laying on his side and cutting his hair in ), parables (like that of the two eagles and the vine–), proverbs (), poems (), and visions (the vision of the new temple in ). It seemed that God would spare no method or medium to communicate with His people.

Ezekiel needed God’s strength because the message he was called to deliver was one the peo- ple would not want to hear. After God’s judgment fell, however, Ezekiel would be called by God to preach a message of hope and consolation.

God’s strength is revealed in His presence or glory. There is a wonderful progression in the book of Ezekiel, showing how the glory of God departed and how God would restore His people and appear in glory once again. The book opens and ends with a vision of God’s glory (compare Eze- kiel 1 with ). In the first 11 chapters of Ezekiel, the “glory of God” is described 12 times, not to be mentioned again until .

The book opens with a startling vision of God’s glory, which sets the stage for Ezekiel’s pro- phetic call and ministry. Then, in , the glory begins to depart from the people be- cause of their sin and compromise. In , the glory moves from the inner portion of the temple—where the ark was kept—to the threshold of the temple. In , the glory moves out of the temple to the city gates. Then, in , God’s glory departs from the city of Jerusalem to a mountain east of the city. Once God withdrew His presence, His protection was also gone and the city quickly fell. However, the prophet Ezekiel was given a beatific (divine) vision of a restored temple, predicting the day that the glory of God would return ().

God’s strength is also seen in His judgment of the Gentile nations. Just as Isaiah and Jeremiah have sections dedicated to God’s judgment of the nations ( & ), so

Yet their Redeemer is strong, the Lord Almighty is His name. He will vigor- ously defend their cause so that He may bring rest to their land, but unrest to those who live in Babylon.

does Ezekiel (25-32). These prophets focused on a variety of nations, all with the same striking accuracy of insight. Each of these prophets of God spoke of the downfall of nations that were very powerful and seemed invincible. It is astonishing to study how specifically and decisively God matched His promises with His judgments.

The same God, whose strong arm would deliver Israel, would also chasten those who contend- ed with Israel. Ezekiel tells of judgment on Amon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, and Egypt. Would judgment also fall upon Babylon, the source of so much misery for the Jews?

Babylon was the wonder of the world in that day with palaces and gardens, temples, and bridg- es that were unsurpassed in the East. Yet, Babylon also became ruin, as God decreed through the prophet Jeremiah ().

Final Thought

The book of Ezekiel begins with a vision manifesting God’s strength and glory. God called, equipped, and strengthened Ezekiel, who became His instrument to strengthen the people through insight, instruction, rebuke, and promised blessing.

In the same way, the Apostle Paul describes himself as one who was strengthened in his trials, that he might provide comfort and strength to others (). Paul reminds us that we too are called to this ministry: “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up” ().

Spending Time With God

This study, on “God’s Sovereignty in Your Suffering,” is designed to supplement your personal and small group Bible study. The devotion questions are written for your personal study. The discussion questions are especially for smallgroups. Members who answer the questions ahead of time can bring more insight into their small group meeting. The digging deeper questions are for those who wish for more personal or small group study.

As you spend time with God, may His Word enrich your life and enhance your daily walk with Him. BEFORE YOU BEGIN, PRAY.

Devotion (Personal Study)

1. Read . This vision is difficult for us to under- stand; it likely perplexed Ezekiel as well. What truths about the greatness and glory of God can you draw from Ezekiel’s vision?

2. Read . Ezekiel, like Jeremiah, was called to faith- fully proclaim God’s truth at a very difficult time in history. And like Jeremiah, Ezekiel was faithful to his call.

a. What were the essential elements and challenges of Eze- kiel’s call?

b. In reading this book, what has inspired you to strive to be faithful to God’s call on your life? Pause to ask God to enable your study of this book to inspire faithfulness to His call.

3. Read . Compare with . Does this de- scribe your taste for Scripture? Why or why not?

4. Read the rest of , noting the difficult and challeng- ing task faced by Ezekiel. See especially . Draw parallels with Christ’s command for us to preach the Gospel of salvation to people everywhere (; ).

Discussion (Small Group Study)

5. What insights or concerns from the commentary or ques- tions above would you like to explore further?

6. Read .

a. Describe what the prophet was called to do as an object les- son for the people.

b. Do you think it was unfair of God to require such a difficult thing of Ezekiel? Why or why not?

c. Read . Contemplate the sufferings Paul endured to fulfill his commission. Was Paul concerned about whether it was fair that he suffered thus?

Why or why not?

7. Read . Ezekiel gave the people messages of hope as well as judgment.

a. Describe what Ezekiel saw. What did God tell him was the meaning of the vision?

b. How might this astonishing vision be applied to Israel? To the Church?

8. Look at . This begins the description of the re-es- tablished temple of God.

a. While scholars debate exactly what this temple represents, what hope would be given the Jews in exile when Ezekiel shared his vision with them?

b. Compare with the New Jerusalem and temple of Revelation

21. Here we also find specific measurements and descriptions. Is our hope based on the measurements and details of this new city, or in the promise it symbolizes?

Digging Deeper (Further Study)

9. In , we see the prophet called to yet another unnatural expression of grief to convey the difficult message of judgment awaiting the unrepentant people of God.

a. Summarize God’s command to Ezekiel, and the prophet’s message to the people.

b. How does such a difficult task demonstrate the love of God?

📷How does a Christian who proclaims the Gospel amidst perse- cution today demonstrate the love of God?

c. Is your witness for Christ bold and uncompromising, or rath- er weak and ineffectual?

What steps can you take to improve it?

Pray together for the Spirit of God to enable your witness to be consistent and faithful, as was Ezekiel’s ().

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