Ezekiel 1:25-28 – Only the best for God

In Ezekiel 1:25-27, the prophet’s vision was on what was above the expanse bore by the four living creatures. He heard a voice coming from there. Above the expanse, he saw a majestic throne of lapis lazuli, a bright blue sapphire-like crystal. It was the throne of God that he saw. Ezekiel then went on to say what he saw on the throne was one with the appearance of a man believed to be Theophany, a manifestation of God in human form. What Ezekiel saw on the throne was so dazzling that defied description. No one ever saw God but only His manifestation. The person that came closest to seeing God was Moses. Even then what he saw was only His aftermath and not God Himself. Exodus 33:20 asserted that no one could see God and remain alive.  

Above the waist of the one he saw on the throne looked like “glowing metal” full of fire. And beneath his waist, Ezekiel saw only fire. Surrounding the throne was a brilliant multi-colored rainbow-like light. What is the significance of the rainbow? When God promised never to destroy the earth again after the great flood, he sealed it with a rainbow. It was a reminder to Noah of the gracious promise of God. Rainbows always  remind us of God and His gracious promise.

The radiance Ezekiel experience was not only awesome but was also beyond description. What he had described in these verses was the glory of God. Anyone who has such an encounter could remain arrogant. As Ezekiel saw the glory of God, he was humbled. So, in verse 28 he said “…When I saw it, I fell facedown….” And as he was facing downward, he “…heard the voice of one speaking.”

What Ezekiel saw in chapter one was the dramatic call of God to his assignment. The sight was not only dazzling but spectacular. It was an awesome privilege to be given a glimpse of God’s throne, His chariot bore by cherubim, dazzling light and fire, and His glory. The calling of God is a high calling. What he saw would forever be a reminder of the awesome God he served. 

Knowing and serving God is a tremendous privilege. We dare not offer to Him anything less than a hundred percent commitment. Anything less would not be a befitting response to the rich overtures of God in our lives. Here is a good reminder:

Give your best to the Master;
Give Him first place in your heart;
Give Him first place in your service;
Consecrate every part.
Give, and to you will be given;
God His beloved Son gave;
Gratefully seeking to serve Him,
Give Him the best that you have.

Ezekiel 1:22-24 – God’s voice is discernible

Over the heads of the four living creatures, Ezekiel 1:22 describes a doom expanse spreading over them. The ESV Bible translated the expanse as a vault. It was actually a beautiful and awesome platform that sparkled like crystal. It was on this platform that verse 26 tells us that the throne of God rested. However, Ezekiel 1:23 reveals that this platform rested on four pairs of outspread wings of the four living creatures. Remember each creature had four wings. And with the remaining pair of wings, they each used them to cover their bodies.

When the four living creatures were in motion, their wings produced a great rustling sound. Ezekiel said the sound, firstly, was like the roar of rushing waters. If you have ever been to a waterfall, you would have a sample of how loud the sound could be that it would drown out all the surrounding sounds. Interestingly, in Revelation 1:15, the Apostle John also said that the voice of Jesus, the Son of Man was like the roars of many waters. Secondly, Ezekiel said, it was like the voice sound of the Almighty. Thirdly, he said it was like the sound of the marching mighty army.

The roar of many waters and the tumultuous sound of the marching of a mighty army in battle symbolically denote God's powerful and authoritative voice. So loud and clear that it would shut out all competing and non-essential voices. It is undeniable that competing with God for our attention are so many voices from the world.  But if we pay attention, the voice of God can be heard above them all.

Whose voice would we rather hear? When God speaks, His voice is discernible. No matter how compelling and loud the voice of the world may be, God’s voice will be louder and can be discerned above them all. We must learn to listen to them with deep devotion. We must not let the surrounding competing noises drown out what God wants to say to us. When God speaks, He is calling for our attention. He expects us to listen closely and attentively.  Remember what Jesus said? My sheep hears my voice.  

 

 

 

 

Ezekiel 1:15-21 – God is with us

In the vision of the four living creatures, the Prophet Ezekiel also saw four wheels one each beside each of the living creatures. Obviously, these were the wheels of the chariot that the living creatures were bearing. Ezekiel 1:15-21 then proceeds to describe the uniqueness of the wheels. Each wheel was said to sparkle brilliantly like topaz. Every wheel looked as if it had another within it, intersecting it at a right angle. To be exact, these four wheels were more like four castors that could swivel to enable easy mobility and instant maneuvering. These wheels enabled the chariots to move in any direction anytime without having to turn around. In verse 18 we are told that the rims of the wheels were awesome and full of eyes all around. As the easy mobility of the wheels indicates the “everywhere-presence” of divinity, the rims full of eyes speak of His “all-seeing” ability. God is not only omnipresent but also omniscient.    

Verses 19-21 tell us that the movement of the wheels was synchronized with the movement of the four living creatures. Whenever the four living creatures moved, the wheels would follow. Like the creatures, the wheels were apparently controlled by the spirit. This spirit we surmise could be none other than the Spirit of God.  These symbo0ls indicate that though they were far away from home, they were not far away from God, whose presence was with them.

The wings of the living creatures and the wheels of the chariots are symbols of the mobility of God’s throne. These symbols are important to this book and to us, to know that we do not have a nonchalant God who is seated on high unconcerned about His people’s plight. Besides God cannot be confined to only a particular locale. As he was with them in Jerusalem, He was also with the exiles in their captivity. For us, we need to know to be assured that God is everywhere present and sees everything. Wherever we are, whatever we are experiencing, and whenever we need Him, He is available. All we need is to build on the relationship with have with Him and be sure to be walking and living in His will and purpose.     

Ezekiel 1:5-14 – God is in sovereign control

Ezekiel 1:5-14 tells us that from the midst of the stormy wind, Ezekiel saw four living creatures. These ten verses describe the features of these four creatures. In Ezekiel 10:20 the prophet referred to them as cherubim. They are angelic beings first mentioned in Genesis 3:24. There we are told that after Adam had sinned, God placed cherubim on the east side of the Garden of Eden with a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the Tree of life. This was only one role that cherubim played. However, in all the passages that talked about cherubim, their obvious role was to magnify God’s sovereignty and His righteousness. They would guard the holiness of God.

These cherubim all four of them in these verses have the same unique features. They were all human-like. Unlike Revelation 4, these living beings only had four wings instead of six. Each had four wings and four faces in different directions. These described in Ezekiel only needed four wings because they were underneath the platform of God’s throne and had no need for their eyes to be covered and shielded from looking at God. 

Each of the living creatures had four faces. One with the face of a man, one with the face of a lion, one with the face of an ox, and one with the face of an eagle. They were all representatives of God’s total creation. It is a symbol of His control over the different spheres of life. Whether on earth, in the wild, in domestic, or in the sky, God is above all ruling in His awesome sovereignty.

The four cherubim stood in four corners. Each with two outspread wings touching the tips of that of the next living being to form a hollow square. Then with the other two wings, they each cover themselves. This was to show both modesty in being and unity in purpose. Underneath the wings were undisclosed numbers of hands, probably two in number. Like humans, they each had two legs which were said to be straight and without joints but with hoofs glistening like polished brass.

Verse 12 said that when they moved, they would go straight forward. In other words, they did not turn to change direction speaking of being focused on fulfilling a common purpose and demonstrating dedication in their assignment. Their movements were said to be as instant as a flash of lightning i.e., they were not only spontaneous but instantaneous. They would act swiftly and implement the will of God as directed by the Spirit.

Verse 13 says that the appearance of these living creatures was like burning coal of fire. This implies that they were reflecting the glory of God because of their proximity to Him. Remember Moses? How his face glistened brightly after spending much time in God’s presence. Perhaps this was why the cherubim having constantly been in God’s presence were said to have faces like burning coals.

These four living beings made up of part angel, part human, and part animal were fitting representatives of the whole created order of God. Their service to God points us to the sovereignty of God over all creation. What Ezekiel saw was vital. They helped him and the exiles, and even us to know that God is sovereign. And that He is still on the throne. And no matter how trying the circumstances we encounter may be, God is in control. He knows everything that we are going through. And it is comforting to know that in all things, He is working out for the good of those who love him and are called according to His purpose.

Ezekiel 1:4 – God wants to purify His people

Ezekiel means God strengthens. For effectiveness and faithfulness in life and ministry, every one of us needs His strengthening. Ezekiel certainly needed it. The pertinent question to ask then is: How can we find strength to run and serve with Him? This is what God says to us in Isaiah 40:29-31:    

He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint.

 

A quick glance at the book of Ezekiel will help us to see that his writing is neatly divided into several phases of God’s dealing with His people. In Ezekiel 1-3, we see the Ezekiel’s re-assignment. He was a priest redeployed to do the work of a prophet. In chapters 4-24, the message would center on God’s judgments on Judah and Jerusalem. From chapters 25-32 would be God’s vengeance on the nations before the exiles return from the Babylonian captivity in chapters 33-39. Since prophetic messages always include a message of hope, in Ezekiel 40-48 we see the restoration of the temple in Jerusalem.

The reassignment of Ezekiel from being a priest to a prophet kicked off with a series of visions. We will deliberate on the visions one at a time. We will start by looking at what he saw in Ezekiel 1:4. Here he said, “As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal (ESV).” 

What Ezekiel first saw was a stormy wind, much like a typhoon, approaching from the north. He saw was a great upheaval of nature. The scene is attended to by a great cloud, gleaming bright reflection from the light thrown by the peals of thunders in the dark thunderstorm. Amid the scene, Ezekiel saw fire bring a glow that reflected like shiny bronze. It was God’s way of calling for his attention. This remarkable scene was the manifestation of God. Just like the burning bush to Moses. Like when He came down to the people at the foot of Mount Sinai, He came with lightning, smoke, and fire.  Like when He guided the people in their exodus, He provided the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day. What Ezekiel saw in the thunderstorm was a representation of the coming Babylonian invasion of Judah and Jerusalem.  

On deeper reflection, we cannot get away from the fact that what Ezekiel saw here was a storm of immense intensity. The fire not only represents the presence of God but that He, the all-consuming fire was coming to refine and purify.  Those whom God loves; He chastens. He loves us too much to leave us as we are and allow us to be destroyed. Hence. We must discern God’s purpose and learn to rejoice not only in hope but also in times of tribulation.  

Ezekiel 1:1-3 – Being an effective messenger of God

Like Jeremiah, the prophet Ezekiel who wrote this book was a priest. He was deported to Babylon at age 25 along with youths such as Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego. Ezekiel was the son of Buzi. This passage tells us that he was living among the Jewish exile that had settled by the Chebar River.

The open heaven that he experienced on the 5^th day of the 4^th month in the 30^th year reveals to us the time the Lord moved him into the prophetic role. This would be some five years after he was brought to Babylon. As indicated by Numbers 4:2-3, a priest would have begun his priestly ministry in the temple of Jerusalem at age 30. The phrase, “the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel…” was an indication that he was called into the prophetic work. As there was no temple for him to serve in Babylon, it was quite natural that he should be redirected into the prophetic role. His calling to this prophet role also coincided with King Jehoiachin’s 5^th year in exile. Verse 3 clearly said that the hand of the Lord came upon him. In other words, he became the divine messenger by the Lord’s clear touch.

Here in these three verses, we are given some characteristics of a prophet. They are also what we need to be God's effective communicators:

Firstly, like Ezekiel, we must be a person who has personally encountered God. Notice how Ezekiel spoke of His experiences using the first-person pronouns in these verses. Our effectiveness as God’s spokesman must be born out of a personal encounter with Him.

Secondly, like Ezekiel, we need to operate under an open heaven. This means that God is the source of our message. Only with an open heaven can we have a clear line of communication with God. The Bible is clear that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. If we are to be effective communicators of the truth of God, it is important that we are closely connected to God, by diligently spending Him regularly and consistently.  

Thirdly, like Ezekiel who saw the visions of God, we His redemptive agents also need to impart visions of God. How can we do it unless we ourselves have received visions of God? We can never have visions of God unless we take time to be with Him. Bear in mind that we are not here to display our eloquence or cleverness. We are here to speak of the goodness of God so that our audience will know who He truly is and what He is like. 

Fourthly, like Ezekiel, we need His hand to be upon us. How can we be a true blessing if God's hands are not upon us? Psalm 127:1 tells us that unless the Lord builds the house, we by our own effort will labor in vain. We need His hand upon us as we do HIs work. Without God, we cannot but without us, God will not. We need to co-labor as hands in gloves if we are to be effective.  

We are called to be God’s effective workers. So we need to be sure that we first have a personal encounter with Him and are walking under an open heaven. We need a heart that is ready and receptive to hear from Him. Know that we can only impart accurate visions of God when we have first heard and received from Him. To be effective, be sure also to prayerfully ask that His hand will always be upon us as we seek to serve Him.     

 

Ezekiel - Introduction

In the Bible, there are five major prophetical books and twelve minors. The major prophetic books are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentation, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Though Lamentation only had five chapters it is listed among the five major prophetic books because of Jeremiah, its author. The twelve minor prophetical books are Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Mica, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Calling it a major or minor prophetic book is not an emphasis on its importance but its length. Hence the term major or minor is just an indication of the length of the book. 

Having completed the book of Jeremiah, Ezekiel is the next book we will spend our time reflecting on. If you had read the book, you would have realized that it’s a book full of allegories, symbols, parables, and even proverbs. Many of the passages seem mysterious, challenging, and complicated and require lots of thinking. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why we avoid the books. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Ezekiel is perhaps the least-read book in the Old Testament. But we are coming to this book for our devotion, not for an intellectual dissection of the book. We seek to hear what God will say to us as we diligently meditate on it, part by part.  

While Jeremiah was the last of the prophets in Jerusalem before the fall, Ezekiel was a prophet God used to minister to the people while they were in exile. He is the author of the book. He was the voice God used to remind the people of the reasons for the calamities they were experiencing. He was the instrument of encouragement for God’s discouraged people in a very dark time of their history. For 22 years he ministered to those distressed people to show them the light at the end of the tunnel.

Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel was both a prophet and a priest. At age 25 he was carried into exile with the elites of Judah. This took place 11 years before the fall of Jerusalem. His first assignment among the exile was to remove the false notion concerning an early return to their promised land. While Jeremiah stayed with the Jews in Jerusalem, Ezekiel lived with the people in their Babylonian captivity. Though in captivity, unlike Ezekiel, Daniel served in the king’s court. There is much more to say, and we will discover them as we move along.  To the Jews, Ezekiel has a message of hope that God would His promise to restore their land, their city, and their temple. He revealed God’s plan for their future.  To us Christians, God’s dealing with the Jews is a prophetic timetable where we get our bearing on God’s eschatological schedule. Let’s brace up for a tough but rewarding journey.