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Ezekiel 1-5
Wheels, Watchmen,
and Weirdness
Psalm 94:1-11 God Sees and Acts
1.“Yahweh, you God to whom vengeance belongs, you God to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth.2.Rise up, you judge of the earth. Pay back the proud what they deserve.3.Yahweh, how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph?4.They pour out arrogant words. All the evildoers boast.5.They break your people in pieces, Yahweh, and afflict your heritage.6.They kill the widow and the alien, and murder the fatherless.7.They say, "Yah will not see, neither will Jacob’s God consider."8.Consider, you senseless among the people; you fools, when will you be wise?9.He who implanted the ear, won’t he hear? He who formed the eye, won’t he see?10.He who disciplines the nations, won’t he punish? He who teaches man knows.11.Yahweh knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile...”Observations
94:1-2.Most of the Psalms we've been looking at lately don't complete the thought until the second half. This one has a pretty good split, the verses above plead for God to judge the wicked in the midst of His people (say it isn't so); and the second half (94:12-23) provides a godly response to the scenario painted above. Here, the psalmist establishes that God owns vengeance and asks Him to use it in paying back the proud what they've earned.
94:4-6.
How long will the wicked (those who take the law on their lips but don't obey it Ps 50) triumph and beat up God's people?
94:7.
The wicked, who don't fear God, say He doesn't see and doesn't judge His people (just like today).
94:8-10.
The psalmist refutes the bad thinking of the wicked fools, who are among the people and doing damage to those who fear God, with a smart view of God. If God can create the ear and eye, then He knows all about hearing and seeing, and can hear and see all the wicked do. This understanding fools lack. If God disciplines nations out of His justice and power, won't those same dynamics be applied to His people? If God teaches, doesn't He know what's going on? (This is supposed to be the standard for teachers.) He concludes the first half with a conclusion: Yup, God does know what's going on as the wicked make life difficult for others in their futile quest to fulfill their desires apart from God's will.
Application
Seeking to meet our needs outside of God's will is a futile fool's quest, which will result in pain for others, and greater pain for ourselves. Wise up.
Prayer
God, may I never succumb to the lie that You don't judge Your people (despite Satan's best efforts to promote it) and think that I can ignore Your will with impunity. Amen.
Proverbs 22:11-12 Gracious Words From A Pure Heart
11.“He who loves purity of heart and speaks gracefully is the king’s friend.12.The eyes of Yahweh watch over knowledge; but he frustrates/overthrows the words of the unfaithful.”Observations
22:11.Joseph, Daniel, Nehemiah, Ezra, and Mordecai were all friends and confidants of world ruling kings. All had their heart focused not on gratification of their lusts, but on God's purposes, particularly as they related to the blessing of Israel. All of them spoke persuasively and gracefully in bringing about God's blessing. The reason for their success is not just the two items in this verse, but the principle in the next one.
22:12.
God is aware of all that goes on, and is involved in the affairs of men. He watches over His truth, to cause it to prosper and accomplish His purposes (Isa 55:11); He watches over the words, plans, and schemes of the unfaithful to turn them upside down (Job 5:12,13).
Application
A pure heart and graceful speech not only wins friends, but gains God's favor.
Prayer
Lord, may the meditations of my heart, and the words of my mouth be acceptable in Your sight; may You use them to accomplish Your will in my world. Amen.
Ezekiel 1-5 Wheels, Watchmen, and Wierdness
There were three deportations to Babylon. Ezekiel, the priest, was among the ten thousand in the second deportation to Babylon (2Kg 24:12-17), in 597 BC, about eleven years before the temple was destroyed. Daniel was already known there, having been carried off in the first wave in 605 BC. God gave Ezekiel some of the most detailed visions of Himself and the future as a means of encouraging His people to repent of sin and be loyal to Him. He overlapped the ministries of Jeremiah in Jerusalem and Daniel in Babylon. This section has the famous vision of the “Wheels,” the “Watchman principle,” “Ezekiel Bread,” and a couple of the enacted prophecies for which Ezekiel became famous. PS (Judah didn't pay a lot of attention to him).
Ezekiel 1 Vision of Wheels
1.Now it happened in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.2.In the fifth of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity,3.the word of Yahweh came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of Yahweh was there on him.4.I looked, and behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, with flashing lightning, and a brightness around it, and out of its midst as it were glowing metal, out of the midst of the fire.5.Out of its midst came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.6.Everyone had four faces, and each one of them had four wings.7.Their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like burnished brass.8.They had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and the four of them had their faces and their wings thus:9.their wings were joined one to another; they didn’t turn when they went; each one went straight forward.10.As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and the four of them had the face of a lion on the right side; and the four of them had the face of an ox on the left side; the four of them also had the face of an eagle.11.Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above. Two wings of each one touched another, and two covered their bodies.12.Each one went straight forward: where the spirit was to go, they went; they didn’t turn when they went.13.As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches: the fire went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.14.The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15.Now as I saw the living creatures, behold, one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces of it.16.The appearance of the wheels and their work was like a beryl: and the four of them had one likeness; and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel within a wheel.17.When they went, they went in their four directions: they didn’t turn when they went.18.As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and the four of them had their rims full of eyes all around.19.When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.20.Wherever the spirit was to go, they went; there was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.21.When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up beside them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.22.Over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of an expanse, like the awesome crystal to look on, stretched forth over their heads above.23.Under the expanse were their wings straight, the one toward the other: each one had two which covered on this side, and every one had two which covered on that side, their bodies.24.When they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a noise of tumult like the noise of an army: when they stood, they let down their wings.25.There was a voice above the expanse that was over their heads: when they stood, they let down their wings.
26.Above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and on the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man on it above.27.I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it all around, from the appearance of his waist and upward; and from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him.28.As the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.
Observation
1:1-28.Ezekiel was in Babylon, among the exiles and out of the darkness comes light. He sees a vision that sounds like something out of one of the OT prophets. Oh, yeah, that's exactly what it is, described in earthly terms as the “appearances” of this and that. The four creatures are cherubim (10:1ff). The vision appears to be that of God's chariot or mobile throne, containing the fire of judgment in the midst, and glory all around. The description of the living creatures precludes this being an alien UFO. Consult any commentary for equally fantastic descriptions of what everything means. We'll focus on the more applicable points. Like Isaiah, Ezekiel gets a vision of God to strengthen him for his upcoming ministry to the Jews already in exile, and the ones that would be arriving after the temple and city would be destroyed. As we'll find out in the next chapter, Ezekiel would get the typical prophet's welcome, and would need a baseline reminder of the God whose word he would deliver.
Application
The God we serve is not an idol made by man, nor man, nor animal, nor geographical phenomena, but the transcendent Creator who is above all, and served by all.
Prayer
Glorious God, You are awesome in Your might and majesty, and worthy of my humble service always. Amen.
Ezekiel 2 Biting the Book
1.He said to me, Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.2.The Spirit entered into me when he spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard him who spoke to me.3.He said to me, Son of man, I send you to the children of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me even to this very day.4.The children are impudent and stiff-hearted: I am sending you to them; and you shall tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh.5.They, whether they will hear, or whether they will refuse, (for they are a rebellious house), yet shall know that there has been a prophet among them.6.You, son of man, don’t be afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you, and you do dwell among scorpions: don’t be afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.7.You shall speak my words to them, whether they will hear, or whether they will refuse; for they are most rebellious.8.But you, son of man, hear what I tell you; don’t be rebellious like that rebellious house: open your mouth, and eat that which I give you.9.When I looked, behold, a hand was put forth to me; and, behold, a scroll of a book was therein;10.He spread it before me: and it was written within and without; and there were written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.
Observation
2:1-10.“Son of man” is a favorite term for OT prophet. The Spirit empowers Ezekiel to stand in God's presence and serve. Like Isaiah and Jeremiah, God warned Ezekiel that the people wouldn't listen and were rebellious sinners. But God sends him: to vindicate His judgment of His people; to provide warning and the way to live for the few who would repent and follow; to encourage the nation to repent and not follow the gods of Babylon, when the prophesied judgments occurred there would be a basis for believing the prophesied blessing would follow and thus incentive to prepare to receive them; and for future generations (you and me) to see that God always follows through on His word, therefore people must repent and obey to be recipients of blessing rather than cursing. God reminds Ezekiel to not be fearful of man, nor be rebellious like them. He gives Ezekiel a bite of the book so the word would be within him as he sought to communicate it.
Application
Our receptivity to truth (both cognitively and volitionally) is the foundation of ministry to others.
Prayer
Lord, may I be eager to hear and do Your word, and share it with others so Your purposes can be accomplished. Please strengthen and protect me from those who reject You. Amen.
Ezekiel 3 Hard Headed Watchman
1.He said to me, Son of man, eat that which you find. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.2.So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat the scroll.3.He said to me, Son of man, cause your belly to eat, and fill your bowels with this scroll that I give you. Then I ate it; and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.4.He said to me, Son of man, go to the house of Israel, and speak my words to them.5.For you are not sent to a people of a strange speech and of a hard language, but to the house of Israel;6.not to many peoples of a strange speech and of a hard language, whose words you can not understand. Surely, if I sent you to them, they would listen to you.7.But the house of Israel will not listen to you; for they will not listen to me: for all the house of Israel are obstinate and hard-hearted.8.Behold, I have made your face hard against their faces, and your forehead hard against their foreheads.9.As an adamant harder than flint have I made your forehead: don’t be afraid of them, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.10.Moreover he said to me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears.11.Go to them of the captivity, to the children of your people, and speak to them, and tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh; whether they will hear, or whether they will refuse.12.Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of Yahweh from his place.13.I heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, even the noise of a great rushing.14.So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away; and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; and the hand of Yahweh was strong on me.15.Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel Aviv, that lived by the river Chebar, and to where they lived; and I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days.
16.It happened at the end of seven days, that the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,17.Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel: therefore hear the word from my mouth, and give them warning from me.18.When I tell the wicked, you shall surely die; and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at your hand.19.Yet if you warn the wicked, and he doesn’t turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.20.Again, when a righteous man does turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die: because you have not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at your hand.21.Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man, that the righteous not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning; and you have delivered your soul.
22.The hand of Yahweh was there on me; and he said to me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with you.23.Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and behold, the glory of Yahweh stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face.24.Then the Spirit entered into me, and set me on my feet; and he spoke with me, and said to me, Go, shut yourself inside your house.25.But you, son of man, behold, they shall lay bands on you, and shall bind you with them, and you shall not go out among them:26.and I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth, that you shall be mute, and shall not be to them a reprover; for they are a rebellious house.27.But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: he who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse: for they are a rebellious house.
Observations
3:1-11.God tells Ezekiel to eat His word, and he does, and finds it sweet. Then God tells him to speak to Israel who are able to understand but will, for the most part, reject it, and fight against him. But, never fear, God will make him more stubborn and hard headed than those with whom he would butt heads. He is to proclaim God's word, because God commanded Him to do so, not because the people are receptive, which leads to the next point.
3:12-27.
After a repeat vision of God's glory like chapter 1, and the Spirit's strengthening, God delivers the famous watchman principle. Ezekiel had the responsibility to warn people of God's promised consequences. If Ezekiel fails to warn the wicked of the judgment awaiting them, and they persist in their sin, they will die, and the blood will be upon Ezekiel for failing to warn them (just as if he killed them). If he warns the wicked and they refuse the word, they will die for their sin, but Ezekiel is off the hook. If Ezekiel doesn't warn the righteous, and the righteous one turns from doing good to do evil, God will cause him to stumble and die for his sin, and Ezekiel will be charged with his murder for not warning him. Note that the righteous can go bad by not heeding the warnings of God's word. Note also that the righteous things he had done don't count. But if Ezekiel warns the righteous, who heeds the warning and doesn't sin, then he will live, and so will Ezekiel. It is totally inane and/or insane to read these verses and deny free will (but some will, nevertheless, I've done my job). God ends the interview telling Ezekiel to go shut himself in his house, and eat a jar of peanut butter, so his tongue sticks to the roof of his mouth and he'll be mute until God speaks to him, and then he will be able to declare God's word to the people.
Application
If we fail to be watchmen/women and warn others of the consequences of their sin, we sin; we're not responsible for their response, only ours.
Prayer
God help me be faithful to communicate applicable truth to others so they and I will live to please You. Amen.
Ezekiel 4 Sandbox Prophecy
1.You also, son of man, take a brick, and lay it before yourself, and portray on it a city, even Jerusalem:2.and lay siege against it, and build forts against it, and cast up a mound against it; set camps also against it, and plant battering rams against it all around.3.Take for yourself an iron pan, and set it for a wall of iron between you and the city: and set your face toward it, and it shall be besieged, and you shall lay siege against it. This shall be a sign to the house of Israel.4.Moreover lie on your left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel on it; according to the number of the days that you shall lie on it, you shall bear their iniquity.5.For I have appointed the years of their iniquity to be to you a number of days, even three hundred ninety days: so you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.6.Again, when you have accomplished these, you shall lie on your right side, and shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah: forty days, each day for a year, have I appointed it to you.7.You shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm uncovered; and you shall prophesy against it.8.Behold, I lay bands on you, and you shall not turn you from one side to the other, until you have accomplished the days of your siege.9.Take for yourself also wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it; according to the number of the days that you shall lie on your side, even three hundred ninety days, you shall eat of it.10.Your food which you shall eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time you shall eat it.11.You shall drink water by measure, the sixth part of a hin: from time to time you shall drink.12.You shall eat it as barley cakes, and you shall bake it in their sight with dung that comes out of man.13.Yahweh said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them.14.Then I said, Ah Lord Yahweh! behold, my soul has not been polluted; for from my youth up even until now have I not eaten of that which dies of itself, or is torn of animals; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth.15.Then he said to me, Behold, I have given you cow’s dung for man’s dung, and you shall prepare your bread thereon.16.Moreover he said to me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with fearfulness; and they shall drink water by measure, and in dismay:17.that they may lack bread and water, and be dismayed one with another, and pine away in their iniquity.
Observation
4:1-17.God tells Ezekiel to start doing the things which would ensure he'd have no friends. He has to go out to the sandbox and besiege a brick, complete with forts, camps, battering rams, etc., and put an iron plate between it and his face. Then he has to lie on one side for over a year, tied up, and prophesy against the brick; then do forty days on the other side. During this time he can only eat 8 ounces of dung roasted Ezekiel bread, and drink about 20 ounces of water a day (the world's worst but most effective diet). All this is to illustrate for the exiles the hardships of the siege of Jerusalem, during which God would refuse to listen to the prayers bouncing off the iron plate, and people would lose a lot of weight. If people didn't get the “hear and obey or I will exile you” message, I suspect this didn't have a major impact either. Commentators have tried to match up the number of the years with all kinds of dates, from the 430 years Israel was in Egypt before they came into the promised land, to the future Maccabean revolt in 167 BC. Perhaps the best way to figure it out is to get a sandbox and some Ezekiel bread and reenact the scene :)
Application
If we don't listen to God when He speaks, He won't listen to us when we call out in our day of trouble.
Prayer
God, please send watchmen/women into my life to spare me the consequences of refusing to hear You. Thanks. Amen.
Ezekiel 5 Hairy Lessons
1.You, son of man, take a sharp sword; you shall take it as a barber’s razor to you, and shall cause it to pass on your head and on your beard: then take balances to weigh, and divide the hair.2.A third part you shall burn in the fire in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled; and you shall take a third part, and strike with the sword around it; and a third part you shall scatter to the wind, and I will draw out a sword after them.3.You shall take of it a few in number, and bind them in your skirts.4.Of these again you shall take, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire; from it shall a fire come forth into all the house of Israel.5.Thus says the Lord Yahweh: This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations, and countries are around her.6.She has rebelled against my ordinances in doing wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries that are around her; for they have rejected my ordinances, and as for my statutes, they have not walked in them.7.Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because you are more unruly than the nations that are around you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my ordinances, neither have done after the ordinances of the nations that are around you;8.therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I, even I, am against you; and I will execute judgments in the midst of you in the sight of the nations.9.I will do in you that which I have not done, and which I will not do any more the like, because of all your abominations.10.Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of you, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments on you; and the whole remnant of you will I scatter to all the winds.11.Therefore, as I live, says the Lord Yahweh, surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things, and with all your abominations, therefore will I also diminish you; neither shall my eye spare, and I also will have no pity.12.A third part of you shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of you; and a third part shall fall by the sword around you; and a third part I will scatter to all the winds, and will draw out a sword after them.13.Thus shall my anger be accomplished, and I will cause my wrath toward them to rest, and I shall be comforted; and they shall know that I, Yahweh, have spoken in my zeal, when I have accomplished my wrath on them.14.Moreover I will make you a desolation and a reproach among the nations that are around you, in the sight of all that pass by.15.So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment, to the nations that are around you, when I shall execute judgments on you in anger and in wrath, and in wrathful rebukes; (I, Yahweh, have spoken it;)16.when I shall send on them the evil arrows of famine, that are for destruction, which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine on you, and will break your staff of bread;17.and I will send on you famine and evil animals, and they shall bereave you; and pestilence and blood shall pass through you; and I will bring the sword on you: I, Yahweh, have spoken it.
Observation
5:1-17.Ezekiel was to shave off all his hair and split it into three piles representing three groups within the Israelites. A third would die in the pestilence, famine and fires of the siege, a third would die by the sword, and a third would be scattered and chased by the sword. Why? Because they had defiled Yahweh's sanctuary with their abominable idols and practices. Israel was even worse than the nations around them (which God had brought them out of Egypt to judge).
Application
God's wrath is a good thing to avoid; fortunately it's easy, just obey wholeheartedly.
Prayer
God, may You rejoice over me for good, rather than for evil, because I rejoice over obeying You. Amen.
Digging Deeper
God in a nutshell: God in His glory is clearly above all that earth has to offer. He deigns to communicate with His people even though they reject them. He warns them of judgment, but when they continue to ignore Him, He does not pity, but pours out powerful wrath until His purposes are accomplished. He uses His servant to warn, and gives people free will to accept or reject His warnings, with appropriate consequences following.Us in a nutshell: We've been given free will to accept or reject God's words and will. When we're doing wrong, we can hear His word, repent, and find God's favor. When we're doing right, if we don't keep listening to God and modify our behavior accordingly, we will reap death, and our good behavior counts for nothing. If we fail to warn others of the danger to which their present course of action leads, their death is charged against us. Evil people fight against both God and His servants.