Ezekiel, Prophet in Exile

Today's reading is long and I decided to break it down by passage. There was so much going on I thought it was easier for me to write it, remember it and explain it! So this one is long.

Ezekiel is a young priest who is called by God who lives in the Jewish community in Babylon. He opens his books with a wonderful vision. For this vision I had to consult some books because I had no way of really understanding what he was seeing. It seems that this is obviously symbolism. These living creatures have these gigantic wheels which may symbolize some sort of freedom. When he speaks of this sapphire throne and this light I needed no book to help me know that he was seeing the glory of God. Oh, how this must have made him want to worship the Lord even more. As I read this I realized I needed to not read and re-read and dwell on all the fine details of what Ezekiel saw, but on the big picture and what it means.

God now tells Ezekiel that he is to carry out Gods word. OMGosh, I loved the symbolism here. He talks about how God had him eating the scroll. This is exactly what we should be doing today. And those of you who are reading with me are doing just that. Eating God's word daily so that we may have knowledge to know what to do. He is making the message that God gives him his own. He talks about how sweet it is on his tongue. This is how Gods word is. But how it burned in his tummy. It is so sweet to be called by God, but we must remember that the cost of discipline is high. It is not all roses. In Ezekiel's case it was the cost of sitting mute among the people for several days. He is then told he will be held accountable for those who do not hear the word of God. We, today, are responsible for warning others and for telling other just like Ezekiel. God tells Ezekiel that if he does not tell the people Gods word, Ezekiel is held responsible as you and I are too. But if he tells them and they still turn away, he (we) are saved! What a wonderful payment for a little work done for God. As I was reading this passage I kept thinking about the missionaries and how this must have been their vision when they decided to become missionaries!

Ezekiel is asked to make a replica of the city and lay on his side for 390 days and then again for 40 days which represents a day for each year the people have sinned against God. This represents him coming up against these two peoples and confronting them. He then continues with his symbolism by cutting off his hair and scattering it in several different ways the Lord tells him to. Just think of how he must have looked to his people. Everyone was watching him and every move he was making. Curiosity made them want to watch and listen. And this is exactly what the Lord wanted because then came his speech.

Ezekiel's first oracle to the people has now started. He tells them how God will purge all the idols from the land. That their gold will become unclean. Judgement has been delayed and now is upon them. No matter how they may think they can escape, Jerusalem will be so weak they will be unable to resit. All pagan nations will be taken over. They have lived for far too long disobeying the Lord and turning away from Him. Now is the time. An now is the time for us to turn back to God. Even if you are not sure about all this, just start asking questions of someone you know that knows God. Even if you think you know God, but have doubts, talk to a pastor and make sure that the word of God is on solid good ground in your heart and not thorny or rocky ground. Maybe you are a true believer with Gods word planted firmly in your heart, but you know someone who is not. Talk to them. DO NOT shove the word of God in their head, but talk to them and moreover, show them. Make sure of where you are with God because the day will come when He will judge all of us once again!