Skip to main content

Ezekiel - The Prophet Who Scares Me

No other Prophet in Scripture quite scares me as much as Ezekiel.  As a little boy growing up in Fox Lake, I use to venture out on my bike almost daily.  There was one house at the intersection of two streets...a corner house...that had a couple who were "Scary".  The couple weren't bad, or angry, or bothersome...but they dressed weirdly and acted even more weird. 

Ezekiel was a Prophet God sent to speak to the nation both before and after the EXILE.  A little history is in order:  Babylon attacked and took captive a number of Jews from Judah (Jerusalem) in three stages:  First in 605 b.c., then 8 years later in 597 b.c., and finally 11 years later in 586 b.c. it was completed - the walls of Jerusalem torn down, the temple destroyed.  Among the people in the Exile was Ezekiel.
While in Babylon, Ezekiel has numbers of Visions...often strange visions.  Besides that God tells him to use graphic imagery, symbolic acts, and words that show that the slow death they were experiencing was directly related to their own disobedience and unfaithfulness to God's word.

The Key to the book is:  GOD'S PRESENCE IS THE KEY TO LIFE!

The leaders and the people had turned to other gods - even placing them in the temple, and without God in their midst (there's a dramatic picture Ezekiel sees of God leaving the Temple), they are ruined.  They are like dead, dry bones...lacking life.  While it appears that God is done with the nation and everything is finally finished...God speaks to Ezekiel again:

Ezekiel 37:1-14
1  The LORD took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the LORD to a valley filled with bones.
2  He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out.
3  Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?” “O Sovereign LORD,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.”
4  Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the LORD!
5  This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again!
6  I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
7  So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons.
8  Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.
9  Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’”
10  So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.
11  Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’
12  Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel.
13  When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the LORD.
14  I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the LORD has spoken!’”


God's grace and mercy are not exhausted.  The future will see restoration, and God's Spirit will come to revive them again...HOW?  WHERE?  Ultimately it is in Jesus - look at John 2:13-21.  (Jn 6:47) who begins and will end the restoration of God's creation...and in us too!

Watch these for more help in understanding what God was to do...two videos, 1st Part 1, Ezekiel


Then Par 2, Ezekiel



  

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The difference between defending and explaining

The news of recent has focused the suffering of Christians in the middle east who have been martyred for their faith in Christ at the hands of Islamic Terrorists. Through the centuries many Christians have lost their lives as a result of their faith. For us, who live in America, there is little chance that we would have this happen here - but it's entirely possibly that terrorism will strike out at Christians sometime.  But, for many Christians in the western world - especially here in the U.S. - being a Christians who believes God's word there is a form of persecution that is defined by words like "ostracized", "passed over", "ridiculed", and more. What do we do in the face of opposition to faith? When the Apostle Peter writes to the early believers who are undergoing great pressure, even persecution for their faith in Jesus, he gives them this charge. 1 Peter 3:8-18 8  Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly lov

Wednesday, Day 25: Christmas Eve - God Loves Us (So We Can Relax)

For Kids: There’s a lot of things we have to do each day. Get up from our sleep, Get dressed, Eat Breakfast, Get ready for School, Listen to the teacher, play with friends, eat our lunch, and after it’s all done, go back home. There’s time to play, Then we eat our supper… And eventually we have to get ready for bed and go to sleep! And then we do it all over again the next day. Sometimes there’s a vacation - like right now - and we get more time to play, to have fun and not have to do work at school. Our parents are good at helping us know what time it is and what we need to do next – even when we don’t want to move on to the next thing.  God is also good at helping us know what time it is, and what is next.  He doesn’t shout at us, or yell, or even scream…he does it peacefully, quietly.  He wants us to understand that he does it, most of all, for us. Christmas can be quite busy and there’s lots of things going on at once…but let us not forg

The Tabernacle

The readings today are Exodus 36, 37, 38 I wanted to post some pictures of what these various parts of the Tabernacle looked like. It's not the easiest read in the world, but if you persevere through it, you can get a picture of all the different pieces that made up the tabernacle. It is a replica of the various parts of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness: First thing in the chapter listed is the outside of the tabernacle which consisted of curtains tied together and put on cross bars through loops. Next at the beginning of 37 is the table and lampstand: Also, the altar of incense: And, the altar for the burnt offering which was in the courtyard: Finally, the courtyard which made it all come together: Hope that helps with what it might have all looked like. Most importantly, this was their "place" of worship they were building. I hope you have a great day of worship. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad