30 August

Bible In 365 Days                                 

Ezekiel 1-4

Ezekiel 1

The Book opens with the account of the prophet's preparation, and falls into two sections, the first describing the visions he saw, and the second the voice he heard.

Ezekiel 1:2-3. This chapter, which is really parenthetical, may be treated as a title page. This gives the date, states that the word came expressly to him, indicates the place in which hande saw the visions and heard the voice.

The visions were inclusively visions of God. They proceeded in four manifestations. The first was of a cloud swept into sight by a stormy wind, surrounded by brightness, and continually flashing forth in glory. The second was of four living ones out of the midst of this fire, who moved in rhythmic unity. The third was of wheels rotating in harmony with each other, and in co-operation with the movements of the living ones. The fourth was, first, of a firmament, overarching the ceaseless activity of the living ones. Above the firmament a voice was heard, and then the likeness of a throne was seen, and, finally, a Person was manifested of the nature of fire, surrounded by a glory like that of the rainbow, In the presence of the manifested glory Ezekiel fell on his face. The very mystery of the visions spoke of the awfulness of the God with whom he had to deal, and their forms suggested majesty, order, activity, and personality.

Ezekiel 2

As the prophet lay prostrate, he heard a voice commanding him to stand on his feet, and he was immediately empowered to do so by the entrance of the Spirit. He was then commissioned to deliver the message of God to the children of Israel, who were described as having transgressed against Jehovah, and as being "impudent and stiff-hearted." He was charged to deliver the message of God whether they would hear, or whether they would forbear. The difficulty of his work was recognized, and the prophet was warned not to be rebellious as they had been. The commission was rati6ed by the symbolism of a roll handed to Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 3

This roll he was commanded to eat. The writing on the roll was a roll of lamentations and mourning and woe. The prophet declared that having eaten the roll, he found it in his mouth "as honey for sweetness," and by this declaration reveals that whereas the ministry he was about to exercise would be difficult, yet he himself was in perfect accord with the purpose of God and found delight in His will. It may be also that he already recognized that beyond the reprobation with which he would have to deal, restoration was in the purpose of God.

After eating the roll the prophet still heard the voice speaking to him, announcing what his equipment for the fulfilment of his mission would be, warning him of the difficulties awaiting him, in that the house of Israel would not hearken, having become hard of forehead, and stiff of heart, promising him that he would be strengthened for his work by similar hardness of face and of forehead, and charging him to be loyal to the word of the Lord. Then in an interval he was lifted up by the Spirit, and heard a great ascription of praise to the glory of Jehovah, and again was made conscious of the activity of Deity by the symbolism of the wings of the living creatures and the noise of the wheels. In bitterness and heat of spirit he came to the midst of the captives, where he sat "astonished" for seven days.

The word of Jehovah then came to him again, laying on him his responsibilities anew. He was reminded of the source of the message, and told that his first responsibility was hearing, and his second, speech; and, moreover, that if he failed the blood of the unwarned would be required at his hands. Once again he was called into the plain, where he saw the glory of Jehovah, as he had seen it by the river. The Spirit strengthening him, a double charge was laid on him, the first of which was silence, and the second, speech.

Ezekiel 4

The second division of the Book contains the messages of the prophet concerning the reprobation of the chosen nation. These fall into three parts. In the first, by symbolism and speech he described the results of reprobation. In the second he declared its reason. In the last he proclaimed its righteousness. The results of reprobation were first symbolically set forth in four signs. These were immediately followed by general denunciations. Finally, the cause of the coming judgment and its process were dealt with at length.

In the present chapter three of the signs are described. The first was a tile on which the prophet was charged to portray a city. Around this he was to depict the process of siege. Having done this, he was to place between himself and the model a flat piece of iron. This sign was intended to foretell the taking of Jerusalem by an army, by the will, and under the direction, of Jehovah, whose representative in the sign Ezekiel was.

The second sign consisted of a posture. For 390 days he was charged to lie on his left side, and for forty days on his right, prophesying against Jerusalem during the whole period. It was a long and tedious process of bearing the iniquity of the house of Israel in the sense of confessing it, and so revealing the reason for the siege and the judgment.

The third sign was the food which he should eat during the period. It was to be of the simplest and scantiest, and cooked in such a way as to indicate uncleanness. The sign was intended to predict the famine and desolation which would accompany the judgment against Jerusalem.