lectio divina:: ezekiel

I just finished the book of Ezekiel this week- but before I talk about him, I’d like to rant a little bit about the exilic period in general. other than the exodus, the exile is the most dominant event of the old testament. there is more written about that time than the patriarchs, david, and moses. the story of the exile is prophesied by moses, its chronicled in Nehemiah, 2 kings and 2 chronicles, its lived out in the words of the prophets Isaiah, jeremiah, ezra, Ezekiel and daniel, and its lamented in lamentations.
so why don’t we ever preach about it or hear much about it on sundays? when we look at the book of daniel or Ezekiel, why is it to only look at end times prophecy? this is a fascinating story that sets the tone and prepares the way for the gospels of the new testament.


back to Ezekiel.
I like Ezekiel.
He reminds me of a youth worker.
He uses lots of illustrations, and never complains, and never gives up. the words of his book were very encouraging to me a few years ago when I was dealing with a particularly rough group of students. it says in chapter 2:
“The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.' And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them. And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house. You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.”

chapter 3 says “But the house of Israel is not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for the whole house of Israel is hardened and obstinate. But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house."


Ezekiel is unique because he gets to travel through space and time with God. God takes him on inter-dimensional journeys to see the future, inside of the temple, and the idol worship of Israel. it all has the feel of “a Christmas carol” where scrooge travels through space and time to see the results of his behaviors. in chapter 1, God shows him these wheels that spin together and hover in the air and follow the spirit of God.
another thing that make him unique is that God always calls him son of man. as far as I can tell, jesus is the only other individual in the scriptures that gets called by that name.
probably my favorite part is where God brings Ezekiel to the valley of dry bones. God tell him to prophesy and preach to the bones.
(umm…ok)
and then the bones start to rattle, and grow flesh and come together and then come alive. wild.


all of the prophets had it rough- and they all had to endure hardship in order to make God’s point. but I’m sure that Ezekiel had it the worst. in the beginning of the book, God asks him to eat a scroll that makes him sick. his wife died and he wasn’t allowed to mourn. he had to lie on his side next to a model of jerusalem for 14 months. he nearly starved, and from the sound of it, he spent a lot of time tied up, and could not say a word unless it was from God. he also had to cook his food over cow poo (it was originally going to be human poo, but fortuantely for him, he talked God down to cow poo- I guess that's an upgrade.) he also had to shave his head and burn his hair next to his model of the city. through it all, no complaints. no weeping and wishing he were dead like jeremiah.


in the end, God gives Ezekiel a rare look into the distant future- to a time when the worship of God will be restored, and the glory of the Lord will return to the temple. is this a picture of herod’s temple or a picture of the reign of Jesus in the future? personally I think that this prophecy was fulfilled the moment that jesus walked up to the temple mount on palm sunday.


we all have a lot to learn from ezekiel's life- especially in the area of obedience without compaints, perseverance, and fearing God more than the fear of man.


I’ll end with the words of God through Ezekiel:
“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness.”

God is love.
-rev-rob