DAY 319

A DAY OF DRAMA

Ezekiel 3& 4

Yesterday when I offered my introduction to Ezekiel in knew you read Ezekiel chapters 1 and 2, and they are some pretty bizarre chapters. I expect you, like me, were trying to visualize everything, trying to figure out where the wheels were, when and how they were moving, and how the four living creatures had four different faces on their heads…and more.

Chapter 1 gives us an amazing vision that Ezekiel has of God—chapter 2 his dramatic call—chapter 3 his gastronomical commissioning—chapter 4, well chapter 4 is a bit hard to summarize.

“May God strengthen him”—so is the meaning of the name Ezekiel—and he will need it. As we begin our journey we join Ezekiel on his thirtieth birthday and in Ezekiel’s world this is a huge day, for this is the day that he would be allowed to start serving as a priest (in Leviticus we read people could serve as priests between the age of 30 and 50). As a priest he would serve in the Temple, but of course there is no Temple as he is in exile…instead God calls him to be a prophet.

His vision, his encounter with God has confused many, and while I will share some thoughts about it, I think caution and humility about any such explanation is appropriate…for we are witnessing an encounter with God…how can we possibly think we can fully explain it. It starts with Ezekiel thinking he was watching a storm approaching, and he ends realizing that he is seeing God on his throne—all supported and moving by these four living creatures with their amazing wheels!

Later in chapter 10, Ezekiel will tell us these four creatures are cherubim. Cherubim are not cute babies, but massive guardians, and even Solomon has them the Temple. In Jewish terms they protect God’s holiness. In Ezekiel’s world, we know that the guardian of the pagan temple’s had features such as those Ezekiel is seeing. The point in this image he saw is that it would immediately help him make the shift from an approaching storm to an approaching God. Each of the faces in the ancient world has a meaning: lion/strength, courage—royalty…the eagle/swift—stately…the ox/valuable—fertility…the human/created in the image of God. And of course everything is four: four living creature, four wings, four heads—quite possibly symbolic of the four corners of the earth…for the Lord is Lord of the entire earth.

The point, the God of all the world has come to speak with Ezekiel: “Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you.” God has come to speak with Ezekiel and the imagery of the approaching God makes it clear that this is the Lord God Almighty. So God says, make sure you tell them what I tell you to tell them—“speak my words.” Not just some words, all the words, all the words on the scroll.

Which brings us to chapter 4, the beginning of the prophecies: The image is dramatic… images including Ezekiel laying on the ground for day, playing in the dirt with a brick, and cooking his food with dung…the point of course is that, as it says in the text, that these images explain certain things. They explain the duration of the exile and the scarcity of bread. You might think of him performing a dramatic play, a play that communicates all that has and is happening to God’s people. So get ready, we will be reading more, much more drama.