Connecting Babylon with our Times
Part 11
Wikepedia
Ezekiel—Prophet to the Exiles
Name Means: God Strengthens
Personal Life
Ezekiel, like Jeremiah, was born into a priestly family in Anathoth, and was trained to be a priest.
At about age twenty-five (597 BC), he was taken into captivity when the Babylonians attacked and carried off some 10,000 exiles to Babylon. There he, along with the other captives who were wrenched from their homeland, suffered from typical displacement problems such as: fear, anxiety, disorientation, loneliness, culture shock and homesickness. This happened about 11 years before the final conquest and destruction of Jerusalem when many more exiles arrived in Babylon. His prophecies continued for some 14 years after the conquest.
By the Rivers of Babylon
In their loneliness the exiles found comfort in meeting together in small and large groups to commiserate over their problems and sorrows. And since Ezekiel was a priest, they looked to him for spiritual advice and encouragement. Initially Ezekiel found, as many of us have, that there are no words adequate to relieve the impact of trauma and grief. So for a good week he sat and wept with his people by the Chebar River, or other rivers and canals in areas where the exiles were housed.
From old book. Copyright run out
The Psalmist refers to these rivers when he writes in Psalm 13, “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion.” Being a musically inclined people, the exiles no doubt also sang among themselves in moanful harmony, to the accompaniment of hand-held harps and/or flutes, the songs of their faraway homeland.
Chebar River Today—Wikepedia
It would seem that when overheard by curious Babylonians nearby, who were also music lovers, the Judeans were requested to perform and make merry with them. But this they would not do. The Psalmist records that they hung their harps upon the willows, “For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion.’ How shall we sing the Lord’s songs in a strange land? If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.”
The Bible Revival
Ezekiel’s Call
The following is a condensed account of Ezekiel’s dramatic call drawn directly from the Bible in the KJ or public domain version. (The quotes and parentheses are mine.)
“Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God…
“And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire unfolding itself, and a brightness… Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures… (cherubim according to the context).
“And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads when they stood, and had let down their wings (to reverently cover themselves).
Photo Joanne Mahar
Like a Rainbow
“And above the firmament… was as the likeness of a throne… of a sapphire stone: … of the bow (rainbow) that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about… the likeness of the glory of the LORD.
“And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake…“Son of man,” stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.” (The name “Son of Man was an earthy term of endearment that God used to address His faithful messenger, to make a clear distinction with leaders of the time who liked to call themselves gods among gods, and also probably typifying the coming of the Messiah, the Son of GOD in human form who, and at that time of His humiliation, called Himself Son of Man.”
“And the Spirit entered into me… and set me upon my feet… And he said unto me, ‘Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation… they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day. For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; …say unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord GOD… whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (not listen) yet shall (they) know that there hath been a prophet among them. And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid… But thou, son of man… Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house…”(Ez. 1).
Swallowing a Scroll
Scroll—Wikipedia
“And he said unto me, ‘Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, …this roll that I give thee.’ Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness” (Ez. 3:2).
Eating the scroll is symbolic of reading and savoring the Holy Scriptures. Before a human voice dare expound God’s Sacred Word, he must be well acquainted with it from a first-hand experiential knowledge. Ezekiel found it to be “sweeter than honey” to his soul. Such is the taste of the “Bread of Life” to those who have acquired a taste for heavenly things The Psalmist found the same to be true for himself as he too exclaimed, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweater than honey to my mouth” (Ps. 119:103).
“And he said unto me, Son of man, go… unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel… (fellow exiles). But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted. But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord GOD; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, (refuses to listen) let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.’”
Watchman—The Christian Image Source
Called to be a Watchman
“Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me (Ez. 3:17).” This renewed call came following news brought by an escapee from Judah who told that Jerusalem had fallen (Ez. 24:26).
Varying Attitudes Among the Earlier Exiles
For those who had been faithful to Yahweh, the collective worship at the temple with all the feasts and joyous celebrations had been intertwined with their life-style and their identify as God’s chosen people. Now cut off from all that was most dear to their hearts, they were finding comfort in the Scriptures and sacred songs.
But among them were also those who were still addicted to pagan gods, and here they were in Babylon where a huge tempting pantheon of gods lured them still, including some who were the same or similar to those back home. However, many among them now began to have feelings of revulsion toward all false gods in general. God’s plan was to wean His people away from idols
Though a good number well understood the cause for their exile; most thought of themselves as innocent victims. To them the big question was, “Why did this happen to us? We did no wrong.”
Meanwhile conflicting reports were arriving through couriers who traveled the long distance back and forth between Babylon and Jerusalem. False prophets in Judah were writing positive letters assuring the exiles that they’d very soon be released from captivity and on their home, while Jeremiah—the true prophet—was advising the people to settle down and build houses because the exile would last 70 years! Most chose to believe the false prophets and were in for another shock.
At one time a group of elders came to Ezekiel saying they wanted to inquire of God through him, when what they really wanted was to attack him with menacing words. God warned His prophet in advance to head them off by answering emphatically, “I will not be inquired of you.”
Ezekiel’s Personal Life and Ministry
We know that Ezekiel was married, and that he and his wife lived in their own home where their countrymen would drop by for a friendly visit, to receive priestly counsel, or to listen to sermons and prophecies. There’s no mention of any children in the home, only that his beloved wife died rather young, in the ninth year of exile, when Ezekiel was about 34 years of age.
His writings reveal a man driven with a passion for God’s glory and a strong commitment to his God-given task. He would let nothing deter him. Like Jeremiah, he sometimes suffered from bouts of depression.
Glory Departing from the Temple
“And it came to pass in the sixth year… as I sat in my house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me. Then I beheld, and lo, a likeness as the appearance of fire; from the appearance of his loins even downward, and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber. And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the Spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the vision of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the imatge of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy (the pagan altar). And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there…
And he brought me to the court, and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall. Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door. And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here. So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about. And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel… with every man his censer in his hand and a thick cloud of incense went up. Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, ‘The Lord seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the earth…’ And he brought me into an inner court of the Lord’s house; and behold the door of the temmple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east, and they worshipped the sun… ‘Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here?… Thefore will I also deal in fury; mine eye shall not spare…’
“Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubim there appeared over them as it were a sappphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne… and the cloud filled the inner court. Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub and stood over the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightenss of the Lord’s glory. And the sound of the cheruim’s wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh… Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim. And the cherubim lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight… and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above…”
A Scene from BelkA of BABYLON
Ezekiel awoke in an agitated stupor that propelled himself to his feet. Reaching blindly for his sandals and cloak, he crept out of the small home walking aimlessly, oblivious to the fog and chill of the morning air. Stumbling on a tree stump he fell to the ground where he lay prostrate and despondent.
From his facedown position on the damp earth he eventually tried to rise, but the mere effort overpowered him. “O Yahweh,” he cried out. “It’s too awful. I can’t bear it.”
Two hours passed as fragments of the last message he’d received played over and over in his anguished mind, though he wished only to erase them: “Woe to the bloody city; they dealt by oppression with the stranger, (they’ve) vexed the fatherless and the widow; greedily gained of neighbors by extortion: despised holy things; committed abominations: forgotten me; (so) I have drawn forth my sword…”
Lying thus in a confused stupor he jumped when a hand touched his shoulder, “Honorable Ezekiel, it’s BelkA here…”
The Purpose of Ezekiel’s Prophecies
The main goal was to bring the exiles to a place of personal accountability for the destruction of Jerusalem and to call them to repentance and a complete life-change. At times he used a parabolic style of prophesying through speaking or acting out situations before his hearers. Some of these were mocked by the skeptics and the most guilty parties.
Parables, Prophecies, and Visions…
Mountains Personified
“The word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man set thy face toward the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them, and say… ‘to the mountains, and to the hills… I even I, will bring a sword upon you. And I will destroy your high places; and your altars shall be desolate; and I will cast down your slain men before your idols, and I will lay the dead carcasses of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about the altars.’” (Ezek. 6).
People fall beside their idols—The Bible Revival
This was a prophecy that would be taken back to Judah through a messenger. The high places were the places of sacrifice where pagan worship occurred and where people sacrificed their children. Besides these, there was also the valley of Tophet where such sacrifices were also made. No wonder God called it “the bloody city.”
This was not the first warning given by God about this, but one of many reminders that He would carry out His judgment upon them by making these very places the scene of their punishment.
Profiteering
“Thou hast taken gifts to shed blood; Thou has taken usury and increase, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD. Behold, therefore … I will scatter thee among the heathen… (Ez. 22:12-15).
The Bible Revival
Two Eagles, a Cypress Tree and a Vine
“And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel; and say, ‘thus saith the LORD GOD; A great eagle with great wings, long-winged, full of feathers, which had divers colors, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar; …he set it in a city of merchants.
He took also of the seed of the land,—and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree. And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature,… and brought forth branches….
There was also another geat eagle with great wings and many feathers, and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation. It was planted in a good soil by great waters… that it might bear fruit… Say thou, ‘thus saith the LORD GOD, shall it prosper? Shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? It shall wither in all the leaves of her spring. Even without great power of many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof. Shall it not utterly wither when the east wind toucheth it?’”
In short the eagle with the long feathers was Nebuchadnezzar. According to Eusebius, the temple of Jerusalem was sometimes called “Lebanon” by the Jews because the woodwork of the original temple came from there. The “mountain” of Jerusalem indicated kingly elevation, the highest being the last king Zedekiah who fell under the fealty of Nebuchadnezzar to whom he owed honor, tribute and loyalty in return for safety—similar to the fiefdoms of the Middle Ages. Because Judah failed to honor the treaty (Nebuchadnezzar) carried the tree—Judah—to the land of waters or canals where heavy commercial traffic sailed back and forth on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. The branches were the princes who owed gratitude to Nebuchadnezzar for his protection.
There was also another great eagle (Egypt), not as wide as the first, but like a vine Judah bent her roots toward Egypt to help her throw off the Babylonian yoke. Egypt’s assistance, however, was the equivalent of leaning on a fragile papyrus reed. To begin with Egypt stalled in coming, so by the time she got under way Nebuchadnezzar’s army was already battering Jerusalem’s walls, but upon receiving intelligence that the Egyptians were on their way to defend Judah. The Babylonians stopped the siege to face their southern foe in battle and soundly beat them. Then they returned to finish up the conquest of Jerusalem.
In that brief interim, however, false prophets were assuring the Jerusalemites that all would go well, the Egyptians would win and life would return to normal. What a shock it must have been then, when the Babylonians returned victorious and with renewed vengeance. Judah fell. King Zedekiah’s sons were killed before his eyes, along with all the disloyal leaders. Zedekiah was then blinded and carried off to Babylon. It was the end of the kingship and of Solomon’s temple.
Prophecies Against Prominent Nations and Cities
The following are among the most prominent:
Against Ammon
“Thus saith the Lord God; ‘Because thou saidst, ‘Aha,’ aganst my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and agains the land of Israel, when it was desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity; Behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a possession…”
The Ammonites were the descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. They were pleased when the ten tribes of Israel were carried away to Assyria (Jer. 49:1), and when the temple was destroyed they exulted in triumph. God was about to judge them for such mean behavior by letting them be conquered by Nebuchadnezzar and also to be delivered to eastern tribes of Arabia.
Against Edom
“‘Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, (Edom) and prophesy against it… I am against thee… and I will make thee most desolate… because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity… because thou has said, ”These two nations shall be mine… (Israel and Judah)…’ with your mouth ye have boasted against me, and have multiplied your words against me: and I have heard them.’”
Due to the very ancient episode when Jacob stole the birthright of Esau; the Edomites had ever since retained, not just a dreadful hatred for the descendants of Jacob, but also a deep brooding grudge—this in spite of the fact that Jacob had sincerely tried to make amends by sharing his earnings and inheritance, something they failed to remember or chose not to remember. They, like the Ammonites, danced with glee when the Chaldeans destroyed Jerusalem and even helped the enemy by capturing escapees trying to flee. Now they fully intended to swallow up or take over the territory of Judah following its painful demise.
Ruins of Tyre
Against Tyre
“Son of man, because that Tyrus hast said against Jerusalem, … ‘I shall be replenished,’ now she is laid waste: Behold I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee…
“Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the mist of the seas;’ Yet thou art a man, and not God…
“O Tyrus, thous hast said, ‘I am of perfect beauty’. Thy borders are in the midst of the seas, thy builders have perfected thy beauty, They have made all thy ship boats of fir trees of Senir; (Shinar)… of the oaks of Bashan (today Golan Heights) have they made thine oars; the Ashurites (Assyrians) have made thy benches of ivory, brought out of the isles of Chittim (Cyrpus). Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt… to be thy sails…
Blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was that which covered thee. The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad (island city near Phoenicia) were thy mariners; Thy wise men, O Tyrus… were thy pilots… The ancients of Gebal (Byblos) and the wise men thereof were… thy calkers. All the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to occupy thy merchandise. They of Persia and of Lud, (possibly Thailland) and of Phut were in thine army… And the Gammadinas were in they towers… they hanged their shields upon thy walls round about; They had made thy beauty perfect. Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kind of riches; with silver, iron tin, and lead they traded in they fairs. Javan, Tubal, and Meschech… were they merchants; They traded the persons of men (slaves) and vessels of brass in thy market. They of the house of Togarmah traded thy fairs with horses and horsemen and mules. The men of Dedan (Petra) were thy merhants; Many isles were the merchandise of thine hand: They brought thee for a present horns of ivory and ebony. Syria was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of the wares of thy making. They occupied in thy fairs with emeralds, purple and broidered work, and fine linen and coral and agat. Judah and the land of Israel, they were thy merhcants: they traded in thy market wheat of Minnith, and Pannag, and honey and oil and balm. and also and Javan going to and fro occupied in thy faires… bright iron, cassia, and calamus … Dedan was thy merchant in precious clothes for chariots. Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, they ocupied with thee in lambs, and rams, and goats… The merchants of Sheba and Raamah, they were thy merchants. And with all precious stones and gold. Haran and Canneh and Eden (Babylonia). The merhants of Sheba, Assher and Chilmad, were thy merchants in blue clothes, and broidered work, and in chests of rich apparel, bound with cords and made of cedar. Among thy merchandte the ships of Tarshis did sing of thee in thy market… ”
The Fall
“The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the thy pilots… And cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads, they shall make thmselves utterly bald for thee. Thy merchandise and all thy company in the midst of thee shall fall. All th inhabitants of the isles shall be astonished at thee. And their kings shall be sore afraid. They shall be troubled in their countenance.. Thou shalt be a terror, and never shall be any more” (Ez. 26-27).
Lament over Tyre
“Thus saith the Lord GOD to Tyrus; ‘Shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall, When the wounded cry—when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee? Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay away their robes, and put off their broidered garments: They shall clothe themselves with trembling; They shall sit upon the ground… and they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say to thee, ‘The renowned city, which was strong in the sea—she and her inhabitants, which cause the terror… Now shall the isles tremble in the day of thy fall… When I shall make thee a desolate city… bring up the deep upon thee, and great waters shall cover thee… and thou shalt be no more.’”
After a siege of 13 years Nebuchadnezzar was unable to conquer totally the mighty Phoenician city, but it would eventually happen under Alexander the Great some 200 years later.
Against Egypt
“In the tenth year… the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, ‘Son of man, set thy face against Egypt; speak and say, “Thus saith the Lord God; Behold I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt; the Great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers. Which hath said, ‘My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.’ But I will put hooks in thy jaws… and I will bring thee out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the alll the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales.’”
Pharaoh was a common name for all the kings of Egypt and the dragon or crocodile was a national emblem; the rivers were the Nile, that along with the canals, provided Egypt’s fertility, and the fish were the nations who were either dependent upon or fearful of Egypt’s military might. It is not easy for man to catch and put hooks into a crocodile, but God has no human limitations.
“I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate… and scatter the Egyptians among the nations…. At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered; and I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, ino the land of their habitation; and they shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself anuy more above the nations.”
The prophecies in the book are more extensive, of course, because “Egypt was the oldest enemy of Israel, and her perpetual seducer to idolatry and creature confidences. Israel had been warned to abstain from the gods of Egypt, but she’d disobeyed. The judgment on Egypt is an earnest of the world-wide judgment which shall ultimately fall upon all …enemies of God… As sinners perversely refuse to know God as a God of love, they shall know Him as a God that hates sin” (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown). “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; For why will ye die?”
Messages of Hope
False Shepherds Replaced by tbe Good Shepherd
“The Word of the LORD came… ‘Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel… Woe to th shepherds of Israel that feed themselves! Should they not feed the flocks? … Ye eat the fat and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them… The deceased have ye not strengthed, neither have ye healed that which was sick neither have ye bound up that which was broken… neither have ye sought that which was lost… my flock became a prey…
“‘Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep and seek out my sheep… that have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. I will gather them from the countries, and will brng them tot heir own land… I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick… Thus shall they know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people… and I am your GOD’” (Ez. 34).
God was making a double promise, to gather and bring back his scattered people to their homeland, and also announcing the approaching advent of the Messiah, the true Shepherd who promises not only to take care of the needs of His sheep, but to give His life for them (Ps. 23: Jer. 23:5; John 10:11).
Link: Good Shepherd
Valley of Dry Bones
Dead Bones
“The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones … and lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, “Son of man, can these bones live?’”
“Again he said unto me, ‘Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, ‘O ye dry bones, hear the word of teh LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto you, and ye shall live; and I will lay sinews upon you and wil bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shal live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD…’”
Again He promised that Israel would come back to her homeland, while at the same time predicting a new kingdom of righteousness that would be established. Peronally, I also like to think in terms of Christ’s resurrection from the dead, ending the curse of death. He is alive today and” because He lives, we too shall live.”
Links: Dry Bones
We Shall rise
New Heart, New Spirit and New Covenant
“Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: From all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you—and a new Spirit will I put within you; And I will take away the stony heart… and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statues, and ye shall keep my jdugments an do them… Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant… and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore (Ez. 36; 25-27; 37:26-27).
The heart is the seat of our affections, will, and aspirations. God is more than willing to wash clean the heart stained with sin. The blood of Jesus is that pure water that cleanses our filthy hearts. It’s somewhat like a heart transplant. He replaces our cold stony hearts that are lifeless toward heavenly things, with a new warm heart with entirely different attachments and desires. His Spirit comes to live within us to comfort, teach, refine, correct, guide, restore, make us like Him, and fill us with joy “that passes understanding.”
The new covenant is the covenant of peace. Our sins separate us from Him and make us His enemies. When we repent and surrender to Him in faith, our sins no longer stand in the way. They are dropped from our record completely, never to be remembered again. We have peace with God. Not only that, we also become heirs, or princes and princesses of His Eternal Kingdom.
“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever” (Hebrews 13:20-21).
Comparing our Times with Ezekiel’s
In Ezekiel’s time great empires were vying greedily to absorb each other, or to use each other for selfish manipulative purposes of wealth, power, prestige and oppression. People did most anything to climb the ladder of success and to amass material things such as chariots and horses, gold, elaborate homes filled with rich carpets, mosaic floors, works of art, treasures chests ,and to boast of their impressive temples and statues. They loved to dress in the fashion of the day with expensive embroidered silks, flamboyant turbans, exotic jewelry, to indulge fanciful spiced food and exotic wines and other mixed drinks. The popular trend was to mix religion with entertainment in a such a way as to arouse the passions that included mysterious superstitious and demonic rituals. The one True God was either not known or ignored in preference for trendy syncretism—a blending of any and all.
Ezekiel was given the most unpopular task of warning his own people how far they’d departed from the God of their fathers, and to remind them to take their own true God seriously.
In comparing their life-styles with those of our day the differences appear quite minimal, in fact we may not have chariots, silk robes and turbans,and glorious temples with an array of gods in wood, precious metals or stone, but we love our entertaining religious events that blend various styles to suit political views, relativism, the absence of absolutes and anything that restricts us. Thankfully there are still today some Ezekiels who dare to sound the alarms as God’s faithful watchmen.
Double Alaskan Rainbow—Wikepedia
As Ezekiel comes to the end of his book he encourages his fellow exiles with assurances of God’s intended blessings: “And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing… there shall be showers of blessing.”
“There shall be showers of blessing;”
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Refrain
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.
—Words Daniel W. Whittle, 1883, Music James McGranahan
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BelkA of Babylon, Books, Middle East |
04 11th, 2012 |
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