Week 4: Ezekiel

The Babylonians seized the city of Jerusalem.

Israel had ignored God’s warnings from prophets like Elisha, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, all of whom had urged them to turn from wrongdoing. Jeremiah even described their idolatry as making them “worthless” (2 Kings 17:15). What we worship shapes us, and Israel’s pursuit of empty idols left them spiritually bankrupt, unable to see their true worth to God.

As Babylon took the elite of Israel into exile, among them was a young man named Ezekiel, training to be a priest. Now, instead of fulfilling his role in Jerusalem’s Temple, Ezekiel was 550 miles away, in Babylon, living among exiled Hebrews by the Kebar River. The Book of Ezekiel takes place five years after his capture when Ezekiel was supposed to step into his priestly role.

Right God ,Wrong Place

Today’s Readings:

Ezekiel 1

Ezekiel 2:1-15

Ezekiel stands by the Kebar River in Babylon where the Hebrew refugee camp was. This is a disappointing day for him. Of course, being an exile doesn’t help, but more so, he is supposed to be starting his priestly duties in the Temple around this time. His whole life had been oriented towards this, but now he is 550 miles from a stripped Temple and captured. Suddenly, Ezekiel looks up and sees a fantastic vision of the Glory of God! 

Have you experienced this before? Do you feel that you should be farther along than you are or be in a completely different place? The feeling of being misplaced can be very traumatic. But the comforting thing about this passage is that God shows up in the midst of Ezekiel feeling this way. And God doesn’t just show up, he SHOWS OUT! Surrounded by fantastical creatures, cosmic wheels, and bright lights, Ezekiel can barely see the one seated on the throne! 

Let’s pause for a second. Let’s acknowledge a few things. 

One. It can sound like a cliche to say: “When you feel down, God shows up.” A lot of times, it might not feel like that. The Hebrews probably felt abandoned as they were led into exile. Just because we are feeling down doesn’t mean God will appear to us in a fantastical vision. God isn’t a cheerleader for our emotions. 

Two. Ezekiel’s biggest concern is “Why is God’s glory in Babylon?” This is a great question to ask yourself in a challenging situation. Training your eyes to see God in “Babylon” is essential to keeping your faith. This passage describes the Glory of God as moving on wheels. So, where was God coming from? The assumption would be that God dwelled in the Temple. Later in Ezekiel 8-11, God shows Ezekiel a vision of those who were left in Jerusalem worshiping huge idols in God’s Temple. Because of this, God heads towards Babylon. For Ezekiel, the priest, this would have been a tragedy.

Three. Let’s use some sacred imagination. There were other priests ahead of Ezekiel. Many of those other priests were taken in the exile by Babylon. Remember, he took all the people with influence. In other words, God had options of who to appear to, all of whom would have understood what they were seeing. 

But God saw Ezekiel, sad and lonely by a river. 
But God saw Ezekiel in his mother’s womb.
But God saw Ezekiel before time began and called him to be a prophet for the environment and time he would find himself in. This means that while Ezekiel thought he was being trained as a priest, he was really being trained as a prophet. He was always supposed to handle holiness and display divinity. It just wasn’t the way he thought it would happen. 

Ezekiel was disappointed, but he didn’t discount God.

Not like the people had. God is also working on us and calling us forward. The venue doesn’t matter. 
Even though Ezekiel found himself in a foreign land, he witnessed how God was still on the throne. God’s brilliance doesn’t distance Him from us—it draws Him nearer, even when we feel far away. He is still drawing close to you even if your decisions caused your position. 

Ezekiel was the first “performance artist”. He was sent to the people and told to act in unconventional ways. God told him to act strange because strange had become the new normal. But Ezekiel had been trained for this as a priest. He had been trained to be “set apart.” God knew exactly who he was showing up to. 

Mackie, Tim, and Jon Collins. “Ezekiel Part 1.” BibleProject.Com, https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/ezekiel-1-33/. Accessed 9 March. 2024.

Padgett, A. G. (2023, September 3). Background of Ezekiel. Enter the Bible. https://enterthebible.org/courses/ezekiel/lessons/background-of-ezekiel