Please read the first chapter of Ezekiel.
Ezekiel
is known for many things, but he is especially prominent as a prophet of hope.
He was alive during the time of Jeremiah, but his work takes on a somewhat
different tone than that of Jeremiah. Ezekiel focuses on the exiles in Babylon –
the first three chapters tell of his preparation for that work. After
describing how he prepares himself, Ezekiel delivers messages of reprobation –
that is, of God punishing the nation of Israel – then he brings the Israelites
hope by foretelling their eventual Restoration. He clearly understood the
necessity for a righteous reprobation, but he also realized that God intended
to lift His people up. After reading through Ezekiel, this can be seen if one
looks back at the first verse. Ezekiel says “As I was among the captives by the
river of Chebar…the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.” It’s
obvious how clearly he understood God’s intent for the Israelites.
Ezekiel’s
life as a prophet begins with visions of God, even before the voice of the Lord
summons him to do work for him. The specifics of the beautiful symbolism in the
first chapter of Ezekiel is not to be ignored, but for the purpose of this
brief devotion, we will put them on a back burner to be reviewed and picked
apart another day. The main thing I want to draw your attention to in this
reading is that, at a time when the nation of Israel was staring down the
barrel of an extremely bleak future, God revealed himself to Ezekiel in
stunning, mystical images that could only have brought life and warmth into the
heart of Israel. While God could’ve presented himself before Ezekiel and Israel
in a simple and easily understood way, he chose striking, vivid, and colorful
imagery. Why? He wanted to get Israel’s attention. The Lord desired that Israel
gaze upon His splendor with wonderment and fear, yet at the same time He wanted
them to feel comfort in knowing that the Lord who sent this powerful vision
would rescue them in their time of need.
Following
the reading of the first chapter of Ezekiel, one might think that we deserve
such visions or that such visions would help us when we are walking down a
dark, hostile road like the Israelites were during their captivity, but this is
simply not so. Everything that was revealed to Ezekiel in the vision in all its
striking beauty was still mystical and concealed by the veil of symbolism. We,
on the other hand, can see everything clearly through Jesus Christ, the Son of
God’s love. To see God’s glory in the life of Jesus is to see the righteousness
of God’s judgment and the hope that comes with knowing that we serve a just and
fair Lord. We can be assured through Christ that the love of God will
ultimately save us in a final victory if we diligently "fight the good fight". The next time that you are struggling
and you desire to see a sign from God that everything will be okay, or you need
to be reminded of what He desires from you, just take a few moments to review
the life of Jesus Christ and be uplifted by the aura of hope that emanates from the word of
God.
Thanks for reading,
Ethan
