The Gospel of Ezekiel: preaching comments By Simon Rowbory

Introduction The basic historical situation: The northern kingdom of Israel has fallen to Assyria a long time ago. The southern kingdom of Judea has been attacked by the next world empire, Babylonia. They were conquered, including Jerusalem. The king and most of the leaders were taken in exile by Nebuchadnezzar, who appointed Zedekiah as a puppet king in Jerusalem. But Zedekiah wants to rebel against Babylons rule and is making alliances, including with Egypt to make this happen. Ezekiel, a priest who had been taken in exile, warns that this course of action will result in the utter destruction of Jerusalem. The aim of this exposition is to be devotional or for application. I have considered historical questions, but then aimed to write about the meaning for us today. For more information on the original meaning of the text, a good commentary for this is Paul Joyce (below). Because Ezekiel is a book of themes, sometimes I leave a theme which is present in a chapter until a later passage, where it can be explained better and more fully. Because the aim is to concentrate on the overall meaning of the passage for preaching, sometimes interesting details are not covered, again other commentaries can help on this. Despite this I have tried not to concentrate on the easy passages to interpret, as the entirety of the book is in the Canon and should therefore have something to say to us today.

Bibliography Block, Daniel Ezekiel 1-24 (NICOT) Eerdmans, Grand Rapids (1997) Block, Daniel Ezekiel 25-48 (NICOT) Eerdmans, Grand Rapids (1998) Calvin, John Commentaries on the first twenty chapters of the book of Ezekiel calvin Translation Society, Edinburgh (1849-50) Gumbel, Nicky Bible in one year http://www.htb.org.uk/bible-in-one-year/2011?page=5 [accessed 25/05/12] Jenson, Robert Ezekiel (SCM Theological Commentary on Scripture) SCM, London (2009) Joyce, Paul Ezekiel: a commentary T&T Clark, London (2009) McKeating, Henry Ezekiel (Old Testament Guides) Sheffield Academic Press, Sheffield (1993) Odell, Margaret Ezekiel Smyth & Helwys, Macon (2005) Wright, Christopher Ezekiel (Bible Speaks Today) IVP, Leicester (2001)

1:1-28 A vision of God Where is God? Ezekiel was due to have his initiation into the priesthood. But he was in exile in Babylonia, and so couldnt. He had suffered terrible hardship in being part of the exile. It must have seemed impossible that God would ever be close again. Yet he is suddenly aware of the presence of God. God was not limited to one place but is on a heavenly chariot to come and meet people. Do we feel that God is distant? Have we lost the sense of a relationship with him? This vision tells us that what we think is the end, is not the end. Gods absence will not last forever. We can meet with God in the exile. He can come to us. The vision of God recorded here is probably the most detailed in the Bible, yet at the same time there is a reticence about it e.g. likeness. In this we are reminded that No-one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Fathers side, has made him known John 1:18. Getting to know such a powerful and confusing God can seem daunting, but if we want to find an even more accurate picture of this God, we should look at Jesus. If you want to find out what God looks like, investigate Jesus. In this initial section we are introduced to a vision which can be explained using some theological words. One of these is glory. Gods glory is the sheer weight of his presence, a brilliance which emanates from his character as the source of all beauty, truth and goodness. Another is revelation. What we have here is a revelation, a showing, of what God is like. We are able to gain an small insight into Gods person and character. In the Bible we see that when God is revealed he is glorified, and that God is glorified when he is revealed. We see this in the life of Jesus, particularly as recorded by John. This vision of Ezekiel is overwhelming and he responds in worship. When we worship God we glorify him and open ourselves to awe. As he is glorified he can be revealed to us, and we can encounter him. 2:1-3:28 Ezekiels call The Son of Man Son of Man was Jesus favourite term for himself. In Ezekiel it means mortal and using it emphasises the humanity of the prophet in comparison with the greatness of the divine. Ezekiel is a prototype of Jesus, but Ezekiel can only warn people not to sin (3:16-21) and thus avoid death. A big theme in Ezekiel is that the people find themselves unable to stop sinning just by being told to. Jesus, instead of warning, he himself dies for our sins 3:20. Jesus is the one who is able to save our lives because he is the one who has died for our sins. We dont have to die for them now, because he has. Perhaps today you would like to respond to Jesus invitation of forgiveness. Telling the word Ezekiel is faced with a difficult task: to preach a message from God. The message is from God so it is good (sweet 3:3), but the reaction it will receive is bad (mourning and woe 2:10). A positive response is not envisaged or they would already have repented yet Ezekiel is told to tell the message whether they listen or fail to listen 2:5, 2:7, 3:11. In the same way, we have been given the gospel to share with others. We might expect a bad reaction if we do share our faith. Yet God tells us as well as Ezekiel: do not be afraid 2:6-7, 3:9. The Spirit three times the Spirit puts Ezekiel back on his feet 2:2, 3:12-14, 3:24. Perhaps we feel weighed down by the task of evangelism which God has given us Ezekiel went away in bitterness

and anger 3:14. Perhaps it is God himself who scares us. The vision of God offered here is so awesome and powerful it can be frightening. Sometimes we too can get unhealthily fixated on the unfathomable or terrifying nature of God. In both cases, like Ezekiel, we need the Spirit to come in to us, to raise us to our feet. God doesnt intend us to grovel before him but to be in relationship with him. Today let us ask the Spirit to fill us anew.

4:1-5:17 Visual aids for judgement Communication here Ezekiel embodies the message he is to communicate in stark and eccentric manner. We are called not only to tell others of Jesus but to be the message. We not only use words, but use our lives to be examples of the God of love. Warning the message of Ezekiel is a warning. The people of Israel have sinned, they have done evil. God is determined to put an end to evil, suffering and injustice. To do this he has to vigorously oppose his chosen people, and allow Jerusalem to be destroyed. The order and beauty of the universe must be restored. Without Jesus, we would all face Gods opposition for the things that we have done wrong. Ezekiel again gives a micro-picture of Jesus as the one who bear their sin 4:4. We have all done wrong, will you listen to the warning and accept Jesus forgiveness for the first time?

6:1-7:27 Judgement against Jerusalem Whos in charge? In Ezekiels day, many ordinary citizens of Jerusalem might wonder who is in charge because it doesnt look to be God. There is terrible violence (7:11, 7:23), there is misuse of wealth (7:18-19) and widespread worship of idols instead of God. Why doesnt God sort it out? Yet God is not absent in reality he is in charge and will restore the balance to make sure that the weak are protected and the unscrupulous restricted. Sovereign Lord is used 5 times in this passage, emphasising Gods ultimate control. Then there is the phrase: they will know that I am the LORD 6:7, 6:10, 6:13, 6:14, 7:4, 7:9, 7:27. This is a lot of repetition and underlines the fact that contrary to appearances, God will decisively intervene to give restorative justice to his people. God will sort out the sin of the people of Jerusalem. Are we suffering now and want God to intervene? The New Testament teaches that the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise 2 Peter 3:9. God is in charge and he will ultimately ensure that all things will be well and all manner of things will be well. Until that time we must trust in him, knowing that he will overcome our circumstances in the fullness of time. Passages like this can make us feel uncomfortable sometimes. Perhaps we feel that we are implicated in some of the social sins mentioned in 7:19-27. Money cant save us, only God can. But what we can do is to take the side of God in opposing injustice and oppression. We can work in partnership with God to eliminate the very things he has acted before and will act again to expunge. Let us pray that God will put a cause upon our hearts to support, which he is interested in.

8:1-9:11 Idols in the temple This vision shows four scenes of idolatry in Jerusalem, and what is most scandalous is that they are in progressively holier parts of the temple itself. Still today, we can have idols in our hearts, alongside or replacing the true God. The most invisible ones can be idols associated with religion. At the heart of the temple was idolatry, is there idolatry at the centre of our faith? For example we can get so passionate about a truth marginal to the Christian message that it can end up distorting our faith. We can replace Christ with Church. Etc. Like the previous passage there is the accusation that The Lord has forsaken the land, the Lord does not see 9:9, means that there is a real question of why God is not intervening to end bloodshed and violence. Yet here we find out that the sin goes so deep in society that everyone has a share in it. When God gets rid of the sin, will there be anyone left because they are all too implicated in the sin? It seems a real possibility that nobody could be left not even one. Yet there is a way out the angels could draw the sign of the taw. In Hebrew letter looks like a cross. Those who live under the sign of Jesus are forgiven as Jesus has taken their sin and its consequences. He died so that we might live. (Invitation) 10:1-11:25 The glory leaves In this section we are shown Gods presence and glory departing the temple. God leaves because sin cannot be in his presence. Sometimes God abandons us to the consequences of our sin. We feel too ashamed to come into his presence. We need to confess our sin and receive his forgiveness so that we can meet him in his glory. Delusion sometimes we can think that the city is a cooking pot and we are the meat were the choice cuts, that were better than other people. That we alone are right and everyone else misunderstands. 11:12 tells us however that in doing this we may be conforming to the standards of the nations around you. We may think that were special, but what are we doing to be distinctive for God? The glory days does it seem like the glory days of life are long past? That life used to be great, but now its full of difficulties? This section tells of Gods glory leaving its home, yet there is a glimmer of hope in 11:16-20. Hope: I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone 11:16. In the difficulties God can be our sanctuary. Given a new spirit and an undivided heart, made of flesh not stone 11:19. God has set up his home in our hearts, and we have the joy of knowing him, despite circumstances.

12:1-14:11 False prophets The people are not believing Ezekiels warnings even though hes acting them out, and it appears that one of the reasons for this is that there are other (false) prophets, saying the opposite. They say that nothing will happen, that there is no need to worry, there is no need to repent. The false prophets are characterised by lies and say that God will not fulfil his promises. They encourage the

worship of things other than God: idols. There can still be false prophets today. How do we recognise a false prophet? The New Testament gives us some methods: They will exploit (2 Peter), they do not acknowledge Jesus (1 John), and by their fruit you will
recognize them (Matthew) although they might seem outwardly impressive (Matthew 24).

False prophets today are those who say untrue things about God for personal gain. This could be either financial or could give emotional satisfaction. They may seem impressive and have the esteem of others, but their lives show little of the sanctity which Jesus models: feeding the hungry, visiting the sick and prisoners (Matthew 25). We should not follow them, even if sometimes they seem convincing and enticing. Yet despite false prophets they will be my people, and I will be their God the exile which is planned is in order to bring his people back to himself. The future of Gods people is not dependent upon our abilities but on Gods faithfulness. This gives cause to rejoice and to be liberated to serve. 14:12-15:8 Disaster will come The first section here tells us that we cant rely on others faith to save us. Sometimes when we are young, or when we go through difficult times, we rely on the faith of others to carry us along. We are not sure about ourselves, but we allow others faith to be our own. This passage tells us the importance of our own relationship with God. Despite their best wishes, others can sometimes become almost intermediaries to God, and this deprives us of a direct relationship to God. Perhaps it is the faith of the vicar, or of a family member, or of a certain theologian. These people can be helpful, but only as an aid to forming our own relationship with God. The second uses the image of burning vine wood, which is a very ineffective fuel. Israel as vine doesnt only not produce fruit, it is useless for anything. Grasping at our shreds of self-importance, we are not much different from Ezekiels audience. If anything, our culture of positive self-regard makes it even more difficult to take up our images of ourselves as the beloved of God and turn them inside out. We would come undone if we were to think less of ourselves than we do already. Rather than stay with the prophetic challenge to examine ourselves fully and completely, we would much prefer regarding this text as yet one more example of an old covenant that has been surpassed by the greater love of God in Christ. But clinging to our images of self-esteem may turn out to be about as helpful as gathering dead vines to stave off the winter cold. There is value in thinking well of ourselves, but not much. As long as we keep gathering up these dead vines of self-affirmation, we remain cut off from our only source of value. This insight is developed in Johns gospel, which imagines the Christian life as abiding in the vine of Christ and bearing fruit. In the use of this vivid metaphor, the evangelist encourages us to see that all that is good and lovely in us is of God. If there is worth, it is a product of Gods cultivation and care. p177-178 Odell 16:1-63 Unfaithful Jerusalem This passage pictures Jerusalem as an unfaithful wife to God. Although Jerusalem is not worthy of itself, God gives it beauty. In vivid language Jerusalem is portrayed as throwing Gods grace in his face, and then faces the consequences of this in the coming attack from Babylon. Yet the covenant is not destroyed 16:60,62, and Gods actions are designed to bring his people back to him. Ultimately it

is God himself who will have to make atonement for all they have done (16:63). It is Jesus who made atonement for the sins, not only of Jerusalem, but of the whole world. The hinge in the story is but you trusted in your beauty 16:15, this is how Jerusalem degenerates from bride to prostitute. Trusting in your beauty is an example of looking to the gift rather than the giver. God has given us many things: comfort, provision, abilities, time, relationships. But when we concentrate on these things, rather than on the one who gave them to us, we begin to be in trouble. This is especially the case in Christian service, where an obsession with what we can do for God with our gifts can overshadow who God is, and his love for us. The language Ezekiel uses here is very strong, and the reason Ezekiel uses it is to shock his readers into realising their sin. The reader is meant to see himself in the unfaithful Jerusalem, not as siding with God. In the past readers have sided with God, in a way which led to interpretations which oppressed women. This gives us an opportunity to pause with this text, and ask ourselves in which ways we side with the oppression and exploitation of the vulnerable. It may be that we need to repent and do things differently in the future. 17:1-24 An allegory: eagles and vines This passage describes Zedekiah, the puppet king of Jerusalem, breaking his oath to the Babylonians who placed him there and previously conquered the city. Instead Zedekiah looks towards Egypt for political stability, and breaks his oath to the Babylonians, which would also have been an oath to God. Whilst today we do not make oaths to God, this passage shows us that integrity in our ordinary secular lives matters to God. What we say and what we do must match up. Likewise, faithfulness to the promises that we have made, God takes to be faithfulness to himself. It may be that we think that faithfulness will be too costly for us, too difficult to bear. It may be that the consequences of living up to our moral standards would give us too much distress, that it would disadvantage us compared to other people. Yet in verse 24 we learn that I the LORD bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. It is God who controls fortunes in the world, and trusting in other things such as reputation or money is misleading as these can be phantoms. Whatever our expectations of losing out, God loves faithfulness and integrity, and is able to reverse these expectations: I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it. 18:1-32 Theodicy and responsibility A very bad thing has happened, full of human suffering. It is the exile. When we meet suffering, the question that comes into our minds is why? and we ask God this question. The answers that people come up with are called theodicies. In Ezekiels time, the exiles are trying to understand their own deportation. In this passage, the exiles suggest that the reason for their suffering is that their parents generation sinned, and they are facing the consequences. They say God is unfair to do this. Ezekiel argues instead that it is not for the sins of their parents generation, but for their own sins that they are being punished. The exiles see themselves as innocent victims, Ezekiel wants to demolish this. As an explanation of suffering, we want to say, in line with other parts of the Bible that generally there isnt a straight line between suffering and sin. When people are suffering, it is not Gods punishment upon them. Later on, when Jerusalem has fallen, Ezekiels theodicy changes to one of

comfort and hope for the future. But whilst repentance is possible, Ezekiel presses his hearers so that they will not delude themselves into thinking that they are sinless. In other parts of the book, God has the initiative, but here we read get a new heart and a new spirit Ezekiel wants to move his hearers to change and transformation. In making sense of a difficult situation, Ezekiel alerts us to the danger of deluding ourselves as to our position. We may believe that we will always be passive or victims of others actions. This passage tells us that even if we are in constrained circumstances or difficult situations of suffering, we still have the power to act. We have the power to make decisions in the sphere that we are in, and even if we think that these are very small changes, God will see that the direction of our hearts are towards him. 19:1-20:49 Identity questioned Chapter 19 gives a picture of the Israel and then Judah as a lion which terrorises the nations around them. Rather than being different, being a positive example to the nations which did not know God, the lions become so dangerous that the other nations have to take action against them. In chapter 20 Ezekiel tells an alternative history of Israel. Instead of being Gods virtuous people from the time of Abraham, he subverts this by saying that all along they have been a rebellious people. They want to be like the nations around them, rather than Gods chosen and special people. As Christians we are chosen to be Gods holy people, we are called to be different from those around us. Sometimes we erode this difference, and can gradually begin adopting practices and attitudes which are contrary to Gods will as expressed in scripture. We need to make a decision to recommit ourselves to Gods way, and to change the ways that we have not been confident enough to be distinctive for God. But how are we to maintain the separateness of holiness whilst we interact with non-believing family, friends and colleagues. We cant and shouldnt break off all contact and common activities. What we need is a vision of Gods holiness to sustain us and to help us decide where limits and boundaries lie for us. This passage says: I will show myself holy among you in the sight of the nations. When we understand that God is holy and that holiness and devotion are important to him we can change. Sometimes our view of God can become too domesticated and comfy, books such as Ezekiel are a helpful corrective to this, showing us the wide extent of the majesty and glory of God. 21:1-22:31 Bloodshed These two chapters both focus around bloodshed, the first in the picture of the sword as an instrument of judgement, the second concerning the bloodshed in Jerusalem which warranted this judgement. The picture in Jerusalem as described is a horrific society. The sins fall into three categories. There are those who extort the poor 22:7,12 which would result in their death. There are those who defile themselves through worshiping idols and desecrating worship of God. There are who sexually abuse and rape those women weaker than themselves. Ezekiel characterises this sick society as one of bloodshed, and the consequence of bloodshed is bloodshed. The princes are selfinterested, and this self-interest ruins families and make an unjust society of chaos. Such a society will inevitably reap what it sows. Are we willingly complicit in meting out injustice to the most vulnerable in society, or do we protest this.

Yet all is not doom and gloom. In verse 30 Ezekiel writes: I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land. Although our societies can sometimes seem beyond hope, we can remember that Jesus was the one who put and end to all suffering and sin, and that we can put our trust in him as a new heavenly society is built around him. Jesus is the one, the only one, who stood in the great abyss between God and us, and made a way for us to have restored relationship with him. 23:1-28 The two sisters This chapter is similar to chapter 16 in that it uses a metaphor of Gods unfaithful wife, first for the northern kingdom of Israel, and then for Judah. It is even more graphic than the previous one, Judah is described in awful terms, and becomes an example to the other nations of the consequences of sin. In returning to this metaphor, it is worth noting that it may well be more than metaphor: that it expresses some sense of historical reality. The exiles he is addressing may well have experienced some of the horrors he expresses in their deportation, as striping naked and emasculation through rape were typical fates for defeated (male) armies in the ancient world, as a punishment for treaty violation. In expressing these horrors in the context of a metaphor Ezekiel wants to make a link between these experiences and God. In their prostitution with various different political groups, the sisters are portrayed as being incapable of forming a loving committed relationship. They seem to be unable to love wholeheartedly, and are more interested in appropriating power from the leading powers of the day than remaining faithful to God. Quiet trust in God when faced with powerful empires must have seemed silly at the time, surely what is needed is pragmatic politics and compromises, not the luxury of ideological purity. Yet attempts to gain power can leave us facing the power we sought to gain turned upon us. All of us have, and use, some form of power. We all want our way. Some of us are even sophisticated enough to dress this up as Gods way. Having more power guarantees that we will have the agency to be able to do things our way. The warning of this passage is that if we look to gain security for our future, by trying to gain more power and forgetting those that we have a duty towards, then we can end up in the position that we were trying to avoid. Quiet faithfulness, not ambition, is how we can be confident of Gods goodness towards us. 24:1-14 The pot We see here that Ezekiel prophesies that Jerusalem is under siege, soon Jerusalem will fall. Then the negative messages giving warning, explanation for the coming destruction and calling for repentance, will stop. But now this is still some last chance. Jerusalem is under siege, and still at this late moment there is warning. This passage gives a final parting shot at sin and its consequences. Throughout the book of Ezekiel so far it has been repeatedly pressed on us that sin matters to God and that he judges it. Sin isnt just some personal thing, or something naughty that we do. No, sin means that our hearts are far from God, because wed rather be in the centre instead of him. Sinful lives are ones which are fundamentally and disgustingly about me. Concentrating on God liberates us. Self-obsession shrivels

us. But maybe we think this is other people, it isnt us that is in view here? We deceive ourselves so easily, and make idol after idol in our heart. Unless we hear Ezekiels words about turning from our sin to turn to God, we are ignoring an important part of the message of this book. Will we repent? Or are we too sophisticated for that? This passage tells that God still communicates even if we think that were beyond the pale. We might think that the things weve done are so awful God would never want to engage with us. Yet even at this late moment, God still communicates. Even if our sin seems unforgivable, such is the love of God that Jesus died for that sin. We need no longer be subject to it. We can allow Jesus to stand in our place. But will we? 24:15-27 Death in the family The entire book of Ezekiel is a response to loss: the loss of the exile. Here, it gets personal. Ezekiels response to the death of his wife is unusual, and it is worth noting in passing that this is not an intended model for grief. Even more so, the passage doesnt give many details of what happened or what his wife is like: these are the details us modern readers are interested in. Instead we get the bare relating of Ezekiels personal experience of loss, and the corporate national experience of loss. In different and difficult ways God is related to this loss. The sad thing is that with all this loss there is another loss in view: the one described in chapter 11 in which the presence of God has left the temple. The people have lost God and have not realised it. They have chosen to walk outside his protective love, and now there is nothing to shield them from their own mistakes. The reason the exiles will not mourn is because instead they will be groaning for their sins. When the disaster strikes there will be no energy for mourning because then the people will realise that everything that happened was set in motion by themselves. They will be overwhelmed by their sin. We see later that this indeed happens, but it is mentioned now, before it happens so that they will know that I am the Lord that the death of their sons and daughters is a tragedy that could have been avoided, but they chose not to. We experience loss in lots of different ways. Like Ezekiel we could suffer bereavement. We could lose our jobs, our place in society, our home, our God: like the exiles. There are many more examples. Unlike Ezekiel we do not receive direct oracles from God explaining the reasons for these losses. Instead we grope around, searching for ideas to try and make sense of what happened. What is most clear from this passage is that God overarches our losses. That the pain is not unknown to God for he underwent the loss of his people and ultimately his own Son. Out of the most terrible experiences God is able to bring good. God turned Ezekiels loss into an opportunity to speak his word. God used Israels loss to prepare for the coming of the Saviour of the World. God can use our losses creatively, despite their pain, if we allow ourselves to be open to him. Let us not close our wounds upon the injury, but allow God access to perform surgery. Let us not turn aside in pain, but open our hearts, amidst the pain, to him. 25:1-17 Four nations The book of Ezekiel now changes gear. We just have heard that Jerusalem is under siege and will soon fall. Jerusalems sin almost dealt with, the book now begins to shift onto the questions that will follow this destruction. The question in view here is of what place the surrounding nations will have

in the future, given their hostility towards Judah. Previously Babylon was considered as Gods agent in bringing judgement on Judah. The other nations tried to capitalise on Judahs destruction, is this part of Gods plan too? This chapter serves as a decisive no. As Christians, sometimes we look around and see others doing well. Maybe they are antagonistic towards us. Maybe by having dubious morals they are able to get ahead in the world. Psalm 73 considers the theme: why do good things happen to bad people? and this is often how we think. Badness seems to be rewarded, especially financially, and it makes us wonder if its worth doing it the hard way when it gains us nothing. This chapter tells us that, despite appearances, God will judge and he will bring justice. Our cause will not always be flagging. This can give us the confidence that we need to persevere in doing great things for God, even if there is some element of sacrifice to this. Ultimately our reward is not the success we see others around us having. Our reward is Jesus. The good news is that we can enjoy our reward now. We can enjoy the eternal reward now, this second, whereas other measures of success will end or fail. Hes waiting for us. How long will we let him wait? 26:1-28:26 Tyre After the surrounding nations Ezekiel moves onto Tyre for three entire chapters. These chapters of doom for the nations follow logically in Ezekiels transition to good news for Israel from all the destruction earlier. We can be tempted to think that these oracles are particularly distant to our own time and context. This would be a mistake as the oracle against Tyre is poignantly and awkwardly relevant to our world. Tyre was a great trading city, one of the financial centres of the ancient world. In chapter 27:1-24 the lavishness of Tyre is explained, and it is described as beautiful. Yet its downfall is in view, and is lamented by the princes and merchants of the world. If Tyre is so beautiful and loved, how can disaster come to it? We are given the answer in chapter 28 Tyre has abrogated divinity for itself, rather than recognising God. We are told by your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart has grown proud 28:5. Like Jerusalem in chapter 16, Tyre failed to notice the giver of the beauty, and became infatuated with the gift. Further we are told that at least some of this beauty is gained through dishonesty 28:18, and violence 28:16. Further, we read who was ever like Tyre 27:32, and we have the haunting feeling that we are. Our economic system and culture seems to have great similarities to Tyre: of wealth, novelty and luxury at the expense of others. Tyres beauty was a mask, like them, our economic system is unsustainable and will not last forever. Are we prepared to admit that our way of life is idolatrous? Are we prepared to admit that now, whilst we have an opportunity to make changes? Are we ready to commit to a simpler, more sustainable life? The cost to us may be higher than we would like. But God will not abandon or scorn those faithful to him. Will we follow his lead and abandon our financial idols? Or will we sink in the sea when, and not if, the tide rises? 29:1-33:32 Egypt Ezekiel has now covered six nations, Egypt is the seventh and final one in his sights. There are some similarities with the previous oracle against Tyre in that Egypt has claimed divinity. Bit more than that Judah rebelled against Babylon, trusting that an alliance with Egypt would save them. Ezekiel

claims that this hope is groundless. We hear that Egypt is unreliable, like a reed prop which not only unsupportive, but which gives splinters to the one who leans on it. And Egypt will come to an end: never again will the Egyptians be the reliance of the house of Israel. God is describing a future in which Judahs repeated failure of trusting in Egyptian power rather than God cannot happen again. Although we say that we have faith in God, this is not always wholehearted. We may hold back from the radical changes to our lives that living in his will would entail. We put our trust in other things. Things that we can see and which seem to us to require no risk. The real risk is putting our trust in things which are not God because, in time, these will fail, no matter how strong they seem. We could put our trust in our heritage, our position, our relationships, our bank account. But only trust in God is firm and will not fail us. 33:1-33 Watchmen Decision v1-9 In chapter 3 we were introduced to the motif of the watchman, and here the idea is fleshed out and given form. What responsibility does the messenger of Gods words have? The messenger is not responsible for the response of the people, the messenger is not responsible for the decision the people make upon hearing. Rather, the messenger is responsible for passing on the message to the people. The watchman is to sound the warning. Whilst we will not be disqualified from Christs saving blood by failing to pass on the gospel, this passage suggests that God will have stern words for those of us who do not pass on the gospel when we have chances to do so. Maybe we need to recommit to passing on Gods messages. Despair v7-20 It seems that finally the people come to an awareness of their sins. Now they see their behaviour from Gods perspective. But this awareness is so strong that they are unable to see any way of recovering. Their sins are too deep, the situation is too awful. Gods answer is that change is possible. Forgiveness is possible. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. As bad as thinking that we have no sins, is believing that God does not love us and that there is no point in trying to draw near to him. Maybe we feel stuck in despair, that change cannot come to our lives, that God could not really love us, that we are unforgivable. Despair can be a strategy which can emotionally protect us from disappointment, from the danger of hope. God wants to open up the pit of our despair with his love. Denial v21-33 We hear here that a fugitive comes bringing the news that Jerusalem has fallen. Ezekiel was right all along, even though the people did not listen! How do the people respond? They move from the previous attitude of despair to that of denial. Even though Jerusalem and the land has been lost, they are unable to believe it. They protest: the land is surely given to us to possess 33:24. Sometimes events can happen to us which make us question the way that we understand the bible and think about God. These questions can be unsettling and it is tempting to simply ignore them in denial. Could it be that these questions could be a prompt from God? Perhaps we need to re-examine the things we believe and ask ourselves if we have made mistakes in our understanding. Perhaps we need to go back and see what the Bible actually says, rather than what we think that it says.

34:1-31 Shepherds Words of restoration for Israel, rather than judgement are now in view. Jerusalem is destroyed, and Ezekiel begins to give the exiles hope for the future. The verses about unscrupulous shepherds recall some in the New Testament: a hired hand does not care for the sheep John 10:13. The picture here is of leaders, shepherds, who do not care for the sheep because they are more concerned about caring for themselves. The parallel for us, is of leaders both in the world and the church, who use those they are meant to serve for their own benefit. Maybe this is financial perhaps the pastor is paid more than the average wage of the congregation. Maybe it is emotional the leader is using the people to meet their need to be needed. Or maybe it is a desire to get glory and affirmation by doing things in a way which is designed to get recognition rather than caring for those who are in need. The corrective is a desire for God alone to have the glory, and to see the sheep with Gods own heart for them. Gods own heart for the flock is then outlined. In the absence of any good shepherd for Israel, God himself will have to become the shepherd. He will seek out the sheep. Yet at the same time God will set over the sheep one shepherd, his servant David (34:23). This will lead to a new covenant of blessing. No one shall make them afraid because I, the Lord their God, am with them. Gods presence will be restored to the people. God himself came, in the person of Jesus Christ, Davids successor. God came, incarnate in Jesus, and was the good shepherd: I am the good shepherdand I lay down my life for the sheep John 10:14-15. 35:1-36:38 The reversal Chapter 35 begins in an oracle against Edom before running into chapter 36, which could be considered as a summary of all of the themes of the book of Ezekiel. From 35:1-36:7, future punishment is announced on Edom for taking advantage of Gods destruction of Jerusalem and Judah, as in Chapter 25, but this is now underlined. The converse of this follows in the rest of chapter 36. God will take the initiative in restoring his people. This restoration is explained in wonderful detail, but the reason is not necessarily what we might expect. In 36:22-23 we are told that the reason God is giving restoration is for the sake of his name. God is holy, and he wants us to know this, he wants us to hallow his name. This is because God is a God who reveals, he communicates. It is not enough that God is holy, but he wants us to know him as a holy God. God is continually speaking to us, revealing his character to us, are we prepared to listen to him? The next verses give the details of the restoration. There will be forgiveness and cleansing from sins 36:25, 33. God himself will perform a heart transplant on his people, changing their heart from stone to flesh. He will put his Spirit in his people 36:37, and the land will become like that of Eden 36:35. Whilst some of this was fulfilled in Jesus first coming, it looks like we still have to wait for the fulfilment of some of this. The blessing present over every aspect of life sounds like the prophet is beginning to try and envisage what heaven will be like, using his own context. We are living in the time between the times, the now and not yet of the kingdom. We can celebrate the salvation which we have in Christ, whilst looking forward to the future redemption and consummation of all things. Let us do this with patience and endurance.

37:1-14 Life Our hope is gone this is what the bones, say to Ezekiel. The people are depicted as having become so low in spirits that not only are they dead corpses but are only dried bones. It cant get any worse, but getting better seems unimaginable. There is no possibility for change. Its over, so give up. For God, evil can never be the end. He will not leave us cut off and without hope. Even faced with the death of Jesus, this was not the final word because death could not hold him and God raised Jesus from the dead. God brings life through his Spirit, and offers us a new quality of life now. We might feel like very dry bones, dead and forgotten. But God does not forget us. No matter how deep the darkness he is faithful. He will bring us into his everlasting kingdom where there will be no more mourning, crying or pain. 37:15-28 The covenant God gives promises of a myriad of blessings here. It is worth pausing just to note the scope of the restoration God is proposing: He will reunite the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel There will be one king, or prince, who is called my servant David who will rule forever The people wont have idols or sin There will be cleansing The people will keep the law perfectly They will live in the land of their ancestors forever God will bless and multiply them God, and his sanctuary will be among the people They shall be my people, and I will be their God this is the covenant formula. This covenant will both be everlasting and one of peace. Unlike the prior covenant it will not risk failing due to the faithlessness of the people, for God will ensure that the people will be faithful.

This is a very wide scope of restoration. So much so that the situation will be even better than it was before the calamities, thanks to the grace of God. Maybe in our lives, or in one aspect of our lives we are crying out for restoration. Things are not as they should be. What is our vision of restoration for our lives? What is the transformation of the world are we working towards? By clarifying our aims, we can gain strength to persevere in difficulty, and insight to know what is essential and what is not. 38:1-39:29 Safety It can be very tempting to make a direct correlation between mysterious figures in the scriptures and modern day political figures. There is some evidence that Gog is intended to be regarded as Babylon: never again will the people have to fear being attacked and exiled by a superpower. In the future Israel will be protected by God from all enemies. They will be safe. How safe does God keep us now? Does he promise to keep us physically safe, or only spiritually safe? Is physical safety reserved for a future resurrection life. This passage doesnt give us any answers.

What it does tell us is that the facts of our lives will be overturned. Political superpowers have no power in Gods economy and the destruction they wreak eventually falls upon their head. Gods oppressed people will be vindicated. This is the story of Jesus Christ, whom political power put to death, and yet Gods power raised up and crowned with power and authority. This is the story which will end the world, for we know that God will win. There are many Christians around the world who are being actively persecuted. For them the clash between the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of Jesus Christ is painfully obvious. Are we standing with them? Are we praying with and for them? 40:1-42:20 The new temple The book of Ezekiel now changes for one final time. The next eight chapters are part of an extended vision of a new temple and a renewed land. The first two chapters of this describe the temple. The temple was important because it is the meeting place between heaven and earth. In Ezekiel we have heard that the temple has been desecrated and destroyed. Any vision then of a renewed and restored Israel with God at the centre needs the temple, this is especially important for a priest like Ezekiel. We are given something like an architectural plan, and the impression that we are given is of perfection. The holy is separated from the common. If we were to design our perfect world I doubt that right at the centre of it would be the idea that Gods holiness would be protected. Yet this is what Ezekiel sees. It perhaps teaches us, along with much of Ezekiel, that we need to alter our image of God which has become to predictable and domesticated. This experience can be difficult and confusing, but ensures that we are not creating a god for ourselves out of our own imaginations. It is also worth noting that in the description of the temple area we are shown space not structures. We are told the size of courtyards and the size inside buildings, but in contrast we are not told exact measurements about height. This leaves the impression that this vision is not in any way meant to be taken literally as a plan for a future temple. In the spaces we see ever increasing holiness, yet all the doors are open, there are no closed doors. So we are taken along with Ezekiel, invited and ushered into ever greater holiness as we travel into spaces. This is what we are called to do in our Christian lives, to imitate the holiness of God. surely we must at least acknowledge that modern theologys frequent picture of God as transparently good and kind cannot be squared with scripture again, however we treat the present passage. His ways to his purposes for us are devious, at least by any standard of straightforwardness available to the fallen and redeemed creatures who actually exist and can worry about such things. If the Lord is as Ezekiel precisely in our passage asserts his peoples utterly committed lover, we must admit that this love often indeed passes our understanding. Christians see both the guarantee of this love and the revelation of its off-putting mystery in the sacrifice of the only beloved Son. If we try to penetrate beyond that, perhaps the Lord will horrify us also. Robert Jenson, Ezekiel, SCM Theological Commentary on the Bible 43:1-9 The glory returns At the beginning of Ezekiel we read of Gods glory appearing to him in a vision whilst in exile. In chapters 8-11 we learn of the process by which Gods glory and presence left the temple in

Jerusalem. Here we see God does not just restore Israel, he returns himself. He returns the same way that he left the previous temple, through the gate. This glory makes the land radiant, and fills the temple, in a similar way to the consecration of Solomons temple and the way that God met with Moses in the tabernacle. We find out in verse 7 that this is the place of Gods throne. God will directly rule his people rather than through kings which were disobedient and corrupt. These human kings are then mentioned three times, drawing attention to their drawbacks. Gods rule will not be like this, and it will be for ever. The Christian life can be described as having God rule in our hearts more and more so that we may show his glory. The New Testament speaks of both our bodies and the church as a temple. In what ways can we enthrone God in our lives? 43:10-44:31 Temple and priests continued After the short break in which Gods glory returns to the temple, Ezekiel continues to describe the temple complex and the temple staff. The altar is described, along with a dedication ceremony for it. From verse 10 in chapter 44 the priests and Levites who will work in the temple are described. The overall picture that builds up is again of uncompromised holiness. Not only this, but the priests will teach the people the difference between the holy and the common so that violations cannot happen again. In the first half of chapter 44 the entrance of the east facing outer gate is described. Now that the glory of God has returned to the temple this gate is shut, and no-one is to go through it. The significance of this is twofold. First because the gate is shut it means that Gods glory will never leave the temple, it is in effect a promise. Second, because no-one else can go through it means that pagan practices of carrying idols through the gate to leave in autumn and arrive in spring cannot be copied: future faithfulness is secured. The demotion of the princes role again means that kingly rule will not be enough to derail Gods future, yet there is still a place for this. In Ezekiel we have heard how it is Gods initiative that will restore the people and give them new hearts: these passages tell us what that would look like. Jesus Christ is the great high priest who gives the Holy Spirit to teach us holiness. Jesus Christ is the prince, the king, who rules, not in defiance of God but in line with him. Jesus Christ is the prophet whom the glory of God is present to and who relays this to us (44:4). Jesus is the fulfilment of Old Testament promise and is Gods plan to reconcile the world to himself. Are we paying attention to him? Are we allowing him to teach us? Have we ignored him for most of our lives? Perhaps today is the day that you want to give your life to him for the first time. 45:1-46:24 Organising the land The division of the land described here might seem strange to us but it is Ezekiels manifesto for social justice. From 45:1-12 a land is described in which land will be provided to live upon, and no land will be taken by those more powerful than others, as had happened before in the history of Israel. It also describes using fair weights in the market: there will be an end to all financial corruption. In what ways can we oppose unjust financial practices today? The next section, which is quite long (45:13-18), describes the various sacrifices to be made on different occasions. It is worth noting that the picture here is of a prince who provides sacrifices for

the people. This is a pointer to Jesus, Gods anointed ruler, who has provided a sacrifice for our sins on the cross. This sacrifice is different than the ones recorded here however because it is one sacrifice which is sufficient for all time. Through this sacrifice we can become Gods children, and the key thing about being a child in the Bible is that you have an inheritance. Can you count the many different blessings which flow from this inheritance? Take some time to write down as many blessings of the gospel you can think of and see how many you come up with! We might have got this far into the final vision and thought that it is rather a sterile affair. All these descriptions of land and buildings and of different rites which are specified. In 46:19-24 we get shown a different side to the temple complex. With all of the sacrifices there would have been a lot of meat, and this would be eaten both by the priests and the worshipers. In the ancient world there would not have been many opportunities to eat meat so this would be a great celebration. In verse 21 we hear of huge kitchens in the outer court (i.e. for ordinary people) to cook the meat. The Kingdom of God is not a miserable place but one of celebration, joy and feasting. These times would be great times of fellowship together as the people ate in the presence of God as part of their worship. Lets not over-spiritualise the Christian life, God intends us to enjoy both his creation and each other, and this does not destroy Gods presence with us but adds to it. 47:1-48:35 The river and the presence This final section of Ezekiel contains some images which are familiar from the New Testament, particularly the book of Revelation. The river Ezekiel describes a river which flows from the temple and then miraculously grows to be so big that we could swim in it. This river, with its origins in Gods presence, then transforms the land all around it. The river turns salt water into living water, and on the banks are trees with remarkable properties. It seems like a new Eden. The impression is one of the immensity of Gods blessing and of the power of his goodness to touch everything in the world and make it good. We might be reminded of Jesuss words in John: the water I give will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life 4:14. In Revelation there is a river running through the city which is described as the river of the water of life 22:1. The river in Ezekiel brings life wherever it touches. It must have been refreshing news to the exiles in Ezekiels time that God has a plan for future life, and not just any old life, but glorious life. We have this life to look forward to. How often do we think about this though? Perhaps if we though about the life of the resurrection more, we could be more energised to do Gods will here and now. The city Ezekiel describes the land divided between the twelve tribes of Israel, and then of the city at the centre of the land. Revelation also picks up the motif of a city, but emphasises that what we have here is a garden city, something of a city, something of a garden. The division of the land is very orderly and ensures a place for every tribe in Israel, and this is the focus of the description of the city as well. In the course of Ezekiel, at first the people were arrogant, assuming that they could never lose the land because God had promised it to them. Then, after the destruction of Jerusalem, they despaired, some imagining that God had abandoned them and the promise forever. Here, God promises restoration. He will restore the land, their inheritance. Sometimes in our lives it seems like we have hit rock bottom. It might actually seem that God has not been good to us, that he has not be faithful. However hard it may be to think of, this passage teaches us that despite how things might feel at the moment God will ultimately bring about restoration in our lives. Ultimately, God

will bring all things to fulfilment bringing all things in heaven and on earth together under on head, even Christ (Ephesians 1:10). The presence The last words of the book of Ezekiel are the new name of the city: The Lord is there. We have seen Gods presence in different places in the book. First Ezekiel unexpectedly found himself in Gods presence in exile. Next Ezekiel had a vision of Gods presence leaving the temple. Finally, he had a vision of Gods presence returning to the temple. As the parts of Ezekiel which feature God, these help us understand the most important strands of the book: of Gods unexpected call, of the problem of sin, and of his unwillingness to let our sin be the last word. Here we find out that Gods presence will be the very identity of the new city promised. Gods presence was uniquely present in Jesus. Gods presence will be with us at the end of all things. But in the meantime, we can enjoy Gods presence now.