Ezekiel 1–4
Common Theme
God reveals His glory and holiness through visions and symbolic acts, commissioning Ezekiel as His prophet to a rebellious people. The opening chapters establish both God’s overwhelming majesty and the weight of judgment coming on Israel.
Questions
- How does Ezekiel’s vision of God’s glory in chapter 1 shape our understanding of His holiness and transcendence?
- Why does God use symbolic actions through Ezekiel to communicate His message instead of only words?
God Shot
In these chapters, God reveals Himself as the glorious, sovereign King whose presence is not confined to the temple but fills the heavens. He is the One who speaks with authority and commissions His servants, ensuring that His word will be proclaimed even to a hardened people.
Deeper✝
Ezekiel 1
In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, Ezekiel, a priest among the exiles by the Chebar canal, experienced a divine vision. It was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile when the word of the LORD came to him. He witnessed a stormy wind from the north, accompanied by a great cloud and brightness, with fire flashing within it. From this fire emerged four living creatures resembling humans, each with four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight, and their feet resembled those of a calf, shining like burnished bronze. Each creature had human hands under their wings, and they moved in unison without turning. Their faces included a human face, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. Ezekiel also saw wheels beside the creatures, appearing like beryl, with a design of a wheel within a wheel, full of eyes. The creatures and wheels moved together, guided by the spirit within them. Above the creatures was an expanse resembling crystal, and above it, a throne with a figure resembling a human. The brightness around this figure was awe-inspiring, representing the glory of the LORD, which caused Ezekiel to fall on his face.
Ezekiel 2
Ezekiel is called by God to deliver a message to the rebellious people of Israel. He is instructed to stand and listen as the Spirit empowers him. Despite their stubbornness, he must proclaim God’s words, regardless of whether they listen. Ezekiel is warned not to be afraid of their hostility and is shown a scroll containing lamentations and woes, symbolizing the gravity of his mission.
Ezekiel 3
In this passage, the speaker, referred to as "Son of man," is instructed to consume a scroll, symbolizing the words of God, which he finds sweet. He is then commanded to deliver God’s message to the house of Israel, emphasizing that they are not a foreign people but rather his own. Despite this, God warns that the Israelites will be unwilling to listen due to their stubbornness. The speaker is fortified with a hard forehead to match the people’s resistance and is told to receive God’s words in his heart and share them with the exiles, regardless of their response.
After seven days of overwhelming silence among the exiles, God appoints the speaker as a watchman for Israel, responsible for warning the wicked and the righteous. Failure to warn them will result in dire consequences for both the speaker and the individuals. The speaker is then instructed to isolate himself, bound and mute, until God chooses to speak through him again, reiterating the rebellious nature of the people he is sent to address.
Ezekiel 4
In this passage, the prophet is instructed to symbolize the siege of Jerusalem by creating a model of the city and enacting a siege. He is to lie on his left side for 390 days, representing Israel’s punishment, and then on his right side for 40 days for Judah’s punishment. During this time, he must eat a specific diet of grains, prepared in a way that signifies the unclean conditions the Israelites will face. God declares that the people will experience scarcity and anxiety regarding food and water, leading to despair and deterioration due to their punishment. The prophet expresses concern about the unclean food, but God allows a substitute.
✝Deeper excerpt from NIV Application Commentary, One-Volume Edition.