Ezekiel

Reverence

God's glory and His great acts of judgment and salvation are portrayed in symbolic language and form.

The Book of Ezekiel records the activity of a prophet during the Exile in Babylon. His message was directed to his fellow captives and also to the Hebrew people still at home Both groups remained stubborn and unapologetic even after the capture of Jerusalem by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar and the exile of Jehoiachin, king of Judah, along with a large segment of the population in 586 B.C. God assigned Ezekiel the task of denouncing Israel's rebellion and foretelling Jerusalem's destruction and the deportation of even more people.

The voice of God came with immense light and power, through the Holy Spirit. These visions appear to have been given to fill the prophet's mind with profound and elevated thoughts of God. They serve to instill fear in sinners and provide comfort to those who revere God and humble themselves.

A distinctive aspect of the Book of Ezekiel is the way it expresses both threats and promises. It contains many mysterious visions, daring allegories, and strange symbolic actions. These forms of God's revelation appear more frequently than in any other prophetic book and are presented with an unusual level of descriptive detail. The visions, in particular, are strange and almost outlandish in nature, making them difficult to interpret.

Ezekiel sees in prophetic perspective scenes of the immediate and of the distant future - superimposed on the same picture of the coming and enduring Kingdom of God.

Ezekiel 6:7 The fatally wounded among you will fall, and at that time you'll know that I am the Lord.

Ezekiel’s message was intended to remind his audience of God’s character, hoping that this reminder would encourage them to return to a life of reverence and obedience.

A New Heart and Spirit

Ezekiel 36 25-27 I'll sprinkle pure water on you all, and you'll be cleansed from your impurity and from all of your idols. I'm going to give you a new heart, and I'm going to give you a new spirit within all of your deepest parts. I'll remove that rock-hard heart of yours and replace it with one that's sensitive to me. I'll place My spirit within you, empowering you to live according to My regulations and to keep My just decrees.

All who have an interest in the new covenant have a new heart and a new spirit, to walk in newness of life. God would give a heart of flesh, a soft and tender heart, complying with His holy will. Renewing grace works as great a change in the soul as turning a dead stone into living flesh. God will put His Spirit within, as a Teacher, Guide, and Sanctifier. The promise of God's grace to fit us for our duty should quicken our constant care and endeavor to do our duty.