The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Ezekiel 1-4
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 8: Exile: God Disciplines His People
Background Information: Ezekiel 1-4
The Babylonian king took ten thousand exiles in 597; this included all the officials, craftsmen, and leaders. Seven years later, the Babylonians would reduce Jerusalem to rubble. The Temple would be destroyed, and Judah’s downfall would be complete. Ezekiel was among the first wave taken into exile. At age thirty, had he remained in Jerusalem, he would have been beginning his priestly duties. He pinpoints his location in Babylon to a place where the 70-foot-tall storm god monument (a ziggurat) would have been visible. There, where the false Babylonian god of storms was located, Ezekiel had his awe-inspiring vision of the one true God coming in a storm. The most important part of his vision was the glory of God appearing like a human; the word is actually Adam (verse 26). Christ is the second Adam, the one who undoes what the first Adam did (1 Corinthians 15:45-49). This Adam was the king of the universe, sitting on his magnificent throne, judging the nations. Don’t overthink the mind-boggling angelic vision. We are not told what every detail means, but clearly the vision communicates power, beauty, majesty, and infinite mobility. It communicates a spiritual King, with the authority to exercise judgment in the world of men. Ezekiel’s proper, and probably reflexive, response was to fall on his face before this vision of God. God stood him on his feet and gave him a commission to speak his judgment on Judah. He was given an awesome responsibility to speak for God clearly and accurately regarding the coming judgment. We have been given the same responsibility, not to speak of judgment only, but also of the means to escape that judgment. We are to proclaim the good news of Jesus to those who stand in danger of God’s coming judgment on sin. Every Christian is called to be an Ezekiel to his or her time. It is unlikely we will have a vision like Ezekiel’s, but we don’t need one. We have the written Word of God, the gospels. We must keep the reality of the cross and empty tomb firmly in our minds and consistently in our mouths.
“How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent.”
Romans 10:14,15
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Ask God to give you opportunities to have gospel conversations. Ask God to soften the hearts of unbelievers to that they might hear the wonderful truth of salvation and turn to God.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.