Ezekiel
Footnote: God communicated to Ezekiel in
visions. A vision is a miraculous revelation of God's truth. These visions
seem strange to us because they are apocalyptic. This means that
Ezekiel saw symbolic pictures that vividly conveyed an idea. Daniel and John
were other Bible writers who used apocalyptic imagery. The people in exile had
lost their perspective of God's purpose and presence, and Ezekiel came to them
with a vision from God to show God's awesome glory and holiness and to warn the
exiles of sin's consequences before it was too late.
The name Ezekiel means "God is strong" or "God
strengthens."
1:5 Footnote: Each of the four living
creatures had four faces, symbolizing God's perfect nature. Some believe that
the lion represented strength; the ox, diligent service; the man, intelligence;
and the eagle, divinity. Others see these as the most majestic of God's
creatures and say that they therefore represent God's whole creation. The early
church fathers saw a connection between these beings and the four Gospels: the
lion with Matthew, presenting Christ as the Lion of Judah ; the ox with Mark,
portraying Christ as the Servant; the human with Luke, portraying Christ as the
perfect human; the eagle with John, portraying Christ as the Son of God, exalted
and divine. The vision of John in Revelation 4 parallels Ezekiel's
vision.
1:16-18 Footnote: The "wheel intersecting a
wheel" was probably two wheels at right angles to each other, one on a
north-south and the other on an east-west axis. Able to move anywhere, these
wheels show that God is present everywhere and is able to see all things. God
is not restricted to Jerusalem, but rules all of life and history. Though the
exiles had experienced great change, God was still in control.
1:27,28 Footnote: The four living creatures
and the four wheels are powerful pictures of judgment, yet the rainbow over the
throne symbolizes God's neverending faithfulness to his people. Just as God
sent a rainbow to Noah to symbolize his promise never again to destroy the earth
by a flood (Genesis 9:8-17), so this rainbow symbolizes God's promise to
preserve those who remain faithful to him. The purpose of God's judgment is to
correct us and, ultimately, to allow perfect peace and righteousness to reign on
the earth forever.
And he said to me, "Son of man, eat
what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel."
So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.
Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat
this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it
tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. 3:1-3
Footnote: In his vision, Ezekiel ate God's
message and found this spiritual food not only good for him, but also sweet as
honey (See Revelation 10:8-10 for a similar use of this image). If you "digest"
God's Word, you will find that not only does it make you stronger in your faith,
but its wisdom also sweetens your life. You need to feed yourself spiritually
just as you do physically. This means doing more than simply giving God's
message a casual glance. You must make digesting God's Word a regular part of
your life.
Keep reading -- 112 days left!
All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV
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