Ezekiel - Lesson 0

Why in the world would anybody read the book of Ezekiel, let alone study it? Why would anybody devote any time to this unbelievable and incomprehensible book? For most students of the Old Testament, the book of Ezekiel is a riddle. When I was growing up, the only time we ever heard about Ezekiel was in prophecy conferences. That doesn't happen much anymore these days, but that means we never look at the book at all for any reason.

I have discovered that this, though, is an unbelievable mind of biblical, theological, and spiritual treasures. I can think of at least four reasons, five reasons, maybe six, why Ezekiel is such a great book to read.  

First, for its sheer entertainment value.

In chapter 33, Ezekiel complains that the people come to listen to him because they know he's got another entertaining message from God. His antics, his street theater, the cartoons that he draws with his words, there is so much interesting stuff even from a literary level in this book. And it moves, it shifts from chapter to chapter. You never know what's going to be behind the next door that you open. It's a fascinating book. In working on this book for 15 years, I never once got bored because he gives us so much variety from a literary point of view.  

Second, for its cultural value.  

What got me going on the book of Ezekiel in the first place was it dawned on me that Ezekiel is the only prophet who spends his entire professional ministry in a foreign land. Oh, Jonah visits Nineveh, but he never settles down there. Ezekiel lived in Babylon. So the question that rose in my mind was, to what extent does the Babylonian environment color the book? And I discovered it colors it at every level. The language is often Babylonian. The ideas are Babylonian. His conversation partners, theological conversational partners, are people who have been thoroughly Babylonianized in their thinking. And unless we understand the world of Babylon, we will not understand this book.

In fact, right off the bat, the first chapter of the book is a riddle to most people. But once we've been to Babylon, we know exactly what this means. So cultural value.  

Third, its historical value.  

The book of Ezekiel gives us a window into the life of Judah and Jerusalem in its darkest days. 586, well actually he starts before 586. Ezekiel was schlepped off to Babylon in 598 with Jehoiachin and the other upper classes, and from the distance, he would have to witness the destruction of Jerusalem in 586. It gives us a window into the community of exiles in Babylon, but also, through his prophecies, we get to see what Jerusalem was like in these dark days. So that by the time the city is destroyed, we understand exactly why God was so angry with his people. Historical value.

Fourth, it has theological value.  

Ezekiel looks at all of life through a profoundly theological lens, or should we say perspective. He looks at life through God's eyes. And in doing so, he offers us a profound theology, so relevant even for our own day.

Ezekiel's audience is a very hardened audience of Judeans, the people in Jerusalem in Judah. Immediately, they are the ones who are in exile with him, but he also addresses issues back home.

You see, his people have been banking on the promises of God. They have this doctrine of eternal security based on four promises.

One, the Lord has given the descendants of Abraham eternal title to the land of Israel, which means Nebuchadnezzar nor anyone else will ever beat us, conquer us.

Second, at Sinai, the Lord entered into a covenant with Israel from which there is no divorce. God is obligated to defend his bride.

Third, in the house of David, God has put a ruler on the throne who has eternal title to the throne of Israel. That means that the city of Jerusalem, the capital and the throne of David, will never fall.

Fourth, God has established Jerusalem as his dwelling place forever. Moses had predicted this in the book of Deuteronomy. 21 times he talked about that place that the Lord will choose. Well, Jerusalem is it. The temple is the symbol of God's presence. And in their minds, God will never vacate the temple.

Four promises. Every promise in the book is mine. They're banking on the promises of God, claiming the privilege of being God's people, but they'd forgotten that with this privilege comes a mission to be a light to the world, agents of grace and compassion, showing to the world a model of righteousness and holiness and purity. Instead, while they had this lofty theology, they had this pagan lifestyle, and it's no wonder that God was angry. If you act like a pagan, God will treat you like a pagan, and he did. And in the end, Jerusalem fell. It shattered their faith. Ezekiel is preaching to people whose God has betrayed them.

During his lifetime, there is no evidence of any positive fruit for his work. Ah, but after he died, when these things happen as they surely will, then you will know that a prophet has been in your midst.  

Eventually, a revival must have broken out, because when Cyrus issued a decree in 539 that the exiles could go home and rebuild a temple, 40,000 people went home. Where did they come from? They went into exile in Babylon, a totally paganized lot. God had been at work. His spirit had moved among them.

Pastoral Ministry

And then there's one other reason for studying the book, especially those of us who will be in this class. From Ezekiel, we learn so much about pastoral ministry.

Ezekiel was the pastor to the exiles. He had a very hard congregation, and God told him at the outset that there will be no fruit for your work that you will see. But he knew his audience. He knew his calling. He knew the message he was proclaiming. And once he got going, he was fearless in proclaiming.  

From Ezekiel, I learned that God doesn't call us to success. Ezekiel had no conference. At least we have no record of it. No friends even. He even lost his wife. There is no hint in the book that Ezekiel had any success other than the people came to him for entertainment, street theater.  

Ah, God said, I will be with you. My charge to you is not to build a big congregation. My charge to you is to proclaim my word. In season, out of season. That's what Ezekiel did. God doesn't call us to success. He calls us to service and to faithfulness. And in that respect, Ezekiel is a magnificent father.

Vision of the future

Of course, there's one other reason why Ezekiel is important, and that is because of its vision of the future. Its message of hope. The Messiah, my servant David, I will put on the throne again, and he will shepherd my people, Israel. When we get to the New Testament, this is what we discover. My servant David, the one of whom Ezekiel had spoken, that descendant of Jehoiachin, is here in fulfillment of all his promises. God always keeps his word. It's people who are faithless. And even in this book, we find that God is always faithful.

The judgment of Jerusalem was written into the covenant. If he hadn't judged them, he would have gone back on his word. But it's an act of faithfulness to his people, to his word, and to the mission that this all happened.

Ezekiel is a magnificent book. I never tire of reading it, studying it, meditating on it, and reflecting on its significance for my own life. I hope that will be the case for you as well.