Through The Bible

Ezekiel, part 1

December 18, 2002

The book bearing Ezekiel’s name contains a series of dates that extend from the 5^th year of the exile in Babylon of King Jehoiachin (Ezek. 1.2) to the 27^th year (29.17).

• This would place Ezekiel’s activity between the years of 593 BC (when he received his call to prophesy), to 571 BC. This was a period of about 22 years.

Ezekiel’s ministry falls into two clearly defined periods:

1. Lasted for 6 years (593-587 BC) and was predominantly a period of warning and preparation for disaster.
2. Lasted for 16 years (587-591 BC) and was more centered on a message of hope. This 2^nd period covers basically chapters 33-48 of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel was kind of a political hostage because he was forced to live in a crude settlement with others of his fellow countrymen from Judah after deportation in 598 BC. Many exiled prisoners of war were sold off as slaves to others – furthering the humiliation of defeat.

• King Jehoiachin and about 10,000 people were exiled.
• Settled in Tel-Abib southeast of Babylon.
• Socially, conditions pretty good for exiles. Many set up commercial ventures and prospered; they built houses and planted vineyards.
• Spiritually, they were bankrupt. They felt God had forsaken them.

The political history of Ezekiel’s time:

• The deportation had a dual purpose of (a) demoralizing the population; and (b) forcing King Jehoiachin’s replacement, Zedekiah, to remain loyal to Babylon. This hope on Babylon’s part to keep Judah in line proved to be a vain one.
• Judah learned very little from first deportation. Pagan worship, slavery, and human sacrifice were part of life in Judah after deportation under Zedekiah.
• Zedekiah, quickly fell prey to surrounding petty rulers to try and resist Babylon.
• They withheld tribute payments.
• Sought to ally themselves with Egypt.

• All of the above relevant for understanding Ezekiel’s prophecies because the central focus of his message concerns the consequences that will follow a further attempt at rebelling against Babylon.

Ezekiel’s message and its themes:

• We might expect Ezekiel to direct his sharpest criticism toward Zedekiah – the puppet king in Jerusalem and his advisors who encouraged him to continue rebelling against Babylon.
• Instead, Ezekiel says very little about this. His sharpest criticisms are focused on the religious shortcomings of the people – singling out idolatry as the greatest of Judah’s sins.
• This reflects a priestly understanding of the situation.
• Besides being both prophet & priest, Ezekiel was a pastor:

- He took responsibility for the lives of those around him.

- As Ezekiel hammered away during the first part of his ministry about judgment, it set the stage for hope and renewal.

· This reflects a priestly understanding of the situation.

· Three central themes in Ezekiel’s message:

1. God’s holiness

2. God’s wrath against all human sin – abomination is one of Ezekiel’s favorite words to describe this.

3. God’s unimaginable glory and power to shape and guide human destiny.

Jeremiah was a contemporary of Ezekiel. They were the primary later prophets. The earlier prophets are considered to be: Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, and Micah.

Characteristic	Ezekiel	Jeremiah
Temperament	More prose. A little more pastoral. His words of hope are spread over a longer time period than Jeremiah’s. He’s also much more eccentric than Jeremiah. He has fantastic visions, fits of ecstasy, striking symbolic acts, and actual bodily suffering.	Sensitive, highly poetic
Family upbringing	Brought up in privileged priestly family in Jerusalem.	Brought up in family of priests in Anathoth.
Ministry time	Did not begin ministry until the exile in Babylon – 30 years after Isaiah.	Began ministry 30 years earlier than Ezekiel.
Destruction of 587 BC	Marked the beginning of his ministry and would provide a baseline for his message of hope. Once word reached Babylon and the exiles that Jerusalem had been destroyed, Ezekiel began to preach a message of hope.	Marked the end of his ministry.

The Book of Ezekiel itself:

• Very distinctive style. Full of dramatic images. Basic metaphors of vine, shepherd, and cedar tree are repeated often and used to their full.
• Ezekiel practiced a kind of street theatre. He acted out gestures and signs he wished to declare as being imminent.

Symbolic Actions in Ezekiel

Ezekiel 4:1-2 – a drawing of Jerusalem being besieged. Remember this was for those who were exiled in 598 BC and they would not know what was going on in Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 4:3 – an iron plate between Ezekiel’s face and the city of Jerusalem. The plate was probably a large saucer-shaped piece of metal used by Israelites for baking bread. It could represent the fortifications of Jerusalem or the intensity of the siege.

Ezekiel 4:4-5 – Lie on your left side with the sins of Israel upon you. Lie there for 390 days. How are we to interpret this? Remember the time is the period of suffering for sins committed. The actual numbers are less important than the principle. Israel must fully account for her sins.

Ezekiel 4:6 – Lie on your right side with the sins of Judah upon you. Lie there for 40 days. The actual duration of Judah’s exile was 59 years from Ezekiel’s captivity and 49 years from the fall of Jerusalem. The 40 could be symbolic for completeness.

Ezekiel 16:1-34 – What images are used to describe God’s love for Jerusalem?

· Israel once a child whom God cared for and nurtured. Since that time, the child has rejected God.

Ezekiel 34:1-8 – Shepherd imagery. What are the characteristics of bad shepherds?

· (a) only take care of themselves; (b) didn’t care for the sick; (c) showed no concern for others.

Ezekiel 37:1-14 – What is the meaning of this vision?

· The people who were ‘dead’ because of the exile would be brought back to life.

Ezekiel 37:15-28 – What is the meaning of this oracle of the two sticks?

· The two nations – Israel & Judah – would be joined under one king – Christ.