Ezekiel. John W. Hilber. Читать онлайн. Newlib. NEWLIB.NET

Автор: John W. Hilber
Издательство: Ingram
Серия:
Жанр произведения: Религия: прочее
Год издания: 0
isbn: 9781498294225
Скачать книгу
Rather than get entangled in validating the details of a concrete picture of this vision, it is more important to unpack the meaning of these images. In fact, a comparison of details between Ezek 1 and Rev 4 serves to warn against pressing for concrete referents in the vision. The crucial emphasis of Ezekiel’s vision is the royal splendor and military prowess of the King of Glory.

      God never “shows up” just to make an appearance. Such manifestations of his glory are associated in Scripture with formal prophetic calls, but also with God’s call upon Israel in general (Exod 19:5–6, 14–16). The same God who was present with Israel in their exile “showed up” at Pentecost and is present with believers today. He has called his church into service under distressing circumstances; indeed, in spite of those circumstances (Matt 28:16–20; 1 Pet 2:9–10 [Peter’s audience was a suffering church]). No matter the nature of one’s situation, whether physical hardship, emotional distress, or entanglement in sin, God’s sovereign (royal) and powerful (martial) presence is there to warn and to redeem.

      While God’s presence is always imminent, his course of action is not ours to direct. He was not at the beckon call of Ezekiel, nor is he at ours. The timing and nature of God’s intervention is his to determine. Many of the promises of the book of Ezekiel to Israel have yet to be realized; and similarly, often in the life of believers today, God’s tangible intervention awaits the resurrection and future kingdom. But when such Majesty calls us into service by his presence, how can we do otherwise than fall on our faces in willing submission?

      Embracing the Word

      2:1—3:15

      Ezekiel’s Message

      We embrace with integrity the justice of God’s word and should be unsurprised when others resist its uncomfortable truths.

      Key Themes

      • God’s word contains both sweet and bitter news, which must be embraced with integrity before it can be proclaimed effectively.

      • The nature of the human heart is naturally resistant to uncomfortable truths from God’s word.

      • The sovereign sufficiency of God more than matches resistance to his word.

      Context in Ezekiel

      Ezekiel 1:28 is a bridge from chapter 1 to chapter 2. It interprets the essential nature of the vision in chapter 1 (“This was . . . the glory of the Lord”), noting Ezekiel’s response (“I fell facedown”), and introduces a voice from the storm. This in turn sets the scene for God to speak and formally commission Ezekiel as a prophet (“Son of man, stand on your feet . . . that I might send you,” Ezek 2:1–3). The unit closes with the end of the vision, as the Spirit restores Ezekiel once again to conscious awareness of his geographical surroundings among exiles at the Kebar River (Ezek 1:1; 3:15).

      Interpretive Highlights

      2:2 the Spirit came into me: As a mortal human who has been overwhelmed by such close encounter with divine glory, Ezekiel needs divine help to face and converse with his God. The Spirit of God is an extremely important agent in the book of Ezekiel, energizing not only the prophet (Ezek 2:2; 3:24) and transporting him in visionary experiences (Ezek 3:12; 8:3; 37:1) but ultimately accomplishing the spiritual renewal of the entire community of God’s people (Ezek 11:19; 36:26–27; 37:14). Here, the Spirit enables him to receive his commission, as difficult an assignment as it will be (Ezek 2:3–4, 6; cf. Ezek 3:8–9).

      2:4 the Sovereign Lord says: Traditionally translated “Lord God,” this form of the divine name combines the proper name for Israel’s God, “Yahweh” (translated with lower case capitalization on “Lord”) and the general word in the Old Testament for “lord.” The latter term generally denotes a person of superior social rank, often as a term in respectful address (Gen 42:10; Num 11:28; 1 Sam 16:16; even within family, Gen 18:12; 31:35). It acknowledges authority (Gen 45:9), sometimes denoting ownership (1 Kgs 16:24). Hence, this divine name combines the proper name of Israel’s God, Yahweh, with a term emphasizing his sovereign authority to which all must submit.