When it was proposed that we preach in Ezekiel in our church, I objected to the idea of my friends, whom they would like to preach. My first fears were 1) the book is long; 2) It is theologically complicated; 3) It is repetitive; 4) has a definite historical moment; (5) contains parables and allegories of an interpretation that requires more research; 6) Finally, in my research, I have not found any material from shepherds who have made the effort to exhibit the book in a Continuous Lectio.
Reluctant and resilient, I was convinced by the excitement of my friends. I had a responsibility to preach the panoramic message of the book. It was exciting. I was in love with the Bible Project Summary.
- The people of Israel believe that their security is based on a false belief that borders on superstition: “We.
- As God’s people.
- With the Temple symbolizing the presence of God.
- On the earth that God has promised.
- Have “The Closed Body.
- ” Nothing will affect us.
- Because these are our guarantees and Jerusalem is inviolable.
- Will anything.
- Not even our sin.
- Our stubbornness and our idolatry affect us?.
But the book of Ezekiel shows that God wants a living and obedient relationship with His Covenant. People have been deceived, but the prophet is trying to open the eyes of this people.
One of Ezekiel’s repetitions is “Will they know that I am the Lord?”, which happens about 60 times. The book teaches that God’s words, actions, and judgments will make him known to his people and nations. We can associate that eschatological hope is that the earth will be filled with the glory and knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea (Is 11:9; Hc 2. 14). Certainly, by exposing the book of Ezekiel, the sheep we serve will increasingly know God.
The expression, Glory of God? It is repeated 10 times in 9 verses. It symbolizes the “visible” presence Dieux. Au beginning, seen in Ezekiel’s call. The Glory of God is great, terrifying, and beautiful. Then he advances and leaves the temple and the city. After that, the Babylonians invade the Jerusalén. Su is a punishment and exposes Israel’s misery. But the Glory of God returns and restores God’s people and creates the beauty of the future city. The end of the book emphasizes the centrality of God’s presence and person (48. 35). All that God does makes clear the zeal for His name (20. 44).
The book presents the sin of Israel (its people, its leaders, and those responsible for religion) as a public and visceral display. Idolatry is considered a marital infidelity, which is perhaps the most painful betrayal. People are downgraded to the worst moral standard by mimicking the sexual habits of the people around them. God condemns the sin of the people. God is holy, he is disgusted by the immoral life of the people and peoples around Israel, he is pure, and he does not agree with the impurity of the people, God does not lower the norm. His faithful love and mercy do not prevent him from firmly condemning the sin of the people; God wants His people to live in his presence in holiness; Therefore, God severely punishes the sin of the sinful people.
God is called Yahweh Adonai, I am Lord; God is not harmed in his sovereignty by the deviations of His people; God does not lose his place on the throne; on the contrary, it demonstrates its authority when it allows people to be instruments. of God’s righteousness, punishing sinful Israel. God controls history. He’s not a hostage to his people. God’s sovereignty is demonstrated when God judges Israel (chapters 1 to 24), judges the Nations (chapters 25 to 32), and restores Israel (chapters 33 to 48). God pronounces His Word and will fulfill that (i. e. 12:25).
Christ is seen in the messic promise of his sovereign and eternal kingdom over all humanity and history In the midst of moral and spiritual chaos, the book of Ezekiel proclaims that God will send his anointed, that He will rule them with justice and holiness. . The renewal of the lineage of Judah and David will rule forever, with a people totally alive and transformed. The hope of the Gospel is proclaimed. God will restore the people (chapters 36-37) and their new eternal covenant will be established.
The supernatural call of the prophet impels him, as one who suffers god’s punishment in exile, to give himself fully to him in his vocation. The prophet is totally submissive to God. One of the deepest examples is one in which God asks that illustration be given by the death of his wife, the joy of the prophet’s eyes. Ezekiel loses his wife by fully submitting to his vocation.
The prophet is attached to the message God gives him; the prophet makes the illustrations God asks of him; Preaches the visions and prophecies God gives him without fear for his life; regardless of the difficulty or hardness of the message, Ezekiel tells his people what God commands him to do.
The prophet is committed to the people. But really engaged, because it tells people what they need, not what people want, people need warning and warning. But people wanted to hug each other; during this time, he even encounters false teachers and prophets who speak to please people.
But Ezekiel remains determined to be true to the message, so he is an example to us (1Co 4. 1. 2).
One of the strengths of the book is the presentation of God as an insistent communicator. Here’s a summary.
The book is a literary spectacle. We see there that the prophet is a poet. The Prophet presents parables, signs, apocalyptic visions, repetitions, key phrases, themes that permeate the whole book, and a well-defined structure.
One tip: Ezekiel’s explanatory preaching must be done, but given the complexity of the book, we suggest that it be interspersed and paused, thinking about the best nutrition of the church, without these pauses the environment tends to become heavy, and the church would be hampered by the lack of approach to other topics in which it needs biblical instruction.