Ezekiel

The book of Ezekiel is often overlooked and not much is known about his personal life. His name is actually only mentioned twice within the entire book. What is known of this mysterious prophet is that he was the son of Buzi the priest, and his name means "God will strengthen.(Ezekiel)" Ezekiel was a priest who lived during the Israelite exile around 597 BCE, which was a decade before the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem. The Israelite exiles settled at a place called Tel-Abib, on the banks of the Chebar, in the land of the Chaldeans(Thomas 24). Ezekeil was said to be about 26 years old when he was put into exile along with King Jehoiachin.

Although Ezekiel lived during a time when Israel was being demolished by the Babylonians his faith remained strong with one God, Yahweh. Unlike Ezekiel, many of the Israelites during this time believed in many gods, each having a political or social purpose for their society (The New Interpreter's Study Bible 169). Yahweh did not agree with this because the Israelites went into a covenant with him. This covenant meant that they could not continue to worship other idols, for if they did Yahweh would emanate his wrath upon them. Ezekiel understood this and he knew that this was the reason why they were being punished. Yahweh uses Ezekiel to relay this message to his people and show them the punishment that they will have to bare because of their sins.

Ezekiel becomes aware that he is a prophet of God's word when he receives a vision by the Chebar River in Babylon (Thomas 25). His first vision consists of amazing creatures that each had four faces and four wings. Above these human like creatures was a dome that looked like a throne. On this throne was a human like form that resembled the likeness of the glory of God. When Ezekiel saw this he fell on his face. Then a voice came to him and said:

"O mortal stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you. And when he spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; and I heard him speaking to me. He said to me, Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have transgressed against me to this very day. The descendants are impudent and stubborn. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, "Thus says the Lord God."(Ezek 2:3)

Then God lowered a hand that had a scroll in it and He told Ezekiel to eat the scroll and go to Israel and speak the words of God to the sinners. Ezekiel remained in awe state for seven days, then God reiterates again Ezekiel's task. "Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from Me" (Ezek 3:17). Then God made Ezekiel's tongue cling to the roof of his mouth so that only God's word could be spoken to the Israelites. Ezekiel's soul purpose was only to serve and obey God (Thomas 29).

In Ezekiel's next vision God tells Ezekiel to create an image out of a brick and iron plate to help show the punishment that Jerusalem is going to bare. God then tells Ezekiel to lie on his left side and strap the brick and iron plate to him to demonstrate the punishment on the house of Israel. Ezekiel had to lie on his left side for three hundred and ninety days to illustrate the number of years that Israel will have to bear the punishment (A Commentary on the Book of Ezekiel). Then God also made Ezekiel and his people eat bread made out of dung and also limit their portions of food to so little that they begin to waste away under their punishment. Ezekiel asked God if he could not eat human dung because he wanted to stay clean, so God allowed him to eat cow dung instead. "Even thus will the children of Israel eat their food unclean among the nations whither I will drive them" (Ezek 4:12). The eating of food in this way would help as a reminder that because of their rebelliousness His people would be driven from the land of their inheritance to live in foreign lands that were seen as unclean. Israel will no longer be able to enjoy in all of God's provisions. Although they would still be His covenant people they would no longer have the privilege of living fully in ritual cleanness. They would be defiled until their period of punishment was over.

God continues to work through Ezekiel and his people to show a more vivid picture of what they have gone through and what is to come. God uses the burning and cutting of Ezekiel's hair to indicate that Jerusalem was a disgrace and to show its separation to God. Continuing with Ezekiel's prophecies includes the judgment on Idolatrous Israel which consists of Ezekiel having to prophesy against the mountains of Israel that was once an important figure to them. The mountains were Israel's strength and protection, and God's gift to His people (A Commentary on the Book of Ezekiel). They were the foundation of the land of Israel. In Ezekiel's next visions he shows the abominations of the elders and the weeping women of Tam'muz. "Must they fill the land with violence, and provoke my anger still further? See, they are putting the branch to their nose! Therefore I will act in wrath" (Ezek 8:17). God remorselessly worked through Ezekiel until the people of Israel fell to the ground like old dried up bones. The last prophecy against Israel, and one of the most important, is the death of Ezekiel's wife. This prophecy was a sign to the people that although they were being punished they were not suppose to mourn, but rather understand