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 May 16, 2009 To Suffer for the Sake of OthersKathleen MaplesThe book of Ezekiel is a difficult book to understand. It's a record of a prophet/priest who was taken into captivity with a people who were judged for their rebellion against God and their refusal to heed His Word. Ezekiel is also acontemporary of Jeremiah, Daniel and Obadiah. He is sitting by the Chebar river,which empties into the Euphrates river with the other captives who were exiled  from Jerusalem and Judah. In the midst of a people who were in bondage, whilesitting by the river, with those who are captives of their enemies, this mansuddenly gets an open heaven. The Scripture doesn't say he was seeking God, or  praying when this happened. He was 'among the captives'. What was it about  Ezekiel that drew God to him? The Scripture gives very little personal informationabout him. He was married, and his wife died suddenly in the 9th year of thecaptivity. He was the son of Buzi, whose name means 'contempt', and of whomnothing is known. Ezekiel was the priest, according to
Eze_1:3
. He was by the river and the heavens opened and he saw a vision of God. The hand of the Lord was upon him there. That word 'hand' indicates power, direction,dominion, fellowship, and also consecration. God set Ezekiel apart and chose himto speak to the people for Himself to warn them. These people had lost their homes,their nation was overthrown by the invading Babylonian army led by Nebuchadnezzar. Many were killed who did not listen to the warnings of God through Jeremiah and tried to flee. They were a beaten, defeated people incaptivity in a foreign land. Now here they sit in what amounted to a prison camp,but here they were allowed to work and build homes and have families. God's providence is so amazing.
Eze 1:4And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind
(H7307, (wind) H5591(whirl)
came out of thenorth, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness
was 
about it, and out of themidst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
The whirlwind and the fiery cloud speaks to me of the Holy Spirit. Remember inthe Exodus, there was a fiery cloud that led the people in the wilderness. The Lord caught up Elijah by a whirlwind. ( 
2Ki_2:1
 
 ) The Lord appeared to Job and spoke tohim out of a whirlwind ( 
Job_38:1
 
 ) The word whirlwind is used some 27 times in the Bible, with different meanings. In this case, it means "the wind of the Spirit". Thesecond word 'whirl' translates as a stormy tempest. Could this indicate the Mind of God at the time? He was coming to give this prophet a very heavy message of warning, after all. This was a vision, given him by the Spirit of God who had cometo meet with him in his captivity. God was setting Ezekiel apart as the priest, to bethe watchmen, the voice of God to these people. He was not going to tell them about God, he was going to speak FOR God to them. Such a huge difference. He wascaught up into the heavenlies and received revelation from God. He wasn't still sitting there where he was, he was drawn up into the presence of God to hear aWord from God. He sees the four creatures and he tells us how they move under direction from the
 
 Spirit of God.
Isa_6:2
, and 
Rev_4:8
tells us there are four living creatures around thethrone of God and they cry holy, holy, holy. Their feet (the way they stepped, their walk) was straight-meaning upright. They were on the straight and narrow,moving as it pleased God to send them. Isaiah also tells us they covered their faceswith their wings and their feet in His presence. This to me is an illustration of total surrender. Not my thoughts, but Yours, not the way I would go, but when and where You send me. They had human hands and that speaks to me of the power toreach out to humanity. As they moved, they went straight forward, no backing up,no deviating from the course chosen by God. They were on a mission here, and  followed explicitly the leadership of the Spirit of God. They appeared to glow like fire. The fire was burning brightly and out of the fire appeared lightning, dartingto and fro. They moved as fast as lightning in the sky. Oh, this brings to mind what  Jesus said:
Mat 24:27  For as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
 As Ezekiel watches the four creatures, one wheel was on the earth beside the livingcreatures. The wheel signifies complete unity. The wheels and their operation waslike a wheel in the center of a wheel. They revolved in unity. Without beginning or ending. Their rings, or rims, were so grand and excellent they caused a fear and reverence in Ezekiel's heart. Their rims were full of eyes-or knowledge, they KNEW. They saw and understood. They were intelligently alive, but so foreign toanything he'd ever seen he found it hard to describe them. His understanding had to be divinely given. How else could he look at these rims and know they were aliveand intelligent, that they saw and understood? The wheels traveled in sync withthe creatures-like some sort of conveyance or vehicle. Wherever the Spirit required to go, they went beside them in perfect unity. The spirit of the creatures was in thewheels.These living creatures glowed with the glory of God. Ezekiel describes some kind of conveyance they are traveling in or with, and he describes terrifying wheels. Theword 'wheel' also translates as 'course'. They did not turn either, they stayed oncourse. They went where the Spirit went. Ezekiel then sees above these creatures athrone, and on the throne, the form of a man. The glory of the Lord is somagnificent, it drives Him to His face. He falls, overwhelmed, on His face beforethe Lord. This was real, and He wasn't concerned with what the folks around himthought. If they couldn't see the vision He was seeing, they might have thought Hewas sick, or something. Scripture doesn't address those around him during thistime.
Eze 2:1
And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.Eze 2:2And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet,that I heard him that spake unto me.
To stand before pure holiness, you would have to be aware that you are not. To seethis would have to cause a fear and reverence, a total awe. People can boast intheir self-assured ways now, what they will say when they stand before Him, but you know, if prophets like Ezekiel, and Daniel, and Isaiah and John, felt undone,and fell on their faces, as dead men, unable to stand or speak in His presence, I believe with all my heart this is how I will be-completely undone, fear and 
 
trembling, unable to stand or speak. But He spoke, and He commanded Ezekiel to stand. His Word is strength to His people. His Word is life to His people. Oh, stand on your feet and I will talk to you. But then the Spirit-the breath, the wind, the mind of God, the Holy Spirit of God entered Ezekiel and set him up on his feet. It took the power of the Spirit of God toraise this man up in the presence of God. Amazing. We truly can do nothingwithout the Holy Spirit of God. God forgive us our foolish striving and vain effortsto do anything for You in our own strength. How utterly impossible it is. He tells Ezekiel "I am sending you to this rebellious nation of Israel. They haverebelled against me and transgressed even up until now." That word "transgress" (H6586 pasha, in the Hebrew) means to apostasize,quarrel and offend, to revolt.God says, these are stubborn children, hard headed, but I'm sending you to themto speak for Me. Whether they consider what they hear or forsake what they hear,they will know there has been a prophet among them. But you, do not be afraid of them, nor what they say. (Sounds like they might be making threats to Ezekiel,because they wouldn't like his message). God compares these people to briers, and thorns, and scorpions. Briers and thorns are things that began to grow up out of the ground after God cursed it. They are the result of a curse. I sure wouldn't want God to say that about me, would you? To be likened by GOD to something that resulted from a curse? Symbolic of the curse? How awful. Ezekiel was in the middle of a people who had lost much, who were still inrebellion, even under the judgment of God. The Lord warns Ezekiel not to be afraid of their words, which includes their acts, their answers, and their effect. He waswarned not to be afraid, which means he would battle fear in doing what God wascalling him to do. Regardless of how they respond to what I give you to say, or how they look at you, do not be dismayed. (H2865) Don't break down, don't giveinto confusion, and fear or discouragement. These were things Ezekiel would haveto battle because God is warning him not to yield to these things. There is only onedefense against such opposition and that is stay close to God. He is our shelter and our defense. His Word is our anchor and it holds, it will not fail.
Eze 2:8But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like thatrebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.Eze 2:9And when I looked, behold, an hand
was 
sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book
was 
therein;Eze 2:10And he spread it before me; and it
was 
written within and without: and
there was 
written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.
 Feed on My Word, freely, wisely, consume it all. When he looked, he saw a hand,and when you examine this word in the Hebrew carefully, (H3027) it implies anopen hand, the open hand of God, full of power, means and direction to do what God was instructing him to do. He is never going to send His people to dosomething and not be the power to get it done. He never requires our strength or human wisdom. Hallelujah! What an encouraging thought! Ezekiel truly was
of 00

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