ezekiel 1. introduction and chapter 1
DESCRIPTION
BIble and Culture 2012. Introduction to the prophets, and to Ezekiel in particular. Ezekiel 1 - a vision of God's gloryTRANSCRIPT
THE PROPHETS
!ey have a queer way of talking, like people who, instead of proceeding in an orderly manner, ramble o" from one thing to the next so that you cannot make heads or tails of them or see what they are ge#ing at.
Martin Luther them
GOD
us us
barriers to
understanding
Language Geography
HistoryCulture
Religion Why do we have the Bible?So that we can know God‘‘
’’
Whether he is discussing the past, present or future, the prophet is seeking to make God the most genuine reality that men can know and experience.
A.B. Mickelson‘Interpreting the Bible’, p. 287
not foretelling forthtelling‘‘
’’
Prophecy is essentially a ministry of disclosure, a stripping bare. Israel’s great prophets do not merely li$ the veil of the future in order to destroy false expect-ations; at the same time, they expose the conduct of their contemporaries. . . . Prophets tear the masks away and show the true face of the people behind them.
Hans Walter Wol", ‘Confrontations’
The Word of the LORD
Calling people back to the covenant
Covenant enforcement
mediators
(Fee and Stuart)
Warning of judgment
Promising restoration Identi%cation of
Israel’s sin
Announcement of judgment
Declaration of God’s love for Israel
Announcement of blessing
‘‘’’
!e ‘prophet in scripture takes on the role of gracious mediator. He stands between God and the people to deliver the word of the Lord. . . . !e person of the prophet substitutes for the presence of Almighty God himself.’
O.P. Robertson, ‘!e Christ of the Prophets’, p. 10
Ful!lment
NewTestament
Promise
OldTestament
EZEKIEL
?What is the most important thing in your life?
What is your primary motivation?
What is the most important motivation for discipleship and for evangelism?
‘‘’’
!e importance of Ezekiel can hardly be overstressed.
Henry McKeating, Ezekiel
Context
Structure
Genre
Content
Context
• 30th year of Ezekiel’s life
• … when he should have started as a priest
• 5th day of 4th month = 31 July
• 5th year of Jehoiachin’s exile = 593 BC
• Six years before the fall of Jerusalem
Babylon !is segment covers
605-594 BC• Ba#le of Carcemish• Accession of
Nebuchadnezzar• Appointment of
Zedekiah • Judean exile
Babylonian Chronicle
Babylonian empire Ishtar Gate
Ishtar gate
A displaced people Cut o! from the city Surrounded by pagan religion
‘‘’’
Exile was not simply displacement from the land, but it was the experience of the end of creation, the exhaustion of salvation history, the demise of king, temple, city, land and all those supports which gave structure and meaning to life.
Walter Breuggemann, ‘Weariness, Exile and Chaos’
Experiencing God’s judgment Structure
1:2
8:1
20:1
24:1
26:1
29:1
29:17
31 July 593
17 September 592
14 August 591
15 January 588
587
December 588
571
30:20
31:1
32:1
32:17
33:21
40:1
March 587
May 587
February 585
March 585
8 January 585
573
Dates in Ezekiel
Ezekiel’s call and "rst collection of
oracles of judgment 1:1–7:27
A2nd collection of
oracles of judgment
8:1 – 13:23
B
3rd collection of oracles of judgment
14:1 – 19:14
C4th collection of
oracles of judgment
20:1 – 24:27
DOracles against nations
25:1 – 32:32
E
Israel's punishment and future restoration
33:1 – 39:29
FVision of the new temple and land
40:1 – 48:35
GEzekiel’s call and "rst
collection of messages about coming judgment
1:1–7:27
A
1. Vision 1: Ezekiel’s Call
1:1 – 3:11 ?What words would you use to describe Ezekiel’s vision?
an encounter with God shapes everything
Vocation Report• Divine confrontation
• Introductory word
• Commission
• Objection(s)
• Reassurances
• Sign(s)
?What words, phrases or ideas does Ezekiel repeat in this section (1:1 – 3:11)?
What does the phrase ‘son of man’ convey in this context?
How well does Ezekiel 1:28 – 3:15 correspond to the standard structure of a ‘vocation report’?
• ‘I will speak to you’• the God whom Ezekiel has encountered
• ‘I will speak to you’• God is not remote; he communicates
• ‘I will speak to you’• God speaks to Ezekiel personally
See also 2:7,8; 3:4,10,17,22,27
• ‘the hand of the Lord was on him’ (1:3)
• vision of the glory of YHWH
• vision followed by Ezekiel falling face down and receiving God’s instructions