Read: Ezekiel 1:1-3:15; Hebrews 3:1-19; Psalm 104:1-23; Proverbs 26:24-26
The book of Ezekiel starts in the “thirtieth year”. Thirty years ago began the era of the Babylonian empire. It was also the year that Josiah found the book of the law in the temple and began a national revival to the Lord. It was also Ezekiel’s thirtieth year to be alive. He was contemporary with Jeremiah and Daniel. Jeremiah had prophesied for thirty-four years before Ezekiel, and continued to do so for six or seven years after him. The call of Ezekiel followed the very next year after the communication of Jeremiah's predictions to Babylon (Jer 51:59), and was intended as a sequel to them. Daniel's predictions came mostly later than Ezekiel’s.
Ezekiel had been a priest in Jerusalem and had left with the first group to Babylon. He continued to lead the nation as a priest to the Lord. He was at the river Chebar when he saw a vision. In the vision he saw the four living creatures from heaven. Each was the same. Their heads had four different faces on its four sides. One was a human face, one an ox face, one an eagle face and the last the face of a lion. They had the wings of the eagle, the feet of the ox, hands like the man and the quickness of the lion. They moved on wheels within wheels which gave them the ability to change directions. The wheels were covered with eyes. Their spirit was in these eyes. They made the sound of an army and the crashing of waves. Over their heads was the likeness of a throne. God sat on this throne in all his glory and brightness.
When Ezekiel saw all this he fell on his face and heard God speak. He told him to stand up. Ezekiel stood and listened to God’s orders. God was sending him to speak to the people of Israel who God called “a nation of rebels.” He was to speak whatever God told him and not be afraid of them.
God gave Ezekiel a book and told him to eat it. It was a scroll written on the front and the back. Then he was to go and tell them whatever God said to say. They would not listen to him because they were not willing to listen to the Lord, but he was still to say God’s words.
God’s spirit lifted Ezekiel up and he heard the sound of an earthquake behind him as the wings of the creatures touched one another. Then Ezekiel was taken back to the exiles at Tel-abib by the Chebar canal. Ezekiel sat silently for seven days before he could speak, he was so overwhelmed by what he had seen and heard.
In Hebrews, the writer points them to Jesus who was the house that Moses was building. Moses’ assignment was give the people God’s laws and to build all the things in the tabernacle that would point to Jesus. He, like Ezekiel, had to deal with a rebellious people who refused to be faithful to God. Moses still did his job in spite of their stubborn hearts.
Now, God was appealing to this generation to not be like the one in Moses’ day. The people of Moses’ generation were not able to enter into God’s rest because of their unbelief. They had to die in the wilderness and didn’t get to enter into the land promised them. God does not want us to be like them. He wants us to make it to our place of rest.
Lord, may we not be rebellious and hard-hearted but humble and ever-seeking, always praising You. May we with patience endure trials and suffering knowing that in your perfect timing you will bring us into rest.