EZEKIEL - Chapter 1 -THE HAND OF THE LORD WAS STRONG UPON ME

Pastor Carolyn Sissom \ October 10th, 2014 (8323 views)

Ezekiel - CHAPTER 1: “THE HAND OF THE LORD WAS STRONG UPON ME”

Ezekiel Bible Study 1,

February 19, 2001

Taught by:  Carolyn Sisso

(Ezekiel 1:24) “This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord, and when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.”

Ezekiel does not claim to have seen God directly.  The Glory of the Lord is his presence or Shekinah.

Ez. 2:1-2: “He said unto me, Son of man, stand upon your feet and I will speak unto you.  And the spirit entered into me when he spoke unto me, and set me upon my feet that I heard him that spoke to me.  And he said unto me, Son of man, I send you to the children of Israel.”

“This is the regular form of God’s address to Ezekiel.  Perhaps emphasizing the prophet’s creaturely weakness by contrast with the divine glory.    "The Spirit came into me." Practically synonymous with the “Hand of the Lord is upon Me”.  The consequent divine empowerment is shown in that the Spirit as he says, “raised me to my feet”:  He had naturally fallen prostrate before the vision of the glory of God, but when a man who has thus humbled himself is raised to his feet by God, he can stand foursquare in the face of every adverse wind that blows.” F.F.B.

 It is one thing for us to be slain in the Spirit in the presence of the divine glory.  It is quiet another for the Holy Ghost to raise us to our feet.  This scripture should forever end the debate as to whether being "slain in the Spirit" is scriptural.  As Jesus said when the Pharisee's challenged him, "It is written." 

In this and the next chapter we see the call and commission of the prophet.  Ezekiel is warned at the outset that he is being called to a life of hardship and persecution.  His message is delivered to him from God in the form of a book, which he is commanded to eat, as was John. (Rev. 10:9)  In chapter 3: 17-21, God seemed to lay upon Ezekiel responsibility for the doom of his nation, which he could escape only by a faithful declaration of God’s message.  He is also warned that God would at times impose silence upon him, this being a caution to Ezekiel to speak, not his own ideas, but only as God commanded.

Let your “yea” be “yea” and your “nay” be “nay”.

Bro. Bill Britton notes a four-fold progression in the calling of the prophet:

1. God gives His Word to His man.
2. The Spirit of God enters into His man.
3. God’s stands his man up by the Holy Spirit.
4. God’s man hears the call and commission.

In These two chapters, Ezekiel received a five-fold commission:

1 As a Prophet:  1: 1-10:   And he said unto me, son of man, stand upon your feet and I will speak unto you.  And the spirit entered into me when he spoke unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spoke unto me.  And he said unto me, son of man, I send you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me: ‘they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.  For they are impudent children and stiff-hearted.  I do send thee unto them; and you shall say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God.  And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there has been a prophet among them.  And you son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and you do dwell among scorpions:  be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.  And you shall speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear; for they are most rebellious.  But you son of man, hear what I say unto you; Be not you rebellious like that rebellious house:  open your mouth and eat that I give to you.  And when I looked, behold, and hand was sent unto me; and lo, a roll of a book was therein;”

2. As a Fearless Denunciator: 3: 1-9
3.  As God’s mouthpiece to the Exiles.
4. As a Watchman.
5. As a Faithful Herald.

As a necessary preparation, the prophet of the Lord:

1. Must be made weak in his own strength before he can become strong in God’s strength.
2. Must lie prostrate before God before he can stand before god.
3. Must be emptied of self before he can be enabled by God.
4. Must place worship before service.
5. Must learn that abasement of self precedes the exaltation of God.

Ezekiel is informed of the hostility and rebelliousness of his hearers in 2: 3-6; that he will not be recognized as a prophet until after his mission is completed in verse 5; that as a prophet he must endure the sufferings of a people’s attitude in verse 7;  the prophet himself must respond to God irrespective of the implications (2: 8- 3:3).

And however obstinate and stubborn they might be in face of Ezekiel’s warnings, the event would prove to them, even against their will, that in him they had a prophet among them.  Briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions:  a metaphorical description of his uncomfortable situation as he prophesied to people who would prefer not he hear him. 

George H. Warnock says that a true prophet of God will never be recognized by man until after his/her death.

2:10-3:1:  “And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without; and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.  Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.”

The mournful burden of his message is depicted as the text of a scroll which he must digest before communicating it to others.  On both sides of it were written words…like the scroll of Rev. 5:1.  Scrolls normally had writing on the inside only, but here the contents overflow on to the other side: no room is left for human additions to the divine judgment.

 Several years ago, I had a vision of a scroll being released from Heaven.  There were words written on the scroll.  I tried hard to focus on the words, but no matter how hard I focused, the words disappeard before I could read them.  I do not know what this means and can only assume it is a message given to me for a future date.  

The prophet had been commanded to eat the book, or to receive God's Word into his heart.  After eating the scroll, the prophet was equipped and then warned about the difficulties awaiting him.  After this he was lifted up by the Spirit and heard a great praise to God and a fresh awareness of the vision of His Glory.  In bitterness and heat of Spirit, Ezekiel came to the midst of the captives, where he sat astonished seven days.  The Word of the Lord came again revealing his responsibilities as a watchman, and then he received a double charge, the first of which was silence, then speech.

Some of the principles of qualifications for Prophetic Ministry:

1. 2:8-10:  The prophet participates in the sufferings of his people.
2. 3: 1-3:  The prophet must feed on his own message, eating what he gives to others.
3. 3:4:  The prophet speaks with God’s words, not with his own.
4. 3: 8-9:  The prophet receives the fortitude to withstand all kinds of hostile opposition.
5. 3:14:  The prophet has God’s hand upon him, and woe to that man who lays a hostile hand upon God’s messenger. (1 Chr. 16; 22).  The prophet is responsible to other men. (Eph. 4:11)
6. 3:15 – The prophet sits where they sit, on the level of the people
7. 3:16 – The prophet’s ministry begins  not with speech, but silence.

Ezekiel was responsible before God to declare His words whether His words are accepted or rejected. (3: 17-21).  His real difficulty would not be intellectual incapacity, but unresponsiveness of heart on the part of his hearers. (3: 5-7)

“For you are not sent to a people of a strange speech and of a hard language, but to the house of Israel; Not to many people of a strange speech and of a hard language, whose words you cannot understand.  Surely, had I sent you to them, they would have hearkened unto you.  But the house of Israel will not hearken unto you; for they will not hearken unto me:  for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard hearted.”

Yet the prophet must remain undismayed by the people’s looks, the mirror of their attitude, while reassured by God’s provision and faithfulness.  (3: 8-9)  Ezekiel’s dumbness was a rebuke to the people’s rebellious attitude and rejection of God’s words.  (3:22-27) The prophet of God must be aware of the implicit obedience to God which he must render (3: 22-23); the isolation from people which he may have to endure (3:24) and the limitations which may be imposed upon his movements. (3:25)

8-9:  “Behold I have made your face strong against their faces, and your forehead strong against their foreheads.  As an adamant harder than flint have I made your forehead; fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.”

The Lord gave this same assurance to Jeremiah and this same language is used in the Servant Song of Isa. 50. 

19-21:  Yet if you warn the wicked; and he turn not from his wickedness nor from his wicked way; he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.  Again when a righteous man does turn from his righteousness, and omit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die:  because you have not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness when he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood shall I require at your hand.  Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous sin not, he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also you have delivered your soul.  And the hand of the Lord was there upon me.

Sue Baird’s outline of this chapter is as follows:

1. (3: 1-3 – Commanded to eat.
2. 4-7 – Called to Speak.
3. 8-11 – Equipped to Endure.
4. 12-15 – Strengthened by the Spirit.
5. 16-21 – Given as a Watchman.
6. 22-23 – Shown once more the Glory of the Lord.
7. 24-27 – Tested to be Still.

17:  “Son of man, I have you a watchman unto the house of Israel: 

Watchman:  the sentinel who fails to give warning of approaching danger is personally responsible for the ensuing disaster, but if he gives due warning, his hearers bear the responsibility themselves, if they fail to pay heed to him.

The watchman, on the wall of the city, or in the tower, or the vineyard, watched for danger; of the later, he watched for:

1. Locusts – they sounded like rain and were beautiful to behold in the light; it may sound and look like God, but it could be devastating.
2. Beasts – the little foxes that spoil the vines.
3. Thieves – Those who try to climb in dishonestly.
4. Neglect – Because of being at ease in Zion.

Ezekiel was called to be a watchman, not a watchdog.   The primary focus of the watchman is that he watches for the Day and not the Night, for the light and not the darkness.  Too many angry brethren are self-appointed “watchmen” or perceived “policemen”.  The church is a City (Matt. 5:14 and a Vineyard (Isa. 5: 1-2)

The prophet’s dumbness presents a problem.  It could be he could only speak when He received the Word of the Lord.

Here again in verses 22-27, the Hand of the Lord came upon him.  The Glory of the Lord stood there, as the Glory which he saw by the river Chebar; and he fell upon his face.  Then the spirit entered into me and set me upon my feet, and I spoke.”

Ezekiel Four: 

Chapters 1- 24 cover the period from Ezekiel’s call (592 B.C.) to the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem (588-596 B.C.).  His theme is the impending judgment and the destruction of the city and the sanctuary.  Four symbolic acts portray the desolation.  Then direct prophetic discourse is employed through Chapter 7:

1.  4: 1-3 – The Sign of the tile.

2.  4: 4-8 – The Sign of the prophet’s Position

3.  4: 9-17 – The Sign of the Polluted Bread.

4.  5: 1-4 – The Sign of the Barber’s Razor.

Ezekiel draws a plan of Jerusalem on a tile and surrounds it with imitation ramparts, entrenchments and other apparatus of a siege.  He himself acts as the besieger.  The iron pan represents an iron curtain cutting off the city.  The sign to the house of Israel is to warn the exiles not to place their hopes in the survival of Jerusalem (Jer. 29).  It showed the Lord would fight against the city and not for it.

4-8:  Ezekiel is not only to play the part of besieger; he is to bear the punishment of the northern and southern kingdoms successively by lying beside the miniature Jerusalem for many days on his left side and then for a shorter period on his right.  (Left and right in Hebrew usage correspond to north and south respectively.)

There is no absolute answer to the 390 days and the 40 days.  There are extensive suggestions and if you are interested I can give it to you.  However, I did not find anything in the numerology that I felt was relevant to the church today. 

Bro. Britton shares about the principle of the “iron pan”.

“And so he says to Ezekiel, I want you to get a Battering Ram.  I have some walls to batter down…  I became intimately connected with battering rams…in1955, when during a convention… An apostle of God laid his hand on me, and he began to prophesy…Son, I’m going to make a battering ram out of you.  You’re going to batter down walls.  Now a battering ram is not an ornament in a city…it’s not something pretty that people admire…There’s only one purpose for a battering ram, that is to knock some holes in some walls…inside the city of Jerusalem, inside the church, inside the Body of Christ, the end-time people of God, there are walls that have to come down!  You are besieged by the Word of God…There is a wall between the Word and the people of God that has gotten as hard as iron…we can’t see or hear the Word o God.  We set up a rejection mechanism against it…people build up a wall between them and any new revelation that might come…Jesus busted every tradition the Pharisees had…I know what it is to run up against and iron wall when you are delivering a new Word of God…these evil stories are walls that people build up to keep the Word of God from reaching them…Ezekiel, get your battering rams ready.  Here’s one over here…Kelley Varner…here is a Battering ram…Bill Britton…boy, that one has been sued.  It’s about worn out…I’d like to see some of the holes in those walls that this one did…and you can see them.  God is picking up battering rams.  He’s choosing.  He’s calling men of God to be battering rams…I’m talking about the Kingdom people, brother.  That’s where I get my rejection.  That’s where the Word of God is being rejected…every time I print a new word that breaks down some of their traditions, you should see my mail…God says, ‘Take the Battering Ram and go to work against my City…” (B.B.)

Bro. Britton feels that the walls between the saints can be cured by persecution.  He also mentioned the wall of “Somebody hurt me!” and The wall of bitterness.  

The mixture of polluted bread its strange smell and speaks of the traditions of men (Mark 7:13) cooked to order with dung! ( Phil. 3: 1-14).  These are the result of idolatry in the City.  Strange smell= strange fire!

Another important principle is that the prophet symbolically bore the iniquity of the people of God, and, as such, typified the Lord Jesus.  This also points to the principle of crucifixion, or the creator suffering for the creation.  This could also apply for parents suffering behalf of their children or pastors suffering in behalf of their people.  This is the principle of the just suffering for the unjust. (1 Pet. 3:18)

Thus is seen the certainty of the siege of Jerusalem to the astonishment of the population in spite of Zedekiah’s alliance with Egypt.  The signs of chapters 4-5 belonged to the period of Ezekiel’s silence and were deemed more eloquent than words.

We will start with Chapter 5 next week and try to get through Chapter 9.

Carolyn Sissom, Pastor

Eastgate Ministries, Inc.

www.eastgateministries.com

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All Scripture from KJV.  Quotes and text fro F.F. Bruce Bible Commentary, Bill Britton, Sue Baird and Kelly Varner from Principles of Present Truth.