I have wanted to be a lot of people. Mostly fictional characters whose lives seem either really exciting or blissfully simple and peaceful.
Then there are Biblical characters who have attributes I aspire to have: the faithfulness of Daniel, the bravery of Esther, the heart of David, the submissiveness of Mary.
BUT . . .
There is ONE character I have decided I would not want to be—Ezekiel. Have you read Ezekiel? Well, if you haven’t, let me tell you, his life seems to be one big object lesson.
First of all, Ezekiel is told to eat the scroll containing God’s words to show his receptiveness to God’s word in contrast to Israel's rebellion, and then he is to go tell Israel what God said, but— spoiler alert—they aren’t going to listen to him.
Later he is told to take a clay tablet (to represent the city of Jerusalem) and then create a model wall, mound, and camps. Then Ezekiel is to lay on his left side for 390 days (how long each day is not disclosed but still). Then he is to lay on his right side for 40 days (again amount of time not specified). This is to represent the siege of Jerusalem.
Next, he is to shave his head and beard, divide it into threes—burn one third, then strike the sword around the next third, and then scatter the final third to the wind—to show the citizens of Jerusalem what will become of them because of their rebellion.
Up next? A lot of prophecy to both Israel and the nations around them, all beginning with “This is what the Sovereign Lord says.” A lot of it is NOT good.
But Ezekiel also sees the “eventual restoration and renewal, based on God’s faithfulness to the promises of all the covenants made with His people since the Abrahamic covenant.” (Nelson’s NKJV Study Bible p. 1333)
Why do I mention all this?
Because by the time I finished Ezekiel, I realized that in many respects, we are all called to be Ezekiels. Our lives are to be object lessons of God's faithfulness to us and our faithfulness to God. We have the Bible which is the book of “This is what the Sovereign Lord says.” We have the opportunity to share its words, both its warnings if we choose to reject God and its glorious ending if we heed His Words.
I have also learned something else. I want to be an Ezekiel—a person who “withstands great opposition in order to obey the demands God places on [my] life.” (p. 1332)
Then there are Biblical characters who have attributes I aspire to have: the faithfulness of Daniel, the bravery of Esther, the heart of David, the submissiveness of Mary.
BUT . . .
There is ONE character I have decided I would not want to be—Ezekiel. Have you read Ezekiel? Well, if you haven’t, let me tell you, his life seems to be one big object lesson.
First of all, Ezekiel is told to eat the scroll containing God’s words to show his receptiveness to God’s word in contrast to Israel's rebellion, and then he is to go tell Israel what God said, but— spoiler alert—they aren’t going to listen to him.
Later he is told to take a clay tablet (to represent the city of Jerusalem) and then create a model wall, mound, and camps. Then Ezekiel is to lay on his left side for 390 days (how long each day is not disclosed but still). Then he is to lay on his right side for 40 days (again amount of time not specified). This is to represent the siege of Jerusalem.
Next, he is to shave his head and beard, divide it into threes—burn one third, then strike the sword around the next third, and then scatter the final third to the wind—to show the citizens of Jerusalem what will become of them because of their rebellion.
Up next? A lot of prophecy to both Israel and the nations around them, all beginning with “This is what the Sovereign Lord says.” A lot of it is NOT good.
But Ezekiel also sees the “eventual restoration and renewal, based on God’s faithfulness to the promises of all the covenants made with His people since the Abrahamic covenant.” (Nelson’s NKJV Study Bible p. 1333)
Why do I mention all this?
Because by the time I finished Ezekiel, I realized that in many respects, we are all called to be Ezekiels. Our lives are to be object lessons of God's faithfulness to us and our faithfulness to God. We have the Bible which is the book of “This is what the Sovereign Lord says.” We have the opportunity to share its words, both its warnings if we choose to reject God and its glorious ending if we heed His Words.
I have also learned something else. I want to be an Ezekiel—a person who “withstands great opposition in order to obey the demands God places on [my] life.” (p. 1332)
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