Category: Human

Harder than Flint

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It was my observation while reading chapter 3 of Ezekiel that he was given a very tough audience by the one true living God. He was warned by Elohim they were people of bad character and poor disposition.

Ezekiel 3: 7-11 says — The people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate. But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.” And he said to me, “Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you. Go now to your people in exile and speak to them. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says,’ whether they listen or fail to listen.” [NIV]

Well, this sets the stage for a difficult job. Nothing was going to make them weep or blush with shame.  No amount of denunciation was going to humble them. They knew that Ezekiel was sent specifically to them, the House of Isreal. The rest of the slaves were being ignored. This pushed them away.  Then, they added more to the snarky attitude towards Ezekiel. They were snarky towards God himself. Their rejection of Ezekiel was significant, but in comparison to their rejection of God it was a mere footnote in their rant. They had no fear nor respect for the desires of the God who had snatched them out of Egypt.

Their obstinance was so strong, they were unlikely to respond to the voice of God himself crashing across that city of Babylon. They rejected the message just because it originated from God. The content was not nearly as relevant to their rejection as the source was. They viewed the law as a huge detriment to proper living. They turned a deaf ear to Ezekiel because of the source of his message.  He never had a chance to persuade them. They walked away laughing at him and scoffing at God, their fist raised in defiance.

Ezekiel must dig deep for courage to continue.  He is told to continue.  God gave him a strong face (a forehead of flint) to stand against them. I suspect we might call this a ‘poker face’. I wonder if he was a bit timid and needed some encouragement and bolstering to stand against these people. I might expect him to be rather humble and unassuming in nature. All the more for him to be the perfect tool for Gods work.

The more aggressive that people outside God’s grace are in their opposition to the message the more resolutely we should be to defend the message.  We should not be driven by the need to win, rather we press forward because they are so mired in confusion and half-truths.  They need help.  We are that help if we are standing in front of them.  We read in Job 17:8 of the need for his people to stir up against the voices that resist God.  We are called to speak.  Why?  We serve a God who is not silent.  The God of this universe will help men who have need speak and set their face like a flint against resistance (implied in Isaiah 50:7).

This all can be seen to be very harsh.  I think we need to remember the Grace and Mercy of God.  Do we only speak to people who seem to be reasonable and kind, they just need Jesus to complete their life.  Do we reject and shun those who rail against God and his way?  I do not think it is our place to decide.  We are to carry the message and walk the talk no matter who we are with.  Kindness and Love will drive our focus.  God’s mercy is the story.  We are mere storytellers, not the Judge.   I choose Jesus.

Do not be Surprised at Such Things

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It was my observation while browsing Ecclesiastes chapter 5 that making vows is a serious business. We are told to keep our obligations, do not back out. What does this mean in practical terms, how do we avoid loans and promises? God knows there are times when we need to obligate ourselves to debt. In those cases, we should be determined to keep our word. No waffling, no excuses – we keep our word.

Ecclesiastes 5:4-7 says — When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, ‘My vow was a mistake.’ Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore, fear God. [NIV]

How do we proceed? We should view our vow as a primal bond. Moses wrote — When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said (Numbers 30:2); before we make the vow (commitment) we carefully examine the conditions, and we confirm we are respecting the affirmations in God’s word. Leviticus says — They must not exchange it (the vow) or substitute a good one for a bad one, or a bad one for a good one; if they should substitute one animal for another, both it and the substitute become holy (Leviticus 27:10). After making an agreement, we should act on the agreement as if we are in God’s service and elevate God’s glory by keeping our word. If trouble arises and we cannot avoid a delay, we are wise to keep our debtor aware of the situation and the new plan for repayment. Clearly, it is better we do not make vows, than to vow and not to re-pay, or to vow with no intention of full repayment (implied from Acts 5:1-6).

If we view lack of repayment as an affront to the one true living God, we elevate the importance of the loan or vow to its proper place. We would not be able to show proper respect for God if we had no awareness of his objectives and plans. There are many ‘prophets’ who would talk you into purchasing things you do not need, new cars, new clothes, jewelry, road trips… All these things take money, easily borrowed with a charge card. These ‘prophets’ tell you to charge it – you deserve it – you can handle the debt and handle the payments.

Jeremiah wrote — Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. … which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word? (Jeremiah 23:16-18). None of them.

Solomon seemed to understand the deeper truth. He wrote — This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, [they should] accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life [pining for things they crave]; because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart (Ecclesiastes 5:18-20).

When the gifts (our earnings) come from God, and we acknowledge God as the source of the gift, we are given wisdom on how to use the gift. Seek the higher calling, seek God’s wisdom on how to manage your earnings.

Borrow carefully, only when it is necessary. Be at peace with yourself. Be not driven by avarice.

I choose Jesus.

Abundance Leaves no Sleep

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It has been my observation that Solomon demonstrated (in the fifth chapter of Ecclesiastes) the inherent problems with pleasure, gaiety, and public testimony of outstanding personal honor, power, or dignity. He also observes there are many covetous humans that believe money to be worthy of aggressive pursuit and that the voluminous pile of fresh dollar bills will make a person powerful and extremely happy. After setting the premise, Solomon attempts to explain the deeper over-riding problem; he shows that there is much emptiness in wealth; the pride of life tugs on all of us. Therefore, a man can make himself no happier by hoarding wealth than by spending it. Neither condition brings happiness or peace that overcomes the troubles of the day. Only God can bring peace to our troubled soul.

Ecclesiastes 5:9-17 says — The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the field. Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them? The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep. I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners, or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children there is nothing left for them to inherit. Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb and as everyone comes; so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands. This too is a grievous evil: As everyone comes; so they depart, and what do they gain, since they toil for the wind? [NIV].

Our profit from the earth is for all; it is appointed for all; there is enough for all; the same fertile soil supports food for cattle and food for men (implied in Ecclesiastes 5:9 and Psalms 68:7-10). Solomon maintains that excess riches support hoarding and vanity, they will not make a man’s life easy or happy. Jesus said — a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses (Luke 12:15). Our spirit filled heart will rest when the goals are met, but the greed in us can drive us further. We often strive for a bit more. Learn to resist. Learn to rest.

Jesus said in Luke 12:27-31 — Consider how the wildflowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well [NIV].

The more wealth we accumulate the more anxiety we garner; the collecting of wealth disrupts our rest (Ecclesiastes 5:12). We sleep better when we work hard and have only what we work for; the balance between working and becoming weary facilitates our ability to sleep. When our head is full of troubles, they drive away the sleep we need to be ready for tomorrow. After spending time in the service of others and of God, the sleep of the diligent Christian will be fruitful; we settle in, we rest from a good day’s work.

Those that have accumulated too much often are unable to secure a good night’s rest. Either their eyes are held open, their sleep is unquiet, or their sleep does not refresh; the anxiety over their abundance disturbs their rest (implied in Luke 12:16-21). The abundance vexes the heart, makes them sick with ulcers, and so hinders their rest. God gives his beloved the rest they need, so they are ready for work on the next day. I choose Jesus.

Confine Yourself to Quarters

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It has been my observation that the early chapters for the book of Ezekiel are a series of give and take events between Ezekiel and the God he serves. We find ourselves at the end of the third chapter. After all the pomp and glitter of his visions and the clear directives of how he should respond to the rebellious House of Israel in Chapters 1-3, we would expect to see him walk outside his house, find a high spot amongst the Israelites and start talking. We would expect a large group to gather at first until the message started to bite. And so, we find the watchman in his first act of ministry. This first event seems a bit unexpected given the power and grandeur of his commissioning.

Ezekiel 3:22-27 says — The hand of the Lord was on me there, and he said to me, “Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.” So, I got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. Then the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet. He spoke to me and said: “Go, shut yourself inside your house. And you, son of man, they will tie with ropes; you will be bound so that you cannot go out among the people. I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, for they are rebellious people. But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ Whoever will listen let them listen, and whoever will refuse let them refuse; for they are rebellious people [NIV].

In this passage, we find the usual interaction. God tells him to get up, head to the flatlands (away from the river) so we can visit. Ezekiel goes to the flatlands and sees the same thing he saw at the river Kabar; So, he lays prostrate in respect, then the Spirit of God stands him back up and starts talking. 

As he drops to the ground, I suspect he would be thinking – God can be any place he wants to be, any time he wants to be, in any form of Glory he wants to display. He is a man who once took issue with his calling and withdrew from the previous visions (see Ezekiel 3:14). Transformed, he is a man who is now comfortable talking with the one true living God.

I do not think that we should expect to see such a vision, but we should expect to interact with God. He is not silent. We will hear him in meditation, through scripture, and in prayer. We do within the confines of our faith have a glimpse of the Glory of God (see 2 Corinthians 3:18). As he is being raised up, I suspect he was wondering if he has already made a mistake, hanging out in his house. He gets fully up and he gazes at the Glory of God. I suspect he was expecting a direct statement – go here, do this. Instead, God orders him to sequester himself at home.  Immediately!  God tells him to not appear in public. I think he might have been relieved. He was off the hook. Then the rest of the story unfolds. Men came to his home and tied him up.  Opps!

I think that our choices often define our speedbumps. It is reasonable to expect God to sideline pastors when they do not tend to their flock and do not respond to gentle nudges to get things done. We pray for stuff we have no business requesting and then God sends us a ‘I Love you’ note in the form of a speedbump – the very outcome of the poor prayer decision we made a few weeks ago. Ezekiel is now confined to quarters, bound, laying on the floor and unable to speak. Talk about a speedbump!

Yet God uses this situation to demonstrate the siege of Jerusalem where people were confined to their homes and unable to talk to others. He shows that even in this dire situation, He is the Lord God Almighty. He is in control. He is sovereign. He shall be respected. I choose Jesus.

Windstorm from the North (Part 2)

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It has been my observation that Ezekiel was given a profound glimpse of the one true living God as he describes in chapter 1 of his opus.  In a nutshell, we see God on the move, leaving the Temple in Jerusalem, drifting in a mobile throne room, displaying all his glory and splendor.  The first four verses set the stage for the main event.  Then we read about the windstorm and the center mass of the storm…

Ezekiel 1:4-11 says — I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, but each of them had four faces and four wings.  …  Under their wings, on their four sides, they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings. … Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. Such were their faces [NIV].

We have here an account of four angels.  Oh my, what amazing view we have of them.  They are alive, with multiple faces and immensely strong wings. They receive life from the fountain of life, in the same manner that we see the sun, the clouds, the moon and the stars as part of the creation, we see these four angels as part of the throne. They are integral to how Ezekiel describes the Glory of God as they amplify the visual we see through Ezekiel’s eye. This is a vibrant scene!

The four faces of each angel suggest to me that they are set to view the four winds of heaven (see Matthew 24:31). The four faces emerge again in Revelations 4:7 as four creatures around the throne.  If I only saw one side of the angel, I would say one had the face of a eagle, another one had the face of an ox, not realizing they each had four faces. I recall that Zechariah described the four angels as four chariots heading North, South, East, and West (Zechariah 6:1). God sends his messengers all directions, his kingdom reaches as far as we can imagine and then a bit farther (beyond our imagination).

Ezekiel tells us that each angel had the face of a man. This suggests they may have understood things, seen their surroundings, and experienced feelings similar to the way we function, but given their situation, they far exceed our abilities. With the face of a lion, I might expect them to be strong and bold.  With the face of an eagle, I might expect them to have a strong, strategic vision of God’s plan.

In the account from Ezekiel we notice each angel had four wings. John saw them with 6 wings (Revelations 4:8), Isaiah saw them with 6 wings (Isaiah 6:2), we are wise to notice that when Isaiah say the angels and the throne, they were above the throne and they covered their face with two of the wings (respect for the Glory of God). when I consider the meaning of all this, I get the feeling that faith and hope rest on their wings which soar upward.  They carry godly devotion and affection to us with cheerful readiness. When Ezekiel observes their joined wings, I see a simile of unity, unanimity, and community among them.  This is truly a profound window into the throne room of God.

The deeper truth – this community of angels is somewhat shielded from our eyes, they work in the smoke, not of darkness, they work within the smoke of God’s Glory. When they enter our realm, they hide their true body with a shield so they appear in a manner that we can assimilate.  We see what God wants us to see for the moment, just a moment. 

I choose Jesus.

Windstorm from the North (Part 1)

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It was my observation while considering the impact of Ezekiel chapter 1 on my perceptions of God that the vision presented is very humbling.  In the vision there is a complex structure presented, in its simplest form (from bottom to top) we have four wheels (four angels), each wheel supporting a column (four angels), the four columns support a flat roof with a throne on top of the roof.  Seated on the Throne is God.  The entire structure is wrapped in a massive fireball.  That is the sum of chapter one.  But, as you might guess, there is more to the story – the details matter!

Ezekiel 1:4-8 says — I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings, and the wings of one touched the wings of another [NIV].

Why do we start this book with this vision?  I suspect there are definable reasons.  First, this firms up Ezekiel’s calling – he knows he is working directly for the boss. Second, it refines the view of God for Ezekiel’s audience – God is getting into their face — they know God means business. Their days of defiance are numbered.  They quickly learn their God is a consuming fire whom they cannot stand before. Finally, they know his mercy will not be withheld forever. They have reassurance, the column of fire that led Moses to the promised land – is the ball of Fire that Ezekiel is seeing. Symbolically, God is on the move from Jerusalem to where they are at in Babylon. They have not been abandoned. All of this assurance unfolds in the vision of chapter 1. The message is clear – let them know captivity is not the end, God is with them. Even though God is not in his sanctuary, he is near.

God clears the sky with a windstorm preparing the space for his holy presence. This clearing produces a serenity of the mind that opens our heart to heavens message. The great cloud that appears wraps the holiness of God to protect us from the intensity. The whirlwind comes to us in much the same way that is presented in 1 Kings 19:11 for Elijah. The whirlwind prepares the way for God, it demands our attention, in a sense it issues the command if you have eyes, then look, if you have ears then listen.

The cloud brings fire to the vision, as we see in Mount Sinai, where God presents in a thick cloud that rings his consuming fire (see Exodus 24:16-17). But this time we see a fire that seems to have no fuel, it is sustained by God himself forever. We also see that the fire is surrounded with visible glory, we are not able to see into the fire, yet we do see a glow or brightness that is produced by the fire, it is perhaps a reflection of the fire in the clouds. Similar to Moses seeing the back of God, just of glimpse of him. We have the same in this vision. Finally, we are told of an amber hue (glowing metal). Some think it is the color that is reflected in our eye when we look at fire and others see the fire in our eye.  

Then Ezekiel speaks of the four angels (the columns). They are presented with a sense of greatness, the goodness of God in their work, the important role they play in his glory. Their image emerges from the fire, a ray of hope for us that he loves his creations. We find later, in chapter 10, Ezekiel tells us they are cherubim. What are they doing in this vision? Their wings are interlocked, these four angels working together as a community to support the glory of God, sustain a platform for his throne. Is that not what our prayer and service provide?  Is this not a shadow of what the church does? Do we not fill the temple with the incense of our prayers and our service offerings? I think so.  This compels me to say…

I choose Jesus.

The Bottom of the Glass

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It has been my observation while reading Ecclesiastes that Solomon struggled to find meaning in Life. He had the resources to explore a wide range of avenues looking for wisdom and meaning. In Ecclesiastes 2:1-3 Solomon leaps into the fray with the following observation, “I said to myself ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.’ But that also proved to be meaningless. ‘Laughter,’ I said, is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish? I tried cheering myself with wine and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.” [NIV]

Solomon was struggling, trying to put his finger on the nature of wisdom and the fullness of meaning in his life. He tried pleasure (a form of hedonism) to determine if there was something to be learned. He pursued anything he wanted, any woman, any object, any experience. Nothing was out of bounds for the king. Yet this failed. Both pleasure and laughter were unable to calm the angst in his heart as he searched for peace and meaning in life.

He filled up vessel after vessel with wine, hoping the buzz would dull the angst. As many people do, he looked for wisdom at the bottom of an empty glass. Finding none, he turned to other things, see Ecclesiastes 2:4-11 “I undertook great projects: I built houses … planted vineyards … planted all kinds of fruit trees … made reservoirs … owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem … I amassed silver and gold …. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me …. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” [NIV]

 So, what happened? He had achieved all we could imagine when defining success. He had money, possessions, power, prestige, and pleasure. He had it all, and he had done it all “for himself.” There was a reason he struggled to find purpose. This reason was simple – God was not part of the plan, rather Solomon was busy working on self, building for self, looking for satisfaction of self with little regard to the negative impact on others (effort and taxes of the common folk to build stuff) or benefit to anyone else but himself. 

He learns the hard way that leisure and entertainment are not valuable to anyone including himself if there is no intent or external goal associated with the effort. It is not enough to see a new thing, do a new thing, or experience a new thing; if all we are accomplishing is the receipt of something, then we are left with angst.

Giving is not just a mantra, it is central to the way we are made, the way we think, the way we find meaning in life. When we think of others before self our angst begins to dissipate. When we give to others, our angst begins to dissipate. As a man thinks – a Man is (implied in Proverbs 23:7). As the Father gave to us – we are designed to give to others. After all, we are created in his image. Giving only to self is counterproductive to who we are, why we are, how we are designed to function.

What do we do? Isaiah 43:6-7 says, “I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” [NIV]

What do we do? We respond to the call!

I choose Jesus.