Isaiah

Give Them an Undivided Heart (Part 1)

Dan

It was my observation that Ezekiel was given an interesting sense of how the remnant was to be treated while they were in captivity. In Chapter 10 we see the shekinah glory of God leave Jerusalem. Now, in Chapter 11, we see the plan for the remnant that leads to the new covenant.

This is what I think – prophecy is a simple concept – every person in the valley is given an exit plan they can choose to follow, every person standing on self-made mountains are soon to be knee capped (see Isaiah 40:4). The exit plans are full of hope, the kneecapping can be avoided. This is simple stuff.

God’s prophets such as Ezekiel speak with conviction, they warn the presumptuous and secure and bring comfort to the despised and despondent. He that tremble at God’s word and God’s voice has nothing to fear from the message of a Prophet. And so, we see Ezekiel in the service of the one true living God, bringing these words of comfort to the remnant by the Kabar River as they mourned over Zion.

Ezekiel 11:14-16 says — The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, the people of Jerusalem have said of your fellow exiles and all the other Israelites, they are far away from the Lord; this land was given to us as our possession. Therefore say: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone. [NIV]

When we read that the people of Jerusalem have said they (the remnant) are far away from the Lord, this land was given to us (not to the remnant), we find the audacity of the stiff-necked Hebrews at a high point. The revelers cut themselves off from the remnant. This was done in reaction to the remnant separating themselves from the local leaders in Jerusalem and demonstrating allegiance to God by willingly heading to Babylon as a slave.

The one true living God used this specific message to respond to the shunning of his remnant by the rebellious Hebrews. He speaks of his protection and comfort extended to his remnant even while they are working as a slave for the city of Babylon (see Isaiah 66:5-6). Then he takes ownership of the judgements rendered in Jerusalem. He reminds them the remnant may look abandoned, but they are still connected by grace to the one true living God. Their current state is temporary. Mercy is on the way. Those who remain in Jerusalem may have the Temple but they do not have God. On the other hand, those who left for Babylon have the shekinah glory of God overseeing them, but they do not have the temple. I think it is obvious who is the winner.

Go back and read the last sentence of the cited Ezekiel passage closely. Notice the phrase “I have been a sanctuary for them” (Ezekiel 11:16). Specifically, they have been provided with a place of refuge, a refuge within God himself, while in Babylon. They still had communion with God even when in captivity. The rebellious people remaining in Jerusalem were stuck on the notion they could only know the presence of God within the confines of the temple. They could not be further from the truth.

So, now we find the key point. The sanctuary provided by God is scattered about to be sure each person within the remnant has a place of respite (see 1 Kings 9:6-9). Compared to the Hebrews remaining in Jerusalem (think about those who will not be raptured, who remain on earth), the number of people in the remnant is small. God is aware of the low status of his people, he fusses over their wellbeing, He brings little things along to let them know he loves them still. The God of this universe becomes their sanctuary. Oh my, this reminds me of the stable in Bethlehem.  I choose Jesus.

Finding the Right Words

Dan

It was my observation while reading the closing statements of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon seemed to be frustrated in his quest for the right words. Even in his quest for the proper name of this book, he settled with Qoheleth, a Hebrew term that suggests the assembler of students and collector of wisdom. Notice he does not take credit for originating the wisdom, he knew everything he documented ultimately came from God, not his own thoughts or others.

We find this message in Ecclesiastes 12:8-10 — Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher, everything is meaningless! The Conclusion of the Matter. Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true [NIV].

This message of word selection was part of the closing themes in this wonderful book. Solomon tells us to find a place of rest, be clear in our actions, look to Elohim for answers. Solomon seems to be saying — I have been everywhere, tried everything, seen everything, and heard everything. He concluded; it was all meaningless. He tells us to talk with our friends, exchange ideas, help each other, and walk with God.

Solomon made it his business to follow the precepts of wisdom he had learned over the years. He knew from experience, even the ‘long in tooth’ needed guidance, there was always something deeper to explore in the truth. He knew that God’s thoughts will always outrun our best day of thinking. He took pleasure in the hunt for proverbs that could be used to teach wise actions. He moved beyond the obvious and trite. Solomon mined knowledge, he found the deeper thoughts of God with regards to subjects such as relationships, moral values, business actions, and government administration. Then Solomon dug deep inside of his heart to hear the best choice of words to express God’s wisdom.

When I was first learning how to string words together in a useful manner, I recall a senior engineer who would say to me – mean what you say and say what you mean. This had a profound effect during my fledgling days as an engineer writing stuff for satellite systems. He also helped me to understand, sentences should build on each other, they should gradually lead the reader from nothing into something useful to know. Later, I learned from Paul how to build a good argument (for status briefing slides) by looking at how Paul expressed ideas in his letters. Paul was trained in the art of logic in his early days. Paul was a master communicator – the right choice to document the New Covenant.

Solomon took the time to find acceptable phrases and terms, he looked for words that would delight and inform at the same time. He was careful to avoid incongruity within his expression. Both Solomon and David use repetition to reinforce and improve retention. You may have noted they often make a point and then repeat the statement in different words. I was taught in Officers Training School that repetition in a briefing improves listener retention. Retention of the plan leads to greater mission success.

Solomon learned an impeccable model and writing template from God when learning how to communicate. Writers have used Solomon’s teaching models and templates for thousands of years. There is no finer collection of wisdom than Solomon’s. Of course, we know he had a little help getting things gathered and finding just the right way to express the message. Solomon’s message is pure truth (Isaiah 30:10). Solomon’s model was easy to follow — Gather the facts. Break complex ideas down and present the ideas in the proper order to convey the complex idea. Use clear statements and logic to persuade men of the truth. During this process, always move man’s thoughts from himself to Elohim. This model is the first step to expressing truth as defined by the wisdom of God. It has stood the test of time. I choose Jesus.

Solomon

Dan

It was my observation while reading Ecclesiastes 12 that there was a significant amount of oxygen used by Solomon in the first few verses of the chapter on issues with old age. I get the sense that he is feeling his age, and the awareness that men in my age bracket have many more days behind us than are in front of us. It becomes prudent to pay careful attention to how we use the days we still have. I think when you read the section from Solomon I want to examine, it is easy to get lost in the sadness. Let us manage our thoughts and look for the wisdom present.

Ecclesiastes 12:3-5 — when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, when the grinders cease because they are few, and those looking through the windows grow dim; when the doors to the street are closed and the sound of grinding fades; when people rise up at the sound of birds, but all their songs grow faint; when people are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets; when the almond tree blossoms and the grasshopper drags itself along and desire no longer is stirred.  Then people go to their eternal home and mourners go about the streets [NIV].

Solomon was living in the epicenter of Jerusalem, God’s land, God’s city, near God’s temple, the temple that Solomon had constructed. When the strong men stoop, they are in the streets that are full of the noise of life, children running back and forth, playing tag and tossing balls back and forth. They are laughing with life brimming over. The sound of animals is everywhere. Birds are chirping and the wide assortment of animals are calling us with their wonderful songs. Yet Solomon also sees the frightened looks of people who are afraid of the shadows in the streets. This is his land, he is responsible for their safety, yet he sees the fear. Almond trees are blooming, fragrance fills the air, grasshoppers are moving about. People are looking at high places and fear what they cannot see. Death happens, life moves forward, people mourn, and the streets are cleared for a moment as the mourners pass by. Then the children resume playing, things return to normal.

What does Solomon see? People who are lost no longer have a desire to get things done. When Solomon speaks of the melodies from the local birds, he could be musing that old people wake up at the slightest disturbance, they are not working so much so their sleep is light. Trivial things disturbed them that they did not notice in their younger years. God made the birds beautiful, the children’s play exciting, yet they are a reminder of what we (the old) no longer have – youth.

But I would be remiss if I did not point out an alternate passage that takes the same view and includes encouragement Solomon did not mention in Ecclesiastes 12:3-5. Let us review Isaiah 46:3-4. He writes –You whom I have upheld since your birth and have carried since you were born. Even to your old age and gray hair, I am He. I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you [NIV].

So, in Isaiah we find the rest of the story, it is God who sustains us – even in our old age, with our gray hair, and tottering walk, he sustains us. There is meaning, a purpose for life. We can look at the troubles of the day or we can listen to the extraordinary gifts that were freely given – the song of the bird, the warmth of the sun, the rain in the desert, the shade of a beautiful tree, an afternoon nap, children to ask us questions, people who seek our help when resolving their issues. People to pray for, people to encourage, wisdom to share. Elohim has provided – he has carried us; he has sustained us for the duration. We should find our place of contentment, take time to enjoy God’s creation, and embrace the plan of God for our remaining days. That is the message of Solomon.

I choose Jesus.

The Man clothed in Linen (Part 1)

Dan

It was my observation in the vision that Ezekiel saw and wrote about in Chapter 9 was focused on the trouble in the land, the misbehavior and evil that was accomplished in Jerusalem even within the walls of the temple. He clearly was troubled by the situation, and he felt the sorrow from God. He could see the outcome of their lifestyle choices and was helpless to cause them to change. Yet he stayed the course, speaking God’s thoughts and visions even though he could see the ruin coming. It is inevitable, where sin is not abated, judgement will follow. He could see the angels coming with weapons. He knew why they were at the gate. They could not be allowed at the altar if they were not on God’s business. Then the glory of God, the shelter of the Hebrews, started moving towards the threshold of the temple. This is the beginning of the departure of God from Jerusalem. How helpless Ezekiel must have felt as he watched this vision unfold in front of his eyes.

Ezekiel 9:1-3 says — Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, bring near those who are appointed to execute judgment on the city, each with a weapon in his hand. And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar.

Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple [NIV].

God wanted Ezekiel’s complete attention, he speaks in a loud voice, a commander is speaking to his cohort. Position the troops. Prepare for action. Notice, at this point, we are no longer talking about the Chaldeans attacking. We are talking about Angels attacking the city. This is a demonstration of the strong hand of the Lord. Clearly, we need to respect the hand of God and his Angels. (see Isaiah 8:11-13)

God deployed one Warrior Angel to support Moses during the extraction of the Hebrews from Egypt. Two Warrior Angels were deployed to support operations during the destruction of the city of Sodom. Now we see six Warrior Angels deployed to flatten the population of Jerusalem, one for each gate of the city. No one leaves the city unless they have permission. In Revelation we see seven warrior angels pouring out the vials of God’s wrath (see Revelation 16:1). Considering the magnitude of the last days, we clearly see the importance of this event.

Standing near the altar, they felt no sense of personal revenge from God. This was not his intent. Rather, we see a pure and sincere expression of the Glory of God. The angels were standing near the altar to protect the integrity of the Altar as they went forward to accomplish their tasks. I think that God was determined to follow through with his plan; however, he took no pleasure from the work accomplished by the Angels.

The identity of the man clothed with linen is not clear, but I think we are looking at our High Priest, who arrived at this event with a writer’s inkhorn, similar to one carried by the ancient attorneys and lawyers.  I think this is Jesus, functioning as the Mediator (see 1 Timothy 2:5) isolating the remnant from the swords of Justice yielded by the warrior angels (see Revelation 19:6-10).  In the middle of this vision, we see God’s grace, his redemptive solution, his son, protecting the remnant.

Finally, we see the removal of God’s glory from the core of the temple. It moves to the outer edge of the temple. In chapter 10, God’s Glory departs the temple. This is a sad day, but God’s mercy is still present. His Mediator is on the job, protecting the remnant. Having read this passage and considered the gravity of the message, my decision is easy. I choose Jesus.

I have made you a Watchman (Part II)

Dan

It was my observation that Ezekiel was given a profound second nickname, I addressed some of this in the first essay on this subject. In my previous essay (Part I) we examined the instructions on what to do with the rebellious Israelis. In this essay (Part II) we find the second half of the command for the watchman. Let us explore God’s instructions for the righteous under the old covenant.

Ezekiel as the watchman is told to take notice of the things God has said, not just what Ezekiel has said, but the entire counsel of God. This includes Isaiah, Jeremiah, and all the other prophets. He was not commissioned to function as a spy but to make simple observations as to the character of the righteous. It is good to assume we should listen first; earn the right to speak through our own actions and behavior; and then find a way to help people change their ways.

Ezekiel 3: 16 -17 says — At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel” [NIV]. Ezekiel 3: 20 -21 says — “Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.” [NIV]

As a watchman, Ezekiel is compelled to speak out what he has heard. He functions like a newsman on the evening news. He gives forth a warning, an alarm from the heavens, not in his own name, but just like a reporter should. He gives the facts, as he knows them, straight from God (Implied in Isaiah 56:10). The watchman knows the counsel of God from the scriptures and the prophets. Using the wisdom from God, we are warned (see Psalms 19:11). But in this case, Ezekiel is advised to differentiate between the rebellious and the righteous. We presume God will shape the watchman’s message to fit the audience.

Ezekiel was asked to warn people not to neglect their work and quit the service of God (see Psalms 19:11). The best men in the world occasionally need to be warned to return to the proper path. Look at what happened to Ezekiel a little earlier in this chapter (see Ezekiel 3:14). Stuff happens, God intervenes, and stuff gets better (implied in Hebrews 4:1). There are many people who start on the path, they engage in service, but then speedbumps start, and they become discouraged. They don’t become apostates, they don’t deny the existence of God, they don’t deny the ransom. They simply get discouraged and pull back. They become one of the ones Jesus spoke of as the ‘one’. The one he went after (leaving the 99 safe) to bring back into the safe haven with the rest of the flock.

They become careless and remiss in their walk with God, with worship, with scripture reading, with prayer. They become an easy target for the enemy. The restraints are removed and trouble starts. If they resist the call of Jesus to return, then the speedbumps become larger. The goal is repentance.

Ruin is coming their way. But the man of God, no matter how far off the track he is, being warned, internalizing the warning, will withdraw from sin. He will find it down deep inside — the call to return. He will respond to wisdom if he was once wise himself (implied in Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 9:9, Proverbs 9:12). We must never believe that we are immune from troubles and speedbumps. They are tools of choice used by God to build our strength against sin and character. They often lead to larger tasks. I choose Jesus.

I have made you a Watchman (Part 1)

Dan

It was my observation that seven days have passed since the vision of Chapter 1 started. He started that vision on a Sabbath and this session is on a sabbath.

Ezekiel 3: 16 -19 says — At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so, hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die fortheir sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.” [NIV]

He that had been musing and meditating on the things of God all the week was fit to speak to the people in God’s name on the sabbath day, and disposed to hear God speak to him. He was eased back into the real world with him resisting (see Ezekiel 3:14). Now we see a slightly different tone. He knows his duty. He looked for a way to delay the beginning of his ministry and was rebuffed. I do not think it is wise for us to believe that we will reach a level where the taskings are easy and intimate ‘face time with the boss’ occurs often. God tells his man what the work is all about, defines his duties and places parameters on the messaging. In this regard, we should note God’s approach to leadership.

Here was Ezekiel, hanging out, having said little at this point. He went from the mountain top to the outhouse all in seven days. He is among his people when God appears again. He tells Ezekiel to get to work, the people have a right to know and a responsibility to respond. Ezekiel has been appointed the watchman, the giver of news, the disturber of their peace, a protector against thieves, he is the watchman. His job is to watch for the enemy and sound the alarm upon the first appearance of danger, he is the watchman (see Isaiah 21:8, Isaiah 62:6).

For a Roman soldier, being a watchman is a specific type of Job. It is a cut above the normal soldier. They fight the silent battle of security. They know the rules. Eyes open. Head moving. Ears open. Listening. Focus. Failure is not an option. If they are on this task, they risk the enemy sneaking up to them and taking their life. On the other hand, they are held accountable with their life for maintaining a safe perimeter. If they fail to warn about danger, they lose their life in the morning. They know their task is indispensable – they take their job seriously. They are needed (see Psalms 127:1-2). They are rewarded.

Ezekiel is very comfortable to be one on one with God, he pulls back from the crowds, even during his workday and he is comfortable to converse with God, to hear him, to commune with him. If we were looking for peace, what better place to be than talking with God. Ezekiel willingly entered into these visions; they were the eye of the Hurricane for him. No stress here! He was safe, protected, and basking in God’s glory. I could not imagine a better place to be. Where else should he desire to be? If we have experienced communion with God, I cannot imagine Ezekiel preferred anything but that. It far exceeded any mere conversing with the House of Isreal on earth.

However, we know that Ezekiel is a watchman. He is on task. He is accountable for his work. He needs to get up and speak; he needs to do the work of God. So do we. I choose Jesus.

Windstorm from the North (Part 2)

Dan

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.