Abstract:
To preach an
expository series on the book of Ezekiel, I selected the following passages to
reflect the key theological ideas and major structural features of the book: 1:1-28;
3:1-15; 8:1-18; 11:14-21; 16:1-63; 33:21-33; 34:1-31; 37:1-14; 38; 43:1-5;
48:30-35.
The series aims to
cover the following questions: Why (the purpose of this message)? Who (who is
the author, who are the audience)? What (the themes)? How (the structure of
this book)? Then what (application today)? Important themes include the glory
and sovereignty of Yahweh, call and commissioning, the theological crisis of
the exiles, God’s judgement and hope. I will pick two passages to explore in
greater detail: 3:1-15; 37:1-14. I did translation and exegesis for these, and
identified the key preaching theme that my sermon will seek to convey and how
it contributes to the goals of my preaching series.
If I were to preach
an expository series on the book of Ezekiel, it is important to cover the
following questions: Why (the purpose of this message)? Who (who is the author,
who are the audience)? What (the themes)? How (the structure of this book)?
Then what (application today)? I believe following passages reflect the key
theological ideas and major structural features of the book:
1:1-28; 3:1-15;
8:1-18; 11:14-21; 16:1-63; 33:21-33; 34:1-31; 37:1-14; 38; 43:1-5; 48:30-35
Looking at the
structure of this prophetic book, we see that it is divided evenly into two
major sections, the oracles of judgment for Judah and Jerusalem (chapters 1-24),
and oracles of hope for Judah and Jerusalem (chapters 25-48).[1]
So I have selected five passages from the first half of the book and six
passages from the second half of the book to keep a balance between message of
judgment and messages of hope. Chapters 1-3 speaks of the prophetic call of
Ezekiel, chapters 4-24 speaks of Yahweh’s judgement upon Judah and Jerusalem,
chapters 25-32 speaks of the oracles against foreign nations, chapter 33 is the
turning point of the book, chapters 34-37 speaks of hopes for the restoration
of Judah, chapters 38-39 speaks of Gog of Magog, and chapters 40-48 speaks of
an extended vision of the temple.[2]
I try to cover all of these sections in my selection of passages.[3]
I have also selected texts representing a variety of literary and rhetorical
forms[4],
eg. visionary (8:1; 37:1-14), parables, metaphors, riddles (34:1-14), debater (11:14-21,
33:23-29), prosecutor (16:1-63), woe (34:1-10).[5]
It is important to
open the series with chapter 1 because 1:1-3 orientates us the prophet’s time
and space as well as who the prophet is.[6]
We see that Ezekiel’s name means “God strengthens”, which expresses the faith
of his parents at the time of his birth. We can see that he was a priest as he was
the son of a priest.[7]
He was among the exiles[8]
and addressing the people of Judah facing the collapse of their nation in
598-586 BC.[9] The
use of the first person in v1 gives this prophecy an autobiographical quality[10],
and v2-3, which is in third person, could be an insertion by a later editor of
Ezekiel’s prophecies.[11]
“The River Chebar” probably refers to a canal, located in the region of Nippur.
Absolute identification of the location is not possible.[12],[13]
Then, 1:4-28 introduces us to one of the major themes of the book, God’s glory[14]
and sovereignty, as we see a dazzling imagery[15]
of Yahweh in the midst of a motion filled “windstorm” in the land of the
exiles. God is sovereign, not restricted to the temple, but is living, active
and on the move.[16]
This glory made Ezekiel fell on his face (1:28).
3:1-15 is another
suitable passage for the series because this is where we learn about the
commissioning of Ezekiel and the characteristics of his audience. We see
Ezekiel addressing the rebellious Israelites, the purpose of Ezekiel’s message being
to transform his audience’s perception of their relationship with Yahweh,
exposing delusions of innocence and offering a divine understanding of reality.[17]
The crises to which Ezekiel responded were not social or economic, but
theological. The theological system consists of these four pillars: land,
covenant, Zion, David, on which the Israelites’ security rested. Most of the
pronouncements address one or more of the four pillars.[18]
We see that chapters 4-24 systemically attack the pillars on which official
orthodoxy constructed its notions of eternal security.[19]
With these elements of identity removed, profound theological questions were
raised: Had Yahweh been defeated by the Babylonian gods?[20]
Some drew the conclusion that their god was less powerful than the foreign
gods, others decided that he was unjust.[21]
This takes us to the theme of sin and judgment, evident in chapters 8, 11, 16,
and 18, which explains how the punishment fits the crime and Yahweh’s judgment
is an entirely appropriate response to the heinous sins of Israel.
Chapters 8-11
functions as a single visionary unit with Ezekiel addressing the elders of
Judah. He was then transported by the רוּחַ (Spirit/wind) to Jerusalem. He was shown
the comprehensive nature of the sins of Jerusalem, and the departure of the
glory of God. So we see that this departure had happened because of human
sinfulness.[22]
Since it is too much to include so much text in a sermon, I would only preach
the introduction (8:1-18), and the corresponding conclusion (11:14-25).[23]
The sermon has contemporary applications, such as the topic of contemporary
idolatry[24]
and misdirected worship[25],
and can close on a positive note with a hope for believers[26].
16:1-63 is an “in
your face” survey of Israel’s history of sin.[27]
It is rarely preached in churches[28]
due to the crude language and some find it “politically incorrect” and
“oppressive to women”.[29]
However, I think this passage must be significant because it is the longest
single prophecy in the Old Testament prophetic books.[30]
It should be preached because we need to be aware of the ugliness of sin[31]
and the obscenity of the cross.[32]
16:1-14 offer one of the most vivid pictures of the grace of God in the entire
Bible, while 16:15-34 provides a shocking picture of human ingratitude.[33]
Here we see the demolition pronouncement on the eternal covenant between Yahweh
and his people, and on their possession of the land.[34]
33:21-33, the fall of
Jerusalem, marks the turning-point of the book, so it is an important event
that should be included in the sermon series. It is a good sermon on the task
of a preacher, because from Ezekiel’s task as a watchman, we see that the
messengers of God are not called not to success but to faithfulness. Ezekiel
had been preaching among the exiles for more than a decade, but few of his rhetorical
aims had been achieved. The preacher is not called to entertain, but is charged
to speak for God.[35] 34:1-31
is suitable sermon on leadership and can help us reflect whether the image of
minister as a shepherd in the contemporary church is holds true today, or is it
becoming more like a CEO.[36]
This passage ultimately leads us to Jesus, the Davidic-shepherd-king in whom
all the covenants of the Old Testament find their fulfilment.[37]
37:1-14, the famous resuscitation of the dry bones passage, is a powerful
declaration of hope[38] in Christ for the spiritually dead, with a
metaphorical illustration of the eschatological outpouring of the Spirit in the
last days, fulfilled in Christ.[39] 38:1-23 is about Gog and Magog, the archetypal enemy against God and his
people.[40]
It is good for a sermon because it can be flexibly applied to whatever
contemporary dangers to world peace are perceived to be.[41] It is a
message of hope that no matter what the forces of evil may do, God’s purpose
and victory is secure.[42] We can
close the series with the theme of God’s glory using 43:1-5; 48:30-35, as the
return of God’s glory is the theological prerequisite for the restoration of
the people[43],
and conclude with the radically theocentric portrayal of Israel’s future where
the holy community of faith is focused on the worship of the God who dwells in
their midst. Jesus, the Messiah, the glory of Yahweh, has descended and dwells
among us. He is Immanuel, “God with us”.[44]
Translation Ezekiel 3:1-15
1: Then he said to me, “Mortal[45],
whatever you find here, eat[46].
Eat this[47]
scroll. Then go, speak to the house of Israel.”
2: So I opened my mouth, and he fed me this scroll to eat.
3: Then he said to me, “Mortal, feed your stomach[48]
and fill your belly[49]
with this scroll that I give to you.” So I ate it, and it was in my mouth as
sweet as honey[50].
4: Then he said to me, “Mortal, go to the house of Israel and
speak my words to them.
5: For (you are) not sent to a people of unintelligible speech and a hard
language, (but) to the house of Israel;
6: not to many peoples of unintelligible speech and a hard language[51],
whose words you cannot understand. Surely[52],
if I sent you to them, they would listen to you.
7: But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you[53],
for they are not willing to listen to me. For the whole house of Israel have a
hard forehead[54] and
a stubborn heart[55].
8: Hereby, I give you hard face just like their faces, and your forehead as
hard as their foreheads.
9: Like emery, harder than flint, have I made[56]
your forehead. Do not fear them, nor be dismayed at their looks[57],
for they are a rebellious house.”
10: And he said to me, “Mortal, all my words that I shall speak to you,
receive in your heart, and hear with your ears.
11: Now go[58] to
the exiles, to your people, and speak to them. Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord
Yahweh,’ whether they listen or not[59].”
12: Then the wind[60]
lifted me up, and I heard behind me the sound of a great earthquake: “Blessed
be the glory[61] of the Yahweh from its place!”
13: The sound of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one
another, and the sound of the wheels beside them, and the sound of a great
earthquake[62].
14: The wind lifted me up and took me away, and I follow in bitterness[63]
in the anger of my spirit[64],
and the hand of the Yahweh was strong on me.
15: And I came to the exiles at Tel-abib[65], who were dwelling by the Chebar canal, and where they were sitting, there
I sat for seven days, devastated[66],[67] in their midst.[68]
Exegesis
This is a continuation of the opening vision from Ezekiel 1, where we have
already been orientated to the prophet’s time and space as well as who
the prophet is. Ezekiel is identified as a “mortal”.[69]
Unlike his rebellious audience, Ezekiel compliantly ingests the scroll Yahweh
wanted him to ingest. Ingestion signifies that he embodies the divine word.[70]
So he is a human representative, distinct from God, and the first of many who
are to follow his receptiveness of the word.[71] This
also reassures his audience that Ezekiel’s words are God’s own.[72]
Did
Ezekiel actually eat a papyrus scroll? Or was this simply a visionary
experience? The reader will observe a blurring of boundaries between visions
and reality in Ezekiel’s visions.[73]
This scroll is described as sweet. Sweet sensation
arises from the personal encounter with the divine word. This could be a divine
means of softening Ezekiel’s resistance to his calling.[74]
The Israelites’ unresponsiveness is highlighted when they are compared with
people outside of the household of Israel: the foreigners with unintelligible
speech and difficult language.[75] Ezekiel’s calling is not to a foreign mission field or to a cross-cultural
ministry. Had he been, there would have been a great harvest for his work.[76] The Israelites are a hardened people, with a hard forehead and an
obstinate heart.[77] There is a bold, shameless quality to their refusal to listen. Bowen
thinks the resistance is not to the future possibility of God’s judgment
against them, but to the explanation for why God has judged them.[78]
They will not understand that they have been unfaithful to Yahweh and will
refuse to accept that the present disaster is Yahweh’s powerful and
just act, punishing his own people for their sins.[79]
Yahweh will give Ezekiel a hard face and hard forehead: It is like bulls
butting heads, the one with the harder horn wins.[80]
Ezekiel will live up to his name, “God hardens/strengthens”.[81]
Ezekiel is not to be dismayed because of
the way his audience’s faces look; another words, their facial expressions.
Yahweh assures Ezekiel that he will equip him fully with the emotional
resources needed for the challenge: “I have made your face as hard as their
faces, and your forehead as hard as their forehead.” Emery was the hardest
substance known at that time. Ezekiel was not to fear or be terrified,
emotionally shattered, by the rebellious reaction of his audience.[82] Ezekiel must demonstrate that he is not like the rebellious people, yet he
must identify with them by consuming the scroll and sharing in their suffering.
He must be prepared to endure the rejection Yahweh has endured, yet he must
remain in solidarity with the people.[83]
Then we see that the רוּחַ lifted Ezekiel up. Since there is no definite article used with
the word רוּחַ, the wind of
the storm theophany may be what is referred to here. Elsewhere, when Ezekiel is
carried by the spirit, a change in location is explicitly described (8:3,
11:1).[84]
In contrast to the internal energizing activity of רוּחַ in 2:2, here the prophet is
acted upon from the outside, apparently like a scrap of paper picked up by a
gust of wind.[85] Again we see the glory of Yahweh and theophany of the earthquake. We are
then shown a glimpse of Ezekiel’s mind and heart when he described himself as
being bitter. This is significant for a prophet who seldom lets his feeling
show.[86] “Bitterness” is an antonym to the sweetness of the scroll. It is used to
describe human emotions in situations of extreme stress, usually associated
with dramatic losses, eg. Naomi’s bitterness (Ruth 1:13, 20). The “heat,” which
describes Ezekiel’s spirit, everywhere else in the book describes God’s “fury”.
Bitterness and anger are common emotions following trauma.
“The hand of Yahweh” indicates this is a supernatural involvement.[87]
The unit concludes with a change of scene whereby Ezekiel is shifted from the
site of vision to the exilic settlement.[88]
Ezekiel sat devastated in the midst of the exiles for seven days. The exact
trauma that leaves Ezekiel emotionally wrecked is ambiguous. It could be his
experiences of war and exile, his encounter with the divine, or the
commissioning itself.[89]
There is a complete chiasm covering 1:1-3:15. We see a winding down of this
chiasm from v12-15, where 3:12 corresponds to 2:1-2, 3:13 to 1:4-28, and
3:14-15 to 1:1-3.[90]
Preaching theme
This passage
contributes to the series because it describes the characteristics of both the
prophet and the audience. It introduces us the purpose of Ezekiel’s message,
which is to transform his audience’s perception of their relationship with
Yahweh.[91]
The commission narrative offers vital information on the relationship between
God and those whom he calls into his service.[92]
It is important that we identify two audiences, his real audience, who are his
fellow exiles, and the readers of this book. The reaction of the audience in
the book is “insignificant” with regards to the intended reaction of the
readers.[93]
So these themes have a strong contemporary significance and we must look at how
this message applies to us today. Those called by God: 1) Must have a clear
vision of the one who sends him or her, with a firm conviction. 2) Must be empowered
and energised by the infusion of God’s Holy Spirit. 3) Must be inspired by the
message of God. Not just hearing, but digesting, internalising, incorporating,
embodying and living the message. 4) Must recognise that the calling is not to
success but to faithfulness. Every aspect of the call remains under the
sovereign control of God, especially the results, and apparent effectiveness is
no proof of calling.[94]
Hence this challenges the notion that “bigger is better.” The primary goal of
one’s ministry to bring glory to God by preaching and modelling the message he
has been given[95],
no matter the consequences.[96]
“God’s people have ingested the Word of God in its written form, and are
witnesses to the truth about God, revealed in his Word and declared in the
power of the Spirit.”[97]
Translation Ezekiel 37:1-14
1: The hand of the Yahweh
was upon me[98]. He
brought me out in the Spirit of Yahweh[99] and set me down in the middle of the valley. It was full of bones.
2: He led me around among them, and behold[100],
there were very many on the surface of the valley[101],
and behold[102],
they were very dry.
3: And he said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” And I said, “Lord
Yahweh, you know.”
4: Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, ‘Dry
bones, hear the word of Yahweh!
5: Thus says the Lord Yahweh to these bones: Behold![103]
I will cause breath[104] to enter you, and you will live.
6: I will lay sinews upon you, bring flesh upon you, and cover you with
skin. I will put breath in you, and you will live. Then you will know that I am
the Yahweh.’”
7: So I prophesied as I was commanded. As I prophesied, there was a sound,
and behold, a quake[105]!
The bones came together, bone to its bone[106].
8: And I looked, and behold, sinews appeared on them, and flesh mounted,
and skin had covered over them. But there was no breath in them.
9: Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath[107]! Prophesy, mortal! Say to the breath, ‘Thus the Lord Yahweh said: Come
from the four winds, breath, and blow into these slain[108],
so they may live.’”
10: So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath entered into them,
and they lived and they stood up on their feet, an exceedingly great army[109].
11: Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel.
Behold! They say” ‘Our bones dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off[110].’
12: Therefore, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh:
Behold! I will open your graves and I will raise you up from your graves, my
people, and I will bring you into the ground of Israel.
13: And you will know that I am Yahweh, when I open your graves, and raise
you up from your graves, my people.
14: Then I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live. I will put you
down on your own ground, and you will know that I am Yahweh. I have spoken[111], and I will act. The declaration of Yahweh.’”[112]
Exegesis:
This is Ezekiel’s third vision report (compare 1:1-28, 8:1-11:25). The
development of the thought in chapters 34-48 can be described as a chiasm, with
chapter 37 being in the central vision of transformation.[113] The
people have been promised the gift of a “new spirit,” which will morally
transform them.[114] This unit begins with the formula that introduces each of Ezekiel’s other
visions.[115]
There is the participation of the hand of Yahweh and the Spirit of Yahweh. So
again, Ezekiel is brought up by a supernatural power, and transported
elsewhere.[116] He
was transported to the kind of valley-plain in which armies would engage in
battle[117],
and there were many bones. Yahweh led Ezekiel to pass over or around the bones.
Here, Ezekiel uses the particleהִנֵּ֖ה, implying a visual experience[118], when he saw that there were many bones. And when he saw that the bones
were very dry, he had a strong emotional reaction to this awesome sight. As an
Israelite and especially a priest, Ezekiel knew how important the proper
treatment of human corpses was. These unburied bones’ extreme dryness indicated
they have been dead for a long time.[119]
When Yahweh asks Ezekiel, “Can these bone live?” Ezekiel responds to Yahweh’s
question with the emphatic pronoun, “Only you know”. Ezekiel’s own tradition
knows of people coming back to life (eg. Elijah’s and Elisha’s miracles), but
only in cases of recent death.[120] Block believes Ezekiel’s answer to Yahweh’s question is cautious. After
all, with God all things are possible.[121] Bowen observes that there is no indication of the tone of Ezekiel’s
response: Did he snort in disbelief and derision? Did he state his answer with
bold assurance? Did he respond with the indifference of depression?[122] Then we see that Yahweh obviously knows the answer to this question when
He commanded Ezekiel to prophesy over these bones, for Yahweh’s breath to enter
into these bones so that they can live again.
In the prophecy, Ezekiel describes the reverse of the decomposition process,
where bones assembled together first, then the sinews appear, muscles mount and
skin covers over them. While prophesying, the bones already started rattling, and
because there are many, it sounded like an earthquake as they come together.[123] And everything came together as prophesised. But there was no breath, the
essential element of life.[124]
So Yahweh asks Ezekiel to prophesy to the רוּחַ, and רוּחַ coming from the four corners[125] of the earth blows into these slain, we see a process like the first
creation of humans in Genesis 2:7.[126] Yahweh’s goal in reviving these bones is not simply the biological
reconstitution of the body or the restoration of physical life, but also spiritual
revival.[127]
Why have the slain not been properly buried? The answer is found in the
covenant curses. It is the ancient Near Eastern practice to throw bodies out
into the open to be eaten by wild animals especially to those who had broken
contracts and treaty oaths.[128] So the dry bones represent the public defeat of a vast army, due to
Israel’s public unfaithfulness.[129]
The breath set the slain on their feet: The dead rise not because they are
reconstituted biologically, but because Yahweh has infused them with breath.[130] The notion of this new life is carried forward in the term “חַיִל army,
strength”, where they become an exceedingly great army.[131]
At this point, Yahweh revels to Ezekiel what the vision means: that these bones
are the people of Israel, a people whose hope had dried up to the point where
they felt cut off from the rest of humanity.[132] There is the death of hope, and “we have been cut off” refers to a loss of
life. The metaphor of death is typical of the psalms of lament and
thanksgiving.[133] Yahweh’s
performs a public act of faithfulness by giving His breath to the slain and
restoring life.[134]
V12-14 involves a significant shift in the visual metaphor. The bones
strewn about the valley have disappeared and been replaced by bodies buried in
graves.[135] This is a message of hope for Ezekiel’s compatriots.[136] Yahweh addresses the people he is raising from the graves as “my people”
and will bring these people to the ground of Israel. So we see that they will
be reconstituted not only as a nation in their hereditary homeland but also as
the people of Yahweh.[137] Israel will know Yahweh through this “resurrection.” The experience of
resurrection is both metaphorical and literal. It is metaphorical because it is
not about revived dead bodies, but about the re-formation of the nation. It is
also literal because the nation of Israel was dead. There were no borders, no
capital, no king, and no subjects. The literal re-formation of the nation would
be every bit as unforeseen and miraculous as bodies arising from graves.[138] This unit ends in a formula for a divine oath: Yahweh stands behind this
promise of restoration.[139]
Preaching theme:
Ezekiel’s vision of
the resuscitated dry bones offers his compatriots powerful declarations of
hope, that there is life after death and there is hope beyond the grave. But
this vision of the resuscitation of dry bones is not only for the nation of
Israel. The valley represents the whole world, and the bones represent the
entire humankind under the curse of death for rebellion against God.[140] The exiles despair, “our hope is lost.” They
probably felt completely “cut off” from family, from friends, from meaning, and
from life itself. There is nothing a person can do to make resurrection happen,
because those in graves are unable to help themselves. They must rely on some
other power to raise them up. Resurrection is a gift from God.[141] This
text is useful as a sermon of hope and salvation in Christ[142] for the spiritually dead, with a metaphorical
illustration of the eschatological outpouring of the Spirit in the last days,
fulfilled in Christ. It can provide inspiration today for those
persons and organisations committed to the tasks of reconnecting fragmented relationships
and bringing wholeness to those broken in body and soul. It is a vision of
God’s intention for wholeness and reminds us that what was possible for Israel
is possible even today.[143]
Appendix 1: Sermon Outline 1
Title:
A scroll as sweet as honey
Introduction:
l Show a
photo of scroll cakes from the website: http://www.eatascroll.com.au/
l In the
Bible, Ezekiel and John were asked to eat a scroll that tasted as sweet as
honey in their mouths. What comes to our minds when we hear the term “eating
the scroll”?
l Show a
picture of Ezekiel swallowing a scroll.
l Did
Ezekiel actually eat a papyrus scroll? Or was this simply a visionary
experience?
Scripture: Ezekiel 3:1-15
Exegesis
l Yahweh
commands Ezekiel to eat the scroll, which Ezekiel obediently does, and it
tastes as sweet as honey.
l The
meaning of בֶּן־אָדָם֙: a human representative,
distinct from God, and the first of many who are to follow his receptiveness of
the word.
l Yahweh
tells Ezekiel that he is not being sent to foreigners, but to the people of
Israel.
l The people
of Israel will not listen to Ezekiel because they have very hard foreheads and stubborn
hearts. The resistance is probably not to the future possibility of God’s
judgment against them, but to the explanation for why God has judged them.
l Yahweh
will equip Ezekiel the resources needed for this commission by making his
forehead as hard as the people, so that he will not pay attention to the people’s
rebellious responses.
l The רוּחַ lifted Ezekiel up and Ezekiel was bitter
and angry in his spirit.
l Ezekiel
gets transported supernaturally by the hand of Yahweh to the dwelling places of
the exiles. He sat there devastated for seven days.
Application
l The
commission narrative offers vital information on the relationship between God
and those whom he calls into his service.
l Must have
a clear vision of the one who sends him or her, with a firm conviction.
l Must be
empowered and energised by the infusion of God’s Holy Spirit.
l Must be
inspired by the message of God. Not just hearing, but digesting, internalising,
incorporating, embodying and living the message.
l Must
recognise that the calling is not to success but to faithfulness. Every aspect
of the call remains under the sovereign control of God, especially the results,
and apparent effectiveness is no proof of calling. Ezekiel’s original audience
just saw him as an entertainer and did not take him seriously.
l Challenges
the notion that “bigger is better.” The primary goal of one’s ministry to bring
glory to God by preaching and modelling the message he has been given, no
matter the consequences.
Appendix 2: Sermon Outline 2
Title:
Can these dry bones live?
Introduction:
l Show a
photo of salmon fish bones.
l One day, I
was translating Ezekiel 37 from Hebrew to English for my exegesis assignment. I
was eating salmon for lunch. Looking at those fish bones, I suddenly thought of
the strange behaviour of salmons.
l Show a
video clip of an army of salmon swimming upstream, getting eaten by grizzly
bears: https://youtu.be/0NcJ_63z-mA
l Salmons
are very unusual fishes that go against the flow and swim upstream to spawn so
more salmons can be born! It is dangerous because they are persecuted by the
grizzly bears, so some are martyred in the process. But from the video you can
see there are a whole army of them, so there is enough getting through to give
birth to new salmons. If they do not go through this process, there will not be
new salmons and they go extinct! We see a similar thing happening in the
history of the church where people have risked their lives to carry out the
great commission so more can be saved.
Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-14
Exegesis:
l The
shocking visual experience of a valley of unburied dry bones for a priest.
l The
strange question of Yahweh, “can these dry bones live?”
l Yahweh
commands Ezekiel to prophesy over these dry bones and we see the reverse
decomposition process.
l Not just
physical revival but spiritual revival too: still no life without רוּחַ. Yahweh’s רוּחַ is needed to make these slain stand on
their feet and become an exceedingly great army.
l Yahweh
reveals that the slain are the people of Israel. These people’s hope have dried
up like the bones.
l So the
public defeat of a vast army, due to Israel’s public unfaithfulness, has been
followed by Yahweh’s public act of faithfulness in restoring life.
l Shift in scenery:
revival of bodies buried in graves, a restoration of the territory
and relationship with Yahweh. Ending with a divine oath: Yahweh stands behind
this promise of restoration.
Application:
l Think of
the time when we did not know Christ.
l Christ and
the gift of salvation: whole person restoration on a personal level by the Holy
Spirit.
l Transformation:
The fruits of the Spirit and their role in the restoration of relationships.
l Spread of
the gospel: Restoration of communities, transformation of the nations in
history. Sacrifices made by the apostles, martyrs, missionaries etc.
Bibliography:
Allen, Leslie C. Word Biblical Commentary Ezekiel 1-19.
Dallas: Word Books Publisher, 1994.
Allen, Leslie C. Word Biblical Commentary Ezekiel 20-48.
Dallas: Word Books Publisher, 1990.
Andrew, Matt. Chapel,
Morling College, May 16, 2017.
Baker, John A. The Foolishness of God. London: Darton,
Longman & Todd, 1970.
Block, Daniel I. The Book of Ezekiel Chapters 1-24. Grand
Rapids: William B Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1997.
Block, Daniel I. The Book of Ezekiel Chapters 25-48.
Grand Rapids: William B Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1998.
Block, Daniel I. By the River Chebar. Eugene: Cascade
Books, 2013.
Block, Daniel I. Beyond the River Chebar. Eugene: Cascade
Books, 2013.
Bowen, Nancy R. Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries: Ezekiel.
Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2010.
Duguid, Iain M. Ezekiel: The NIV Application Commentary.
Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999.
Greenberg, Moshe. Ezekiel, 1-20. Garden City: Doubleday
& Company Inc, 1983.
Joyce, Paul M. Ezekiel: A Commentary. New York: T&T
Clark, 2009.
Kelle, Brad E. Ezekiel: A Commentary in the Wesleyan
Tradition. Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 2013.
Lyons, Michael A. An Introduction to the Study of Ezekiel.
London: Bloomsbury, 2015.
Odell, Margaret S. Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary: Ezekiel.
Macon: Smyth & Helwys, 2005.
Renz, Thomas. The Rhetorical Function of the Book of
Ezekiel. Boston: Brill Academic Publishers, 1999.
Sloane, Andrew. OT633
Lecture, Morling College, March 8 2017.
[1] Daniel I. Block, By the River
Chebar (Eugene: Cascade Books, 2013), 5.
[3] Joyce, Ezekiel: A Commentary, 170. I
did not include a passage from chapters 25-32 because I have chosen to cover
chapter 38, which are also oracles addressed to nations other than Israel and
Judah.
[4] Block, By the River Chebar,
17.
[5] Block, By the River Chebar,
18.
[7] Daniel I.Block, The Book of
Ezekiel Chapters 1-24(Grand Rapids: William B Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1997),
9.
[8] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 83.
[9] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 77.
[10] Block, The Book of Ezekiel Chapters
1-24, 80.
[11] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 82.
[12] Joyce, Ezekiel: A Commentary, 66. Cf. Ps 137:1 “By
the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered
Zion.”
[13] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 84. It is unclear whether “by the Chebar Canal” means that
Ezekiel was personally beside the waterway at the time of the vision, or if the
expression serves simply as a general designation for the region where the
Judean exiles were settled.
[14] Brad E. Kelle, Ezekiel: A
Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 2013),
56. The “glory/presence of Yahweh” plays a key role throughout Ezekiel,
appearing nearly 20 times in the book.
[15] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 106.
[17] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 14.
[18] Block, By the River Chebar,
11.
[19] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 14.
[23] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 272.
[25] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 359.
[30] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 520.
[33] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 521.
[34] Block, By the River Chebar,
12.
[35] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 267.
[38] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 392.
[40] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 436.
[44] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 746.
[45] Nancy R. Bowen, Abingdon Old
Testament Commentaries: Ezekiel (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2010), 8. Son
of man/human-one/mortal: noun ms construct (בֵּןson, descendant), noun ms absolute
(אָדָםman, people). אָדָם is more used to speak of
human in general. “Characterised by” sense, meaning he’s an Adam-like person.
This occurs 93 times throughout the book.
[47] “This” is omitted in LXX.
[48] noun fs ( בֶּטֶן belly, womb, inner self),
suffix 2ms, verb hiphil imperfect 2ms jussive meaning apocopated (אכלfeed) shortened jussive form, because when the third person
imperfect verb is first in its clause, it is Jussive. Which makes it a command/“let”.
Can pick stomach first or belly first, either fine.
[49] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 125. noun mp construct (מֵעֶהbelly, inner parts, bowels,
internal organs), suffix 2ms, verb piel imperfect 2ms (מלאto fill, complete, finish, fulfill, perform, carry out). The
redundancy here is obvious. Twice Yahweh commands the prophet to ingest the
scroll, and twice the prophet obeys. This repetition is an Ezekielian pattern. To
avoid repetition of the same word, if we pick stomach as first word then pick
belly as second word, vice versa. Intestines not as good in this case because
you can’t really feel it.
[50] particle preposition, noun ms (דְּבַשׁhoney), particle
preposition (לְon
לְמָתֽוֹק could be treated as a לְof
reference), adjective ms (מָתוֹקsweet). “It was like honey, in respect to sweetness”, construing מָתוֹקas a noun.
[51] adjective mp (עָמֵק
unfathomable, unintelligible, deep), noun fs (שָׂפָה
lip, speech, edge), particle conjunction, adjective mp construct (כָּבֵדheavy, liver, hard), noun (לָשׁוֹןtongue, language).
[52] כִּ֡י לֹא usually expresses an antithesis, “but”. But this is unlikely here on
contextual and grammatical grounds, since the antithetical comments begin in
v7. It can function as an expletive, introducing a conditional clause.
[54] Moshe Greenberg, Ezekiel,
1-20 (Garden City: Doubleday & Company Inc, 1983), 69. adjective mp construct (חָזָקstrong, stout, mighty,
hard), noun ms absolute (מֵצַחbrow, forehead). Greenberg relates the “hard forehead” to the
English word effrontery, which comes from the Latin “out+forehead”.
[55] adjective mp construct (קָשֶׁהhard, difficult, heavy, difficult, shameless), noun ms absolute (לֵבheart).
[57] Leslie C. Allen, Word
Biblical Commentary Ezekiel 1-19 (Dallas: Word Books Publisher, 1994), 4. verb
niphal imperfect 2ms (חתתto be dashed to pieces, be struck down, be terrified), because of
their face: the way the people’s face look, another words, “do not be
intimidated by their facial their expression.”
[58] juxtaposition of two imperatives is sometimes a tone of urgency,
eg. now go.
[59] particle conjunction, particle conjunction (if), verb qal imperfect
3mp (חדלend, stop, discontinue, give up). “or if they cease” better
translated as “not”.
[60] Nancy R. Bowen, Abingdon Old
Testament Commentaries: Ezekiel (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2010), 9. רוּחַ breath, wind, spirit. What type? A sudden gust
of wind? Or the Spirit of Yahweh, the Holy Spirit?[60] A human
energy? The word is capable of bearing more than one nuance.
[61] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 134-135. “Blessed be the glory of the
Yahweh” vs “as the glory of Yahwah rose”: verb qal passive participle ms (ברךblessed, to kneel). A century and a half ago Hitzig proposed that MT
ברך represented a scribal corruption of berum “as
[it] rose”. However since the versions all agree with MT, the error must have
occurred prior to 2nd century BC.
[64] Different רוּחַ: רוּחַ lifting Ezekiel up vs Ezekiel’s רוּחַ being angry. Here it is רוּחַ of motivation/mind.
[65] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 135-136. While תֵּל אָבִיב translates literally “mound of spring produce,” as a
Mesopotamian toponym it is derived from til abubi, “mound of the flood
[debris]. This name may have been applied to the present site in the aftermath
of the Chaldean destruction.
[66] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 137. Verb hiphil participle ms absolute (שׁמםmake deserted, desolate, make disconcerted, awestruck). Ezekiel was
stunned: sitting for seven days in the midst of the exiles.
[67] Bowen, Ezekiel, 12. Bowen thinks “stunned” is an understatement. Elsewhere NRSV
translates the same verb as “horrify” (20:26), “desolation” (30:12, 14), and “appalled”
(32:10). In the noun form it is used throughout Ezekiel to describe “desolated”
land. I think devastated seem to be a
better term.
[68] And where they were sitting, there I sat for seven days, devastated
in their midst (kethib translation) vs and I sat where they were sitting. And there
I sat devastated among them seven days [qere translation]: I think kethib
sounds smoother.
[69] Bowen, Ezekiel, 8.
[70] Bowen, Ezekiel, 11.
[71] Thomas Renz, The Rhetorical
Function of the Book of Ezekiel (Boston: Brill Academic Publishers, 1999),
140.
[72] Bowen, Ezekiel, 11.
[73] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 125.
[74] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 126.
[75] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 128.
[76] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 129.
[77] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 129.
[78] Bowen, Ezekiel, 11.
[79] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 14.
[80] Andrew Sloane, OT633 Lecture, Morling College, March 8 2017.
[81] Bowen, Ezekiel, 11.
[82] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 129.
[83] Margaret S. Odell, Smyth
& Helwys Bible Commentary: Ezekiel (Macon: Smyth & Helwys, 2005),
46.
[84] Odell, Ezekiel, 47.
[85] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 133.
[86] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 136.
[87] Allen, Word Biblical
Commentary Ezekiel 1-19, 43.
[88] Allen, Word Biblical
Commentary Ezekiel 1-19, 17.
[89] Bowen, Ezekiel, 12.
[90] Allen, Word Biblical
Commentary Ezekiel 1-19, 17.
[91] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 14.
[92] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 130.
[93] Renz, The Rhetorical Function,
138.
[94]Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-24, 131. It is for this reason that the reaction of the
prophet’s audience is hardly ever related and their words are only once
directly quoted (24:19).
[98] Odell, Ezekiel, 454. This unit begins with the formula that introduces each of Ezekiel’s
other visions.
[99] Daniel I. Block, The Book of
Ezekiel Chapters 25-48 (Grand Rapids: William B Eerdmans Publishing Company,
1997), 373. The phrase בְר֙וּחַ֙ יְהוָ֔ה occurs elsewhere in the
book only in 11:5, where the falling of the Spirit of Yahweh upon Ezekiel is
followed by a command to prophesy.
[100] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 372. The particleהִנֵּ֖ה, which can mean “behold” or “look” and is common in dreams and
vision reports.
[102] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 374. In dreams, וְהִנֵּ֙ה expresses a strong emotional reaction to an awesome sight. The
phrase וְהִנֵּ֙ה רַבּ֤וֹת מְאֹד֙ highlight Ezekiel’s
amazement.
[103] הִנֵּ֖ה: Can be immediately impending
action. Something Yahweh’s about to do? Or is Yahweh is drawing attention to
something he’s going to do?
[104] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 376. The shift in meaning of ר֖וּחַ from v1 is obvious. It is difficult to decide whether it should
be interpreted as “spirit” or “breath”. I think “breath” will be match the
subsequent verses better.
[106] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 376. noun fs absolute (bone), particle preposition (to,
into, towards), noun fs construct (bone), suffix 3ms. עֶ֖צֶם אֶל־עַצְמֽוֹ Literally means “a bone
to its bone”.
[108] verb qal passive participle mp absolute (הרגkill, slay, slaughter), particle article, adjective both plural
absolute (these).
[109] particle adverb (מְאֹדpower, might, to the highest
degree, very), particle adverb (twice meaning emphasis)
[110] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 369. The niphal is used occasionally in a derived sense of
persons being cut off from the rest of humanity.
[111] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 282. אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה
דִּבַּֽרְתִּי is the divine self-introduction formula “I am Yahweh, I have
spoken”. “I, Yahweh, have spoken,” obscures the self-introduction formula.
[112] Odell, Ezekiel, 455. verb qal waw consec perfect 1cs (to do, make, act), noun ms
construct (utterance, declaration, decision), noun proper. The concluding
recognition formula ends in a formula for a divine oath.
[113] Renz, The Rhetorical Function,
128.
[114] Bowen, Ezekiel, 227.
[115] Odell, Ezekiel, 454.
[116] Leslie C. Allen, Word
Biblical Commentary Ezekiel 20-48 (Dallas: Word Books Publisher, 1990), 184.
[117] Odell, Ezekiel, 454.
[118] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 372.
[119] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 374.
[120] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 374.
[121] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 375.
[122] Bowen, Ezekiel, 227.
[123] Bowen, Ezekiel, 228.
[124] Allen, Word Biblical
Commentary Ezekiel 20-48, 185.
[125] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 377. The source of הָר֔וּחַ “the breath” is אַרְבַּ֤ע רוּחוֹת֙, “the four winds,” meaning “the four
directions.”
[127] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 375.
[128] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 377.
[129] Matt Andrew, Chapel, Morling College, May 16, 2017.
[130] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 379.
[131] Allen, Word Biblical
Commentary Ezekiel 20-48, 186.
[132] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 369.
[133] Allen, Word Biblical
Commentary Ezekiel 20-48, 186.
[134] Matt Andrew, Chapel, Morling College, May 16, 2017.
[135] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 379.
[136] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 381.
[137] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 369.
[138] Bowen, Ezekiel, 228.
[139] Odell, Ezekiel, 455.
[140] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 392.
[141] Bowen, Ezekiel, 229.
[142] Block, The Book of Ezekiel
Chapters 25-48, 392.
[143] Bowen, Ezekiel, 230.
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