A Sunday Reflection on Zeke

Sunday, August 23, 2015
Reflections on the Book of Ezekiel

I have just come from a reflection session held at Grace Episcopal Church, Traverse City, Michigan USA where a group gathered today for coffee and reflection about the Prophet Ezekiel - the man and his message - to the Exiles of the people of God in Babylon. (the Community)

Some of my reflection today is based on John J. Collins in his 2nd edition of this work, “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible”, Fortress Press, © 2014, ISBN 978-1-4514-6923-3.

We have Ezekiel (Zeke) part of the first wave of deportation to Babylon where as a young priest he is trying to interpret to the people why this Exile is happening to them. As a priest, Zeke does not separate the moral nature of the universe with the traditional worship practice of the Community. Both are not separated and are normative to the individual and the Community.

With nearly 40 references to dates, leads me to the conclusion that Zeke was a real person sent to the Community to restore them to relationship to God. One of my author friends sitting around the table did note to us that this would be a great literary devise by an author not necessary the prophet.

This is an adult book and nuanced beyond the young person of the faith. I cautioned our group that we can NOT forget why God was acting in judgment against the community. God is a spurred lover of the people and has been that way for generations and has had it. So the flow of the book truly understands the “why” of the judgment to make sense of the judgment and the promise of restoration.

The format is Zeke having a series of vision from God, Zeke is told how to illustrate or act out this vision, Zeke does it, and then God comes back to interpret the vision.  The visions, oracles, actions in Zeke’s life serve as a living illustration of the point God is trying to make with the Community in horrific, dramatic, and very violent ways at times. It is unfortunate the feminine images used in the work have to be viewed as the view of women in that past, particular culture with no bearing to the modern era.  The reading of Zeke’s book is not for the faint of heart.

The visions and wonders that Zeke tells the Community call for repentance at all levels including the individual, the Community, our culture, nation, and world. This individual’s relationship with God has impact at all levels and interaction that the person has with their surroundings in life including the whole world/universe.

Collins outlines this work:
            Chapters 1 – 11 => Visions of the glory of God
            Chapters 12 – 24 => Judgment oracles
            Chapters 25 – 32 => Oracles against the nation
            Chapters 33 – 48 => Prophesies on consolation and restoration

The imagery and acting by Zeke leads him sometime be a “Street Actor”, sometimes the artist, sometimes at a high personal cost like losing his wife, and acting contrary to the norm of the Community.

We find in Ezekiel a story of judgment and God’s need to come back to relationship using all art forms available to Zeke to communicate as he tells the word of the Lord to the Community.

Left with that, how do we see and hear the visions that God is giving us today to transform our community and world?

Pray for peace and that all may know God!


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