READ IT! - Introduction to Ezekiel 1-5

Introduction to Ezekiel 1-5

Context of Ezekiel 

Ezekiel’s name means “God strengthens.” Ezekiel was exiled to Babylon along with 10,000 other high-ranking people in the second of three deportations that took place by the Babylonians against Judah. He lived in the land of Babylon near the Kebar River. He probably served in the Jerusalem Temple before being deported and may have been in line to be a priest. His vision of God’s portable throne in the land of Babylon is significant because it showed that God was not limited to His Temple in Jerusalem – God would continue to be with His people in captivity and would never leave them. 

Chapters 1-3 

The first three chapters describe Ezekiel’s call and commission. Ezekiel’s first vision came to him at age 30. He was by the Kebar River in Babylon at the time. And he saw four dazzling beings, resembling a lion, an eagle, a man, and an ox. They moved as the Spirit of God directed them. He also saw four dazzling wheels far up in the air that moved about like the beings. He heard a voice and saw a radiant being on a throne. And Ezekiel fell on his face in God’s presence. And God commissioned him to be a prophet. He was told he was being sent to “a stubborn and rebellious house.” At this point in the vision, Ezekiel eats a scroll which contains list of all the people’s sins, with writing on both sides. The scroll tastes “sweet as honey” to Ezekiel.

Ezekiel then visited and “walked among” the exiles at Tel Abib, and God warns him he will face many troubles. “Tel Abib” means “heap of ruins.” 

Chapters 4-5 

Chapters 4-24 are made up of Ezekiel’s oracles of judgment against Judah. He accompanies the oracles of chapters 4-5 with symbolic actions.

First, Ezekiel lays on his side and stares at a brick for 430 days, and he draws a picture of the city of Jerusalem on the brick, and he builds little model ramparts and battering rams around it to symbolize the lengthy siege of Jerusalem. God tells him to cook his food over human excrement during this time, but Ezekiel requests cow dung instead and God consents. After Ezekiel’s 430 day object lesson with a brick, God told him to shave off his hair and to divide it into thirds. He burns one-third of the hair inside the model city. He stabs at one-third of the hair outside of the model city. And he throws one-third to the wind. God told him to save a tiny bit of hair that was left over. The different hairs represent the different people yet to be affected by the total destruction of Jerusalem.