April 24, Ezekiel 10
Then the glory of the LORD went out from the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim. And the cherubim lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth before my eyes as they went out, with the wheels beside them. And they stood at the entrance of the east gate of the house of the LORD, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them. - Ezekiel 10:18-19
The mysterious vision of the wheels, creatures and cherubim from Chapter 1 is back in Chapter 10. The particular parts of the image defy explanation. But we get the idea that this all-seeing, freely-moving-everywhere-in-all-directions image is the presence of the glory of God himself. But the likeness of the Lord's presence conveys a very different message in this chapter. It first appeared to Ezekiel, who was with the other captives in Babylon. There it signified that God was not restricted to the temple, to Jerusalem or the nation's boundaries.
The Lord showed Ezekiel that he was there in Babylon with his people. They were suffering severe discipline, but God had not forsaken or abandoned them. However in Chapter 10, the presence of the Lord appears back in Jerusalem. Then it moves away from the temple as the destruction of the temple and the city begins.
Chapter 10 is the third of a four-chapter sequence that describes the wrath of God coming on Jerusalem. Chapter 8 tells about the idolatrous abominations that defiled the temple. Chapter 9 describes the slaughter and destruction of most of the people, with only a marked remnant being saved. Chapter 10 is focused on the glory of the Lord leaving the temple, and Chapter 11 will be about God's judgment against the false prophets who led the nation astray with their corrupted counsel.
Fire is a part of the image in Chapter 10. But this fire is not the fire of grace that accepted and consumed the sacrifices on the altar. These coals are glowing embers of the fire of God's wrath that is about to consume Jerusalem. When God commands the man clothed in linen to take the fire from within the whirling wheels, he was to scatter the burning coals over the city. The cherubim who gave him the fire did so with a hand that looked like a human hand. This fiery judgment against Jerusalem would be from God. But it would be administered by human agents God used to pour out his wrath on the unrepentant idolaters. Those human actors were Nebuchadnezzar's armies when they came into the city.
The likeness that represented the presence of God moved out of the temple and hovered outside the gate. He withdrew his presence before he released his wrath. The whole picture reminds me of some words from the New Testament book of Hebrews: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." When the LORD withdrew his presence and the fiery judgment from God came, it must have been a fearful thing indeed.
Yes, God is a merciful God. He is a patient God. But he is also a jealous God and a God of holy wrath. When people won't humble themselves and turn to him, they position themselves to experience not the tender mercies of the Lord, but the consuming fire of his wrath instead. That's a very pointed lesson for you and me. We are all sinners, but the way to live and be blessed is to turn from sin and turn to God. Jesus made that possible for all who will trust and obey him. We should not listen to whatever the world or our own flesh may tell us about disobeying God. In the end, God’s blessing is what we want, not his holy wrath.
Copyright © 2024 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—April 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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