.. FEED 210/213 Mentoring Through The Old Testament/Major Prophets SESSION 8B: EZEKIEL Dr P. Marshall Bartley Christian Church: 19 Sept 2015

Learning objectives  Be able to explain where Ezekiel fits into the history of the OT and the OT canon  Describe the man Ezekiel, and how he relates to his God, his people and his world  Identify key themes in the Book of Ezekiel and what these tell us about God and His purposes  Develop applications from Ezekiel on how to live as an “exile” in a world that is not our final home

Introduction to Ezekiel  The destruction of Jerusalem with its Temple & ritual, the end of the monarchy, and exile are the dominating events  We see events unfolding from the perspective of an exiled community  Life in exile had “positives & negatives”  Understanding the religious, social, political & historical aspects is vital  Understanding Ezekiel the man is vital

Historical, Social, Political & Religious Background  The Judeans under Babylonian rule are able to maintain their identity in exile  In exile they experience peace of a sort and grow in numbers. They devote themselves to:  Reflecting on how they came to be in exile  Redaction of the pre-exilic scriptures

Historical, Social, Political & Religious Background The exiles devote themselves to:  Writing  Judaism: “The people of god went into exile as Israelites and came out Jews”  Missionary (ethical) monotheism: The God of Abraham is now the God of all the earth

The world of Ezekiel

Date & Author  605BC first exile (Daniel)  597BC second exile Ezekiel  593BC God calls Ezekiel the priest ?aged 30 to be a prophet  586BC Shift from judgement to hope  571BC End of Ezekiel’s ministry

Symmetry in Ezekiel  The desecrated temple fit for destruction  The God of wrath  A watchman of God’s judgment  The mountains of Israel are rebuked  The restored and purified temple.  The God of comfort  A watchman of God’s new people  The mountains of Israel are consoled

Style  Prose rather than the poetry of most prophecy  Priestly proclamation (legal, conditional)  Visions  Symbolic acts  Parables

Ezekiel the prophet  Born a priest; called to be a prophet  Creative, courageous, communicator  Like Jeremiah, a man of sorrows  Great mind; keenly interested in priestly concerns, eg. purity & holiness  A watchman  A shepherd

Major themes in Ezekiel  Sovereignty of God  Scope of God’s Reign  Judgment of God  Glory of God

Major themes in Ezekiel  Son of man  A New People: A New Heart (“mind”) & a New Spirit “Though the word ‘grace’ is not used here, the whole passage is a portrait of sovereign grace at work, for it is all founded in the wholly unmerited initiative of God. The catalogue of divine activity encompasses every aspect of Israel’s loss and need” (Chris Wright)

Reflection on Ezekiel The book begins with a vision of the Lord to Ezekiel in Babylon. It concludes with a vision of God’s presence in the Temple in Jerusalem. The final overarching promise of the book of Ezekiel and the heart of Biblical faith is expressed in the new name of the city “The LORD is there” (48:35).