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!
d+
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