Ezekiel chapter 1

Yes, you read right. I may be here for some time. Especially given this will get interrupted by sermon prep and stuff.

vs 1

Forgive me if I don't know what year Ezekiel was born, so this does make for a slightly difficult dating system. No doubt if you are really interested, you'll look it up somewhere. The nub of the matter is that this is during exile. So it's a sucky time. Although I guess any time is a good time to get a vision from God - and exile possibly the best time.

vs 2

There we go, see, that gives us a much better date. Good man, Ezekiel!

vs 3

So Ezekiel is a priest. That's good to know. And we now even know that where he is is in the land of Babylon. So that's pretty exiled.

vs 4

I'm not quite sure where the fire came from. But it's apparently red or white hot, and glowing. Which is pretty cool. The storm itself we assume is part of the vision. You imagine a whirling maelstrom of cloud and lightning, and tell me you don't think it's something to do with God, and God being all powerful.

vs 5

These four living creatures do a whole lot for God in visions. Now remember, part of the reason we're reading Ezekiel (in Bible study, and hence why I'm reading it here) is because we want to learn about Revelation better, and Penny refused to let us do Revelation without doing Ezekiel. So here we are with four creatures. They look kind of human - which is not my recollection of the ones in Rev, but hey, four is four, and creatures are creatures.

vs 6

See, that's just pretty messed up right here. What does the number four signify? Something, surely. Four wings I'd say means they can move around all over the place. Four faces? Seeing lots, perhaps? I don't know, I think eyes do that job. Four faces just makes them freaky.

vs 7

Yeah, okay. Sometimes you just have to admit you don't know what something means, and it just looks impressive. Bulls are a symbol of power, calfs I would think less so - although having said that, what did Israel make as an idol of God? A calf. So there you are. And bronze is a powerful alloy used in the manufacture of weapons. It's easy to forget we are talking iron age here I think, 593BC or so apparently, and so bronze is a symbol of strength I reckon.

vs 8

Freaky! Serious freak alert. I do not want to meet these things in a dark alley, or in a fiery windstorm of lightning for that matter.

vs 9

They're almost marching in angelic formation - wingtip to wingtip, not turning to the side as they move straight ahead. You read all this, and come on - even if you don't get all the imagery, just on the face of it the picture is one of power.

God is powerful, even when his people are in exile. Comforting thought.