Weekly Meditations: Ezekiel 1

Ezekiel 1

While in Babylonian captivity sitting alongside a river, Ezekiel has a vision. He sees the throne of God on a chariot, a mobile throne if you will. He describes the four living creatures who guide the “wheels” of the throne. He then sees the throne and someone who looks like a man seated above the throne. Ezekiel describes this figure as half fire and half bright light. Then he tells us what he saw, “appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord”. What Ezekiel does not see is God nor does he see the glory of God itself. Rather, he sees what the likeness of God’s glory would be if he saw even just the likeness of God’s glory. Even this vision of something that wasn’t the actual thing is enough to make him fall facedown. 

Let’s think about this for a moment. Ezekiel is seeing what God’s glory would look like if he saw it. He just doesn’t stand in awe, he falls facedown, the only appropriate response to this vision. How encouraging this must have been for Ezekiel, knowing that God was with him even in a foreign nation. He wasn’t home, he was in a strange land and seeing God’s presence being mobile was a sign that God was still with him and his people. We can also see that God shows Ezekiel this vision before he speaks to him. Ezekiel sees God’s glory which prepares him for the message he is about to receive which is a very difficult message. Seeing God’s glory and understanding who God is helps prepare Ezekiel for his mission. We also need to take this into consideration before we do work for God. We may not receive a startling vision like Ezekiel, but we can read His word and know who God is and pray that God would reveal himself to us in a way we never thought he could.