The Glory of God

O. T. #1865 "The Glory of God"

January 21, 2021

Ezekiel 8

LET IT GLOW

Who am I? Folks, I am so unworthy to speak on the topic of God's glory today. However, we can't skip over it. I am a child of God through the blood of Jesus and pray for His guidance today.

This vision occurred to Ezekiel a year and 2 months after the first vision in 1:1. The hand of the LORD ushered the prophet into a series of visions (verse 3) stretching to the end of chapter 11. (MacArthur)

In verse 2, Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord, as in 1:26-28. Glory means splendor, honor in the Hebrew language.

Ezekiel was sitting in his own house in Babylon with the elders of Judah who sat before him. (verse 1) No doubt they were seeking a word from the Lord. (verses 1-3)  Matthew Henry says it could have occurred on the Sabbath day, as the men came to hear the word from the prophet and join with him in prayer and praise. There was no Jewish temple nor synagogue, neither priest nor altar where they were. Others say it was an extraordinary occasion when the elders visited Ezekiel to enquire of the Lord. (Isn't it ironic now that Judah was in captivity and the elders chose to seek the Lord?) Note that Ezekiel does not tell the elders about his vision until chapter 11.

The description Ezekiel gives in verse 2 is  the same as the one in 1:27. It is probable that it was the same person, the man Christ Jesus. Then there appeared to him a glorious figure comprised of fire from the waist down who gleamed of amber from the waist up. (verse 2)

Jesus showed Himself  in holiness and purity by fire, in all His splendor. He appeared to Moses in the burning bush, at the cleft of the rock, and in the Tabernacle in the wilderness. God's presence was seen by the people in the cloud by day and the fire by night during their walk in the wilderness, as well at Mount Siniai. It is usually referred to as the Shekinah, which is from the Hebrew root word for to dwell or abide since God dwelt with the people.

It was no ordinary God who entered the Tabernacle; it is the Shekinah glory. Who is the King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. The LORD of Hosts, He is the King of Glory. (Ps. 24:8-10)

Later, God dwelt above the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle, where He met with Moses.  (Exodus 25:22) The Tabernacle was a temporary Temple of worship that could be transported from place to place. In the Temple, only the purified high priest could only enter the Holy of Holies once a year, on the Day of Atonement when offer the blood sacrifice for the Jews sins, sprinkling it on the Mercy Seat.

Throughout the Old Testament, having the Ark of the Covenant with the Jews was very important. It represented God's presence with the Jews.

Now this is the same Jesus that Paul (2 Cor. 12) and John (book of Revelation) saw in their visions in the New Testament. It was when they were taken into the third heaven.

As a Christian, we have God's presence with us in the form of the Holy Spirit in our soul. He speaks to us what the Father tells Him to say. Also, He convicts us of our sins. Only those who believe in Jesus, who have repented of their sins, and asked Him into their life will have the indwelling Spirit to guide us. Friend, are you one of us? 

LET IT GROW

The sights that Ezekiel saw in these visions were the abominable kinds of idolatry currently practiced in Jerusalem by those not in exile. It happened in the very Temple built for the worship of the Lord God of heaven. The visions Ezekiel saw and would see were not a mere hallucination, but was of the Lord, of which he was convinced. Jesus showed this prophet was happening and why He was departing the Temple. Ezekiel and you and me can understand it as we read through each sight next post. 

When man practices idolatry he either refuses to recognize God at all, or at best places Him alongside the many lesser gods. When man fails to give due recognition and worship to God, he then becomes a law to himself. Whatever he wishes to do he may then have a rational reason for so doing. It is for this reason that the first and greatest of commandments is Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. (Exodus 20:3)  (Liberty Bible Commentary)

Friends, it is time for us to do some serious soul searching. As God to show you if there are any idols in our life, anything that we hold more important than God or spend more time with. I may not be a statue, but it can be an object that we hold dear or a person we hold so important. Who or what are we loving today? Is it God first or something else? 

Let's continue to pray for our nation. So many have turned from God and His ways for us to life holy lives.

LET IT GO

May we love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind, and with all our strength.

Then we are to love our neighbor as our self.