Filed under: Christ in the Old Testament
Over the past few weeks I’ve been going through Ezekiel in my quiet time, which has been a great education. There are many reasons why not many of us would want to be in Ezekiel’s shoes. But there are maybe some reasons why we should feel quite jealous. Because he has some incredible encounters with Christ that leave us in little doubt that the way God the Father does business with Ezekiel is through his Son.
Ezekiel 40:2-4 left me reeling with excitement when I read it yesterday. Try this: ‘In visions of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city. He took me there and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze; he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. The man said to me ‘Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here.’
Strangely similar to Daniel’s vision of a man ‘dressed in linen, with a belt of gold around is waist…his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze..’ Daniel 10:6
Let’s get a further idea of Ezekiel’s experience…
Chapter 1 Verse 3
‘the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest…’ (John makes it clear that Jesus is the eternal word of the Lord in his prologue, who has always made the Father known. Click here for further discussion of this. )
Further…
Verse 25
‘Then there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire…this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.’
Ezekiel reaches the awesome conclusion that this is the one who is the ‘appearance of the likeness’, the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15) who makes God known.
This man, Christ, then goes on to call Ezekiel and instruct him.
Chapter 3:22
‘The hand of the Lord was upon me there, and he said to me, “Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.” So I got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the LORD was standing there like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell face down.’
Points to note:
· The word in chapter 1 of Ezekiel ‘by the Kebar river’ has now been confirmed as this man, if we were in doubt!
· This is one who is known as the glory of the Lord, who is worshipped. We must bear in mind that we know that it cannot be the Father because he is invisible (John 1:18).
In chapter 43:2 his voice is described as being ‘like the rushing of waters’, the same as John’s description of Christ in Revelation 1:15.
There is so much there in Ezekiel! But its already been a very long post. Hopefully though we can see that Christ is the word of the Lord- the glory of the Lord- the man sent and forever calling his church to himself, warning the world of his judgement and holding out the promise of the Lord’s everlasting covenant.
It’s interesting that many of us ministers see ourselves often as being on the front line. It’s not surprising then that many of our congregation aren’t as excited as they could be about sharing the gospel at work, school, in leisure activities and the rest of their daily lives.
In one sense those in the pastoral ministry have the most awesome privilege. We get to preach God’s word and to minister to the flock and spear-head the churches mission depending on our varying gifts. But there are many senses in which our work is behind the scenes work. In terms of mission, we are joining with the church members in their mission to their colleagues. Providing the pit stop. The place where they can refuel and feed on Christ on a Sunday.
It’s our job not to make the congregation think that they are coming on a Sunday to make our ministry effective, but that we are ministering to them in part at least to make their ministry effective. A ministry of every member, where people are fired up for Jesus and ready on a Monday to tell their friends. We have after all been sent into the world by Jesus (‘As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.’ John 17:18 )
I remember how in sixth form we would arrive into school after our regional youth meeting chomping at the bit to tell people the gospel. One time we even put posters up in the school common room, which as a youth worker I now see as a daring task! Why? Because we knew we had been equipped.
In 2 Timothy chapter 3:16-17 Paul says to Timothy ‘All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.’
So we are in the business of equipping! The other day I was reminded of this. We’ve just got back from a camp for youth called Taunton 1 where we praise God for the fruit we saw in lives- some growing, others meeting Christ for the first time. It was an awesome privilege to serve on a wonderful team united in Christ, among wonderful young people. I was reminded and humbled by the response of some of the young people in a seminar I gave, who demonstrated a genuine love for their school and desire to reach their friends. I think we should remember the awesome nature of the work we have to do as preachers and teachers, but it strikes me also that we need to be looking outwards as well and not seeing preaching as an end in itself. The true sense of being servants of the church is to equip the church and part of that is remembering where the front line is.
From ‘The Love of Jesus’ (Valley of Vision- Puritan Prayer Collection)
‘…My heart melts at the love of Jesus,
My brother, bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh,
Married to me, dead for me, risen for me;
He is mine and I am his,
Given to me as well as for me;
I am never so much mine as when I am his,
Or so much lost to myself until lost in him;
Then I find my true manhood.
But my love is frost and cold, ice and snow;
Let his love warm me,
Lighten my burden,
Be my heaven;
May it be more revealed to me in all its influences
That my love to him may be more fervent and glowing;
Let the mighty tide of his everlasting love
Cover the rocks of my sin and care…’
These guys definitely knew how to pray. These past few months my wife and I have been inspired through the prayers from this book that have inspired the CD by the same title, released by Sovereign Grace Ministries. Its well worth getting a hold of if you haven’t already got it. There is this awesome song that we recently used on our youth camp to help explain the Trinity that is addressed to Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Those of us who wish to see the church become more Trinitarian will love it I’m sure!
Anyone been listening to any good worship music recently? I’m always interested to hear of any good Jesus centered songs for congregational singing that people have come across.
