Today, we turn to the Book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel was both a priest and a prophet. He served for more than twenty years, from about ten years before the people of Judah were carried off into exile, until well after they were in living in Babylon. His message started as one of impending judgment, and then turned to a message of hope for the future, including the famous vision of Israel and the valley of dry bones. As we read this prophet’s message, it will at times seem like a replay of Jeremiah, but overall Ezekiel offers more hope than the “weeping” prophet.
Ezekiel 1 offers us one of the most spectacular visions in the entire Bible! Ezekiel sees a “creature” who seems like four different creatures, who has heads with the facets of a person, an ox, a lion, and an eagle. The creature also has wheels under it, and all four of the creatures move in synchrony wherever the Spirit leads. This creature has an expanse above it, and fire flows from it. We see by the end of the chapter that the creature is the LORD.
The LORD calls Ezekiel in chapter 2, and we read repeatedly that he is to speak the words message to a “rebellious” people and he is to continue to present the message whether they receive it or whether they don’t. At the end of the chapter the LORD gives Ezekiel a scroll, and as he reads it he finds words of lamentation and woe. As with Jeremiah, Ezekiel’s message will be a message no one wants to hear.
In Ezekiel 3, the LORD gives Ezekiel a scroll to “eat” and as he does it tasted sweet in his stomach. The meaning is the message was pleasing to him. The LORD said the message would be easy for the people to understand, but they would not listen, because they are a rebellious people. As the LORD’s message continues the creature picks Ezekiel up and takes him to Tel-Abib as he does he is so overwhelmed he is unable to speak for seven days. The message Ezekiel receives is that he is to be the LORD’s “watchman.” He offers Ezekiel a principle: if the LORD pronounces condemnation on the one who sins, but Ezekiel doesn’t present the message, the man shall die in his sin, and Ezekiel will be held accountable for the man’s blood, but if Ezekiel tells the man of his sin, and he does not repent, the man will die, but Ezekiel will be innocent of his blood. In the same way if a righteous man is turning to evil, but Ezekiel doesn’t correct him, he will die, and the blood will be on Ezekiel, but if Ezekiel warns him and he sins anyway, the blood of the man will be on himself. This is a key principle, which the Apostle Paul picks up on nearly 600 years later when he tells the Ephesian elders he has been faithful to tell everyone the message of salvation in Jesus and is therefore innocent of “every man’s blood.” The chapter ends with the LORD telling Ezekiel he is going to be bound, and will obviously be mistreated, because his tongue will stick to his mouth so he won’t be able to speak for a time. Then he will be able to speak again, but the people won’t hear, because they are a rebellious people.
In Chapter 4, the LORD tells Ezekiel to make a brick and put it in front of himself. He is to place “siege works” against it, and to put a skillet before it to show it is under siege. Then he is to lie on his left side for 390 days to symbolize Israel being exiled for 390 years. Then he is to lie on his right side for 40 days to symbolize Judah being in captivity for forty years. While he is doing this, he is to eat sparingly, and drink sparingly to show the hardship of the people during their times of captivity.
As we return to Matthew 16, The Pharisees and Sadducees come to Jesus and ask Him to show them a sign. Jesus responds that an evil generation seeks a sign, and the only sign they will receive is the sign of Jonah. That sign is just as Jonah was three days in the belly of a great fish, so Jesus will be three days in the tomb. After this Jesus told His disciples to beware of the “leaven” of the Pharisees. At first, the disciples thought Jesus was reprimanding them for not bringing any bread, but then Jesus reminded them how he had fed thousands of people twice with only a few loaves of bread. Then they realized Jesus was talking about the teaching of the Pharisees as their leaven. Next, Jesus and the disciples went to Caesarea Philippi and Jesus asked them who people said He was. Then who did they say He was? Peter answered that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God. Jesus affirms Peter for this truth, which was revealed to him by the Heavenly Father. Then, He tells the disciples not to tell anyone. Next, Jesus tells the disciples He is going to Jerusalem where He will be arrested, and ultimately crucified, but then He will rise again. Peter rebukes Jesus for saying such a thing. Then Jesus rebukes Peter for being “Satan,” and for thinking of things from a human perspective rather than God’s perspective. This shows us that a person can be mightily led by the Lord in one moment, and then turn the opposite direction the next.