{"id":624,"date":"2007-02-27T07:40:51","date_gmt":"2007-02-27T07:40:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/02\/ezekiel_introdu.shtml"},"modified":"2021-05-29T02:45:35","modified_gmt":"2021-05-29T02:45:35","slug":"ezekiel_introdu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/02\/ezekiel_introdu.shtml","title":{"rendered":"Ezekiel – Introduction"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’m returning to my Quiet Times after too long an absence. In the past I’ve returned out of obligation or guilt, but this time I’m actually excited to get back into it, God has been working on me. More on that later. I’ve decided to jump into Ezekiel as I haven’t done a good OT study in a long while. That ought to keep me busy for a while.
\nI’m starting, as I did with my Ephesians study, with some background info on Ezekiel.<\/em>
\nFrom Wikipedia<\/a>:
\nPrior to the 12th century, the debate was about whether it should be in the canon because of concerns that it would be misinterpreted. No reading chapter 1 in synagogue and no reading in private before you’re 30. Later debate centers on whether Ezekiel was the only author. Most acknowledge that Ezekiel was involved, but that it may have been edited and added to by scribes and other followers. It was delivered orally at first.
\nEzekiel is said to be descendant of Joshua through Rahab.
\nAccording to midrash Canticles Rabbah<\/em>, Ezekiel was who Shadrach, Miesheck, and Obednigo went to for advice on whether to defy the kings edict and risk being thrown in the furnace. God’s first revelation indicated that they would die. It was only after Shadrach, Miesheck, and Obednigo left to their fate that God revealed to Ezekiel that He would rescue them. It is also said in Jewish literature that the raising of the 3 from the dead in chapter 37 happened on the same day that Shadrach, Miesheck, and Obednigo went into the furnace.
\nEzekiel contains three distinct sections.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Judgment on Israel<\/li>\n
  2. Prophecies against various neighboring nations.<\/li>\n
  3. Prophecies delivered after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar II.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Ezekiel was originally written in the 25 year period between 593 to 571 B.C
    \nFrom     the NIV Study Bible<\/a>:
    \nThe environment & political background Ezekiel lived in:<\/p>\n

    Ezekiel lived during a time of international upheaval. The Assyrian empire that had once conquered the Syro-Palestinian area and destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel (which fell to the Assyrians in 722\u2013721 b.c.) began to crumble under the blows of a resurgent Babylon. In 612 the great Assyrian city of Nineveh fell to a combined force of Babylonians and Medes. Three years later, Pharaoh Neco II of Egypt marched north to assist the Assyrians and to try to reassert Egypt’s age-old influence over Canaan and Aram (Syria). At Megiddo, King Josiah of Judah, who may have been an ally of Babylon as King Hezekiah had been, attempted to intercept the Egyptian forces but was crushed, losing his life in the battle (see 2Ki 23:29\u201330; 2Ch 35:20\u201324).
    \nJehoahaz, a son of Josiah, ruled Judah for only three months, after which Neco installed Jehoiakim, another son of Josiah, as his royal vassal in Jerusalem (609 b.c.). In 605 the Babylonians overwhelmed the Egyptian army at Carchemish (see Jer 46:2), then pressed south as far as the Philistine plain. In the same year, Nebuchadnezzar was elevated to the Babylonian throne and Jehoiakim shifted allegiance to him. When a few years later the Egyptian and Babylonian forces met in a standoff battle, Jehoiakim rebelled against his new overlord.
    \nNebuchadnezzar soon responded by sending a force against Jerusalem, subduing it in 597 b.c. Jehoiakim’s son Jehoiachin and about 10,000 Jews (see 2Ki 24:14), including Ezekiel, were exiled to Babylon, where they joined those who had been exiled in Jehoiakim’s “third year” (see Da 1:1 and note). Nebuchadnezzar placed Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah, on the throne in Jerusalem, but within five or six years he too rebelled. The Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem in 588, and in July, 586, the walls were breached and the city plundered. On Aug. 14, 586, the city and temple were burned.
    \nUnder Nebuchadnezzar and his successors, Babylon dominated the international scene until it was crushed by Cyrus the Persian in 539 b.c. The reign of the house of David came to an end; the kingdom of Judah ceased to be an independent nation; Jerusalem and the Lord’s temple lay in ruins.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    He was eligible to serve as a priest because he was from a priestly family. His prophesy and message therefore had much to do with the temple and its ceremonies.
    \nHis message, primarily, was not one of hope but of judgement. God was judging not only his people, but the nations around them as well. That judgement was manifested in the fall of Jerusalem and only after that fall, and God’s judgement, was complete did God allow Ezekiel a message of hope for Israel.
    \nEzekiel contains more dates than any other OT book of prophesy, and so is easily dated (see above). His time of ministry coincides with Jerusalem’s darkest hour, spanning it’s destruction.
    \nThe themes of Ezekiel’s message are that God is sovereign over all, not just in Jerusalem, and that he longs to be known. The phrase “Then they will know that I am the Lord” or some variant occurs 65 times in Ezekiel. Ezekiel reveals God through his judgement on Jerusalem (chs. 1-24), on the other nations (chs. 25-32) and, eventually, through the restoration and spiritual renewal of Israel (chs. 33-48).
    \nWhile other prophets deal with Israel’s Idolatry, immorality and reliance on things other than God, Ezekiel’s message focuses on these things through the lens of a holy people with a holy temple, holy city and holy land. Israel had defiled her worship and thus defiled the temple, city and land. God could only withdraw from such uncleanliness and judge his people with national destruction.
    \nBut God is faithful to His covenant ultimately longs to save and would revive his people, cleanse them and rebuild them as a perfect expression of His kingdom. His glory would be displayed among the nations through them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I’m returning to my Quiet Times after too long an absence. In the past I’ve returned out of obligation or guilt, but this time I’m actually excited to get backRead More Ezekiel – Introduction<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nEzekiel - Introduction - salguod.net<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/02\/ezekiel_introdu.shtml\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ezekiel - Introduction - salguod.net\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I’m returning to my Quiet Times after too long an absence. In the past I’ve returned out of obligation or guilt, but this time I’m actually excited to get backRead More Ezekiel – Introduction\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/02\/ezekiel_introdu.shtml\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"salguod.net\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2007-02-27T07:40:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-05-29T02:45:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Doug Schaefer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@salguod\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Doug Schaefer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/02\/ezekiel_introdu.shtml\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/02\/ezekiel_introdu.shtml\",\"name\":\"Ezekiel - Introduction - salguod.net\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2007-02-27T07:40:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-05-29T02:45:35+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2237e297e41300051087d8791343043f\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/02\/ezekiel_introdu.shtml#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/02\/ezekiel_introdu.shtml\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/02\/ezekiel_introdu.shtml#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Ezekiel – Introduction\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"salguod.net\",\"description\":\"Stuff I Think Up\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2237e297e41300051087d8791343043f\",\"name\":\"Doug Schaefer\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d8dde291ac4514740353f4bb9cbd9418?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d8dde291ac4514740353f4bb9cbd9418?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Doug Schaefer\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/salguod.net\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/salguod\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/author\/salguod\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Ezekiel - Introduction - salguod.net","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/02\/ezekiel_introdu.shtml","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Ezekiel - Introduction - salguod.net","og_description":"I’m returning to my Quiet Times after too long an absence. In the past I’ve returned out of obligation or guilt, but this time I’m actually excited to get backRead More Ezekiel – Introduction","og_url":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/02\/ezekiel_introdu.shtml","og_site_name":"salguod.net","article_published_time":"2007-02-27T07:40:51+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-05-29T02:45:35+00:00","author":"Doug Schaefer","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@salguod","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Doug Schaefer","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/02\/ezekiel_introdu.shtml","url":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/02\/ezekiel_introdu.shtml","name":"Ezekiel - Introduction - salguod.net","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2007-02-27T07:40:51+00:00","dateModified":"2021-05-29T02:45:35+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2237e297e41300051087d8791343043f"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/02\/ezekiel_introdu.shtml#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/02\/ezekiel_introdu.shtml"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/02\/ezekiel_introdu.shtml#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Ezekiel – Introduction"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/","name":"salguod.net","description":"Stuff I Think Up","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2237e297e41300051087d8791343043f","name":"Doug Schaefer","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d8dde291ac4514740353f4bb9cbd9418?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d8dde291ac4514740353f4bb9cbd9418?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Doug Schaefer"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/salguod.net","https:\/\/twitter.com\/salguod"],"url":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/author\/salguod"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":631,"url":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/03\/ezekiel_chapter_2.shtml","url_meta":{"origin":624,"position":0},"title":"Ezekiel – Chapter 3","author":"Doug Schaefer","date":"March 5, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Ezekiel 3:5 - Oh good, a friendly audience ... Ezekiel 3:7 - ... or not. Ezekiel 3:8-9 - I like how God says, \"They are hard headed people, but don't worry, I've made your head even harder!\" God created Ezekiel, or shaped him over his life (same difference) jsut for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quiet Time Journal"","block_context":{"text":"Quiet Time Journal","link":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/quiet-time-journal"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":676,"url":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/05\/ezekiel_chapter_21.shtml","url_meta":{"origin":624,"position":1},"title":"Ezekiel – Chapter 24","author":"Doug Schaefer","date":"May 15, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Hard to think that this marks the halfway point through Ezekiel's 48 chapters. It seems like I've been reading Ezekiel for a long time and should be almost done. :-P Ezekiel 24:1 - OK, more dates. We started in Ezekiel 1:1 in \"the thirteenth year\", in Ezekiel 20:1 it was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quiet Time Journal"","block_context":{"text":"Quiet Time Journal","link":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/quiet-time-journal"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":680,"url":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/05\/ezekiel_chapter_22.shtml","url_meta":{"origin":624,"position":2},"title":"Ezekiel – Chapter 25","author":"Doug Schaefer","date":"May 24, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Thanks to Pinakidion and my friend Bill for the reminder to get back to Ezekiel. :-D Ezekiel 25:1-7 - It wasn't just Israel and Judah that he was to prophesy against. It seemed a little surprising that God would hold another nation to account for mocking His temple. At first\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quiet Time Journal"","block_context":{"text":"Quiet Time Journal","link":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/quiet-time-journal"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":651,"url":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/04\/ezekiel_14.shtml","url_meta":{"origin":624,"position":3},"title":"Ezekiel 14","author":"Doug Schaefer","date":"April 3, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Ezekiel 14 Ezekiel 14:3 - \"these men have taken their idols into their hearts\" Not only paying lip service to an idol, but taking it into their hearts. Ezekiel 14:4-5 - If you come to God, through his prophet, with idols in you heart, He will answer as if you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quiet Time Journal"","block_context":{"text":"Quiet Time Journal","link":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/quiet-time-journal"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":672,"url":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/05\/ezekiel_chapter_18.shtml","url_meta":{"origin":624,"position":4},"title":"Ezekiel – Chapter 21","author":"Doug Schaefer","date":"May 9, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Ezekiel 21:10-13 - This passage is a little confusing to me. Is the sentence in parentheses in verse 10 directed toward Ezekiel? That doesn't seem to make sense, but if not, then who? And what of verse 12, \"Strike therefore upon your thigh.\" Is He calling Ezekiel to cut himself?\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quiet Time Journal"","block_context":{"text":"Quiet Time Journal","link":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/quiet-time-journal"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":627,"url":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/03\/ezekiel_chapter_1.shtml","url_meta":{"origin":624,"position":5},"title":"Ezekiel- Chapter 2","author":"Doug Schaefer","date":"March 1, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Ezekiel 2:1 - I wonder if his first thought was \"Uh oh, I'm in trouble now.\" Mine would be. Ezekiel 2:2 - He told him to stand, yet it was the spirit that stood him up. I like that picture of God empowering & assisting him in fulfilling the command.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quiet Time Journal"","block_context":{"text":"Quiet Time Journal","link":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/quiet-time-journal"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=624"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1656,"href":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624\/revisions\/1656"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}