Thursday 16 February 2017

Psalm: Psalm 107:1-16

Background

Having received his first vision Ezekiel has been taking hismessage to the exiled community living in Babylon, presumably notwithout some effect despite the dire warnings at his commissioning.We know this because Ezekiel was visited by the elders of Judah inhis own house (Ezekiel 8) and it is then that he has anothervision. He is taken by a figure that looks like a human being tothe temple in Jerusalem where he is shown idol worship undertakenby various people.

In today's passage, six angelic figures are summoned who eachcarry some kind of weapon, whilst among them is a man dressed inlinen. His clothing suggests a priestly role and he is carryingsome kind of 'pencil case'. At this point, the glory of the Lordwhich was normally thought to reside in the holy of holies insidethe temple now goes to the threshold of the temple. It seems thatthe glory of the Lord is about to depart because of the idolworship going on there.

Meanwhile, the man with the 'pencil case' has been given a task.In a scene reminiscent of the Passover (Exodus12:7) he is told to put a mark on the forehead of those whogroan and mourn over the abominations taking place in the temple.And in the following verses (Ezekiel 9:5-7) we are told that the six go outand kill those who have not been marked in this way.

The mark placed on the foreheads was the last letter of theHebrew alphabet, which in the oldest script is written as X.Needless to say, Christian writers have made much of this althoughit would not have meant this to the original Jewish readers.

To Ponder

• What do you think causes God to grieve and mourn over today? Doyou share that grief?

• Ezekiel was recognised as a prophet by his community. Who doyou recognise as a prophet today?