Saturday 11 February 2023

Background

This latest vision ends on a more optimistic tone – at least for the future. The first 13 verses of chapter 11 tell of the final round of destruction. It appears to Ezekiel as though God is going to wipe out even the remnant of Israel. This prompts a great cry of anguish from Ezekiel (v. 13).

In response to this, God speaks words not just for Ezekiel, but for all Ezekiel’s kinfolk. No matter what has happened, there is the reminder that the elders and all the people of Israel remain united with Ezekiel as one family and are still part of the ongoing story of God.

God’s word of encouragement is that, though they have been scattered far and wide, God has remained a sanctuary for them. The phrase, ‘for a little while’ (v. 16), could be translated, ‘to some extent’. Their experience of God in exile may not be of the same character and quality as in the Temple in Jerusalem, but neither is it completely extinguished. Those in exile were to learn that God wasn’t limited to the Temple. Even the bitter experience of exile could be a sacred space.

Yet it wasn’t just in the land of exile that they could hope to encounter God. They were also given the further off hope that one day they would return to their own land. This return would also signal a transformation within the remnant. The old ways that had brought about such catastrophe would be no more. The covenant between God and God’s people would be renewed, and their hearts would be changed as though from stone to flesh.

Despite this hope, the vision ends on the harsh reality of the present. The glory of God that had been moving out of the Temple now leaves the city entirely. It ascends the Mount of Olives and then departs. There may be hope of renewal in the future, but it is as though God has left Jerusalem to its own fate. Those left in Jerusalem who appear to boast in verse 15 that God has given them the land when the others were taken off into exile, will shortly experience how wrong they were. This is a case of renewal deferred.

To Ponder:

• · The sense of place was really important for the people of Ezekiel’s day. How does the place where you worship impact your encounter with God? Where has been the most surprising place you have discovered you were in a sacred space?
• · Some people have described our current situation for Christians in the UK as like living in exile. What lessons can we learn from Ezekiel and his compatriots?
• · What helps maintain hope and patience when it feels as though God has departed?

Prayer

God of yesterday, today, and for ever, give us the strength and hope to keep journeying with you and one another. Amen.