The Traditions That Ezekiel Used

Each tradition has distinctive ideas about sin and holiness. In P, the Temple is the primary locale of holiness, and in H, it is the land. Ezekiel seems to straddle the two viewpoints: Chapter 8 through 11 focus on the holiness in the Temple, and chapters 40 through 48 focus on the holiness in the land in its concern to arrange the tribal allotments around the Temple in the center. His priestly outlook is consistent. For him, Israel's sin consisted in defiling the sanctuary (5, 11), in committing "abominations" (a term used in worship, e.g., 5, 9; 7,4; chapters 8 and 11), and in worshipping images (14, 3-5). An important metaphor for him is the priestly one of uncleanness (e.g., 20, 30-31; 22, 26; 36, 18). Uncleanness plays an important role in the long allegory of the two sisters in chapters 16 and 23, and in his attack on against the mountains, corrupted by the people's abominations. In chapter 18, Ezekiel gives a priestly torah, or teaching, on the question whether the guilt of one generation is passed on to the next.

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The Traditions That Ezekiel Used

The most important traditions of Ezekiel are priestly, although it is difficult to trace exactly all the antecedents of his vision in the existing priestly traditions in Exodus 25-31 and 35-40 (the tabernacle with its equipment and rituals). Leviticus, and Numbers 1 through 10. There are similarities in Ezekiel to the so-called Holiness Code (Lv 17-26), a collectrion of laws concerned with the holiness of the people and the land they are entering. Examples of such similarities are the phrase, " for I, the Lord, am your God" (Lv. 26, 2; in Ezekiel, " I am the Lord") as a motive to act rightly, and the mixing of "ritual" and "moral" laws (e.g., Lv.19). Some scholars distinguish two traditions in Leviticus, a "priestly code" in chapters 1 through 16 (abbreviated P) and a "holiness code" in chapters 17 through 26 (abbreviated H).

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The Traditions That Ezekiel Used

In contrast, the ancestor of Zadok, Phineas, had shown himself a zealous defender of orthodox worship, and so it is only fitting that his descendants, the Zadokites, are made priests in the renewed liturgy. One may also note that the mountain in chapters 40 through 48 is associated with Mount Sinai; chapters 40 through 48 is the only body of law not uttered by Moses; and Ezekiel plays the role of Moses providing the plans for a Temple and arranging for the encampment of the tribes. To Ezekiel is revealed the blueprint of the divine dwelling, as it was to Moses in Exodus 25, 9. The purpose of the revelation on the mountain in Ezekiel is right worship and the proper ordering of the community, the same purpose as the legal material in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers.

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The Traditions That Exzekiel Used

The warrant for demoting one group and promoting another was apparently inspired by the people's apostasy and punishment in Numbers 25. Phineas, of the line of Aaron, killed the apostates and it was reckoned "for him and for his descendants after him the pledge of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous on behalf of his God and thus made amends for the Israelites" (Nm 25, 13), A true priest rejects all foreigners in worship. The Levitical priests had been lax in excluding them from preexilic worship (Ez 8-11; 44, 10-14).

The Traditions That Ezekiel Used

Another instance of the centrality of the Exodus is found in the account of the new temple-city and worship in chapters 40 through 48. Ezekiel 45, 7-17, 21-25 and 46, 1-18 speak of the (Hebrew nasi) instead of the king. Why? Because, it seems, the prophet wants to return to the ideals of the Exodus period, before there was a king. In ancient tradition, the nasi was the leader of each tribe in the march in the desert (Nm 2 and 7). Another indication of the importanace of the Exodus is Ezekiel's demotion of the Levitical priests and promotion of the Zadokites (44, 6-16; 48, 11).

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The Traditions That Ezekiel Used

The prophet must unmask the false hopes that have deluded the people up to this point. He could not allow even the Exodus, the sacred moment of foundation, to be a source of pride. Israel was unfaithful even then. The people's only hope was the Lord, and in the last part of chapter 20 (vv. 33-44) Ezekiel outlined in glowing terms how the Lord, with a dazzling display of power, would enter into judgment with the people and lead them in a new exodus.

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The Traditions That Ezekiel Used

Why did Ezekiel radically devalue the revered traditions of the Exodus? The elders consulted him in 591 (20,1); in four years the siege would begin that will bring down Jeruusalem and the Temple. Ezekiel had to prepare the people to believe that the destruction would be the Lord's doing...

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The Traditions That Ezekiel Used

Ezekiel employed several traditions: the Exodus (especially the building of the tabernacle with its kabod, "glory") and the wilderness journey; Israelite and ancient Near Eastern traditiions about the Temple and temple-city; and mythological traditions about the creation and maintenance of the world.

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Ezekiel 25

Judgment began at the house of God, and therefore with them the prophets began, who were the judges; but it must not end there, and therefore they must not. Ezekiel had finished his testimony which related to the destruction of Jerusalem. As to that he was ordered to say no more, but stand upon his watch-tower and wait the issue; and yet he must not be silent; there are divers nations bordering upon the land of Israel, which he must prophesy against, as Isaiah and Jeremiah had done before; and must proclaim God's controversy with them, chiefly for the injuries and indignities which they had done to the people of God in the day of their calaminty.

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Chapter 24 (Intro)

Here are two sermons in this chapter, preached on a particular occasion, and they are both from Mount Sinai, the mount of terror, both from Mount Ebal, the mount of curses; both speak the approaching fate of Jerusalem. The occasion of them was the king of Babylon's laying siege to Jerusalem, and the design of them is to show that in the issue of that siege he should be not only master of the  place, but destroyer of it. 1. By the sign of flesh boiling in a pot over the fire are shown the miseries that Jerusalem should suffer during the siege, and justly, for her filthiness (v.1-14). II. By the sign of Ezekiel's not mourning for the death of his wife is shown that the calamities coming upon Jerusalem were too great to be lamented, so great that they should sink down under them into a silent despair (v. 15-27).

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Ezekiel 20:5-9

The history of the ingratitude and rebellion of the people of Israel here begins as early as their beginning; so does the history of man's apostasy from his Maker. No sooner have we read the story of our first parents creation than we immediately meet with that of their rebellion; so we see here it was with Israel, a people designed to represent the body of mankind both in their dealings with God and in his with them.

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Ezekiel 20:10-26

The history of the struggle between the sins of Israel, by which they endeavoured to ruin themselves, and the mercies of God, by which he endeavoured to save them and make them happy, is here continued: and the instances of that struggle in these verses have reference to what passed between God and them in the wilderness, in which God honoured himself and they shamed themselves. The story of Israel in the wilderness is referred to in the New Testament (1 Co. 10 and Heb. 3), as well as often in the Old, for warning to us Christians; and therefore we are particularly concerned in these verses.

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Ezekiel 47:1&2

The rise of these waters. He is not put to trace the streams to the fountain, but has the fountain-head first discovered to him (v.1): Waters issued out from the threshold of the house eastward,and from under the right side of the house, that is, the south side of the alter. And again (v.2), There ran out waters on the right side, signifying that from Zion should go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, Isa. 2:3. There it was that the Spirit was poured out upon the apostles, and indued them with the gift of tongues, that they might carry these waters to all nations.

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Ezekiel 48:35

Christ has opened the kiingdom of heaven for all believers. Who ever will may come and take of the water of life. of the tree of life, freely. The name given to this city; From that day when it shall be newly-erected according to this model, the name of it shall be, not, as before, Jerusalem--The vision of peace, but wich is the original of that, and more than equivalent to it.Jehovah Shammab--The Lord is there, v.35

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Ezekiel Chapter 17 verses 22-24 (Introduction)

When the royal family of Judah was brought to desolation by the captivity of Jehoiachin and Zedekiah it might be asked, "What has now become of the covenant of royalty made with David, that his children should sit upon his throne for evermore? Do the sure mercies of David prove thus unsure?" To this it is sufficient for the silencing of the objectors to answer that the promise was conditional. If they will keep my covenant, then they shall continue. Ps. 132:12. But David's posterity broke the condition, and so forfeited the promise. But the unbelief of man shall not invalidate the promise of God. He will find out another seed of David in which it shall be accomplished; and that is promised in these verses.

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Ezekiels Sermon: The fugitive from Jerusalem

Ezekiel 33:21&22

  On the fifth day of the t

enth month, in the twelfth year of our exile, the fugitive came to me from Jersalem and said, "The city is taken!"

   The hand of the Lord had come upon me the evening before the fugitive arrived, and he opened my mouth when the fugitive reached me in the morning. My mouth was opened, and I was dumb no longer.

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