God’s Glory Through the Prophets Part three

Ezekiel 37, Revelation 21:1-4, 2 Corinthians 6 

The book of Ezekial, at first glance, is weird, confusing, vague and filled with unfamiliar imagery to the modern day American reader. The prophet Ezekial was actually a priest living in Jerusalem during the first attack of Babylon and second deportation of exiles in 597 BC. The first part of the book is Ezkeial obeying God by performing prophecy through actions of his own life. For example like God tells Ezekial to lie on his side and eat food cooked over human poop to say, “In this way the sons of Israel will eat their bread unclean among the natons where I will scatter them.” (Ezekial 4:13). Seems intense, right? 

Yet, we must remember that God is using Ezkeial for an important purpose - to show Israel the depth of their defilment of their covenant with the Most High God. It was so bad that God shows Ezekial a vision of God departing the temple because of the sin and corruption happening in Jerusalem (Ezekial 10). But what does this have to do with God’s glory and Christmas?

God uses all prophets to remind Israel who he is - that he is the God of glory. So much so that he uses them, especially Ezkeial who prophesizes a lot about the future and the end times, to point to a better future. And here is what I want us to get to - after reading Ezekial and Revelation we are God’s people and our purpose is to know him.

“And then they will know that I am the Lord”

That is what God is saying and he wants us to know him deeply and intimately and that can happen because of Jesus! Jesus’ birth is worthy of great joy and worship because of the reconciliation that is done through his life, death and resurrection. We read Ezkekial and resonate with the feeling of dry bones being brough to life so that we may commune with God because that is each and every one of our stories. Not only that is voices of a coming day where God’s glory will be our light and we will be there - face to face - with our God. Oh what a truly glorious day that will be. So this Christmas season we rejoice in what has been done and wait expectantly to what is to come.

Wonder:
Why is it so easy for us to forget to intentionally know God? Repent of those reasons

How can you know God today?

How can what you learned or how you communed with God lead you to worship Him?