Friday December 8
Ezekiel 1:1-13, 2:1-10 Ezekiel’s call
to be a prophet
In the thirtieth year, in the
fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the
river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. On the fifth
day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin), the
word of the Lord came to the priest Ezekiel son of Buzi,
in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was on him there.
As I looked, a stormy wind
came out of the north: a great cloud with brightness around it and fire
flashing forth continually, and in the middle of the fire, something like
gleaming amber. In the middle of it was something like four living creatures.
This was their appearance: they were of human form. Each had four faces, and
each of them had four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their
feet were like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like burnished
bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the
four had their faces and their wings thus: their wings touched one another;
each of them moved straight ahead, without turning as they moved. As for the
appearance of their faces: the four had the face of a human being, the face of
a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of
an eagle; such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each
creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two
covered their bodies. Each moved straight ahead; wherever the spirit would go,
they went, without turning as they went. In the middle of the living creatures
there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving
to and fro among the living creatures; the fire was bright, and lightning
issued from the fire.
He said to me: O mortal,
stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you. And when he spoke to me, a
spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; and I heard him speaking to me.
He said to me, Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of
rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have transgressed
against me to this very day. The descendants are impudent and stubborn. I am
sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ Whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a
rebellious house), they shall know that there has been a prophet among them.
And you, O mortal, do not be afraid of them, and do not be afraid of their
words, though briers and thorns surround you and you live among scorpions; do
not be afraid of their words, and do not be dismayed at their looks, for they
are a rebellious house. You shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or
refuse to hear; for they are a rebellious house.
But you, mortal, hear what I
say to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth
and eat what I give you. I looked, and a hand was stretched out to me, and a
written scroll was in it. He spread it before me; it had writing on the front
and on the back, and written on it were words of lamentation and mourning and
woe.
****
How this is still within many of us today. We are stubborn and are so
afraid to pay attention and listen to what GOD is saying to us. But then when
we do listen we tend to still ask why? To do what GOD is asking us to do is so
easy when you think about it. Who knew I was going to do what I am doing for
our church today? 74 years old and still replacing light bulbs…I am so blessed
and glad that I paid attention. I may not be a Prophet, but I am his servant!
Prayer: Lord we ask you to help us understand and listen when you ask! Watch over
us ALL and give us the will power to do what you ASK of US!
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