A few months ago (although it feels like way longer than that), I led a Bible class on Ezekiel. I was familiar with the book, but I had not spent any significant time studying it.
I think, in our present situation, one of the more simple messages conveyed in Ezekiel is especially meaningful.
1Â In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. 2Â On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin), 3Â the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the Chebar canal, and the hand of the Lord was upon him there.
Now, there's a lot of scene-building taking place in these first three verses. So, let's break down quickly what's happening here.
The "thirtieth year" is probably referring to Ezekiel's age when he has this prophetic vision.
Judah has been attacked by the Babylonian Empire. Ezekiel is residing at the Chebar Canal (River Chebar). There are others with him, probably consisting of mostly political/religious figures.
This was the method of deportation in the Ancient World. You take those with power out of their country (like priests, kings, etc.), so they could not incite rebellion.
Judah is under Babylon's control, but Jerusalem and the Temple have not been destroyed.
Where exactly does this take place? Two leading schools of thought:
Syria/Mesopotamia, branching off of the Euphrates River, flowing from Babylon.
Modern scholarship disagrees with this stance and suggests that it is instead Iraq, near Nippur.
And while all of that is important to understanding the context of Ezekiel, I'm most interested in one verse.
Yes, it's true that Ezekiel is an exile under the rule of a pagan empire. He has been taken from his home; he has been taken from the Promised Land of his ancestors. The place established for his people. He has been separated from the Temple. He can no longer go into the presence of God. He can't do his priestly duties. He is probably feeling abandoned, hopeless, maybe even defeated.
But something beautiful happens in verse 3. The heavens open and the word of the LORD comes to Ezekiel. Despite everything that has happened, despite all the ways in which God's people have messed things up, God is still with them. He visits them.
God comes to His people, even in the middle of exile. God comes to His people, even in the middle of quarantine and pandemic.
You can rest in that promise today and every day. Amen.