Messages of the Prophets: Ezekiel

This will complete my evidence gathering in the Prophets.

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Ezekiel 1 -- he sees the glory of the LORD in hyper-symbolic fashion. He is in Babylon. 

2:5 -- Israel is a rebellious people

2:10 -- lament, mourning, woe

3:7 -- Israel is hardened and obstinate

Chapter 3 -- God is trying to use Ezekiel to turn Israel from its sin (hope)

4:6, 17 -- sins of Israel have brought judgment

5:6 -- rebelled against God's laws (love God)

5:9 -- idols (love God)

6:3 -- high places

6:11, 13 -- detestable practices, idols

7:4 -- detestable practices

7:19 -- their silver and gold will become useless, mighty will fall (24)

8:3, 10 -- Lord jealous of idols in Jerusalem

8:14 Tammuz

9:9 -- land full of bloodshed and injustice (concrete wrongs to others), bringing judgment

Chapter 10 -- the glory departs from Israel

11:2 -- people plot evil and give wicked advice

11:12 -- they have not followed God's laws

11:17 -- God will bring them back (hope)

11:21 -- idols (love God)

Chapter 12 -- judgment is coming

Chapter 13 -- against false prophets; 13:20 magic charms, encouraged the wicked (13:22)

14:3-4 -- idolatry among the leaders, but God wants them back, 6 (love God, hope)

14:13 -- unfaithfulness

Chapter 15 -- judgment

Chapter 16 -- Israel has been unfaithful, served other gods, sacrificed your children to other gods (love God)

16:36 -- gave your children's blood to idols

16:39 -- your fine jewelry

16:49 -- did not help the poor and needy (social justice)

Chapter 17 -- judgment on the covenant-breaking king of Judah (covenant was with Babylon)

18:5-9 description of the righteous person -- no idols, no adultery, no oppression, social justice, feeds hungry, clothes the naked, no stealing, honest judging

18:10-13 description of unrighteous person -- opposite, violent, adultery, oppresses poor, idols...

Chapter 19 -- a lament

20:8, 28 -- Israel served idols

20:12-13, 16, 20, 24 -- desecrated God's Sabbaths (love God)

20:24 -- Israel did not obey God's laws

20:41 -- God will restore them (hope)

Chapter 21 -- because of your sins (e.g., 24)

22:3-4 -- you shed blood, turn to idols (concrete wrongs, love God)

22:6-12 -- use power to shed blood (violence), dishonor parents, oppress foreigner, mistreat fatherless and widow (social justice), desecrate Sabbaths, sexual immorality, exploit poor

22:29 -- poor, foreigner denied justice (social justice)

Chapter 23 -- Israel has been unfaithful, idols, sacrificed their children (37, 39), defiled sanctuary and didn't keep Sabbaths (38), shedding blood (45)

Chapter 24 -- seige of Jerusalem, for its bloodshed (7)

Chapter 25 -- judgment on Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia

Chapter 26-28 -- judgment against Tyre

28:16 -- violence

28:18 -- dishonest trade

28:25 -- but Israel will be restored (hope)

Chapter 29-32 -- judgment on Egypt

30:13 -- against idols

33:25 -- eat meat with blood still in it, idols, shed blood, adultery (26) (concrete wrongs, love God)

33:31 -- greedy for unjust gain (social justice)

34:4 -- have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, search for lost, but have oppressed (social justice, oppression)

34:23 -- restore David (hope)

Chapter 35 -- judgment on Edom

36:8, 24 -- Israel will come home (hope)

36:18 -- violence, idols (love God)

Chapter 37 -- the dry bones will live again (hope)

Chapters 38-39 -- judgment on Babylon. restoration of Israel (hope)

Chapters 40-46 -- restored temple and its practices (hope)

44:7 -- You brought uncircumcised into my sanctuary

45:9 -- End your oppression and violence (concrete wrongs toward others)

Chapter 47-48 -- a river will flow from the temple, the land will be restored (hope)

Summary

Like Jeremiah, Ezekiah is primarily full of judgment on Israel for its past sins, the greatest of which are going after other gods. The need to serve God is thus primary.  There are also clear messages of hope, especially at the end of the book. Israel's sins also included its oppression, its violence, its failure to bring justice to the poor, the fatherless, the widow, the foreigner. It also has themes that are unique or less common in the other prophets, purity and the need for Sabbath observance.