Creative Space for Wanderers
Read: Today we begin by reading a lament, a dirge of sorts, to help the people remember that what they once had is gone. Not so good. Then we follow up with clear examples of rebellion and God’s judgment against the people at that time, not some distant future. Lord, help us learn! Chapter 19 …
Read: Two very different chapters, one a parable, the other offers encouragement to parents. Two Eagles and a Vine Two powerful leaders are portrayed in this parable as mighty eagles that pluck the top-most shoot from a choice cedar tree and plant them in fertile soil near water. The first was Nebuchadnezzar and the second was …
Read: Comparing Jerusalem to a burnt vine, one that produces no grapes and is therefore useless, is rather tame compared to the graphic novel presented in chapter 16. The detailed description provided here is disturbing. I can only imagine the message given to those in Ezekiel’s time did not go over well. In fact, if …
Continue reading “Ezekiel’s Allegories: Burnt Vine and Adulterous Wife”
Read: Ezekiel is told to demonstrate what the exile will look like: “Therefore, son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in the daytime, as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another place. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious people. Most will not understand, most …
Continue reading “Ezekiel Symbolizes the Exile of Jerusalem”
Read: Detestable practices are revealed graphically to Ezekiel through a vision that once again evokes thoughts of sci-fi movies. Ezekiel must have been an incredible artist–just by the way he describes visions. Artists have a different way of looking at things. Chapter 8: Idolatry in the Temple Ezekiel has another vision, like a continuation of …
Read: Ezekiel is given visual aids to help us appreciate what is going on in the closing days of Jerusalem as the center for the glorious people of God. It’s difficult to appreciate the difficulty. Seriously. The gravity of the situation is far removed from our current circumstance, but we must never forget the wrath …
Read: The world was turning upside down during Ezekiel’s ministry. Major power shifts were in play as Assyrians are defeated by the Babylonians and Medes, then the Egyptians assert their influence as our ancestors were defeated over and over again. It was a particularly bad time to be a prophet, especially on the heals of shifting …
Read: These five Hebrew acrostic poems1 lament the fall of Jerusalem (though the fifth is not officially an acrostic). Probably written by Jeremiah, we are invited to weep the loss of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians. Like one attending a funeral, my words are few. It’s more important to listen to those who mourn …
Read: The last chapter in Jeremiah parallels 2 Kings 24:18-25:21 and then 2 Kings 25:27-30. It appears here as an historical appendix, perhaps repeated as a reminder, I’m really not sure. The count of the people in exile is incredibly small: 4,600 people in all. This tiny number sheds new light on the term remnant! …
Continue reading “Historical Appendix — The Fall of Jerusalem”
Read: Except for the last chapter, these closing chapters of Jeremiah include words specific to nations that surrounded our ancestors at that time, with a pretty consistent theme: y’all is about to get destroy’d! Those that have held tight to their gods and their idols will not escape the wrath of God. : A Message About Egypt. But …