Homiletics Study: Exile & Return
Lesson 01 Passage: Ezekiel 1 & 2
Content (List of Topics or Events)
Word of God Comes (Ezekiel 1:1-4) 1. Time & Place – 30th year, 4th month and 5th day by Kebar River – heavens opened and visions of God (1) 2. On 5th month and 5th year of exile of King Jehoiachin in Babylonia – hand of Lord was on him (2-3) 3. Ezekiel sees a windstorm from north a. Cloud with flashing lightning (4a) b. A brilliant light surrounds cloud (4b) c. Center of fire looked like glowing metal (4c) | Living Creature and Wheels (Ezekiel 1:5-21) 1. Living creatures body described (5-9) a. Form of human with four faces and four wings (5-6) b. Legs were straight, feet like calf and gleamed like burnished bronze (7) c. Wings on four sides had human hands and touched each other (8-9a) d. Moved straight ahead and didn’t turn as they moved (9b) 2. Human face, right-side-Lion, left-side -ox, eagle) (10-11) 3. Appearance (burning coals) and movement (straight as spirit moved) lightning-like movement (12-14) 4. Intersecting wheels beside creatures like topaz, high awesome rims with eyes all around them (15-18) 5. Creatures and wheels moved in unison as spirit led (19-21) | Voice of the Lord (Ezekiel 1:22-2:10) 1. Crystal vault above creatures (22) 2. Sound of wings like rushing water like voice of Almighty (23-24) 3. Voice coming from vault from a figure like a man who look like fire with brilliant light surrounding Him like rainbow 25-27) 4. Appearance like glory of Lord; seeing Him Ezekiel falls face down (28) 5. Lord says to Ezekiel standup; Spirit raise him (2:1-2) 6. Ezekiel sent as prophet to stubborn Israelites to say “This is what the sovereign Lords says” (2:3-4) a. Whether the listen or not they will know a prophet has spoken (2:5) b. “Son of Man” do not be afraid of them or their words (2:6) 7. Speak God’s words and don’t rebel… open mouth; eat what God’s given words of lament, mourning and woe (2:7-10) |
Divisions (Main Blocks of Thought)
Keep the Words Word of God Comes | Ezekiel 1:1-4 |
Living Creature and Wheels | Ezekiel 1:5-21 |
Respond to the Words - Come to Jesus | Ezekiel 1:22-2:10 |
Subject Sentence (Summarizes the contents of the Divisions – No more than 10 words)
Exiled Ezekiel experiences angelic majesty with God’s instructions for Israelites. |
Aim (Main Teaching Point of the Passage)
CTATL God cares for even stubborn and obstinate providing a voice to bring them back to Him. His word must be faithfully shared without fear. |
Application Questions
In what ways are you being made aware of God’s presence in your circumstance? |
How do you recognize our awesome God? |
How do you commit to consuming God’s Word and making it part of yourself? |
Principles to Remember
God cares for us in judgment |
Spirit leads to action |
Voice of Lord is in God’s Word |
Characteristic of God
Caring Father |
Theme
God comes to Ezekiel with indescribable care with words for His stubborn and obstinate people. |
