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OH, FOR AN EZEKIEL MOUTH!

OH, FOR AN EZEKIEL MOUTH!

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL

EZEKIEL is a very interesting book. The first chapter has this very amazing view of God. Yes, God is invisible, but there are passages wherein we are given a "view of God." Looking at the Lord is important, as the end of 2 Corinthians indicates. Beholding the Lord as in a mirror is the instrumentality of tranformation for a Christian (compare Romans 12:1-2). (BTW "mirror" is a figure of speech for the Word of God or the Bible.)

Ezekiel 1 may seem incomprehensible until we get to the end of the chapter and get an explanation: Ezekiel saw the Glory of God, evidently the Shekinah Glory of God, which was above the Mercy Seat (which is the lid on the Ark of the Covenant, a device covered with gold, including two cherubim as part of it). Various views are given from place to place in Ezekiel of the glory of God; first apparently in stages of withdrawal from the Temple (Ezekiel 8 & 10)and lastly coming back to the Millennial Temple at the end of the book (Ezekiel 43). Hallelujah!

There are 2 characteristics of Ezekiel’s mouth that are noteworthy: He used it to eat the Word of God, and the Lord shut tight his mouth so he could not speak.

I. EZEKIEL OPENED HIS MOUTH AND ATE

He opened his mouth and ate the Word of God (Ezekiel 3):

“8 But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee. 9 And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein; 10 And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

“1 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel. 2 So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll. 3 And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness. 4 And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. “

We simply cannot live the Christian life without the Word of God. God’s written Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our way. It should also be observed that we cannot live the Christian life without feeding on the Lord Jesus, our manna (who is also called the Word of God). The Gospel of John makes this clear in the Bread of Life discourse (see John 6). Recall that in the so-called “Lord’s prayer” it is said: “Give us this day our daily bread.”

2. THE LORD KEPT EZEKIEL'S MOUTH SHUT VS. TALKING

Secondly, the Lord shut tight Ezekiel’s mouth, except when the Lord wanted to use it. Ezekiel was evidently given particularly difficult tasks to perform. The Lord took beloved His wife away and did not allow Ezekiel to cry over it. He had his mouth sealed up and could not speak, except when God had something to say by His mouth. However, in Ezekiel 33 his mouth is unstopped.

"26 And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they are a rebellious house. 27 But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.“

“22 Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.”

Now by way of spiritual application, should not a Christian long for "an Ezekiel mouth"? Proverbs has many warnings vs. talking too much and talking bad. See James for this also. But imagine the blessing to self and others when our mouths are clamped shut, except when we have something to say which is the fruit of the Spirit?