Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Year 6, Day 138: Ezekiel 12

Theological Commentary: Click Here


Discipleship Focus: Prophet

  • Prophet: A prophet is one of the fivefold ministry categories that is used throughout the Bible and especially lifted up in Ephesians 4:11. The prophet is primarily concerned with whether or not the people are hearing the voice of God.  The prophet is also concerned about whether or not the people are responding to God’s voice.

Ezekiel is asked to live out a parable here in this passage.  He gets to pack up his bags.  Then, he gets to dig out a hole in the wall of his house in exile.  Then, he gets to carry out all of the stuff in his house through the hole. In this, Ezekiel becomes a sign to the Hebrew people regarding the impending fall of Jerusalem and the exile to the people of Jerusalem.

In doing this, Ezekiel no doubt confuses the people around them.  After all, if you saw your neighbor carving a hole in the side of their house for no apparent reason, what would you think?  But then something really neat happens.  The people start asking Ezekiel what they are doing.  He lives a prophet message and a few people start getting curious.

This is what prophets live for.  They are strange and unusual.  Prophets are often misunderstood.  But prophets live this way to see who is curious.  Prophets don’t mind being strange and unusual and unique because they know that God will use it to draw people to them.  They’ll be able to make disciples out of those who are drawn to their uniqueness in God. 

That’s what is so neat about Ezekiel’s mission.  He’s not afraid of being unusual and unique.  He also gets to reap the benefit of speaking into the lives of those who see him and who inquire about his activities.

<><

No comments:

Post a Comment