Daily Devotions
Ezekiel
"The heat of my spirit"
Text: Ezekiel 3:14
THE SPIRIT OF EZEKIEL
When God created us, He gave a physical body. He also gave us a spirit. While all of us understand the physical part, few fully understand the human spirit.
“So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away,
and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit;
but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.
Then I came to the captives at Tel Abib,
who dwelt by the River Chebar;
and I sat where they sat,
and remained there astonished among them seven days.”
Ezekiel 3:14-15
1. The physical lifting up.
a) Ezekiel saw the visions of God at the River Chebar.
b) He was most likely on his own.
c) There was now a physical lifting up.
d) Ezekiel was to experience this special work of the Spirit of God too.
2. In Tel Abib.
a) The Spirit of God took Ezekiel away to see the captives.
b) They were in the city of Tel Abib, which was not very far from the River Chebar.
3. The spirit of Ezekiel.
a) He had read all the woes that God had shown him.
b) These were the woes of his nation, Israel.
c) Israel was to be blamed for its present plight.
d) Ezekiel was bitter in spirit for he was a victim of the sins of the nation of Israel.
e) He felt the heat of his own spirit as he learned more about the sins of Israel.
3. Control of the spirit of Ezekiel.
a) The hand of the LORD was strong upon Ezekiel.
b) The spirit of Ezekiel must be brought under control.
c) This was vital if he was to be effective in his ministry.
4. Astonishment felt.
a) The hand of the LORD had to temper Ezekiel’s spirit.
b) The bitterness gave way to “astonishment”.
c) For a full week, the Spirit of God must have given further enlightenment
to Ezekiel.
d) Being angry and bitter would not serve the purpose of God.
e) Ezekiel must learn deeper spiritual lessons before he is ready to minister
to the captives in Tel Abib.