Daily Devotions
Ezekiel
"The word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel"
Text: Ezekiel 1:3
THE CAPTIVITY OF JEHOIACHIN
Jehoiachin was king of Judah when he was quite young (2 Chronicles 36:9 noted that he was 8 years old when he became king. However, in 2 Kings 24:8 he was inscribed as being 18 years old. Hebrew numbering makes use of the alphabet for numbers. A mere stroke can make him 8 or 18. The Septuagint text prefers the later age). In any case, Jehoiachin was exiled to Babylon. Zedekiah was made the king in his place.
“On the fifth day of the month,
which was in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity,
the word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi,
in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar;
and the hand of the LORD was upon him there.”
Ezekiel 1:2-3
1. Five years later.
a) Jehoiachin remained a prisoner in Babylon.
b) He continued to survive despite being in captivity.
2. Ezekiel the priest.
a) He was described as a priest.
b) He was called Ezekiel, son of Buzi.
c) He was likely to have been taken to Babylon with King Jehoiachin.
d) This deportation probably took place in 597 BC before the fall of Jerusalem.
e) He could not fulfil his priestly duties since he was in the land of the Chaldeans.
3. The word of the LORD.
a) A new ministry was created for Ezekiel.
b) The word of the LORD would be revealed to him.
4. The word “expressly”.
a) It has a number of nuances.
b) The following may be noted:
i) It would be specially revealed.
ii) It would be in the form of visions.
iii) This word would be a life-changing word.
5. The hand of the LORD.
a) The Lord laid His hand upon Ezekiel.
b) Ezekiel would experience the mighty hand of God upon him.
c) All the prophets of the LORD would experience His divine hand on them.