Daily Devotions
Ezekiel
"The Spirit lifted me up"
Text: Ezekiel 8:3
A SERIES OF VISIONS
The LORD was going to reveal important truths to Ezekiel the prophet. The hand of the LORD described suggests that this series of visions was of great significance. Ezekiel must not forget that he was a watchman of God and must stay alert as a faithful servant of God.
“He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair;
and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven,
and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem,
to the door of the north gate of the inner court,
where the seat of the image of jealousy was, which provokes to jealousy.
And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there,
like the vision that I saw in the plain.”
Ezekiel 8:3-4
1. “The form of a hand”
a) In Ezekiel’s vision he saw a Divine Man.
b) This Divine Man stretched out His hand towards Ezekiel.
c) He took Ezekiel by a lock of his hair.
d) This description is arresting:
i) A Master-servant relationship is displayed.
ii) This is not rudeness on the part of the Master.
iii) There is a special closeness exhibited here.
iv) One does not normally touch the lock of a man’s hair.
v) The Master reaches out to his servant and compliance is there.
2. The involvement of the Spirit of God.
a) Once again we see the Spirit of God working alongside.
b) He is there too:
i) To concur.
ii) To confirm.
iii) To empower.
c) The Spirit of God lifted Ezekiel up.
i) He was lifted up between heaven and earth.
ii) He was brought to Jerusalem.
iii) In visions of God.
iv) To the door of the North gate of the inner court.
3. What Ezekiel saw.
a) He saw an image.
b) This was an idol.
c) It was called “an image of jealousy”.
i) The LORD described Himself as “a jealous God” (Exodus 20:5-6).
ii) He would not tolerate the worship of an idol.
iii) This idol was in the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem.
4. The glory of the LORD.
a) Ezekiel has seen the glory of God in the plain.
b) God’s glory was meant to be rightfully there in the Temple.
c) But the image of jealousy was an offence to the glory of God.