Regathering Part 1

Regathering for Renewal

You might think that because I hold the position of Pastor, know a lot about the Bible, or speak some Hebrew, that I am more qualified to receive God’s mercy than you. But that is not the case. It is none of those things that qualify any of us for His mercy.

Hear the words of a song by Eli called Unqualified:

“I have stolen, cheated, and I have lied. I am prideful and unqualified. I am broken when I realize that it’s God’s grace, it’s God’s grace, that covers me.”

When we realign our lives with God’s ways He gives us faith to move. Christians want faith for healing, prosperity, signs, wonders, miracles and moving mountains but they do not want true faith which is live in full obedience to the will and way of the Lord.

Matthew 17:20 ESV

He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

We read this and immediately think that He is simply referring to our fleshly ability to imagine what we want and it suddenly appears from the supernatural to the natural like a Star Trek space food processor or transporter. In context of the entire chapter, Jesus is addressing the iniquity or moral and spiritual disobedience of the generation.

The words of the Prophets of old have not changed in their message and intent regardless of the changes of time. The Prophets spoke, not their words but transcendent words from the transcendent mind of God. Therefore, the Word of God stands transcendent of our time and space, our cultures and moral depravity.

The Word of God through the Prophets of old seek to call us back to true righteousness and God regathering us unto Himself as He desired with Israel.

Luke 13:34 ESV

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

God desires to move your problems from your present to your past. To move you from problems to solutions. But the prerequisites are Obedience and Humility.

Obedience is willingness to move and move God’s way.

Matthew 23:4 ESV

They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.

Humility is recognizing who are and what you truly are not without His mercy and grace. God will not move in your life where your pride blocks the way.

Acts 17:28 ESV

for “ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “ ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

In Ezekiel Chapter One, God is seeking to regather Israel unto Himself. The process begins with a vision to a Priest of God whom God ordains as a Prophet.

Ezekiel 1:1–3 ESV

In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin), the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the Chebar canal, and the hand of the Lord was upon him there.

The thirtieth year and fourth month is Adar Sheri אדר שרי or the year a priest commences his office. Adar means glorious. Ezekiel is having a vision of the Tabernacle of God with him as the priest. God is raising Ezekiel both as Priest and a Prophet among those who are Babylonian captives. Remember why they fell into captivity was because they rebelled against God and began to live as the pagans. They refused to repent.

He finds himself at the Kebar כְּבָר canal. Kebar means far off or a continuance of time. And it is here he sees the heavens open up to him. Heavens or shamayim שָׁמַיִם means cosmos or mundus universus (Latin meaning the world entirely) in the place where God chooses to make His presence dwell; thus, where heaven and earth meet because of God’s presence. So, God is revealing to him things outside of the constraint of past, present and future because God Himself is outside of what we perceive as past, present and future.

Ezekiel is having a “vision” or marah מַרְאָה meaning a mode of prophetic revelation (divine instruction) but as looking through a mirror. Imagine the fun house at the State Fair where you walk into a room and you see your self in a mirror that is facing another mirror, and yet another. You are seeing yourself multiple times in the same room but in that time and space, the only reality is where you are standing. This is what it is like to truly stand in the presence of God. It is overwhelming and completely revealing of oneself.

It was during the time of the exiled King of Judah whose name yôyāḵîn יוֹיָכִין means Jehovah establishes. And Ezekiel’s (Yechezqel יְחֶזְקֵאל) name means God strengthens. Both of these speak to God’s desire for Israel and for you. His people even today. In the midst of moral, cultural, and spiritual captivity, God wants to free you, regather you as His holy people, re-establish His reign and strengthen you for His glory.

So, let’s look a little deeper into what is reveled to Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 1:4–5 ESV

As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal. And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness,

First, there is the stormy wind. In Hebrew “storm” is sa’ar סָעַר meaning tempest or to be driven away. And “wind” is ruach רוּחַ which is the same word for breath or spirit. It is coming from the “north” which in Hebrew culture represented that which is eternal and from which comes God’s glory with either blessings or judgement. So, this kind of sets the stage to understand this vision.

So, he sees four living creatures. The word here is chay-ot חַיּוֹת (living beings) with the parent root for living being chay חַי meaning reviving life; sustenance; renewal. And the child root being chayah חָיָה meaning to have ruach רוּחַ, breath or spirit. It refers to that which lives and lives eternally. It speaks to existence, both yours and God’s.

He sees four of these living beings. Four in Hebrew is the letter dalet ד meaning an open, or closed door, or an opportunity in a moment in time. It refers to God drawing the poor ebyon אֶבְיוֹן (in want and in need) in spirit unto Himself.

Next, these creatures had human “likeness”. They are not human (adam אָדָם - to be red like blood or sparkle like wine in a cup) but they have the likeness (demuth דְּמוּת - a pattern or similitude) of human existence. It is the same word used in Genesis 1:26 when man was created in the image and likeness of God.

Ezekiel 1:6–7 ESV

but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf’s foot. And they sparkled like burnished bronze.

And each creature had four faces. We will discuss these in Part 2. Each had four wings. Again, remember the meaning of four (open door, opportunity, drawing unto God). And remember, this is Israel in Babylonian captivity. This is relevant to understanding this then and now. How it applied to them then and to us now.

They had four wings. “Wings” in Hebrew is kanaph כָּנָף meaning not only wings like on a bird, but also garments such as with the tallit. But more importantly, it is referring to clothed in garments or robs of righteousness.

Isaiah 61:10 ESV

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Their legs (that in which they “walk” or halak הָלַךְ - way of living) were straight (yasar יָשָׁר pleasing and upright before the Lord).

Ezekiel 1:8 ESV

Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus:

And under these wings they had adam yad אָדָם יָד. This is important here. They had the pattern or similitude of the strength and power of man. The word for hand, yad יָד means strength, power or portion.

Finally, in verse nine we see something that begins to tie this all together for us.

Ezekiel 1:9 ESV

their wings touched one another. Each one of them went straight forward, without turning as they went.

Their wings touched each other, straight forward, and without turning.

We have to include verse twelve here.

Ezekiel 1:12 ESV

And each went straight forward. Wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went.

First, their wings went “straight”. Here the word for “straight” is different than in verse seven. Here it is the word eber עֵבֶר meaning to “cross over” as did Abraham when He chose to follow in obedience to God. This is the Hebrew word for “Hebrew” as found in Genesis 14:13. As such, they moved “forward”. The word here is panim פָּנִים or face, as when God met with Moses panim el panim פָּנִים אֵל פָּנִים. So, they chose to move with God in obedience to God in the presence of the face of God or in intimate relationship with God. This is an image of God’s desire for His people.

Next it is important to note that the “spirit” here is not that of God but that of man. If referring to God or man, the spirit or Spirit, is never referred to as a depersonalized force. It is a matter of one’s wilful choosing.

In verse nine, the wings are forward touching each other as with the cherubs (kerubs כְּרוּב - one who ministers or serves the Lord) on the Ark of the Covenant covering the mercy seat. This is a reference back to the mercy shown to Israel and the keeping of the covenant God made with them but they broke. For you and I, it speaks of the mercy shown unto salvation through the blood of our mediator, Jesus the Christ (Yeshua ha Meshiach ישוע המשיח).

And how do these beings move and go where ever the spirit goes without turning? It is speaking of the spirit of a man, or woman, who has made covenant with God to live in His way, to move with the Spirit of God but stand firm, without compromise, even in the midst of moral and cultural depravity.

Notice in verse seven it said that the soles of their feet were like calf’s feet. The word for “sole”, not “soul”, here is kaph כַּף referring to the arch of the foot. And that of a calf is flat. So, their walk with God was flat. God is saying that Israel is spiritually flat footed and in pain, even though they look sparkling.

Where are you? Where is your walk with God today saint? Do you feel spiritually flat footed? Do you realize, that in all of your efforts and attempts to be anything good, you are wretched and undeserving of His mercy? That is why it is called grace or mercy undeserved. Are you trying to qualify yourself for service to the Lord by religious effort? Or have you disqualified yourself because of a lack of religious effort? Either way, only God’s mercy qualifies you if you will but humble yourself before the Lord.