Seeking Visions for God
Seeking Visions for God
Ezekiel 1:1-1:28
1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. 2 In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity, 3 The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekielthe priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.
4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. 5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. 6 And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. 7 And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass. 8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. 9 Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. 10 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. 11 Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. 12 And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went. 13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 14 And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15 Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. 16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the color of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 17 When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. 18 As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four. 19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. 20 Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 21 When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 22 And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the color of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above. 23 And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: everyone had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies. 24 And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of a host: when they stood, they let down their wings. 25 And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.
26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. 27 And I saw as the color of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. 28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Age 30. "In the thirtieth year . . . the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God" (1:1).
B. Occupations. "Ezekiel the priest" (1:3).
C. Birthday. "Take the sum of the sons of Kohath . . . from thirty years old and upwards" (Num. 4:2,3).
D. Captive. "I was among the captives" (1:1).
E. Taken from home at age 27. "Which was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity" (1:2). Taken in 597 B.C. he was called in 593- 92 B.C. Five years later the Temple was destroyed 587 B.C.
F. Live on a canal. "I was . . . by the river Chebar (at Tel Abib) and the hand of the Lord was there upon him" (1:3). Called the Grand Canal for transportation between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
G. Received letter from Jeremiah. (Jer. 29) That destroyed their dreams. (1) Settle down. "Build ye houses . . . plant gardens . . . take ye wives" (Jer. 29:5,6). (2) Don’t rebel. "Seek the peace of the city" (Jer. 29:7). (3) 70 years. "After seventy years . . . I will visit you . . . to return you to this place (Jerusalem)" (Jer. 29:10).
II. EZEKIEL ENCOUNTERS GOD
An encounter occurs when (1) God intentionally meets with you, (2) in a time of great personal need, (3) through unexpected circumstances, (4) telling you something about Himself, (5) you learn something about
yourself, (6) preparing you for a specific task, (7) even though you don’t fully understand all the mysterious elements of the encounter.
A. Intentional. At the last minute. God called him on the day he should have been consecrated as a priest.
B. In time of need because dreams were destroyed. God told them they would not return home to Jerusalem (Jer. 29).
C. Unexpected circumstances. A Vision. Ezekiel saw a whirlwind, a fiery cloud, four angles, a wheel within a wheel, loud noises, God sitting on a throne.
D. Learning about yourself. "And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice" (1:28).
E. Learning about God. "I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about . . . this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord" (1:27, 28).
F. Prepared for a specific task. A prophet not a priest. "Thou shalt speak my words unto them" (2:7).
G. Mysterious. There was much mystery in the call to Ezekiel.
III. TEN LESSONS FROM ENCOUNTERING GOD
A. After your dreams fail and you don’t know what to do, an encounter with God can come. "Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance" (Psalm 43:5).
B. An encounter with God gives new vision for the direction of your life. "Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Pro. 29:18 KJV).
C. An encounter with God may result in a new task in life. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9 NKJV).
D. God may give you a special message when you encounter Him. "And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell them, ’Thus says the Lord God’" (Ezekiel 3:10, 11 NKJV).
E. God can prepare us for an encounter with Him. "Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remainder of the elders who were carried away captive-to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon" (Jeremiah 29:1 NKJV).
F. God can use political and cultural conditions to prepare us for an encounter with Him. "When all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, . . . then ye shall call them to mind . . . and shall return to the Lord thy God . . . that then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity and have compassion on thee" (Deut. 30:1-3 KJV).
G. We don’t understand all we see and experience in an encounter with God. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those that love Him" (I Cor. 2:9 KJV).
H. An encounter with God is private. "When You said, ’Seek My face,’ my heart said to You, ’Your face, Lord, I will seek’" (Psalm 27:8 NKJV).
I. When it seems our birth families and our birthplaces have predetermined our lot in life, an encounter with God can change everything. "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it" (I Thess. 5:24).
J. Just because you cannot understand everything about an encounter with God, doesn’t mean there is no interpretation to the events. "Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow" (I Peter 1:10,11 NKJV).
Take Aways (Dr. Towns)
* I can find God after my dreams have failed.
* I can get fresh dreams by encountering God.
* I get a new task from fresh dreams that come through an encounter.
* I may get a personal ministry from God when encountering Him.
* I will be prepared to serve God by an encounter.
* I may understand political and cultural crisis after encountering God.
* I may not understand all my experiences when encountering God.
* I usually encounter God privately.
* I can overcome the conditions of my birth by encountering God.
* I don’t need to understand everything that is happening in an encounter with God.
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe you, because you are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.