Week #34 | "The Gospel in Ezekiel 1-21"

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read Ezekiel 1-21

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Jesus and the Mark of the Cross (Ezekiel 9). The beginning section of Ezekiel says a lot about judgment. This may seem harsh, but this is an appropriate response of a loving God towards that which harms and destroys what he loves. The problem is that we are that which harms and destroys what he loves--we harm ourselves, each other, and the world that he created. However, these chapters also have a hard-to-see solution to this difficulty built in. In Ezekiel 9:4, in the Hebrew God literally tells Ezekiel to mark a "taw" on the foreheads of all of those who care for the things of the Lord. Today this letter looks kind of like an "n" with an extra little squiggle at the bottom--but in Ezekiel's day, this letter was more like an "x" but with one of the lines of that letter noticeably longer than the other: in other words, God told Ezekiel to mark them with the shape of a cross on their foreheads. Now, I don't actually know of a single English translation that shows this. So you are well within your rights to say that I'm reaching. But here's a little bit of support for my case: The NET Bible (Full Notes Version) says in its footnotes for Ezekiel 9:4, "The word translated 'mark' is in Hebrew the letter ת (tav)... In ancient Hebrew script this letter was written like the letter X." And in his major academic commentary on Ezekiel for the respected NICOT series, Daniel I. Block writes on Ezekiel 9:4, "Those who exhibit this [God-honoring] response are to be marked with a tāw on the forehead. Taw is the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In the archaic cursive script it had the shape of an X or a cross, a form that remained essentially unchanged from the early stages of the evolution of the alphabet until the adoption of the square Aramaic script. It is preserved to this day in Western scripts as T. This taw, placed on the foreheads, the most visible part of the body, was to serve as a distinguishing mark to separate the righteous from the wicked. Like the blood on the doorposts of the Israelites’ houses on the night of the Passover (Exod. 12) and the scarlet cord in Rahab’s window (Josh. 2:18–21; 6:22–25), it was a sign (cf. LXX τος σημεῖον) of hope. However, since in ancient custom the taw also served as a mark of ownership, the possibility that this mark represented Yahweh’s signature, his claim on those who were citizens of the true kingdom of God, deserves consideration." Daniel I. Block goes on in a footnote to mention that by Ezekiel's day, the mark of ownership was a lamed ("L") instead of a taw ("T"). This means that reverting back to the cross-shaped letter would have been somewhat of an unusual choice given current usage. Given the unusual choice of letter here given usage in his own day, this brings up a question. Why did God direct Ezekiel to mark those who belonged to God, who would be passed over in judgment, with the mark of a cross? For Christians, it's hard not to see a clear foreshadowing to Jesus' work on the cross.

Jesus, the Tender Sprig In Whose Branches All Shall Dwell (Ezekiel 17). In this chapter, God tells Ezekiel the parable of a fresh twig that was removed from a mighty cedar, and carried off by an eagle to a faraway land. Its position of prominence was then given to a low-spreading vine "of the seed of the land" who then rebelled against the eagle (17:5-9). In the explanation of this parable, we are told that the twig is the king from David's line who was taken to Babylon--which was Jehoiachin (Ezekiel 17:12). The eagle is the king of Babylon (same verse). And the low-spreading vine is Zedekiah, who rebelled against Babylon and attempted to ally himself with Egypt (Ezekiel 17:13-15). God goes on to proclaim that he will bring Zedekiah's scheme down into failure (Ezekiel 17:16-21). Then God says what he will do with the mighty cedar, which in context is the kingly line of David from which the young twigs sprout. He says in Ezekiel 17:22-24 that he will break off "from the topmost of its [the cedar's] young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain, on the mountain heigh of Israel, that it may bear branches and produce fruit... and under it will dwell every kind of bird, in the share of its branches birds of every sort will nest... And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the LORD" (Ezekiel 17:22-24). This is a future figure who is both from the line of David, and yet is distinguished, being taken from the pinnacle of that line and highly exalted to a mountain height over Israel where he grows in stature and majesty, and provides a home for birds (people? nations?) "of every kind."  This figure will go on to be developed throughout the prophesies of both Ezekiel and Jeremiah, where he will be called The Branch.

Jesus, the One to Whom Judgment Belongs (Ezekiel 21). Space and time limit me here, but there is a long line of interpretation which connects Ezekiel 21:27 ("until he comes, the one to whom judgment belongs, and I will give it to him") with Genesis 49:10 ("The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until ['shiloh' - the one to whom it belongs] comes"). This is a reference back to the whole line of Messianic prophesy which began all the way in Genesis, and which Ezekiel has predicted is still to come. In that figure, those who belong to God will be marked by his sign and have their sins passed over (Ezekiel 7). This figure will be descended from the line of David, be exalted, and all people or nations will find their rest in him (Ezekiel 17). And, in Ezekiel's reference to the Promised Deliverer of Genesis, we see that this figure will also do everything spoken of him there--he will solve the problem of human sin, and answer the question of how the Serpent (Satan) can be defeated once and for all, and humanity can be returned to its original position that it had in the Garden of Eden, and under him humanity can be united under the single banner of leadership of a righteous king, and the earth itself can be restored to its proper state (Ezekiel 21). That is what Jesus will do, and what he has already begun to do through his incarnation, death, and resurrection.

DO | HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How can we respond in our worship, attitude, and actions? I won't lay out exact responses in this space because the possibilities are often endless. But it is worth it to think about application in the categories of worship, attitude, and actions. Does this reading direct me to God in worship and thanksgiving and praise, or does it direct me towards a change that I need to make here and now? If it's about a change that I need to make, is this something inward in my attitude, or outward in my actions? This helps to rescue application from just being a series of how-to tips, or one-size-fits-all instructions that go beyond what the Bible actually states. Sometimes, the most helpful application we can make is to get a different perspective on what's the most important thing, or about how we should respond inwardly to the things going on around us.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US TO GOD?

Whether in response to anything pointed out here, or to something else in your Bible reading time, take a few moments before you close up your Bible to pray in response to God. If you need a format for prayer, both the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), CALL (Confess, Ask, Love, Listen), and PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) methods are helpful ways to stay consistent.

-Sean