8.19 Ezekiel 7-11

Brandon Kainulainen 

8.19.2020

Ezekiel 7-11 

Summary:  Chapter 7 is all about God’s judgement and wrath toward the people of Israel. They have taken to idol worship and other evil ways in their hearts. 

In Chapter 8, Ezekiel is then brought to Jerusalem in a vision. He is shown all of the practices and idol worship that is happening inside the temple of the Lord. He sees 70 elders of Israel at shrines to different idols, women worshipping Tammuz, and men bowing to the sun in the east. 

In Chapter 9, God’s wrath is brought about to the people of Israel and Judah. The glory of the Lord has a man mark the heads of those who grieve and lament over the detestable things being done in the city. All others without the mark are told to be killed.

Chapter 10 describes the cherubim that Ezekiel sees. Each one had four heads. There were also four wheels that intersected each other and could move in all ways. Whichever way the head was pointing, the cherubim went.

In Chapter 11, Ezekiel is told to prophesy to the people of Israel. Ezekiel asks God if He will destroy all the remnants of Israel. God then replies back that he will be with those in foreign countries and return them to the land of Israel. 

What is one key verse?  

Ezekiel 11:19 “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”

How does what you read change your vision of God?  This reading changes my vision of God as less of the grace-filled loving God but as the truth and justice of God. He pours out his wrath on the people but in the end he gives hope and light to the people that he will restore their hardened hearts.

How does what you read change your vision of yourself or others? I think for me I need to remember that there truly is judgement coming. Fortunately for us Jesus has taken our place in this judgement. It reminds me to always have a confessing heart and a heart that isn’t stoned and hardened.

How will you Go With God because of this reading? I think this passage will lead me to be more aware of the attitude of my heart. I want to not fall into the idolatry of the world but make sure that my heart is open to see God and be used to worship Him alone.

Where did you see Jesus in these chapters?  The compassion that is shown by Ezekiel as he is prophesying and watching the city be slain reminds me of the compassion Jesus has for us who would have been slain. Also as God tell Ezekiel that he will restore the land of Israel and its people, I think of how Jesus is the way he accomplishes this.