The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God…there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. Ezek 1:1, 26-28
This vision of God comes to the prophet Ezekiel while God’s people are in exile. Everything precious to them has been stripped away—their homes; their place of worship; and, seemingly, even their God. The time of victories is over—now they are simply living in survival mode. Hope seems lost. And yet, God speaks to His people in exile, while they are far from where they should be.
Ezekiel reminds us that part of the Christian journey is living in defeat and disappointment. It is partly grey skies, and living with things not as they should be. It is living with loss—sometimes even brought about by our own sin. Ian Duguid speaks to this issue with precision and insight:
“Why do we neglect the study of Ezekiel? Perhaps it is because in our culture we prefer heroes and idolize success; our models are strong, ‘can-do’ types….The primary paradigm we have adopted is that of the victorious Christian life. How do we live with the reality of life in a different world, where victories are frequently hard to come by and right living does not always lead to success? How do we speak encouraging words to those not living the victorious Christian life but to whom it is an achievement simply to live the surviving Christian life? What does God have to say to those of us who frequently find ourselves, like the prodigal, far away from where we should be, suffering the deserved consequences of our actions? The answer is to balance the Biblical models of Exodus and conquest, with the equally biblical models of wilderness and exile” Ian Duguid, Ezekiel (NIV Application Commentary), Chapter 1
God’s glory is likened to a rainbow, taking us back to the hope of God’s promise given to Noah in the midst of a complete re-write of everything around him. Hear the message of hope for us in this for our day—in those times of deep sorrow and uncertainty, God still speaks and reveals His glory to us. God never abandons His people. And whenever God is still speaking, it means there is still grace available to us!