YEar 3 Day 99

Year 3 Day 99


Pray (ACts)


Read - Ezekiel 10:3-17


Message - Alan Burke


I’ve got a word for you, I’ll be trying to teach it to the boys and girls on Sunday and it is Omniscience. It means if you don’t already know ‘all knowing’ or rather the state of knowing everything. I have come across a few know it alls in my lifetime, actually more than I’d care to admit and I’m sitting across from one of those people right now (I’m sitting at General Assembly so there are lots). Well God is Omniscient, He is all knowing.


Here in this vision that the Lord had given Ezekiel it is once more filled with vivid literary imagery, that describes the departure of the Glory of God. First notice the cherubim standing on the south side of the temple as the man in linen went in, there is also cherubim mentioned in v4 which are different to the throne bearers of v3. We have two sets of cherubim, the throne bearers and those inside the temple. Now we may not be familiar with the Temple and it’s layout but in the temple there were two cherubim. In the Most Holy Place was the Ark of the Covenant, (think Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark) a wooden chest that contained the two stone tablets of testimony, better known as the ten commandments. Above the chest that was overlaid with gold there was a sold golden slab that fitted perfectly on top that was known as the mercy seat, the atonement cover. On this golden slab were the figures of two golden cherubim, with wings outstretched looking downward in reverent awe and it is from between these that God spoke to Moses. 


The reason why this is important is because there above the Ark of the Covenant, between the cherubim with their wings outstretched that covered their faces, the Lord symbolically dwelt among His people. What we have here is that the glory of the Lord rose above them, moved into the threshold of the temple, and a cloud filled the temple. Back in chapter 9 we are told the Glory of the God of Isreal had went up from the cherubim but the glory of God now fills the temple. The fact that the Glory of the Lord went up from above the cherubim is because the Glory of the Lord is departing form among His people.


The sound of the cherubim whom above was the throne of God could then be heard. Now I know cars have changed hugely in the past ten years and electric cars are becoming a regular sight, but imagine a car before a start stop engine, one that you put the key in the ignition, and it is there and then as the ignition is turned on and the engine idles, the car is ready to move. Well here the glory of the Lord goes up from among the cherubim on the ark of the covenant and the four cherubim with the throne above their heads is like a car ready to move, the sound is heard, from outside as their wings prepare to transport God’s glory from the temple. 


Then man in linen takes the coals, he faithfully responds to the command of the Lord God, and they pass the live coals to the man. At first this man was to show the mercy of God, he placed the mark on the foreheads of those who had grieved and lamented at the sin and idolatry of the people but now he would dispense judgement. There are some differences between this vision and the first given to us in chapter one. None more significant than that of the eyes. In chapter one (18), we were told the wheels were full of eyes all around, whereas here it is also the cherubim, they are complete full of eyes (12). The eyes teach us something more of God and it is that He is Omniscient.


God’s omniscience that is here displayed should be remembered in the midst of this judgement on the people, God knows, in the midst of it all, God knows and He had seen His faithless people. One day all of us will stand before the Lord, He sees and knows, every one of us will give an account for all of our lives and we can’t ever throw it back in God’s face that he acts unjustly because He sees and knows all things. When he evaluates our lives both now and in the final judgment, His word is final. This should be a motivation for righteousness.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q93 Which are the sacraments of the New Testament?
The sacraments of the New Testament are, Baptism, (Matt. 28:19) and the Lord’ s supper. (Matt. 26:26–28)
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