THINK TOGETHER.
Do you know what a prophet is?
READ TOGETHER.
Ezekiel 1:28-2:2. 28This is what the glory of the Lord looked like to me. When I saw it, I fell face down on the ground, and I heard someone’s voice speaking to me. 1“Stand up, son of man,” said the voice. “I want to speak with you.” 2The Spirit came into me as he spoke, and he set me on my feet. I listened carefully to his words.
Do you know what a prophet is? In the Bible, a prophet is a spokesman (or spokeswoman) for God. A prophet declares to others what God has told them. Ezekiel was a prophet that lived almost 600 years before Jesus. He lived when God’s people, the Jews, were taken as captives into Babylon. God let the Babylonians conquer his people because of their sin. But God wasn’t done with his people. Even though the Jews left the promised land and God’s temple behind, God would not leave them behind. That’s where the prophets come in. The prophets were God’s voice to his people even in a far off land. One of the cool things about Ezekiel’s prophecy is that God allowed him to have visions of some pretty spectacular things. Ezekiel 1 begins with his vision of God. Look at how the book of Ezekiel begins:
Ezekiel 1:1. On July 31 of my thirtieth year, while I was with the Judean exiles beside the Kebar River in Babylon, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
If you have time, read Ezekiel 1. It’s very cool. Ezekiel sees the throne-chariot of God surrounded by amazing creatures. He sees the glory of the Lord (see 1:28 above). But not only does Ezekiel SEE God, he HEARS God too – I want to speak with you, God says. And then the Holy Spirit entered Ezekiel and he became a prophet, God’s voice to his people, and to us.
If all of this sounds amazing, it should. But do you know what is also amazing? If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, then what happened to Ezekiel has also happened to you. Ezekiel saw God. But he also saw a man seated on the throne of God. Look at verse 26:
Ezekiel 1:26. And on this throne high above was a figure whose appearance resembled a man.
Who do you think this man was that was seated on God’s throne? That’s right, it’s Jesus. And we have seen God’s glory in Jesus too. Not on a chariot-throne, but on the cross. Hopefully, like Ezekiel, you worship God when you see Jesus. And like Ezekiel, God has asked to speak with you through his Spirit, the Holy Spirit living in you speaking the word of God to you as you read the Bible.
What does this mean? It means that with the Spirit in us, we are prophets too! God has spoken to us and we can tell others what God has said. Are you listening to God? Will you tell others what he is saying?
Because of the Holy Spirit we can hear the word of God.
With the Holy Spirit we tell others the word of God.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Read Ezekiel 1 together and try to draw a picture of what Ezekiel describes. Use lots of colors!
PRAY TOGETHER
Father, you speak to me too, just like Ezekiel. Help me listen to you today and tell others what you say. Amen.
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