Intro: In the reading plan I use currently I am in the book of Ezekiel. It remains one of the most trying and spectacular books of Scripture to me. Wheels within wheels, the prophet of God being commanded to shave his head as an object lesson, the hardness of people’s hearts to the truth Ezekiel is sent by God to herald, the valley of dry bones, and so much more. But there’s something that gripped me this time through like never before: it was the holiness and exaltation of God and the way believers exult in that and the corollary of the rejection and mocking of God by the heathen and ensuing judgment. When Ezekiel ministered, the culture was dissolving then, too, due to men’s sin, but Ezekiel was called nonetheless to be faithful to warn the people.

Here’s what I mean when I talk about the holiness and exaltation of God and the way believers exult in that and the corollary of the rejection and mocking of God by the heathen and ensuing judgment. Just look at Ezekiel’s response to God in the opening chapter:

²² Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads. ²³ And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. And each creature had two wings covering its body. ²⁴ And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings. ²⁵ And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings.

²⁶ And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire;^[g] and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. ²⁷ 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. ⁸ 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. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

Encouragement & takeaway: All that symbolic language is to show us something important about the appropriate response to God’s revelation of himself: We are to humble ourselves or God will do it for us.

Ezekiel, in the last verse, falls on his face. He bows. He is prostrate before God. That’s the appropriate posture.

When I survey current events, what I don’t see is humility or reverence for God. Quite the opposite, of course, is the reality. But there is a pattern in history, you see. Ozymandias boasted; now, his statues lie in ruins. Nebuchadnezzar boasted, and he was brought quite low, to be like a four-footed beast, in fact. Caesars boasted; and now Rome is a city filled with ruins for tourists who study Caesars as footnotes of antiquity. And we of course have the boasters of today who tell you they’ll solve all your problems if you will just give them more power over your life. On and on it goes. Will we learn anything from the proper posture to God’s revelation?