Thursday, June 16, 2016

Ezekiel 1

"As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle.  Thus were their faces. Their wings stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and two covered their bodies.  And each one went straight forward; they went wherever the spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went." vv.10-12

Read chapter 1
The book of Ezekiel starts off pretty crazy to us; visions of God that appeared to him during the captivity of Israel and Judah.  Ezekiel was a priest by birth and a prophet by call of God.  His name means "God is strong."  So we read of these creatures that he sees that are nothing like we see today.  They are not angles but called seraphim.  Seraphim, or burners, we read of in Isaiah 6.  

They have the understanding of a man, and far more. A lion excels in strength and boldness. An ox excels in diligence and patience, and unwearied discharge of the work he has to do. An eagle excels in quickness and piercing sight, and in soaring high; and the angels, who excel man in all these respects, put on these appearances. The angels have wings; and whatever business God sends them upon, they lose no time. They stood straight, and firm, and steady. They had not only wings for motion, but hands for action... Whatever service they went about, they went every one straight forward... They turned not when they went. They made no mistakes; and their work needed not to be gone over again. (Matthew Henry's Commentary)

Try drawing this creature and see what you come up with?  How can you reflect the characteristics of these four faces and what they signify whether it be understanding, excelling in boldness, diligence, strength, patience or how you choose to move with the spirit firm and straight and ready for action?

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