The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1911-09-28
Prophet Ezekiel
a Watchman
Sunday School Lesson for Oct. I, 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper
Lesson TEXT-Ezekiel 3.
XERSES-17-1Q.


me."-Ezek. 3:17
TIAIE-Ezeke was carried into exile
Il. G.. 597. in the second deportation by
Nebuchadnezzar from Jerusalem; when
10000 were carried to Babylon with King
Jehoiachin.
The prophecy OF this lesson was written
B. G. 5O2 five years later.
The first "a chapters Of Ezekiel concern
ing the destruction of Jerusalem were
written during the years 592-5SS. B. G.
6SS was the beginning of the last siege OF
Jerusalem which ended in its complete
destruction.
PLACE-The Book OF Ezekiel was writ
ten at Tel-abib & CornhilD on the river
Chebar, one OF the large irrigating canals
of Babylona, running across the plain
between the Euphrateg and the Tigris.
EzekiePs name means God
strengthens" He was a priest, the
son of Buzz, probably a family name.
He was also one of the greatest Of
the prophets. He was probably 80
years old when he began to prophesy
in B. c. 597, which would put the date
of his birth In Josiahs reign, about
the time jeremiah began to prophesy,
aud five years before Josiah's great
reformation and the finding of the
book of the law.
He was a married man; and the
sudden death of his wife was made by
divine instruction lesson to the peo-
pie. He went on with his work with
a broken heart, but an unbroken pur-
pose" He was a man of power and
courage, holding his face as adamant
against wrong, but attractive and per-
suasive in encouraging the people to
prepare for their return from exile.
He was a man Of great imagination,
using simile, allegory, parallels in ac-
tion, symbols, symbolic actions. He
saw visions, and dreamed dreams.
He had spiritual experiences. But he
was also the most practical of men.
Ezekiel's model heroes we're Noah,
Job, Daniel. They all had lost their
world, but Noah inaugurated a new
world; Job ended by seeing God In
the whirlwind." Daniel did great
things for his native country In his
new country. Ezekiel was an exile,
but In that exile was a mighty force
in the renewal of his native land.
The God of Israel was an invisible
God. without any representation to
the senses. 1t was hard for the peo-
pie to realize his existence and his
presence. 1t is hard for us, but much
harder for them. The temple and its
ritual were an aid. Gods works In
nature were his manifestation. The
visible effects of obedience, and dis
obedience, were revelations of Gods
nature. But times of trial and dis
aster at first hid his face from them
as storm clouds hide the sun.
Hence In this darn period Ezekiel
was taught to express Gods presence,
power, glory, goodness, providence, by
apocalyptic symbols, |. e., by symbols
which expressed ideas, but could not
be put into any pictorial form which
might lead to idolatry. The first
chapter is a vision to these symbols
to make God real to the people; as
to Job God made himself known In
the whirlwind and the storm.
Nothing is more suitable than that
the voice of God should come from
the whirlwind. For air, wind, is one
of the chosen symbols of God working
through his holy spirit, as at Pente
cost. 1t is invisible, as are the great
natural forces of the earth.
The prophet was presented with @
Hebrew roll, the form in which theii
books were made, and was hidden tc
eat 1t. The roll represented the WORD
of God, his message to Israel. The
prophets eating the roll meant tha
he was to become 30 saturated with
Gods message that It would become
a part of his very being. This gives
us "some guidance In forming a prop
er estimate Of what is involved In In
spiration. The prophet is to Absorb
into himself what is given him from
above, and then give 1t out with hii
8 own lips and In his own language.
1T was in my mouth as honey fo
sweetness" that is 1t was good In II
self. But afterwards 1t became bitter
for It was a terrible message to civ,
to his people, so that God made hi
face as adamant harder than flint, To-
all the house of Israel were impuden
and hard-hearted.
Ezekiel welcomed the watchman OF
= the walls. He went from trance Il
action, coming out Of the trance, llk,
Peter on the housetop when he wen
down to the messengers of Cornelius
"And / went In bitterness o
my spirit" sharing with God hi
righteous indignation against Israel
or the bitterness of having to delive
such an awful message as he uttere'
In the following chapters, to hi
. friends and neighbors and country
men. So that when he came to them
he remained there astonished, in
stupor of grief, seven days.
The watchman's duty is clearly se
forth. He must warn the people G
their danger, as by the voice of Goo
While his business was to warn, tn
results were with God and the fre
will he has given his children.
God warns US In love in variou
ways that we may not go heedlessl
on to our ruin. He gives warnings 4
our bodies, by sicknesses, pains an