Day 240

I noticed Ezekiel is referred to as the son of man, and I know this was also a title for Jesus. I researched why this was the case. Several articles tried to distinguish the meaning of the title for Ezekiel from Jesus, and they all came up with similar conclusions. For Ezekiel, it was a reference to his humanity (a human being). But for Jesus, not only was he referred to as the son of man for humanity and humility, but also as the son of God for his divinity. Daniel 7 was also referenced in these articles.

I have not fully grasped this. But the question for me was Ezekiel was a major prophet like Isaiah and Jeremiah. Why were they not given that title? One of the articles thinks it’s because of the nature of Ezekiel’s visions and the need for clarity that God was speaking to him and not the other supernatural beings in his visions. I don’t know.

A verse that caught my attention is 6:9, where God said he had been broken. It says, ‘…how I have been broken over their whoring heart that has departed from me and over their eyes that go whoring after their idols…’. Wait, what? How can God be broken? Oh wow! We have seen how God hates idolatry extensively in previous days. He expresses it today as being broken, and we can relate to that as humans. It made me reflect again on what may serve as idols in my life and how it breaks God’s heart. I love the sides of God I am learning daily, and I pray for strength to love him and not hurt him.

So today’s passage speaks to severe judgment and destruction, and whilst they may sound harsh, he makes his case in chapter 8. Ezekiel is supernaturally transported from Babylon to the temple in Jerusalem. He made the following observations while at the temple:

• An idol of jealousy at the entrance of the Temple courtyard. (8:5)
• Portrayed all over the walls were all kinds of crawling thngs, unclean animals and idols of Israel. (8:10)
• Women were weeping for the god, Tammuz. (8:14). Tammuz is known as the god of fertility and agriculture. During the rainy season, Tammuz was active, but during the dry season, Tammuz was in the underworld. Women wept for him because he was in the underworld, the place of death. They mourned his absence and awaited his return, which marked the restoration of plenty. Details on Tammuz can be found here.
• A group of 25 men standing at the Temple entrance, facing east, worshipping the rising sun.

The Israelites had driven God away from the temple by doing detestable things.