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What the prophetic tradition knows is that it could be different, and the difference can be enacted. — Walter Brueggemann (The Prophetic Imagination) Breathe deep. We’ve made it. The first 24 chapters of Ezekiel (which we’re through) are predominantly about God’s judgment on his own people. Now: enter hope. The climax of God’s judgment was the symbolic death [...]

In the heavenly Jerusalem of Revelation nothing is more finally significant than the church’s complete absence: “And I saw no temple therein”. — Karl Barth Have you ever felt God telling you to do something that seemed completely bizarre? Have you heard something so unorthodox, it made you question where that notion actually came from? [...]

Just a note to let everyone know that there will not be a new Ezekiel post this week. I am attending the Refresh conference at the University of Toronto with N. T. Wright. This blog will resume next week. Thanks for reading! Steve.

The beloved melody again reappears, but it has lost its modesty and nobility; it is no more than a vulgar dance tune, trivial and grotesque. — Hector Berlioz, Symphonie Fantastique The day had finally come. After 23 chapters of prophecy, Jerusalem had finally fallen like God said it would. God made it very clear to [...]

The kingdom of this world Is become the kingdom of our Lord, And of His Christ, and of His Christ; And He shall reign for ever and ever, For ever and ever, forever and ever. — Hallelujah, Handel’s Messiah Ezekiel 23 is the most sexually explicit passage in the Bible. Most people assume that Song [...]

Ah, soiled, defiled, oppressing city! It has listened to no voice; it has accepted no correction. It has not trusted in the LORD; it has not drawn near to its God. The officials within it are roaring lions; its judges are evening wolves that leave nothing until the morning. Its prophets are reckless, faithless persons; [...]

Let us look at the utterance of the apostle which is crowned with this lovely terror: “Our God is a consuming fire” — George MacDonald (Unspoken Sermons) Daniel 3 tells a very familiar story. Here’s the Cole’s notes version: King Nebuchadnezzar set up a golden image of himself. Three Hebrew boys, fresh in their captivity, [...]

Better to sleep in a house full of adders and venomous beasts than sleep in one sinne. — William Fenner Ezekiel is not the kind of book that reads like a novel. (You have probably guessed that by now!) Instead, it’s a collection of prophecies that God gave Ezekiel to deliver. Many of these prophecies [...]

Christianity is not primarily a moral code but a grace-laden mystery; it is not essentially a philosophy of love but a love affair; it is not keeping rules with clenched fists but receiving a gift with open hands. — Brennan Manning (The Ragamuffin Gospel) The end of Ezekiel 21—the last of the four sword oracles—contains [...]

Naiveté serves a better purpose than the dark magic of exercising control. — Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Spiritual Care) In this third sword oracle, Ezekiel is told to perform another action-prophesy. I can see him grabbing the spoon from a cooking pot and using the handle-end to draw a map in the dirt.  He drew a path [...]