Ezekiel is a challenging book as it combines prophecy, legal reflections, prose, poetry, extremely detailed historical descriptions, highly imaginative mythological allusions, judgments, wild visions, sermonizing, and vivid drama. In case you got lost in that description, I am talking about a book of the Bible, not the nightly news!
Ezekiel’s ministry was consumed with helping the people make sense of how they were completely removed from the promised land and now find themselves in exile. Ezekiel proposed a strong concept of Israel as a community faithful in its religious observance and obedience to YHWH, whether politically independent or not. Religious observance did not mean business as usual – the temple, which was the center of religious observance, was completely destroyed. They had to find new ways to worship.
Almost every prophetic oracle ends in “so that they (or you) will know that I am YWHW.” Divine activity reveals that God takes seriously the punishment of sin while at the same time never forgetting his lasting promise of care and love toward Israel. (both/and)
The book of Ezekiel comes after Isaiah and Jeremiah, putting these three books in roughly chronological order. Jewish tradition tells of an alternate ordering with Jeremiah coming first with its message of doom, Ezekiel second which begins in doom but ends in consolation, followed by Isaiah which is all about consolation. Ezekiel can be divided into two halves: chapters 1-24 are oracles of judgment and doom; chapters 25-48 are words of support and hope.
We might imagine Ezekiel as someone who has a foot in the old world while stepping boldly into the new world. The old world was rooted in Temple worship with a national identity firmly tied to a particular strip of land. The new world that emerged in his lifetime was one that had lost the surety of the old things and struggled to reinvent itself. Ezekiel was hopeful that this new identity would emerge and take root in the people.
Date
The author was likely part of the Babylonian captivity. His early ministry probably took place in Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadrezzar in 598BC. The years following were devastating for the people and left them open to Babylonian invasion in 586BC, followed by deportation of the entire population out of their homeland.
Legend has it that Ezekiel’s tomb is in central Iraq.
Structure
Chapters 1-24 Oracles of Judgment against Israel
Chapters 24-32 Oracles of Judgment against other nations
Chapters 33-39 Oracles of Restoration and Hope