What will it be like to one day be in the presence of God? To borrow from a popular song of a few years ago: "I can only imagine."Ezekiel experienced something of the Divine Glory at least twice. He describes these encounters in chapters one and forty three. I read the latter account this morning.
In both instances, Ezekiel's response is the same: he falls "face down". (1:28; 43:3) Is this a posture of awe, of worship, of humility? Perhaps the Glory of God is simply overwhelming, it is too much for him to bear. No place here for casual worship with coffee in one hand and a wandering mind. I wonder how long he lay "face down"? Notice in both passages that he did not get up until the Spirit helped him up.
I thought about this for a while and then listened twice on YouTube (with my eyes closed, face down) to Matt Redmon's "Face Down" worship song. Way too often, I, along with my North American counterparts, come into the presence of the Holy One far too casually. I wonder how shocked we will be when at last we truly stand (or fall face down) in the presence of "the Glory".
This morning I also enjoyed the picture of the life giving River flowing from the temple described in Ezekiel 47. All rivers (other than those badly polluted by humans) bring life to flora and fauna. But this great River has special life giving power.
It pours into the "Dead Sea" and where it does "the water there becomes fresh." I have floated in the Dead Sea - the mineral content was so high I posed with my arms and shoulders out of the water, reading a paper, while floating. Yet this River makes the water fresh and life giving.
This River sustains very fruitful trees. I remember flying over the Nile River and observing the strip of green growth on either side of the River. Beyond, on both sides, was barren land - desert. But where irrigation was drawn from the waters of the Nile, there was luscious life.
Ezekiel describes the trees growing beside the River: "Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing." Ezekiel 47:12 Did you catch that?: Fruit "every month"!
Do you remember how the Psalmist pictures the person who loves God's Word enough to "meditate on it day and night'? "He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." Psalm 1:3
How strange, sad, evil is the idea that a life committed to God would be anything less than the most abundant life. To the Glory of God and abundant Life!
In both instances, Ezekiel's response is the same: he falls "face down". (1:28; 43:3) Is this a posture of awe, of worship, of humility? Perhaps the Glory of God is simply overwhelming, it is too much for him to bear. No place here for casual worship with coffee in one hand and a wandering mind. I wonder how long he lay "face down"? Notice in both passages that he did not get up until the Spirit helped him up.
I thought about this for a while and then listened twice on YouTube (with my eyes closed, face down) to Matt Redmon's "Face Down" worship song. Way too often, I, along with my North American counterparts, come into the presence of the Holy One far too casually. I wonder how shocked we will be when at last we truly stand (or fall face down) in the presence of "the Glory".
This morning I also enjoyed the picture of the life giving River flowing from the temple described in Ezekiel 47. All rivers (other than those badly polluted by humans) bring life to flora and fauna. But this great River has special life giving power.
It pours into the "Dead Sea" and where it does "the water there becomes fresh." I have floated in the Dead Sea - the mineral content was so high I posed with my arms and shoulders out of the water, reading a paper, while floating. Yet this River makes the water fresh and life giving.
This River sustains very fruitful trees. I remember flying over the Nile River and observing the strip of green growth on either side of the River. Beyond, on both sides, was barren land - desert. But where irrigation was drawn from the waters of the Nile, there was luscious life.
Ezekiel describes the trees growing beside the River: "Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing." Ezekiel 47:12 Did you catch that?: Fruit "every month"!
Do you remember how the Psalmist pictures the person who loves God's Word enough to "meditate on it day and night'? "He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." Psalm 1:3
How strange, sad, evil is the idea that a life committed to God would be anything less than the most abundant life. To the Glory of God and abundant Life!
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