{"id":26117,"date":"2020-11-06T13:40:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-06T13:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/2021\/03\/09\/preaching-on-ezekiel\/"},"modified":"2026-01-21T16:44:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T16:44:16","slug":"preaching-on-ezekiel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-ezekiel\/","title":{"rendered":"Preaching on Ezekiel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Historical Background<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Of all the prophets who had tough ministries to Israel, no one had a tougher<\/em> ministry than Ezekiel. His name means \u201cGod strengthens,\u201d and he is definitely made of gristle, given the breath-taking nature of what God called him to do, both overall and in detail. Unlike Jeremiah though, he offers up no laments about how difficult it is. Tough stuff!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We do not know much of his backstory, though there are hints to it. He was a Levitical priest of the family of Buzi (1:3), who had been taken to Babylon with the second<\/em> group of exiles during the reign of Jehoiachin (597 BC). Ezekiel 1:1-3 dates his first prophetic message in “the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin,” thus 593 BC. This tells us that the timing of things is important to Ezekiel\u2019s message, but perhaps for reasons that are not readily apparent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some struggle with whether the punishments God inflicted on the nation fit their crimes. The prophets struggled with this too (like Habakkuk), and so God does a unique thing with Ezekiel by taking him on a \u201cspiritual field trip\u201d of Jerusalem (Ezek. 8). He inducts Ezekiel into his own pain and disgust, showing the prophet all the disgusting idolatries of the leaders and priests of the people, how they were breaking\/had broken the covenant. After each, God says to him: \u201cDo you see this, son of man? Yet you will see still greater abominations than these.\u201d The tour culminates with a lengthy description of the Shekinah glory of God\u2019s presence leaving the Temple and the city and heading east (Ezek. 10-11:13, esp. 11:22-25), a true example of Ichabod (1 Sam. 4:21).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the more heart-breaking but informative episodes of the kind of man Ezekiel was, is the death of Ezekiel\u2019s wife (24:15ff), occurring at the same time as the destruction of Jerusalem (24:2). God tells him she is about to die, but he will not be permitted to weep or mourn publicly for her. She indeed dies and he obeys, an event so extraordinary and touching among the exiles that they come to him and ask: \u201cWill you not tell us what these things that you are doing mean for us?\u201d (24:19). It strikes me that this illustration only works if the Jewish exilic community all knew how much Ezekiel loved his wife!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The middle chapters of the book (25-39) are divided into two sections. The first section (25-32) contains prophecies and laments against the nations surrounding Israel (Ammon, Tyre, Edom, and especially Egypt and its Pharaoh). The prophecy against Tyre (Ch. 26) has remarkably specific (and bizarre) prophetic fulfillments that can be Googled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second section (33-39) is focused on leadership with several metaphors which govern God\u2019s perspective on what defines success or failure in leadership, first that of a \u201cWatchman\u201d (33) then \u201cShepherd\u201d (34), what brings judgment upon Mount Seir (the Edomites) (35), and how God will ultimately bless the \u201cmountains of Israel\u201d (36), mountains being a common metaphor for governments, leaders, and leadership. This culminates with the famous vision of the \u201cvalley of dry bones,\u201d where God dramatically demonstrates how he is the One, Who will ultimately restore the nation and the Davidic kingdom (37), and will protect it from the invasion of the most formidable enemy Israel has ever faced (which is saying something!): Gog of Magog (38-39).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final section (Ezek. 40-48) is unique in its detailed plans for the future Temple. Though it is tempting to allegorize this material, it is better to see God rewarding the faithful prophet with a gift that must have thrilled his heart. He had rightly grieved over the Shekinah leaving the Temple of Solomon. Now he sees what God will magnificently restore, something not yet fulfilled because the \u201cRiver of Life\u201d has not yet appeared flowing from God\u2019s throne (47:1-12).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chart: Preaching Through Ezekiel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We know the weekly grind of sermon prep is hard, whether you are in the midst of series or planning a new series. Trying to find key verses you need to highlight in your sermon, finding the historical background to the book, discovering the flow\/structure of book, and even figuring out what is the theme of each section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why we created this chart! This chart is designed to\u00a0save you time<\/strong>\u00a0as you prepare to preach a new sermon series from the Book of Ezekiel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will find a quick visual overview of the movement of the Book of Ezekiel. It will help orient you and your hearers as you preach through the entire book or sections of the book. It provides, at a glance, one way to divide the book into pericopes. The chart includes key verses in the book, an overarching title for the book, the overall message of the book, and some historical background. It is color-coded to highlight certain defining aspects of the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This chart could be used as a slide in your church service. It could serve as an introduction to a new series or a weekly check-in before you begin preaching. It could even be printed out and given to the members of your church, as a resource to help them grasp the message of the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sermon Series<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rare is the preaching context where one could preach the whole Book of Ezekiel. There is just too much varied material to put it under one subject or theme. His tough ministry to a hard-hearted, idolatrous, exilic community, makes parallel contexts a challenge to discern. No one should attempt to preach any part of this great prophet without working to grasp the unique nature of his time, calling, and culture. Otherwise the temptation to inappropriately allegorize will be great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If one were doing a series or teaching on \u201cProdigals,\u201d Ezekiel contains principles that lend themselves well. Prodigals, when they turn away from God, do not stay nearby him; they instead head off into \u201cfar countries.\u201d That is why \u201cexile\u201d is an apt analogy. But that is the significance of God revealing himself to Ezekiel by the river Chebar (Ch. 1). They may have gone far from him, but he has not left them! The Good Shepherd still seeks every lamb that has wandered away. And just as God does with exiled Judah, he uses painful experiences in these far countries to \u201cbring prodigals to their senses\u201d and cause their dry bones to live again. Ezekiel conveys enormous<\/em> hope against the bleakest of backdrops. It is certainly part of the power of the prophecy, this juxtaposition of darkness of judgment and the bright light of hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overview of the Sections<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Text: Ezekiel 1-24 (597-586 BC)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n