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The Grind

Savor the taste of our previous brew

Since everything in the leads into and prepares the way for what comes after it, refresh yesterday’s Brew to let the previous passage get you ready for today’s verses. Though you should have already explored the passage, personally with Jesus, here is the heart of what we saw, together. In the previous passage, verses 8-17, expands on Chapter One to tie the cherubim of the previous passage to the in his original vision. Introduction To better understand what’s happening in this passage, let me introduce you to Material Symbols – actual objects that the people could see and touch, but they conveyed “a meaning beyond their material use” (Mickelsen, p. 270). For example, the as a whole, with its services, sacrifices, and servants “all stand for basic elements in the [covenant] relationship between man and ” (ibid, p. 272). The altar symbolized the meeting place of God with humanity, just as it had in pre-tabernacle days, when the patriarchs used altars to mark the sites of encounters with God and claimed them for Him (New Bible Dictionary, p. 1225). The ark symbolized the presence of God because it contained the tablets of the Decalogue, and where the Word of the Lord was, there was the Lord Himself (ibid.). Men like , Samuel, , and Elisha, in and through whom the Lord operated, also symbolized the divine presence. “Another material symbol found in visions is the or cherubim. This word (in Hebrew, keruv) is found over ninety times in the . It is found only once in the New Testament (Heb. 9:5). The appearance and function of the cherubim in the visional symbols would seem to indicate an order of angelic beings. Ezekiel provides enough material to show the complexity of the symbol (see Ezek. 1:5-28; 9:3; 10: l-20; 11:22; 28: 14-16). They have four faces, four wings, and four wheels - one for each face. There is a vital relation between the wheels and the living creatures (see Ezek. 1). But the material cherubim are much simpler. They were found in the tabernacle and temple in the Most Holy Place. There they faced each other and overshadowed the with their wings. Jehovah of hosts was enthroned on the cherubim (I Sam. 4:4; II Sam. 6:2 = I Chron. 13:6; II Kings 19:15 = Isa. 37: 16; Ps. 80:2; 99: 1). The glory of the Lord appeared by the cherubim and from this area he spoke (Exod. 25:18-22; 37:7-9; Num. 7:89). These cherubim were made of gold. Other images of the cherubim were carved on the gold-plated cedar planks in the inner walls of the temple and on the olive wood doors (I Kings 6:29-35; II Chron. 3:7). As material symbols they stand for the holiness of God. By their location they also connote his inaccessibility (cf. Heb. 9:8). Here are symbols of creatures, who have an immediate and intimate relation with God. This symbol conveyed to the Israelites the exalted character of God. It helped the Israelites to be filled with awe at the contemplation of God. It is significant that the meaning of the symbol became fixed in the thinking of the Israelites. Never did they worship the cherubim, although on many occasions they lapsed into idolatrous practices. With this symbol they could only think of the true God. When they departed from God, they also turned aside from the symbol” (ibid, pp. 271-2). Normally, writers substitute new symbols to update or complete what older ones have already said. The newer symbol reflects some kind of progress since its predecessor began to operate. To keep pace with God’s unfolding plan of salvation or to bring out more details, the replacement either tells us more about what the older symbol represented, or offers previously unknown facts – or both. In :8-17, the takes symbolism to new heights – practically revising what he saw earlier – as if he had reconsidered the vision from Chapter One and altered his earlier account of it in the light of further evidence. At first glance, he seems to imply that he had mistaken the cherubim of Chapter Ten for four living creatures, but now corrects himself to say that the four living creatures were in fact, cherubim. If this is the case, he would be the only inspired writer ever to admit he had misrepresented what the LORD showed him – a mea culpa that sabotages the infallibility of inspiration and undermines the authority of holy scripture. Fortunately, Ezekiel never intended to rewrite the vision in Chapter One. Instead, he merely wants to connect the visions in Chapters One and Ten to show a deeper understanding of what God had showed him. In the original vision, God is seated on a portable borne by living creatures – all rulers of the planet – to show the entire creation’s submission to and support for the LORD. In Chapter Ten, Ezekiel updates the vision – harmonizing it with the symbolism in the sanctuary – to show God riding on or enthroned above heavenly creatures called cherubim. Instead of a novel idea, this imagery lines up with similar descriptions in Ps. 18:10; 80:1; 99:1; and Isa. 37:16). Tying the creation to heaven, with heaven outranking its earthly counterpart, Ezekiel reminds us of Jesus’ words in the LORD’s prayer: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt. 6:10), expressing the hope that God’s perfect plan and purpose already honored in the realm above will eventually find acceptance in the world below. The way the creation supports the LORD in the first vision gives the impression that none of God’s earthly servants would disapprove of His divorce from – given the evidence of its infidelity at the earthly sanctuary in 8:1-14. The LORD revealed ’s unfaithfulness to Ezekiel so he could talk the exiles out of counting on the city to open a door for their return from . Unable to return home, the exiles might turn to other for deliverance. So, to seal Israel’s fate, the LORD gives Ezekiel a deeper insight meant to discourage the exiles from turning to Egyptian or Babylonian idols like the folks in Jerusalem, to rescue them from captivity. Other cultures, including and Babylon, saw their gods riding on – mythical creatures with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion, standing on two legs like an eagle, or seated on thrones borne by such animals. Since the living creatures in Chapter One closely resemble griffins, Ezekiel upgrades them to cherubim – with unquestionable loyalty to the LORD. Because the LORD already has the full support of the celestial realm – represented by the cherub-angels – it is pointless for the exiles to expect them to double-cross the LORD and help them in His place. 8 Ezekiel begins the upgrade of the vision in Chapter One, by inserting an explanation in v.8 for how a winged cherub in v.7 could reach out with a hand – like the living creatures in 1:8. Just as all the creatures had hands under their wings in 1:8, so now the cherubim also have hands under theirs. (All the cherubim All four of the angels that supported God’s throne with their outstretched wings had what looked like hands possessed something that resembled human palms and fingers under their wings.) beneath the feathers they used to fly 9 Verse 9 repeats the essential parts of 1:15, 16. “Each of the four cherubim had a wheel beside him,” rephrases 1:15 to upgrade the living creatures with cherubim, while “the wheels sparkled like beryl,” simply restates the description of the wheels in the first part of 1:16. I looked, While I, Ezekiel watched what God was showing me and each of the four cherubim every one of the angelic quartet had a wheel beside him, stood next to its own wheel and the wheels sparkled like beryl. that twinkled pale green/blue/yellow 10 Verse 10 repeats the second part of 1:16, word for word. Ezekiel focuses on raising the earlier vision to a higher standard, either by adding or replacing the living beings with cherubim – not by reinventing its wheels. All four wheels looked alike Every wheel resembled the other and were made the same; fashioned from the same material each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it like a gyroscope with one wheel spinning inside another. 11 Verse 11 expands 1:17. First, substituting cherubim for the living beings, v.11 repeats v.17 word for word. Then, it adds, “they went straight in the direction they faced, never turning aside,” to explain and make it easier to grasp the first part. The cherubim the angels that supported God’s throne with their outstretched wings could move in any of the four directions they faced, could go north, south, east, or west whenever they chose without turning as they moved. Facing forward while they went They went straight in the direction they faced, squarely in the way they were pointing never turning aside. At no time deviating left or right 12 The first line of verse 12 adds cherubim to the wheels to repeat and upgrade 1:18 to include the celestial beings in this more advanced revelation. The second line expands the picture in 1:18 so that the cherubim, like the wheels, are also covered with eyes. Symbols of divine omniscience, adding “eyes” to the cherubim as well as the wheels enhances and magnifies the LORD’s ability to see everything, more convincing than the earlier setup – that nothing escapes His notice. Both the cherubim and the wheels the angels that supported God’s throne with their outstretched wings as well as the wheels were covered with eyes. Could look in all directions The cherubim had eyes all over their bodies, nothing could escape the notice of the angels that supported God’s throne with their outstretched wings including their hands, their backs, and their wings. Scrutinizing everything with every part of their anatomies 13 As verse 12 elaborated on the cherubim, so now verse 13 develops the vision of the wheels. Besides saying that “each wheel had a second one turning crosswise within it,” in v.10 to parallel 1:16, Ezekiel intensifies the element of motion, observing that, “I heard someone refer to the wheels as ‘the whirling wheels’”, to set the stage for his remarks in v.14. I I, Ezekiel heard someone caught the sound of a voice refer to the wheels comparing the wheels as “the whirling wheels.” To the kind that spin (so their eyes could look in all directions at all times) 14 Verse 14 actually begins with the ambiguous expression, “And each one.” The NLT assumes that it refers to the cherubim; but Ezekiel deliberately inserted v.13 and its subject, the wheels to make it more difficult to mistake the opening of v.14 for a reference to the celestial beings. Instead, describing both the wheels and cherubim coated with the same eyes identifies them with each other – so that mention of the one implies a reference to the other. By making them inseparable, Ezekiel synchronizes them to underscore how the cherubim and the wheels move perfectly together. So, Ezekiel continues to show their resemblance ascribing to the wheels the same characteristics attributed to the living creatures in 1:10 with one difference: v.14 replaces the ox with a cherub. In v.10, the prophet describes the living creatures with the faces of a human, lion, ox, and eagle. Here, he describes “each one” with the faces of a cherub, a human, a lion, and an eagle. To maintain the parallel, he could hardly describe a cherub with the face of a cherub. Though the NLT says that the first is the face of an ox, they only do so to make it fit with v.10. Associating the cherubim and wheels so closely enables Ezekiel to assign the faces of the wheels here, to the cherubim in verses 20 and 21. Each of the four wheels had four faces: Every wheel had the front part of four heads the first was the face of a cherub, One looked like an who supported God’s throne with its wings the second was a human face, the next looked like the king of creation the third was the face of a lion, the next one looked like the king of beasts and the fourth was the face of an eagle. The last one looked like the king of birds 15 Verse 15 echoes 1:19, though it omits the first line. 1:19 synchronizes the creatures with the wheels saying: “When the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. When they flew upward, the wheels went up, too.” To refocus his audience on the cherubim, Ezekiel reverses the order of 1:19, saying first “then the cherubim rose upward,” substituting the cherubim for the living beings. Following this last substitution, he finally comes right out and tells us: “These were the same living beings I had seen beside the Kebar River,” approaching the completion of his project. He does this to prepare us for the climax of the vision and maximize its impact in verses 16 and 17. Then Next, after describing the wheels, the cherubim rose upward. The angels who supported God’s throne with their wings ascended These were the same living beings the same creatures I had seen beside the Kebar River. I, Ezekiel saw in the original vision at the Kebar River 16, 17 Now, Ezekiel can safely adapt the most intense and exciting part of the original vision to the present context. Just as 1:19-21 finished with a bang, reporting the remarkable precision of the chariot/throne’s movements, so verses 15-17 takes us to the exciting conclusion of this upgrade – with several interesting differences. First, the opening of 1:19 that laid the foundation for the living beings to move in perfect harmony with the wheels becomes here, both an explanation for v.15 and the culmination of the entire event. At the same time, the upgrade only mentions the Spirit of the living beings once in v.17, instead of twice like the original vision in 1:20, 21.This keeps the audience focused on the cherubim, Ezekiel’s goal for the upgrade, and reduces the original emphasis to a mere explanation of how the cherubim and the wheels operate at the same exact time and rate. It is the motion of the cherubim rather than the Spirit that controls the movement of the wheels. And, to show the unity of the cherubim with the creatures of the original vision, Ezekiel says, “the spirit of the living beings [rather than the cherubim] was in the wheels.” The whole point of the upgrade is to show that creatures of both realms, the earthly and heavenly are in absolute agreement in their service and support for God. The substitution of cherubim for the creatures shows that they are interchangeable, and therefore share the same attitudes as well as functions in relation to God. If the exiles hope to find a sympathetic ear for their complaints or appeals for help – in defiance of God, they won't find it among these composite creatures. The rebels in Jerusalem were relying on earthly and celestial idols for help, but Ezekiel’s report will convince the exiles: don't waste your time looking for alternatives to the LORD. You won't find a single supporter in the entire universe: either on earth or in heaven. When the cherubim moved, Whenever the angels who supported God’s throne with their wings went the wheels moved with them. the wheels went with them When they lifted their wings to fly, Whenever the angels who supported God’s throne with their wings flapped them to go airborne the wheels stayed beside them. the wheels remained right next to them When the cherubim stopped, Whenever the angels who supported God’s throne with their wings paused the wheels stopped. The wheels paused, too When they flew upward, the wheels rose up, Whenever the angels who supported God’s throne with their wings ascended, the wheels took off, too for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels because the animating force of the original creatures also existed in the wheels.

Now

Serving The Brew Let us pour you a fresh cup, ground verse-by-verse from today’s passage

In today’s passage, verses 18-22, the LORD’s glory finally departs from the city. So please open your to Ezekiel Chapter 10, and let me pour you a hot CuppaJesus from today’s brew, starting with v.18.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR TODAY Here are the main items in the text that will lead you to its understanding.

Parts Verse 18 Verse 19 Verse 20 Verse 21 Verse 22 Links Then, and And 2x, as When For, and 2x, like And 2x, just like, just as Persons The LORD I (Zeke), the I 3x, the God of I (Zeke) LORD’s, the God Israel (Jacob) of Israel (Jacob) Places Out from the door To the east gate Beneath (t. God Under (their At the Kebar, of the Temple, of…Temple, of Israel), by the wings) straight ahead above (t. ) above (them) Kebar River Things The glory of, the The cherubim, These, the same Each, four faces, Their faces, the cherubim them, their living beings, they, four wings, what faces of the living wheels, the glory cherubim human hands, beings, they, the of their wings others Words Moved, hovered Watched, flew Were 2x, had Had, looked Were, had seen, with, hovered seen, was, knew traveled, had Pay careful attention to every item as you follow today’s devotional in your study Bible. We have already grouped them by colors in “Today’s Text,” so you can follow the writer's flow of thought for yourself. Capture and grasp what he is trying to tell you with matching color pencils to draw lines connecting items to others in the same color-family, and a black pencil to cross-link items from different color-families that still have something to do with one another. Use circles, boxes, triangles, etc. to identify topics and themes (triangles, for instance, might represent the Trinity). Also mark with asterisks, etc., the ones you need to look up later for more information or greater details.

TODAY’S TEXT

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION 18 Then the glory of the LORD moved out from the door of the Temple and hovered above the cherubim. 19 And as I watched, the cherubim flew with their wheels to the east gate of the LORD’s Temple. And the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them. 20 These were the same living beings I had seen beneath the God of Israel when I was by the Kebar River. I knew they were cherubim, 21 for each had four faces and four wings and what looked like human hands under their wings. 22 And their faces were just like the faces of the beings I had seen at the Kebar, and they traveled straight ahead, just as the others had.

THE EXPANDED BIBLE

18 Then, the glory of the LORD [C his manifest presence] left the ·door [threshold] of the ·Temple [L house] and stood over the ·living creatures [L cherubim]. 19 ·As I watched [Before my eyes], the ·living creatures [L cherubim] spread their wings and flew up from the ·ground [earth], with the wheels beside them. They stood where the east gate of the ·Temple [L house] of the LORD opened, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them. 20 These were the living creatures I had seen under the God of Israel by the Kebar ·River [Canal; 1:1]. I knew they were called cherubim. 21 Each one had four faces and four wings, and under their wings were things that looked like human hands. 22 Their faces looked the same as the ones I had seen by the Kebar ·River [Canal; 1:1]. They each went straight ahead.

THE SCRIPTURES 1998/2009 .went from the threshold of the House and stood over the keruḇim יהוה And the esteem of 18 19 And the keruḇim lifted their wings and rose from the earth before my eyes. When they went out, the and the esteem ,יהוה wheels were beside them. And it stood at the door of the east gate of the House of of the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl was above them. 20 It was the living creature I saw under the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl by the River Keḇar, and I knew they were keruḇim. 21 Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. 22 And the likeness of their faces was the same as the faces which I had seen by the River Keḇar, their appearances and themselves. Each one went straight forward.”

THE NET BIBLE 18 Then the glory of the LORD moved away from the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim. 19 The cherubim spread their wings, and they rose up from the earth while I watched (when they went the wheels went alongside them). They stopped at the entrance to the east gate of the LORD’s temple as the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them. 20 These were the living creatures which I saw at the Kebar River underneath the God of Israel; I knew that they were cherubim. 21 Each had four faces; each had four wings and the form of human hands under the wings. 22 As for the form of their faces, they were the faces whose appearance I had seen at the Kebar River. Each one moved straight ahead.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL: 18 The linking word “then” introduces the final segment of this vision, in the order it occurred to the prophet. More than the next event, it brings to a climax both the series of progressive revelations by God as well as the gradual process of realizing just what God wanted him to see. As God brought more details and movements into view, Ezekiel continued to reflect on what God had shown him, updating it with the latest information from the vision. Instead of rambling, senselessly repeating himself, Ezekiel blends what he sees with images from the sanctuary until he realizes that the living creatures of Chapter One are in fact, cherubim – like the ones that supported God’s “throne” above the in the Most Holy Place. The shekinah glory, separated from the cherubim who parked themselves by the altar to dispense coals to the man dressed in linen to carry out his mission, now reunites with them. Moving “out from the door of the Temple,” He assumed His traditional position and “hovered above the cherubim.” This move signals His official departure from National Israel. Separated from the LORD, the cherubim acted as guardians of the sanctuary fire. Now they resume their official position of upholding God’s throne, as the people have known them since the sanctuary began to serve as a reminder that God dwelled among His people. They stand ready to transport God and His throne – to remove the divine presence and finalize His divorce from His unfaithful bride. Then Next the glory of the LORD moved out from the door of the Temple the LORD’s dazzling presence left the Temple entrance and hovered above the cherubim. In order to float over the angels who supported His throne with their wings 19 Ezekiel emphasizes that he is merely an observer of these divine movements by saying, “and as I watched,” to impartially introduce the next thing he saw. Synchronized again and moving in perfect unison, “the cherubim flew with their wheels to the east gate of the LORD’s Temple. And the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them,” underscoring God’s complete sovereignty as well as the cherubim’s total support of Him. Notice how Ezekiel harmonizes the Creator God with the Redeemer LORD by focusing on the Creator’s central presence in the sacred building dedicated to the LORD of the people’s redemption. He is the one who made it, holy. Headed for the east gate, the text points symbolically/prophetically to Jesus’ departure through the same gate and headed for the Mt. of Olives announced: “Look, your house is left desolate to you,” (Mt. 23:38). The absolute agreement between God and the cherubim was meant to discourage any hope among the exiles that the cherubim would aid them against God’s will. It also accentuates the divorce as re-separation from the Creator, back to salvation’s square one. And While as I watched, I, Ezekiel was observing this the cherubim flew with their wheels the angels who supported God’s throne with their wings took off with their wheels to the east gate of the LORD’s Temple. Headed for the east entrance of [or, in this case, the exit from] the sacred shrine And the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them. at the same time the Creator’s dazzling presence floated over them 20 The cherubim’s behavior in v.19 reminded Ezekiel of what he saw in the original vision, the living beings supporting God’s throne in 1:19-28. Tying this, at the same time, to the memory of the sanctuary reminded Ezekiel of the centuries old setup in the Most Holy Place and Ezekiel concluded, or “knew they were cherubim.” The Hebrew word translated “knew,” means “to ascertain by seeing,” a process of getting to know, or identifying someone or something by its appearance. In this case, blending the two images together he finally realized that the living beings of Chapter One were, in fact, the legendary cherubim of the Tabernacle/Temple. The expression, “flew with their wheels,” implies that mobility comes natural to the cherubim so they are just as at home with the chariot/throne as they ever were in the Most Holy Place. These were the same living beings These angels who supported God’s throne with their wings were identical to the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel I, Ezekiel saw at the Creator of National Israel’s feet when I was by the Kebar River. That time I, Ezekiel stood beside the Kebar canal I knew they were cherubim, I [finally] realized the angels who supported God’s throne with their wings were the cherubs of the Most Holy Place 21 This verse goes back over the thoughts in the process of reaching the conclusion that the cherubim were one and the same with the living creatures of the original vision. Besides serving the same function, the cherubim also shared the same appearance with the living beings of Chapter One. The word “for,” introduces an explanation for the light-bulb moment at the end of v.20. In the prophet’s own words, like the living creatures, the cherubim also had “four faces and four wings and what looked like human hands under their wings.” But that’s not all. Verse 22 draws our attention to the final analogy that clinched it for the prophet. for because each had four faces every one of the angels who supported God’s throne with their wings had the front part of four heads and four wings plus four feathery attachments and what looked like human hands as well as something that resembled human palms and fingers under their wings. Underneath their feathery attachments 22 Ezekiel adds a two-part climax to the process with the linking word, “and.” First “their faces were just like the faces of the beings I had seen at the Kebar.” Faces are the features normally used to match or identify people or even creatures. Not only did they both have four faces as mentioned in v.21, but the faces Ezekiel saw on the cherubim were identical to those on the living creatures. Second, the cherubim duplicated the precision movements of the living creatures, always going straight ahead without banking into their turns or deviating right or left, “just as the others [or living creatures] had”, before. To the ancient mind, imitation was the greatest form of flattery, and Jewish disciples not only sounded like their rabbis, they even copied the way they walked down to their every gesture. Added to their identical faces, this last distinctive similarity confirmed for Ezekiel that the living creatures were none other than the cherubim of the Most Holy Place. And what’s more their faces were just like the faces of the beings the front parts of heads of the angels who supported God’s throne with their wings matched those of the living creatures I had seen at the Kebar, I, Ezekiel saw beside the Kebar Canal and they traveled straight ahead, just as the others had. plus, the angels who supported God’s throne with their wings matched the precise moves the living creatures made.

A Tastier CuppaJ Let Jesus pour you a fuller bodied, more flavorful CuppaJ from today’s brew

Well, we hope you enjoyed this morning’s CuppaJ for the Day, brewed verse-by-verse to bring out the full-flavor of the text. Now it’s your turn to explore the passage for yourself––to make this study good to the last drop. Remember, you haven’t really studied the Bible, God’s Written Word––until it connects you with Jesus, God’s Living Word. Then Jesus, the true Teacher can customize the text, so every word comes across written just for you. This morning’s CuppaJ is just a taste of what’s in the text––the starting point for a deeper learning experience with Jesus. So, go ahead; spend time alone with Him to go over this passage together. Let Jesus pour a tastier CuppaJ from the same brew, for you, today. Use the following form to jot down whatever Jesus shares with you. Bible Study

1. Open your Bible to today’s passage and review today’s brew. 2. Savor the passage, one verse at a time, listening for God’s still small voice. 3. Follow the trail you marked in each verse, pause to look up the terms you flagged for further consideration, and write whatever the Spirit brings to mind. v.18 ______. ______v.19 ______v.20 ______v.21 ______v.22 ______