“Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.” Ezekiel 1:1
“Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. 5 Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. 6 Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings.” Ezekiel 1:4-6
“And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. 27 Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and down ward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.” Ezekiel 1:26-28 NKJV
God of eternity,
While Jeremiah was writing to the exiles and speaking to the remaining in Jerusalem, Ezekiel was with the exiles by the river Chebar in Babylon (modern day Iraq I think). And You certainly took him by surprise because he fell on his face. If you read the whole chapter and try and imagine what he saw you can understand why he had trouble describing it. This was not a little vision in his dream space this was something as vast as the skies and more glorious than anything he could imagine.
We do not know what You look like Father, nor can we imagine it. You are not a man though we find it comforting to see what You are like through Jesus. We have no idea what Your Holy Spirit is like except when we sense He is directing us or moving us to worship. But this vision is You showing a tiny part of Your glory to a mere mortal. As You did to Isaiah in chapter 6. But he only saw You on a throne afar off and so large that just the train of Your robe reached and filled the Temple. These wee not visions of a man sat on a throne on a cloud but were surrounded by the colour of glory if it has colour. Ezekiel saw raging fire, brightness, flashes of lightening, glittering crystal and the sound like many waters.
We need to see the vastness of Your glory – or at least know about it. You are not limited by space or time and yet You choose to appear to one exile who You call to speak for You. You provide him with all he needs. Your Spirit to strengthen him (Ezekiel 2:2) and Your words in his heat (3:Your words in his heart (Ezekiel 3:10).
It reminds me of a children’s chorus, My God is so big so strong and so mighty there’s nothing that he cannot do. And yet You choose to use a man Ezekiel and later a fisherman and a tax collector . . . and us. Ezekiel sat down for 7 days thinking about what You had asked (Ezekiel 3:15). You did not rush him, A mighty and yet patient God.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Saturday 25th July 2026
We are constantly amazed at Your magnificence, Your generosity to sinful man (me) and the depth of Your mercy. We can sit as Ezekiel did and wonder before we go to worship tomorrow . . .
Praise the Lord, His mercy is more
Stronger than darkness, new every morn
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more
What love could remember no wrongs we have done
Omniscient, all knowing, He counts not their sum
Thrown into a sea without bottom or shore
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more
Chorus
What patience would wait as we constantly roam
What Father, so tender, is calling us home
He welcomes the weakest, the vilest, the poor
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more
Chorus
What riches of kindness He lavished on us
His blood was the payment, His life was the cost
We stood ‘neath a debt we could never afford
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more
Chorus
Repeat . . .
Lyrics: Matt Boswell / Matt Papa