Week 46 - middle of Ezekiel - Boxset Binge the Bible

Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about chapters 22 to 39 of the book of Ezekiel.His visions and actions have been difficult listening, with harsh judgements and consequences for God’s people as well as loss which Ezekiel felt personally and was not allowed to grieve in the normal way. However, God was not remote from suffering, but walking through it with them.God’s heart for people and their ultimate restoration was also revealed not to be restricted to Israel. Ezekiel was given words to share with all the surrounding nations, people with no access to Jewish worship rites but remarkably included in God’s promises for renewal.The kind of leadership God promised for a restored situation was also remarkable - good shepherding, concerned for the whole flock, more humble and service-based than strident and dictatorial. How much did that fit anyone expectations then, or ours in similar political situations now?Ezekiel’s vision of God’s ability to bring life from dead, dry bones might be the most remarkable so far. Did this meet people’s expectations of God’s power, or exceed them? How much difference would it make to us truly to believe in God’s ability to do this today, not just in terms of afterlife but in renewed relationships, trust, hopes and love where these seem to be lost to us?In the next part of our boxset, we complete Ezekiel, looking at his visions for future hope, and also listen to Psalms 107 to 119. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.