Today’s Scripture Reading (June 1,
2014): Ezekiel 39
Early on in
the history of the church that I pastor, we decided that we wanted to be an
experimental church. What we meant by that was that we wanted to be willing to
try things. We did not want to be limited by attitudes like “we have never done
that before.” Neither did we want to feel like we were a failure just because
something did not work. I am convinced of two things – churches don’t fail
enough because we are unwilling to take a risk and that God wants to do a new
thing. Sometimes we want to keep God in a historical box, shackled by the
expectations of the past. But that does not seem to be the God that is revealed
in Scripture. Instead, the God of the Bible seems to continually be pressing
against the expectations of the culture, advancing us toward something
different- and better.
As Ezekiel
continues his writing, it is evident that something new was about to happen. There
is absolutely no evidence in the Hebrew Bible that God’s Spirit was ever poured
out on all of the people. The pouring out of the Spirit of God up until this
time was always episodic in nature. He is given to certain people at certain
times and for a definitive purpose. But the dream of the people of Israel was
that one day that would change – that one day God’s Spirit would be given to
all the people. Then we would be able to really know God – to see him as he is.
I am
convinced that the Bible shows evidence of progressive revelation. Basically,
as we read through the Bible (especially if we read it chronologically) we
begin to see God more clearly. But as Christians, we believe that the fullest
revelation of God is found only in the life of Jesus. And it is in the person
of Jesus that God finally no longer hides his face.
And Peter
recognizes that on the day of Pentecost (an event that we will celebrate next
Sunday) the dream of Israel is finally realized. Peter quotes Joel, but the
prophecy of Joel is the same one that we find in Ezekiel – that the day would
come when the Spirit of God would no longer be episodic, given to specific
people at specific times, but instead he would be poured out on all of the
people. And in that act, the church would be born.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ezekiel
40
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