In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day, while I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting before me, the hand of the Sovereign LORD came on me there. – Ezekiel 8:1

Today's Scripture Reading (June 16, 2023): Ezekiel 8

At some point, I should make a list of surprising things in the Bible, the things that we might miss because we are not part of the culture in which the Bible was written. One significant surprise event is found in the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector. Zacchaeus was an example of a person without position or status in his society. Someone without status could never get an audience with someone like this Rabbi from Galilee. No one would associate with someone like Zacchaeus except other people in the society who were without status. They were the despised, and often the unseen. So, when Zacchaeus hears that Jesus is passing through his area, he makes the decision to go and see him. Seeing Jesus was about all that anyone like Zacchaeus could hope to do.

So, according to the biblical tale, Zacchaeus climbs into a tree to get a glimpse of the popular rabbi. Later, when he would come together with other tax collectors or "sinners," he would have a story to tell about seeing Jesus and his disciples as they passed through town.

At least, that was what Zacchaeus expected. We all know the unexpected end of the story. Jesus pauses in front of Zacchaeus, calls him by name, and says he plans to spend some time with him in his home. It was something that literally couldn't happen. It would be like some celebrity in a parade pausing, pointing at you, calling you by name, and then saying that he wanted to come to your house. It was even more of a surprise because Zacchaeus was a tax collector and not even an average citizen. It was an ending of which Zacchaeus couldn't have even dreamed.

This section starts a new vision. The vision in Ezekiel 1 says that "it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin" (Ezekiel 1:2b). Here it is "In the sixth year, in the sixth month" (Ezekiel 8:1), which makes it about a year and a half after the vision that begins in Ezekiel 1. This gives us a possible date for the vision of September 17, 592 B.C.E. But we also learn something else as this vision starts. The first thing is that Ezekiel has his own house in which he lives. He may have been in Babylon, but he had a level of autonomy. Even more surprising is that the elders of Judah, who would have been seen as the leaders of the Jews in exile, came to Ezekiel in his house for an audience. This shouldn't be seen as an unusual occurrence, as was true for Zacchaeus, but rather a comment on the importance of Ezekiel to the people in exile. He was significant enough that even the national leaders came to him instead of sending for Ezekiel to go to them.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 9