Dave Burnette's Commentary

Ezekiel Chapter 10

Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Ezekiel
Date Penned: (571 BC)
Overview: To Announce God's Judgement and Salvation (c 1-5)
Theme: Messages of Doom (c 1-24)
Message: Burning Coals Are Scattered Over Jerusalem (v 1-22)


Ezekiel 10 Commentary

(10:1) God's Glory - Ezekiel 8 through 11 depict God's glory departing from the temple. In 8:3=4, God's glory was over the northern gate. Then it moved to the entrance (9:3), then the south end of the temple (10:3=4), the eastern gate (10:18-19; 11:1), and finally the mountain east of the temple (11:23), probably the Mount of Olives. This vision communicated a devastating message to the people of Israel. Because of the nation's sins, God's glory had departed first from the temple and then from Jerusalem. 

(10:1) An Opening Vision - This scene parallels Ezekiel's opening vision (1:22-26), only this time the Lord departed from the temple. Sapphire (more likely lapis lazuli) is an azure-blue semiprecious stone. This imagery reflects how beautiful and awe-inspiring God's appearance is and hearkens all the way back to Moses' time, when the 70 elders of Israel met God for a meal after the people reconfirmed the covenant. There, sapphire reflected the glory of God and his superiority over all other beings. The elders ate a covenant meal before God, a sign of peace and commitment in their covenant relationship with him (Exodus 24:9-11). 

(10:2) Judgement for Sin - God's perfect holiness demands judgment for sin. The cherubim are mighty angelic beings. The burning coals scattered over the city represent the purging of sin by fire. For Jerusalem, this meant the destruction of all the people who blatantly sinned and refused to repent. Shortly after this prophecy, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem by fire (2 Kings 25:9; 2 Chronicles 36:19). Jesus later also referred to the coming judgment he would bring in terms of fire (Luke 12:49). 

(10:18) God's Holiness - God's glory departed from the temple and was never completely present again until Christ himself visited it in New Testament times. God's holiness required that he leave the temple because the people had so defiled it. God had to completely destroy what people had perverted in order for true worship to be revived. We must commit ourselves, our families, our churches, and our nations to follow God's truth faithfully so that we never have to experience the abandonment of God.

 


David Burnette's Life Application


The Purging of Sin

 

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue the Book of Ezekiel with Chapter 10. In our text today we see burning coals are scattered over Jerusalem as God's perfect holiness demands judgment for sin. These coals of fire represent the purging of sin and destruction of all those who refused to repent. In making application we see that we are living in the Church age and a time of grace but some are mistaking Gods grace for a liberty to sin with no consequences. Nothing could be further from the truth of the Word of God that says those who are not redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb will face judgment and eternal separation from God in Hell. How about you? Do you realize the Holiness of God as it relates to your personal sin? Let us learn from our text today and the example in Ezekiel to see that God is Holy and a Holy God will judge my sin.   

 

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Ezekiel 10

Ezekiel 10

 1Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.

 2And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.

 3Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.

 4Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD's glory.

 5And the sound of the cherubims' wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.

 6And it came to pass, that when he had commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubims; then he went in, and stood beside the wheels.

 7And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubims unto the fire that was between the cherubims, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen: who took it, and went out.

 8And there appeared in the cherubims the form of a man's hand under their wings.

 9And when I looked, behold the four wheels by the cherubims, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl stone.

 10And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel.

 11When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went.

 12And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had.

 13As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel.

 14And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

 15And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar.

 16And when the cherubims went, the wheels went by them: and when the cherubims lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also turned not from beside them.

 17When they stood, these stood; and when they were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also: for the spirit of the living creature was in them.

 18Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims.

 19And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD's house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

 20This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims.

 21Every one had four faces apiece, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.

 22And the likeness of their faces was the same faces which I saw by the river of Chebar, their appearances and themselves: they went every one straight forward.