I came to the exiles at Tel-abib who dwelt by the River Kebar. And for seven days I sat where they sat and remained there among them, overwhelmed. I came to the exiles at Tel-abibTel-abib refers to a location in Babylon where the Jewish exiles were settled. The name "Tel-abib" means "mound of the flood" or "hill of ears of grain," suggesting a place of renewal or growth amidst desolation. This setting underscores the theme of exile and displacement, as the Israelites were taken from their homeland due to their disobedience to God. The exiles represent the remnant of Israel, a recurring theme in the prophetic books, highlighting God's continued faithfulness despite judgment. who dwelt by the River Kebar
The River Kebar is a canal near Nippur in ancient Babylon, where many Jewish exiles lived. This location is significant as it represents the physical and spiritual distance from Jerusalem, the center of Jewish worship and identity. The Kebar Canal is mentioned several times in Ezekiel, serving as a backdrop for his visions and prophecies. The setting by the river may evoke imagery of the Israelites' earlier captivity in Egypt, drawing a parallel between the two periods of bondage and God's deliverance. And for seven days I sat where they sat
The act of sitting for seven days is reminiscent of the mourning period observed in Jewish culture, known as "shiva." This period of mourning reflects Ezekiel's deep empathy and identification with the exiles' suffering. The number seven often symbolizes completeness or perfection in the Bible, suggesting that Ezekiel's time among the exiles was a complete immersion into their experience, preparing him for his prophetic ministry. and remained there among them, overwhelmed
Ezekiel's overwhelming experience indicates the weight of the prophetic calling and the gravity of the message he was to deliver. This emotional response highlights the human aspect of the prophets, who often bore the burden of God's message with great personal cost. The term "overwhelmed" suggests a profound spiritual and emotional impact, akin to the reactions of other prophets like Jeremiah, who lamented over the fate of his people. This phrase also foreshadows the intense visions and messages Ezekiel would receive, emphasizing the seriousness of his mission. Persons / Places / Events 1. EzekielA prophet called by God to deliver His messages to the Israelites during their Babylonian exile. Known for his vivid visions and symbolic actions. 2. ExilesThe Israelites who were taken captive and lived in Babylon. They represent a people in distress, longing for their homeland and God's deliverance. 3. Tel-abibA settlement by the Kebar River where the exiles resided. The name "Tel-abib" can be translated as "hill of spring," symbolizing a place of new beginnings amidst desolation. 4. Kebar RiverA canal or river in Babylon where the exiles settled. It serves as a geographical marker of their captivity and separation from Jerusalem. 5. Seven DaysA period of time Ezekiel spent among the exiles, reflecting a complete cycle of time in Hebrew culture, often associated with creation and rest. Teaching Points Empathy in MinistryEzekiel's action of sitting among the exiles for seven days highlights the importance of understanding and sharing in the burdens of those we minister to. The Weight of God's CallingEzekiel's overwhelming experience reminds us that carrying God's message can be a heavy responsibility, requiring reliance on His strength. Hope in ExileEven in places of captivity and despair, God is present and working. Tel-abib, meaning "hill of spring," symbolizes hope and renewal. The Significance of TimeThe seven days Ezekiel spent with the exiles signifies a complete period of reflection and preparation, emphasizing the need for patience and readiness in God's work. Community in SufferingEzekiel's presence among the exiles underscores the importance of community and solidarity in times of hardship. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Ezekiel's experience of sitting among the exiles for seven days challenge our approach to empathy and understanding in our own communities? 2. In what ways can we find hope and renewal in our own "Tel-abib" moments, where we feel exiled or distant from God? 3. How does the concept of time, as seen in the seven days Ezekiel spent with the exiles, influence our perspective on waiting for God's timing in our lives? 4. What parallels can we draw between Ezekiel's calling and the callings we receive from God today, especially in terms of the weight and responsibility of delivering His message? 5. How can we apply the lessons from Ezekiel 3:15 to foster a sense of community and support among believers facing trials and challenges? Connections to Other Scriptures Jeremiah 29Jeremiah's letter to the exiles in Babylon, encouraging them to seek the welfare of the city and promising future restoration. Psalm 137A lament by the rivers of Babylon, expressing the deep sorrow and longing of the exiles for Jerusalem. Revelation 1John, like Ezekiel, receives visions while in exile, showing the continuity of God's revelation to His people in times of distress. People EzekielPlaces Chebar, Tel-abibTopics Abib, Appalled, Astonied, Astonished, Astonishment, Aviv, Beside, Captivity, Causing, Chebar, Consternation, Dwell, Dwelling, Dwelt, Exiles, Full, Kebar, Midst, Overwhelmed, Prisoners, Removed, River, Sat, Seated, Seven, Tel, Telabib, Tel-abib, Tel-ahib, WonderDictionary of Bible Themes Ezekiel 3:15 4260 rivers and streams
4975 week Library Cæsarius of Arles.
He was born in the district of Chalons-sur-Saone, A. D. 470. He seems to have been early awakened, by a pious education, to vital Christianity. When he was between seven and eight years old, it would often happen that he would give a portion of his clothes to the poor whom he met, and would say, when he came home, that he had been, constrained to do so. When yet a youth, he entered the celebrated convent on the island of Lerins, (Lerina,) in Provence, from which a spirit of deep and practical piety …
Augustus Neander—Light in the Dark PlacesBoniface, Apostle of the Germans.
BONIFACE, or Winfried, as they called him in Anglo-Saxon, born at Crediton in Devonshire, in 680, deserves to be honoured as the father of the German Church, although he was by no means the first who brought the seeds of the Gospel to Germany. Many had already laboured before him; but the efforts which had been made here and there did not suffice to secure the endurance of Christianity amongst the many perils to which it was exposed. Christianity needs to be linked with firm ecclesiastical institutions, …
Augustus Neander—Light in the Dark Places Epistle xxxiv. To Venantius, Ex-Monk, Patrician of Syracuse .
To Venantius, Ex-Monk, Patrician of Syracuse [1331] . Gregory to Venantius, &c. Many foolish men have supposed that, if I were advanced to the rank of the episcopate, I should decline to address thee, or to keep up communication with thee by letter. But this is not so; since I am compelled by the very necessity of my position not to hold my peace. For it is written, Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet (Isai. lviii. 1). And again it is written, I have given thee for a watchman …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great The Greatness of the Soul,
AND UNSPEAKABLENESS 0F THE LOSS THEREOF; WITH THE CAUSES OF THE LOSING IT. FIRST PREACHED AT PINNER'S HALL and now ENLARGED AND PUBLISHED FOR GOOD. By JOHN BUNYAN, London: Printed for Benjamin Alsop, at the Angel and Bible in the Poultry, 1682 Faithfully reprinted from the Author's First Edition. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. Our curiosity is naturally excited to discover what a poor, unlettered mechanic, whose book-learning had been limited to the contents of one volume, could by possibility know …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 The Servant's Inflexible Resolve
'For the Lord God will help Me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set My face like a flint.'--ISAIAH l. 7. What a striking contrast between the tone of these words and of the preceding! There all is gentleness, docility, still communion, submission, patient endurance. Here all is energy and determination, resistance and martial vigour. It is like the contrast between a priest and a warrior. And that gentleness is the parent of this boldness. The same Will which is all submission …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Iranian Conquest
Drawn by Boudier, from the engraving in Coste and Flandin. The vignette, drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a statuette in terra-cotta, found in Southern Russia, represents a young Scythian. The Iranian religions--Cyrus in Lydia and at Babylon: Cambyses in Egypt --Darius and the organisation of the empire. The Median empire is the least known of all those which held sway for a time over the destinies of a portion of Western Asia. The reason of this is not to be ascribed to the shortness of its duration: …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9 The Prophet Jonah.
It has been asserted without any sufficient reason, that Jonah is older than Hosea, Joel, Amos, and Obadiah,--that he is the oldest among the prophets whose written monuments have been preserved to us. The passage in 2 Kings xiv. 25, where it is said, that Jonah, the son of Amittai the prophet, prophesied to Jeroboam the happy success of his arms, and the restoration of the ancient boundaries of Israel, and that this prophecy was confirmed by the event, cannot decide in favour of this assertion, …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Ezekiel 3:15 NIVEzekiel 3:15 NLTEzekiel 3:15 ESVEzekiel 3:15 NASBEzekiel 3:15 KJV
Ezekiel 3:15 Commentaries
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