Ezekiel 3:22
And there the hand of the LORD was upon me, and He said to me, "Get up, go out to the plain, and there I will speak with you."
And there the hand of the LORD was upon me
This phrase indicates a divine encounter, where God's presence and power are tangibly experienced by the prophet. The "hand of the LORD" symbolizes God's authority and guidance, often seen in prophetic contexts (e.g., 1 Kings 18:46, Ezekiel 1:3). It signifies empowerment for the task ahead, ensuring that Ezekiel's actions and words are under divine direction. This divine touch is crucial for the prophet's mission, emphasizing that his message is not self-derived but from God.

and He said to me
This phrase underscores the direct communication between God and Ezekiel, highlighting the personal nature of God's relationship with His prophets. It reflects the biblical theme of God speaking to His chosen messengers, as seen with Moses (Exodus 3:4) and Isaiah (Isaiah 6:8). This direct speech is a hallmark of prophetic literature, affirming the authenticity and authority of the message conveyed.

Get up, go out to the plain
The instruction to "get up" suggests urgency and readiness to obey God's command. The "plain" refers to a specific geographical location, possibly a flat, open area outside the city, conducive for solitude and reflection. In biblical times, plains were often places of significant encounters with God (e.g., Genesis 12:6-7, where God appeared to Abram). This setting away from distractions allows Ezekiel to focus on God's revelation, emphasizing the importance of solitude in receiving divine messages.

and there I will speak with you
This promise of communication assures Ezekiel of further divine revelation. It highlights the progressive nature of God's revelation, where understanding unfolds over time. The phrase also reflects the biblical pattern of God choosing specific locations for significant revelations, as seen with Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:20) and Elijah on Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:11-13). This encounter foreshadows the intimate relationship between God and His people, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who is the Word made flesh (John 1:14), bridging the gap between God and humanity.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ezekiel
A prophet and priest during the Babylonian exile, called by God to deliver His messages to the Israelites.

2. The LORD
The covenant name of God, Yahweh, who directly communicates with Ezekiel.

3. The Plain
A specific location where God instructs Ezekiel to go, symbolizing a place of solitude and divine encounter.

4. The Hand of the LORD
A phrase indicating God's power, presence, and guidance upon Ezekiel.

5. Divine Communication
The event where God speaks directly to Ezekiel, emphasizing the importance of obedience and attentiveness to God's voice.
Teaching Points
Obedience to God's Call
Just as Ezekiel was instructed to go to the plain, we must be willing to follow God's directions, even when they lead us to unfamiliar or uncomfortable places.

The Importance of Solitude
God often speaks to us in moments of solitude, away from distractions. We should seek quiet times to listen for His voice.

God's Presence Empowers
The "hand of the LORD" upon Ezekiel signifies empowerment and guidance. We can trust that God equips us for the tasks He calls us to.

Expect Divine Encounters
Be open to the unexpected ways and places God may choose to communicate with us.

Preparation for Service
Like Ezekiel, we may be called to a period of preparation before being sent out to fulfill God's purposes.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Ezekiel's experience of being called to the plain challenge your understanding of where and how God communicates with His people?

2. In what ways can you create space for solitude in your life to better hear God's voice?

3. Reflect on a time when you felt the "hand of the LORD" upon you. How did it empower or guide you in that situation?

4. How do the experiences of other biblical figures, like Moses or Elijah, inform your understanding of divine encounters?

5. What steps can you take to ensure you are obedient to God's call, even when it leads you to unexpected places?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 3
Similar to Moses' encounter with God, Ezekiel is called to a specific place for divine communication, highlighting the importance of location in God's revelations.

1 Kings 19
Elijah's experience of hearing God's voice in a gentle whisper on Mount Horeb parallels Ezekiel's call to the plain, emphasizing the need for solitude to hear God.

Acts 9
Saul's encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus shows how God uses specific locations to reveal His will and purpose.

Isaiah 6
Isaiah's vision and commissioning by God reflect the pattern of divine calling and sending seen in Ezekiel's experience.

Matthew 4
Jesus' time in the wilderness before beginning His ministry underscores the theme of preparation and divine encounter in solitude.
ContemplationCharles Kingsley.Ezekiel 3:22
Quiet Communion with GodW. M. Arthur, M. A.Ezekiel 3:22
RetirementW. Jay.Ezekiel 3:22
Seasons of Devout SolitudeHomilistEzekiel 3:22
Solitude, not LonelinessJ. Parker D. D.Ezekiel 3:22
The Doctrine of the DesertP. Morrison.Ezekiel 3:22
God Communicating with ManW. Jones Ezekiel 3:22, 23
The Silenced Prophet, a CalamityJ.D. Davies Ezekiel 3:22-27
People
Ezekiel
Places
Chebar, Tel-abib
Topics
Arise, Forth, Plain, Rise, Speak, Talk, Valley
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ezekiel 3:22

     1265   hand of God
     7372   hands, laying on

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 Places

Boniface, 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

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