Ezekiel 3:23 Study Bible: Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and look, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face.

◄ Ezekiel 3:23 ►

So I got up and went out to the plain, and behold, the glory of the LORD was present there, like the glory I had seen by the River Kebar, and I fell facedown.

Study Bible

So I got up and went out to the plain
Ezekiel's obedience to God's command is immediate, reflecting the prophet's role as a faithful servant. The "plain" signifies a place of solitude and revelation, away from the distractions of the city. In biblical narratives, plains often serve as settings for divine encounters, as seen with Abraham and Lot. This setting underscores the seriousness of the message Ezekiel is about to receive.

and behold, the glory of the LORD was present there
The "glory of the LORD" refers to the visible manifestation of God's presence, often associated with divine holiness and power. This glory is a recurring theme in Ezekiel, emphasizing God's sovereignty and majesty. The Hebrew term "kavod" conveys weightiness and honor, indicating the profound impact of God's presence. This encounter reaffirms God's continued involvement with His people, even in exile.

like the glory I had seen by the River Kebar
Ezekiel's reference to the River Kebar connects this vision to his initial calling in Ezekiel 1. The Kebar was a canal near Babylon, where the exiles were settled. This continuity of divine revelation assures Ezekiel of God's unchanging nature and His plans for Israel. The repeated vision serves to strengthen Ezekiel's resolve and authority as a prophet.

and I fell facedown
Ezekiel's response of falling facedown is a common reaction to divine encounters, signifying reverence, awe, and submission. This posture is seen throughout Scripture, such as in the experiences of Abraham, Moses, and John in Revelation. It highlights the overwhelming nature of God's presence and the appropriate human response to His holiness. This act of worship and humility prepares Ezekiel to receive further instructions from God.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Ezekiel
A prophet called by God to deliver His messages to the Israelites during their Babylonian exile. Known for his vivid visions and symbolic acts.

2. The Plain
A location where Ezekiel is instructed to go, symbolizing a place of revelation and encounter with God.

3. The Glory of the LORD
A manifestation of God's presence, often depicted as overwhelming and awe-inspiring. In Hebrew, "glory" is "kavod," indicating weightiness and honor.

4. River Kebar
A canal near Babylon where Ezekiel had his initial vision of God's glory, marking a significant moment in his prophetic ministry.

5. Facedown
Ezekiel's response to God's glory, indicating reverence, submission, and worship.

Teaching Points

The Importance of Obedience
Ezekiel's immediate response to God's command to go to the plain demonstrates the importance of obedience in our walk with God. We should be ready to follow God's instructions, trusting in His purpose.

Encountering God's Glory
Experiencing God's glory is transformative and humbling. Like Ezekiel, we should approach God with reverence and awe, recognizing His majesty and holiness.

The Role of Prophets
Prophets are called to be messengers of God's truth, often requiring them to step into challenging situations. We can learn from Ezekiel's courage and faithfulness in delivering God's message.

Reverence in Worship
Ezekiel's response of falling facedown is a model for our worship. True worship involves humility and recognition of God's supreme authority.

God's Consistent Presence
The repeated manifestation of God's glory to Ezekiel reminds us of God's constant presence and faithfulness, even in times of exile or difficulty.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does Ezekiel's obedience to God's command to go to the plain challenge us in our daily walk with God?

2. In what ways can we cultivate a sense of reverence and awe in our worship, similar to Ezekiel's response to God's glory?

3. How does the recurring theme of God's glory in Ezekiel's visions encourage us to seek God's presence in our lives?

4. What can we learn from Ezekiel's role as a prophet about the importance of delivering God's message, even when it is difficult?

5. How do other biblical accounts of encountering God's glory (e.g., Isaiah 6, Revelation 1) enhance our understanding of Ezekiel's experience in this passage?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Ezekiel 1
Describes Ezekiel's initial vision by the River Kebar, providing context for the recurring theme of God's glory.

Isaiah 6
Isaiah's vision of God's glory in the temple, highlighting the common prophetic experience of encountering God's holiness.

Revelation 1
John's vision of Christ's glory, drawing parallels to the overwhelming nature of divine revelation.

Exodus 33
Moses' encounter with God's glory, emphasizing the transformative power of witnessing God's presence.

Sermons

God Communicating with Man	W. Jones	Ezekiel 3:22, 23
The Silenced Prophet, a Calamity	J.D. Davies	Ezekiel 3:22-27

People

Ezekiel

Places

Chebar, Tel-abib

Topics

Behold, Chebar, Face, Facedown, Fall, Fell, Forth, Glory, Got, Honour, Kebar, Plain, Resting, Rise, River, Standing, Stood, Valley

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Ezekiel 3:23

1193 glory, revelation of
8422 equipping, spiritual

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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