2017, November 26 ~ Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Ephesians 1:15-23

Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24

Ezekiel is one of the three “Major” Prophets – so called because of the length of the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Ezekiel was a priest who was among the first group of persons deported by the Babylonians when they captured Jerusalem in 597 BCE.

The Book of Ezekiel is in three parts: (1) Chapters 1 to 24 are prophesies of doom against Jerusalem before the destruction of the Temple in 586 BCE; (2) Chapters 25 to 32 are prophesies against foreign nations; and (3) Chapters 33 to 48 are prophesies of hope for the Judeans written during the Babylonian Exile (586-539 BCE).

Two of Ezekiel’s most enduring theological developments were the notions that through repentance, sin could be forgiven and Israel could live into a restored covenantal relationship with YHWH, and that the Jews had to accept personal responsibility for their own situation rather than blaming it on the sins of their predecessors.

In today’s reading, Ezekiel speaks for YHWH who is presented as a shepherd who will bring the Judeans into their own land, Jerusalem (v.13). These assertions follow a condemnation of the “shepherds of Israel” (the kings) who took care of themselves but did not feed the sheep (v. 2-10). YHWH says that a new Davidic ruler will be installed over the people (v. 23-24).

The creation of a new Davidic order became an important part of the Messianic expectations in Israel from the time of Babylonian Exile.

Ephesians 1:15-23

Ephesus was a large and prosperous city in what is now western Turkey. In the Acts of the Apostles and 1 Corinthians, Paul is said to have visited there. In Ephesus, there were Jesus Followers who were Jews and Jesus Followers who were Gentiles, and they didn’t always agree on what it meant to be a Jesus Follower.

Because the letter contains a number of terms not used in Paul’s other letters and gives new meanings to some of Paul’s characteristic terms, most scholars believe that this letter was written by one of Paul’s disciples late in the First Century. The letter was intended to unify the Jesus Follower community in Ephesus. The first three chapters are theological teachings and the last three chapters consist of ethical exhortations.

Today’s reading is an introductory thanksgiving prayer for wisdom and for knowledge of the power of Jesus the Christ. The author affirms that this power was given to the Christ through the Resurrection and the seating of the Christ at God’s right hand (v.20). The Resurrection and exaltation has given the Christ power over hostile spiritual powers (“rule, power and dominion”) for all time (v.21-22). The author speaks of the church as the body of the Christ (v.23).