God's Presence in Exile — Ezekiel 1 & 2 Devotional
Ezekiel found himself by a Babylonian canal instead of Jerusalem's temple, at the exact age his priestly service should have begun. Yet it was there, in displacement, that heaven opened and God's word came expressly to him.
The River Where Heaven Opens
Picture yourself in a place you never expected to be, maybe it's unemployment after years of faithful service, an empty nest when parenting defined you, or chronic illness when you had plans for adventure. You look around this unfamiliar landscape and wonder if God's plan for your life got derailed somewhere along the way.
Ezekiel knew this feeling intimately. At thirty, the age when priests traditionally began their ministry, he found himself by a Babylonian canal, displaced from the Jerusalem temple where he'd expected to serve. Yet it was precisely in this place of exile that the heavens opened and God's most spectacular revelation came to him.
Take a moment to read Ezekiel 1:1-3; 2:8-3:3. Read it on Bible Gateway if you'd like.