Upper Path Valley Presbyterian Church

Ezekiel 1 (selected); John 6:16-21
February 17, 2008

I Saw the Lord – Part 3
“Storm Glories”
Rev. Meagan M. Boozer

I have never preached from a text in Ezekiel! It’s just not one of those books most “normal” preachers turn to for an inspiring text for their congregation. (Not that I consider myself normal…) A lot of Ezekiel is just plain hard to understand – just plain weird – and just plain neglected because of being weird and hard to understand. But, that’s really no excuse for us preacher-types to overlook a whole book in the Bible – especially for those of us who hold a high view of Scripture – believing that everything in the Bible is as written in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” It doesn’t say, “All Scripture (except Ezekiel and some of the other weird books by prophets)…” It says, ALL Scripture is useful. So, I thank God for this study upon which we have embarked, “I Saw the Lord,” for without it, I would probably still be preaching from anywhere but the book of Ezekiel!
Let us pray: O God, come to us now, and speak to us through your high and holy Word. We have all been through hard times, some of us are in the midst of hard times right now, and all of us know that hard times will come again. In these minutes this morning, please help us grow in faith as we ponder your ways of love. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Does anyone remember hearing the made-up story I told in a sermon on January 27th about the southern and northern portions of Path Valley? I was comparing this valley to the southern and northern portions of the land of Israel that had been divided into two portions called Israel in the north, and Judah and the city of Jerusalem in the south. The prophet Isaiah (who was also weird in his ways of ministry) was warning the southern kingdom that they were going to be overtaken, just like the northern kingdom had been conquered. Well, in the beginning of the book of Ezekiel, we learn that it is the 5th year of the exile of Jehoiachin, who was one of the bad kings of Judah, the grandson of good king Josiah whom we learned about last week. The southern kingdom has fallen into the hands of the Babylonians, just as Isaiah said.
Ezekiel had always wanted to be a priest, and because he came from a priestly family (in those days bloodline was a necessity for the priesthood), he would have been eligible to be a priest in the temple in Jerusalem at 30 years old. Instead, at age 8, Ezekiel became part of those torn from their homes in the southern kingdom, and at the age of 30, instead of fulfilling his own dream of becoming a priest for the Lord, he ended up fulfilling God’s calling for him as a prophet to the exiled people of Israel in Babylon.
Today, we’re talking about the storms that come into our lives.
Do you think Ezekiel felt like he was in a storm when his family was deported (to expel or banish somebody from their own country)?
Do you think he felt like he was in a storm when his dream to become a priest for the Lord was denied him by his circumstances?
Do you think he felt like he was in a storm when he started seeing the kind of visions he saw? I wonder if he thought, on top of everything else, he was losing his mind?
Let’s listen to some of what Ezekeil saw as written for us in the first chapter into the first 5 verses of chapter two. I’m going to read from the New Living Translation to give us a fresh hearing of this incredible vision: “On July 31 of my thirtieth year, while I was with the Judean exiles beside the Kebar River in Babylon, the heavens were opened to me, and I saw visions of God. This happened during the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity. The LORD gave a message to me, Ezekiel son of Buzi, a priest, there beside the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians, and I felt the hand of the LORD take hold of me. As I looked, I saw a great storm coming toward me from the north, driving before it a huge cloud that flashed with lightning and shone with brilliant light. The fire inside the cloud glowed like gleaming amber. From the center of the cloud came four living beings that looked human, except that each had four faces and two pairs of wings. Their legs were straight like human legs, but their feet were split like calves’ feet and shone like burnished bronze. Beneath each of their wings I could see human hands. The wings of each living being touched the wings of the two beings beside it. The living beings were able to fly in any direction without turning around . . . They went in whatever direction the spirit chose, and they moved straight forward in all directions without having to turn around . . . As I looked at these beings, I saw four wheels on the ground beneath them, one wheel belonging to each. The wheels sparkled as if made of chrysolite. All four wheels looked the same; each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it. The beings could move forward in any of the four directions they faced, without turning as they moved. The rims of the four wheels were awesomely tall, and they were covered with eyes all around the edges. When the four living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. When they flew upward, the wheels went up, too. The spirit of the four living beings was in the wheels. So wherever the spirit went, the wheels and the living beings went, too . . . There was a surface spread out above them like the sky. It sparkled like crystal. Beneath this surface the wings of each living being stretched out to touch the others’ wings, and each had two wings covering its body. As they flew their wings roared like waves crashing against the shore, or like the voice of the Almighty, or like the shouting of a mighty army. When they stopped, they let down their wings. As they stood with their wings lowered, a voice spoke from beyond the crystal surface above them. Above the surface over their heads was what looked like a throne made of blue sapphire. And high above this throne was a figure whose appearance was like that of a man . . . All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining through the clouds. This was the way the glory of the LORD appeared to me. When I saw it, I fell face down in the dust, and I heard someone’s voice speaking to me. “Stand up, son of man,” said the voice. “I want to speak with you.” The Spirit came into me as he spoke and set me on my feet. I listened carefully to his words. “Son of man,” he said, “I am sending you to the nation of Israel, a nation that is rebelling against me. Their ancestors have rebelled against me from the beginning, and they are still in revolt to this very day. They are a hard-hearted and stubborn people. But I am sending you to say to them, ‘this is what the Sovereign LORD says!’ And whether they listen or not—for remember, they are rebels—at least they will know they have had a prophet among them.”
As a young man of 30, exiled from his homeland and unable to do the work he wanted to do, Ezekiel must have been in one of those low times of life. Then he looks and sees a storm coming. “Figures,” he probably thought to himself. “Why not?” “Why not a hurricane, an earthquake maybe? Why not strike me with lightening, Lord? You might as well! Go ahead, hit me while I’m down and get it over with.”
Have you ever felt like that? Have you ever thought, “What else can go wrong?”
But let’s establish an important comparison point here: Today, we’re not talking about your car breaking down, or getting a toothache, or losing your wallet. We’re talking about big stuff here today. Big storms. Life-changing, gut-wrenching things that alter everything from here on out. I’m thinking of the storms of life that bring a real uncertainty about the future, a storm that makes you question yourself, question your friends and family, and that causes you to question the ways of God. I’m thinking of the really dark times that seem to have no end in sight. You know the kind of times I’m talking about.
In the storm, Ezekiel saw the glory of God. He saw the key to making it through the storm. Ezekiel saw the wheels. He saw the wheels within the wheels. Picture in your mind, a wheel and inside it, another wheel. However the one inside is the one that is the driving force. The inside wheel gives the outer wheel momentum and direction. Now imagine a car wheel, in itself it does not move; unless the inside wheel is in motion. You could say that, the power behind the wheel, is the force that drives it from the inside. Ezekiel saw the wheels – and the spirit was in the wheels. What looked like nothing but craziness and chaos, was directed by the Spirit with eyes on every side.
In our lives, trials & troubles come. Just because we believe in a sovereign God who can do anything at any time for anyone, doesn’t mean we don’t have stormy times. Sometimes it seems like Christians have more storms than others.
Anne Graham Lotz, who is the author of the “I Saw the Lord” Bible study, wrote a small book entitled, “Why?” In it she gives the following helpful illustration:
“A turkey and an eagle react differently to the threat of a storm. A turkey reacts by running under the barn, hoping the storm won’t come near. On the other hand, an eagle leaves the security of its nest and spreads its wings to ride the air currents of the approaching storm, knowing they will carry it higher in the sky than it could soar on its own. Based on your reaction to the storms of life, which are you?
It’s natural for me to be a turkey in my emotions, but I have chosen to be an eagle in my spirit. And as I have spread my wings of faith to embrace the “Wind,” placing my trust in Jesus and Jesus alone, I have experienced quiet, “everyday” miracles:
His joy has balanced my pain.
His power has lifted my burden.
His peace has calmed my worries.
His grace has been more than adequate to cover me.
His strength has been sufficient to carry me through.
His love has bathed my wounds like a healing balm.
Soaring has become an adventure of discovering just how faithful He can be when I am way out of my comfort zone in the stratosphere over the storm. Soaring is an adventure of discovering by experience His answer to my pain. And I imagine a smile of infinite tenderness of His face as the angels in heaven applaud, “Anne you’re finally getting it. Now you’re beginning to understand one of the reasons why God has allowed these hard things to happen.” And, to a greater degree than ever before, I do understand. Soaring is so exhilarating, I find increasingly that I am no longer content to live in the barnyard of familiar comfort just for the relative security that seems to be there. I want to live by faith.”
That’s what it comes down to: Faith. In the book of Ezekiel, the never-to-be-priest, the forever-remembered-prophet uses the phrase, “know that I am God” 65 times! In the midst of his storm, God was calling and teaching Ezekiel to trust him – and using Ezekiel to challenge others to trust Him, too.
What we believe moves and rules our whole being – it enters into us and becomes part of our very life. All of God’s dealings with the people of Israel had one objective – to teach people to trust Him, for where God found faith, anything was possible.
In John’s Gospel, chapter 6, we find a familiar story about Jesus and his disciples in the midst of a storm: “When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.”
This is not just a story about how this gang of disciples got from point A to point B. This story is about the power of God – it shows us God’s power over nature – it shows us that God is with us in all circumstances even if sometimes it is difficult to see him in the midst of our worry and fear. In Mark’s account of the same event in Mark 6:48, he wrote, “When Jesus saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came towards them early in the morning, walking on the sea. He intended to pass them by.” Some have struggled with thinking Jesus was going to walk right by them on the water in the midst of this storm. But, “pass by” when it refers to God can mean something different than what we normally think of with this two-word phrase. In Exodus 33:19 (which is one of the passages we will be reading for next week), the Lord said to Moses, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, ‘the Lord’ to you.” In 1 Kings 19:11, “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told Elijah. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain.” When “pass by” refers to God, it usually means an “ah ha” moment – an awakening to more of God. In Jesus’ passing by the disciples on the sea, he was showing them something about himself they hadn’t taken in yet. He was showing them that he WAS God. Job 9:8 says, “He alone has spread out the heavens and marches on the waves of the sea.” Psalm 107 that we started out with this morning for worship says, “He spoke, and the winds rose, stirring up the waves. “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves.” Jesus, in the midst of a storm, revealed to those he loved, the power and the glory of God. That’s what God was doing for Ezekiel in his stormy vision, too – showing Ezekiel his glory! All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining through the clouds. This was the way the glory of the LORD appeared to me. And do you remember what Ezekiel did in response? When I saw it, I fell face down in the dust, and I heard someone’s voice speaking to me. “Stand up, son of man,” said the voice. “I want to speak with you.” The Spirit came into me as he spoke and set me on my feet.
In the darkest and scariest of times in our lives, with every ounce of faith we have, if we can just remember to do what Ezekiel did, which was to fall on his face in the presence of a sovereign, mighty, and fearsome God, the Holy Spirit will come in power to us and enable us to hear the voice of God and see the glory pass by.
Some right now are in the midst of storms. Big ones. Some have just come out into the clearing, but our clothes are still soggy. Some see a storm coming, but are trying with all your might to backpaddle. Unfortunately, back-paddling is often not much more than wasted energy you could have saved to weather the storm.
If God is omnipresent, then God is in the storm.
If God is in the storm, and God’s will for us is always for our good, then the storm must be for our good.
If the storm is for our good, then in the storm, God can be praised, because
The glory of the Lord is passing by.

Praise You in This Storm
words by Mark Hall. Music by Mark Hall/Bernie Herms

I was sure by now, God,
that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining. As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you,” and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus:
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried You hold in your hand
You never left my side, and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You and raised me up again
My strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You, And as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you.” And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away
Chorus

I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth
Chorus

The song doesn’t resolve into a pretty chord at the end, because this song is a real, on-the-knees effort of a real person to grow in real faith in a real storm. Making it through the storm on the sea like the picture we might have in our heads of the near-dead person lying on the beach where the waves tossed them – is not the goal. The goal is to look at the storm, like Ezekiel did, and see what God wants you to see about Himself, about yourself, and about the purpose he has for your life. Don’t miss the glory in the storm by only looking at the trouble you’re in. Look and listen and soar on wings like eagles, while he holds you in the palm of his hand. Amen.

Upper Path Valley Presbyterian Church

02-17-08