Ezekiel 1-2

"Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me” (2:3).  The prophet Ezekiel received his vision far away from Israel.  He was with those who had been exiled and were living in and around Babylon, under the authority of a foreign empire.  The Jewish exiles had lost their Temple, their land, and their freedom.  But God showed Ezekiel “four living creatures” (1:5) who were awe-inspiring, shining, and moving wherever the Spirit led them (1:12). 

Ezekiel and the exiled Jews learned that God’s authority was not limited to the land of Israel.  Far from home, “the sound of the Almighty” and His presence were with them (1:24).