"In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God." (Ezekiel 1:1 NIV)
I recently flipped the page into Ezekiel. I never got past the first verse. Ezekiel’s opening remarks pack a powerful punch. We can learn a lot about our own exilic experiences from his story. Here are a few observations.
We will all find ourselves in seasons of exile: feeling cast out or stranded against our will. Exile is a direct result of sin: either our own transgressions or the transgressions of others. The fact that we are stuck somewhere we don’t want to be doesn’t limit God’s ability to speak to us! It may, in fact, hone our listening skills. Ezekiel had grown up in Jerusalem, but had been thrown in with the second wave of exiles, deported to Babylon. He had spent thirty years in a foreign land not of His choosing. And still, God spoke. And even in exile, Ezekiel was prepared to listen and obey.
Secondly, we note that exile is not an excuse for inattentiveness. Ezekiel was at the river. Worshiping. Expectant. Tuned in. Exile was actually a disguised opportunity for Ezekiel to move closer to the living God.
We tend to count down our days in exile. Ezekiel certainly did. Like a prisoner making tally marks, he could tell us exactly how long he’d been there. Maybe you can relate to the restlessness he was experiencing? As middle age settles in, we begin to feel the tick of the clock acutely: we are pressed to do something, to make something of of ourselves. Yet Ezekiel was by the river, seeking God with the folks stranded from their Temple. We spend exile well when we spend it seeking after God.
Exile isn’t meant to be experienced alone. Ezekiel was not going after God all by himself. He had company. There was a band of fellow believers that gathered with regularity and they were pursuing God together. I was just reading about this the day before: the importance of being alone together. Silence and solitude are critical practices in the life of the believer, but if we hole up apart from relational accountability, we can wind up in destructive places. Whether we elect or we are thrust into seasons of silence, it is crucial to find folks who will go along with us on the journey. Ezekiel was in exile, but he had a band of brothers seeking to face off God alongside him. A faith community is essential to our exilic success.
Exile eventually transforms us. We don’t know how long Ezekiel had been going to the Kebar River, but eventually he experienced God in a reformative way. There is something to be said for doing the right thing when no one is looking and when we can’t yet see results. Ezekiel kept showing up. He tethered his heart to his homeland through worship and community. This little band of Jewish believers persevered in their faith practices, despite distance, opposition and ongoing discouragement. Then, one day, decades into their exilic experience, God gave visions. Not singular, but plural. Painstaking diligence in matters of faith make an impact on the heart of God.
Friend, be encouraged. God still speaks to us in faraway places. I’ve done my devotions all over the globe, even on airplanes above the Atlantic Ocean. God never fails to show up. He speaks in uncomfortable seasons. When the people of God make time to meet with God, He engages and we are emboldened to go still farther.
What we do in exile can impact eternity.
"My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" (Psalm 42:2 NIV)
Lord, sometimes we find ourselves in exile. We get stuck in an unwelcome location waiting for the seasons to change, our hearts set getting back on the desired path. Ezekiel reminds us; You still meet with people in exile as long as we seek You. May we not forsake our trips to the river. Keep us out of the culture that pulls us away from You. Help us to focus on the disciplines that tether our hearts to Yours. Please speak, Lord. Give us visions and direction for our return. Entrust us with Your instructions and empower us with Your Spirit. Even in exile, we belong to You. Amen.