Applying the Layers of Context[1] to Ezekiel
Beginning our study of the book of Ezekiel using the LOC here is what we bring with us “to the table.”
A. The book of Ezekiel reveals something of the eternal redemptive
purposes of God in Jesus Christ. This is the context of the Scriptures as
a whole.
When we study the Bible, we derive great benefit from studying it in what I like to call its Full Context. The first step in seeing any portion of Scripture in its Full Context is to settle in one’s mind what we may consider to be the key central theme of Scripture.
In other words, what is the one primary strand of truth that runs throughout both the Old and the New Testaments? This is what I refer to as the Biblical Context.
Bible commentators identify this central theme of the Bible in diverse ways. I use the following phrase to embody this central thrust of the entire Bible:
The Bible reveals to us the eternal redemptive purposes of God
in Jesus Christ.[2]
This means that whatever portion of the Bible we are studying we do well to begin by asking the question: What part does this portion of God’s Word play in revealing the eternal redemptive purposes of God in Jesus Christ? It is the foundational layer of context in studying Scripture.
Our hope is that through our study we may come to a better understanding of the distinctive contribution the book of Ezekiel makes to God’s overall revelation of His eternal redemptive purposes in Jesus Christ. Failure to have such a clear grasp of the overall flow of truth throughout the Bible results in taking nearly everything out of its divinely intended context.
B. Since Ezekiel is in the Old Testament, its frame of reference will be God’s
dealings with the nation of Israel, and it will be in seed form. This is the
second layer of context, the ‘Testamental’ Context.
Any student of the Bible eventually develops a clear awareness of the differences between the revelation of the truth in the Old and New Testaments. One way to do this is to ask the question: How does God’s revelation of His redemptive truth in Jesus Christ in the Old Testament differ from His revelation of the same truths in the New Testament?
The following simple chart contrasts the two Testaments in terms of the differences between them in God’s revelation of His redemptive truth in Christ.
Type of Revelation- Seed Form in OT vs. Fully-Developed Form in NT
Framework of Revelation- Nation of Israel in OT vs. The Church in NT
Since we are entering into a study of the book of Ezekiel, which is in the Old Testament, we see from our chart that the revelation of God’s eternal redemptive purposes in Jesus Christ will be in Seed Form, and the framework for the revelation will be the nation of Israel. These two details of the second layer of context will hold true for every book in the Old Testament.[3]
C. The third Layer of Context in studying Scripture requires us to consider
the placement of the particular book (or passage) in its Section. Since
each book in the Old Testament is clearly in a specific section, we must
take the next contextual step by asking: What is the primary focus of this
Section in the revelation of the eternal redemptive purposes of God in
Jesus Christ here in the Old Testament? This is the ‘Sectional’ Context.
Ezekiel is in the final major section of the Old Testament, which contains (in order): Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel and Daniel. These five books present what I like to call “God’s Call to His Redeemed People to Live Fully Redemptive Lives.”[4] The following chart illustrates how that call is delineated in them in very simplified form.
Daniel A call to turn away from the Enemy-Ruled Life and submit to the Christ-Ruled Life
Ezekiel
A call to line up by faith with the Transcendent God
Lamentations
A call to weep with the Weeping Lord over the rejection of His Redemptive Purposes
Jeremiah
A call to say Hallelujah to the Judgments of God that bring men to Salvation in Christ
Isaiah
A call to line up by faith with Immanuel, the Holy One of Israel, that saves us from (and out of) sin
So then, we see that God’s call to His people to live fully redemptive lives, as it is presented in Ezekiel, is a call to fully align by faith with the Transcendent God. This aspect of God’s call is built upon the previous three books that present foundational aspects of His call. We will, of course, see this is far greater detail as we proceed.
[1] I will use the abbreviation LOC for the Layers of Context as we continue. [2] Over the years I have shortened this phrase to an acrostic using the first letter of each of the words in the phrase. Thus, The Eternal Redemptive Purposes of God in Jesus Christ is abbreviated: TERPOGIJC. [3] If we are studying any book in the New Testament, our table identifies that the revelation of God’s eternal redemptive purposes in Jesus Christ will be in Fully-Developed Form, and the framework for the revelation will be The Church. The essential thing to remember is that the overall message (TERPOGIJC) never changes. It is the same in both Testaments. [4] This, of course, includes a call to be redeemed, initially, then to live redemptive lives.
Is it just me....or don't you just want to study them all!!!