Ezekiel 2:1-2
"And He said to me, 'Son of man, stand on your feet and I will speak to you.' Then the Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard Him who spoke to me."
More than any other prophet, the Spirit is said to have entered Ezekiel time after time. In this text, the Spirit enters Ezekiel to bring him to his feet. Ezekiel had been humbled to the ground after seeing the glory of the Lord in a vision. In response to his humility, the Spirit lifts him to his feet to be used as the Lord's servant.
Again, in chapter 3, verses 12 and 14, the Spirit enters Ezekiel and lifts him up, not only to his feet, but to take him away from Jerusalem to minister to those already taken captive by Babylon. Jumping to verse 23, we find the Spirit entering Ezekiel to once again bring him to his feet. Ezekiel had bowed his face to the ground in response to the Lord's glory.
The story of the Spirit entering and lifting up Ezekiel continues in chapter 8, verse 3, with the Spirit lifting him up between heaven and earth by a lock of his hair, showing him the abominations done in the temple at Jerusalem. In chapter 11, verses 1 and 5, the Spirit again lifts Ezekiel up, bringing him to the East Gate of the temple, showing him the elders of the city who refused to believe God's word of pending destruction. Then in verse 24, the Spirit takes Ezekiel up by a vision to again visit those in Babylonian captivity.
As I read of these multiple encounters with God, with the Spirit lifting him to his feet and to other locations, I can't but wonder what it would take for my life to be so influenced by the Spirit's touch. O that the Lord would send his Spirit to lift up the church today so that we could hear the Lord speak and to see life's events as God sees them.
It seems to me that the Spirit entered and lifted Ezekiel in response to his humility. When Ezekiel humbled himself before the Lord, the Spirit would then make himself known in a very real way in Ezekiel's life. In the church today, I believe the Spirit enters us in power when we first humble ourselves to Christ in the word, in worship, in praise and prayer.
Not that we can manipulate the Spirit's power, but when we respond in humility to the Lord's glory, we give God room to use us for his kingdom purposes.
LORD JESUS
Lord, I thank you for the Spirit who enters us for your glory. May my life always be open to your presence, ready to be poured out for you for the kingdom's sake. Amen.
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