Ezekiel a New Moses?

                         Ezekiel a New Moses?

I awoke this morning to a dream and to a bunch of thoughts. In fact I awoke much later than usual. Having awoken I asked the Lord to give me a Scripture to go with the dream. The Bible opened up on Ezekiel 47.

As I read Ezekiel 47, I was struck by the fact that Ezekiel was describing a future where after the exile Israel would return to the land. They would then go through a process of drawing lots and assigning to each tribe a part of the land which was for them. I noticed that the geographical locations for the tribes would be different to that which had been before. Literally for example they would have a city in the midst of the land called Yehovah-shama. This name would presumably be the name which would replace Jerusalem. Ezekiel goes through his prophetic vision and outlines how the community would be organized. He gives very specific sizes to holy cities like Yehovah-Shama and it struck me as a design for a city and a community. He was given a divine outline of a city and a nation. It is a fascinating idea but I began to understand that Ezekiel was somehow seeing himself as a new Moses. Was he was laying out a new Torah for a new world, the post exilic is world? It would not be the same as the old world.

I also noticed that the geographical locations of the tribes changed. Ezekiel listed the tribes and the places they would receive in the community or in the land from North to South or South to North. And I noticed that some tribes which were before in the North are now in the South and some tribes which were in the South and now in the North. The best example of this was Judah and Benjamin. Benjamin is now South of the city Yehovah Shama and Judah is now North of the city. I noticed also I think that Zebulon was way down South whereas before it was way up North. Ezekiel understands that there was a completely new beginning during the exile. He foresaw the time when the people would return to the land and then they would draw lots and he foresaw who would get what lot. He saw which tribe would get which lot was what. So, it is very interesting imagine this new world. He saw the role of Moses and the role of Joshua bin Nun, for Joshua had divided up the land for the sons of Israel when they had come into the land the first time. Now after the exile or after whatever is seen in his vision the people would return to the land and they would re draw the lots and they would redistribute the land. For me this represents a fascinating area for investigation, and I think it would be good for us to consider where we are now in the calendar of God. What is God saying to this present generation About his land, about his promises, about his plans?

    Other thoughts which struck me all that in Ezekiel's new world the strangers who were in the land would live alongside the people of Israel. They would have equal rights. Where is in the first coming to the land it was commanded under Moses that the people who were there had sinned so much, they had to be removed. But in Ezekiel's case when they return to the land strangers who were there would live alongside the people of Israel. This too is a very interesting thought and bears further research. Have a good day! 

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