My words cannot describe, but The Word does

I started reading Ezekiel this morning and by the time I finished with the first chapter my heart was humbly aware of the Awesomeness of the Lord, a chill of reverant fear and then the warmth of knowing His compassion and faithfulness, trusting in His righteousness.  The words of this first chapter describe Ezekiel's being brought before the Lord - the chapter ends with the only possible response - falling face down in humble worship and reverance.


Here is a paste of the final 3 verses of Ezekiel 1:
"25 Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. 26 Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. 27 I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.

This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking."

The last sentence speaks volumes to me.  Ezekiel was seeing the likeness of the glory of the Lord - a reflection and only a glimpse.  It was brilliance, more brilliant that one can imagine, it was full of awesomeness and power and it was all consuming.  It brought Ezekiel to the ground, face down in worship.  And then he heard from the Lord, when he was stilled and humbly bowed down, full of praise and admiration toward the only One it is due.

The fullness of the Glory of God is beyond my comprehension.  Even the likeness of what Ezekiel saw is beyond my comprehension.  But when I stop and ponder, reflect on the Glory of the Lord that I can grasp, that I have seen, I am left with no other response, but to fall face down, at times literally and others just in my heart.  I am stilled and I am full of peace because of His compassion and grace.  This brings me to my last comment on this closing section of the first chapter .... the rainbow.

The radiance of the Lord was like the brilliance of a perfect rainbow, shining in a stunning and glorious fullness which captivates young and old.  It reflects His glory and His promise of peace and salvation - it offers hope and revives the soul.  How awesome our God is!  He is so much more than we can grasp, but what I can grasp reaches to the core and moves me closer to understanding who He is, how much He deserves my complete worship and His great love for me.  I hear from Him and am called closer, called more completely to obedience and filled with more certainty of the hope I have in Him, certain of the things my words cannot describe, but His Word firmly establishes