“Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.”
My Notes
What Does Ezekiel 3:23 Mean?
"Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face." Ezekiel obeys God's instruction to go to the plain — and discovers the glory of the LORD STANDING THERE, identical to the vision he saw at the river Chebar (chapter 1). The glory that appeared at the river now appears in the plain. The same God. The same glory. A different location. The glory is portable. The presence travels.
The phrase "the glory of the LORD stood there" (kevod YHWH omed sham — the glory of the LORD was standing there) means the glory was ALREADY PRESENT when Ezekiel arrived: God didn't come because Ezekiel came. God was already standing there. The glory preceded the prophet. The presence was waiting. Ezekiel went to the plain and found that God had arrived first.
The comparison — "as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar" (kakavod asher ra'iti al nahar Kevar) — confirms the identity: this is the SAME glory. Same visual. Same experience. Same overwhelming presence. The glory isn't diminished by relocation. The vision at the river and the vision in the plain are identical. The glory doesn't lose power when it moves.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Where has God already arrived — waiting for you before you get there?
- 2.What does the glory being 'already standing there' teach about God preceding your obedience?
- 3.How does the same glory in different locations prove that God's presence is portable?
- 4.What would falling on your face before God's glory look like in your life?
Devotional
He went to the plain. The glory was already standing there — the same glory he'd seen at the river. Same vision. Same presence. Different location. The glory had arrived before the prophet. God was waiting in the plain when Ezekiel showed up.
The 'glory of the LORD stood there' means God was ALREADY PRESENT: Ezekiel didn't bring the glory. He didn't summon it. He went to the plain and FOUND it already standing there. The glory preceded the obedience. The presence anticipated the arrival. When God tells you to go somewhere, He's already there when you arrive. The going is the discovery. The obedience is the finding.
The 'as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar' confirms continuity: the glory in the plain is IDENTICAL to the glory at the river. God didn't show up differently. The vision didn't diminish. The presence didn't shrink. The glory is the same glory — fully portable, fully powerful, fully present regardless of geography. The river glory and the plain glory are the same God.
The 'I fell on my face' is the response the glory always produces: you don't stand before this glory. You don't observe it calmly. You don't analyze it theologically. You FALL. On your FACE. The body can't remain upright in the presence of the glory. The posture is involuntary. The falling is the honest response to the overwhelming.
Where has God already arrived — waiting for you in a place you haven't gone to yet? And when you find Him there, will you fall on your face?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Then I arose and went forth into the plain,.... He was obedient to the heavenly vision, which was owing to the hand of…
A fresh revelation of the glory of the Lord, to impress upon Ezekiel another characteristic of his mission. Now he is to…
After all this large and magnificent discovery which God had made of himself to the prophet, and the full instructions…
Second Section. Ch. Eze 3:22 to Eze 7:27
The second section of the Book contains these parts:
(1) Ch. Eze 3:22-27. A…
Cross References
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