I was driving home the other day when I heard on NPR an extended set of Pete Seeger’s music. This was unusual, even for NPR. As I listened I became even more aware of the vast scope and depth of the contributions that Seeger made to our culture, and the effects of his music can still be seen today.

In addition to his work with The Weavers, and his solo career, and his political stuff, perhaps Seeger is best known for being a friend of Woody Guthrie, who himself is known mainly for his “Dust Bowl Ballads.”

The “Dust Bowl” which happened in the American plains during the 1930s was mostly the result of “strip farming” and the effects of a long-term drought. During this event, the earth literally dried up and blew away, often in great dust storms. These storms were deadly, as the effects of being in such a storm would be equal to standing in front of a sandblaster for 48 hours. It was not a pretty thing.

We also have a biblical account of a dust storm. During the captivity and subsequent deportation of Israel to what is now Iraq, the captive population was forced into strip farming by King Nebuchennazer in order to sustain the population of Babylon. This process was designed to squeeze every last bit of any value out of the fragile ecosystem. This included digging irrigation ditches and industrial canals, one of which was “the river Chebar.”

This is the biblical account:

1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. 2 In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity, 3 The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him. 

4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire….

Ezekiel 1:1-4 (KJV)

Most people, when they see a dust storm coming, they run! They seek shelter. They get outta there as quickly as possible, and one can hardly blame them. But Ezekiel did not make that same choice; rather he stayed and gazed upon the storm, as this was no ordinary dust storm.

So many times when there are “storms” in our lives, we run from them, we seek shelter, we hide.
But when things become stormy around us, rather than fear the storm, we need to look for Father.

As Ezekiel continued to observe the storm that was now upon him, he got to see some really weird stuff…

…5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. 6 And everyone had four faces, and every one had four wings. 7 And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass. 8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. 9 Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went everyone straight forward.

10 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. 11 Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. 12 And they went everyone straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.

13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 14 And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning…

Ezekiel 1:5-14

These living creatures are most definitely not part of the ordinary everyday experience. I have heard so many different teachings about these creatures it could make your head spin. I’ve been told that they are cherubim, seraphim, metaphors representing the world, symbols of man, even space aliens, all sorts of stuff, and while it is all very interesting, it is not all that important. Yes they are there for a reason, and they do have a purpose, and to be quite honest, I do not fully understand them; but my own understanding is not all that important here.

So many people are being distracted by what is not important, getting caught up in minor details, and missing the bigger picture.

In Ezekiel’s world, people were distracted by fear of the political and spiritual storms raging around them. In our theological world, many people are distracted by these four living creatures and their “wheels within wheels”.

Rather than be distracted by these creatures, many have forgotten their physical position, and what they are doing from that position.

 …22 And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above. 23 And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies. 24 And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings. 25 And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings…

Ezekiel 1:22-25 (KJV)

These creatures are BENEATH something. They are carrying something. They are in a position of SUBMISSION to something.

“…26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. 27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. 28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake….”

Ezekiel 1:26-28 (KJV)

The very throne of God, and God Himself!!! What could be more important than that?

When we see a storm, we seek shelter. When we see really weird and cool things, we spend endless amounts of time and energy trying to figure it out and debate about its nature, all the while missing the main thing…

The very Throne, Presence, and Glory of God!!!!

Ezekiel did not miss this.

Don’t forget that in the third verse of chapter one, Ezekiel is described as being “a priest”.

Yeah? and? …

What was the primary job of an Old Testament priest?

It was to tend to the daily sacrifice of the tabernacle system of worship. And to boil down the entire tabernacle system of worship to one word, it would be this: “Intercession.”

Intercession is one person going to another on behalf of a third. The priest goes before God on behalf of the sinner. This can only happen when there is a relationship in existence.

Ezekiel had a relationship with God Almighty, even in his captivity, even in his deportation, even in his forced slavery in Babylon. He trusted the Lord, he did not fear the storm. He did not get distracted by the really weird.

He kept his eyes on God.

Let’s do the same.

Thanks for letting me take up some of your time.