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God is interested not just in ministry, but in the minister. He spends much time in the preparation of those He will use (note the first chapters of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel). Both John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus spent thirty years in ministry preparation before being launched into the fullness of God's call on their lives.
Two men in particular - Ezekiel and Isaiah - show this preparation as a clear example of God�s work in each one of our lives.
Revelation of Ministry
"...the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God" Ezekiel 1:1.
When God called Ezekiel, He first gave him a revelation of His glory. The first three chapters of Ezekiel gave the prophet a foundation for His entire ministry and provide a window for us to understand how God Himself ministers. After all, it is really the ministry of God that we join in, not the other way around (note John 5:17,19).
Four Living Creatures
Read Ezekiel 1:4-14. The description of the four living creatures uses picture language to illustrate the work of the Spirit (note verse 12; Zechariah 4:6). Ministry is the work of God's Spirit, coming from heaven to earth. Each of the living creatures were identical, in that they had four faces, which corresponds with the four facets of Jesus' ministry as revealed in the four Gospels:
The Face of a Man
The first principle of ministry is that of identification. Jesus became a man to identify fully with our condition (Hebrews 4:15; Philippians 2:6-8). The Gospel of Luke reveals this aspect of Christ's ministry - His humanity (1 Timothy 3:16).
The Face of a Lion
The second principle of ministry is that of warfare. The lion is a symbol of royal triumph (Proverbs 20:2; Revelation 5:5). Jesus is King, and His Kingdom is "forcefully advancing" (Matthew 11:12; 1 John 3:8). The Gospel of Matthew reveals this kingly aspect of Christ�s ministry - His sovereignty.
The Face of an Ox
The third principle of ministry is that of servanthood. The ox is a beast of burden. Jesus took on Himself "the nature of a servant" (Philippians 2:7; Matthew 20:28). The Gospel of Mark reveals this serving aspect of Christ's ministry - His humility.
The Face of an Eagle
The fourth aspect of ministry is translation - the rescuing and lifting of individuals to the position of victory in Christ. Jesus was the Son of God who came to bring "many sons to glory" (Heb.2:10). The Gospel of John reveals this divine aspect of Christ's ministry - His diety.
Notice that the four living creatures did not turn as they moved from place to place but...
"Each one moved straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved...The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning" Ezekiel 1:9.
This meant that if they moved straight ahead, all of them had the face of a man exposed. If they moved to the right, it was the face of a lion; if to the left, the face of an ox; and if to the rear, the face of an eagle. This pictures for us Christ's ministry. Depending on the person, one of the four facets - Christ's humanity, wrath, humility or divine power - was exposed to meet the situation. In the same way, as we learn to minister, as moved by the Spirit, we may minister with our face turned toward people in identification, authority, servanthood or power, as the situation demands.
Three Life-Formers
"And you, son of man, do not be afraid - though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions" Ezekiel 2:6.
There are three types of situations which God�s uses to form us as His ministers:
Briers
Briers are attractive plants with pretty flowers, yet they are a noxious weed that can entangle and suffocate another plant. Spiritual briers are usually ones we love or care about - whether believing or unbelieving - who, even though well-meaning, try to hinder the plan of God for our lives. Examples of briers in scripture are Job's comforters (Job 42:7) and Peter (Mark 8:31-33).
Thorns
Thorns are always used in scripture to describe persecution (2 Corinthians 12:5-10; Judges 2:3). Even today, we often call a troublesome person "a thorn in my side". Persecutors will seek to deflect us from the course God has set for our lives.
Scorpions
Scorpions always represent torment in scripture (1 Kings 12:11) and are a picture of demonic power (Luke 11:12; Revelation 9:5). Satan would seek to attack a minister of the Lord with discouragement, hopelessness, sickness, depression, and so on, in order to cripple his or her ministry.
These three can be either the undoing or the making of us - strengthening our experience in God and purifying our faith (Romans 8:28).
Three Statements
In the first three chapters of Ezekiel, God speaks three special words to the prophet:
I am sending you...
God commissions us to minister and His preparations for ministry are largely on-the-job, like an apprentice with the master craftsman. The key to this stage of Ezekiel's preparation for ministry was obedience (see also Isaiah 6:1-8).
I will make you...
"'...open your mouth and eat what I give you.' Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, which he unrolled before me. On both sides were written words of lament and mourning and woe...So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat" Ezekiel 2:8-3:2.
The next stage in Ezekiel�s preparation was identification. The words of "lament and mourning and woe" were the experience of the people he was going to minister to. God made within Ezekiel two seemingly opposite attributes:
- Hard (hard-headed) - 3:8
- Soft (soft-hearted) - 3:14-15
I have made you...
"At the end of the seven days the word of the Lord came to me: 'Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel..." Ezekiel 3:16-17.
Once God has our obedience and our heart, He then proceeds to make us into an instrument for His purposes (Matthew 4:19; 2 Timothy 2:20-21).
The Word to Isaiah
"He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver" Isaiah 49:2.
Like a Sharpened Sword
God makes our mouth like a sharpened sword (see Hebrews 4:12; Isaiah 51:16). Proverbs 18:21 tells us that the power of life and death is in the tongue (see 2 Corinthians 3:6-12), and God wants to bridle our tongue with His Word (James 3:2-12; Isaiah 50:4-5).
Like a Polished Arrow
Whereas it is our mouth that is made into a sharpened sword, it is our lives that are made into a polished arrow to hit the targets God aims us at. In Bible times, arrows were made out of acacia wood, which was knotted, rough and crooked. This meant that a complex process of straightening, scraping and oiling was involved before resulting in a polished arrow.
The Secret to Ministry
"...in the shadow of his hand he hid me - and concealed me in his quiver" Isaiah 49:2.
Most people think of ministry as highly visible. But ministry has, in fact, two parts: the secret part and the open part. Only as we learn to spend time with the Lord each day in the secret place will we be effective for the Lord in the open place.
"There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs" Matthew 10:26-27 (see also 6:6).
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Copyright © 1995 Paul, Bunty and David Collins. All rights reserved. This study may be freely used and reproduced, wholly or in part, by the Christian Church for the non-profit purposes of study and training only, provided copyright and contact information is included.
Unless otherwise stated, all scriptures quoted in these studies are from the New International Version of the Bible, © New York International Bible Society, used by permission. Other versions referred to are: KJV (King James Version), NKJB (New King James Bible), TLB (The Living Bible), Amp (The Amplified Bible) and The Message. All versions used by permission.
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