Mark of Protection

Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the LORD called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it. As I listened, he said to the others, "Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple. ~Ezekiel 9:3-6



Historical Background

Ezekiel was a prophet of God who lived during the time in which God punished Israel and Judah for their idolatry. The book of Ezekiel contains both warning to the people about the destruction about to come upon them and a promise of hope for the remnant God would spare. The prophet was most likely ridiculed for his strange behavior--things like shaving his hair and using it to prophesy, not mourning at his wife's funeral to show God's reaction to what He was about to do to these people, and using a drawing and other items to depict the destruction of Jerusalem. But the point here is that Ezekiel was completely obedient to what God told him to do, no matter how ridiculous it may have seemed.



God's Glory Departs

In this vision of Ezekiel, we first see something we don't want to see. God is leaving His mercy seat within the temple and heading out the door. Why? In the previous chapter, Ezekiel is shown that within even God's temple, the worship of idols was taking place. We should never forget that God will not share His glory with another. Because of His holiness, He cannot abide in the same place as idolatry.



The Mark

Next we see a man with a writing kit who is told to put a mark on those who are grieved over the evil they see taking place. The original Hebrew word for mark is tau, the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet. I find it particularly interesting that at the time Ezekiel wrote these words, the visual representation of this Hebrew letter resembles our letter "t," which in turn resembles the cross of Christ. Tau's meaning is absolute and all-encompassing truth, just as Christ is Truth and the Beginning and the End.



Marks were frequently used as a type of brand or seal of ownership. Those who had servants would mark them not only as a sign of ownership, but protection. It's interesting to see how this idea is used throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. In Genesis 4:15, the mark given to Cain from God protected him. In Exodus 12, blood from the first Passover's sacrifice was placed over the doors as a sign or token of God's protection from the destroyer. In Ephesians 1, Paul refers to believers as those who have been sealed by the Spirit, another sign of God's ownership. And of course, in Revelation 7:3, believers are sealed on their foreheads as both a sign of His ownership and His protection.



I find significance in the location of the mark on their foreheads. It wasn't hidden, but placed out in the open where everyone could see. And at the top of a doorway or the top of our bodies, grace flows down to cover us completely.



Where It Begins

In Ezekiel's vision, God's destruction was to begin at God's sanctuary with the elders who were in the front of the temple. This is not an isolated example. In 1 Peter 4:17-18 the same idea is reiterated. All of us need to constantly be aware of anything in our lives that takes precedence over God. If the religious leaders of Ezekiel's day were not spared, then why would He spare anyone? The answer lies in God's mark of ownership. Are you covered by the blood of the slain Lamb? (If not, please see the "Ready" button in the sidebar of this post, or contact me at catbry1 (at) yahoo (dot) com.)



Father God, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for its all-encompassing Truth. Thank You, Lord, that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, then went to the cross to buy us back. May we live our lives in light of that perfect Truth. Open our eyes to our sinful selves. Help us to see the areas in which we've compromised what You would have us be. May we live our lives in remembrance of Whose we are, and all that was accomplished on our behalf because of Your great love for us. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.