Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1578
Delivered by C. H. Spurgeon, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington
“And the Man said to me, Son of man, behold with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you; for to the intent that I might show them unto you are you brought here: declare all that you see to the house of Israel.” Ezekiel 40:4.
WE learn from this text something concerning Ezekiel himself. He was certainly one of the greatest of the Prophets. His visions remind us of those of John, both for their brightness, splendor and number—and yet this eminent Prophet was, nevertheless, styled, “son of man.” He is continually called by that name. The title is used over and over again throughout the book of his prophecies—“son of man” to remind him that even the Seer, the Prophet, the Inspired, the man who was indulged with vision upon vision—was still only a man. The best of men are men at the best! Those eyes that are strengthened to behold the cherubim and to gaze upon the stupendous wheels of Providence are still only the eyes of a son of man!
The title was used to teach him humility and also to remind him of the condescension of God towards him and to fill him with awe and wonder that he should be chosen from the rest of mankind, though no more than they, to see such wondrous sights withheld from other eyes. To us this wears a very promising aspect, for if God can reveal Himself to one “son of man,” why not to another? And if God can speak, as He did speak, so wonderfully through Ezekiel, one son of man, why not through you? Why not through me? For we, too, are sons of men! We have no worthiness or fitness and neither does Ezekiel claim any. He is reminded of his descent—he is still one of the sons of men. Oh, be of good comfort, you who think that God can never use you—you who are poor in spirit and wish to serve Him—but deeply feel your own insignificance!
Remember that God is able to do for you exceedingly abundantly above what you ask or even think! He can yet reveal His Son in you and Himself to you and by you, after such methods as you have never dreamed of! And, possibly, the painful experience through which you are passing, even now, may be preparing you to stand upon yet loftier mounts and to behold visions of God which in happier days you shall tell to the house of Israel and by which multitudes shall be blessed through you!
This is our present subject—we will speak upon the manifestations with which God favors certain of His servants. Then, secondly, we will dwell upon their responsibility while they are enjoying such manifestations—they are bound to behold with their eyes and hear with their ears and set their heart upon all that God shall show them. And then, thirdly, we will speak upon the objective which God has in giving these manifestations to His more favored people. It is that they may declare all that they see, that the whole house of Israel may, as it were, see by these favored eyes and hear by these chosen ears and may set their hearts upon the Word of the Lord because another has first done so.
I. First, I shall have a little to say upon THE MANIFESTATIONS WITH WHICH CERTAIN OF GOD’S SERVANTS ARE FAVORED. The Lord Jesus Christ draws near in a very special manner to some of His people. He did to Ezekiel, for I take it that the Man mentioned in the chapter, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, is none other than our Divine Lord, who, though a Man, yet exceeds all men in the brightness of His wondrous Person. It was He, doubtless, who appeared to Ezekiel. Long before Christ came on earth to die, He appeared to His servants in different ways. He sojourned with Abraham as a Wayfarer, for such He found the Patriarch to be.
He wrestled with Jacob at the brook Jabbok, for Jacob was wrestling with a sore trial. It was He that revealed Himself to Moses when the bush was burning and it was He that stood by Joshua’s side as the Man having a drawn sword in His hand. In different ways and forms He proved that His delights were with the sons of men. Before the Word appeared in actual flesh and blood, He communed here and there with His chosen servants. He will show Himself to any of you who
seek Him. He will unveil the beauties of His face to every eye that is ready to behold them. There is never a heart that loves Him but He will manifest His love to that heart.
But, at the same time, He does favor some of His servants who live near to Him and who are called by Him to special service, with very remarkable manifestations of His Light and Glory. These revelations are not incessant. I suppose that no man is always alike. John was in Patmos I know not how long, but he was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day” on one occasion and he specially notes it. I do not suppose that Daniel or Ezekiel saw visions every night, or beheld the glories of God every day. Humanity is scarcely capable of the incessant strain of a perpetual manifestation of God! These things are, as we shall see, “like angels’ visits, few and far between.” There is a fellowship that can always be kept up, but the flood tide of manifestation—a noonday revelation—will not last on continually.