The connection between God’s presence and his word is evidence throughout Scripture, yet often these two topics (word and Spirit) get siloed. Sometimes we think and act as if emphasizing “God’s word” is an academic thing, only for some people who really like to read. Similarly, we can slip into thinking that emphasizing God’s presence and Spirit is just for “practical people,” the hard working moms and dads who don’t have time for three hour Bible studies.

In this post, I want to pick up and develop a line of thought from the last post: Psalm 77 and Our Unprecedented Access to the Supernatural. In Psalm 77, Asaph began focusing on the LORD’s might deeds throughout history, narrated in Scripture, and the LORD met him in his thoughts. God’s words about God’s work led to Asaph’s supernatural experience of the Spirit. By the first verse of the next psalm, Asaph spoke like a prophet with the Spirit working in and through him. In Ezekiel 1–3, we see the same phenomenon: God’s word and Spirit go hand-in-hand.

That’s the point: God’s Spirit is directly connected to God’s words, and this is good news.

Ezekiel 1

The first action in the book of Ezekiel is stated this way:

The word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest … and the hand of the LORD was upon him there. (Ezekiel 1:3)

One simple observation: God’s hand upon Ezekiel is directly connected to the word of the LORD coming to him — word and presence.

As Ezekiel narrates the vision he receives, throughout the rest of the chapter, there’s a repeated emphasis on “spirit” / “the Spirit” (1:4, 12, 20 [2x], 21, רוּחַ).

Ezekiel 2

In chapter 2, a humanlike “likeness of the glory of the LORD” speaks to Ezekiel. Notice how the prophet describes this experience:

As he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me … (Ezekiel 2:2)

The LORD spoke, and the Spirit entered Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 3

Chapter 3 opens with the famous vision where the LORD says, “Eat this scroll” (3:1). Ezekiel eats the scroll, and then we see an even more elaborate chainlink of connections between God’s words and God’s Spirit.

And he said to me (3:4) … Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice (3:12) … The Spirit lifted me up and took me away (3:14) … the word of the LORD came to me (3:16) … And the hand of the LORD was upon me (3:22) … behold, the glory of the LORD stood there (3:23) … But the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and he spoke with me and said to me (3:24) …

God’s presence and God’s words go hand-in-hand.

Conclusion

This is encouraging to anyone whose work entails teaching the Bible in any way. We teach and preach God’s word not because we want to replicate our own bookish hobbies and academic interests. We teach Scripture because we want to place people in the path of God’s presence, God’s Spirit. Ezekiel 1–3 shows us that the tie between word and Spirit is more than an idea or theory about how biblical interpretation works. God’s Spirit works hand-in-hand with God’s word, and this is why we get up everyday and do the hard work of teaching.