It was no easy position in which Ezekiel found himself. For him, as Jeremiah the weeping prophet who animated him, the general low conditions were heart-breaking. The prophet observed a people departing from Jehovah, divided among themselves, yet fanatically following a decayed ritual. He witnessed the dispersing of a kingdom by a wholesale deportation which amazed the surrounding nations, and then lived for many years among a downcast colony of captives in Chebar. In fulfilling his ministry which struck so many different thoughts from his fellow countrymen, it was inevitable but not surprising that loneliness had a large place in his life. Yet ‘the hand of the Lord’ was upon him, sustaining his personal communion and confidence in Jehovah, and His unfailing purpose for His people Israel. There were no uncertainties for Ezekiel, for his faith had pierced the gloom around. The conditions of Ezekiel’s day are repeated from generation to generation, and are with us even today. It is encouraging to know that divine grace can support a saint burdened about spiritual conditions, as in this case of Ezekiel. God always has His prophets of reconstruction. May fresh gladness and strength be found in these pages, leading to patient reflection which alone makes truth effective in the soul.