Ezekiel 2
The second chapter Ezekiel begins with the words spoken by the Lord in His vision telling the prophet to speak to Israel on God’s behalf. Verses 1-2 read,
“And he said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” 2 And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.”
It was through the word of God that Ezekiel was given the Spirit and able to stand in His presence, hear and understand what was being said to him. We too are only able to commune, hear, and accept the Lord’s will and word for us through Christ and with the Spirit. Before Ezekiel was given the Spirit, he couldn’t even stand before God. Jesus granted him the right and asked him to stand and the Spirit entered him and set him on his feet.
Then the Son of God gave his job. Verses 3-4 read,
“And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. 4 The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.”
I cannot really imagine how Ezekiel felt. He had to be in awe being given this vision and mission. And the job was a big one, one that had not gone well for other prophets. Israel didn’t like hearing bad news. No one really does. No one wants to hear that they are not the good person they think they are. And God was sending Ezekiel to these stubborn rebellious people to tell them they were stubborn, rebellious and sinful.
God knew that the people wouldn’t take it well, it was in there nature. But He loved them enough to tell them the truth. He loved them enough to give them a chance to respond. He loved them enough to give them every opportunity for salvation.
Verses 5-7 read,
“And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6 And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. 7 And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.”
You and I, Believer are also given a mission. We are the light of the world and we are called to shine the light of Jesus into the darkness. It can be intimidating to speak to someone and tell them the Gospel. But God loves them and wants them to be saved. Doesn’t that love mean He wants them to have the opportunity to accept or refuse Him of their own will, just like we had the chance to receive or reject Him of our own will?
They are human. They have a flesh nature. They, unlike us do not have the benefit of the Holy Spirit. They may look at us with contempt. They may think we are looney. They may call us hypocrites or worse. What is it to you? Do you know the truth? Are you foolish? Are you hateful? Do you love them as Jesus loved you? Are you willing to let them go to Hell because they may not like what you have to say or may not believe you?
You were given the Spirit of the Living God. He is awesome! He is God. God tells you “Do not be afraid of them.” In 2 Timothy 1:6-7 Paul wrote,
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
You and I have gifts. We are meant to use those gifts to edify one another and to glorify God. You may think that evangelism is for someone else, it is for the few. But we are all called to be a testimony to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There comes a time when you are face to face with someone who needs to hear that they need Jesus and you are the one God has chosen to speak to them. Their reaction is not your problem, your reaction is your concern. You can obey your Lord, or you can defy Him and rebel.
Verses 8-10 continue
“But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” 9 And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. 10 And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe.”
The words of God are not always lollipops and unicorns. Sometimes they are difficult to digest. But they are always for our best. The dying do not want to hear that they are dying. But if God puts someone in our path and has a message for them, it is a message they need to hear. What they do with that message is up to them. What we do with the directive to give it to them is up to us as well. What love do we have if God says, ‘Tell that man that Jesus loves him and he doesn’t have to die a sinner’ and we refuse to obey Him because the man might not like what he hears? It is hateful to let him continue dying without offering him the chance for eternal life.
The second chapter Ezekiel begins with the words spoken by the Lord in His vision telling the prophet to speak to Israel on God’s behalf. Verses 1-2 read,
“And he said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” 2 And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.”
It was through the word of God that Ezekiel was given the Spirit and able to stand in His presence, hear and understand what was being said to him. We too are only able to commune, hear, and accept the Lord’s will and word for us through Christ and with the Spirit. Before Ezekiel was given the Spirit, he couldn’t even stand before God. Jesus granted him the right and asked him to stand and the Spirit entered him and set him on his feet.
Then the Son of God gave his job. Verses 3-4 read,
“And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. 4 The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.”
I cannot really imagine how Ezekiel felt. He had to be in awe being given this vision and mission. And the job was a big one, one that had not gone well for other prophets. Israel didn’t like hearing bad news. No one really does. No one wants to hear that they are not the good person they think they are. And God was sending Ezekiel to these stubborn rebellious people to tell them they were stubborn, rebellious and sinful.
God knew that the people wouldn’t take it well, it was in there nature. But He loved them enough to tell them the truth. He loved them enough to give them a chance to respond. He loved them enough to give them every opportunity for salvation.
Verses 5-7 read,
“And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6 And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. 7 And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.”
You and I, Believer are also given a mission. We are the light of the world and we are called to shine the light of Jesus into the darkness. It can be intimidating to speak to someone and tell them the Gospel. But God loves them and wants them to be saved. Doesn’t that love mean He wants them to have the opportunity to accept or refuse Him of their own will, just like we had the chance to receive or reject Him of our own will?
They are human. They have a flesh nature. They, unlike us do not have the benefit of the Holy Spirit. They may look at us with contempt. They may think we are looney. They may call us hypocrites or worse. What is it to you? Do you know the truth? Are you foolish? Are you hateful? Do you love them as Jesus loved you? Are you willing to let them go to Hell because they may not like what you have to say or may not believe you?
You were given the Spirit of the Living God. He is awesome! He is God. God tells you “Do not be afraid of them.” In 2 Timothy 1:6-7 Paul wrote,
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
You and I have gifts. We are meant to use those gifts to edify one another and to glorify God. You may think that evangelism is for someone else, it is for the few. But we are all called to be a testimony to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There comes a time when you are face to face with someone who needs to hear that they need Jesus and you are the one God has chosen to speak to them. Their reaction is not your problem, your reaction is your concern. You can obey your Lord, or you can defy Him and rebel.
Verses 8-10 continue
“But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” 9 And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. 10 And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe.”
The words of God are not always lollipops and unicorns. Sometimes they are difficult to digest. But they are always for our best. The dying do not want to hear that they are dying. But if God puts someone in our path and has a message for them, it is a message they need to hear. What they do with that message is up to them. What we do with the directive to give it to them is up to us as well. What love do we have if God says, ‘Tell that man that Jesus loves him and he doesn’t have to die a sinner’ and we refuse to obey Him because the man might not like what he hears? It is hateful to let him continue dying without offering him the chance for eternal life.
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