Ezekiel 2
Isaiah and Jeremiah were warned, when they were called by God, that the ministry that He had ordained for each of them would involve much suffering. In both cases, one of the most challenging facts they had to deal with was the hard-heartedness of those to whom they were sent. As we read of the words that Ezekiel heard when He was brought up into the heavenly glory cloud, we find that he also is given a frank warning concerning the rebelliousness of the Lord’s covenant people.
Many years later, this was also a feature of the ministry of Jesus Christ. Even though He received the approval of great crowds because of His miracles, and even though many people marveled at the way that He taught with authority, it was still a fact that as time went on there were many who fell away among those who first considered following Him. The reason for that seems to be that His words were too hard for them. They did not have an ear for God’s Word.
Ezekiel is called by the title “son of man” just as Jesus was so many years later. At the beginning of this chapter, the prophet has to be told to stand up. More than that, the Spirit enters him and stands him on his feet. The reason for this is that Ezekiel had fallen on his face in the wonder of fear after he was brought up into the heavenly glory cloud of God. He was overwhelmed. God had something to say to Him, and Ezekiel heard the message from heaven itself.
God was sending Ezekiel to a nation of rebels. Was he going to the Edomites, the Moabites, or the Babylonians? Not exactly. The Lord was sending Him to the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The people of
This rebellion was nothing new. It did not simply spring up in one generation. The Lord had been patient with them for centuries. They had sinned, and their forefathers had sinned. This was quite evident from the history of their life in the wilderness. Though they were repeatedly and vigorously warned by the prophets that the Lord sent, they ignored these messengers. Whether it was during the days of the judges, or throughout the history of so many wicked kings of
While a prophet wants to be heard, and sincerely desires to see God’s people repent and follow the Lord, there will be many who simply refuse to hear. Even in that case, a rejected ministry of the Word is still a testimony to the God who sends forth the messenger. The people, though they may rebel against God, still know that the one who says, “Thus says the Lord,” has truly spoken for the Lord Almighty.
God called Ezekiel to a life of courageous service. He could not be afraid of the threats of men. He could not be overly affected by their looks of displeasure, and their words of criticism. This was the reason for this warning from the Lord at the very time of His calling. Above all, He could not stop speaking, and he could never change the message. He also could not join in their rebelliousness. He was God’s man, and needed to be faithful to His mission in a very difficult day. His faithfulness was expressed first in taking in the Lord’s message of lamentation, mourning, and woe, and then in faithfully and forcefully communicating that message.
We have a faithful messenger in God’s house in the Lord Jesus Christ. He also came to a wicked and adulterous generation. They wanted Him for His miracles, but ultimately rejected His Word. He was bold in His prophetic utterance, and courageous in His atoning death. This is the test of the prophet. Does He believe the Word that He preaches? Will He gives His life for the message? In the case of Christ, His death was more than this. He not only proved His own sincerity through His death. He also gave Himself as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of God’s people. This was more than Isaiah, Jeremiah, or Ezekiel could ever do.
posted by Pastor Magee @ 7:00 AM
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