Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from Ez 3:1 and following. Indeed, as with Isaiah in Es 6:1-7, Ezekiel’s great vision will be the starting point for his calling and mission. The Spirit of God grasps him, allows him to stand, and opens his mind to the divine Word, which he must first nourish himself before he can communicate it. He will thus feel the effect on his own soul, for it is impossible to effectively apply the Word to others without having experienced its sweetness oneself… or the cutting edge. In general, nourishing oneself from one’s youth with the Holy Scriptures is the secret of any useful service to the Lord. His name was also a promise: Ezekiel means: God will strengthen. Then the Spirit prevails, accompanied by the sound of glory, and after spending seven days among those of captivity at Thel-Abib, the word of God announced to him that Jehovah was establishing him as sentinel over Israel, with the solemn office and responsibility of being faithful at his own peril. It was no longer a question of the nation, but of individual fidelity (Ez 3:12-21). The chapter ends with a final commandment, when he again sees the glory in the plain as he had seen it before near the Kebar River. He was ordered to be a prisoner in his house, with his tongue stuck to his palace, because they were a rebellious people. But God would still open His mouth and still solemnly call them to listen, but they were rebellious.
Thus, some important principles in God’s relationship with Israel develop here and we still have to notice a trait that characterizes the book of Ezekiel by comparing it with Jeremiah. For this last prophet immediately addresses his contemporaries, that is, the people of God, in a witness which, making its way through the crushed and wounded heart of the prophet, exposes the wonderful patience of God, inviting his people to repentance until the last moment. This is not the case with Ezekiel: He announces what made judgment necessary. It is indeed sent to Israel, but to Israel in a condition of hardening.
Here Jehovah bears testimony that these people are more hardened than any of the pagan nations. He is brazen and stubbornly hearted. For Ezekiel must have had his forehead made like a diamond to speak to him, which he had to announce by saying that Jehovah had spoken, that they listened to him, or that they did nothing about it. The prophet is carried by the power of the Spirit among the captives in Thel-Abib. Now, although the house of Israel was obstinate, God distinguished a residue, and here’s how: The prophet had to warn individuals. It was established for that. If his word was received, the one who listened to him would be spared. Ezekiel would be responsible for the performance of this function, but everyone would suffer the consequence of his conduct after hearing the word. The people were therefore no longer judged as a whole, their state being considered as a whole that depended on the public conduct of the nation or the king. Israel was rebellious, but still whoever listened to the word would live.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
Exhortations addressed to the prophet in view of his mission:
- Orderly preaching
Mt 10:7, 27 Go, preach, and say: The kingdom of heaven is near. 27 What I say to you in darkness, say it in broad daylight; and what is said to you in your ear, preach it from the rooftops. Mk 9:2, 60 Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him, and led them alone to the distance on a high mountain. He was transfigured before them; 9 As they descended from the mountain, Jesus counseled them not to tell anyone what they had seen, until the Son of man had risen from the dead. Mk 16:15 Then He said to them, Go through everyone, and preach the good news to all creation. Acts 5:20 Go, stand in the temple, and proclaim to the people all the words of this life. 2 Tim 4:2 preach the word, insist on every occasion, favorable or not, resume, censor, exhort, with all gentleness and teaching.
- Prophecy Scrolls
Jer 36:2 Take a book, and you will write in it all the words I have spoken to you about Israel and Judah, and about all nations, from the day I spoke to you, in the time of Josiah, to this day. Ez 2:9 I looked, and behold, a hand was stretched out towards me, and she was holding a book in scroll. Ez 3:1 He said to me: Son of man, eat what you find, eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel! Za 5.1 I looked up again and looked, and behold, there was a scroll flying.
- Receptiveness
Mt 13:23 He who has received the seed in the good earth is the one who hears the word and understands it; he bears fruit, and one grain gives one hundred, another sixty, another thirty. Luke 10:38-39 As Jesus was on his way with his disciples, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha received him in her house. 39 She had a sister, named Mary, who, having sat at the feet of the Lord, listened to his word. Acts 2:41 Those who accepted his word were baptized; and on that day the number of disciples increased by about three thousand souls. Acts 17:11 These Jews had nobler feelings than those of Thessalonica; they received the word with great eagerness, and they examined the Scriptures every day to see if what they were told was correct. 1 Thess 2:13 That is why we continually give thanks to God that by receiving the word of God, which we have made you hear, you have received it, not as the word of men, but, as it really is, as the word of God, which works in you who believe.
- Men of God, sent as messengers of God
Count 16:28 Moses says, “By this you will know that the Lord sent me to do all these things, and that I do not act on my own. Esa 48:16 Draw near to me, and listen! From the beginning, I did not speak in secret, From the beginning of these things, I have been there. And now the Lord, the Lord, has sent me with His spirit. Jer 25:4 Jehovah sent you all his servants, the prophets, he sent them in the morning; and you did not listen, you did not listen to listen. Za 2:12 Jehovah will possess Judah as his share in the holy land, and he will still choose Jerusalem. Luke 1:19 The angel replied: I am Gabriel, I stand before God; I have been sent to speak to you, and to tell you this good news. John 1:6 There was a man sent from God: his name was John.
From all that precedes, we note that the prophet Ezekiel eats the book, and behold, it was sweet as honey. He was sent to Israel with the certainty that they would not listen, for they were brazen and hardened with heart, but they had in front of them a prophet whose forehead was of diamond. Having received the word of God in his heart, he had to go to them and say, “So says the Lord.” For God acts according to his patient grace: The prophet still sees alone the glory of Jehovah, and the Spirit announces to him that he would not go out to enter the midst of the people, and that he would be bound in his house, that God would make him hold his tongue to his palace, for they were a stubborn people, and as a people, the warning would not be given to them, except to God, to open the mouth of the prophet who should speak to the people from top to bottom, proclaim the word of Jehovah, and he who would listen, would listen. Jehovah would no longer plead in affection, as He had done. For Ezekiel was one of those who were taken into captivity during the next reign of Jehoyakin son of Jehoakim, when the king of Babylon scattered all that was best in the land, including our prophet. There was only one step left, the disastrous reign of Zedekiah, for the wrath of Jehovah to drive them all out of his presence because of their repeated provocations and incurable rebellion. It is in view of this time that Ezekiel prophesies among the captives in Chaldea; and dwells at length on the final restoration of Israel. Our prayers accompany you all in your efforts to obey the Lord Jesus.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow “the parable of Nathan’s sheep. »
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.