A Word on Ezekiel
As we’ve finished Isaiah, I thought it would be good to continue to look at what are called the “major” prophets. They are called “major” because their books are longer than those of the “minor” prophets. It’s always good to look at the Old Testament and have a good idea of what’s happening - it is God’s Word to us and relevant today.
Ezekiel’s name means “the Lord Has Strengthened,” which is interesting given Ezekiel’s circumstances and calling. Ezekiel lived during the time when the Babylonians had conquered the Southern Kingdom of Judah and had taken the people of God away as captives. Most of Ezekiel’s messages center around amazing visions that God gave Ezekiel and His commands to do very difficult things. This made Ezekiel a living parable because the actions God told Ezekiel to take revealed, in part, God’s relationship with His people.
The key thought in Ezekiel is that God is at work for His glory in everything, including times of judgment and restoration (which is what the people of God were experiencing throughout Ezekiel)
We won’t be reading the entire book, but we will be dropping in on some of the most significant passages. As always when we read the Old Testament, our readings are a bit longer because it gives us a clearer picture of what’s going on.
Ezekiel 2:1 – 3:15
Ezekiel’s Call
2 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. 3 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.’ 5 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.
8 “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.
3 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.
4 And he said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them. 5 For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel— 6 not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. 7 But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. 8 Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. 9 Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.” 10 Moreover, he said to me, “Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. 11 And go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear or refuse to hear.”
12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great earthquake: “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from its place!” 13 It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the sound of the wheels beside them, and the sound of a great earthquake. 14 The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the hand of the Lord being strong upon me. 15 And I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, who were dwelling by the Chebar canal, and I sat where they were dwelling. And I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days.
This passage leads us through Ezekiel's call to be the Lord's prophet, and it’s an awesome call. In many ways it's similar to the call of Jeremiah, who was a contemporary of Ezekiel. Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel had an amazing calling from the Lord, but it would be a very difficult call for Ezekiel to follow.
I’m blown away by some of the things that happen in this passage, on the one hand God, promised to be with Ezekiel, to surround him and protect him and He encouraged Ezekiel to not be afraid. On the other hand, the word God would give to Ezekiel would not be well received by the people of God. In verses 5-6, the Lord said the people would be completely unwilling to listen and contrasts them to foreigners who would listen even though their language was different. The people of God, who were in exile because they refused to repent and listen to God’s voice, were still unwilling to repent and seek forgiveness from the Lord.
At the end of this passage, there is a point when the Spirit lifted Ezekiel up, and he went in bitterness and anger, but the strong hand of the Lord was upon Ezekiel, and he would be faithful to the Lord’s calling.
He knew what he had to do. His calling was incredible and at the same time, completely frustrating because of the rebellious hearts of the people. We’re told that at the end of Ezekiel’s calling, he was overwhelmed and just sat among the people for seven days.
Wow! Do you ever feel that way? Overwhelmed in the Lord? Sometimes it comes because we are awe-struck by His presence; sometimes it is because we look at what God is calling us to and we feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of it all. But notice the promise of God to Ezekiel in that moment: He is with Ezekiel and the Spirit surrounds Ezekiel as he begins his ministry.
That promise is true for us today. I’m reminded of Jesus’ last words to the disciples in Matthew 28:20. It’s the last sentence in the Gospel and one that we need to put deep into our hearts as we faithfully follow Jesus’ call for us to be His missional disciples. He is with you always, working and moving, in both the good times and the incredibly difficult. Look for Him, listen for His voice, and continue to pursue His Spirit as you wait upon the Lord.
The Lord wants to glorify His name in and through your life. Are you ready?
God bless you and know that I’m praying for you this morning!
Scott
