When Words Matter Most
Ezekiel’s Call
And he said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” And he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. 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... I send you to them, and you shall say to them,” Thus says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 2:1-5
Ezekiel was a prophet of God. He was called on by God to go speak to the nation of Israel (“A rebellious nation”) in order to speak hope for the future and to teach Israel how to turn from their rebellious ways. God chose him to be the one to teach the people new life that can only be found in God himself.
Have you ever experienced anything like this? Have you ever been called to do something or say something that made you question, “Why me?”? Ezekiel was just a priest living in Babylon until one day the Lord calls upon him to change the hearts of the rebellious people around him. The same rebellious people who took him captive during the destruction of Jerusalem (the place where he grew up). Ezekiel was living among people who lived vastly different than him. Unlike Ezekiel, the people around him walked in evil instead of truth, they walked in selfishness instead of selflessness, they walked in their own ways instead of the way of the Lord. He was surrounded by people who judged his way, who turned their nose up to people like him. Now, he was called to be the one to spread the word of God.
Can you relate?
“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. And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.” Ezekiel 2:6-7
Before the Lord sends Ezekiel, he first warns him “Do not be afraid of them.” He warns that their rejection might sting just as a thorn or scorpion, but fear of rejection should not keep him from doing what the Lord has called him to do. How true is this?
Words have a way of holding so much power if we let them, and they also can cut so deep. I have heard this phrase “Hurt people hurt people” and it cannot be more true. The Lord knew these people were hurting, hurting bad, and he warned Ezekiel to not let their hurt begin to hurt him. Ezekiel is called to speak Gods words to them, and from there, it is up to the receiver to choose if they will hear them.
“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 gave you.” And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. Ezekiel 2:8-9
And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel” ...” 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. - Ezekiel 3:1-3
The Lord hands Ezekiel a scroll that included a book of everything that he would need when going to speak to the house of Israel. Instead of simply reading the scroll, he “ate” it. The Lord even went as far as to say, “feed your belly, fill your stomach with it.” It’s important to note that God isn’t physically calling Ezekiel to actually rip out the pages and start eating the book. No, God is asking Ezekiel to fill himself up on his words so that they may become part of himself. Therefore, when Ezekiel goes to open his mouth to speak, it’s not his words that come out but, instead, the truth of the Lords.
I believe this is how the Lord wants us to use our Bibles today. The Bible is living and breathing. Filling ourselves up on the only source of truth is pertinent to living a life in step with the Lord and bringing others along with us. We can’t pour out of an empty cup, nor can we drink unclean water. The Bible has everything we need to fill up and to pour out the way the Lord intended us to. And when we digest the word, we experience the sweetest filling we could ever imagine “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” -Psalm 119:103
And he said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them. For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel - not to many peoples of foreign speech and hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. 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. Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead.” - Ezekiel 3:4-9
The Lord tells Ezekiel that these rebellious people will be harder to talk to than people of foreign language since they have a hard head and a stubborn heart. They are unwilling to listen, whereas, when communicating with someone in a foreign language there is an attempt to understand. Ezekiel was sent to speak to the lost sheep, people who did believe the truth that he walked in. Therefore, Ezekiel was given extra strength from the Lord. Although Israel was strong in their rebellion, Ezekiel was stronger in his commitment to the Lord.
God saw the ways in which Ezekiel lacked when being called to speak to the house of Israel. He knew the task was a lot to ask of the man, but he did not send him out unequipped. The Lord gave him the scroll to fill his belly as well as the physical strength to his head in order to speak to the people. The Lord warned Ezekiel that it would not be easy, and that trials would come, but he equipped him for his purpose. Just as he does for you and me.
“Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.” 3:9 “And go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear or refuse to hear.” 3:11
Just as Ezekiel is being sent out to go share the word of the Lord, he is reminded once more just how rebellious the people are. God reminds Ezekiel one last time “Do not fear them, nor be dismayed by their looks”. This just goes to show how powerful judgement can be, even if it comes across as a look. The Lord reminds Ezekiel that it is HIS word that is to be spoken, not Ezekiel's. Therefore, whether they hear or refuse, they are either receiving or further rejecting the Lord. Ezekiel is not to take it personally but is to continue living out his purpose of speaking God’s word to the people.
Ultimately that is what God is calling us to do. I don’t know about you, but I’m a people pleaser myself. So, the thought of someone not liking me or the thought of me offending someone with my words is terrifying. But, when it comes to speaking about the Lord, I pray for strength and boldness that was given to Ezekiel. This scripture is a good reminder that God does not call the equipped, he equips the called. We do not need to fear judgement from one another, we do not need to fear if we are liked. The only thing we have to fear is the Lord himself. So go out and walk in strength and courage just as Ezekiel. Go out and spread the good news of the Lord. If you are waiting for the right time, it’s now. Sometimes the words that matter most are the words that don’t want to be heard.
