Reading: Ezekiel 1-4
And He said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against Me: they and their fathers have transgressed against Me, even unto this very day. For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them (Ezek. 2:3-5).
The Lord was calling Ezekiel for a difficult task. In many ways, his work was destined to be as disheartening and thankless as Jeremiah's. God’s description of his target audience was anything but complimentary. From it, we can determine that God did not expect Ezekiel’s words to be met with immediate success. I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against Me: they and their fathers have transgressed against Me, even unto this very day. For they are impudent children and stiffhearted.
God knew that facing the daily ridicule and disdain of his fellow Israelites would eventually take its toll on His chosen prophet. For this reason, He clearly outlined ahead of time what He expected from Ezekiel and what Ezekiel would most likely be able to expect from the people he was called to minister to. God made it clear to Ezekiel that his job wasn't to ensure that the people changed their ways; instead, he was only responsible for spreading the Lord's message and living his own life in obedience to God. God expected Ezekiel to stand as a beacon of proof to the existence, truth, and mercy of God, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. At the end of his service, the Lord wanted there to be no doubt in the people's minds that there hath been a prophet among them.
The charge God has placed on each of us today is much the same as the one He issued to Ezekiel so long ago. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth (Acts 13:47). He expects each of us to live our lives in accordance with His commands regardless of the actions or reactions of others. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ (Gal. 1:10). In so doing, His presence in our lives will be made evident to everyone we come into contact with. If we commit to following the words of Jesus Christ, Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets (Matt. 7:12), then those around us will feel the presence of God. Whether or not they choose to acknowledge Him is up to them. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear (Matt. 11:15).
Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God (II Cor. 4:1-2).
Thought for Today: When doing God’s work, we should not expect the world's approval, nor should we seek it.
Christ Revealed: In a likeness as the appearance of a man, who sat upon the throne (Ezek. 1:26-28). This foreshadowed God who appears as a Man, the Man Christ Jesus (I Tim. 2:5).
Word Studies:1:18 dreadful = awesome, wonderful; 1:20 up over against = close beside; 3:12 rushing = tumult, shouting; 3:14 heat = anger; 3:26 dumb = unable to speak to warn them; 4:16 break the staff = cut off the supply.
Pray for Staff: Jennifer Palafox, President, Bible Pathway Ministries • Government Officials: Rep. Al Green (TX) • Country: Barbados (289,680) West Indies • Major Language: English • Religious Freedom • 66.5% Protestant; 3.8% Roman Catholic; 5.4% Other Christian; 1% Rastafarian; 1.5 % Other; 20.6% None; 1.2% Unspecified • Prayer Suggestion: Trust the Lord for deliverance in times of trouble (Ps. 50:15).
Optional Reading:Revelation 6