Ezekiel 3:4-9
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 a 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. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.”
Truth: God prepares and equips before He sends us!!
The book of Ezekiel is the record of the prophet Ezekiel who was sent by God to the nation of Israel and Judah in the beginning and midst of their captivity. He was of priestly descent and is best known for the unusual visions he prophecies about and the unusual methods God uses through him to covey the message God has for the people in captivity and for us. Ezekiel is asked to do some unusual illustrations to communicate the rebellious nation that God is a jealous God and God is going to punish them for their idolatry. The people, in their captivity, had already heard the prophecy of Isaiah and Jeremiah. They had been warned and rejected that warning. Ezekiel is, yet, another voice God is using to condemn, correct and, hopefully, change the hearts of this wicked and rebellious nation. Yet, God knows their hearts won't change. Their hearts are "stubborn" and their foreheads are "hard" the above text tells us. How do you preach to a group of people with such hard foreheads and stubborn hearts? You send a prophet with a harder face and forehead and heart that is firm with God's Word. In the above text we see that God is sending Ezekiel to his own people. He will not be a missionary to another country, having to learn the customs, language and ways of a strange land. (God even mocks the nation telling Ezekiel that if he was sent to a land of strange tongue and different culture THEY would listen to Ezekiel's message from God.) Ezekiel, however, is sent to his own people and they WILL reject him. Yet, God prepares His servant for the work He sends him to do. God tells them that even though their foreheads are hard and the hearts are stubborn, God is going to make Ezekiel's head harder. Ezekiel is going to be hard-headed. God tells Ezekiel that he does not have to fear them because as "emery" is harder than "flint," so he will be harder than the nation of rebellious people. God prepares Ezekiel for the hard work he is asked to do. God will give him endurance when he is asked to illustrate God's punishment will last 390 years by having the prophet lay on his left side for 390 days. Ouch!! Where his audience will be strong willed, Ezekiel will be strong-willed-times-two!! Like Paul after him, Ezekiel will not be afraid because he goes in the power and strength of God. Where God calls, He equips.
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