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.
Convey - NOT Convince!
Those who speak God’s Word should memorize, meditate and memorialize the above passage. Ezekiel is being sent to deliver a message to God’s people, Israel. They were a disobedient people. God is sending Ezekiel to them to further speak to them about this disobedience. God is telling His messenger, Ezekiel, to worry not about their response. In fact, God knows their response. God knows they will disobey the words of Ezekiel. Why? Because they already disobeyed the words of God:
Ezekiel 3:7 (ESV Strong's)
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.
Pastors and preachers and priest tend to want to “convince” the world around them of the “rightness” of their message, SO THAT there is a change in behavior of the listener. But, sometimes (even often), the listener refuses to hear. Ezekiel is to simply deliver the message. He is not to worry about response. The minister of God is not to convince; they are to convey. That is the role God gave Ezekiel. That is the role He gives us. We are to convey, not convince. God’s job is to convince.
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