Ezekiel 2:1, 6b, 8 ESV
And he said to me, "Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you."
Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.
"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."
Three thoughts stand out to me from this chapter. First is the idea that God wants to speak to Ezekiel. That is incredible. The God who revealed himself in such an overwhelming vision in chapter 1 now wants to speak to Ezekiel. In chapter 1 Ezekiel didn't see God. He didn't see the glory of God. He saw the appearance of the likeness of the glory of God and was overwhelmed., yet here is God wanting to speak to him. We must never lose the awe in the truth that the unapproachable God speaks to us and invites us to approach.
The second thought that caught my eye in this chapter is the truth that Ezekiel is being asked to deliver a very unpopular message to a very rebellious people. This is not good news. Who likes an assignment that virtually guarantees that you will be rejected, laughed at and possibly even killed? Yet that is exactly what Ezekiel is being asked to do. What does God tell him? Don't be "afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks." They are a rebellious people, but don't be afraid of them. It's easy to preach to a people that want to listen. It's easy to challenge a people that want to be challenged. Delivering an unpopular message to a people who don't want to listen or be challenged is a whole other story. God says, "Don't be afraid."
In the end we find the one thing that Ezekiel does need to be afraid of. God warns Ezekiel, "Be not rebellious like that rebellious house." The danger of taking a message to rebellious people is that the messenger is tempted to become rebellious as well. There is always the possibility of falling into the very temptation we are warning others about. Ezekiel is warned to be more fearful of falling into sin than of the anger of his audience.
There is a huge warning here for us as believers. We have a message of truth from God that is increasing unpopular in our world. It is very easy for us to fall into the same attitudes and lifestyle as those we have been called to reach with the Gospel. It is easy to become cautious and fearful when there is a need for boldness in humility. We need to go back and remember the overwhelming greatness of the God who has tasked us with proclaiming this message. We need to find our security in him and boldly proclaim the truth of God to a people who desperately need to hear it.
Father, forgive me for the fear that I often allow to paralyze me. May I live and speak in boldness with humility, knowing that I have heard you speak. May I forever stand in awe of your glory. May I faithfully proclaim your truth.
By his grace,
Rick Weinert
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