In this chapter, the Lord continues to speak with Ezekiel and identifies him as a watchman for Israel. Here’s the chapter in its entirety: “The voice said to me, “Son of man, eat what I am giving you – eat this scroll! Then go and give its message to the people of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he fed me the scroll. “Eat it all,” he said. And when I ate it, it tasted as sweet as honey. (Yes!!! There is nothing sweeter than God’s Word!)
Then he said, “Son of man, go to the people of Israel with my messages. I am not sending you to some foreign people whose language you cannot understand. No, I am not sending you to people with strange and difficult speech. If I did, they would listen! I am sending you to the people of Israel, but they won’t listen to you any more than they listen to me! (Wow!) For the whole lot of them are hard-hearted and stubborn. But look, I have made you as hard and stubborn as they are. I have made you as hard as rock! So don’t be afraid of them or fear their angry looks, even though they are such rebels.” (Yes! The Lord has prepared us for every encounter we have with people and life.)
Then he added, “Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself. Then go to your people in exile and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Do this whether they listen to you or not.” (Wow…how important it is to understand God’s Word and meditate on His counsel before we attempt to share it with others. Lord, give us the desire to make time for you and your Word.)
Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a loud rumbling sound behind me. (May the glory of the Lord be praised in his place!) It was the sound of the wings of the living beings as they brushed against each other and the rumbling of their wheels beneath them.
The spirit lifted me up and took me away. I went in bitterness and turmoil, but the Lord’s hold on me was strong. Then I came to the colony of Judean exiles in Tel-abib, beside the Kebar River. I sat there among them for seven days, overwhelmed.
A Watchman for Israel
At the end of the seven days, the Lord gave me a message. He said, “Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel. Whenever you receive a message from me, pass it on to the people immediately. If I warn the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible, demanding your blood for theirs. (Wow!) If you warn them and they keep on sinning and refuse to repent, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved your life because you did what you were told to do. If good people turn bad and don’t listen to my warning, they will die. If you did not warn them of the consequences, then they will die in their sins. Their previous good deeds won’t help them, and I will hold you responsible, demanding your blood for theirs. But if you warn them and they repent, they will live, and you will have saved your own life, too.” (Wow! What a huge responsibility! I’m glad God has since placed His Spirit in each of us, and we are each responsible for our own salvation. For God paid the price of our sins with the blood of His son, Jesus Christ. All we have to do is accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Lord, thank you!)
Then the lord took hold of me, and he said to me, “Go out into the valley, and I will talk to you there.” So I got up and went, and there I saw the glory of the Lord, just as I had seen it in my first vision by the Kebar River. And I fell face down in the dust.
Then the Spirit came into me and set me on my feet. He talked to me and said, “Go, shut yourself up in your house. There you will be bound with ropes so you cannot go out among the people. And I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so you won’t be able to pray for them, for they are rebellious. But whenever I give you a message, I will loosen your tongue and let you speak. Then you will say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Some of them will listen, but some will ignore you, for they are rebels.” (Ezekiel 3) (Wow!)
Lord, thank you for your Word today! Thank you for saving us from ourselves. Thank you for giving us a way out and making it easy! All we have to do is accept you as Lord and Savior and follow you! Lord, you are so good to us, and we love you!
May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
….AND MAY WE ALL PRACTICE THIS WITH ONE ANOTHER.
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