Daily Reading: Ezekiel 1-4
Ezekiel 3:7
But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.
Buckle your seat belt…here comes Ezekiel! He was a prophet of God to the entire nation of Israel during the Babylonian captivity. He was considered the watchman over Israel. More than any other prophet he used symbols, visions, and illustrations. His prophecy was far reaching, not only dealing with the issues of the day, but also stretching far into the future concerning end time events. Even unto today the most learned of all Bible scholars cannot fully comprehend all that this prophet foretold.
One thing we do know is that the Lord told him specifically that the people to whom he communicated would not hearken. They were impudent and hardhearted. However, that did not release the prophet from his duty. In fact, it increased the importance of his work. Consider this, the Lord told him that if he did not warn the wicked and they die, their blood would be required of Ezekiel. No one knows exactly what this means, but as my Mom used to say, “That ain’t good.” Yet, if the prophet did warn the wicked, they alone would bear the responsibility; Ezekiel would have delivered his soul.
Throughout the pages of the Bible there are numerous themes. Creation, salvation, etc. One common theme of God’s Word from beginning to end is repentance. Of repentance Peter wrote in II Peter 3:9: The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Even unto today God’s will, in part, for every person is to repent.
If preachers fail to preach repentance, they cease to warn the wicked to turn from their wicked ways and they themselves will be held accountable. This is a serious and far-reaching consequence that most who call themselves preachers seem to overlook. You may not like it, but understand when your preacher warns you to repent you should thank God for him. After all, do you want a pastor who seeks the approval of men, or the approval of the Lord God?
Ezekiel, like Jeremiah and all the other prophets, was largely rejected, but he still did his job for the Lord. By the way, since when is God’s message supposed to be changed for the people rather than the people changed according to God’s message. How encouraged Ezekiel must have been to hear the Lord say this: 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. I guess so…his name was Ezekiel.
Until tomorrow, live for Christ today.
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