11/20/19 What the Lord GOD Says

READING: Ezekiel 1-4, Hebrews 12:1-13

Ezekiel’s call to be God’s prophet was a dramatic one, but surely it was an agonizing one, too. The Spirit of God entered him, and God spoke to him. He was to speak God’s message to the people—a people who were, in God’s words, “rebellious pagans who have rebelled against Me,” a people who were “obstinate and hardhearted” (Ezek 2:3-4).  Ezekiel’s role was clear: “I am sending you to them, and you must say to them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says’” (Ezek 2:4). Thus, his responsibility was to tell the people anything and everything God wanted them to hear; and, He would do that task in the power of the Spirit.

At this point in the story, though, Ezekiel apparently didn’t know all the details of the message. What he learned quickly, though, was that the stubborn people might remain hard-hearted even as the prophet proclaimed God’s message. Ezekiel was not to worry about how the people responded, however; his job was to announce “what the Lord GOD says” (Ezek 2:4), regardless of whether the people listened to him. Even if they ignored him, they would know “that a prophet has been among them” (Ezek 2:5).

Those of us who preach may have different roles than the Old Testament prophets did, but our responsibility is still the same. In the power of the Spirit of God who lives in us, we are to announce “what the Lord GOD says.”  Obstinate people may not respond positively, but we’re still called to be men of God among them.

PRAYER: “God, I commit myself to preaching only that which You give me, and I want to be faithful even if no one else wants to hear Your message.”

TOMORROW’S READING: Ezekiel 5-8, Hebrews 12:14-29

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