Ezekiel 3:11-15
11 And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear, or whether they refuse.”12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a great thunderous voice: “Blessed is the glory of the Lord from His place!” 13 I also heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, and a great thunderous noise. 14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me. 15 Then I came to the captives at Tel Abib, who dwelt by the River Chebar; and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.
Prophet-a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God.
There are several Prophets mentioned in the Bible but Ezekiel was not one to worry about how he looked to others, for he owed his obedience to God. Ezekiel did several peculiar acts in his obedience to God such as; lying on his left side for 390 days and his right side for 40 days and as much as not mourning his own wife’s death. But God had a purpose in having him perform each of these acts. A point was illustrated and a lesson was taught. Have you ever felt that you are Prophet? Do you think God has called this courageous act of obedience upon your life? It can be difficult to obey God’s will especially for present day believers. It is a struggle to live the way God wants us to live while the rest of society continues to be sinful. While our actions may not be as dramatic as Ezekiel’s, our obedience to God can have consequences of importance as an example to others. In this lesson we are going to look at Ezekiel’s obedience when God told him to go speak to the people and whether they hear or refuse, he was to speak regardless.
A necessary prerequisite to God sending Ezekiel as His messenger was Ezekiel’s reception of all God’s words. God told Ezekiel that he was to make it clear that his message and authority came from the Lord, and that he must continue to speak regardless of their response and reactions. Ezekiel had to faithfully deliver this message no matter how it was received. His declaration didn’t depend on their reception. Among all the prophets Ezekiel probably spoke in the most unusual and innovative ways, yet it was always to deliver God’s message.
Has God given you a word but you were not sure how someone would receive it or react; therefore, you did not speak that word to them? In this scripture we see that when God gives us a word and sends one of us to prophecy over a person or persons, we are to obey, no matter the response or reaction. God understands that this can bring on fear & uncertainty. However, we should know that the spirit will lift us up, even in our own anguish and/or distress; and the hand of God will be strong upon us. We must rest our faith in God and His promise to be with us; therefore, we must obey His instruction and deliver His message no matter the circumstances.
The scripture says, Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a great thunderous voice: “Blessed is the glory of the Lord from His place!” I also heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, and a great thunderous noise.
This thunderous acclaim in praise of the living God came from His myriad of angelic armies. We can compare this to the scripture:
Isaiah 6:3
And one cried to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”
To say the word holy three times intensifies the idea to the highest level. The holiness of God is indescribable in human language. To be holy means to be different or transcendent. Although the Lord IS PERFECT, He still reaches down to take care of us. The second part of the verse emphasizes God’s closeness to His creation.
Ezekiel did what God told him to do. He said, go, get to the captives (Ezekiel 3:11) and he did. Once among them, he spent seven days stunned by the amazing vision and call of God upon his life. This was a time of reflection and observation. The days of silence changed his attitude about his mission. He learned patience and came to accept his calling from God.
Has God presented His call upon your life? Has He given you the gift of Prophecy? If He has, have you been obedient? All the gifts and callings from God should be obeyed by His children. God’s angelic armies sing praises of the living God each time we obey His word. We cannot fear but rest assure that we have the strong hold of the LORD upon us in everything He asks us to do for His kingdom. The consequences of obedience are rewarding to the kingdom of God and to us as believers. If you feel this calling, or any calling upon your life; take some time to reflect and pray to God and He will reveal your mission. He will also give you the strength, knowledge and will to successfully fulfill it.
Be Like Ezekiel was! AMEN!
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