COMMISSIONED – God calls people to consistently proclaim His truth.

EZEKIEL 3:8-21

MEMORY VERSE: EZEKIEL 3: 4 He then said to me: "Son of man, go now to the house of Israel and speak my words to them.

When witnesses come forward to testify in court, they are asked: “Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?” Only after witnesses reply in the affirmative do they take a seat in the witness stand. Perjury – lying while under oath – is a serious offense.

THE CONTEXT (EZEKIEL 1:1-7:27)

The Books of Ezekiel and Daniel occur next to each other in our Bible, and these two prophets had much in common. First, both lived as exiles in Babylon. Daniel arrived in 605 BC as part of King Nebuchadnezzar’s first deportation of Jewish citizens. Ezekiel arrived in 597 BC as part of the second deportation. Daniel probably began his ministry in his teen years when Ezekiel was probably around thirty. Second, both prophets had long ministries. Daniel ministered at least from 605-536 BC, 69 years (Dan. 1:1; 10:1). Ezekiel ministered at least from 593-571 BC, 22 years (Ezek. 11; 29:17).

Ezekiel primarily addressed the exiles who lived in the region of Babylon. The temple was destroyed in 586 BC and more from Judah were brought to Babylon. Ezekiel reminded them that God was punishing Israel for their idolatry and encouraged them that God would one day punish their captors.

Daniel wrote to encourage believers of his own generation and of future generations. Daniel served God in Babylon’s royal courts. God used Daniel to guide and protect His people, and mighty rulers bowed to Him (Dan. 2:46-47; 3:28-29, 4:1-3,37; 6:25-27).

Ezekiel prophesied to a people unwilling to listen and encouraged them to turn back to God. He warned them against attitudes of hopelessness or apathy, but he also spoke of an exciting and glorious future that awaited God’s people one day.

Daniel served in Babylon’s royal court but he was determined to live out his faith in an environment hostile to his faith. As he did so, God glorified Himself through Daniel and through the lives of Daniel’s three friends, Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego.

Ezekiel spoke of God’s judgment on His people (Ezek 1- 24), God’s judgment on the nations (Ezek 25-32), and God’s restoration of His people.

Daniel’s life witnessed of God’s sovereignty, the persecution of His people, and the salvation of His people. Daniel and Ezekiel lived out parallel commissions from God to direct and take care of His people while living in Exile when Jerusalem fell.

Ezekiel was to prophesy to a rebellious people, whether they listened or not. God made it clear to Ezekiel that he must communicate all His words to the people. He was responsible to tell them but was not responsible for their response.

Chapters 4-5 of Ezekiel describe several prophetic actions God gave Ezekiel to act out. First, Ezekiel laid siege to a clay tablet with the city of Jerusalem drawn on it, foreshadowing Jerusalem’s final siege (4:1-3). Second, the prophet was to lie on each side for a designated number of days, representing the years of the people’s iniquity. (4:4-8). Third, God told Ezekiel to prepare only a small ration of food and water each day, portraying the terrible conditions Jerusalem’s siege would bring (4:4-8). Fourth, God instructed Ezekiel to shave his head bald (5:1-12). The prophet was to burn a third of his hair, hack a third of it to pieces with the sword, and scatter a third of it to the wind. Finally, he was to take a few hairs and bind them in the edges of his robe. The prophet’s actions depicted God’s judgment; yet, God would begin a new work with a faithful remnant one day (5:13-17).

PREPARED (EZEK. 3:8-11)

8 But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are.

9 I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house."

God already made it clear to Ezekiel that the people did not want to hear His messages. But He also assured Ezekiel that He would give him the resolve, forbearance, and determination to more than deal with their stubbornness. Ezekiel was never to give in to fear or discouragement. God had equipped him to withstand opposition, so he did not need to yield to such emotions. Ezekiel might not persuade God’s people to repent, but God would bless his faithfulness and hold the people accountable.

10 And he said to me, "Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you.

11 Go now to your countrymen in exile and speak to them. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says,' whether they listen or fail to listen."

The designation of Ezekiel as “son of man” appears almost a hundred times in the book as God’s title for His prophet. It declares him as God’s human representative. Jesus later used it to describe Himself, though He also was the Son of God (Mark 10:45).

God stressed He needed the prophet’s attentive consideration to “all my words that I speak to you”. Truth and accuracy mattered. God urged Ezekiel to carefully weigh the message he received. Moses earlier had told the Israelites they needed to keep God’s commands on their hearts (Deut. 6:6). The prophet Jeremiah announced that when God’s new covenant came, God would write His laws on His people’s hearts (Jer: 31:31-34).

The Bible records that God’s people experienced four waves of deportation. The first one occurred in 605 BC and included Daniel and his colleagues (Dan1:1-2). The second wave occurred in 598/597 BC and included King Jehoiachin and also Ezekiel (2 Kings 24:8-16). The third deportation occurred in 586 BC, when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and the temple (2 Kings 25:1-12). A fourth occurred a few years after that following further rebellion by God’s people who remained in Judah (Jer. 52:30). Ezekiel’s audience had experienced the same loss he had; they lived as exiles in a land not their own. He was bringing the words of God, not his own opinions.

Scripture affirms that God equips believers to do what He calls us to do. God’s followers can rest in the assurance that God will equip us for the task, and will accomplish His purpose as we are faithful.

OVERWHELMED (EZEK. 3:12-15)

12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound--May the glory of the LORD be praised in his dwelling place!--

13 the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound.

The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit guided the writers of Scripture as they wrote so the finished product represented exactly what God wanted (2 Pet. 1:20-21). The presence of the Lord conveys the power and might of God and can be compared to thunder, brilliant lightening, earthquakes, and storms. Wherever God’s throne moves, also goes the power of the Heavenly beings around His throne. This can be very intimidating. The references to wings and wheels remind us of Ezekiel 1, where Ezekiel described his initial vision of living heavenly creatures that flew about accompanied by mysterious wheels (1:4-21).

14 The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me.

15 I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Abib near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days--overwhelmed.

Probably this bitterness and anger resulted from the commission he had just received from the Lord (3:8-11). God had warned Ezekiel that, as a prophet, he would encounter unbelief and resistance, but God would equip him for the task. When we obey God’s command to share our faith with others, we know that sometimes we will face opposition. We must remember that God’s hand empowers us to accomplish His purpose.

Tel-abib is a town in the region of Babylon. Many of the exiles were living by the Chebar Canal, a region just outside Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC) had settled these Jewish exiles near the capital city to keep an eye on conquered people. They provided the opportunity to bear witness to the truth of God’s message so that it was believable to their Babylonian captors.

Ezekiel sat there among them stunned for seven days. He recognized with horror and astonishment the people’s attitude toward God and also realized God’s commission for him to instruct them.

ASSIGNED (EZEK. 3:16-21)

16 At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me:

17 "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.

Ezekiel’s sitting among the exiles at Tel-abib parallels other people stunned by what they witnessed. Job’s three friends were so stunned when they first observed Job’s suffering that they did not speak for seven days. Ezekiel was shocked at the nature and level of his responsibility as he later would communicate God’s words to these stubborn people.

This time, the message God brought was specifically for His prophet, not for the audience. He was giving Ezekiel instruction on the nature and level of his responsibility as he later would communicate God’s words. God again used the title “Son of Man” to designate His prophet. Watchmen were responsible for guarding a city. They kept watch day and night for any signs of external or internal trouble. Watchmen at key positions might spot an enemy advance while the enemy was still far away. The more quickly the watchmen could identify a potential threat, the more quickly the citizens of the region could respond. If a watchman fell asleep on his post, great harm could befall a city and its inhabitants.

God’s words can warn us today when we stray from God’s standard. It provides spiritual warning and shows the correct path for life while warning its readers against taking the wrong ones.

18 When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.

Ezekiel had the responsibility to warn of the disaster that awaited the disobedient. God announced the judgment that would come upon the individual Ezekiel did not warn: that wicked person will die for his iniquity. If Ezekiel warned him or not, the person should have known God’s righteous standard. Ezekiel’s warning actually served as a mark of God’s grace because it provided an extra opportunity for a person to be reminded to acknowledge his sin and repent. If Ezekiel failed to carry out God’s commission to warn them, he also would be guilty along with the individual who died for his wickedness.

19 But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.

20 "Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.

21 But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself."

As believers we are responsible to proclaim His words faithfully. God does not hold us responsible for how people react to His message. However, He does expect us to exercise faithful stewardship over the ministries He has given to each believer. Righteous acts can not outweigh an unbelieving heart. The prophet Isaiah affirmed that all our righteous deeds together are like filthy rags before God (Isa. 64:6). Believers of all ages are saved by grace through faith in what Jesus Christ accomplished on Calvary’s cross. (Eph. 2:8-9).

The Lord commissioned Ezekiel to be his watchman over the exiles in Babylon. He has commissioned us to testify to a world that desperately needs to hear His salvation message. God’s plan to reach the world includes you and me – ordinary people whom God can use in extraordinary ways as we simply share our faith with those around us. What a great privilege we have to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord commissions believers to be watchman over there sphere of influence.