I was speaking to one of my friends about how harsh Ezekiel 3 is. I am not sure why so many people these days like to call themselves prophets because being a true prophet in the days of the Old Testament was not fun. These prophets went through so many difficulties like walking around naked for three years, having to marry a prostitute, being hunted down to be killed by a diabolical queen, being thrown into a pit, beaten, hungry and isolated. No wonder Jeremiah lamented so much, but it was not just about his terrible situation, but also about his people’s rebellion against the Lord. These rebellious people caused righteous prophets to experience these horrible situations when God called them to prophesy His warnings and judgement. The people preferred to listen to the deceptive prophets who pleased them with lies.
I can’t even imagine that a loving Lord would tell the righteous prophets to do such unthinkable things in order to obey Him. The Lord told Ezekiel that he should cook his bread over dry burning human dung as a prophetic sign, but after Ezekiel told Him that he had never eaten anything unclean as a good Jew should in those days, then the Lord responded that he didn’t have to use dry human dung anymore, but instead, he could use dry cow dung to cook his food. This is still unpalatable for me. Again and again, God called His prophets to do some of the most unimaginable acts. Being a prophet was not about being famous and highly honored, but about being mocked, threatened, rejected and sometimes going through physical torture. And if they did not do what they were told to do and say what they were told to say, then they would be responsible for whatever dire consequences the persons faced for sinning. Remember Jonah? He tried to run away from the ever-present omniscient God as he didn’t want to go and bring God’s warning to the people of Nineveh as he thought they were too evil and so he ended up in the belly of a fish who vomited him up in the very place he did not want to go. When God tells us to go and bring His message, then it is advisable to do so.
Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. “Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.” Ezekiel 3:16-21
The prophets are not the only ones who were told to go and tell the word of God. In Matthew 28, Jesus told His eleven disciples to go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all things that He commanded them. This is what we are all called to do as Christ followers. And following Christ is not easy, but the Holy Spirit empowers us. Many of the prophets did not want to do what God called them to do. Moses told the Lord about his speech problems, not wanting to go to Pharaoh. He also asked God who was he that he should go. He made excuses about not knowing what to tell them and that the people may not believe him, so he suggested to the Lord to let someone else go. God became angry and Moses was compelled to go. What excuses do you come up with about going and telling God’s Word?
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:14-16
Not everyone will obey the Gospel, but we still each must go and tell all the people we can, everywhere we can about Jesus. And God will be with us, and He will equip us. If we do not go and speak about Jesus, then the Lord will hold us accountable for the people’s eternal demise.
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