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Note to readers: This is an alternate reading from the Three Year Lectionary, and may not match up with the readings your church uses this Sunday.
Ezekiel 3:4-7a, 9b-11 – [The Lord said to Ezekiel:] “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel—not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to Me … Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.” Moreover, He said to me, “Son of man, all My words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. And go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear or refuse to hear.”
This is the story of Ezekiel’s first meeting with the Lord, the time God called him to serve as His prophet. I can’t help thinking how discouraging it must have been for the poor man! The Lord gives him a message which is full of “lamentation and mourning and woe” (Ezekiel 2:10b). And He sends him out to speak that message, but He warns him: “The house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to Me.”
No wonder Ezekiel felt bitter and overwhelmed (see Ezekiel 3:14-15). And yet, he did what God called him to do. Did he see any hope for the people?
Maybe. After all, we can’t ignore the fact that God is calling a new prophet, right at this point—because God wouldn’t do that if He’d decided to give up on His people forever, would He? Of course not. Rebellious as Israel is, they are still beloved by God. He wants them to repent, to come back to Him in faith.
So what does this have to do with us today? It reminds us that however bad things get, God has not given up on the human race. God is still passionately concerned about us, deeply in love with us, however frustrating we must be for Him. He will not leave us. He has not left us, for He came into our world to be one of us, Jesus Christ our Savior. As a Man He lived among us, serving and caring and healing and teaching; and then He lay down His life for us by His own free choice, to break the power of evil over us and turn us back to God. Through His resurrection He broke the power of death over us, both physical and spiritual; and now He is our life and joy forever.
Ezekiel couldn’t change the rebellious hearts of God’s people—but Jesus could, and did. Through His death and resurrection, He has brought us out of our slavery to sin, and given us new, clean hearts that love God and listen to Him. Now we are part of the body of Christ, filled with His Holy Spirit, living with the life of our risen Lord. We have all this—because the Lord loves us.
WE PRAY: Dear Lord, thank You. Keep my heart always turned to You. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
- Why do people turn against God so easily?
- Would you want a job like Ezekiel’s? Why or why not?
- Jesus has made you new through His death and resurrection. Do you think anything less could have done it?
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