"Ezekiel is commissioned" by Rod Bayley, 3 August 2008, AM Service, Ezekiel 2:1-3:15

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Well, have you ever thought that you had a bad job, or a difficult
role to fulfil which was completely unappreciated? On the American
website worstjob.com, which encourages people to email the details of
their daily drudgery, they had a number of difficult jobs where the
person just received a barrage of criticism. I thought the ‘airport
lost and found agent’ had a good case for the most difficult role, as
people don’t listen but simply abuse. He worked at an international
airport and endured the screams of terror and death threats from
passengers who didn’t receive their luggage and blamed him for
mistakes made by others, usually in other countries. He had the job
of telling people the bad news that they didn’t want to hear, which
they couldn’t bear to listen to. His interaction with the public was
completely negative. He thought it was unfair that people assumed that
screaming aggressively will magically cause their luggage to appear in
their current location. In addition, the airline representatives also
complained about their service, and then there were their own bosses -
all this for a minimum wage. I think a day or two would send me
insane, let alone years of it - I assume the turnover rate is high.

But although there are many frustrating, difficult jobs, where people
constantly complain, there is usually still some sense of satisfaction
from actually completing needed tasks or roles each day - and the
occasional appreciative customer. But what if you were forced to take
a job that involved speaking a message of judgment on your fellow
countrymen, and told that this dangerous role of verbally rebuking
people would not be heeded? Your job must be undertaken but it would
fail in terms of a response - your job would be to speak, but you are
promised no-one will listen? I cannot imagine anyone volunteering to
do that job. Well, that was the lot of Ezekiel and he didn’t
volunteer - as we consider the second part of the book’s opening
vision, we discover that Ezekiel is chosen to fulfil this thankless
and difficult role - that of prophet to his own people in exile.

Notice how Ezekiel’s commissioning for this role is introduced in
verses 1 and 2. At the end of chapter 1 Ezekiel was lying face-down
in submission, but now God finally speaks:
“He said to me, ‘Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to
you. 2As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet
and I heard him speaking to me.

Face-down submission, perhaps exhaustion, was Ezekiel’s response to
God’s presence, but standing in readiness is the correct posture for
being sent or commissioned by God. In fact it’s not Ezekiel who pulls
himself up, but the Spirit raised him to his feet in preparation for
hearing God’s instructions. And God’s message for Ezekiel starts
properly in verse 3, where Ezekiel learns that he will be sent to his
own people - and in verse 5 he is told that he will be a prophet.
Those bare facts might have seemed alright if it wasn’t for God’s
displeasure with his people, and thus the strong element of judgment
that Ezekiel’s prophetic role would hold. Notice the details of his
brief given in verses 3 to 8, which indicate God’s anger and the
difficult role Ezekiel would have to play. In verse 3 the Israelites
are described as a “rebellious nation that has rebelled against
[God]”, and that the whole history of the nation is one of “revolt” -
there has been ongoing failure for centuries. In verse 4 they are
described as “obstinate and stubborn,” and in verse 5 they are termed
a “rebellious house.” And Ezekiel’s difficult role at this spiritual
low-point, is to speak God’s words to them whether they will listen or
not - this instruction is given in verse 5 and repeated in verse 7
notice.

Now that is a tough role, as we mentioned earlier - it would mean
alienation from his own people in exile, and given the history of the
prophets it would possibly mean facing death because of the people’s
rejection. Many of the prophets had been killed for speaking words of
judgment the people refused to believe or heed. Given this scenario,
this is why it is not surprising that God has something to say about
Ezekiel’s fears, and something to say about Ezekiel’s obedience.
Notice in verse 6 what God states to Ezekiel firstly about fear:
“And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not
be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live
among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by
them, though they are rebellious house.”

The implication here is that Ezekiel will not only suffer rejection,
but also verbal abuse and physical threats. As a result, it is worth
repeating three times the instruction “do not be afraid.” Ezekiel
would have reason to fear. The exiles had already been living in
Babylon as slaves for five years - and Ezekiel was going to tell them
that it was their fault they were in exile. We learn in the couple of
chapters following this initial commissioning, that he was also going
to tell them that they would be there much longer, and perhaps worse
still, they would be joined by the rest of their fellow Israelites
when the unthinkable happened and Jerusalem and the temple were
destroyed. In short, his message would be: ‘God is angry and is
judging you, and if you think this is bad, worse is yet to come.’
He’s not likely to be well received - but Ezekiel was not to fear
their reaction.

Of course there was a second option Ezekiel might consider - other
than fearfully and reluctantly presenting God’s word, he could
contemplate disobeying God and fail to give this shocking message.
But God has something to say about obedience also. Look at verse 8
again:
“But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like
that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.”

It seems that perhaps Ezekiel is contemplating disobedience, but that
God stifles his complaint before it is even uttered. Or perhaps God
is addressing this future possibility, or both are true. Unlike the
rebellious house of Israel, Ezekiel is not to rebel. He is commanded
to obey and speak God’s words - there is someone greater to fear than
the his fellow Israelites, and that is God, the enthroned ruler in
this vision. He won’t be emailing worstjobs.com to complain about his
employer - he will fulfil his role.

Verse 8 is a transition verse - it moves us into the next little
section which is dominated by this image of Ezekiel eating a scroll,
which stretches through to verse 3 of chapter 3. Notice what Ezekiel
records from verse 9:
“Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a
scroll, 10which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were
written words of lament and mourning and woe. 1And he said to me,
“Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and
speak to the house of Israel.” 2So I opened my mouth, and he gave me
the scroll to eat. 3Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll
I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it
tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

It is a powerful image, or physical illustration of Ezekiel’s
commissioning as a prophet. God’s word is symbolised by the scroll.
The “words of lament and mourning and woe” indicate that God’s word to
his people will be one of judgment. Ezekiel is to eat the scroll,
symbolising the reception of God’s word, and then he is to go and
speak it to the exiles. And there is the wonderful description of
God’s word tasting “as sweet as honey” although it is a word of woe -
this indicates the truthfulness and satisfaction of receiving God’s
word for Ezekiel, even when it is one of judgment on his own nation.


This whole issue of God’s judgment on his people raises an area of
application for us today. Is it the case that God still judges his
people in this life when they fail him, or is it the case that now
that Christ has come judgment is simply reserved for the end? It is
certainly true that God has reserved his final judgment for the end,
when all wrongs will be righted, and Christians will not avoid the day
of judgment either. 2 Corinthians 5:10 states:
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each
one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body,
whether good or bad.”

Of course the assessment of our lives will not result in condemnation,
for there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, but we will be
judged nonetheless. But it is not the case that God will simply
overlook sin in the lives of Christians now, and never punish or
discipline us for our failings. Hebrews 12 (verses 4 to 13) is an
instructive and scary passage in this regard. Have a look at that
sometime - because the point made by the writer is that if we are
Christians than God will punish or rebuke us at times. The difference
this side of the Cross is that this is not a judgment that leads to
death as was sometimes the case for his OT people Israel, but to
produce a “harvest of righteousness” in verse 11 of that passage.

In the second half of our passage from verse 4 of chapter 3, God sends
Ezekiel to speak to the exiles - having been called and given his
brief, he is now formally sent. Having eaten the scroll notice what
is stated in verse 4: “He then said to me: ‘Son of man, go now to the
house of Israel and speak my words to them.” In verses 5 to 11, what
we have is a reiteration that it will be a tough job. While in the
first section Ezekiel was told twice that he must speak whether they
listen or not, now he is clearly told that they will not listen -
verse 7: “But the house of Israel is not willing to listen to you
because they are not willing to listen to me, for the whole house of
Israel is hardened and obstinate.”

In fact, so tough is the job that God suggests in verses 5 and 6 that
Ezekiel would have a better response if he were speaking to foreigners
whose language he couldn’t speak. But despite this, God will empower
him for this difficult and unrewarding task, and therefore he is again
told not to fear in verses 8 and 9. And with a final reminder to
listen and speak God’s words he is sent back to the exiles in verses
10 and 11. The vision concludes with verses 12 to 15, which is marked
by him being transported back to the exiles by the Spirit, and the
final appearance and sound of the four living creatures and their
wheels who we met in chapter 1 last week. And the impact on Ezekiel
of this vision was profound - in verse 14 he is bitter and angry at
being given a job of suffering, and in verse 15 he sat with the exiles
“overwhelmed”, stunned, horror-stricken for a week - overwhelmed by
the vision, but also the task he had been given.

Well, what are the principles we can draw from this ‘call’ passage?
How can we apply this to ourselves today? Firstly, does God call
people and send them today? Often people think that the concept of a
‘call’ only relates to some specific full-time ministry role such as a
missionary or a pastor. In other words, such people have to receive a
special tap on the shoulder from God, a lightning bolt, while the
average Christian is not called. Although such views are very
ingrained in the church, such a view could not be further from the NT
teaching. Although the first disciples were called by Jesus,
including Paul the late inclusion, nowhere are we taught that
Christian leaders are to receive a ‘special call’ before they can
serve. We read of the church setting aside individuals after prayer,
and of particular spiritual gifts that some are given (1 Cor. 12, Eph.
4, Rom.12), and these affirmations along with an inward conviction
will be important steps in our decision processes. But the word
“called” or “calling” is never used for such a process in the NT.
Although prophets or leaders of God’s people are “called” to their
vocation of service in the OT, there is no NT equivalent. Rather, in
the NT, when the word “called” or “calling” is used, it refers to all
Christians. It refers to anyone ‘called’ out of the darkness of sin
into new life through faith in Jesus. God ‘calls’ us through the
sharing of the gospel (Rom.8:30; 1 Cor.1:9, 26, 7:20-22; Eph. 1:18,
4:1,4; Phil.3:14; 1 Thes. 2:12; 2 Thes.1:11; 2 Tim.1:10; Heb.3:1,
9:15; 2 Pet.1:10). For example, 1 Cor.1:9 states: “God, who has
called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is
faithful.” Every single Christian is ‘called’ states the NT.

And we are all sent. In 2 Corinthians 5 Paul tells us about the
ministry of reconciliation which we have been given - past tense. We
are all sent as ambassadors of Christ into his world. Along with
living a holy life and giving glory to God, that is why we are here.
God has sent us. Our problem is either we don’t realise it, or we’re
disobedient.

There is a story of a pastor who one Sunday began his sermon this way:
“I’d like to make three points today. First, there are millions of
people around the world who are going to hell. Second, most of us
sitting here today do not give a damn about it.” After a lengthy
pause he continued: “My third point is that you are more concerned
that I, your pastor, said the word ‘damn’ than you are about the
millions of people going to hell.” Now I know that story is a little
irreverent, but it makes the point that sometimes our struggle with
sharing God’s word with people is apathy - the gospel does not go out
because we are not convinced of the great need of so many to hear.
But, there is another motivation with regard to sharing God’s word,
and that is obedience to God. He has commissioned us to share the
gospel - he has commanded us in Matthew 28 to “make disciples” of all
nations. We need to share the gospel, not only out of love for our
fellow human beings and their great need, but because God has
commanded us to do so - we are obligated to obey our commission.

A second application which follows from this realization that we have
been called and sent, is that we need to speak whether people listen
or not - God will empower us, so we’re not to fear. The purpose of
Ezekiel’s ministry is not necessarily to bring repentance and reform -
he’s told that he will not receive a positive response from the
exiles. Rather, he is to prophecy in order that the people know that
God is speaking - regardless of their reception, they will hear God’s
assessment through his mouthpiece Ezekiel. And this looks forward to
the day when the people will recognise that he spoke the truth - the
phrase “they will know” in 2:5 really assumes a time 5 years down the
track when Jerusalem falls, at which point Ezekiel’s prophecies of
greater judgment will be proven. The one consolation was that however
unpopular his message and however resistant the audience, the day
would come when he would be acknowledged as having been a true prophet
- he spoke God’s word.

In the same way, as Christians who have been called out of darkness by
faith in Jesus, we need to remind ourselves that ultimately our
mission is God’s mission. Those who hear and accept our sharing of
the gospel accept God as ruler, and those who reject the message of
the gospel as we share it are rejecting the Lord himself. In John 20
when Jesus appears to his disciples following his resurrection, he
commissions them in verse 21 with these words: “Peace be with you. As
the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” Regardless of whether
people will listen or not, Christians are commanded to share the
gospel - whether it is difficult or whether we have an interested
audience does not come into it. We don’t decide whether we’ll share
based on the circumstances - we have been directed by God to share.
And even if we face rejection, the gospel may bear fruit down the
track.

In January of 1956 five American missionaries including Jim Elliot and
Nate Saint were brutally speared to death by the fierce Auca Indians
they had gone to share the gospel with in Ecuador. Not one person had
responded to the gospel. Much planning and prayer had preceded their
efforts to reach a difficult area by plane, and gifts had been dropped
in to the Indians for some time. Was it all wasted? No, they had
obeyed God’s command to all Christians - they had shared the gospel.
And their efforts, along with their families were to bear fruit. In
October of 1958, Jim Elliot’s wife Betty and her daughter Valerie,
along with Nate Saints’ sister Rachel entered the Auca settlement and
many of the Indians have since turned to Christ.

You have also been called and sent - the sharing can be very
difficult. But God says to us through Christ’s great commission, what
He said to Ezekiel 2500 years ago: “You must speak my words to them,
whether they listen or fail to listen” (2:7). I want to finish with
Paul’s words from 2 Corinthians 2:15-17 about the response we are
promised - it is mixed, but it is more positive than that given to
Ezekiel:
“15For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being
saved and those who are perishing. 16To the one we are the smell of
death; to the other, the fragrance of life ... 17.... in Christ we
speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.”

God does not expect us to all be wonderful evangelists - very few
actually have the spiritual gift of evangelist. But we are to give an
account of the hope that we have. Don’t be put off.