Whether they listen of or fail to listen…

Whether they listen of or fail to listen…

Scripture:- You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious people; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” Ezekiel 2:7-8

Observation:- The call to obey God is not dependent on the response of the people or the outward appearance of things. The call is only about whether we will respond or not. Ezekiel was called to speak to a rebellious people who would not listen in spite of whatever he said. Yet, he was still called to be faithful and say whatever God gave him to say. To not obey God is to rebel. Abraham left Ur, a sophisticated, powerful city for the unknown of the wilderness. Moses left his peaceful life as a shepherd for a seemingly insane confrontation with the most powerful man in the land. Mary accepted her call to bear the Messiah although it risked ruining her entire life and her marriage to Joseph. These heroes of old obeyed God even when they didn’t understand, even when things did not make sense.

In Ezekiel’s case, God knew that the people would not listen. However, Ezekiel was still called to speak as a testimony and a witness against them. Later his words and actions would go down as one of the most important prophetic books and also contained wonderful prophecies about the coming Messiah.

For us too, God may be saying “Others can say and do what they want, but as for you, obey Me, listen to what I say to you.”

The imagery of Ezekiel opening his mouth to eat the words of God is symbolic of the Holy Spirit being outpoured into our mouths and overflowing to say whatever God tells us. Jesus spoke of the Spirit as water that He gives us to drink becoming a well of water springing up into eternal life.

Application: If we are called by God into a specific area or task, it is for us to obey Him faithfully regardless of what our human mind may rationalize. This is where faith comes in, acting out of pure trust in God. Ask God to pour forth His Holy Spirit into us, and let it come out from us as a well springing up to eternal life!

Prayer:- Lord, help me be faithful even when others are faithless, to persevere and glorify Your name even when others fall away. Let Your Holy Spirit be poured out within me that I may have your well-spring of life coming out from within me. In Jesus name, Amen.