20220702

the hard headed prophet

Ezekiel 3:4-11 (JDV)

Ezekiel 3:4 Then he said to me: “Son of Adam, go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them.
Ezekiel 3:5 For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech or a difficult language but to the house of Israel–
Ezekiel 3:6 not to the many peoples of unintelligible speech or a difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. No doubt, if I sent you to them, they would listen to you.
Ezekiel 3:7 But the house of Israel will not want to listen to you because they do not want to listen to me. For the whole house of Israel is hardheaded and hardhearted.
Ezekiel 3:8 Notice, I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.
Ezekiel 3:9 I have made your forehead like a diamond, harder than flint. Don’t be afraid of them or discouraged by the look on their faces, though they are a rebellious house.”
Ezekiel 3:10 Next he said to me: “Son of Adam, listen carefully to all my words that I speak to you and take them to heart.
Ezekiel 3:11 Go to your people, the exiles, and speak to them. Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says,’ whether they listen or refuse to listen.”

the hard headed prophet

God told Ezekiel that he was being sent to his own hard-headed people, so he would make him into a hard-headed prophet. Only he must be hard-headed in declaring God’s truth, no matter what kind of reception he got.

Lord, make us people who stubbornly decalre your truth to our generation, regardless of who listens or responds.