Ezekiel 1-5
Ezekiel, like Isaiah, encountered God and attempts to
describe his encounter. How do you describe the indescribable? It is difficult
to describe God and the activities going on around His throne, but when anyone
encountered God; their response is to bow before Him. When God shows up, we
realize how sinful and undeserving we really are. But God does not condemn Ezekiel;
instead He calls him to proclaim a message to the Israelites.
Ezekiel had a job to do. God did not call Ezekiel to change
the people or to clean up the nation. God called Ezekiel to deliver a message.
God told Ezekiel; "You must speak my
words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are
rebellious." (Ezekiel 2:7, NIV) Ezekiel was not responsible for the response;
he was responsible to deliver the message. In chapter 3 God told Ezekiel that
he was to proclaim a warning to the people like a watchman on a wall. If
Ezekiel did not proclaim the message the blood of the people would be on his
hands for not warning them. If Ezekiel did proclaim the message and the people
ignored him, their blood would be on their own hands.
We, as followers of Jesus, are watchmen on the walls. God
calls us to share the message. Share the good news that Jesus came and died for
our sins and that if we turn to Him, He will cleanse us and forgive us and we
will receive eternal life. We are not responsible for the response; we are
responsible to deliver the message. When people reject the message, they are
not rejecting us, they are rejecting God. If we do not share the Good News with
others, we are responsible for their eternal damnation. We each have a calling
every bit as real as Ezekiel’s calling. Are you speaking the words of God?
No comments:
Post a Comment