Ezekiel 3:10-11 – “Then he added, “Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself. Then go to your people in exile and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Do this whether they listen to you or not.”
Yesterday we learned that God’s instructions will always benefit us, and right away in this chapter we get a surprise. The scroll God told Ezekiel to eat tasted like honey! An important reminder that God can turn anything bitter into something sweet. I find today’s highlighted verses to be so beautiful: “Let all my words sink keep into your own heart first.” Just in case you thought God was simply using Ezekiel as a tool, he starts with a reminder that the heart changing begins with Ezekiel.
Ezekiel is told to speak to the stubborn Israelites, who will not listen. They are in rebellion against God. By the end of the chapter, God has Ezekiel tied up in a room with his tongue glued to the roof of his mouth. The only time his tongue will come loose is when he shares God’s messages with the people.
Here’s your freedom for today:
Human response is not the measure of spiritual success.
God tells Ezekiel that the people will not listen. They will not receive the message. This is similar to what God told Moses about the Egyptian Pharaoh who would refuse to free the Israelites from slavery. God isn’t judging Ezekiel on whether or not the people listen. He’s judged on whether or not he delivers the message. No pressure, but if he doesn’t give them God’s warnings then their deaths are on his hands. It’s an important distinction — Ezekiel is the messenger, but he is not the savior. That’s true of you as well. Who do you need to have a hard spiritual conversation with? What truths do you need to tell others in love? How can you let go of their response and just do whatever it is God has told you to do?