This chapter describes God calling Ezekiel to be His prophet.
“And he said to me, ‘Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.’ 2 And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet… ‘Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me… and you shall say to them, “Thus says the Lord God.” And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them. And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions…’ ” (v1-6 abr)
Ezekiel, one of the exiled Jews in Babylon has just turned 30 years old and was about to be commissioned as a priest, though God commissions him as a prophet. The Holy Spirit comes upon him (which didn’t happen to every God follower in ancient times) and he is emboldened to speak God’s word to the people. God cautions him to not be afraid of them, though there may be peril to his wellbeing.
I believe we too have ‘the calling of Ezekiel’. Jesus commissioned His followers to go into all of the world and speak the gospel message (Mt 28:16-20). Like Ezekiel we are among rebellious people, those who choose disobedience and selfishness over God’s ways. We are unfortunately under the threat of violence from some of these misled individuals (often verbally, though sometimes physically), yet we’re reminded that no power in heaven or earth can separate us from the love of Christ / God (eg. Rm 8:35-39). Scripture also reminds us to be bold and courageous for God is with us (eg. 2 Tim 1:7).
Let’s embrace our calling as prophets of the Lord God Almighty, the One True God of Israel, who empowers us to proclaim His name and speak His word with the authority of Christ Jesus!
Father God, our Magnificent Creator and Sovereign Lord, thank you for calling us into Your service. We acknowledge that You don’t need our help, yet You choose to work in and through us to build Jesus’ kingdom. Please help us humbly partner with You, and seek to obey You fully, so we may be Christ’s ambassadors for the gospel. Please make us bold and courageous as we share our experience of You with the world, giving You much glory and planting seeds in the hearts of Your rebellious people. In the holy and compassionate name of Jesus, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training