This chapter has several integral parts about Ezekiel’s calling, please read it for yourself, and I’ll attempt to summarize.
” ‘Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,” and you give him no warning… in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand… But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul.’ ” (v17-18, 21)
God places three major rules on Ezekiel’s ministry:
– he is to consume the word of the Lord and take it to heart so that he may teach it
– he is to not withhold any word of the Lord for the blood of those who die without receiving God’s word will be on his head
– he is only to speak the words God gives him, no more, no less
I think that we too could benefit from following these guidelines.
We are called to daily times in scripture and prayer. Just as our bodies require oxygen, food, and water to survive, our spirits require the word of God to properly sustain us in healthy ways. If our spirits are dying of hunger / thirst, or scraping by on junk food, we can’t hope to help God build Jesus’ kingdom (not effectively at least).
Once we are properly nourished by the Lord, to withhold His word from others defies Jesus’ great commission. We may not realize this, but according to scripture we are actually sinning by not sharing the gospel message of Jesus with others.
Another mind-blowing concept is that true neutrality does not exist. Even when sitting idle, things decay / rust / discolor because this world is broken and tainted, which causes damages everything / everyone. We need to actively restore and preserve things so they don’t decay. Our words and actions are similar – they will either restore and preserve, or they will be corrosive. There isn’t a neutral word / tone, not even if we’re talking about the weather (this is mostly negative talk in my experience…). Let’s strive to speak and act in Christlike ways that build His kingdom and restore / preserve His people. This is only possible by having God and His word in our spirits, and sharing the gospel message of Jesus freely.
Father God, our All Knowing Teacher and Ever-Present Sustainer, You restore and preserve us through Your love, mercy and grace. Please help us to devour Your word, cherish every moment in prayer, share Your word generously, and build others up for Your kingdom. May we honor and glorify You with every breath, and seek our most satisfying sustenance in You. In the name of Jesus our Redeemer and Restorer we praise You, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training