Speak even if they don’t listen, because the probably won’t.
Not the most encouraging message, but God was speaking the truth. He told Ezekiel he was commissioning him to speak to his people, Israel, in captivity, in exile. Not to some people of foreign language and strange tongue. Those people would probably listen. But the people of Israel? They were a rebellious and stubborn people who did not want to listen. Even though they were in captivity. Captivity and terrible suffering still hand’s humbled them
Then Ezekiel is given a dire warning. If God gave him a message to tell someone he was going to die in his sins, if Ezekiel didn’t speak to that man, that man would still die, but God would hold Ezekiel responsible for not warning him. The same as if he warned a righteous man who had fallen into sin, if the man repents or doesn’t repent, it’s not Ezekiel’s responsibility. But Ezekiel would be held responsibility for not warning him.
Ezekiel is then told to shut himself up in his house where they will tie him up so that he cannot speak. Also he will be so thirsty that his tongue will stick to the roof of his mouth. But when it was time God would instruct him to speak. And Ezekiel will speak saying let those who listen, listen and those who do not want to listen, do not listen.
Then for the 8th time already God would again call Israel a rebellious house. Their hearts and heads were closed and hardened. They did not want to listen but wanted to believe what they wanted to believe.
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Some good and yet disturbing things here. The hardness of Israel’s heart was no joke. They were rebellious and wanted nothing to do with the ways of God. How had they come so far? It was a slow fade when they gave themselves away. But when they had done so, their hearts wanted nothing to do with God.
Then there’s the responsibility to speak. Ezekiel was led of God what to say and when, but God would hold him accountability for his disobedience in failing to warn the people. That’s sobering. If we are silent when God is saying to us speak, then that is a problem.
God told Ezekiel to speak the truth no matter their response. That’s something we typically do not want to hear. We want people to respond. We want accolades. We want people flocking to hear us. It wasn’t going to happen. But under no circumstances was Ezekiel to capitulate or compromise.
Ezekiel went out in the bitterness and anger of the situation. There is an anger and bitterness at rebelliousness and hardness of heart that won’t repent. It’s a tough pill to swallow or watch.
