Ezekiel’s Call
—Rob Sack

Ezekiel 2:1-8
1) He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you." 2) As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.

3) He said: "Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. 4) the people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says.' 5) And whether they listen or fail to listen-for they are a rebellious house-they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6) And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house. 7) You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. 8) But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.

 

Chapter 1, Ezekiel sees God.
Today's passage: Ezekiel's call

Hearing the Call

This Friday was the United States of America's Independence Day. I was listening to an American radio news show, and they were reading and discussing the Declaration of Independence. One phrase that always gives me goose bumps (dak-sal) is this:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. . . "

Beautiful words. It's been 227 years since it was written. The meaning seems very clear, doesn't it? Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. The title of the radio piece was "Pursuit of Happiness," and they spent a lot of time talking about what exactly that phrase meant.

I was surprised, because to me happiness seems pretty straightforward, even in the context of a document outlining the purpose of a government. You can do what makes you happy, as long as it doesn't infringe on the rights of the people around you. You can try to make your dreams come true. You can make a pile of money if you want, or choose the religion that fulfils you. You can take whatever job you want, and marry whoever wants to marry you. Makes sense, doesn't it?

But that's not the intent of "Pursuit of Happiness," according to the people who have studied this document. For starters, the style of the Declaration of Independence is the legal document style of the late 1700's. In this style, the main idea is usually introduced by supporting ideas. As you progress through huge sentences that make up this sweeping idea, you find this:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.


--That to secure these rights, Governnments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,

--That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

In other words, a government that does not work to provide life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness should be abolished by the people and replaced by a government that does give these rights.

Another problem we have reading it today is that we are not generally aware of the world political situation at that time. Now don't get me wrong, I don't pretend to be any sort of expert on late 18th century world history. All I have is what I heard on the radio. But apparently a similar phrase, regarding the pursuit of happiness, had been popularized in France around that time, and it was well known to be a political expression, and was undoubtedly read as such.

The Bible is not the same as the Declaration of Independence. Compared to the book of Ezekiel, the Declaration is no older than yesterday's newspaper. Compare 227 years to around 2,500 years! Native English speakers don't need a translation to read and understand it, whereas Ezekiel was written in a language that has been dead for centuries. The culture is a bit unfamiliar, but fundamentally American. The culture of Israel during the exile, so long ago and so far away, seems so foreign to all of us that we can barely imagine it.

We have trouble today understanding the Declaration of Independence, a recent document written in a familiar culture and a living language, so we expect to have problems understanding Ezekiel. And to some extent, that is true. We have to work at it to understand the prophecies and the culture of the time. But the Bible has an advantage that the Declaration of Independence is missing: the Bible is the inspired word of God, and God's spirit moves through us when we read it. We have help reading these words, God's help.

So, keeping in mind that God will guide our minds and hearts if we but ask, let's read this scripture again and take a deeper look at it.

The Israelites were in trouble. After many generations under the Kings, who had gotten successively further and further from God, Israel as a nation did not have long to live. The people Ezekiel was witnessing to, as well as Ezekiel himself, were living in Babylon, in exile. Some of them as slaves. Jerusalem was still standing, but not for long. And Ezekiel told the people what was going to happen, and why.

Ezekiel chapter one would make a very expensive scene in a Steven Spielberg movie. A storm, complete with wind, clouds, lightening and thunder, and fire. Four amazing creatures with four wings and faces apiece. Throw in wheel things that follow them, and you have an impressive sight. But it gets better. He then sees "the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord." Ezekiel falls on his face before his God.

God put his words in Ezekiel's moth, literally fed them to him. God then warned him that the Israelites didn't want this message, and would be very stubborn. But God also encourages Ezekiel, telling him that he will also be strengthened.

The rest of the book are the various prophecies delivered by Ezekiel to the Israelites. They concern the fall of Jerusalem, judgement on other countries, the restoration of Israel, and the new kingdom of God on Earth. Some of these are very difficult to follow because of the historical context. Today we are not going to tackle them.

In chapter one, Ezekiel has an amazing experience. God reveals a portion of his glory directly to Ezekiel. There is no doubt that Ezekiel will respond to the Call, because he has seen so much more of God than most of us get to see.

This is something we see repeated over and over in the Bible, that those who are called to carry the word of God must first experience God. Whether it is a burning bush, a gentle breeze, or a small voice calling in the night, something happens to reveal God to the human who is called to serve God.

These days God doesn't do many light shows, as far as I know. Instead, God reveals himself through the Bible. Through the stories of Ezekiel and the other prophets, and especially the stories of Jesus, God has been revealed.

And if that is not enough for you, God still reveals Himself today, if you open your eyes and look for it. Ask anyone who has been called to be a servant of God. They will tell you where they have seen God, and it probably won't be someplace where you would have seen God.

This call lays out a few specific things that Ezekiel needs to do, and what he's going to face. It is very, very important for us to look closely at this call, because the same call is directed at us, down through the centuries.

Every preacher, everyone who has done mission work, and everyone who has ever invited a friend to church, wants to see positive results. We want to see people flocking into our church. We want to see a congregation swelling with new members. God pretty much tells Ezekiel up front that this ain't gonna happen. They aren't going to change. They aren't going to listen. And sometimes it happens to us, too. So we must read on:

"And whether they listen or fail to listen-for they are a rebellious house-they will know that a prophet has been among them."

For my final exam, my students had to come and have a conversation with me. To get an A, they had to lead the entire conversation, but to pass, all they had to do was show up. I practically begged them, "Please, PLEASE come to your interview! If you come you will pass!" Most of them did, but a few simply did not come. Those who did not come, failed.

I'm not anywhere near as nice as God. God tells Ezekiel that the numbers he gets in the end aren't important. He basically gets an A just for trying. This is an amazing message, one that we almost never get from the world, and usually refuse to hear ourselves. We don't invite our friend to church because if he doesn't come, we've failed God. We don't volunteer to lead prayer or Bible study because we're afraid that if people don't like it, we've failed God. We don't talk to our friends about making good choices, much less about God, because we're afraid that if our friends reject us, we've failed God.

But God say whether they listen or not, they will know that a prophet has been among them. They will know.

Being unpopular can get you in trouble. It can get you hurt. It can get you killed. God tells Ezekiel not to worry about this. "Don't be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions."

The real problem that God foresees is that Ezekiel will be tempted to change camps. That he will become like the rebellious Israelites. That he will turn away from God.

I know that's my problem. I have been sent out among the rebels with a message, and the first thing I do is listen to what the rebels have to say. I don't want to speak up right away, because what if they reject me? Has this happened to you? What do you do?

Some people will tell you to remember Ezekiel. Remember how brave Ezekiel was, and how he listened to God's call, and answered. When I think of that, I feel terrible. I've never managed to live up to that example.

Instead I want to suggest that you remember Ezekiel's call. Remember that God has shown Himself to you. Remember that God, through the book of Ezekiel, has promised to keep you safe. And God has also promised that whether people listen to you or not, they will know that a servant of God has been among them.

 

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