Ezekiel 3

Message: This is really the continuation of chapter 2 and marks the call of Ezekiel.

Timing: Ezekiel is 30 years old and this is about 594 BC.

What the Lord is Saying:
The Word of God that Ezekiel receives is like food. He is to educate Himself in God's word, so that as he speaks it will spew out. The people you are being sent to speak the same language of you. But, this does not mean they will listen. On the contrary, they will not. They do not listen to me and they will not listen to you. But, no matter what: speak and say, "Thus Says the Lord." [It is interesting that in verse 6 Ezekiel learns that if he went to the Babylonians, those of foreign speech, those folks would listen.]

Ezekiel then spent time praising the Lord, beholding His majesty.

And the Word of the Lord continued to speak to Ezekiel. My words of warning need to be your words of warning. When you hear a warning, you are to pass it along. If you do not, the people will still die in their, but the accountability will rely on you. If you do warn and then do not turn from their sin, they will still die in their sin, but you will have delivered your soul. 

Problem: Israel had the intellectual capacity to believe, the problem was their hard hearts. God must give new hearts to His people (Ezekiel 11:14-21; Ezekiel 36:22-27). But, we must preach the truth, no matter how the hearer accepts our message.