‘“you dwell among scorpions.
Don’t be afraid of their words,
nor be dismayed at their looks,
though they are a rebellious house.
You shall speak my words to them,
whether they will hear or whether they will refuse”’
(Ezekiel 2:6-7)
We live in a nest of scorpions! In fact there’s something scorpionoid about us all – to think otherwise is to ‘deceive ourselves’(1 John 1:8). It’s the default condition of mankind – ‘evil’(Genesis 6:5), ‘“deceitful”’(Jeremiah 17:9), ‘corrupt’(Psalm 14:3), and the further we drift from God, His ways and His influence, the more ‘reprobate’(Romans 1:28ff.) we and our societies become – ‘grievous times’(2 Timothy 3:1ff.). God’s mission, and that of His prophets, like Ezekiel here, is to call us out from this ‘useless way of life’(1 Peter 1:18ff.).
However, as Ezekiel discovered, and others like him, the message often falls on surprisingly deaf ‘“ears”’(Isaiah 6:10) and ‘hardened’(2 Corinthians 3:14) hearts/minds, inclined to ‘“resist”’(Acts 7:51) God’s offer of healing and restoration. So Ezekiel found even God’s own people, the nation ‘“of Israel… a nation of rebels… impudent and stiff-hearted… a rebellious house… most rebellious”’(Ezekiel 2:3-7).
It’s important to understand this, so we don’t become discouraged when trying to reach out, and so we might be encouraged even, and emboldened in the task. That’s probably why straight after the prophet Isaiah had said, ‘“Here I am. Send me!”’(Isaiah 6:8ff.) God warned him things would be this way. Likewise with Ezekiel here: ‘“Don’t… be dismayed”’. Isaiah rightly foresaw that even Jesus would be ‘despised and rejected’(Isaiah 53:3, cf. John 1:11) and our Lord Himself taught His disciples always to remember that when ‘“the world hates you… it… hated me”’(John 15:18ff.) first – we’re in good company. We should expect our ‘“seed”’(Luke 8:5ff.) to fall on inhospitable ground, often. Even people and places responding well initially might eventually ‘not listen to… sound doctrine’(2 Timothy 4:3-4), or worse, like those following the false ‘“prophets”’(Ezekiel 13:2ff.) in Ezekiel’s day – He’s sending us out amongst scorpions and ‘“wolves”’(Matthew 10:16; Acts 20:29).
So just as Jesus wore a literal ‘crown of thorns’(Matthew 27:29), God’s true people often find themselves not simply ignored, ‘“let’s not give heed to any of his words”’(Jeremiah 18:18), but living amongst these ‘“briers… thorns… and… scorpions”’(Ezekiel 2:6) metaphorically, in an overtly hostile environment, whether such antagonism comes from simple ‘“tongue”’(Jeremiah 18:18) ‘mocking… scourging… imprisonment’(Hebrews 11:36ff.) or worse.
Even so, as with Ezekiel, were not to ‘“be afraid of their words, nor… dismayed”’ by any scornful or aggressive looks on their faces, even physical ‘beatings… imprisonments’(2 Corinthians 6:5) and the like. Rather, as with the apostles later, we’re to be found ‘rejoicing… to suffer dishonour for Jesus’ name’(Acts 5:41) as He’d taught them earlier: ‘“Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you”’(Matthew 5:11-12).
With God’s help we can boldly face such situations, again as God advised Ezekiel: ‘“Behold, I have made your face hard against their faces, and your forehead hard against their foreheads. I have made your forehead as a diamond, harder than flint. Don’t be afraid of them, neither be dismayed at their looks”’(Ezekiel 3:8-9), just like Isaiah foresaw Jesus – ‘“face like a flint”’(Isaiah 50:7), yet masterfully also expressing ‘love’(Romans 5:8, cf. Luke 23:34). We’re to consider Him and not ‘grow weary’(Hebrews 12:3), or ‘evil’(Romans 12:21) in our response. That’s why Paul taught later, ‘Stand firm in the faith! Be courageous! Be strong! Let all that you do be done in love’(1 Corinthians 16:13-14), and the apostles’ approach was: ‘When people curse us, we bless. Being persecuted, we endure. Being defamed, we entreat’(1 Corinthians 4:12-13), even when treated that way in churches, a bit like Ezekiel here amongst the Old Testament people of Israel.
Like Ezekiel we’re to persistently ‘“eat”’(Ezekiel 3:1ff.), inwardly digest, then ‘“speak”’(Ezekiel 3:4) God’s words, in our case the ‘God-breathed’(2 Timothy 3:16, cf. 2 Peter 1:21) ‘Scriptures’(Luke 24:27; 2 Peter 3:16) and the ‘“truth”’(John 14:6) revealed within them, preaching ‘the word’(2 Timothy 4:2ff.) whether our audience ‘“will hear or… refuse”’ to hear, or read, what we have to say.
Nevertheless, we can be encouraged that at least some will have ‘“ears to hear”’(Luke 8:8ff.), and therefore proceed with confidence, knowing that God’s ‘“word… will not return… void, but… will accomplish that which”’(Isaiah 55:11) it was sent to do, and everyone ‘appointed to eternal life’(Acts 13:48) will respond. Then, all who went out ‘weeping, carrying seed for sowing’(Psalm 126:6) will gather together in God’s eternal ‘“joy”’(Isaiah 55:12; Psalm 126:6), far from the ‘“thorn… and… brier”’(Isaiah 55:13).
Please feel free to share this via social media etc.
(or anywhere else)
by copying/pasting its URL link: https://etheldreda.net/ezekiel_2_6-7/
&
if you’re on social media,
please do make
contact.
(This website currently does not have social media share buttons, to avoid using cookies – see Privacy Policy.)