Scripture reference Ez. 3:10-15

¹⁰ And he said to me, “Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you. ¹¹ Go now to your people in exile and speak to them. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says,’ whether they listen or fail to listen.” ¹² Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound as the glory of the Lord rose from the place where it was standing. ¹³ It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound. ¹⁴ The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord on me. ¹⁵ I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Aviv near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days—deeply distressed.

– God specifically told Ezekiel to listen carefully and take to heart all the words God would speak to him. In a world of multiple distractions we need to heed the call to listen carefully and to take to heart every word the Lord has communicated to us through His Word.  Some claim to hear from the Lord and yes God still speaks to His people today, however any so-called word of the Lord spoken today had better agree entirely with the Word of God revealed in Scripture or it is to be rejected as not from God. 

– God was sending Ezekiel to speak to his own people in exile.  Such a calling would be very difficult in that many people find it hard to receive the Lord’s message when their lives are falling apart, in fact many will avoid church entirely due to personal dissatisfaction with the situation God has allowed them to be in.  Most would not admit it but it’s kind of like a boy cut of church when we are not happy with our lives.  You can be certain most of the exiles were anything but happy about exile and being enslaved by a foreign nation. 

– Ezekiel was told to declare the Word of the Lord regardless of whether the people would listen or not.  Have you found yourself in this kind of situation?  I have many times.  Many times have I been in situations when the people were anything but interested in hearing the truth of God’s Word.  I have even experienced situations where those who should be receptive to hearing the truth are not, but I tell them anyway regardless of their personal preference.  Church, there is no excuse for proclaiming messages that only tickle the ears and Christian, the last thing you need to hear are messages like that! Lies tantalize, the truth convicts! The apostle Paul wrote in no uncertain terms, Gal. 1: ⁸ But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! ⁹ As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! ¹⁰ Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” 

– Ezekiel describes the event of his encounter with God as being lifted by the Spirit and then sent.  Let me tell you something, God can and God will lift His servants up to declare His message and those God lifts up, He sends.  Ezekiel went by the leading and prompting of the Spirit but he went in anger and bitterness of spirit.  You would think anyone being sent of God would go filled with joy, but Ezekiel’s work would involve tremendous spiritual conflict and God prepared His servant to do that work!  Better to be led by the Spirit than to be motivated by the flesh.  God will equip His servants to do His work!