Eze. 2:1-10, Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you
Eze. 2:1-10, Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you
1-10, 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."
9.Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll,
10.which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe.
<Sermon>
It is a great privilege and a fearful thing for us to see the glory of God. We look forward to it as we worship on Sunday. We want to meet the Lord of glory today. We want to hear the word of the God of glory. This is truly a holy and blessed thing. Ezekiel, a Babylonian captive, saw the glory of God in despair. We also saw the glory of God that he saw in chapter 1. He saw the four living creatures in the midst of fire, the forms of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. He saw the wheels beside them, full of eyes. There was a firmament above their heads, and he saw the form of a throne above them. He saw the form of a man on the throne in the midst of the fire. He saw the glory of Jesus Christ. He also saw the form of the glory of Jehovah. Ezekiel saw this glorious God, and before His greatness and majesty, he fell down and listened to His word. He fell down immediately in solemn fear before the glory (presence) of the holy God, the infinite Creator God, and the glory of Jesus Christ in the form of a man. Let us listen to the word that God gave him.
1. Son of Man, Stand Up (1,2)
“He said to me, ‘Son of Man, stand up on your feet, that I may speak to you.’” Ezekiel, who saw the glory of Jehovah and the glory of the Son of Man Jesus Christ, became completely helpless. He was overwhelmed by the holy and glorious God. The prophet Ezekiel, who had lost all strength to the point that he could not even control his body, lay on the ground and watched the following situation. Soon, God, who was sitting on the throne, told him to stand up. It meant that he should prepare to do God’s work. God called him Son of Man. ‘Son of Man’ means a weak and insignificant being. It means that he was a shameful being who did not know where to put himself before the holy and glorious eternal God. However, the God of life created man, Adam, from the dust of the ground and breathed life into him, making him a living spirit (Gen. 2:7). In the same way, He breathed spirit into Ezekiel and into us today. Just as Adam, who received the spirit of God, was the beginning of new creation, Ezekiel also received the spirit of God and was able to do God’s work. God breathes life into the bones that were in despair in the Valley of Dry Bones through Ezekiel and makes them a great army (Chapter 37).
God makes Ezekiel, who experienced the presence of the glorious God, stand up. Standing up like this has precious meaning. 1) I will humbly receive the word of God. 2) I will keep the word well. Ezekiel humbly receives the word and stands up with the help of the Holy Spirit to obey the word.
I attended a church service and all the congregation stood up during the Bible reading time. This is the word I received during the dawn prayer this week. In Nehemiah 8:5 and below, when Ezra the scribe stood before all the people and opened the Bible, all the people stood up. This was the posture of the people of Judah who worshiped God. When they began their service, they bowed down and worshiped God with their faces to the ground. When they heard the word of God, the voice of God, they stood up and responded with Amen to the word. This is a vivid image of them earnestly and eagerly longing for the word of God, the voice of God, and listening to and receiving the word. Nehemiah 8:5,6, “5.Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6.Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.”
Question) Do we stand up when the Holy Spirit raises us up and listen when He speaks? Even though the Holy Spirit already dwells within us who believe in Jesus, do we live a life that is completely unrelated to the will of the Holy Spirit? (1-2) John 14:17, 1 John 2:27.
I pray that we all stand up in the power of the Holy Spirit and receive the word of the Lord in this attitude during worship.
2. I will speak to you (1,2). Receive the word well.
This means to receive the word of God well. Verse 2. “As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.”
When he spoke to me, the Spirit came upon me and lifted me up on my feet, and I heard the voice of him who was speaking.” When God speaks, who is working at the same time? The moment God’s word is unfolded and this word is delivered, the Holy Spirit is present. What a beautiful sight! The prophet Ezekiel cannot do any ministry without God’s help. Ezekiel, who was lying face down on the ground, stands before God to receive God’s calling. When Ezekiel receives the calling, the Spirit of God comes upon him (2). God fills the prophets with the Holy Spirit before they begin their ministry. Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Before the Lord entrusts His servants with a ministry, He first gives them the Holy Spirit and His power to prepare them sufficiently to carry out the ministry.
3. Preach the Word (3-10)
“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.'”
God calls Ezekiel and sends him to deliver the Word. The one who sends is God. The one who will deliver God's message to the people is Ezekiel. And the ones who will receive the Word are the people. Ezekiel does not deliver his own words when delivering the Word. He delivers the Word to the people of Israel with authority, saying, “Thus says the Lord God.”
The people of Israel who will receive the Word are “a rebellious people,” “those who betray God,” and “those who sin to this day” (3). “Those whose faces are impudent and whose hearts are hardened” (4). Look at the Bible. From Exodus to Ezekiel, they are a people who commit sins. They are a people whose hearts are hardened (4). They are filled with defeat and despair, and their hearts are sick. It is very difficult for them to repent. Of course, they can return if they repent even now. If they strongly receive the word of God, they will repent and change their hearts. Look at Josiah in 2 Kings 22. However, they have gone too far now. God only wants to send Ezekiel to let them know that there is a prophet among them. The people are expressed as thorns, briers, and scorpions. They are not people who will respond well to the words of a prophet. ‘Thorns and briers’ are things that torment you no matter which way you turn. ‘Scorpions’ are terrifying poisonous insects. If they are bitten or stung, they hurt thousands of times more than thorns. The people will harass and threaten him so that he will give up his prophetic role, or at least so that he will not threaten them with God’s judgment.
What is God's demand/admonition?
1) Do not be afraid. Be courageous (6).
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. "
God tells the prophet not to be afraid. The mission of preaching is very difficult and hard. But do not be afraid (6). He tells him not to be afraid three times. God comforts us the best. Do not be discouraged. Why? Because the Lord already knows everything and has sent him (3). He also told the prophet Jeremiah not to be afraid (Jer 1:8, 17). Yes. If God is on our side, who can handle us? Rom 8:32, Therefore, the servants of the Lord only need to think, “Am I on God’s side?” Those who do God’s work should fear only God and handle it. Matt 10:26-31, Do not be afraid. He says three times. But he says to fear only God (28).
2) Be faithful (7)
”7. You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.” He tells us to be faithful to Christ who sent us. We must be faithful to the souls of those who have been sent for him. It is not Ezekiel’s own words, but to convey the words of God as they are. We just need to obey the words and fulfill our responsibilities without being conscious of the results. Ezekiel faithfully obeyed God’s word and practiced it. Like Elijah before King Ahab, like the prophet Amos who condemned the wickedness of the Bethel sanctuary, like John the Baptist who proclaimed repentance in the dark age, I bless you to faithfully proclaim the gospel.
God sends the prophet Ezekiel to the rebellious people, but He also gives him the strength to handle them. The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, is with him. No matter what difficulties come, if only God is with him, it is enough. Let us bravely handle God’s work. Let us admit that we can do nothing with our own strength and rely on the God of power. We are weaker than Ezekiel. Ezekiel, God makes us strong. As his name suggests, He makes Ezekiel strong and courageous, so that he can carry out his mission as a prophet well. Just as Ezekiel carried out his precious ministry with the power of God, I bless you to carry out the Lord’s work well with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Question) What are the obstacles to preaching the gospel now? The Lord clearly foretells tribulation during the gospel preaching. Do I perhaps turn away from such adversities in indifference, fearing them, feeling they are bothersome and damaging? (Acts 20:24, Rom 1:16)
3) Listen to the Word diligently (8-10) Eat the Word well.
“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." 9. Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, 10. which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe.” God feeds the messenger with words (8-10). Jeremiah (Jer 15:16) and the apostle John (Rev 10:8-10) also eat the words and carry out the Lord's work. The scroll (9) that Ezekiel ate was densely written on both sides (10). The contents of the book, that is, the message that he was to convey, were all kinds of words of lament and mourning and woe (10). He was given a sad mission. What could be sadder, tearful, and more terrifying than seeing a holy and blessed people fall into such sin and misery? The people seem to have little hope. The work of a prophet is truly difficult. The words of God given to the prophet Isaiah are like this. Is. 6:9-10, ”9.He said, "Go and tell this people: "`Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' 10. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."
The people who will hear the words of the prophet Isaiah have blocked ears and cannot hear well. Their eyes are closed and cannot see well. Their hearts are dull and cannot understand. However, the word of the Lord must be delivered to them.
It shows that the suffering that the people of the Lord Israel will suffer in the future will be beyond imagination. And the fact that the word is full on both sides shows that it is a perfect message from God, so Ezekiel cannot add anything. You must not add or subtract from the word. There is nothing to add. All the keys are in this word. We think that this word is lacking. So if we try to add something, we can ruin the word of God. Let's say here is a painting of the creation of the world by Michelangelo. What would happen if we added more lines or colors to this painting? Would it be more beautiful? Would it be better? No. It would ruin the painting. When we preach, we are tempted to add to the words. If we do, we will ruin the words. Therefore, God says, “Tell me what I say. Tell me exactly what I say.”
Whether he liked it or not, Ezekiel had to deliver God’s words completely. Fortunately, not all situations are hopeless. The prophet eats a scroll full of dark and sad words. When he put it in his mouth, it was sweet. This suggests that even these words of judgment will be medicine for the people of God. Didn’t Ezekiel see the shape of a rainbow when he saw the glorious God in 1:28? This shows the hope that his message will surely be followed by God’s forgiveness and mercy.
The ministry of a prophet is a difficult path. The audience is a rebellious people, a people who refuse to repent. However, his ministry is a path of suffering with hope. The Lord’s judgment is a rod of love. The forgiveness, restoration, and salvation of the cross are given. God does not judge for the sake of judgment. After judgment, the Lord’s mercy and grace are always given. After the judgment of the flood of Noah, the rainbow appeared, showing that He is a God of mercy and kindness.
Saints, how are we today? The Lord calls, “Son of man, stand up.” I know your weakness. Let us confess, “Lord, I am a weak son of man.” “Stand up and I will speak to you.” God makes the weak and weak Ezekiel strong and firm, just as his name suggests. Today, He beautifully calls all of us to do amazing things. Lk. 19:10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Let us all come as lowly humans and take up the work that Jesus, who saved us sinners, has entrusted to us: to seek and save the lost. This mission is not an easy one, but a difficult and hard one. It is a work of lamentation, mourning, and disaster. It is a message of sorrow, tears, and pain. Saints who are children of God who carry this message, the Lord tells us to be strong and courageous, not to be afraid, and to rely on Jesus and the Holy Spirit. He blesses us to listen to and hold on to the words of the Lord of life and to fulfill the mission of spreading the gospel of the living Jesus. Amen.
