Bible Verse of the Day Friday June 11th 2021

 Ezekiel 2:7-8 You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious people; open your mouth and eat what I give you.”

Ezekiel lived among the Jewish exiles in Babylon at a settlement along the river Kebar called Tel-abib (Ezekiel 3:15). The Babylonian exile had brought most of the population of Judah to Babylon as captives, including the Prophet Ezekiel and the final king of Judah, Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24:8-14). The Jewish people had been in rebellion of God for many years and had been warned by several prophets of God that there would be a judgment from God. Even though they knew this was part of that judgment because of the sinful behavior they no doubt were wondering why this was happening to them. It was a few years before God sent His prophet Ezekiel to live among them and bring the message of why this was happening. And although he brought the message that God wanted them to have, they did not want to hear what Ezekiel was telling them.

Things have not changed a lot even up to today, God has a message for all the people of the world and the calling to spread that message is the responsibility of all of God’s people. As followers and believers in Christ Jesus, we are to take God’s message of hope in Christ Jesus to a dark and dying world. We are a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9) and as the Royal family of God we are to speak God’s Words, as this verse points out, “whether they listen or fail to listen.” 

In the world of today, God’s true Word rings as repressive and politically incorrect to people that are in rebellion to God, as it was during the times of the Prophets. God did not allow the acceptance or the rejection of His message to determine whether or not Ezekiel would continue preaching the Word. In the same manner today, we are not to fail in bringing God’s true message just because the world thinks it is out of sink with modern culture. Paul reminded Timothy that he was to continue speaking God’s true Word in season or out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). 

God told Ezekiel to open his mouth and eat the words God had given him. The same charge was given to the Prophet Jeremiah, as God put His words into the mouth of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:9). Of course, there is no physical or spiritual benefit in consuming the paper of the pages of God’s Word. The symbolism of this hyperbole is that we should receive God’s Word to the point that it becomes part of who we are. Let us pray that God will help us to be willing to please Him more than we attempt to please the world.