Hear, Stand and Receive
Eze 2:1 And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.
Angels do not like us to bow to them. It was the message of the Spirit of God delivered by angels. Ezekiel was called "Son of man", 93 times, calling attention to his humanity. Jesus referred to himself as the Son of man showing his human connection to the throne of David, but he also was the only begotten Son of God.
Heb 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
Heb 2:2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
Heb 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
Heb 2:4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
Angels come with messages. Usually some action is required so let us stand up and be ready to serve when we hear from the LORD. Was it an angel that spoke to me that day in the hospital following radical cancer surgery as I lay in a bed connected to tubes, unable to swallow, unable to sit up? A voice spoke to me "if you do not drink water, you will die". Immediately I set up in bed and drank a glass of water. I had heard from God Not only that, but something changed inside. I began witnessing with boldness in the hospital to others to trust in God . God will be your help and your strength. I knew the name of Jesus and little else about that name, but God touched me. Later I was saved in a Christian church and baptized and filled with the spirit. Like Ezekiel I believe I was given the Holy Spirit when God spoke to me and called me.
Eze 2:2 And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.
Ezekiel was filled with the Holy Spirit so that he could hear from and speak from the voice of God. The Holy Spirit is our connection and source of power from God.
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
We must "drink the water" of his word, so that it may be springs of living water flowing from us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
David had seen the Spirit removed from Saul
Psa 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
The woman at the well
Jonh 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
The Spirit of God helps the workmen
Exo 31:2 See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:
Exo 31:3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
Exo 31:4 To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, Exo 31:5 And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.
The Holy Spirit will give us power and abilities from God to serve him in all ways of our life. We will be better workmen, anointed artists and craftsmen, because of his presence. We are to be living testimonies of God as he is seen in us and through us. Ezekiel seeing the visions was told to stand up and to hear the voice of God. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and was about to receive his calling from God. Do you know your calling and your gifts? We are to be servants and witnesses to bring others to God through his Son Jesus Christ who has paid the price for our reconciliation. Believe the message of God and do what he says. Stand up for Jesus.
Ezekiel Receives His Calling
Eze 2:3 And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.
Eze 2:4 For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 2:5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.
Thus sayeth the Lord God; Lord: Adonay, God; Yehovih, Jehovah or Yahweh. Ezekiel heard from Adonay Jehovah. In the book of Ezekiel his name is spoken 217 times. Ezekiel was sent as a priest and a prophet to the children of Israel and Judah to warn them and to call them to repentance, but they were impudent children. Impudent; qasheh, hard hearted, stubborn, stiff-necked, and paniym ; face. They were hard in face, stubborn and defiant children. They were also stiffhearted, chazaq, hard and leb, inner man, the will, the heart, in understanding. They were hard in face, stiff-necked and hard of heart. Now how would you like to be called to preach to these people? We have seen people like this, strong willed, arrogant, full of evil, rebellious and often they aggressively oppose the word from God and yet we warn them with God's word. Israel had a history of rebellion against God.
Moses spoke of their rebellion
Deu 31:27 For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?
The prophet Isaiah spoke of them
Isa 65:2 I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;
Why was Ezekiel sent to such a hard hearted people? I suppose because God is long suffering.
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Another reason for sending Ezekiel is that God does nothing without first telling his people. They may not respond and repent "yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them." Learn from this when you go to witness to a people; you are called to speak his word. The response is up to them. We are called to deliver the word of God clearly, if they oppose God, they will oppose you. Be faithful and he will bring the increase.
Eat the Word
Eze 2:6 And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
Ezekiel was to go to where he would not be received, it would be hard dealing with these hard faced people. Jeremiah had a similar ministry.
Jer 1:8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
Eze 2:7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
Eze 2:8 But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.
The LORD spoke: Be thou not rebellious. How is it that he or we could be rebellious? By not eating the word, by not preparing our hearts, and by serving with no bread in your basket. Eat the word, keep it fresh, the fresh manna from the voice of God. Eat what I give you, chew it, swallow it, digest it, so that you may obey me.
Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Some go to places where they were not sent by God and fail in their flesh efforts. Others like Jonah were determined to go far away from where God had called him to serve, but circumstances sent by the LORD brought him to where he needed to be. The calling of God should compel us to fulfill his purpose for us.
Jer 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.
Psa 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
Psa 19:8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Psa 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
Psa 19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Eze 2:9 And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;
Eze 2:10 And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.
The scriptures were in rolls of parchment; this roll was written on two sides. There was no room to add to it. We are not to add to the word of God, but how often people take one verse to teach a different doctrine then what is meant if read in it's context. This scroll spoke of lamentations, and mourning , and woe. Jerusalem was to be destroyed.
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