"The voice said to me: Son of man, stand up! I wish to speak to
you. As he spoke to me, the spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I
heard the one who was speaking say to me: Son of man, I am sending you to the
Israelites, a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their
ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day. Their children are
bold of face and stubborn of heart—to them I am sending you. You shall say to
them: Thus says the Lord GOD. And whether they hear or resist—they are a
rebellious house—they shall know that a prophet has been among them. But as for
you, son of man, do not fear them or their words. Do not fear, even though
there are briers or thorns and you sit among scorpions. Do not be afraid of
their words or be terrified by their looks for they are a rebellious house. You
must speak my words to them, whether they hear or resist, because they are
rebellious." Ezekiel 2: 1-7)
The message in Ezekiel 2: 1 – 7 is very clear. God is sending His envoy to a very
challenging mission. The target audience
has a terrible reputation. Not only are
they very rebellious and obstinate, they are notorious for intimidating and
treating badly any ambassador sent to them.
To be forewarned is to be forearmed.
The word of God reveals our true identity to us. It also reveals our mission. With a tough mission comes a solid assurance
of protection from the Almighty. “Do not
be afraid of their words or be terrified by their looks for they are a
rebellious house. You must speak my words to them, whether they hear or resist,
because they are rebellious." With this
type of assurance, I too count myself ready to go.
