{"id":10039,"date":"2020-06-29T20:00:04","date_gmt":"2020-06-30T03:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/?p=10039"},"modified":"2020-06-28T23:17:42","modified_gmt":"2020-06-29T06:17:42","slug":"ezekiel-3_1-15","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/ezekiel-3_1-15\/","title":{"rendered":"When Being Hard-Headed Is A Good Thing"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"flex_column av_one_full  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-0  avia-builder-el-no-sibling  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Ezekiel 3:1-15 \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Ezekiel+2%3A1-10&amp;version=NIV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-10040 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/200630.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/200630.jpg 600w, https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/200630-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/200630-450x225.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s passage is Ezekiel 3:1-15.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Ezekiel 3:1-3 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>\n<sup>1\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0And he said to me, &#8220;Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel.&#8221;<br \/>\n<sup>2\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.<br \/>\n<sup>3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Then he said to me, &#8220;Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.&#8221; So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>On verses 1-3: \u00a0Here are just a few lessons we can learn from these verses:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>God gave Ezekiel an edible scroll containing His words for Ezekiel to eat.\u00a0 Likewise, Scripture is food for your soul.\u00a0 Jesus says, \u201cMan shall not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.\u201d (Matthew 4:4)\u00a0\u00a0<strong>Don\u2019t starve yourself spiritually but eat of God\u2019s Word every day.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Ezekiel was told to eat God\u2019s Word before going to speak to the house of Israel (v1).\u00a0 Likewise,\u00a0<strong>if we want to have something good to share with those around us, we need to eat God\u2019s Word and fill ourselves with it.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>There is something about God\u2019s Word that is sweet and joy-bringing that is unlike anything else in this world.<\/strong>\u00a0It\u2019s no wonder that Psalm 19:10 describes God\u2019s words as \u201csweeter than honey, than honey from the comb\u201d.\u00a0 Ezekiel experiences this himself when he eats the scroll given to him and finds \u201cit tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth\u201d (v3).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>If you want to grow up spiritually, train yourself to \u201ceat what is before you\u201d (v1).\u00a0 In other words,\u00a0<strong>do not be overly picky about what you will eat or not eat from Scripture<\/strong>.\u00a0 Try to read everything that God sets before us in the Bible, whether it is familiar to you or not, and whether it tastes sweet to you at first or not.\u00a0 That\u2019s how you grow.\u00a0 If you will learn to eat what is set before you, I believe you will eventually find that, with the help of God and Christians God has placed in your life, those books that some people might label as \u201cboring\u201d or \u201cimpossible to understand\u201d actually contain some very valuable and powerful lessons for your life, and your faith will deepen.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em><strong>Ezekiel 3:4-6 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>\n<sup>4\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He then said to me: &#8220;Son of man, go now to the house of Israel and speak my words to them.<br \/>\n<sup>5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and difficult language, but to the house of Israel&#8211;<br \/>\n<sup>6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0not to many peoples of obscure speech and difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>On verses 4-6:\u00a0 From these verses I learn an important lesson about communication.\u00a0\u00a0<strong>If you want to effectively reach a group of people with an important message, you need to speak that group\u2019s language and communicate your message clearly.\u00a0 That doesn\u2019t just mean speaking actual words that the group can understand.\u00a0 Even more, it\u2019s about using pictures, illustrations and stories that your hearers can relate to.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0Otherwise, they will not listen.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Ezekiel 3:7-9 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>\n<sup>7\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But the house of Israel is not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for the whole house of Israel is hardened and obstinate.<br \/>\n<sup>8\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are.<br \/>\n<sup>9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>On verses 7-9:\u00a0 As He did in Ezekiel 2:3-7, God emphasizes to Ezekiel that the Israelite people He is sending Ezekiel to will not listen to him.\u00a0 That is not because they speak a different language, but because they are \u201chardened and obstinate\u201d (v7) and \u201cwill not be\u00a0<em>willing<\/em>\u00a0to listen\u201d (v7).\u00a0 Since Ezekiel\u2019s hearers will be so unyielding and hardened, God tells Ezekiel that He will make Ezekiel equally unyielding and hardened too.\u00a0 In other words, as strong-willed and stubborn-headed as the Israelites are, God will enable Ezekiel to have such a strong will and stubborn head about reaching the Israelites that he will not give up even when he faces ongoing rejection and opposition.\u00a0 It\u2019s no wonder Ezekiel\u2019s name is often translated to mean \u201cGod will strengthen\u201d or \u201cGod will harden\u201d.\u00a0 It\u2019s also no wonder that Ezekiel is one of the most courageous and resilient individuals you will find in the Bible.<\/p>\n<p>What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0<strong>When you have made it your mission to share God\u2019s Word in a place that is very much opposed to it, you need to be \u201cunyielding and hardened\u201d (v7)<\/strong>.\u00a0 That is, you must not be easily shaken by rejection, criticism, or opposition.\u00a0 Those things will come.\u00a0 If Jesus was perfect and experienced rejection, criticism and opposition, we being far from perfect will surely experience them to.\u00a0 To be effective witnesses in our world, we need to maintain soft hearts and a tough skin &#8212; not be easily shaken, easily terrified or easily discouraged.\u00a0 Be strong and courageous.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Ezekiel 3:10-11 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>\n<sup>10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0And he said to me, &#8220;Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you.<br \/>\n<sup>11\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Go now to your countrymen in exile and speak to them. Say to them, &#8216;This is what the Sovereign\u00a0LORD\u00a0says,&#8217; whether they listen or fail to listen.&#8221;<br \/>\n<\/em><br \/>\nOn verses 10-11:\u00a0 As we saw in Ezekiel 2:3-7, Ezekiel\u2019s measure for success is not \u201cwhether they listen or fail to listen\u201d, but whether Ezekiel will faithfully tell the Israelites the message God has given him to speak.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Ezekiel 3:12-15 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>\n<sup>12\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound&#8211;May the glory of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0be praised in his dwelling place!&#8211;<br \/>\n<sup>13\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound.<br \/>\n<sup>14\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The 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 theLORD\u00a0upon me.<br \/>\n<sup>15\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Abib near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days&#8211;overwhelmed.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>On verses 12-15: Several times in Ezekiel you will read these words, \u201cthe Spirit lifted me up\u201d.\u00a0 In the chapters that follow Ezekiel will face many discouraging situations.\u00a0 A big reason Ezekiel can keep going is because in the midst of his discouragement Ezekiel goes back to God, humbles himself and experiences the Spirit of God lifting him up again.\u00a0 Through a close, intimate relationship, God lets Ezekiel experience a bit of heaven on earth when his circumstances feel like hell on earth.<\/p>\n<p>What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0<strong>When you find yourself in discouraging circumstances, the most important thing you can do is to keep going back to God for strength and inspiration.\u00a0 Humble yourself before God and He will lift you up.<\/strong>\u00a0 1 Peter 5:6 says, \u201cHumble yourselves, therefore, under God\u2019s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.\u201d\u00a0 When by the Spirit of God you taste a bit of heaven, it helps you to go through situations that might otherwise feel like hell on earth.<\/p>\n<p><em>Heavenly Father, thank You that when the circumstances around me are difficult, You make available to me the sweetness of Your Word, the encouragement of Your Holy Spirit and the strength of Your presence so that I will not easily be shaken.\u00a0 Thank You so much for Your Word, Your Holy Spirit and Your presence in my life.\u00a0 May I eat of Your Word and drink of Your Holy Spirit every day.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s passage is Ezekiel 3:1-15.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n<p>Ezekiel 3:1-3 (NIV)\u00a0<br \/>\n1\u00a0\u00a0And he said to me, &#8220;Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel.&#8221;<br \/>\n2\u00a0\u00a0So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.<br \/>\n3\u00a0\u00a0Then he said to me, &#8220;Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.&#8221; So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>On verses 1-3: \u00a0Here are just a few lessons we can learn from these verses:<\/p>\n<p>God gave Ezekiel an edible scroll containing His words for Ezekiel to eat.\u00a0 Likewise, Scripture is food for your soul.\u00a0 Jesus says, \u201cMan shall not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.\u201d (Matthew 4:4)\u00a0\u00a0Don\u2019t starve yourself spiritually but eat of God\u2019s Word every day.<br \/>\nEzekiel was told to eat God\u2019s Word before going to speak to the house of Israel (v1).\u00a0 Likewise,\u00a0if we want to have something good to share with those around us, we need to eat God\u2019s Word and fill ourselves with it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10040,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10039","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10039"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10039\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10042,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10039\/revisions\/10042"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10039"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10039"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}