Speaking to People Who Don’t Want to Listen (Ezekiel 1-12)

A Few Thoughts to Consider

Have you shared Jesus with someone, but they never came to faith?

The prophet Ezekiel certainly knew this reality. Ezekiel was a prophet and priest during the Babylonian exile of the Israelites in the 6th century BCE. He was among the captives taken to Babylon in 597 BCE and began his prophetic ministry there. To provide some context, Daniel Block writes:

Ezekiel was born into a turbulent world. The major players on the ancient Near Eastern stage were switching roles and smaller nations were disappearing from the scene altogether….But since the 8th century the Babylonians had been dominated by their neighbors to the north, the neo-Assyrians. This situation was understandably insulting to Babylonian pride, and anti-Assyrian agitation flared up repeatedly in the land.^[1]

Ezekiel went into exile with 8,000 to 10,000 others, including nobility, artisans, and priests, during the first deportation with King Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24:14-16). This selective deportation was a standard Assyrian and Babylonian policy aimed at dismantling national resistance, preventing revolts, and strengthening the conqueror's economy and military.^[2] “By removing political, spiritual and economic leadership, the Babylonians aimed to break down national resistance, prevent any possibility of revolt, and bolster the economy and military machine of the conqueror’s homeland.”^[3]

Ezekiel 1-12 covers Ezekiel's initial visions and prophecies during the early years of the Babylonian exile. Known for his vivid visions and symbolic acts, Ezekiel conveyed messages of judgment against Israel for its idolatry and promises of future restoration. His ministry aimed to bring the exiled community back to faithfulness to God. In Ezekiel 2:3-7, God says to Ezekiel,

³ “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to the rebellious pagans who have rebelled against me. The Israelites and their ancestors have transgressed against me to this day. ⁴ The descendants are obstinate and hardhearted. I am sending you to them, and you must say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says.’ ⁵ Whether they listen or refuse to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them.

⁶ “But you, son of man, do not be afraid of them and do not be afraid of their words, even though briers and thorns are beside you and you live among scorpions. Don’t be afraid of their words or discouraged by the look on their faces, for they are a rebellious house. ⁷ Speak my words to them whether they listen or refuse to listen, for they are rebellious.

“Whether they listen or refuse to listen.” The results are up to Ezekiel. All God asks is that he is faithful to do as instructed. Daniel Block writes, “Yahweh offers no illusions of glory. Israel is a household in revolt against its God. Ezekiel should therefore not be surprised if they reject his message. But neither is he to lose heart. His calling is simple: to declare the messages of Yahweh, irrespective of audience response, and to trust God for his security.”^[4]

The same is true for us today. “Success,” Lamar Cooper says, “is to be measured in terms of our obedience to the words, commands, and will of God regardless of the visible results.”^[5]