Called to a Hard Mission Among a Hard People (2:1–3:27)

Service Notes

Mens Meeting after the service / monthly financial report, missionary proposal, security update

Review with the Kids

Ezekiel was sitting by a river when the heavens opened and he saw a storm full of lightning and fire.

Out of the storm came strange creatures with four faces and wings, showing God’s power over all creation.

Beside them were wheels covered with eyes — reminding us that God sees everything.

Above it all was a shining throne with the likeness of a man glowing like fire, surrounded by a rainbow.

When Ezekiel saw God’s greatness, he fell on his face in worship.

God is bigger and greater than anything we can imagine. The right response is to worship Him.

Book Review: How Great is our God

Sermon Introduction

Anyone able to share their favorite biography? Chocolate Soldiers by CT Studd speaks of the Moravians

Cambridge Seven

In the late 1800s, cricket was the most popular sport in England.

One of its brightest stars was C. T. Studd, who had already gained fame as the best all-round cricketer in the country.

Before sailing, the Seven held evangelistic farewell rallies across England. Thousands of students and young people were stirred to consider missions.

Simple message by Moody was from John 3:16

Mrs. Studd wore a sash at the wedding - “united to fight for Jesus”

“Some wish to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.”

Studd tells how the Moravians were so gripped by the gospel that they were willing to give up everything — literally.

When they wanted to reach the slaves of the West Indies, and the slave-owners refused to let missionaries onto the plantations, some Moravians actually sold themselves into slavery in order to have the chance to preach Christ.

He says this is the opposite of a Chocolate Soldier — this is “real Christianity, red-hot, right through, and reckless for Christ.”

Their story is used as a rebuke to comfortable believers who won’t risk health, safety, or reputation.

On August 13, 1727, Pastor Johann Andreas Rothe preached on the cross and unity in Christ during communion

In Zinzendorf’s words: We learned to love one another.

From Ezekiel falling on his face before the glory of God, to the Moravians at Herrnhut overwhelmed at the cross, to C. T. Studd laying down cricket and career, there has never been deep commitment without a real encounter with a big and holy God. Casual religion produces casual disciples. But when God is seen as He is, men and women rise to give all.

1. The Spirit is the only reason you can stand at all. (2:1–2).

Ezekiel 2:1–2 “1 And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee. 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.”

A. The call: “Son of man, stand upon thy feet” (v.1).

The title “Son of man” emphasizes Ezekiel’s humanity, frailty, and smallness before God’s glory. Psalm 8:4 “4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?”

It’s used 93 times in Ezekiel — reminding him that he is not angelic, not divine, but simply a man given a message.

Daniel (10:9–11) and John (Rev. 1:17) also collapsed when encountering divine glory — showing that God must always be the one to restore strength.

B. The enablement: “The Spirit entered into me” (v.2a).

Ministry doesn’t begin with Ezekiel’s resolve but with God’s Spirit. Zechariah 4:6 — “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.”

The same Spirit that filled Bezalel to craft the tabernacle (Ex. 31:3) now fills Ezekiel to be God’s mouthpiece.

C. The result: “and set me upon my feet, that I heard him” (v.2b).

Hearing comes after being Spirit-set.

Word study: “set” = to make firm, establish. Ezekiel is stabilized, not just lifted.

Application: before standing before men, God’s servant must be made to stand by the Spirit before God.

Samuel hears God only after God calls and enables him. 1 Samuel 3:9–10 “9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.”

Transition: Once Ezekiel is standing, God doesn’t send him to an easy crowd. He names the people plainly: rebellious, obstinate, hard.

2. God often sends us to people who may not want to hear what we have to say. (2:3–5).

Ezekiel 2:3–5 “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. 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. 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.”

A. The audience: “a rebellious nation… impudent children and stiffhearted” (vv.3–4).

Word: “impudent” = strong of face, shameless; “stiffhearted” = obstinate, unyielding.

2 Kings 17:13–14 — Israel “would not hear, but hardened their necks.” Ezekiel’s audience continues this long history.

Acts 7:51 — Stephen says the Sanhedrin are “stiffnecked… as your fathers did.” Ezekiel’s audience fits this biblical pattern of generational rebellion.

B. The message: “Thus saith the Lord GOD” (v.4).

Ezekiel is not free to invent his own message — the prophet’s formula always begins with divine authority.

Jeremiah 1:7 — “Thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.”

Contrast: False prophets said, “Thus saith the Lord” when the Lord had not spoken (Jer. 23:16–17). Ezekiel must not be like them.

C. The measure of success: “whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear” (v.5).

Jeremiah was told the same: “They will not hearken unto thee” (Jer. 7:27). Faithfulness, not fruit, is the measure.

Paul echoes this in 1 Corinthians 4:2 — “It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

The effect: even if rejected, they will know “a prophet has been among them.” God’s Word leaves a witness.

Some of you young people who are in public school and even Christian school need to set this verse upon your heart.

Transition: Ezekiel knows the crowd will resist. Now God deals with Ezekiel’s heart — his greatest temptation will be fear.

3. If you’re more worried about people’s opinions than God’s truth, you’ll never stand for Him. (2:6–8).

Ezekiel 2:6–8 “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. 7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. 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.”

A. The imagery: “briers, thorns, scorpions” (v.6).

These represent pain, hostility, and constant irritation. Numbers 33:55 warns that if Israel does not drive out the nations, they will be “pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides.”

The nations became “thorns in your sides.” The imagery is consistent: disobedience brings painful resistance. Judges 2:3 “3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.”

B. The command: “be not afraid of their words… nor dismayed at their looks” (v.6).

People’s words and faces can paralyze .

Fear keeps us from the work or makes us weak in it. Nehemiah 6:9 “9 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.”

Courage comes from God’s presence, not circumstances. Joshua 1:9 “9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

“Dismayed” = shattered, broken. God commands inner resilience: Don’t let faces break your faith.

C. The warning: “Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house” (v.8).

The greatest danger is not their rebellion against God but Ezekiel’s joining them by refusing to obey.

Moses himself was judged because he rebelled by striking the rock instead of obeying God’s word. Numbers 20:10–12 “10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? 11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. 12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.”

Application: prophets are not exempt; spiritual leaders can disobey and bear great cost.

Transition: If Ezekiel is going to resist fear and rebellion, he must be filled with something greater. God gives him His Word, not just to speak but to eat.

4. You can’t give people God’s Word until you’ve taken it in yourself. (2:9–3:3).

Ezekiel 2:9–3:3 “9 And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein; 10 And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe. 1 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel. 2 So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll. 3 And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.”

A. The scroll: “written within and without… lamentations, mourning, and woe” (2:9–10).

Scrolls were usually written on one side; this one is written on both = complete, nothing to add.

Revelation 5:1 — the sealed scroll in God’s hand is written “within and on the backside.” God’s decrees are comprehensive.

The content: judgment. God’s Word is often hard to hear — but must still be proclaimed.

B. The command: “eat this roll, and go speak” (3:1).

Jeremiah “ate” God’s words and they became his joy. Jeremiah 15:16 “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.”

Deuteronomy 8:3 — “man doth not live by bread only, but by every word” — echoed by Jesus in Matthew 4:4.

We must digest truth before delivering truth.

C. The experience: “in my mouth as honey for sweetness” (3:3).

The same Word that brings judgment is sweet to God’s servants because it is true.

Psalm 19:10 — God’s judgments are “sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.”

Revelation 10:10 — John’s scroll: sweet in his mouth, bitter in his belly. Sweetness and heaviness are both part of consuming God’s Word.

Transition: Ezekiel has eaten the Word. Sweetness is his first taste, but hardness will be his reality. God prepares him with resilience like flint.

5. God makes you strong enough on the inside to face what’s hard on the outside. (3:4–11).

Ezekiel 3:4–11 (KJV)

4 And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.

5 For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel;

6 Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.

7 But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.

8 Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.

9 As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

10 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears.

11 And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.

A. The scope: sent to Israel, not foreigners (3:4–6).

Irony: foreigners would listen (3:6). Israel won’t.

Jonah 3:5 — even Nineveh repented at Jonah’s reluctant preaching.

Historical note: Israel had heard prophet after prophet and still hardened.

B. The reality: “the house of Israel will not hearken” (3:7).

Matthew 23:37 — Jesus laments, “O Jerusalem… how often would I have gathered… and ye would not!”

The hardest hearts are often in the most religious places.

C. The provision: “I have made thy face strong… harder than flint” (3:8–9).

Word: “adamant” = diamond, hardest known stone. Ezekiel is divinely reinforced.

Isaiah 50:7 — the Servant “set his face like flint.” A messianic echo fulfilled in Christ.

Luke 9:51 — Jesus “steadfastly set his face” toward Jerusalem. Ezekiel foreshadows Christ’s unbreakable resolve.

Transition: Ezekiel is strengthened. Spirit-filled. Word-fed. Forehead like flint. You expect bold preaching. Instead, the Spirit carries him into heaviness and silence.

6. Before you can properly carry God’s message, you’ve got to be profoundly captured by His presence. (3:12–15).

Ezekiel 3:12–15 “12 Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place. 13 I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing. 14 So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me. 15 Then I came to them of the captivity at Telabib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.”

A. The procession: “the Spirit took me up… Blessed be the glory of the LORD” (3:12–13).

The throne-chariot of chapter 1 is still moving — God’s glory is not stuck in Jerusalem.

God’s Spirit is with His people even in exile.

Wherever God sends you, He leads the way.

B. The pressure: “I went in bitterness… the hand of the LORD was strong upon me” (3:14).

Ezekiel feels both Spirit power and soul heaviness.

Jeremiah 20:9 God’s Word was a fire shut in Jeremiah’s bones — both joy and burden.

Ministry often feels like holy pressure — both empowering and crushing.

C. The pause: “I sat where they sat… astonished seven days” (3:15).

Seven days = priestly consecration (Lev. 8:33). Ezekiel’s silence is his consecration.

Job 2:13 — Job’s friends sat in silence seven days. Presence before words.

Ezekiel’s silence shows humility and burden before speaking.

Conclusion

Ezekiel’s call does not end with fireworks. It ends with silence. He has seen glory, eaten the Word, received Spirit-strength and flint-like resilience. Yet before speaking, he sits among the exiles, astonished for seven days.

This is God’s way of preparing His servants. Before you speak, sit. Before you warn, weep. Before you deliver the Word, digest it.

And all of this points forward to Jesus — the Son of Man who came to His own, who set His face like flint toward Jerusalem, who ate and embodied the Father’s will, who wept over the city before He warned it, and who bore the hardest mission of all on the cross.

Because He endured, we can endure. Because He was faithful in His mission, we can be faithful in ours.

Do you have a hard assignment?

Are you willing to accept one?