03.04.2018 Ezek 3:1-15 "Hard Headed-Soft Hearted"

It is true throughout history. It is true today. When I sensed God calling me into the ministry, I said “Lord, I’ll do whatever you call me to do, just don’t call me to be a preacher. Don’t ask me to stand in front of a congregation week after week to speak in public. I’ll go to a foreign land to disciple those who are lost. I’ll go learn a language that has never been put into words translate an unknown language into a Bible. Just don’t call me to be a pastor and a preacher.” Well, you know how that ends!

Just don’t call me to be a pastor and a preacher.”

Here’s the moral to the story, “Be careful what you say you will never do to God!” The very thing that I felt so inadequate to do He called me to do.

When God calls, he equips those he calls to do what he calls them to do. The very thing he asked me to do, he is equipped and continues to equip me to do.”

Moses said to God, “Oh my lord, I am not eloquent, either before you nor since you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow speech and slow tongued. Don’t send me to Pharaoh. (). What God called him to do he equipped him to do.

Other examples...

Even Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane said father if there be some other way… Yet not as I will but as you will…

Last week we considered the first part this this portion of Ezekiel in which we saw God calling Ezekiel the Prophet/Priest of God to do the work of God. And to be honest, it’s a call to ministry service that not many people would positively respond to. Here is a man with the potential of being just like all the other men around him – rebellious, impudent and stubborn and God says to him, “Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.”

Go into this land of hard hearted, rebellious, impudent, stubborn children and I will equip you to do what I have called you to do.

When God calls him ‘Son of Man’ - God reminds Ezekiel that it is but by His grace that he is no different than all those rebellious people around him. Here the title “Son of Man’ remind Ezekiel of the stark contrast between the divine vision he has just seen and his low condition – he will be rejected, humiliated, and despised by ‘those rebellious’ people. It shows him, in this instance, his frail humanity and reminds him that, as a mere mortal, the only way he can do what God calls him to do, is to take what God gives him – he needs what God gives him to do the work that God assigns him.

This title – ‘son of man’ – separates him from his contemporaries. In we hear God calling his people ‘the sons of Israel’ – (Jacob) – those who ‘strive with God’ (Israel aka Jacob).

But Ezekiel is called the ‘son of man.’ 93 times in the book of Ezekiel we see this name – a couple times in the book of Daniel – and 88 times in the New Testament. In the Hebrew language there are a couple words of man – adam (בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם) and eesh ( ) Here the word used is ‘adam’ - the first man - man created in the image of God.

Here’s the moral to the story, “Be careful what you say you will never do to God!” The very thing that I felt so inadequate to do called me to do. When God calls, he equips those he calls to do what he calls them to do. The very thing he asked me to do, he is equipped and is equipping me to do.”

Moses said to God, oh my lord, I am not eloquent, other before you nor since you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow speech and slow tongue. Don’t send me to Pharaoh. (Ex. 4:10). What God called him to do he equipped him to do.

Other examples

Even Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane said father if there be some other way… Yet not as I will but as you will…

Last week we considered the first part this this portion of Ezekiel in which we saw God calling Ezekiel the prophet/Priest of God to do the work Of God. And to be honest, it’s a call to Ministry service that not many people would positively respond to. Here is a man with the potential of being just like all the other men around him – rebellious, impudent and stubborn. God says to him, “Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” Go into this land of hard hearted, rebellious, impudent, stubborn children and I will equip you to do what I have called you to do.

God reminds Ezekiel that it is but by His grace that he is no different than all those rebellious people around him when He calls him ‘son of man.’ Here the “Son of Man’ tilele remindis Ezekiel of the stark contrast between the divine vision he has just seen and his low condition – he will bne rejected, humiliated, and despised by ‘those rebellious’ people. It shows him, in this instance, his frail humanity and reminds him that, as a mere mortal, the only way he can do what God calls him to do, is to take what God gives him – he needs what God gives him to do the work that God assigns him.

God never calls us to do something he doesn’t equip us to do.

בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם ) – eesh ( ) – Here the word ‘man’ is ‘adam’ – it is literally the name ‘Adam’ – the first man.as

This title – ‘son of man’ – also separates him from his contemporaries. In Ezek 2:3 remember we saw that they were called ‘the sons of Israel’ – rebellious – those who ‘strive with God’ (Israel aka Jacob). But Ezekiel is called the ‘son of man.’ 93 times in the book of Ezekiel we see this name – a couple times in the book of Daniel – and 88 times in the New Testament. In the Hebrew language there are a couple words of man – adam – eesh – Here the word ‘man’ is ‘adam’ – it is literally the name ‘Adam’ – the first man. Man as created in the image of God. Nearly all of the references that we find in the early part of Genesis are the word ‘adam’. So literally what God is saying to Ezekiel is ‘Son of Adam’.

Just as the first man, Adam, received the breath of God and became a living soul – by God breathing into him the ‘ruach’ – the spirit of the living God – Ezekiel has the breath of God, the Spirit of God – same ‘ruach’ overcomes him. It is this spirit that lifts him to his feet. It is this spirit that gives him new life of obedience to do the difficult things God has called him to do. It is this spirit that enables him to obey God. It is this Spirit that equips him for the task before him. Here we see God breathing life into his creation – the creation theme. Later in Chapter 3 we see the dead, dry bones of Israel brought back to life by ‘a breath of the Spirit of God!’ The picture here is what we will see happen to Israel, Ch. 37, and prophetically still to happen – even now is happening personally to God’s propet. He’s being made a personal illustration to his people and to us.

Ezekiel, like Adam, becomes the founding member of a new community, what will be a new obedient and empowered people by the Spirit of God for even out of those rebellious, hard-hearted, stubborn, impudent people God preserves a remnant by the power of His Spirit.

I want you to see not only a son of Adam, not only the parallels with the first Adam – but if we miss this we miss everything: there is here a picture of the Last Adam. I don’t believe it is a coincidence that the two places we see a preponderance of the use of the title “Son of Man’ occurs here in reference to Ezekiel and in the New Testament with reference to our Lord Jesus Christ who refers to Himself with this title more than any other.

It is our Lord Jesus Christ, who by His obedience reverses the effects of the first Adam. The Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 5:19

“For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19, NASB95)

Do you see the parallel? Christ is the one on whom the Spirit rested there at His baptism. He was the chosen one of God upon whom the Spirit rested in all fullness for in Him we see all the fullness of God in bodily form as the “Son of Man.” He is the one, now who pours out His Spirit upon the church. He is creating, day by day, a new community, called out of the darkness into the light. He is building up His church and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it.

אָדָ֕ם – eesh – Here the word ‘man’ is ‘adam’ – it is literally the name ‘Adam’ – the first man. Man as created in the image of God. Nearly all of the references that we find in the early part of Genesis are the word ‘adam’. So literally what God is saying to Ezekiel is ‘Son of Adam’.

So literally what God is saying to Ezekiel is ‘Son of Adam’.

God, the Father, gives Christ, the son, as the Son of Man, a call and a commission equipping him to do what he has been called to do. Christ doesn’t swallow the word of God like Ezekiel; He is the word of God. He doesn’t just see the glory of God, the Shekinah, He is that glory. John 1:14 says,

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14, NASB95)

He came to a rebellious earth, hard hearted, impudent and stubborn. The Glory of God we saw in Ezekiel 1 is not contained in the temple, but is present in the midst of those hard-hearted, rebellious people. Even as Christ, despised reject- a man of sorrow – aquainted with grief – came to His own and they would not receive Him to preach the good news of the Gospel. He comes not to speak his own words, but the words of Him who sent him – and He will return one day in judgment to tread the winepress of God in His wrath as the representative of the Sons of men.

Literally what God is saying to Ezekiel is ‘Son of Adam’.

What a glorious picture. Ezekiel here, just like Adam, is given a test. It’s a test that revolves around the idea of obedience – eating. Adam was told: “Do not eat of that three’, but Ezekile is told “Do eat of this scroll’. It’s the opposite. Ezekiel then is given that food, and it’s not like thre gruit of the tree that was good for food, pleasant to the eye and desirable for gaining wisdom – but rather it’s an old scroll that doesn’t look very appetizing, written on both sides with lame, mourning and woe. But although it’s unattractive, as Ezekiel puts it into his mouth he finds that it tastes as sweet as honey. Isn’t it amazing as we read this that the only thin Ezekiel does in the whole vision is eat the scroll and God causes him to eat it (3:2). But this is what will equip him; this will equip him to take the unpalatable message to his fellow exiles. Like John on the Isle of Patmos in Revelation 10, who also swallowed the word of God – it was sweet to his taste, but it says of John that when it reached his stomach it was sour. Sweet to the mouth, sour to the stomach, because when we take the word of God to a dying, rebellious, hard-hearted people, it is a bittersweet experience. It is a word that reveals God’s judgments against sin, but also prepares the way for the revelation of salvation saving souls.

John the Baptist found that. The two witnesses in Revelation Chapter 11 found that as well – Paul speaks of that to some it is an aroma of life, but to others it is an aroma of death unto death, and they will oppose it and they will destroy it and they will do all in their power to exterminate the message of the Gospel.

In vv 8 and 9, God says to Ezekiel: ““Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. “Like emery harder than flint I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, though they are a rebellious house.”” (Ezekiel 3:8–9, NASB95)

Give my word anyway. They’re not going to receive it, but give it anyway and I will make your head hard – resolute to do the work I have called you to do. Sometimes the only thing we have in the world to hang on to is God’s call and knowing what he has called us to do he will equip us to do it.

Isn’t it interesting that when you compare Ezekiel with Jeremiah, Jeremiah had a soft heart, but God gives Ezekiel a hard head. When we read the book of Jeremiah we find that there are times that Jeremiah couldn’t stand up against what God called him to. In fact, on one occasion we find him running to the Lord with his resignation in hand: “I’ve had it. I don’t want to do it any more. It’s too hard!” – but God says “You’re not going to make that mistake, I’m going to give you a hard head.’ That presupposes that he must have been a bit of a soft-heart, because he needed God to temper his resolve.

He is saying to Ezekiel. The children of Israel are hard-headed, but I’m going to make your head even harder thatn theirs. Determined to do what God has equipped him to do and do you know something? We need hard-headed men and women today. We need hard heds to serve God. We need people infused by the Spirit of God, like Ezekile. Like Ezekiel we need people ingesting the word of God. Judgmements of God = sweeter than honey and the dripping of the honecomb (Ps. 19:10). What are we relying on? What is our service for? Is it purely for the glory of God? What are we server God in? We we relying on ourselves or are we people of the Spirit of God who understand that no matter what God calls us to do, he empowers us to do because he has given us one like us – Jesus, the Son of Man, who is our prophet & Priest – who has gone before us.

If by the use of ‘Son of Man’ in Ezekiel God is reminding him and us of the great distance between him and us, then it’s in Christ’s reference of this title to himself that we are reminded of God’s closeness to us:

Mark 10:45

In Christ we have a prophet/priest who as “Son of Man’ intercedes for us in our weakness, who experienced everything we experience, yet without sin. Who has gone before us as Son of Man, to prepare the way for our lives as Sons of Men, so we might be convinced and convicted in our weakness that when God calls, he equips those he calls to do what he calls them to do.

When God calls he never calls us to do something we are comfortable with doing, se we might be confronted with out own weaknesses – inadequacies and maybe even unwillingness – so we might in our weakness know that God in Christ gives us the strength – he alone quips those he calls to do what he calls. – eesh – Here the word ‘man’ is ‘adam’ – it is literally the name ‘Adam’ – the first man. Man as created in the image of God. Nearly all of the references that we find in the early part of Genesis are the word ‘adam’. So literally what God is saying to Ezekiel is ‘Son of Adam’.

Just as the first man, Adam, received the breath of God and became a living soul – by God breathing into him the ‘ruach’ – the spirit of the living God – Ezekiel has the breath of God, the Spirit of God – same ‘ruach’ overcomes him. It is this spirit that lifts him to his feet. It is this spirit that gives him new life of obedience to do the difficult things God calls him to do. It is this spirit that enables him to obey God. It is this Spirit that equips him for the task before him.

Here we see God breathing life into his creation – the creation theme. Later in Chapter 3 we see the dead, dry bones of Israel brought back to life by ‘a breath of the Spirit of God!’ The picture here is what we will see happen to Israel, Ch. 37. Ezekiel is being made a personal illustration to his people and to us.

Ezekiel, like Adam, becomes the founding member of a new community, what will be a new obedient and empowered people by the Spirit of God for even out of those rebellious, hard-hearted, stubborn, impudent people God preserves a remnant by the power of His Spirit.

I want you to see not only a son of Adam, not only the parallels with the first Adam – but if we miss this we miss everything: there is here a picture of the Last Adam. I don’t believe it is a coincidence that the two places we see a preponderance of the use of the title “Son of Man’ occurs here in reference to Ezekiel and in the New Testament with reference to our Lord Jesus Christ who refers to Himself with this title more than any other.

1 Corinthians 15:45 NASB95

So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

It is our Lord Jesus Christ, who by His obedience reverses the effects of the first Adam. The Apostle Paul reminds us in

“For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” (, NASB95)

Here’s the moral to the story, “Be careful what you say you will never do to God!” The very thing that I felt so inadequate to do called me to do. When God calls, he equips those he calls to do what he calls them to do. The very thing he asked me to do, he is equipped and is equipping me to do.”

Title

Do you see the parallel? Christ is the one on whom the Spirit rested there at His baptism. He was the chosen one of God upon whom the Spirit rested in all fullness for in Him we see all the fullness of God in bodily form as the “Son of Man.” He is the one, even now who pours out His Spirit upon the church- his body. He is creating, day by day, a new community, called out of the darkness into the light. He is building up His church and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. By the same Spirit what God calls his people to do he gives grace for them to do it.

God, the Father, gives Christ, the son, as the Son of Man, a call and a commission equipping him to do what he has been called to do. Christ doesn’t swallow the word of God like Ezekiel; He is the word of God. He doesn’t just see the glory of God, the Shekinah, He is that glory. says,

John 1:14 NASB95

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (, NASB95)

John 4:34 NASB95

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.

Christ as the ‘Son of Man’ came to a rebellious earth, hard hearted, impudent and stubborn people. The Glory of God we saw in is not contained in the temple, but is present in the midst of those hard-hearted, rebellious people. Even as Christ, despised, rejected - a man of sorrow – acquainted with grief – came to His own and they would not receive Him to preach the good news of the Gospel. He comes not to speak his own words, but the words of Him who sent him – and He will return one day in judgment to tread the winepress of God in His wrath as the representative of the Sons of men.

What a glorious picture. Ezekiel here, just like Adam, is given a test. It’s a test that revolves around the idea of obedience – eating. Adam was told: “Do not eat of that three’, but Ezekiel is told “Do eat of this scroll’. It’s the opposite. Ezekiel then is given that food, and it’s not like the fruit of the tree that was good for food, pleasant to the eye and desirable for gaining wisdom – but rather it’s an old scroll that doesn’t look very appetizing, written on both sides with lament, mourning and woe.

But although it’s unattractive, as Ezekiel puts it into his mouth he finds that it tastes as sweet as honey. Isn’t it amazing as we read this that the only thing Ezekiel does in the entire vision is eat the scroll and God causes him to eat it (3:2).

What God calls his servant to do, he equips him to do.

This is what equips him; this equips him to take the unpalatable message to his fellow exiles. Like John on the Isle of Patmos in , who also swallowed the word of God – it was sweet to his taste, but it says of John that when it reached his stomach it was sour. Sweet to the mouth, sour to the stomach, because when we take the word of God to a dying, rebellious, hard-hearted people, it is a bittersweet experience.

It is a word that reveals God’s judgments against sin, but also prepares the way for the revelation of salvation - the gospel of life.

John the Baptist found that to be true. The two witnesses in Revelation Chapter 11 found that as well – Paul speaks of that to some this message is an aroma of life, but to others it is an aroma of death unto death. Some will oppose it and seek to destroy it and they will do all in their power to exterminate the message of the Gospel. There must be a ‘strong resolve’ to do the work of God....so

In vv 8 and 9, God says to Ezekiel: ““Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. “Like emery harder than flint I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, though they are a rebellious house.”” (, NASB95)

Give my word anyway. They’re not going to receive it, but give it anyway and I will make your head hard – resolute to do the work I have called you to do. Sometimes the only thing we have in the world to hang on to is God’s call and knowing what he has called us to do he will equip us to do it.

Isn’t it interesting that when you compare Ezekiel with Jeremiah, Jeremiah had a soft heart, but God gives Ezekiel a hard head. When we read the book of Jeremiah we find that there are times that Jeremiah couldn’t stand up against what God called him to. In fact, on one occasion we find him running to the Lord with his resignation in hand: “I’ve had it. I don’t want to do it any more. It’s too hard!” – but God says “You’re not going to make that mistake, I’m going to give you a hard head.’ That presupposes that he must have been a bit of a soft-heart, because he needed God to temper his resolve.

He is saying to Ezekiel. The children of Israel are hard-headed, but I’m going to make your head even harder than theirs so he would be doggedly determined to do what God has called him to do and equipped him to do.

We need hard-headed men and women today. We need hard heads to serve God. We need people infused by the Spirit of God, like Ezekiel. Like Ezekiel we need people ingesting the word of God. Proclaiming the judgments of God speaking the truth of God = sweeter than honey and the dripping of the honecomb ().

What are we relying on? What is our service for? Is it purely for the glory of God? Are we relying on ourselves or are we people of the Spirit of God who understand that no matter what God calls us to do, he empowers us to do it because he has given us one like us – Jesus, the Son of Man, who is our prophet & Priest – who has gone before us.

Mark 10:45 NASB95

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

If by the use of ‘Son of Man’ in Ezekiel God is reminding him and us of the great distance between him and us, then it’s in Christ’s reference of this title to himself that we are reminded of God’s closeness to us:

Hebrews 4:15 NASB95

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

In Christ we have a prophet/priest who as “Son of Man’ intercedes for us in our weakness, who experienced everything we experience, yet without sin. Who has gone before us as Son of Man, to prepare the way for our lives as Sons of Men, so we might be convinced and convicted in our weakness that when God calls, he equips those he calls to do what he calls them to do.

When God calls he never calls us to do something we are comfortable with doing, so we might be confronted with our own weaknesses – inadequacies and maybe even unwillingness – so we might in our weakness know that God in Christ gives us the strength – he alone equips those he calls to do what he calls.

Introduction:

Moses said to God, oh my lord, I am not eloquent, other before you nor since you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow speech and slow tongue. Don’t send me to Pharaoh. (). What God called him to do he equipped him to do.

2 Corinthians 12:10 NASB95

Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Other examples

When

Parallels between the book of Ezekiel and the book of Genesis

Even Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane said father if there be some other way… Yet not as I will but as you will…

Just as the first man, Adam, received the breath of God and became a living soul – by God breathing into him the ‘ruach’ – the spirit of the living God – Ezekiel has the breath of God, the Spirit of God – the same ‘ruach’ overcomes him. It is this spirit that lifts him to his feet. It this spirit that gives him new life of obedience to do the difficult things God has called him to do. It is this spirit that enables him to obey God. Here we see the creation theme – later in chapter 37 we see the dead, dry bones of Israel brought back to life by what? A breath of the Spirit of God! The picture here is that what will happen to the nation of Israel, chapter 37, and prophetically still to happen – is no happening personally to God’s prophet. He’s being made a personal illustration to his people and to us.

Last week we considered the first part this this portion of Ezekiel in which we saw God calling Ezekiel the prophet/Priest of God to do the work Of God. And to be honest, it’s a call to Ministry service that not many people would positively respond to. Here is a man with the potential of being just like all the other men around him – rebellious, impudent and stubborn. God says to him, “Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” Go into this land of hard hearted, rebellious, impudent, stubborn children and I will equip you to do what I have called you to do.

God reminds Ezekiel that it is but by His grace that he is no different than all those rebellious people around him when He calls him ‘son of man.’ Here the “Son of Man’ tilele remindis Ezekiel of the stark contrast between the divine vision he has just seen and his low condition – he will bne rejected, humiliated, and despised by ‘those rebellious’ people. It shows him, in this instance, his frail humanity and reminds him that, as a mere mortal, the only way he can do what God calls him to do, is to take what God gives him – he needs what God gives him to do the work that God assigns him.

Ezekiel, like Adam, becomes the founding member of a new community, what will be a new obedient and empowered people by the Spirit of God. I want you to see not only a son of Adam, not only the parallels with the first Adam - but if we miss this we miss everything: there is here a picture of the last Adam! Our Lord Jesus, who by His obedience undoes the effects of the first Adam - is that not what the New Testament teaches? Romans chapter 5: 'For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous'. Do you see the parallel? Christ is the one on whom the Spirit rested there at His baptism. He was the chosen one of God upon whom the Spirit rested in all fullness - indeed, the fullness of the Godhead bodily. He is the one, now, who pours out His Spirit upon the church. He is creating, day by day, a new community. He is building up His church, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. Christ doesn't swallow the word of God like Ezekiel, He is the word of God. He doesn't just see the glory of God, the Shekinah, He is that glory. they said: 'We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth'. He came to an earth that was rebellious, hardened their heart. He came to His own and they would not receive Him to preach the good news of the Gospel. He came not to speak his own words, but the words of him who sent him - and He will return one day in judgement to tread the winepress of God in His wrath as the Son of Man.

What a glorious picture. Ezekiel here, just like Adam, he is given a test. It's a test that revolves around the idea of eating. Adam was told: 'Don't eat of that tree', but Ezekiel is told: 'You eat of that scroll'. It's the opposite, and what is happening here in the story is that there's a whole reversal of the original sin! Do you see what God is doing? He's reversing all the mess that man has made, in this son of Adam He's reversing all the consequences of sin.

God never calls us to do something he doesn’t equip us to do.

Ezekiel then is given that food, and it's not like the fruit of the tree that was good for food, pleasing to the eye and desirable for gaining wisdom - but rather it's an old scroll that doesn't look very appetizing, written on both sides with lament, mourning and woe upon it. But although it's unattractive, as Ezekiel puts it into his mouth he finds that it tastes as sweet as honey. Now, it's amazing to me as we read this that the only thing that Ezekiel does in the whole vision is eat the scroll! God caused him to eat it (3:2). But this is what will equip him; this will equip him to take the unpalatable message to his fellow exiles. Like John on the Isle of Patmos in , who also swallowed the word of God - it was sweet to his taste, but it says of John that when it reached his stomach it was sour. Sweet to the mouth, sour to the stomach, because when we take the word of God to a dying, rebellious, hard-headed nation it is a bittersweet experience!

This title – ‘son of man’ – also separates him from his contemporaries. In remember we saw that they were called ‘the sons of Israel’ – rebellious – those who ‘strive with God’ (Israel aka Jacob). But Ezekiel is called the ‘son of man.’ 93 times in the book of Ezekiel we see this name – a couple times in the book of Daniel – and 88 times in the New Testament. In the Hebrew language there are a couple words of man – adam – eesh – Here the word ‘man’ is ‘adam’ – it is literally the name ‘Adam’ – the first man. Man as created in the image of God. Nearly all of the references that we find in the early part of Genesis are the word ‘adam’. So literally what God is saying to Ezekiel is ‘Son of Adam’.

John the Baptist found that. The two witnesses in Revelation chapter 11 found that as well - and Paul speaks of, that to some it is an aroma of life, but to others it is an aroma of death unto death, and they will oppose it and they will destroy it and they will do all in their power to exterminate the message of the Gospel. In verse 8 and 9 He says to him: 'Give My word anyway. They're not going to receive it, but give it anyway and I will make your head hard'. Isn't it interesting that when you compare Ezekiel with Jeremiah, Jeremiah had a soft heart, but God's giving Ezekiel hard head. When we read the book of Jeremiah we find that there are times that Jeremiah couldn't stand up against what God called him to. In fact on one occasion we find him running to the Lord with his resignation in hand: 'I've had it, I don't want to do it anymore, it's too hard!' - but God says: 'You're not going to make that mistake, I'm going to give you a hard head'. That presupposes that he must have been a bit of a soft heart, because he needed God to harden him!

Just as the first man, Adam, received the breath of God and became a living soul – by God breathing into him the ‘ruach’ – the spirit of the living God – Ezekiel has the breath of God, the Spirit of God – same ‘ruach’ overcomes him. It is this spirit that lifts him to his feet. It is this spirit that gives him new life of obedience to do the difficult things God has called him to do. It is this spirit that enables him to obey God. It is this Spirit that equips him for the task before him. Here we see God breathing life into his creation – the creation theme. Later in Chapter 3 we see the dead, dry bones of Israel brought back to life by ‘a breath of the Spirit of God!’ The picture here is what we will see happen to Israel, Ch. 37, and prophetically still to happen – even now is happening personally to God’s propet. He’s being made a personal illustration to his people and to us.

He is saying to Ezekiel: 'The children of Israel are hard-headed, but I'm going to make your head even harder than theirs' - and do you know something? We need hard-headed men and women today. We need hard heads to serve God. We need people infused by the Spirit of God, like Ezekiel. Like Ezekiel we need people ingesting the word of God. What are we relying on? What is our service for? Is it purely for the glory of God? What are we serving God in? Are we relying on ourselves or are we people of the Spirit of God? How do we know?

Ezekiel, like Adam, becomes the founding member of a new community, what will be a new obedient and empowered people by the Spirit of God for even out of those rebellious, hard-hearted, stubborn, impudent people God preserves a remnant by the power of His Spirit.

We can be busy people, in a busy place, in a busy church - but the question is: are we filled and motivated by the Spirit of God? That's why the apostles had to get deacons to serve tables, to free them to serve the word of God in prayer. This is the way that God was equipping Ezekiel, He was putting His Spirit in him, He was giving His word to him, and He was hardening his head to face this rebellion that would soon face him.

I want you to see not only a son of Adam, not only the parallels with the first Adam – but if we miss this we miss everything: there is here a picture of the Last Adam. I don’t believe it is a coincidence that the two places we see a preponderance of the use of the title “Son of Man’ occurs here in reference to Ezekiel and in the New Testament with reference to our Lord Jesus Christ who refers to Himself with this title more than any other.

It is our Lord Jesus Christ, who by His obedience reverses the effects of the first Adam. The Apostle Paul reminds us in

“For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” (, NASB95)

Do you see the parallel? Christ is the one on whom the Spirit rested there at His baptism. He was the chosen one of God upon whom the Spirit rested in all fullness for in Him we see all the fullness of God in bodily form as the “Son of Man.” He is the one, now who pours out His Spirit upon the church. He is creating, day by day, a new community, called out of the darkness into the light. He is building up His church and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it.

God, the Father, gives Christ, the son, as the Son of Man, a call and a commission equipping him to do what he has been called to do. Christ doesn’t swallow the word of God like Ezekiel; He is the word of God. He doesn’t just see the glory of God, the Shekinah, He is that glory. says,

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (, NASB95)

He came to a rebellious earth, hard hearted, impudent and stubborn. The Glory of God we saw in is not contained in the temple, but is present in the midst of those hard-hearted, rebellious people. Even as Christ, despised reject- a man of sorrow – aquainted with grief – came to His own and they would not receive Him to preach the good news of the Gospel. He comes not to speak his own words, but the words of Him who sent him – and He will return one day in judgment to tread the winepress of God in His wrath as the representative of the Sons of men.

What a glorious picture. Ezekiel here, just like Adam, is given a test. It’s a test that revolves around the idea of obedience – eating. Adam was told: “Do not eat of that three’, but Ezekile is told “Do eat of this scroll’. It’s the opposite. Ezekiel then is given that food, and it’s not like thre gruit of the tree that was good for food, pleasant to the eye and desirable for gaining wisdom – but rather it’s an old scroll that doesn’t look very appetizing, written on both sides with lame, mourning and woe. But although it’s unattractive, as Ezekiel puts it into his mouth he finds that it tastes as sweet as honey. Isn’t it amazing as we read this that the only thin Ezekiel does in the whole vision is eat the scroll and God causes him to eat it (3:2). But this is what will equip him; this will equip him to take the unpalatable message to his fellow exiles. Like John on the Isle of Patmos in , who also swallowed the word of God – it was sweet to his taste, but it says of John that when it reached his stomach it was sour. Sweet to the mouth, sour to the stomach, because when we take the word of God to a dying, rebellious, hard-hearted people, it is a bittersweet experience. It is a word that reveals God’s judgments against sin, but also prepares the way for the revelation of salvation saving souls.

John the Baptist found that. The two witnesses in Revelation Chapter 11 found that as well – Paul speaks of that to some it is an aroma of life, but to others it is an aroma of death unto death, and they will oppose it and they will destroy it and they will do all in their power to exterminate the message of the Gospel.

In vv 8 and 9, God says to Ezekiel: ““Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. “Like emery harder than flint I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, though they are a rebellious house.”” (, NASB95)

Give my word anyway. They’re not going to receive it, but give it anyway and I will make your head hard – resolute to do the work I have called you to do. Sometimes the only thing we have in the world to hang on to is God’s call and knowing what he has called us to do he will equip us to do it.

Isn’t it interesting that when you compare Ezekiel with Jeremiah, Jeremiah had a soft heart, but God gives Ezekiel a hard head. When we read the book of Jeremiah we find that there are times that Jeremiah couldn’t stand up against what God called him to. In fact, on one occasion we find him running to the Lord with his resignation in hand: “I’ve had it. I don’t want to do it any more. It’s too hard!” – but God says “You’re not going to make that mistake, I’m going to give you a hard head.’ That presupposes that he must have been a bit of a soft-heart, because he needed God to temper his resolve.

He is saying to Ezekiel. The children of Israel are hard-headed, but I’m going to make your head even harder thatn theirs. Determined to do what God has equipped him to do and do you know something? We need hard-headed men and women today. We need hard heds to serve God. We need people infused by the Spirit of God, like Ezekile. Like Ezekiel we need people ingesting the word of God. Judgmements of God = sweeter than honey and the dripping of the honecomb (). What are we relying on? What is our service for? Is it purely for the glory of God? What are we server God in? We we relying on ourselves or are we people of the Spirit of God who understand that no matter what God calls us to do, he empowers us to do because he has given us one like us – Jesus, the Son of Man, who is our prophet & Priest – who has gone before us.

If by the use of ‘Son of Man’ in Ezekiel God is reminding him and us of the great distance between him and us, then it’s in Christ’s reference of this title to himself that we are reminded of God’s closeness to us:

In Christ we have a prophet/priest who as “Son of Man’ intercedes for us in our weakness, who experienced everything we experience, yet without sin. Who has gone before us as Son of Man, to prepare the way for our lives as Sons of Men, so we might be convinced and convicted in our weakness that when God calls, he equips those he calls to do what he calls them to do.

When God calls he never calls us to do something we are comfortable with doing, se we might be confronted with out own weaknesses – inadequacies and maybe even unwillingness – so we might in our weakness know that God in Christ gives us the strength – he alone quips those he calls to do what he calls.

03.04.2018 Ezek 3:1-15 "Hard Headed-Soft Hearted"

Introduction

When God calls He equips those who calls to do what he calls.

Recap

God never calls us to do something he doesn’t equip us to do.

Son of Man

Spirit of God

The First Adam and the Last Adam

Christ as the ‘Son of Man’

The Son of Man Put to a Test

Equipped for the Task - Hard Heads - Soft Hearts

Conclusion

When God calls He equips those he calls to do what he calls.