Eat and Speak

You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” Ezekiel 2:7-8

If you’ve ever read the book of Ezekiel, you may have noticed that he has a unique style of writing. He is very detailed in his description of the visions he saw and how the Lord spoke to him and how the Lord spoke through him. Ezekiel was called to speak to the northern part of the nation of Israel or what was called in his time Israel. The nation of Israel had divided into two separate kingdoms after Solomon died so there was Israel to the north and there was Judah to the south. Jeremiah prophesied to Judah and Ezekiel prophesied to Israel probably around the same time.
If we look at these verses, they are very direct, and we can relate to them today because we also live in a rebellious, idolatrous nation. America has turned her back on God just as Israel did thousands of years ago. She has compromised her beliefs and her morals and adulterated herself with foreign gods. Money, power, and sex have become objects of desire so to speak and the results of these desires are greed, corruption, adultery, homosexuality, idolatry, and even murder. People have killed for money, power, and yes-even sex. These things become habitual, almost like second nature in the lives of those who pursue it. Such was the state of Israel during Ezekiel’s time. Some of the gods of the Canaanites and the foreign nations surrounding Israel required sexual acts as forms of worship and Israel had begun to worship these pagan gods. They had hardened their hearts to the One True God and put their trust in idols. They even had their own prophets who prophesied in the name of their pagan gods! God was angry with them, yet His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting so He would send out His prophets to warn the people.
When God calls Ezekiel to be a prophet, He warns him not to be “rebellious like that rebellious house” and goes on to tell him to open his mouth and “eat what I give you”. He was to eat God’s word! As I said Ezekiel is very detailed in his description of what he saw, spoke and did. God knew that Ezekiel would be obedient even when he protested. He was to speak God’s words whether they listened or not! Sounds familiar? Is there someone in your life or a few someone’s that God stirs you up to give them word and it seems to fall on deaf ears? God is telling you to speak anyway! Whether they listen or not you must speak what God puts in your mouth. Why? Because if you don’t, you will be held accountable if that person dies in his/her iniquity because you didn’t tell him what God told you to say. God told Ezekiel that he would be a watchman. Watchmen are those that stand on the wall of the city or in a watchtower and warn the people when danger is coming. If he did not speak when he was supposed to speak and a person perished, his blood would be on Ezekiel’s head, but if he spoke and the person perished in his sin then it is no longer Ezekiel’s responsibility. You see we are responsible for speaking what God tells us to speak to people whether they listen or not because when we speak they no longer have the excuse of saying “well nobody told me.” At times you get tired and frustrated of speaking to the same person or persons over and over and over and that person doesn’t get it or those people don’t get it and continue living a godless life. It is sad but your responsibility is to speak what God tells you to speak and the rest is between them and God. God is faithful and will continue to tug at a person’s heart but if the person is rebellious and continues in his ways and ignores God, he will perish and spend eternity in torment. God is not a toy to play with. You can’t pick Him up when you’re bored and when you got what you want or get tired of playing with Him you put Him down. No, No, No! God is saying in these last days that we cannot be like that rebellious house but eat what He gives us and speak what He tells us to speak.