Effective Unsuccessful Evangelism

[3:1] And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what you will find. Eat this scroll and go, speak to the house of Israel.” [2] And I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat this scroll. [3] And he said to me, “Son of man, your stomach must cause [you] to eat and your belly will be satisfied with this scroll which I am giving to you.” And I surely ate, and it was sweet like honey in my mouth.
[4] And he said to me, “Son of man, go, enter among the house of Israel, and speak in my words to them. Indeed, you are being sent not to a people unfathomable of language nor difficult of tongue, [but] to the house of Israel— [6] not to numerous peoples unfathomable of language nor difficult of tongue, whose words you will not understand. Unless I had sent you to them, they would listen to you. [7] In fact, the house of Israel will not attempt to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to you. For the whole house of Israel, they are thick headed and hard hearted. [8] Behold, I have made your face just as strong as their face and your forehead just as strong as their forehead. [9] I have made your forehead like solid rock, stronger than flint. Do not fear them and don’t be dismayed at their faces, for they are a rebellious house.

God is not afraid to tell it like it is. In this and the previous passages, God is not hesitant to let Ezekiel know that he is walking into hostile territory. Verse 7, especially in the Hebrew, gives us the sense that the Israelites won’t even entertain the though of listening to Ezekiel. The reason for the Israelites’ hostility to the message is its divine authenticity. Anyone who would take a watered down message to the people of Israel would be accepted.

Note, though, that the Lord also tells Ezekiel that he will make Ezekiel’s mission possible, if not successful. Ezekiel will be able to understand the culture and language to which he is speaking. Though the Israelites will not accept his message, Ezekiel will at least know what to say and how to say it. They will oppose him, but Ezekiel won’t need to budge and shouldn’t be afraid. His strength is just as great as theirs.

The situation Ezekiel faced seems amazingly similar to what evangelists in America face. People hate to hear the truth, and most reject an unalloyed presentation of the gospel out of hand because the gospel message is exclusive and not politically correct. God knows that Ezekiel will not be successful, and he even tells Ezekiel this! This passage alone shows us that God has a purpose for evangelism that transcends the response of the hearer. His purpose may be to change our hearts.

God’s message can stick in our hearts even if it doesn’t in the hearts of unbelievers. As God’s message was satisfying and delicious to Ezekiel, it can be to us. We need to study the nature of the gospel so that we can present a true version of it. We need to pray that God will make our faces just as tough as those of our audience. We need to present this gospel and watch for the changes in our own heart, not those in the hearts of our hearers alone. Just like Ezekiel, we can step into an unbelieving world; something good will always happen when God’s truth goes forth.

People-Pleasing as Rebellion

Ezekiel is to find out later in this book that he must bring the message of woe to the Israelites, or their blood will be on his hands. In verse six God tells Ezekiel three times not to be afraid of those to whom he will be speaking, and once not to be discouraged by their faces. The commands not to be afraid imply that God will give Ezekiel the strength to avoid fear. God acknowledges the challenges before Ezekiel, but lays out a choice before him: Ezekiel can 1) side with the rebels, or 2) side with God.

The message that God passes to Ezekiel is not a happy one, but that makes sense. God’s words to a rebellious house will always have sting to them. This scroll was so filled with woe that it had writing on the front and the back sides. Ezekiel would have plenty of material with which to attack the Israelites, and they would in turn have plenty of material to be angry about.

People-pleasing is rebellion, then. Of course, it is right to try to please people, but to be a people-pleaser rather than a God-pleaser is an act of defiance against God. God knows that people may not understand or accept our words of truth spoken in love, but as it concerns us, he doesn’t care. Our job is to speak the message God has given us, even if we know it will be unpopular. When we have a word from the Lord, we must subject ourselves to the disapproving faces of people rather than the disapproving face of God.

[2:6] And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them, and of their words do not be afraid, for [it is] thorns and briers with you and you are dwelling among scorpions. Do not be afraid of their words, and do not be dismayed from their faces, for they [are] a house of rebellion. [7] Speak my words to them whether they listen or they cease, for they are rebellious. [8] And you, son of man, hear what I am speaking to you. Do not be rebellious like the house of rebellion. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving to you. [9] And I looked, and behold, a hand [was] being extended to me. And behold, in it [was] a roll of writing. [10] And he spread it out before me, and it had been written upon, front and back. And lamentations and mourning and woe [were] written upon it.