Ezekiel has been warning God’s people for 32 chapters. The results are dismal! No one has responded! There are no salvations and baptisms to report to headquarters. By today’s standards, pragmatism would have changed the method and the message at this point in search of results. But God comforts Ezekiel by reminding him that the results are not for him to manufacture. His job is to remain faithful to the message that God has given him. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. (Ezekiel 33:9, ESV) Ezekiel finds comfort in obeying the Lord despite the results.
So, why has there been no repentance? God allows us and Ezekiel to peer into the hearts and private moments of the people. In Ezekiel 33:30-33, God reveals that the people talk about Ezekiel in their homes, whisper to one another about him, and even come and sit before him to hear what he has to say. But their actions are not sincere. They have no intention of following God’s Word. Their interest is purely self-serving. They find it entertaining, like a trip to the theater.
This situation reminds me of what the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:9, where he and the Apostles were made a spectacle to the world. In another place, the writer of Hebrews recalls how his audience was publicly ridiculed in Hebrews 10:33. Christians have a message for the world, and we are not to alter it for the sake of results. Even though the world may view our message as foolishness and us as ridiculous, we are to remain obedient and faithful, living out the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus endured the ridicule of sinners on the cross, in Him, we can find strength to be obedient in the face of such indifference and opposition. (Hebrews 12:1–3)
Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Ezekiel 32-34.