Heart Condition and the Word of God
God does not force anyone to listen to His Word written in the Bible or spoken by a preacher. In fact, there are two heart conditions which will prevent people from listening to God's Word, and Israel had both of them.(Ezekiel 3:7) They were all impudent or stubborn and hard-hearted. Is America becoming an impudent and hard-hearted people, too? If so, we are in serious trouble.
God told Ezekiel to preach His Word to the house of Israel in exile, and to proclaim, "Thus says the Lord." He was to faithfully deliver God's messages, even if they refused to hear him. At least, they would know a prophet was among them. They could not say that they had not heard. Ezekiel was to warn the wicked to turn to the Lord, and he was to warn the righteous not to turn away from the Lord, and he would have their blood on his hands if he failed to warn them as God directed. God wanted everyone to know the seriousness of the situation in no uncertain terms.
I believe all believers today are to fill this role of God's watchmen and witnesses to the truth to our culture, because unlike Ezekiel's time of the Old Testament, all believers have the Holy Spirit in us, and we can and should be the salt and light to share the truth of God's Word with everyone. We are to do this even if their heart condition keeps them from listening. God does not want one person to perish, so He wants to give every person the chance to turn to Him. Coupled with our words of warning should be prayers that God would melt the stubborn hearts and soften them in His wisdom, so that they could at least hear a little bit of the truth and be able to repent. I pray that we all will be faithful and loving in this day of impudent and hard-hearted people.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 4-7.
God told Ezekiel to preach His Word to the house of Israel in exile, and to proclaim, "Thus says the Lord." He was to faithfully deliver God's messages, even if they refused to hear him. At least, they would know a prophet was among them. They could not say that they had not heard. Ezekiel was to warn the wicked to turn to the Lord, and he was to warn the righteous not to turn away from the Lord, and he would have their blood on his hands if he failed to warn them as God directed. God wanted everyone to know the seriousness of the situation in no uncertain terms.
I believe all believers today are to fill this role of God's watchmen and witnesses to the truth to our culture, because unlike Ezekiel's time of the Old Testament, all believers have the Holy Spirit in us, and we can and should be the salt and light to share the truth of God's Word with everyone. We are to do this even if their heart condition keeps them from listening. God does not want one person to perish, so He wants to give every person the chance to turn to Him. Coupled with our words of warning should be prayers that God would melt the stubborn hearts and soften them in His wisdom, so that they could at least hear a little bit of the truth and be able to repent. I pray that we all will be faithful and loving in this day of impudent and hard-hearted people.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 4-7.