Ezekiel 2 | Wayfarer

The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’
Ezekiel 2:4 (NIV)

Earlier this week I wrote about my work experiences when I was young. The thoughts around that post have continued to rattle around in my thoughts this week. I thought of Mike Rowe and his show Dirty Jobs. The dirtiest job I ever had was pollinating seed corn fields. It was hot and the corn would cut and scrape my arms and legs. By the end of the day, I would be drenched with sweat and I would be yellow from head to foot covered in corn pollen. It was nasty work but it paid well, and it taught me that Ag science was not a field I was particularly interested in pursuing.

In today’s chapter, Ezekiel’s vision of being in God’s throne room continues and the young priest is given his prophetic calling. God has a job for Zeke. He is to proclaim God’s messages to the Israelites living in exile in Babylon. God warns Zeke that it is going to be a tough job. The very reason they are in exile is because of their rebelliousness and obstinance toward God. God tells Ezekiel that it’s highly likely they will refuse to listen and that he’s not going to be very popular.

As I read the chapter this morning, I also thought about Jeremiah. In fact, I went back and read the first chapter which describes God’s prophetic call to Jeremiah. Jeremiah and Ezekiel’s prophetic ministries overlap. God called Jeremiah to proclaim His messages to the same obstinate and rebellious people in and around Jerusalem. If Zeke knew Jeremiah at all before being sent in exile to Babylon, he would have an inkling of what he was in for. Jeremiah was threatened, beaten, and thrown into a well. God’s warning to Zeke in today’s chapter might be summed up: “It’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it.”

And, as I meditated on it in the quiet this morning, I realized that was the point. God refuses to give up on His people. They have rejected Him, but He isn’t giving up on them. Whether it was the exiles in Babylon or the people left in Jerusalem, God was determined to continue warning them, continue calling them to repentance, and continue assuring them of the love and hope He has for them if they will simply soften their hearts and choose to follow. Even knowing that most of them will refuse to listen, God refuses to give up on them. I am reminded of Paul’s words to Timothy (another young man tasked with proclaiming God’s Message):

“if we are faithless,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.”
2 Timothy 2:13 (NIV)

One of the more challenging aspects of parenting (speaking of another tough job but someone’s got to do it) for me has been watching my children (and now grandchildren) navigate their own spiritual journeys. Their dance with the Almighty is their own. I have no control. What I do have is faith in a faithful God who refuses to give up on His own, even if and when they give up on Him. In the meantime, I, like Zeke, will keep proclaiming the Message even if no one listens.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.

Wendy Vander Well, Doug DeWolf (Dean De Haas) and Jana De Zwarte (Marian De Haas). — Wendy enjoying the rehearsal process with Doug and Jana.

“You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen….”
Ezekiel 2:7a (NIV)

Wendy and I have often conversed about our love of process as it relates to the theatre. As actors, we love the process of character development and scene exploration during the rehearsal period perhaps more than we enjoy performing in front of an audience. Don’t get me wrong. Performances are wonderful and intoxicating, but they are often a very momentary high. In the rehearsal process you grow, you make new connections, you explore new challenges, and delve to new depths in ways that stick with you long after the final curtain falls on a production.

I found it interesting this morning that God tells Ezekiel to speak the words given to him without regard to the results. Ezekiel was not to worry about whether people listened or not. He was not to concern himself with huge Billy Graham style calls for salvation. The only thing Ezekiel was to concern himself with was being faithful in the process of listening and speaking. The results were not his responsibility, nor were they an indicator of success or failure.

These things were rattling around in my head and heart this morning as I prepared to walk up to my office and write this post. I’ll admit that there are days that I question why I write these posts each day. It’s Monday. I didn’t sleep particularly well last night. My morning feels fubar-ed before it ever began. Arrrghhhh. Who cares? I confess that there are days when I feel quite profound and the response is the internet’s equivalent of crickets chirping. Other days I feel like I just puke something on the page in order to hit “Publish” and be done with it and someone, somewhere replies that it was just what they needed to read that day. Go figure. Whether you’re a prophet, a preacher, a poet, a playwright, a blogger, a writer, a songsmith, an actor, a filmmaker, a dancer, et cetera, or et cetera the truth remains: It’s about the process. The results will take care of themselves.

Happy Monday. Grind it out.