As he spoke to me, the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet, and I listened to the one who was speaking to me. He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to the rebellious pagans who have rebelled against me. The Israelites and their ancestors have transgressed against me to this day.” Ezekiel 2:2–3
Don’t you love Saturday mornings? You usually go to bed late Friday night, knowing you can sleep in as long as you want. But this Saturday morning, something’s gone wrong. You’re lying in bed wide awake, and there’s no going back to sleep.
The dawning sun is barely squeezing through the blinds. You glance at the clock on your nightstand: 6:11! Why is it so tough to wake up on a weekday when I have to get up, you think, but now that I can sleep as late as I want to, I’m lying here wide awake? The answer is simple: you’ve got a project. You’ve been looking forward to starting it for a long time. Your stack of pressure-treated wood was delivered this week. You’ve been to the local hardware store and loaded up on other things you’ll need. The guy in building supplies with the canvas bib was helpful. Now you’ve got your deck screws, galvanized bolts, new drill bits, and several bags of premixed concrete. Sleeping in is not an option. You can hardly wait to get started!
Because your family doesn’t have a project this morning to wake them up, you quietly pull on a pair of old jeans and slip out your bedroom door, down the stairs, and into the garage where everything is waiting. Thankfully, they sleep on.
There’s something powerful about being called to a task—even one that’s going to require a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. Ezekiel knew all about this kind of call. But his didn’t come from an alarm clock or from the anticipation of a building project. Ezekiel’s call came directly from God: “Stand up on your feet and I will speak with you” (v. 1), the Almighty commanded the prophet.
And then God gave Ezekiel his orders: “I am sending you to the Israelites, to the rebellious pagans who have rebelled against me. The Israelites and their ancestors have transgressed against me. . . . Whether they listen or refuse to listen . . . they will know that a prophet has been among them. . . . Do not be afraid of them and do not be afraid of their words. . . . Speak my words to them whether they listen or refuse to listen” (vv. 3, 5–7).
Can you imagine an assignment like this? God telling this man to be salt in his tasteless world, light in the darkness all around him. But can’t you also imagine the adrenaline coursing through Ezekiel’s body? Sure, this is a difficult assignment, he must have thought. But God has called me. He’s promised to go with me. And He has told me not to be afraid. Let me at those rebellious Israelites!
Guess what? That voice you hear in the quietness of you heart is God calling you. He has given you unique talents and a sphere of influence—husband, father, coworker, neighbor, friend. And He has commanded you to be a prophet, a man who speaks a language bursting with God’s holiness and grace.
Get up. You’ve got work to do. And aren’t you excited? I’ll bet you can hardly wait to get busy. It isn’t every day that a man hears directly from heaven.