Ezekiel 3:4-9

B. Assurance of Divine Power 3:4-9

TRANSLATION

(4) And He said unto me, Son of man, go unto the house of Israel and speak with My words unto them (5) For you have not been sent unto a people of obscure language and heavy tongue, but unto the house of Israel. (6) Not unto many people of obscure language and heavy tongue whose words YOU cannot comprehend. Surely if I had sent you unto them, they would hearken unto you. (7) But as for the house of Israel, they are not willing to hearken unto you, because they are not willing to hearken unto Me; for all the house of Israel are strong of forehead and hard of heart. (8) Behold I have made your face strong against their face and your forehead strong against their forehead. (9) Like a diamond[117] harder than flint I have made your forehead. Do not fear them and do not be dismayed before them, for they are a rebellious house.

[117] The Hebrew word samir is rendered diamond in Jeremiah 17:1, adamant in Zechariah 7:12.

COMMENTS

The command to go to the captives with the word is repeated in Ezekiel 3:4: Go. speak. Here it is said that he is to preach with My words. He is to convey God's message to them in the very tongue in which he had received it. The exiles were beginning to use the Aramaic tongue of the Chaldeans, but they would still be familiar with the Hebrew.

Unlike Jonah, Ezekiel is not being sent to a people whose language was utterly incomprehensible. The expression obscure language means literally, deep of lip. The same expression is found in Isaiah 33:19 where it refers to a foreign language which cannot be comprehended. Heavy tongue is a tongue which is sluggish and dull (cf. Exodus 4:10), or one which is tiresome to understand. Many foreigners were in Babylon. Communication with them would not be easy.

Lack of communication between Ezekiel and his audience would not be due to any language barrier. It was to the house of Israel his own compatriots to whom he is sent (Ezekiel 3:5). But this in no way will aid the communication process. Foreigners would readily listen in spite of the problem of language (Ezekiel 3:6). But not the house of Israel. Sometimes the home missionary has a more difficult task than he who ventures into foreign lands to preach the Gospel in exotic tongues. Strange languages are more easily mastered than the technique of communicating with those with unbelieving hearts. The exiles would not be willing to listen to what Ezekiel had to say because they had no interest in hearing what God had to say. As a matter of fact, Ezekiel's chances of getting through to his audience would have been greater if he were speaking to people with a hard language rather than a hard heart (Ezekiel 3:6).

Nothing personal would be involved in Israel's rejection of the message of Ezekiel. The basic problem with the house of Israel was that they had no interest in hearing what God had to say. The people would show an aversion to Ezekiel simply because he was the bearer of the divine word. After all, these people were strong of forehead and hard of heart, i.e., impudent and stubborn (Ezekiel 3:7). Therefore, the opposition which Ezekiel was warned to expect was not to be regarded as unusual or directed against him personally. They were deaf to the voice of God which had spoken through various natural disasters, as well as through His human spokesmen. It was therefore unlikely that they would give any heed to Ezekiel.

The first hurdle which Ezekiel would have to overcome would be the natural fear which would arise over the prospects of preaching an unpopular message to an unsympathetic multitude. With such courage Ezekiel will be endowed by God. The Lord would make Ezekiel's face strong against their face, and his forehead strong against their forehead (Ezekiel 3:8). The latter figure is taken from horned animals which vie for supremacy by butting heads. Ezekiel would be able to match their obstinacy with sanctified stubbornness of his own. He would be as zealous for truth as they were for falsehood. They were as hard as flint, he would be as hard as a diamond.[118] Ezekiel's firmness would cut like a diamond into the flint-like hearts of the men of Israel. Therefore, Ezekiel need have no fear nor be dismayed before that rebellious people (Ezekiel 3:9). How appropriate was this prophet's name, Ezekiel God strengthens or God hardens.

[118] The diamond is much harder than flint, and in fact was used to cut flint. See Currey, BC p. 28.