"Moreover He said to me, "Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel." So I opened my mouth, and He cause me to eat that scroll." (Eze. 3:1,2).
By this the Lord qualified Ezekiel for the prophetic ministry.
1. Apprehension: The servant of God must fully apprehend the meaning of the message he preaches. If he's not clear about the message, then neither can he communicate it to others. The Lord tells Ezekiel to feed his belly and fill his stomach with the scroll (v.3). It's only after Ezekiel has eaten it and known its taste to be as sweet as honey, that he's able to stand boldly and proclaim what he knows about what God means to say.
2. Assimilation: The word became internal to the servant. The word and the servant became one. Only when the word is mixed with faith will the result be divine perspective and divine fulfillment (Heb. 4:1,2). Therefore, God commands Ezekiel his prophet saying, "Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears" (Eze.3:10). Similarly, Jesus said to His disciples, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:7). This assimilation of God's word occurs when we take God at His word without any circumvention.
3. Articulation: Ezekiel's clear, straightforward, and fearless proclamation of God's word is possible only because the word now defines the mission and expression of who he is. He is God's servant and God's prophet and the totality of his existence is defined in the relentless and front-line articulation of the divine message. The articulation needs to be(a) Verbal (v.4). It consists of words.
(b) Personal (v5). It concerns people as persons.
(c) Public (v5). It concerns a message that is religious, but social and political as well.
(d) Relentless (v6). The proclamation will not be affected in either intensity or verity despite the indifference or hostility of the audience.
(e) Testimonial (v7). The proclamation is a call to repentance, but is not oriented to it. It is merely a testimony of divine Truth.
(f) Powerful (v8). The testimony is stronger than the strength of worldly wisdom, vice, and violence. It looks in the eyes because it is pure.
(g) Fearless (v9). The proclamation is bold, courageous, and advancing. It doesn't stop anywhere nor can be limited byour any bonds or chains.
Prayer: Lord, grant your laborers the clarity of your vision, the strength of your soul, the passion of your heart, and the boldness of your Spirit to live out and preach the truth that you've given us to assimilate, apprehend, and articulate. The Lord's Name be blessed forever. Amen!
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