Our breakfast reading this morning was in Ezekiel 33, and I was impressed by the statement from the Lord to Ezekiel in verses 30 to 33.
As a sidenote, we have been impressed in Ezekiel with the number of times the Lord says “they shall know that I am the Lord”. If my count is correct, it is in the neighbourhood of 67 times that this clause is found in this prophet.
Going back to verses 30 to 33, the Lord tells Ezekiel that “the children of your people” are enjoying and talking about the prophets pronouncements. This reminded me somewhat of what Paul writes to Timothy about people with itching ears going after pleasant sounding preachers. However, in that portion the preachers spoken of don’t appear to be true messengers of the Lord.
In Ezekiel’s case, it is clear that he is the Lord’s prophet. In spite of that the attitude of the people is to pay attention to what he is telling them, but only because they like the sound of it. They have no intention of doing anything about it in their lives of disobedience.
In comparing the two passages; one in Ezekiel, and the other in Timothy; I see a warning for today. In the one case, he was God’s messenger, and they loved to listen to him; and in the other, the preachers were not God’s messengers, and they loved to listen to them. However, the important thing for us is to “heed” the message from the Lord, and to act on it.
It is my prayer that God’s people of this day be found to be vessels of honour in the great household of faith; doing what the Lord would have us do.