Then he said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them. For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech or a difficult language but to the house of Israel—not to the many peoples of unintelligible speech or a difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. No doubt, if I sent you to them, they would listen to you. But the house of Israel will not want to listen to you because they do not want to listen to me. For the whole house of Israel is hardheaded and hardhearted. Ezekiel 2
These opening chapters are difficult to read. They describe the terrible days of judgment when the Lord poured His wrath out on Jerusalem and they describe terrible days of torture for a prophet to whom the people would not listen. What is so fascinating to me, though, is the statement that Ezekiel was going to “his” people but “his” people were not going to listen to him. If he were going to a foreign land where he would have to learn another language then maybe they would listen, but his people were stubborn and rebellious. As a missionary who has operated for years in other languages, I feel that things are very much the same today. I see what is going on in my own country of America and the craziness that abounds; especially in the wake of the COVID epidemic and the racial tensions surrounding the murder of George Floyd. I see the need for ministry and gospel witness in America and I see that things are even harder there than in Africa. Of course, there are plenty of people overseas who will not listen to the gospel, but I feel that much of Africa is more open to the gospel and much more honest about their sin and shortcomings than my fellow Americans.
Ezekiel was going to a people who thought they were the people of God, but they didn’t act like it. However, because they “thought” they were the people of God they were stubborn and resistant to any form of correction. I see those same traits in my own country these days where many “believe” they are acting in ways that please the Lord, but they are just as stubborn and rebellious (and wicked) as Israel in the days of Ezekiel. The thought has crossed my mind more than once, “maybe you are needed back in your home country.” Yet, we are still called to Africa, and to be honest that is a bit of relief. Like Ezekiel, I think it is probably easier and more rewarding to work among many peoples of “difficult language” than to deal with my own people who are “hardheaded and hardhearted.” Pray for America and pray for the faithful pastors and missionaries who are pursuing the thankless task of ministering to a nation that has forgotten its God. Pray that the church in America would rise up and be the holy bride of Christ that she needs to be and become agents of change, revival, and gospel witness.
