‏ Ezekiel 3

* The preparation of the prophet for his work. (1-11) His

office, as that of a watchman. (12-2) The restraining and

restoring his speech. (22-27)

1-11 Ezekiel was to receive the truths of God as the food for

his soul, and to feed upon them by faith, and he would be

strengthened. Gracious souls can receive those truths of God

with delight, which speak terror to the wicked. He must speak

all that, and that only, which God spake to him. How can we

better speak God's mind than with his words? If disappointed as

to his people, he must not be offended. The Ninevites were

wrought upon by Jonah's preaching, when Israel was unhumbled and

unreformed. We must leave this unto the Divine sovereignty, and

say, Lord, thy judgments are a great deep. They will not regard

the word of the prophet, for they will not regard the rod of

God. Christ promises to strengthen him. He must continue earnest

in preaching, whatever the success might be. 12-21 This mission made the holy angels rejoice. All this was

to convince Ezekiel, that the God who sent him had power to bear

him out in his work. He was overwhelmed with grief for the sins

and miseries of his people, and overpowered by the glory of the

vision he had seen. And however retirement, meditation, and

communion with God may be sweet, the servant of the Lord must

prepare to serve his generation. The Lord told the prophet he

had appointed him a watchman to the house of Israel. If we warn

the wicked, we are not chargeable with their ruin. Though such

passages refer to the national covenant made with Israel, they

are equally to be applied to the final state of all men under

every dispensation. We are not only to encourage and comfort

those who appear to be righteous, but they are to be warned, for

many have grown high-minded and secure, have fallen, and even

died in their sins. Surely then the hearers of the gospel should

desire warnings, and even reproofs. 22-27 Let us own ourselves for ever indebted to the mediation

of Christ, for the blessed intercourse between God and man; and

a true believer will say, I am never less alone than when thus

alone. When the Lord opened Ezekiel's mouth, he was to deliver

his message boldly, to place life and death, the blessing and

the curse, before the people, and leave them to their choice.