Call of the Prophet

Ezekiel 2-3

Last week we talked through the historical context of Ezekiel’s ministry. He was exiled from the land of Judah along with 10,000 men of valor and craftsman, including the king, to the Babylonian empire, many of whom were settled in this suburb of Babylon, Tel-abib, near the Chebar canal. They were exiled after King Jehoiachin rebelled against the king of Babylon who thus laid seige to Jerusalem until his surrender, which he did. The Babylonians installed another king, Zedekiah, who would continue to pay tribute and afterward they left Jerusalem in tact.

All of this was a surprise to the people of Judah, unless they had been listening to the prophet Jeremiah who had been warning of such a thing. They assumed that God’s promises were everlasting and that this was a minor setback. Soon, they would return. But it was a false hope. This wasn’t a minor setback, as though God had temporarily let his guard down. This was God’s own doing, and that is the message that Ezekiel has been called to reiterate to the exiles.

In this passage, we see this call come to Ezekiel. Through his prophets, God makes his Word known. The question for you is this: what will you do about it?