Shining a Light in Darkness

I Have Given You a Forehead Harder Than Flint
by Sis YahChannah

There was a man, a man of YHWH called Ezekiel. He was in fact a priest of the Almighty. One day he was sitting down by the river with some of the other exiles from the home of Yisrael and Yahudah.

He tells us of the amazing, magnificent vision that came to him. The heavens were opened and he saw things few would ever see.

Ezek 1:1-28

CHAPTER 1

1 Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth {day} of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of Elohim.

2 (On the fifth of the month in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile,

3 the word of YHWH came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there the hand of YHWH came upon him.)

Ezekiel was there visiting with his brethren, maybe talking of home or perhaps complaining about their food or boasting about their grandchildren when suddenly YHWH placed His hand upon Ezekiel. He now attempts to put into words what he beheld with his eyes.

4 And as I looked, behold, a storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like glowing metal in the midst of the fire.

5 And within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form.

6 Each of them had four faces and four wings.

7 And their legs were straight and their feet were like a calf's hoof, and they gleamed like burnished bronze.

8 Under their wings on their four sides {were} human hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them,

9 their wings touched one another; their {faces} did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward.

10 As for the form of their faces, {each} had the face of a man, all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle.

11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another {being,} and two covering their bodies.

12 And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went.

13 In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches darting back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire.

14 And the living beings ran to and fro like bolts of lightning.

15 Now as I looked at the living beings, behold, there was one wheel on the earth beside the living beings, for {each of} the four of them.

16 The appearance of the wheels and their workmanship {was} like sparkling beryl, and all four of them had the same form, their appearance and workmanship {being} as if one wheel were within another.

17 Whenever they moved, they moved in any of their four directions, without turning as they moved.

18 As for their rims they were lofty and awesome, and the rims of all four of them were full of eyes round about.

19 And whenever the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. And whenever the living beings rose from the earth, the wheels rose {also.}

20 Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction. And the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living beings {was} in the wheels.

21 Whenever those went, these went; and whenever those stood still, these stood still. And whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living beings {was} in the wheels.

22 Now over the heads of the living beings {there was} something like an expanse, like the awesome gleam of crystal, extended over their heads.

23 And under the expanse their wings {were stretched out} straight, one toward the other; each one also had two wings covering their bodies on the one side and on the other.

24 I also heard the sound of their wings like the sound of abundant waters as they went, like the voice of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army camp; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings.

25 And there came a voice from above the expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings.

26 Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, {was} a figure with the appearance of a man.

27 Then I noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and {there was} a radiance around Him.

28 As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so {was} the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such {was} the appearance of the likeness of the glory of YHWH. And when I saw {it,} I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.

If this were you, would you be dumbfounded? Would you be melted down into a puddle of humility and obedience? Would you be ready to ‘argue’ with His Voice if He spoke to you? Would you be worried about what I would think of this or would you be more concerned about what the Almighty thought?

What an overwhelming, vision of the Glorious Creator of the Universe! How could you ever doubt that what you heard from Him was the most important communication that you could ever have?

Ezekiel fell on his face. Do you blame him? Who would have done differently? Then he began to receive instruction.

Ezek 2:1-10

CHAPTER 2

1 Then He said to me, "Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you!"

2 And as He spoke to me the Ruach entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard {Him} speaking to me.

Ezekiel says the Ruach set him upon his feet. His knees would have surely been buckling in fear and awe.

3 Then He said to me, "Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day.

Would you like for the Almighty to say He was sending you to speak before a nation of people? What if He told you, He was, in fact, sending you to a rebellious people, who had a generational record of being in rebellion against the Father?

4 "And I am sending you to them who are stubborn and obstinate children; and you shall say to them, 'This is what YHWH, Elohim says.'

If they were in rebellion against the Almighty, what might they do to me, a mere human, you would perhaps be thinking.

5 "As for them, whether they listen or not-- for they are a rebellious house-- they will know that a prophet has been among them.

Verse 5 seems to point out that even if Yisrael does not listen, and again He pointed out their rebellious nature...the message would still be given. Never again could they claim ignorance for YHWH Himself said, "They will know that a prophet has been among them."

6 "And you, son of man, neither fear them nor fear their words, though thistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions; neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house.

Verse 6 would surely cheer Ezekiel...thistles, thorns, scorpions...oh my, this cannot be a pleasant task being put upon Ezekiel.

7 "But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious.

Then YHWH gives emphasis to what is important here. Whether they listened or not was not to be the prime concern for they were rebellious and it would be surprising if the did listen. YHWH told Ezekiel..you shall speak My words....they may not listen...but you will speak My words.

8 "Now you, son of man, listen to what I am speaking to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you."

9 Then I looked, behold, a hand was extended to me; and lo, a scroll {was} in it.

10 When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and back; and written on it were lamentations, mourning and woe.

Ezekiel was warned that he must not be rebellious as was the house of Yisrael. He was handed a scroll and told to eat it, to make it a part of himself. Take within you these words of lamentations, mourning and woe.

Most do not listen to a ‘happy’ light message if there is even a hint of rebuke in it anywhere. If the message says they are not right.. ears are closed, eyes are averted, minds are set on ignore.

But here is Ezekiel, he is not only sent to rebellious people who he has already been told they will not listen to him and then on top of that, he is given a message of lamentations, mourning and woe. This poor guy does not stand a chance.

Ezek 3:1-27

CHAPTER 3

1 Then He said to me, "Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel."

2 So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll.

3 And He said to me, "Son of man, feed your stomach, and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you." Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth.

He tells us that he was given this scroll to eat. Feed your stomach (Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of YHWH?) Fill your body (be committed with every minute part of self to YHWH and His will?) With what YHWH gave to him.

He says he ate the scroll and it was sweet as honey in his mouth. When you are filled with every word that comes from your Father and all that you are is dedicated to Him, His words will be sweet upon your tongue, even when you must face a crowd who see you as an enemy and are in rebellion to the Most High.

4 Then He said to me, "Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them.

5 "For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech or difficult language, {but} to the house of Israel,

6 nor to many peoples of unintelligible speech or difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. But I have sent you to them who should listen to you;

He is told to go to the house of Yisrael, his Brethren, speakers of the same language, those who should understand Ezekiel and those whom he could understand. These are the ones who should listen to him, understand what he is saying especially when YHWH had put His words into the mouth of the messenger.

7 yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, since they are not willing to listen to Me. Surely the whole house of Israel is stubborn and obstinate.

Will they listen? No, they will not. We are told they will not listen to YHWH, why would they listen to a human even if sent to them by YHWH?

YHWH says He will not send any of His to do a job and not strengthen them that they might complete their assignment, so He tells Ezekiel:

8 "Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.

9 "Like emery harder than flint I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, though they are a rebellious house."

They may be tough, they may be hardheaded, they may be frightening but do not fear for I, YHWH have also hardened your forehead...you can stand up to anything the say or do to you for I have strengthened you.

10 Moreover, He said to me, "Son of man, take into your heart all My words which I shall speak to you, and listen closely.

11 "And go to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not, 'Thus says YHWH, Elohim.'"

The Father said take My words into your heart, do not listen casually but rather listen closely and heed what I tell you.

12 Then the Ruach lifted me up, and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me, "Blessed be the glory of YHWH in His place."

13 And I {heard} the sound of the wings of the living beings touching one another, and the sound of the wheels beside them, even a great rumbling sound.

14 So the Ruach lifted me up and took me away; and I went embittered in the rage of my spirit, and the hand of YHWH was strong on me.

He was lifted up by Ruach and he seems to have been bitterly distressed in his own spirit. Would you be distressed under the same circumstances? YHWH did not ‘ask’ Ezekiel if he wanted to go and speak the words of the Most High to these rebellious people, rather He told him what he was to do.

15 Then I came to the exiles who lived beside the river Chebar at Tel-abib, and I sat there seven days where they were living, causing consternation among them.

Back by the river among his people, Ezekiel sat there. The people were evidently wondering what he was doing, why he was there. I can at least imagine Ezekiel hoping against hope that YHWH would just leave him sitting there and not make him follow through on what had happened and what he had seen in the vision.

16 Now it came about at the end of seven days that the word of YHWH came to me, saying,

17 "Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me.

No such luck for YHWH did not forget and came telling Ezekiel...now is the time. 

And yet look at the message YHWH gives to poor Ezekiel.

18 "When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die'; and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.

19 "Yet if you have warned the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself.

The penalty for Ezekiel not informing the wicked with the message ‘You shall surely die' was the wicked persons blood was on his hand just as though Ezekiel had taken his life.

20 "Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I place an obstacle before him, he shall die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand.

Again, if YHWH informs the prophet that he must warn the righteous man if he see him turning away to unrighteousness.. Or once again.. the blood is on his hands.

21 "However, if you have warned the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; and you have delivered yourself."

22 And the hand of YHWH was on me there, and He said to me, "Get up, go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you."

23 So I got up and went out to the plain; and behold, the glory of YHWH was standing there, like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar, and I fell on my face.

Once again he finds himself in the Presence of the Almighty in all His Glory.

24 The Ruach then entered me and made me stand on my feet, and He spoke with me and said to me, "Go, shut yourself up in your house.

25 "As for you, son of man, they will put ropes on you and bind you with them, so that you cannot go out among them.

He is sent to his house and told to shut himself up there. He is told that the people will bind him and not allow him among them. Remember, these are his brothers.. They are not foreigners.

26 "Moreover, I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be dumb, and cannot be a man who rebukes them, for they are a rebellious house.

Ezekiel is told that not only will they mistreat him and bind him and put him away from their presence but that he would be made mute that he could not even defend himself, he could not rebuke them for their behavior.

27 "But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth, and you will say to them, 'Thus says YHWH, Elohim.' He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.

YHWH speaks to Ezekiel and he says ‘thus says YHWH Elohim. That is now the extent of Ezekiel’s obligation. The burden has totally shifted to: He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse.

For they are a rebellious house.

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