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You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth. Eze. 3:7-9 7 But the house [bayith] of Israel [Yisra'el] will [abah] not hearken [shama] unto thee; for they will [abah] not hearken [shama] unto me: for all the house [bayith] of Israel [Yisra'el] are impudent [chazaq] [metsach] and hardhearted [qasheh] [leb]. 8 Behold, I have made [nathan] thy face [paniym] strong [chazaq] against [ummah] their faces [paniym], and thy forehead [metsach] strong [chazaq] against [ummah] their foreheads [metsach]. 9 As an adamant [shamiyr] harder [chazaq] than flint [tsor] have I made [nathan] thy forehead [metsach]: fear [yare] them not, neither be dismayed [chathath] at their looks [paniym], though they be a rebellious [mariy] house [bayith]. KJV-Interlinear 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. 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.' NASB The 'whole' house of Israel is not in view here. Obviously Ezekiel is positive toward God. Likewise Daniel, Jeremiah and other prophets as well as anyone else who was positive toward God, are not included in this phrase. But the vast majority of the population in general was negative toward God. That is why the nation (Judah) was overrun by the Chaldean Empire, and the Northern Kingdom (aka Israel or Samaria) was overrun by the Assyrians earlier in history. When a nation goes negative toward God, they reject truth. Remember that truth not only includes the principles of doctrine taught in the Bible, but it also includes principles of divine establishment such as free enterprise, military preparedness, legal due process and so forth. The laws of divine establishment are not just volition, marriage, family and such, but it includes even the laws of physics and other things of science which mankind has discovered throughout history. When a nation rejects truth it rejects all truth sooner or later. And so Judah who could not even find enough men to mount cavalry horses, fell to an invading force quite easily. They had nothing and no one to fight with. Not a good situation for a nation when there are enemies out there who would love to invade and kill everyone off and take all they own. There are always enemies in the world who are more than willing to invade, kill, and take. The terrorists of today are certainly good examples of that. And the liberals of today, those who are anti-truth, are very good examples of the fools who reject truth. God states that the house of Israel was full of impudent and hardhearted people. Even while in captivity they were defiant toward God. So God gives Ezekiel a good illustration of their hard headed attitude. Ezekiel's name means, 'God is strength' or 'God hardens.' This also means that God is stronger than anything else. The negative attitudes of the people were like flint, a very hard material that they made tools out of. And even though their attitude was hardened, Ezekiel's message (his forehead or the content of his soul) will be like diamond (emery) against their flint hardened heads. There is a dual purpose to this meaning. First, that Gods message is more durable and will last longer against any assault against it, or abuse of it. And second, that any other attitude of soul which comes from people who reject Gods truth are not strong enough, nor hard enough to survive their life let alone history. All human attitudes which are anti-Gods truth, will fail. Just as a hardened flint tool will eventually fail when brought against something even harder like a diamond. In the end Gods word will prevail. At the outset God warned Ezekiel not to expect dramatic results from his ministry. People who are negative toward God, will also be negative toward His messengers and His message. No teacher of the Word of God should take it personal when people reject them. Teachers include anyone who tries to teach truth. This can even be a parent trying to teach a hard headed child. You do what you can do and God will take up the slack where necessary. Sometimes people and kids need to fall on hard times before their attitudes change. A persons spiritual deafness is usually acquired over long years of exposure to, and rejection of, Gods word. Israel's response to God in the past was an example of the response Ezekiel could expect. 
Now is the time to post a prayer. End Of Lesson Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth. |
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