“And he said to me, ‘Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day.'”
– Ezekiel 2:3
Ezekiel 2:3 is God speaking to Ezekiel, calling him, like appointing him, sending him out as a prophet to the people of Israel, to other nations, to nations of rebels who have rebelled against God, who have transgressed against God. Ezekiel’s job is to proclaim the Word of God to them, to call them to repentance.
As the Father sent Jesus to the earth, God has chosen to send us to the nations.
Now, there are so many things that are unique here about Ezekiel and unique about prophets in the Old Testament. But as I was reading this, I couldn’t help but think about John 17, John 20, and 21. What Jesus said to his disciples, what’d you just prayed for his disciples. When he talked about how the Father sent him, so that was obviously very unique. The Father sending the Son to die on a cross for the salvation of sinners and to proclaim salvation to sinners. But Jesus said, “As the Father sent me, so I send you.”
This Verse Emphasizes The Importance Of God
Yes, there are obviously unique things about Jesus, but Jesus is drawing a comparison here and saying you are sent in the same way I was sent. This is a picture we see all throughout scripture. Those who trust in God, those who have the Word of God, so prophets here in the Old Testament like Ezekiel. Think Isaiah 6, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us? Here am I. Send me.” Ezekiel right here in Ezekiel 2:3 is being sent by God.
Above all, the encouragement I want to give you right now, supposing you’re a follower of Jesus, you’ve placed your faith in Jesus, you have the Word of God, you have the Spirit of God living in you, you are sent by God. Yes, there are unique things about prophets in the Old Testament, and there are unique things about Jesus, but as the Father sent Jesus, so Jesus has sent you and me with his Word into a world where people need to hear his Word.
Ezekiel 2:3 Reminds Us We Have Been Sent By God
Like right around us, today, there are people. In fact, tomorrow, people in your life, in each of our sphere of influence who need to hear his Word, who have rebelled against God, who are walking in disobedience to God, and that’s a road that leads to eternal judgment. In fact, You and I have the Word that can draw them to eternal life, that can save them from their sin and rebellion against God and restore them to a relationship with him. So live sent today. Live sent tomorrow. You were sent by God himself.
Oh God, we pray, help us to step into this. Help us to live in this, to live sent. So God, help us to, when we wake up each morning, whether this is the morning for us or tomorrow morning, and to realize that we are commissioned by you to go. To make disciples, to lead people to your salvation, to teach people your Word.
God, help us not to neglect this commission. In fact, help us not to get so busy doing so many other things that we fail to realize that day by day by day, we are sent by you to lead people to eternal life in you. Oh, God, help us to live in that right around us.
Ezekiel 2:3 Prays For Unreached People Around The World
So God, we pray, when we read this nations of rebels phrase, God, we pray for unreached peoples around the world. As we pray each day for different unreached people groups, God, we pray for the Pashtun of Afghanistan. God, please, please, please send laborers to the Pashtun. Draw the Pashtun to faith in you we pray. To every one of the 7,000 unreached people groups, God send laborers we pray.
So, God, help us we pray to live sent today, each day of our lives. We praise you for the privilege of being sent by you with the power of your Spirit. This includes your Word, with good news of your grace that leads to ever lasting life. Thank you for sending us. Help us to live sent today. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
