#DailyDevotion All pastors have is God’ Word and Promises. Listen to them.
January 8th
Read Ezek 2:1—3:11
Eze 3:2-7 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. (3) And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey. (4) And 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 sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel— (6) not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. (7) But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart.
As they say in many comedy clubs, “Tough crowd.” Ezekiel is given what seems to be an impossible mission. He is called to preach the word of God to Israel and call them to repentance. He is to speak to them lamentations and woe. Yet the Lord tells him that they are a hard headed people. They are stubborn and unwilling to listen to the Lord.
Ezekiel is not sent with his own words to speak but with the Word of the Lord he is to speak. He is told to eat the scroll. What is written on the scroll he is to speak. Christian pastors are pretty much in the same boat today. We have been given the bible, some 65 scrolls to eat and inwardly digest. They are to become part of us. It is this Word and not our own we are called to speak to the world and to the people of God. Whether they listen or not, they will know there has been a prophet amongst them. As Peter tells us, 2Pe 1:20 “knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.”
Jesus also says this of those whom he sends, Luk 10:16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” We are not called to do miraculous signs and wonders but to faithfully preach the Word of God. The people of Israel didn’t listen to the prophets nor did they listen to the apostles. Paul warns us, 1Co 1:22-24 “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, (23) but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, (24) but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Just as Jesus also taught in the parable of the rich man, Luk 16:29-31 “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ (30) And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ (31) He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'”
So we too today have simple men, sent by God with the good news of Jesus Christ. They have nothing but the Word and Promise of God. That Word and Promise of God is this, repent and believe the good news. God has forgiven all your sins and has been reconciled to you for the sake of his Son Jesus Christ. His spilt blood, his innocent suffering and death is the atonement needed to make peace between you and God. Nothing further is needed. This gift is delivered to us in the Word, Baptism, Absolution, the Lord’s Supper, and the consolation of the saints.
Lord Jesus Christ, when you send your pastors into our lives give us ears that hear and hearts that repent and believe the Word you place in their mouths for our salvation. Amen.